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“Lemme call my dad. They can do it for you, no problem.”
“Really? That’d be great, and give me one less thing to worry about.”
“I’ll let you know when he can make it over today.”
Cam holds his hand out. “Appreciate it, Ramirez. It’s a big help.”
For the first time since I came to Company One, I feel a part of the team, like I’m doing something that makes me special and important. “No problem, I’ll let you know what he says.”
“Keep me in the loop,” Cam says as he drops back, waiting for his best friend Gauge.
There’s a part of me that longs for the kind of friendship they have but, as a teenager, I was so involved in helping with dad’s business I wasn’t able to develop the type to last a lifetime. One of the hopes I have for my new role in the Company is to find a life for myself that doesn’t revolve around my family.
“Morning Rook,” Chief Hudson’s voice reverberates through the hall as I walk into the building.
“Morning.” Pulling my bag tighter up onto my shoulder, I stop to give him my full attention.
“How were your days off?”
“Same ole, same ole.”
“Just making sure you didn’t overdo it with the landscaping. You have a lot of training to do this week.”
When I think maybe I’ve brushed past the tough outer edge of Chief, it’s there again, ready to slap me back down. “No, I’m prepared for whatever you wanna throw at me.”
“Once you get changed, come see me or LT and we’ll have something for you to do.”
“Copy that.”
Sighing deeply, I head to the locker room. Trying my best not to think of what he’s going to say when he realizes I’ve gone out on a date with his daughter. The room is loud as I enter. Everyone catching up on what they’ve done the last few days.
The group of us are close. Not because of what we’ve gone through, but because of how much time we spend together. It’s more than we get with our families, so we become the family we choose.
“Saw you at Mountainside.” Gauge hits me on the shoulder as I walk toward my locker. “Arms all around some hot piece of ass.”
Fuck. Hopefully he didn’t see who it was.
“Who was she?” He whistles. “Didn’t recognize the car and it was too dark to see the face.”
“Gentlemen don’t kiss and tell.” I store my bag in my locker before taking off my jeans and putting on my uniform pants.
Everyone is looking at me. “Gentleman, my ass.” Gauge gives me a look. “You’ve always been willing to tell us who you’ve been fucking around with. What makes this one different?”
Shrugging, I do my best to feign indifference. “Who knows? Just a feeling.”
“Bullshit.” Gauge laughs. “You and I both know you’ve never had a feeling about a woman before.”
“How do you know?” My blood boils and hands shake as I do my best to not let him see. Typically, I’m okay with them making fun of me, but this? Her? It goes too far and I don’t want them to get the wrong idea.
Gauge blinks, opening his mouth and then shutting it. “I don’t know.”
“Then shut the fuck up.”
Everyone is quiet as they look at the two of us. There’s a tension in the locker room we’ve never had and I hate that I’m partially the cause of it.
“You’re right.” He moves back, holding his hands up in surrender. “I should shut up about shit I don’t know. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
It takes a lot for me to hold my hand out to him. “It’s okay. You were joking.”
