Chapter 3

3

EMBER

E mber watched Suzanne get dressed into her business wear. She enjoyed watching Suzanne fold her big breasts into a new bra—mauve silk this time—very nice, classy. And step her lovely long legs into matching panties. She rolled on stockings. Suzanne was clearly a lot older than Ember, but so beautifully feminine and classy in a way that turned Ember on so much. Ember enjoyed her eyes—an unusual color—a dark green with flecks of gold. And her perfect hair—a classy smooth caramel color like it was the work of an expensive hair salon. And sexually, well, she had been surprising to say the least. She had devoured Ember as though she was a starving woman at a banquet, and Ember had enjoyed every second. She loved an enthusiastic, confident lover. She watched as Suzanne slipped into last night’s pencil skirt and heels and paired them with a much more conservative green blouse that matched her eyes. She was clearly wealthy; Ember had noted the expensive clothing brands and the nicest hotel in the city.

The comfort of the bed almost justified the price tag.

Anyway, her date had to get to work and so did she. It was odd. Ember felt like they were an old couple. She felt so comfortable with Suzanne. She had from the start. Suzanne was warm, intelligent, funny, sexy. Time with her had been a pleasure. The night had passed too quickly. Ember didn’t know whether to be happy it happened or sad that it was going to be the last time.

Or was it?

Their messages on the app had suggested “One night of fun.”

It was a huge risk, but she didn’t want to watch Suzanne leave without at least trying to confirm that they were going to see each other again.

Suzanne was running a brush through her perfectly neat hair.

“Suzanne?”

There was a brief pause before she turned around to look at Ember.

“Yes?”

There was something about her eyes. Ember was certain Suzanne felt just the same as she did. Last night hadn’t been an illusion after all.

“I would like to see you again. Last night was… It was amazing.”

Suzanne blushed. It was endearing to see such a mature and clearly accomplished woman act so flustered.

“I…but… I’m sure you’re aware, I am way older than you.”

“I don’t care,” Ember replied.

“I lied on the app about my age. I’m actually 49.”

Ember shrugged. “I lied too. I’m only 28”

“Emma!!! What? Oh god.” Suzanne was more flustered now.

“I don’t care about the age gap,” Ember said again.

She’d been prepared for that. It was obvious Suzanne was beating herself up over their age difference. At the restaurant, she caught Suzanne glancing around furtively while they were eating. She was worried about what people were going to think.

Stuff like that had never bothered Ember. It didn’t matter to her what someone’s age was or what job they did or anything like that. It was simple for Ember. If she liked them, she liked them. And she liked Suzanne.

“Well.” Suzanne finally looked her in the eye. “I would love to see you again.”

Ember’s heart fluttered. Quite an insane development from what was supposed to be a one-night stand. But she was not going to let something so beautiful slip away into nothing but a memory, and constant recurrent what if as she tried to move on from what was lost.

Ember got out of bed, letting the sheets fall off her naked body. A body that Suzanne had appreciated greatly throughout the night. Even now, she felt Suzanne’s green eyes roam up and down her form, the desire clearly evident in her eyes. She walked with her usual swag in the swing of her hips as she approached Suzanne and pulled her into a warm kiss. It was a different kiss from what they shared last night when the heat of passion threatened to consume them. This time it was slower, more intimate.

When she pulled away, she found herself already missing feeling of Suzanne’s lips.

“See you again soon.”

Suzanne smiled warmly. “Soon.”

Ember plopped back down on the soft bed, letting out a heavy sigh. Suzanne had left her with the room to let herself out in her own time. She was happy and sexually sated. A feeling she had forgotten existed until now. Ember found herself smiling into the pillow. Suzanne’s perfume lingered on the material. The scent was floral and intoxicating, with something else layered underneath, bergamot maybe? She could still taste Suzanne on her tongue. Last night hadn’t been merely a dream however surreal it all felt.

She felt a little guilty, using a fake name and lying about her age when she signed up on the dating website. But then, Suzanne had lied about her age too, so maybe it wasn’t a big deal. She resolved not to let that ruin the memory of what they had. When it came to it, she’d reveal her real name to Suzanne and apologize for the deceit. She had a feeling it was going to be a good day.

She went back home to take a shower and got ready for work. She got there a little later than usual, still on time, but Haley beat her to the station today. Ember could see her car in the parking lot.

“Okay, Ember.” She tried to school her expression. “Can’t let everyone know you got laid last night.”

Once she felt she looked normal again, she got out of the car with her duffel bag and made her way to the fire station.

“Sup, Ember, you got that freshly fucked glow on ya,” Kiera said the moment she walked.

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ember feigned ignorance, walking past her. She took a few steps then stopped.

“Is it really that obvious?”

“Yup,” Kiera smiled broadly. A triumphant look on her face.

Ember shook her head. How the hell is she so chipper this early in the morning? Zara, just coming off the night shift looked ready to drop where she stood. Ember found her changing in the locker room, her eyes were red with exhaustion and lack of sleep.

“You don’t look so good,” Ember commented, observing her colleague.

Zara smiled at her. “I’m good, just a little tired. Last night was exhausting as hell. We got a call to the same house, twice. Drunk partygoer managed to set her apartment on fire twice in one night. Then a neighborhood transformer blew up, taking out the entire street. It was a giant mess putting out the fire and helping the power crew.”

Ember winced. “Sounds like fun.”

“Oh yeah, it sure was,” Zara replied, indulging her sarcasm. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Ember asked, confused.

“You’re different this morning. More alive—you’ve got a glow about you.”

Ember was suddenly very interested in the contents of her locker. She pulled out her fire gear and made to leave with the stuff.

“Must’ve been a nice date,” Zara added, the edge of her lips hinting at the ghost of a smile.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about!”

She bolted as quickly as she could to avoid further questions only to have Haley ambush her at the fire truck with a million questions. That was the thing about a team of firefighters. Nothing was ever private. She didn’t have a choice, she had to spill the details. It was oddly comical, as they did their daily checks on the fire truck, while chatting about Ember’s love life.

“You are totally into her, aren’t you?” Haley could always tell what Ember was really thinking.

“Umm, yeah. Well, definitely yeah. She is totally hot. And smart. We got along well. Laughed a lot. It felt comfortable with her. I liked her.”

“Like, how much older is she exactly?” Haley asked, excitedly.

“Well, that’s the thing.”

“EMBER!” Haley admonished.

Ember laughed.

Luckily, they were interrupted by the blaring siren.

“We got a call!” Elle announced, coming down the stairs in a hurry. She hopped into the driver’s seat, and they were off in moments.

“What are we dealing with?” Ember asked.

“Medical emergency! Senior citizen downtown had a stroke and we’re the closest!”

Firefighters were often called in during medical emergencies. Their firetruck was equipped with nearly everything else an ambulance would have. This time, Rory Brooks jumped on the truck. She had the most experience in providing first aid and medical care.

“Huh,” Elle hummed as they approached the house. “No crowd this time. Means we can do our job in peace.”

True enough, there was only a couple of people waiting for them outside. Rory was out of the truck and on her way to see the patient right away, snapping out instructions to get the stretcher ready. Everything about their job was based on time. It would literally mean the difference between life and death, so they needed to move as quickly as possible.

They rushed to get the unresponsive woman on the stretcher while Rory tended to her. The unit’s other rescue vehicle arrived and since it operated more like a traditional ambulance, they loaded the woman on it and they were driving away in minutes. Sirens blared as they made their way to Phoenix Ridge hospital. One of the patient’s daughters rode with them, fretting over her mother while Rory and Haley worked to keep her stable.

“Ma’am,” Ember called out as she noticed the lady was getting in the way. “Could you sit down, please? Your mother’s going to be fine, but they need room to work.”

The woman tried to force herself to take a seat. Ember went to join, taking her hand. She understood the woman’s worry. If something had happened to her own mother, she’d be losing it too. Her relationship with her mom was tempestuous at times because they were too alike in some ways, but Ember loved her very much. Becky had always been there for her. She had never had a second parent on the scene. Becky was the strongest single mom Ember could imagine. How she had balanced that with rising to the very top of her chosen career was an admirable feat in itself.

Ember wasn’t good at things like these, but she could offer the woman some comfort.

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t know,” the woman wailed, tears welling in her eyes. “She doesn’t look so good.”

“She’s in good hands. Rory’s one of the best.”

As she heard her name, Rory raised her head and smiled at them before she went back to making sure the woman had her oxygen mask put on properly. Ember spotted the hospital building outside as they pulled. It was time to start moving. She got the side door open then helped Haley and Rory maneuvered the stretcher out and through the emergency room entrance.

The place was abuzz with activity as always. Nurses and doctors in their scrubs were rushing back and forth, a few of them approached the firefighters with the stretcher to take the patient off their hands. There was already a protocol in place for all this. Rory updated them on the lady’s condition while Ember waited and listened to the idle chatter around her. She knew some of these people but stopping to chat while she was on the job wasn’t her thing.

While she was waiting, someone walked past her. A familiar perfume wafted over her. Floral, with a layer of Bergamot underneath. It tickled a very recent, very sensual memory. Suzanne. She turned sharply, trying to catch a glimpse of the person wearing it. But there were so many people about, she had no way of telling who exactly it was. Too quickly, it was already gone, and she didn’t want to go around stopping random people.

“Damn it, Ember. You’re losing your mind over this woman,” she chided herself.

“We need to move,” Elle said urgently, walking in to join them. “We just got another call.”

Ember took one more look around before she followed her colleague out the door. She felt silly. One night with a beautiful woman was all it took to have her distracted while on the job. That was not it, though, if she was being honest. There was something about last night with Suzanne. Everything felt so… right.

Ember shook the thoughts away. What was she thinking? What if Suzanne didn’t want to start a relationship. That was exactly the point of the two of them hooking up. They just wanted to have fun. But…that didn’t mean they had to hook up just once, did it?

By the end of her shift, Ember was tired to her bones, but it was a good day, all things considered. No fires, some emergencies, mostly injuries but nothing too serious. She was looking forward to a warm shower and a nap. Maybe she would text Suzanne. That thought sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her. It was quickly followed by apprehension. Ember squashed it.

“Hey, Ember. Are you headed home?” Her mom stopped her just outside the locker room.

“Yeah, done with my shift.”

Her mother nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Ember chuckled. That was one of the side-effects of having her mom as her boss.

“So, I have this new friend who just moved into town from New York. She is the new head of the hospital. Remember I told you about her, Josephine Mars; she’s a surgeon. We talk a lot on the phone. Well, she’s moved here now and doesn’t know anyone. I’ve been meaning to introduce you to her, she’s such a sweet soul. You’re going to love her.”

Ember shook her head. She vaguely remembered her mom going on about these Wednesday evening phone calls with her New York surgeon friend. She was certain she wasn’t going to like any of her mother’s friends. Well, okay. That was the introvert in her speaking. Her mom was cool, so were her friends. She seemed particularly excited about this one for some reason.

“Sure, I won’t mind,” Ember replied, summoning some enthusiasm for her mother’s sake.

“Perfect. We’re all so busy most of the time but I’m sure we can meet up one of these days.”

Ember shrugged. It wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe that was exactly what she needed to keep her mind off Suzanne, at least for a few hours.

Joan was sitting in the parking lot, waiting as she walked up. Like all car lovers, Ember stopped briefly to admire how beautiful Joan was before she got in and started the engine. The familiar rumble greeted her, getting another smile out of her. She put the car in gear and pulled out of her parking spot. She accelerated onto the main road, easing her way into the traffic before she settled in for the drive home.

Her home was about a fifteen-minute commute from the fire station. She could’ve gotten somewhere closer, but that would have put her too close to her mother. Ember loved her mom, but she didn’t want her mother dropping by at the house unannounced when she had somebody over, so she got a place a little further away. She didn’t mind the drive; it helped her unwind after work. The familiar feeling of tranquility was setting in when it happened.

Ember heard them coming from nearly a mile away. Street racers. She’d barely paid it any mind until the first driver blew past her in one of those scat packs, going way over the speed limit. The car, a Dodge Charger, had to quickly swerve into her lane to avoid a collision with the truck in front, forcing Ember to slow down to avoid rear-ending them.

She hadn’t noticed there was another street racer coming behind her. The driver didn’t have enough time to swerve around the truck, but they still tried. The move ended with their car slamming into Joan. The sudden impact rocked Ember in the driver’s seat. The car lost control, sliding into a oversteer. She lifted off the accelerator, trying to wrestle the car back under control as it slid sideways. Then another car hit her from behind.

Ember heard the loud screech of tires moments before impact and then the world tumbled. She was thrown in almost every direction as her car somersaulted on the highway. At some point her head slammed into something hard, dazing her. The road blurred by above her and the only thing keeping her in her seat was the seat belt.

Someone screamed in fear or panic. The ringing in her ears soon drowned out the noise of the commotion outside. She tried to stay awake, stay alert but her eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything in particular and darkness was already creeping in on the edges of her vision.

The seatbelt came off, depositing her on the floor. Well, roof of her car.

“It’s okay! I got you!”

A pair of arms reached in and pulled her out of the car. She was greeted by clear skies and a breath of fresh air. She gasped.

“The ambulance is on its way! Hang in there!” The person tried to reassure her. Ember managed a nod. She would’ve liked to assess her injuries, but she could barely manage a coherent thought. She could hear a crowd starting to form around her.

“That’s Ember Thompson!” one of the bystanders yelled. That was the thing about being Becky Thompson’s daughter. The whole of Phoenix Ridge knew who you were.

“Oh God, no!” cried the voice of a young woman. She was hyperventilating.

“Can it!” someone chastised her.

Ember heard the sirens in the distance as the darkness overcame her completely.

When next she opened her eyes, she was greeted by bright fluorescent lights and white walls. The whiteness was nearly overpowering. The hospital. Simply opening her eyes hurt. She elected to keep them closed for a while. The next time she opened her eyes, it was morning again. This time, the lights streaming in through the windows was softer on her eyes.

Ember took the time to take in her surroundings. She was at the hospital. That was no surprise. She’s been in a car accident after all.

“Ember?”

Ember turned. She didn’t realize somebody was in the room with her. It was her mom, who looked like she hadn’t slept.

“Mom?” Her voice came out hoarse. The simple act of moving her lips was exhausting.

“Hey sweetie.”

Her mother came to her side and ran her hand gently through her hair. She smiled down at Ember, the sides of her eyes crinkling. Ember could feel the relief oozing off her mother.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Becky laughed. It was on the weaker side. She sounded more exasperated than amused.

“You were in an accident. Worry about yourself more.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Becky stepped away.

“Doctor Brown assured me that you were going to be fine, but I better let them know that you’re awake now.”

“I’m okay?” Ember asked. She remembered the accident.

“Yes,” Becky nodded confidently. “Thanks to Joan. I’m glad you took all those safety measures with the seatbelts and the roll cage.”

“Oh,” Ember looked away. “And Joan, is she…?”

Becky frowned. “Joan is in a bad way, I’m afraid. But don’t worry about that for now. Just make sure you’re okay first.”

Ember screwed her face up. She knew Joan was just a car, but she loved her. It had all happened so fast, so suddenly. One moment she was driving home and the next her car was tumbling down the highway.

“Hey.” Her mother took her hand. “Be happy you’re alive.”

Ember nodded. Her mother was right, of course. What was she thinking? She could always get another car. Another life was not so feasible.

“I’ll be back soon.” Her mother stepped out, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She didn’t have to be alone for long. Her introspections were interrupted by a loud commotion outside.

“Your daughter was in accident?! And you didn’t even give me a call?!” The woman sounded affronted.

“I asked for you, but you were just done with your shift. I didn’t want to make you come back in. She’s alright anyway, thank god.”

“Becky!! I would have come back in and made sure she had the very best doctors we have.”

Her mother sounded strangely subdued. Ember wondered who the hell could talk to Becky Thompson like that. Certainly nobody from Phoenix Ridge. Must be that New York friend she kept talking about. Josephine something… some weird surname. Mars. That was it. Dr Josephine Mars. The surgeon. They were approaching the room she was in. The conversation quietened as they got close.

The door opened and her mother walked in first. The friend paused at the door, she seemed to be going over something in the clipboard. Ember could see her elegant ankles in heels and a pencil skirt under her doctor’s coat. She only stopped for a moment before she entered the room fully, revealing her face.

Ember froze. The doctor glanced at her and went stock still, mirroring Ember’s expression.

“Oh, great, you’re still awake,” her mother said, oblivious to what was happening.

“This is my friend Doctor Josephine Mars. Remember I told you; Josephine has just taken on the job as Head of the Hospital. Josephine, this is Ember, my daughter.”

Ember and Josephine stared at each, realizing in the same moment that not only did they lie about their ages, they also clearly lied about their names the night they met up and had sex with each other.

Lots of sex. All night. Hot sex. Hot woman. Her mom’s friend. Oh fuck.

Becky glanced between the two of them when she noticed they weren’t saying anything.

“Do you two already know each other?”

“No.” Ember said quickly.

“No.” Josephine echoed, her green eyes wide with shock.

Oh fuck.