Page 31 of No Take Backs
“You’re sweet, Josh.” She clears her throat. “I don’t mean that in the same way I’d use it with Gino or even Ryder. You’re open, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But you should know, I’m not wild. I don’t like adventure. Again, you should give me your phone.”
Unable to help myself, I snort and hand over the stupid device.
The door swings open, and Gem strolls back in, whistling, with a box of pizza in her hands. “Dinner’s here.” She waggles her eyebrows when she sees Nia handing me back my phone, but neither of us say anything to her.
I get up, leaving the two of them to their dinner and cribbage game. I know better than to waste time when there is food around.
In fact, I’ve just grabbed my first slice of pizza, the cheese still stringy as I pull it away from the box, when the tones drop. The sound is jarring, cutting through the easy camaraderie in the room like a knife. All the guys in the kitchen freeze, our instincts kicking in as we wait for the details. There’s always that split second of anticipation, the moment when everything hangs in the balance. Will it be a false alarm, something minor, or are we about to dive headfirst into another fire? The pizza forgotten in my hand, I strain to listen, my heart rate ticking up a notch as we wait to hear if it’s our call to action.
“Attention Birch EMS…”
I tune out the rest of the call as it becomes clear it’s not ours, but Nia’s and Gem’s, and a deep sigh escapes me, one I didn’t realize I was holding. The adrenaline that had spiked just moments ago begins to ebb away, leaving behind a kind of bone-deep exhaustion. I drop into a chair at the table, Gino taking the seat next to me with a similar look of relief on his face. It’s a strange thing, this constant pendulum swing between action and inaction, but it’s part of the job, part of the life we’ve chosen. Gino shoots me a tired smile, one that says we dodged a bullet this time, but there’s no telling when the next one will come.
“Man, after the week we’ve had, I kind of hope I can get at least a few hours’ sleep tonight.” He shoves almost the full piece of pizza into his mouth at once.
“Same. What’s it been, six calls today so far?”
“Seven.” Ryder sits down on my other side. “Seven for us, and nine for EMS.”
“Yeah.” I shake my head and grab another piece of pizza. “I honestly can’t wait to sleep tomorrow when I get home.”
“You can’t.” Will Geddy drops down on the other side of the table. “You and Ryder are supposed to be volunteering at the school with me to cover that fire safety demonstration that we missed.”
I forgot all about the demonstration, to be honest. “Shit.” I rub my temple. “Yeah, that’s right. I’ll sleep after that. And after I stop at my mom’s house because she’s left me about a dozen calls this week.” With a sigh, I realize I won’t be getting to sleep until at least the evening, and maybe not even then. Not if Nia agrees to go out for dinner with me.
While I’m thinking about her, I pull out my phone and smile when I see that not only had she put her phone number into my phone, but she also called her phone, too. No doubt making it so she has mine.
And I have a text from her, too.
Nia: Chinese food. Tomorrow night?
The message is straightforward, but it carries with it a weight of possibility. I can almost hear her voice in the words, that mix of confidence and playfulness that makes her so damn irresistible. The idea of sitting across from her, sharing a meal, maybe talking about something other than work is almost as perfect as a night with her could get.
Josh: Yup. Your place or mine?
I don’t think about it until after I send the message, but there is a huge possibility that she actually means going out on a date. And that means that I probably put my foot in my mouth in the first place.
Not wanting to think about how I most likely screwed up, I slip my phone back into my pocket, trying to focus on the conversation around me. But my mind keeps drifting back to her, to the way she looked at me earlier, to the way she laughed when I asked her out. It’s like she’s taken up residence in my thoughts, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to shake her.
And maybe… just maybe, I don’t want to.
“Not that this isn’t fun and shit, but maybe we can all talk about the fact that they want the fire department to pose for a calendar.” Cap walks into the kitchen with a bottle of water in his hand, looking like he’s just run a marathon. “You guys might want to consider a salad or six instead of that shit.”
Ryder, not afraid of pissing off the captain, lifts his shirt to reveal the perfectly sculpted six-pack that he’s had since I’ve known him.
“Don’t worry, Cap. I’ll be January for you, that way you can dress up like Santa and cover up your belly.”
Cap throws the water bottle at him, but the younger man catches it.
“I’ll kill you,” Cap says, deadpan, though the corners of his mouth twitch with barely suppressed amusement. “And I’ll let my daughter dispose of the body so no one will ever trace it back to me.” He reaches into the fridge, pulling out a neatly portioned meal in Tupperware which is a stark contrast to the greasy pizza we’re devouring like heathens. “From what I hear, I wouldn’t even have to say please. She’d take care of it in a heartbeat.” The room fills with laughter again, the kind that comes from shared experiences and inside jokes. Cap’s daughter is a force to be reckoned with, and everyone knows it. The thought of her exacting revenge on Ryder is both hilarious and terrifying.
“I don’t get how you’re perfectly okay with the fact that your daughter is a medical examiner.” Gino shudders. “Fuckin’ zombies, man. I’m telling you, my friend Dom has the right idea on it. He made me watch this documentary on how zombies are an actual possibility, and now he’s got me creating all kinds of zombie survival plans.”
The room goes silent as we all process Gino’s admission. “There’s no such thing as zombies,” Ryder tells him matter-of-factly. “You do know it’s all fiction, right?”
“Not even close,” Gino counters. “There are viruses out there right now, and drugs too, that can take away your impulse control and just make you snap. Just like that. I’m telling you, it could happen.”
He is so serious about it, like he is absolutely convinced that we could get called to a scene where zombies are, too. There isn’t a single shred of doubt in my friend’s mind.