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“Thank you.” He didn’t smile, but I could sense his relief. “She’ll be here at nine.”
Oh well. Better get it over with quickly. “She moves fast.” “Try not to be an ass,” Parks said. “You’re dismissed.”
I stood up and left the office. The morning had started well, with coffee and promise, but it had taken a turn for the worse.
“What did he want?” Asher asked as I reentered the staff room.
“To tell me I have a ride-along today.”
He passed me my coffee. It wasn’t as warm as it had been ten minutes ago, but I drank it anyway.
“Who?”
“Kennedy.”
His jaw nearly hit the floor. “What the fuck?”
“Apparently she’s made a big donation to the fire station. You know how Parks has been after funding for ages.”
“So, he’s pimping you out?” His anger made me feel better, even though I was no longer furious with Parks myself. I was still angry at the situation, and at Kennedy for not taking a hint and hitting the road.
“Don’t blame him. It’s her that’s the problem.”
Asher gripped my shoulder. “Damn, man. That’s rough. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, not great for my mood.”
“Well, we haven’t had any callouts, and Parks hasn’t assigned us any tasks yet today, so what do you say we hit the weight room and work out some of that frustration?”
“Sounds good.”
Unfortunately, by the time Kennedy arrived at nine sharp, I was a whole lot sweatier and no less frustrated.
“Good morning,” she said, her smile a little too large. She was carrying a tray of coffees. “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Her smile didn’t waver. She tried to pass me a cup, but I didn’t accept it. I wasn’t drinking her bribery coffee. She shrugged and offered it to Asher, who stood behind me. He glared and crossed his arms over his chest.
She sighed. “Okay, it’s like that. Will you at least show me the way in?”
We backtracked to the staff room, where she set the tray of coffees on the table and took one for herself. Igor, the traitor, grabbed one as well. When I narrowed my eyes at him, he shrugged apologetically. Coffee snob. Of course he couldn’t say no to a barista-made cup of power fuel.
Kennedy perched on the sofa, smiling at all of us as though she was thrilled to be here. No one smiled back, but it didn’t seem to deter her.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked.
“No plan,” Igor said, the coffee apparently having softened his mood. “We wait until we’re needed.”
“Okay.” She rested against the sofa, ignoring all the “go away” vibes everyone was sending to her. “I’ll make myself comfortable, then.”
We all shuffled our feet, none of us quite sure what to do. The others seemed to be looking to me for guidance, but damned if I knew what to say.
A siren cut through the tense silence. Thank God. I hoped no one was seriously injured, but the interruption couldn’t have come at a better time.
Parks appeared in the doorway. “Let’s go, boys.”
“You’re with me,” I told Kennedy, thrusting a high-vis vest at her. “Wear this and don’t leave the engine unless one of us tells you to. It’s your main job to stay out of the way.”
