Chapter 9

Millie

Asking about someone’s job seemed to be the default question on first introduction, particularly if they were of my parent’s generation. I sucked in a breath to answer, but Charlie stepped behind his boss and shook his head violently, making clear he thought I shouldn’t answer, but that would be rude. Talking about your job helped a stranger place you in the social hierarchy as well as make small talk, but instead of giving Brent a pat answer, I was honest.

“Nothing currently.” Brent’s eyebrows shot up. “That sounds bad, but I was the manager of The Stafford. While your team got there as fast as they could, they unfortunately couldn’t save my workplace from being burned out.” I spread my hands wide. “No pub, no job.”

“Her boss tried to fire her.”

I hadn’t noticed Knox sidle closer, but I saw him now. The tight black t-shirt made clear I hadn’t imagined that broad chest. Looking at it was different to being held against it, though I wouldn’t have said no to a more in-depth comparison for science.

“I quit instead,” I said with a smile, “but not before Knox carried me away from the fire.”

“You get hit by smoke inhalation, love?” Sally’s husband asked, his arm loosely wrapped around his wife’s waist.

“Worse.” My lips twisted. “My own stupidity. I saw the gas bottles and remembered the fire safety training we did.” The men groaned, but I forged on. “He showed us all this footage of gas bottles blowing up. The pub has houses all around it, shops too. People were standing by the side of the road.” Brent harrumphed at that. “I figured if I put the gas bottles on their sides?—”

“Never on their sides.” My eyes jerked up to see Noah was standing beside me. “They’ve got pressure valves at the top and putting gas bottles on their sides stops them from working properly.”

“Right, well.” I smiled weakly. “I’ll remember that for next time, but…” My eyes were drawn back to Knox, that same feeling of warmth, of safety, rising when I stared into those steady grey eyes. “Knox got me out of there. He picked me up and whisked me away from the building, all very heroic.”

“Onya, Knoxy.” One of the other guys clapped his teammate on the shoulder, but the man himself barely registered it. His focus was entirely trained on me, which made me wonder.

Did he see it, feel it, the haze of smoke, the warmth of his body, the jolt of his steps as he rushed me away from the building? I did, over and over since that night. I dreamed of it, feeling his hands on my cheeks as he checked me over. In my head, though, I leaned into his palm and pressed my lips to the calluses I felt.

“Pretty sure he deserves a raise for that,” I said instead, trying to keep things light. “I’d be happy to write a review on Yelp or something.”

“I wouldn’t mind one.” Charlie winked at me. “I mean me, Noah, and Harry were the ones who actually put out the fire.” He spread his hands wide. “Charlie handles his hose with great expertise…”

“Pretty sure we know why,” one of the guys snickered.

“I’m going to need the details of whoever did that training session,” Brent said. “Making the dangers clear to the public is important, but so is ensuring people respond appropriately to a fire.”

“Um… sure—” I said.

“So what did you do at the pub?”

“The usual stuff,” I replied with a shrug. “Setting staff rosters, banking, dealing with unruly customers, all the paperwork.”

“This is not an interview,” Charlie said.

“Ordering stock?” Brent continued, and suddenly this was a test. “Doing that MCOBY thing?”

“MYOB?” I giggled. “Yep. Obviously, the pub had a bookkeeper, but I ensured all the business expenses were properly documented as well as submitted the pay sheets.” I wiggled my fingers. “Pretty good at typing too. Why, do you need a secretary or something?”

“As much as I know you’d like to ask her if she’s going to wear a pencil skirt and sit on the edge of your desk taking dictation, Boss, I invited Millie here for a reason.” Charlie turned to me. “Want to go on a tour of the station?”

“Here we go.” Judy shook her head slowly. “Brent’s taken forever to find my replacement.” She patted her stomach. “I’m getting out of the rat race and going to be a stay-at-home mum, so he needs to find someone to take my position.”

A government job? I had enough savings to get me through the silly season and figured I’d find another job as the crazy of New Year’s Eve hit, but the security of working for the government? Mum and Dad would just about wet themselves in excitement.

“Yes, yes,” Charlie said, moving in to sling an arm around my shoulder. “But that’s all boring stuff. If you come this way?—”

“Judy has been with us for some time,” Brent explained. “But then her bloody husband had to get her pregnant.”

“This is a Christmas party.” Charlie stepped in front of Brent and then offered me his arm. “Wearing a Santa Claus suit in the boiling hot sun. Drinking too much beer. Having cold chicken and prawns, not turkey. Ho, ho, ho and season’s greetings and that shit, not Excel macros and quarterly reports.” When he looked down at me, I saw his eyes were the most perfect turquoise blue, the colour of a summer sky and the skin crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “You look far too sexy to stand around talking about admin tonight.”

I’d wondered why he’d invited me to this party, but with that look, it became clear. I said I wanted to come and find a sexy fireman to take home, and right now I was thinking he might be a contender. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually go home with him, but Noah didn’t need to know that. Those full lips twitched, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Let me show you the station,” he said again.

“Is there one of those slidey poles?” I asked. Charlie was cute, more than cute, but when those fair eyebrows started waggling, he was something even better: fun. “And can I ride in the back of a truck? Can we put the sirens on? Ooh, can I have a go at squirting the hose.”

“Pretty sure you could handle any hose you like.” I let out a yelp as he scooped me up in his arms, just like Knox had. “So, wanna play firemen with me, Millie?”

I said the only thing I could.

“Yes, please.”