“Oh trust me,” Hailey winks at him. “We will.”
“Look at you,” I whisper-hiss as we walk toward the front door. “Flirting and shit.”
“I mean if it’s a use it or lose it type of skill, I haven’t used it in forever.”
The parking lot is completely full. “We may have to wait,” I comment as we walk in.
“Or maybe we won’t have to.” Hailey points to a group of ladies waving at us.
“Yes! They got here early.”
* * *
Two hours later,we’re three pitchers in and more than a little tipsy. “Wait, wait, wait.” I hold my hand up. “You mean to tell me, you watch his kid, but he has no idea how hot you find him?”
Natalie takes a fortifying drink of her margarita. “No idea.” She shakes her head, sipping through her straw. “He’ll walk out with a shirt off, sweatpants hanging low on those lean fuckin’ hips of his. You can see the cuts…”
“Girl, just the thought is gonna get me hot and bothered. It’s been way too long since I had a date.” Hailey laughs, fanning herself.
“Shit.” Natalie rolls her eyes. “The tattoos he has, the beard he lets grow when he’s off-shift. My God, he’s…” she breaks off. “I could just take a bite out of his tight ass.”
I laugh at her, raising my eyebrows suggestively to the group. “Danny’s kinda the same.”
“You and Danny?” She squeals. “Does Chief know?”
“Hell no.” I stab a chip into the bowl of hot cheese. “If he knew, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
Thinking about it causes me to miss Danny even more than I already am.
All around there are conversations being had, but I can’t seem to pay too much attention to them.
“Hey.” Nat snaps her fingers in front of my face. “What’s going on with you?”
“I need to see Danny.”
“Then let’s go see him!”
“No, we can’t all go at the same time,” I shush them. “Too many of us go and then Chief will see.”
“Shit,” Hailey groans. “She’s definitely drunk, she just called our dad Chief.”
“I’m gonna do it.” I grab my phone out of my purse. “I’m gonna go see him.”
“You’re not driving.” Hailey grabs at my arm.
“No, I’m getting an Uber.” I hold up my phone. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“This is a bad idea,” she sing-songs to me.
“What is life, if not to have bad ideas?”
* * *
“Thanks for the drop-off.”I give a finger-wave to my Uber driver.
“Looks like the place is closed up, you want me to wait?”
“No.” I grin, thinking of Danny. “There’s someone I’m bound and determined to see. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Be safe,” he warns.
“Oh, I plan to live on the edge.”
I haven’t been to the station in longer than I care to admit. So often as a youngster, I’d come here to see dad. Sometimes, he’d have time to devote to Hailey and I. Other times, it was just in passing so we could wave as he was rushing off to another fire. All of our babysitters agreed it was good for us to see him at work so we wouldn’t worry about him coming home.
Hailey and I had both struggled with that after our mom left. Every time he would leave for a shift, we’d cry and watch as he left, waiting until he’d show back up.
Doing my best to be quiet, I tiptoe onto the bay floor, but bump into something that makes a slight racket.
“Shit,” I whisper-giggle.