LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter 4

      “So?” Mason began, his eyebrows raised. “What’s going on with you and Nya?”

      Tyler, Mason and the other firefighters had just returned to the firehouse from a vehicle fire on the Pacific Highway. An SUV had collided with a minivan, and the SUV had caught fire. Thankfully, they’d been able to get the woman and her son out of the car alive, but badly burned. It had been a scene of chaos and fear, after which the mood among the firefighters at Station Two had been dour. So it was an odd time for Mason to be bringing up the subject of Nya.

      “Why are you asking me about Nya?” Tyler asked as he began to remove his turnout jacket.

      “Sabrina,” Mason said. “I just checked my phone, and I missed a call and a text from her. She said she needed to convey an urgent message about your date with Nya on Friday night. Nya wants you to know that she’s canceling.” Mason flashed him a confused look. “I didn’t even know you knew Nya.”

      Tyler hung his jacket on its hook, then began to take off his boots. So Nya was trying to cancel on him. After all the great points he had made about why they should go to the screening?

      Tyler wasn’t about to let her off that easily. In fact, all last night he had remembered the shock—then excitement—when she’d kissed him.

      “I met her last night,” Tyler said. “Well, I met her again I should say. Obviously, I met her when I went to the studio for my shoot.”

      Tyler felt two strong hands press into his shoulders from behind then heard Omar ask, “Are you talking about that beautiful woman you were kissing last night?”

      Mason’s eyes widened with surprise. Tyler tried not to show any reaction, though he hated that Omar had blurted that out. But what did Tyler expect? Firefighters were family, and families always teased each other about personal matters.

      And when it came to women and dating, Omar was the biggest devil’s advocate. He seemed determined to keep some kind of score and to prove to everyone else that he could get any woman he wanted.

      Omar had probably been waiting for the right moment to bring up last night’s incident, but the morning had been unusually busy with the carbon monoxide call, and now this vehicle fire on the freeway. But Omar had been standing next to him at the bar when Nya had suddenly kissed him. One minute, Omar was pointing out to Tyler a woman that he hoped to go home with. The next, Tyler was making out with Nya in the middle of the bar.

      “What about you?” Tyler asked Omar. “Did you hook up with that woman you were checking out?”

      “Forget about Omar,” Mason said. “He’s always getting action. You, on the other hand...you were kissing Nya?”

      “Hell must have frozen over,” one of the other guys said, and a few of them started laughing.

      “Very funny, guys,” Tyler said, and told himself not to be annoyed. The subject of his love life—or lack thereof—always brought about jokes. Yes, he had stayed with Carol months after their relationship had all but died—and the guys had known it—which was why they acted as though he was completely hung up on his ex. Was it really wrong to have tried to work things out with Carol after investing years with her?

      Omar would definitely say yes. Had it been his relationship, he would have left a long time ago and found a new woman to keep him warm.

      “You think every time I get some action I come here and gossip about it like a schoolgirl?” Tyler asked. “A real man knows how to keep certain things to himself.”

      There were some “Ooohs,” and another firefighter elbowed Omar in the ribs playfully.

      “Hey,” Omar began, “I know how much you all enjoy the details. That’s why I share.”

      Tyler turned away from Omar and met Mason’s curious gaze. “Did you actually take Nya home for a one-night stand?” he asked, giving Tyler a look that said he would be less surprised if he had been abducted by aliens last night.

      “What—you think it couldn’t happen?” Tyler countered.

      “Hey, if you’ve finally put Carol in the rearview mirror...” Mason patted him on the shoulder.

      “Oh, come on,” Tyler protested. “Not the Carol lecture again.”

      “We wouldn’t give you a hard time about Carol if you’d actually date other women,” Omar said. “You broke up how long ago?”

      Tyler cut his eyes at Omar, who seemed to believe that if he wasn’t chasing tail every day, then he was abnormal. Guys like that couldn’t understand that it made sense to take some time for yourself after breaking up with a fiancée.

      “Four months is not ancient history,” Tyler said. “Besides, Carol has nothing to do with the equation. As for Nya,” he went on, facing Mason again, “it was quite the interesting experience.”

      “Tell me you didn’t blow it,” Omar said.

      “Don’t you have a morning-after call to make to the woman you were with last night?” Before Omar could respond, Tyler snapped his fingers and said, “Oh, I’m forgetting. You probably didn’t even get her name.”

      There were more “Oohs” and laughter from the guys.

      “So you like Nya?” Mason asked, looking hopeful.

      Tyler noticed that not only did Mason have a hopeful expression, but so did the other firefighters standing around him, as well. “Since when did my love life become so interesting to you all?”

      “What love life?” Omar asked, and laughed.

      “We’ll see what you have to say on Saturday morning,” Tyler retorted. Though his interest in Nya had nothing to do with competing with Omar’s scoreboard.

      “I don’t know about the rest of you,” Tyler went on, “but I’m hungry. What’s on the menu for today?”

      “Fajitas,” Mason said.

      “Awesome,” Tyler said, and began to walk down the hallway that led to the common room. “I’m starving.”

      In

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