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“What’s the smile for?” Logan is angry at something, and if I had to guess, I would say that it’s the redheaded vixen who is sitting in dispatch.
“Don’t be jealous, man. One day you’ll get the girl.” I can’t help poking the bear. It’s just too much fun.
“Fuck you, man. It doesn’t look like you’ve got the girl. Hell, I might even have a chance with her.” If anyone else had made that comment, I would have planted my fist in their face already, but I know that Logan won’t go there.
“She’s mine,” I tell him without a hint of cockiness. “She’s been mine since before either of us knew what it meant. She just hasn’t accepted it yet. She’s trying to figure out what she wants. But I know it’s going to be me in the end. I just have to show her. That’s all.”
“Maybe you should take the time to get to know the woman she’s become, instead of concentrating on the girl that she used to be,” Brian speaks up from the doorway to his office.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already got a plan. I’m going to woo her.” I smile at the men in the room, not caring if I look like a lovesick puppy.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Logan leans on the counter we regularly use to hold evidence and paperwork. “Woo?”
“It means I’m going to make the effort that you’re apparently not making. I’m going to show her how I feel, and how good it could be between us if she just gave me the chance.” Feeling smug about my answer, I don’t bother explaining it anymore.
Instead, I pick up my phone and start phase one of my master plan.
Jake
Hey, Lilly-girl. Go out with me tonight?
Her reply comes almost instantaneously, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Lilly-Girl
No. And my name is Margot. Everyone else has to call my that. You should too.
I think about my next text, knowing that it’s going to be the most important thing I do to get her to say yes.
Jake
Okay. I promise not to call you Lilly in public anymore if you agree to go out with me tonight.
I wait and wait. When I have pretty much given up on getting an answer back from her, my phone vibrates.
Lilly-Girl
Pick me up at six.
With that, I lock my screen and put my phone back in my pocket. The end of the day can’t come soon enough. I’ll be damned if I stop calling her Lilly; I just need a reason for her to go out with me. I’m just finishing up for the day when I hear the page.
As Logan is preparing to leave, he sticks his head into my office.
“Hey, you wanna tag along?” He taps his fist against the doorframe, waiting for my answer.
Looking at my watch, I know that I won’t be able to make it back before I’m supposed to pick up Margot. Still, there is no way that I won’t help. Besides, if it’s a big enough fire, Margot will cancel our plans anyway. I grab my jacket and follow the other man out of the building, telling dispatch I’m en route to the scene to assist.
Following behind Logan on the way to the scene, I can’t help noticing the way the summer sun beats down above us. Even though it’s close to five p.m., the sun is still hanging brightly in the sky, and I know that one of the biggest concerns at the fire will be dehydration from those helping out.
I pull in right behind Logan and note that we aren’t the only deputies who are on-scene. Dustin is sitting on the hood of his cruiser, a department issued Ford F150, as he watches the fire departments prepare to knock back the blaze. I look at my friend, unable to figure out what the other man is looking at.
“Hey, man. What’s going on?” I prop my hip on the bumper of Dustin’s truck, curious as to what has him distracted.
“I’m pretty sure I see someone around the back of the building. Take a look but try not to be obvious.” He looks at me and then laughs like something he has said is funny.
I glance out of the corner of my eye, and it does look like there is someone hanging out around the back of the building, which is ridiculous since it’s going up in flames. All the civilians should be trying to get clear of the fire. I have a bad feeling, and I know that we will have to try and catch whoever it is in case they are the ones responsible for the fire.
The person is less than two hundred yards away from where we are standing, and even though we are trying to hide it, it is obvious that we are looking. I know we have to move fast. Before we can do anything, the person starts walking toward us.
