Chapter 4

Aaron

I walk up to the doorway of the school and flash my ID to security. I’ve been here before, and they know me as one of the town’s paramedics, but I don’t expect any special treatment. My partner is right behind me with the gurney. We got called in for a kid who went into diabetic shock. It’s always worse when it’s a kid involved.

After we stabilize the kid, my partner wheels him out and I stay back to pack up. As I’m walking out, I have to stop when I walk past the auditorium and glimpse those raven black waves I’ve been thinking about since that moment in Tiger’s Den. It’s her, Starla. She’s packing things up into a bag. I have to double take when I see that one of those things looks like a dildo.

“Starla?” I’m standing in the doorway now.

“Oh! You startled me. Aaron? What are you doing here?”

“A kid needed some help.”

“That’s awful. They okay?”

“Yeah, my partner is getting them strapped into the ambulance. Was that a dildo I just saw?”

Her eyes go wide, and she darts her head around. “Don’t say that! No, oh my god, I was giving a sexual health presentation. These,” she holds up a model of a silicone vagina, “are props.”

“Oh,” Fuck. “Let me help you with that. It’s the least I can do. I’m so sorry. I hope no one heard that.”

She laughs. “No, I don’t think anyone did.” She hands me a bag. “Here, you can take this.”

We walk out of the school, my bag on one arm, her bag on the other. It’s a long hallway and I can see that my partner is still getting the gurney loaded when I get to the entrance.

“Where are you parked?” I hold out her bag.

She looks around, then points to one of the side lots. “I’m over there. I can carry this, don’t worry. I brought all of it in.”

“No one came out to help you?”

“I’m used to it.”

My partner waves me over, needing help with the gurney. Damn it, I wanted to talk to her more. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t seem to stop thinking about her. I don’t believe in love at first sight. I’m not sure I believe in love at all. But with her, I can’t explain it. I want to be around her and, when I am, I never want to leave.

I can tell she’s into me too. I’m being completely awkward with her and she’s not running away. It doesn’t seem to be her style. My partner is giving me a look now. I really have to go.

“I guess I’ll see you around.” I wave at her like a fucking idiot.

She smiles at me. “I’m sure you will.”

Back at the ambulance, my partner rolls his eyes at me. Joe has seen this before, I’m a flirt. What can I say? I never hit on patients, but their families, well, you know, sometimes people are grateful, and they want to show it. Who am I to reject that attention?

I help Joe get the gurney secured and settle in with the kid. He’s a brave little guy. First grader, so I can understand how he might’ve missed his meds or maybe he didn’t like his snack and forgot to ask for something else.

“Who’s the chick?” Joe asks as soon as he gets into the drivers’ seat.

“Starla? She runs that new shop on Main Street.”

“There’s a new shop?”

“Yeah, it’s that place across the street from the cafe, Tiger’s Den.”

He chuckles. “Oh, thaaaat shop. What did you go in there for?”

“A gag gift for Cruz. He’s gonna flip when he sees it.”

“Must’ve been some shopping trip.”

“I was only there for a few minutes, but we had a good conversation.”

“I thought you met her on some call. Another damsel in distress.”

“Actually…” I laugh as I trail off.

“Of course. Typical Aaron. What happened?”

“There were some protesters at her shop. You can guess the crowd. One of them got a little too heated and fainted. Turned out to be nothing but we were called because she fell.”

“So, she really was a damsel in distress.”

“I wouldn’t call her a damsel. I’m pretty sure she can handle herself.”

“That would make this the third time you’ve run into her.”

“Yup. And I doubt it’ll be the last. I go to that diner on the corner all the time and the bookstore next to the cafe. I’m bound to run into her at some point.”

“Look at you. You’re hoping you run into her.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

We pull into the hospital and get the kid unloaded. I fill out paperwork and stop at the coffee station they have set up for paramedics and first responders. When I go back out to the ambulance, two coffees in one hand, I get into the front passenger seat and hand one to Joe.

He takes a sip. “You remembered. Thanks.”

“Of course I did. Can’t have you falling asleep at the wheel, now can I?”

We head back to the station, and he waits about thirty seconds before he starts in on me again.

“You gonna go back and buy yourself a toy?”

“Shut up, Joe.”

“Ooooh she’s making you feisty, huh?”

“Joe,” I warn through gritted teeth.

We pull into the station, and he turns off the engine. I go to leave, and he stops me.

“Look, I haven’t seen you this worked up over a woman in a long time. If you really like her that much, go for it. You know I’m just bustin’ your chops.”

“Yeah, I know. I do like her. But I have so much going on. Hockey, this job, my family, do I even have time to date?”

“I dunno, Aaron. That’s up to you. You have to decide if this is worth making the time for.”

“I get it.”

We both leave the ambulance, but I hang back for a minute with my coffee. He turns to me with his eyebrows raised.

“I’ll be there in a minute. Just need some air.”

He nods and heads into the station. I sip my coffee and think about Starla. Can I make time for dating with everything else I have going on? Is it fair to her to start something if I’m not going to be able to see it through? I hope I can figure that out before I see her again. The tension between us is palpable. If given the chance, I don't think either of us would stop this from going further.