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I spent the day studying in my room. Jordan ordered sub sandwiches for lunch, and that was a nice break, but otherwise my nose was buried in a book until our date at six.
Clara was waiting for me downstairs. She was wearing a crystal-blue maxi dress that was tapered at the waist and had billowy cloth bunched up around the cleavage. It fit her frame wonderfully, especially when she turned sideways to show it off like a model.
My cock jumped at the sight of her, and I had to use all of the willpower in my possession to make it behave.
“Wow,” I said. “You lookincredible.”
“Why thank you,” she said. “It was totally unintentional, too. I tossed a bunch of random clothes in my suitcase, and fortunately this was in there.”
“Lucky me. I mean, lucky you.” I winced, but Clara only smiled more.
Jordan put his arm around my shoulder. “So? Where are you taking the lucky lady?”
“I’m taking her somewhere nice,” I replied. “You can hear all about itafterthe date.”
Jordan scooped Baby Anthony out of the basket and made his little hand wave. “Say goodbye! Have fun!”
“Be safe,” Derek said, giving me a nod.
I drove her to a little Italian restaurant on the other side of town. I don’t knowhowI was able to snag last-minute reservations, but we had a table on the patio outside, overlooking the city’s namesake river.
As soon as the waitress left, Clara leaned across the table and said, “I can’t believe you brought me to one of our competitors.”
My heart sank down into my stomach.Oh no. How could I be so stupid? Her family owned an Italian restaurant, and I had brought her to a different one…
I must have looked mortified, because she quickly put her hand on mine. “Oh no, I was just joking!”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“They’re not really our competition. We do mostly take-out, while this place is more upscale, and focuses on dine-in.”
My heart was still pounding in my chest, so I took a sip of water to try to calm myself. “Speaking of restaurants, how is Tony’s doing?”
Clara shrugged. “We’re surviving. The restaurant is profitable, but just barely. It’s an old building that dad has used for three decades. The pizza oven was manufactured during the Nixon administration.” She sighed. “We’re always one big repair bill away from going back into the red.”
“Ah, that sucks,” I said. What did a guy say to something like that?
“But I’m glad I’m home to help,” she went on. “Mom really needed the help after dad passed. My brother, Jason, stuck around for a few weeks after the funeral, but Mom needed long-term help. Dad handledeverythingwith the business: all the finances, food sourcing, advertising. You name it. I helped Mom understand all of that. I don’t knowwhatshe would have done without me.”
“That’s so selfless, to put your life on hold and help your family,” I said. “She’s lucky to have you as a daughter.”
“It’sgranddaughtersthat she wants,” she said, accepting a glass of wine from the waitress. “But we don’t need to talk about that. What about you? You’re technically just a volunteer firefighter, right?”
“Technically, the term isProbationary Firefighter. After graduating, I’ll be promoted to a full firefighter,” I explained. “I’m getting my degree in Emergency Medical Services. As soon as I graduate next year, I’ll get promoted and a pay raise.”
“That’s really cool.” Clara leaned forward, showing off the plunging neckline of her dress, and the cleavage within. “What made you want to do that?”
“Mr. Rogers,” I replied.
She blinked. “Mr. Rogers? Like, from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood?”
I nodded. “He used to say that when you see scary things in the news, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. I thought that was such a cool idea. When bad things happen, there arehelpers. Like superheroes, but real. I wanted to be the kind of person people looked to when they needed help.”
I paused to sip my own wine and then went on. “My neighbor, Francis, was in the Army. He was a medic. Growing up, I thought that was so cool. He would come home on leave and walk around in his uniform. I thought that wasso cool. I wanted to be just like him, spending my life helping people. I figured becoming a firefighter was easier than enlisting in the Army.”
“Safer, too!” Clara chirped up. “I mean, relatively speaking. I don’t mean to imply that firefighting isn’t dangerous.”
“Nobody has ever shot at me,” I admitted. “So that’s definitely a plus.”
