3. Becky

3

BECKY

B ecky looked up at City Hall, and a rock formed in her gut. Why was she so nervous? She had done this hundreds of times before. Becky always liked getting to meetings early to settle herself and ensure she had everything prepared. But even an extra thirty minutes couldn't stop the gray building with its white pillars from looming above her like it was her final resting place.

"You alright?" Ember grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

Becky cleared her throat. "Yeah, yeah. Fine."

She climbed up the front steps, Ember close on her tail. The bustle of City Hall immediately consumed them. The click of heels and political laughter filled her ears. The stale smell of glue and leather always gave her a headache when she came in here. It was too clean, too clinical. It stressed her out.

They made their way to the council chambers. A few college kids trying to earn some experience were placing chairs out for the public. Not that many people came to these kinds of meetings besides retired grandpas and a few other city officials, though.

The city manager placed packets at everyone's designated seats at the semi-circle table in the front of the hall. Rhodes looked up and nodded at Becky.

"Mornin', Chief!"

Becky raised her coffee as a greeting. "Morning."

Rhodes scurried over to her, taking out her glasses from her front pocket. She pressed them on, still having to squint to see her.

"I'm excited to see your proposal today. I'm hoping that you and Dr. Everett will be our emergency dream team." She fanned out her hands like she was advertising a Broadway show.

Becky nodded curtly. "We'll have to see where our ideas align, Ms. Rhodes. "

She could almost see the bead of sweat forming on her brow as she looked anxiously between her and Ember.

Her daughter shrugged. "That's what meetings are for! Organizing, planning, touching base. " Rhodes smiled awkwardly. "Right, you are, Chief Thompson. Well, excited to discuss!" She hurried away from the two women, rushing to one of the temps.

"Damn, you are nervous,” a voice said from over her shoulder.

Becky turned to see her friend and Ember’s wife, Dr. Josephine Mars smiling at her. Her highlighted hair was pinned lightly back out of her face and as usual she looked immaculate. She was a smart skirt and blouse under her white lab coat.

"Oh, good, you made it." Ember smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"What are you doing here, Josephine?” Becky asked.

Josephine accepted Ember's kiss, squeezing her hand. "Ember texted me this morning saying you were about to bite someone's head off. I don't need to be back at the hospital until this afternoon, so I thought I would stop by."

Becky cut a look at Ember, but she pretended not to see it. "I'm fine. This isn't my first city council meeting."

"I know, but it sounds like someone might be unsettled by their...competition," Josephine said cautiously.

Becky flipped through her presentation, trying to deflect the sudden attention that had landed on her. "There is no competition. Just two professionals trying to come up with the best solutions to protect the good citizens of Phoenix Ridge.”

"Mhm," Josephine hummed as she glanced at something over Becky's shoulder. "A good thing to keep in mind."

"Good morning, Chief Thompson." Everett's airy voice floated over her and Becky turned sharply to see her.

Petite and strikingly beautiful in a royal blue smart business type dress and heels that looked like they had been made for her.

Was it possible that she looked even more polished than yesterday? Her dark curls were swept to the side, not a single strand out of place. Her laptop and papers were carefully collected against her chest. Becky was jealous of the doctor's composure. It was Dr. Everett’s first city hall meeting, and she didn't seem the slightest bit nervous—unlike Becky who startled at the sound of her voice, making her step on Ember's toes as she made room for the doctor.

"Good morning, Dr. Everett," Josephine said.

Lucinda smiled and offered her hand to Josephine. "Dr. Mars, I wasn't expecting to see you until later."

"I come to these now and again. I like to get my information straight from the horse's mouth." Josephine grabbed Ember's arm. "Dr. Everett, this is my beautiful wife and Chief's Thompson’s daughter, Ember Thompson."

Everett glanced over to Becky at the word 'daughter,' her gray eyes skimming down to Becky's hands.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Thompson."

Ember curtsied dramatically, pulling out her pockets like a mock skirt. "Charmed."

Jesus Christ. Becky was going to make Ember run laps for that stunt.

"We'll see you after, Becks." Josephine dragged Ember back to the spectator seats, leaving Becky and Lucinda alone.

"I apologize for her." Becky rubbed the back of her neck, trying not to admire how Dr. Everett's royal blue dress made her skin glow. "Ember lacks my professionalism.”

"It's fine. I had a person yesterday ask me if I had any shrimp on the barbie. Which is not even remotely close to England."

"Wasn't Australia where Britain would send all their convicts?" Becky smirked, putting her hands in her pockets to hide her fidgeting. Dr. Everett hummed an amused sound. "Touche."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment until Lucinda cleared her throat. "I guess I'll be taking my seat. I assume it's upfront there?"

"Yeah, just look for your name card. I'll join you momentarily."

Dr. Everett nodded and walked toward Ms. Rhodes. Her sweet perfume lingered in the air around Becky like a spell. The sugared pear made her mind muddy and wouldn't allow her to collect her thoughts. She hoped the doctor wasn't sitting anywhere near her during the meeting or she feared she wouldn't be able to put two words together. Becky clutched her coffee tighter, denting the paper cup.

The rest of the city council members began funneling in, along with a few citizens. Becky even noticed the newspaper had sent a photographer and reporter. It seemed like Dr. Everett was receiving the whole welcome wagon.

When the mayor entered, everyone gravitated toward their seats. Becky sat down next to Rhodes, who smiled politely.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming today." The mayor adjusted her glasses as she looked over the agenda. "I would like to welcome Dr. Lucinda Everett to the session today. She is the new head of trauma at Phoenix Ridge Hospital and will be joining our emergency protocol team."

Polite applause scattered throughout the hall as Dr. Everett nodded. The photographer snapped a photo before quickly rushing to the other side of the room to get a shot of the mayor.

"Let's proceed with the topic of the new emergency protocols for this upcoming year. Dr. Everett, would you like to begin?"

"Thank you, Mayor Dawson." Everett waltzed to the podium, connecting her laptop to the projector.

Sleek, modern slides showing detailed plans and procedures were cast on the wall. She had links and statistics to back up all of her information. There were so many bells and whistles that Becky wondered when the fire dancers would be coming out to represent the wildfire season slides.

Dr. Everett clicked through her presentation, not having to even read from her notes. Every small bit of information she had carefully selected to back her claims was memorized. Becky's leg bounced anxiously under the table.

Shit, should I have made a presentation too?

"As you can see, this plan focuses on the long term." Her voice easily projected over her audience, not even needing the mic in front of her. "We’ll improve building codes and establish public education programs. We fortify the town's medical infrastructure. We’ll establish a limited line of communication with the public to minimize panic. This enables us to keep a steady hand during any crisis." Everett motioned toward the projection on the wall. "We must strengthen our foundation to keep our people standing tall. Thank you."

And there it was. A crystal clear tagline that solidified her stance. God, Becky was going to sound like a high school kid on the debate team compared to her.

She clicked off the presentation, her eyes focused on the council panel. "Questions?"

A few city councilmen peppered the doctor with questions and comments, and they all gave her compliments for being so prepared.

Becky pulled her mic toward her, not taking a moment to think through what she wanted to say. "Dr. Everett, you said you want to focus on the future, but what happens if we enter a crisis next week?"

Dr. Everett drummed her manicured nails against the podium, annoyance wafting off her in waves. Becky noticed that although neatly manicured, her nails were short.

Because she’s a doctor? Or is she batting for our side? The lesbian side.

"While I understand your urgency, we cannot solely focus on immediate relief. This will put us in a cycle of short-sighted planning. Of course, we need to be prepared for problems as they arise, but it is equally as crucial to fortify our framework."

But why uproot something that was already working? Did she not understand that in the first moment that they began switching over, it would leave everyone vulnerable to disasters?

"While I respect your experience, our team has already developed a system that responds quickly to crises." Becky's tone leaked with bitterness. " How can you be sure that changing these protocols won't delay our response times?"

Dr. Everett's clinical stare narrowed as a small smile touched her lips. "And how can we ignore the benefits of long-term planning? I am not suggesting scrapping the existing protocols but enhancing them."

The rest of the people in the room didn't matter anymore. It was just the two of them combatting every word, every suggestion. But for some reason, Becky felt a thrill from it. She had been right: Dr. Lucinda Everett was a worthy opponent. She had an answer to every question or qualm Becky threw her way. Everett was studied, polished, pristine . Becky wanted to know what it would take to catch the doctor off guard. What could possibly make this woman fall apart?

"Chief Thompson, would you like to remind us of the plans that are currently in rotation?" the mayor asked.

Becky stood without responding, striding to the podium. She was in her Fire Chief uniform, she could have worn something different, but she liked her Fire Chief attire. Navy blue looked good on her. She had even brushed her hair and worn mascara .

Dr. Everett cleaned up her papers, motioning for Becky to take her place.

"Thank you, Doctor," Becky whispered.

Something shifted behind Dr. Everett's eyes as her cheeks reddened. Interesting.

Becky proceeded to run through the protocols as her eyes followed Dr. Everett to her seat. She suddenly became self-conscious that she didn't have a fancy presentation to show, only copies of the pamphlets she had put together.

Dr. Everett didn't even glance at the papers, as if she had memorized the essay word for word. Becky would bet a lot of money that she did.

When the fire chief finished, she leveled her stare at the doctor. "Questions?"

Dr. Everett's fingers tapped against the desk as she collected her thoughts.

Their debate engulfed them. A few city council members tried to weigh their opinions, but it was burnt to a crisp by Becky and Lucinda's charged tones. Becky's frustration was mounting, but Lucinda's lingering glances and snarky remarks struck a much deeper chord within her. It was a challenge, but not a threat.

"Alright, I'm finding we still have much to discuss on this topic." The mayor glanced between the two women before scrawling something down in her notes. "Chief Thompson and Dr. Everett, I would like it if you both could come up with a proposal together over the next few weeks. Let's table this until next month's meeting. Councilman Jones, let's move on to you."

Becky nodded, relief flooding her body as she walked back to her seat. She felt charged. Her heart thumped against her chest, making her feel like she could run a whole marathon and do three overnight shifts at the firehouse right after.

Dr. Everett readjusted in her seat as Becky passed behind her chair. Her gray eyes slipped to catch a glance at the chief.

That also did something to her.

Becky could hardly pay attention to the rest of the meeting, so she steeled her eyes on the files in front of her instead of the polished doctor sitting four seats down. When the mayor finally concluded the session, Becky found her feet pulling her toward Everett.

The shuffle of papers, chair legs, and small talk clouded at the edges of her mind.

"Doctor." Becky leaned against the table. "I enjoyed our discussion today."

Everett stood, collecting her things, not daring to make eye contact. "Our discussion had the taste of an all-out brawl, I would say." "It needed to be said." Becky licked her lips. "Most people wouldn't jump all in like this on their first day."

The doctor looked up at Becky, and she liked that Everett had to lift her chin to meet her eyes.

"Well, I'm not most people." She turned and slipped between the crowd.

"I see that." Becky pushed off of the table to pursue her. "So, should we set up a meeting?"

"For what?" Dr. Everett said over her shoulder.

"Our proposal?"

Dr. Everett stopped in her tracks. "Right." She put her hand in her pocket and handed Becky a business card.

On the card, “Dr. Lucinda Everett” was stamped in blue, metallic letters. Underneath her name, her Phoenix Ridge hospital email, work number, and private number were listed.

"You already had these printed up before you set foot in Phoenix Ridge, didn't you?" Becky smiled.

Lucinda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Becky caught the way her cheeks warmed.

"What can I say? I like to be prepared. Goodbye, Chief. "

Becky watched as the doctor made her rounds before leaving the meeting room.

Ember and Josephine approached Becky as she pushed open the doors to the front of City Hall.

"Was it as bad as I imagined?" Becky asked.

Ember held the door for Josephine before letting herself through. "I mean, it seemed kind of tense ."

"I agree," Josephine quipped. "I thought you were going to challenge her to a duel."

Becky rolled her eyes. "I want to make sure she's prepared. I'm not just going to let anyone come in here and uproot all of my work."

"I did not mean tense in that way." Ember clicked her tongue. "Mom, it was like you two were the only people in that room. Like you couldn't get your hands off each other, and arguing was your own fucked up foreplay—w!"

Josephine had pinched Ember's arm. "Ignore her. Your presentation was perfect, Becks. But I will say that Dr. Everett has some good suggestions. I think she'll be a great addition to the team." She gave Becky a knowing look. "You both will be able to improve each other's work."

Becky tried to ignore Josephine’s pointed look as she walked up to her Jeep. "You said I had nothing to worry about. Do you actually believe that?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

Becky raised an eyebrow and looked between Josephine and her daughter. They had originally kept their relationship a secret from Becky until she had happened to walk in on them.

"About work?" Josephine clarified quickly.

Becky snorted. "No."

"I'm telling you, you and Dr. Perfect are going to make the best damn emergency protocols in the West."

"Just the West?"

Ember threw her arm over Josephine’s shoulders. "She's giving you room to grow."

Becky opened her car door and slid in. "Alright, I’ve gotta head to the station. Ember, you need a ride?"

"Nah, my old lady said she'd treat me to breakfast before my shift." She kissed Josephine on the top of her head.

"Call me old again. I dare you," Josephine hissed.

Ember laughed at Josephine’s distress. "See ya, Chief Mom! "

Ember steered Josephine to their car, her hand on her ass and whispered something in her ear.

Becky envied the easy intimacy they had and the obvious sexual connection.

Becky shut the car door and rubbed her hands over her face.

Fucked up foreplay, huh?

She didn't realize her attraction to the doctor was so obvious. She hoped it was only apparent to her daughter and friend and not to her coworkers. God, had she gotten fucking turned on in front of the mayor?

Maybe there was something wrong with her. She has been trapped behind a desk for too long. Hasn't had sex since who knows when, and a pretty woman with an attitude problem walks in and makes her go absolutely nuts.

Becky bit her lip, thinking about when she had asked Dr. Everett for a meeting. Had she been flustered? Lucinda’s blush had given her away. Dr. Everett couldn't hide it with that pale skin of hers. Had she not expected Becky to be so interested in her? She wanted to know how the doctor would look if Becky were to corner her and unravel every perfect thread she had used to wind herself so tightly. Would she fall apart in her hands? Or would Dr. Everett fight her every chance she got like the brat she was?

Becky blew out a shaky sigh. This woman was going to be a problem for her. She didn't even know if Dr. Everett was into women, and Becky was already daydreaming about her. She needed to stay focused on the job and not on getting her pussy wet.

But she wondered...

No. Nope. Cut that shit out, Becks. You're only acting like this because she's a pretty, new face.

She pulled out of the parking lot, hoping she could leave all thoughts of Lucinda Everett locked in City Hall.

But even Becky knew she was lying to herself.