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Smoke
Ireturned to the table a bit flustered, which wasn’t like me. I had never had a woman fluster me. I had a few that had left me speechless, like my ex-wife, and a few that had left me wondering what the hell I had ever seen in them — again, like my ex-wife. However, I had never had one leave me wanting more without knowing why.
Shit, I didn’t even know her first name. Was that why I was feeling a bit off-kilter? That had to be it.
As I tried to focus on the clients in front of me, I couldn’t help but notice little things about her. She was left-handed, and her hair had reddish highlights, making me want to walk up behind her and run my hands through it to watch the colors change. She also laughed often, and her friend was just as gregarious.
Lydia gave me a slight kick under the table once when Jonathon asked me a question, and I was too busy staring at the back of Whiskey’s head to hear him. She gave me a look that told me she knew I was distracted, and I forced myself not to look in Whiskey’s direction anymore.
I did so well that shortly after coffee, I glanced up to find her table empty, and for a brief moment, I felt panic seep into my blood.
Lydia leaned toward me, speaking softly. “What is wrong with you tonight? You’re so distracted.”
I glanced at Lydia. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if you say so.”
I frowned at her, unsure why she would even say that. We said goodbye to the clients, and I walked Lydia out of the restaurant and around to the parking lot. The clients had taken an Uber to the hotel, and we would see them again in the morning at the office to give them a tour of the plant and finalize details on their fire suppression system.
I hugged Lydia tightly, brushed my lips over her cheek, and then said goodbye as I opened her car door.
Lydia and I had been friends for thirty years. We lived down the street from one another when we grew up, and we went to the high school prom together, but with different dates. When I joined the fire department, Lydia went to college to get a degree in business, and the two of us became distant for several years.
An accident at a fire scene put me in the hospital with two broken legs and an injury to my spine that had doctors wondering if I’d ever walk again. If it hadn’t been for Lydia showing up at my bedside three days later, I might not have, but she wouldn’t let me give up.
Lydia came to the hospital and then my rehab every single day and pushed me when I needed it, told me to suck it up when I was whining too much, and held me when I cried, wanting to give up.
It looked like our relationship was moving in a different direction for a while, and we became romantically involved for a whole two days. We both decided that it just didn't feel right after the second time sleeping together.
However, it did not affect our friendship; we had been inseparable since then.
I couldn’t go back to fire service, but after spending ten years working fires, I understood them and knew there was a need for a different fire suppression system. Another buddy of mine had an idea for it, and Lydia and I jumped on board with Brad to start Smoker Technical Industries or STI.
Sadly, Brad died in a car crash six months after the business started, and now it was just Lydia and me running the show. Of course, we had a hundred employees that worked for us, but Lydia and I made all the significant decisions.
It wasn’t until I was home and pouring myself a drink that I thought about Whiskey again. I lifted my glass, staring through the brown liquid and picturing her eyes as I descended on her in the hallway. As I stared into the alcohol, I felt an odd sensation, as if I were falling.
I yanked my eyes away, frowning, and then took a gulp of the drink before heading up to bed. It had been a long time since I had met someone who had sparked my interest enough to make me think about them hours later. As I drifted off that night, I wondered what the chances of seeing her again really were.
* * *
It turnedout that my chances were pretty fucking excellent. When I arrived at the office, Lydia was making coffee and glanced back. “How are you today?”
“Okay, I guess. You?”
“I’m great. It’s going to be a fantastic day!” She grinned.
“What are you talking about? Did we get another contract?”
She chuckled. “No, we did not.”
“Then why will it be so great?”
“Because my new assistant starts today, and I can leave Tina alone. She will be thrilled to know she doesn’t have to do twice the work anymore.”
I chuckled as I walked around her. “Yes, she will. Good luck with the new assistant. What’s her name?”
“Lillian Rouse. I think she said she was new to town.”
