My Neighbor the Firefighter

Chapter 3

GABBY

I absolutely love being back in the sunshine state. As a Floridian, adjusting to Indiana’s heavy snow and subzero temperatures was pure hell. And that’s just another reason, on a very long list of reasons that I knew Desmond and I weren’t right for each other. What person in their right mind leaves this beautiful weather to subject themselves to that type of torture?

At least once or twice a week, I walk down to Lake Eola and feed the birds and swans. It’s become a guilty pleasure of mine, a quiet tranquil moment where I can just forget about everything else going on in the world and focus on the beauty of nature.

That was one thing I admired when I was up north, Indiana falls were beyond gorgeous. I’ll never forget the day Des took me out on a horseback tour through the state park. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life.

“What are you thinking about? Wipe that stupid look off your face!” Eve snaps interrupting my thoughts

“Nothing, I…” I begin but she cuts me off before I can think up a good lie

“You are a terrible liar so don’t even try it. It better not have anything to do with that stupid ex of yours.”

“You only look like that when you’re talking about or thinking about him.”

Great, here we go again, now I have to listen to her rant for an hour about how much she hated Des and how I need to hurry up and sleep with someone else so I can stop thinking about him.

“You desperately need to get laid.”

“Andre has some good-looking homeboys, I’m sure one of them would be happy to give you an adjustment, no strings.”

I stand just glaring at her, while the birds patiently pace around waiting for me to drop the next pieces of bread.

“Seriously, if they’re half as good as Dre is in bed, you’ll forget all about Desmond”

Frustrated with my face for always showing exactly what I’m thinking, I choose to just ignore her comments and change the subject.

“You are the least outdoorsy person I know, so why exactly are you ruining my peaceful and serene time?” I ask remembering she seemed like she needed to discuss something urgent when she called earlier

“Oh, yeah. It’s about Dominique, she said you gave her a ride Friday but wouldn’t tell me anything else.”

“It sounded like she was crying on the voicemail she left me but won’t talk about it or tell me what happened.”

“All she said is, it’s ok. I needed a ride and Gabby dropped me off.”

“That’s all I know, she asked me to pick her up and drop her off at your house”

I say patting myself on the back for telling the truth and being able to avoid the awkward you know I can’t tell you conversation. Unfortunately, my celebration is short lived when she asks

“Picked her up from where?”

“Eve, you’ve always been there for her, and she knows that. I’m sure that if something is going on, she will talk to you about it when she’s ready.”

I instantly regret my words when she scowls at me.

“You didn’t answer my question, Gabby!”

Oh boy, I think as I take a deep breath and hit her with it. Even though everything inside me is screaming ‘YOU’LL REGRET IT!’

“You know, I can’t tell you”

Eve and I have always been uber close, we are only a year apart, so we had been more like sisters growing up. She’s always been quick to fight and uninterested in talking it out so, what she did next terrified me.

Eve stood up, flung the bread she had in her hand into the lake and after picking up her bottle of water, phone and keys, she just left.

The way she reacted made me wish she had just hit me. When it dawns on me that she’s headed home to confront Dominique, I shoot her a quick text.

Eve was asking me about Friday.

I wouldn’t tell her anything, so she left, I think she may be headed home.

Just a heads up. Love you and I hope all is well.

Before I can slide my phone back into my pocket, she responds

Thanks Gabby. Luckily, I’m not home.

The sun had begun to set by the time I made it back to my building.

An all-black dodge ram truck catches my eye, just as it’s turning into the parking garage and I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t make out the driver to see if he was as sexy as his truck.

My phone rings distracting me, and I take that as a sign that I shouldn’t hang out in the lobby to try and see if the driver of the truck comes inside.

I can’t seriously be this desperate, and knowing my luck, it’ll probably be a four hundred fifty-pound sumo wrestler named Sharan. No offense to those who like that sort of thing. There is someone for everyone, that’s just not my type.

Gina had been salty with me since the night I stood her up for the party, so I was surprised to see her calling.

“I’m still mad at you but you know I ain’t got no friends” she announces when I answer the phone

I just laugh and she continues

“My drought continues, so I called to see if you had any new steamy dreams about your guy”

“Seriously Gina!”

“Yeah, seriously. It’s been eight months since Sean, and I broke up. And every day I’m tempted to let him get it one more time!”

“Is that all you think about?” I ask already knowing full well that it is

“Mostly because I’m not getting any but yeah.”

“Great sex, a good hot cup of coffee, a sweet flaky pastry and a dozen street tacos. Those are the four chambers of my heart, and I’d do just about anything to experience them all at once!”

I continue listening to her go on and on as I type in my elevator code and just before the door closes, I think I catch a glimpse of the guy I met at Score.

I can’t explain why I enjoy saying his name so much, but the way his name just rolls off my tongue, makes me smile.

Was that him?

Couldn’t be.

Was that his kid he was carrying?

Wait, I didn’t see a ring the other night.

I mentally kick myself. That does not mean he doesn’t have kids.

That couldn’t have been him, I’ve been here for two months, and I’ve never seen him in the building.

Although I’m sure I haven’t met every tenant.

I’ve been going to Score for the same amount of time and never seen him before Friday.

Maybe he’s looking for me? Not with a kid in his arms.

Does he live in the building? Maybe the kid’s mom does.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” Gina says interrupting my thoughts

“Yes, to what?” I ask knowing I can’t just agree to anything with Gina

She’ll have you skinny dipping in the Antarctic Plateau with a group of nuns from Tristan de Cunha in December. Meaning, she’ll get you into some mess that doesn’t make sense and you won’t know how you got there.

“I’m pulling into your garage, are you home?”

“You what?”

“I’m outside. I’ll be up in a minute, and I have wine!” she explains then before I can respond, the line goes dead

The night quickly becomes a blur and I vaguely remember Gina showing me all the guys in her inbox on some dating app and joking about creating me an account.

What seems to be carnival music is playing in the distance and the sound of laughter consumes my foggy brain.

Children are squealing and screaming in the distance, in what seems like excitement.

I can hear balloons popping in several different directions, but I don’t see any.

I hear the creaks of the rides fade in the distance and as the music breaks for what seems to be an announcement, I lean my head back and open my eyes.

The beauty of a clear powder blue cloudless sky fills my vision. As I sit up straight in what feels like a metal gondola, I glance around and all I can see is blue.

Panic rises in my chest and just before my heart stops, a red hat catches my eye from beside me and out of nowhere a fireman is standing next to me. I begin to lean forward in search of where he came from, but he stops me.

“Hey, miss. What’s your name?” he asks

“Gabby”

“Ok, Gabby. I need you to stay calm and listen to my instructions and this will all be over before you know it.”

“I’m going to get you down!” he adds reassuring me

“Ok,” I mutter

Wait down from where?

Again, I attempt to look down and the fireman gently touches my chin causing me to look up and into his eyes.

As I sit staring at him an all too familiar smirk appears on his face.

Lifting the metal bar from across my lap he whispers

“Close your eyes”

Following his instructions, I close my eyes and without a word, he lifts me up over his shoulder. Oddly enough, I feel like he’s about to spank me and the panic in my chest settles then blossoms into butterflies and my thoughts turn carnal.

I think I can feel him taking steps and I’m tempted to open my eyes but terrified of what I may see, I don’t.

“I was missing you and I’m glad you called.”

“Why is it you only think about me when you need me?”

What?

I immediately open my eyes and we’re in what seems to be Score but the building is on fire around us. Weirdly enough, there isn’t any smoke, just flames.

He sits me down in front of him and watches me as I focus on the room around us

“Look at me!” he states

Refocusing my attention on him, I realize he isn’t wearing any clothes.

Only black rubber boots, black boxers and an all-black firemen’s helmet.

Finally, after months of being tormented I can put a name to this gorgeous face!

Unexpectedly a bright light fills my eyes and I hear

“Chica, I need some clothes!”

“I gotta open the bakery in twenty minutes!”

My vision is blurry, but I catch a glimpse of Gina storming into my closet

Groggily I roll over and grumble

“Why are you still here?”

As she’s rushing from the closet to the bathroom, I hear her say

“I can’t wait to hear about that one!”

There is a special place somewhere for people like Gina. I still can’t tell if it’s heaven or hell, but there is a place. And I just pray I’m not the one to send her there.

It is five something in the morning and there is nothing I hate more than my sleep being interrupted for no reason.

“That better not be my toothbrush!”

“I’m sorry but I’m sure you have an entire box of new ones.” she answers spitting toothpaste into the sink

“I’ll lock the door behind me, and I’ll see you in a few hours!” Gina announces then finally turns off the overhead light

I spend the next two hours tossing and turning trying to pick up where my dream left off but instead, I spend them lying there replaying Friday night over and over in my head.

I was a bit tipsy Friday night, but I’m almost certain Lance’s face is the face of the guy I’ve been dreaming about.

But I don’t know how.

I’ve never seen him before the other night, or at least I can’t recall.

Unable to fall back asleep, I climb out of bed to start my day an hour earlier than usual and head down to the gym.

“You look like shit Gabby!” Gina declares placing my coffee and bagel down on the table in front of me.

“Gee, thanks”

Gina can’t help but be brutally honest with those she loves, it’s her way of showing you that she’ll always love you no matter what.

“I mean, if shit was gorgeous and fit but needed…”

“I get it Gina.”

“And the next time you show up at my house wanting to stay up all night drinking on a weeknight, please know that I’m going to kill you!”

She laughs my threat off like she always does then begins interrogating me about last night’s dream.

Instantly reminding me that the guy from Friday night is the same guy from my dreams. Knowing full well that I am not a convincing liar, I decided to just tell her.

“Like all the others, it was weird. I was trapped in a ride at a carnival or fair I think, and a fireman was there helping me down”

“Then we were in the bar across the street from my building, and it was on fire.”

An older lady walks up to our table interrupting my recount of the dream and after Gina talks to her briefly, she leaves.

“So, no sex this time?” she asked with a confused look on her face

“No, but you may be interested to know…” I pause as another customer walks up.

My rose gold smart watch chimes, reminding me that I must head out for work.

Regina is behind the counter still talking with a customer and seems to have pulled out a binder, so I know they’re most likely placing an order.

I’m sure she’ll be disappointed to have missed the end of my story, but I can’t dwell on that because the worst thing about having an extra day off is piling five days of work into four when you return to the office.

When I stand up to clear the table, I wave at Gina letting her know that I’m heading out and shoot her a quick text as I leave so I don’t forget.

“I think the guy from Friday is the guy from my dreams!”

A large vibrant bouquet of flowers is waiting for me on my desk when I arrive at work that morning. Orange Roses and Alstroemerias, Bronze Daisies, some greenery and a few more flowers, I can’t recall the names of, all full of life, color and textures.

The bouquet is stunning, and my heart skips a beat when Lance pops into my mind. Then, very doubtful that I’d made that big an impression on him, that he would go through the trouble of tracking me down, I’m reminded of my encounter with Dr. Ross as I was leaving Friday evening.

Before I turn hostile and allow this to ruin my day, I snatch the card from the stick and read it.

I appreciate your thoughtfulness during this difficult time.

You are truly an amazing person and I’m glad you’re my boss!

Love,

Ruby & Jack

Turning back around to face the door, I see that Mrs. Ruby has made it back to her desk and tears swell in my eyes. Before going out to thank her, I gather my emotions and put my things down.

Yes, I am a big softy. I can’t help it and that’s one of many parts of myself that I love the most.

My conversation with Mrs. Ruby is short lived because almost as soon as I walk out to thank her for the beautiful flowers, Regina comes walking down the hallway.

“What are you not telling me!?” she declares before I can close the door

“Girl, this isn’t the place for this conversation”

“Yeah, well you shouldn’t have left so fast, and we could have had it at the shop”

“Who is the guy from Friday? What Friday? And why haven’t you told me about him?”

To make this as quick and unenthusiastic as possible I begin, knowing the only way through storm Gina is, straight through it.

“Some random drunk guy was trying to flirt with me Friday night when I went to Score to get something to eat. I lied and said I was meeting my boyfriend, so he’d leave me alone and a guy walked in just as I was telling him that. So, I heard the bartender call his name, then called him down to sit next to me. Thankfully he went along with it. I offered to buy him a drink, he declined, then I waited for him to get his food and we left.”

“Yall left together?”

“No, more like at the same time.”

“What was his name?”

“Why, it doesn’t matter”

“Because I might know him!”

“You don’t”

My office phone rings reminding me that I don’t have time for this, causing me to give in.

“Lance, his name was Lance”

“No last name and no, I don’t remember what he looks like”

“Now goodbye!”

Thankful when she doesn’t pester me any further, she just stands up then says

“I don’t need a last name and you’ve been describing him for the last two months in great detail or have you forgotten”

Regina’s detective skills are usually pretty good and most of the time she is spot on but for some unknown reason, her determination in this case doesn’t faze me.

My day is filled with meeting after meeting to discuss everything from the hospital’s upcoming fund raiser to planning this year’s Christmas party.

Lydia, the human resource director, also pulls me into a few meetings to discuss salary changes and I’m not surprised when Dr. Ross is one of the three.

I love being in finance until it comes time to discuss budgeting for payroll. Some doctors, like Dr. Ross, in my opinion, we’d be better off without. But fortunately, for him, he brings in the big bucks.

Although the Magic have their own team doctor, Dr. Ross is their go to surgeon. So, there is no way that the board wouldn’t do everything in their power to keep him here, including the two million dollar signing bonus he’ll get when he signs his new contract.

I am selfishly praying that he chooses not to sign and goes to another hospital.

That reminds me of the book of tickets that he gave me back when I first started. I laughed at the thought because he really thought he was gonna get some. I will have to remember what I did with them. I’m not really interested in basketball, but I can sell them and probably pay off my condo