The Men of CLE-FD updated (19 page)

She ran her hand through her short blonde hair. “And I won’t.  Anyhow, outside of work, my appearance is different.  Well, I’ll let you get some sleep.  Goodnight, Lieutenant.”

“Goodnight, Allison.”  He lay on the bed and turned off the light.  Closing his eyes, he prayed the alarms stayed silent for the rest of the night.

Chapter Nine

Three days after the horrible fire, Orlando sat on the weight bench, assessing the accuracy of the weights he’d applied to the machine. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he shook his head. The last several days had been pure hell; along with everything else, he was missing Regan. He needed to get this woman out of his head and his system soon.

Being apart from Regan was killing him. He felt like a damn school boy when he was around her. He was giddy and excited on the inside and fighting to maintain a somewhat normal appearance on the outside.  He had to keep the smokescreen going because he sure as hell didn’t want to seem whipped by the guys at the firehouse.  He would never live that down.

Maintaining a macho attitude was important.  If it took walking away from Regan to keep his manhood intact, then so be it. She had other plans that didn’t include him, and he had to accept that.

He returned his mind to the workout. He was pushing himself harder than normal in order to be ready for the competition.  Sergio sat on the bench next to him.  “What’s going on?”

“Da nada,” Orlando said straining his leg muscles to push the heavy weights. His heavy grunts indicated that there was too much on the machine, and he needed to make an adjustment to avoid injuring himself.  The race was for fun, not to risk injury while training for it.

“I missed you at the festival; we had a large turnout this year. But, thanks for sending over Anthony and Jon. They had a lot of young people asking questions about the fire department.”

“Sergio, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it, but my work schedule has been crazy. I’m covering for another lieutenant who's serving on jury duty. Also, I'm getting in training whenever I can for the charity event I entered.”

Sergio nodded. “I understand. So the young lady I saw you with a few weeks ago is not hindering you as you juggle all of these obligations?”

“Nope, because that is over.”

“Are you trying to convince yourself that it’s over, or is it truly over?”

He dropped the weights and sat up on the bench.  “Sergio, you don’t even know her, so why are you on my ass about this, man?”

“I've heard word on the streets about the lady you are keeping company with. Hell, I saw the whole exchange of words between Maggie and her the last time you were at the gym.”

“Like I said, Regan and I are done.”  He got off the weight bench to make the required adjustments.

“Ah, her name is Regan. That is a pretty name.”

“Well, it is befitting of a beautiful woman,” Orlando stated.

“You are like a brother to me, Orlando. You can talk to me about anything, and I’m here to give whatever advice I can offer, so tell me, why is it over?”

“We had a difference of opinion.”

“Differences of opinions can be resolved. Have you made the first step to doing that?”

“Why should that be up to me? She decided to step back because she wants to pursue a career. I can’t come between that.”

“Okay, Orlando, you’re not exactly known as the relationship type of guy. Shoot, you don’t even remember the damn names of the women you used to lay back in the day. But look at you now! Maggie came along, screwed you over, and put you through this damn change. Seriously, what man do you know—and I’m talking about you—who can score all the free sex he wants, but goes celibate instead? You let that ratchet woman break you down.”

“Sergio, you crack me up—ratchet? Anyhow, that shit was getting tired.  I’m older and can't go through life being a playboy hopping from bed to bed.  Maggie did play my ass, but it woke me up and made me take charge of me.”

 “You are right. You can’t go through life spreading your wood from woman to woman.  However, I believe you feel strongly about this particular woman.  Orlando, how could you give up having anything with her over a difference of opinion?  That’s a cop-out and too easy for you,” Sergio said, continuing to do his leg reps.

 Orlando took the towel lying across his shoulder and wiped his face.  “She’s different. I can’t explain it, man. Really, there is just something about her. I feel like a damn woman.  I think about her when I wake up and before I go to bed.  I let myself fall for her first.”

 He shared a lot with Sergio over the years, especially after Lorenzo died.  Their families were close-knit and called themselves relatives.  He knew Sergio wouldn’t repeat anything to anyone, especially his mother. Hell, if the shoes were reversed Sergio could even come to him and get the same respect.

“Well, my brother, it sounds to me, you are in love with this lady and being pigheaded about making the first move to resolve the issues.  Orlando, remember not every woman will be Maggie; don’t be a fool and lose her over something stupid.  Clear the smoke from your eyes and man up—call her.”

“She has to make the first move. I’m not chasing a woman that doesn’t want me.”

“All right then. Text her just to say good morning or ask how her day is going; there's nothing wrong with being polite.”

He remained adamant. “I’m not big on texting or talking on the telephone. I seriously doubt we’ll run into each other on the street either, so that is out too. You got any more ideas I can shoot down, Sergio. I’m on a roll.”

Sergio shook his head. “Now you’re being an asshole; remember this is a conversation you have when the woman you love finds someone else.  That bull-headedness will only get you so far and Regan will find someone else.”

Orlando didn’t say anything and let Sergio leave. He sat on the bench with his jaw latched tight. He could see by looking around the weight room that the people were in their groove. The clang from the slamming heavy weights and the loud music playing resonated around him. He yanked the towel around his neck.
This is fucking crazy! She makes the decision to end shit, but I’m an asshole
. He stalled and tried to regain the mood to continue his workout.  After several minutes of meditating, he cleared Sergio and Regan from his mind and continued with his routine.

*****

Regan kicked her legs up on the ottoman enjoying the plushness of the new chair.  She loved the furniture and it matched the color scheme she’d chosen for the walls perfectly.  She crossed her legs model style, staring at the fireplace.  Smiling, she couldn’t wait until winter to sit in front of a roaring fire, stirring a warm cup of spiced cider with a cinnamon stick.

Yes, she definitely saw her and Orlando making love on the white fur throw rug that lay in front of it.  Her brain came to a screeching halt.  Orlando had not bothered to return her call from three nights ago.  She had fallen asleep waiting for her phone to ring.

Three knocks followed by a doorbell ring indicated Lincoln was at the door.  Dejected she got out the chair to let her sister in. “Hey, Lincoln, what are you doing here in the middle of the day?”

“Good afternoon to you,” Lincoln said handing her sister a stack of mail.  “What has you looking as if you’ve been sucking on sour grapes?”

“You might as well be the first to hear.  I tried to patch things up with Orlando and he blew me off.  I guess you only get one chance with that man if you piss him off.” 

She paced around the newly furnished living room.  The store honored and delivered her furniture as promised.  She even tipped the moving men extra for placing the furniture where she wanted.  “He is so freaking headstrong! You know, I don’t care anymore.  He can blow me off!  Well, I can be just like him and act the same way.  He hasn’t bothered to call me in three days and hell will freeze over before I call him again.”

Lincoln flopped on the sofa watching her sister rant like a maniac.  “Regan….”

“No, Lincoln.  I reached out and he gave me the cold shoulder….screw him,” she fumed.  “Just because he is good-looking and one hell of a lover doesn’t give him the right to be rude.”

Lincoln propped her hand under her jaw and waited.  Regan was pissed and if Orlando had been in the room, she would’ve knocked him on his ass before grabbing him by the scruff of the neck to repeat the process.

When Regan shut her mouth, Lincoln asked.  “Are you done?  May I speak now?”

Regan tapped her foot rapidly on the floor. “Not now, Lincoln.  I need to cool off.”

“You’re going to listen anyway.  Orlando is probably trying to reprogram.  They fought one hell of a fire three nights ago.  One person was killed and many were hurt, including firefighters.  So before you go blowing him off, why don’t you think about what he is dealing with right now.”

Regan fell into the chair sinking her head in her hands. She tried not to think about him possibly getting hurt or dying on the job.  “My God, I feel like the lowest form of a human being.  Is he okay?”

“According to Anthony, he is.  He and a few other firefighter sustained minor injuries when they were hit by falling debris, but nothing critical.”

Regan jumped from the chair going to the hall closet grabbing her purse off the hook.  She noticed Lincoln stayed planted on the sofa, and not in a hurry to move. “Why are you sitting there?  We have to go to the firehouse.  I have to make sure he is okay.”

Lincoln shook her head playing with her fingernails. “He won’t be there because his shift ended already.”

She adjusted the straps of the white mesh purse evenly across her shoulder. “Then I’ll go to his apartment.”

Lincoln unseated herself from the sofa.  She was dressed typically for an IRS agent in a basic black suit, white blouse, and black pumps.  She removed the suit jacket folding it over her arm. “I’m not going to stop you.  You should check on him even though it is three days later.  He would probably appreciate you cared enough to do it.”

“When I talked to him he didn’t sound right, but he didn’t mention the fire. I had no idea what was going on with him,” she said feeling her sister was condemning her.  Had he said what was going on, she would have went to him or shown him compassion instead of blabbering about nothing.

“Well, I’m out.  I’m cooking dinner for my man and taking it to his place.  He’s had a rough few days at work and I tend to do whatever I can to help him relax,” Lincoln said rudely.

Regan narrowed her eyes slamming the closet door. “That was low and uncalled for.  I do not like myself for what I was thinking about Orlando, but I do not hate myself either.  You are judging me for wanting to do something for myself, Lincoln, and that’s not fair.”

“I’m not judging you about anything.  You have to do you.”

“I intend to do me.” She frowned at her sister.  “Look at you dressed in your official IRS attire.  I bet your briefcase is filled with names of unsuspecting taxpayers waiting to be audited for claiming dinner at Denny’s as a business expense.”

“You are saying this why?”

 “I’m saying you like what you do.  Why are you making it wrong for me to want to do something I love?”

Lincoln answered challenging her sister. “Let me ask you this, Regan.  If you were so dead set on leaving Cleveland to pursue a journalism career, why’d you furnish this house with brand new furniture?  You have this place looking like a home, not a layover to your next phase in life.”

Regan didn’t answer and stepped aside to let Lincoln leave.  Lincoln turned to her, winked an eye, and said, “You mull that over and get back to me when you have the answer.”

Regan shut the door ready to blow steam from her ears. Lincoln got on her last nerve with the arrogant way she spoke to her.  Throwing her purse on the accent table, she went to the coffee table and got the mail she’d tossed down.  Ripping the lip of the envelope open, she removed the letter.  She didn’t know why she bothered to read it; it would be another rejection letter.

After reading the letter, she held it against her chest exhaling through her lips. Folding it back into the envelope, she went into the kitchen opening the fridge scanning the contents.  There was not a thing in there to feed a six-foot, three-inches, one hundred eighty-five pound firefighter.

*****

Orlando turned off the water and stepped from the shower grabbing a towel off the rack.  Roughly rubbing the towel over his body, he winced hitting the wound on his shoulder.  Opening the medicine cabinet, he removed the bandages and covered the wound as it started to bleed.  It was taking a while to heal but it was a deep abrasion.

Clicking on the electric shaver, he shaved his face and trimmed his goatee. Satisfied with the results, he slapped on aftershave lotion and went to the bedroom to dress.  He’d slept a solid four hours and was now antsy to do something to work off his self-recriminations.  His heart knew his crew had done everything possible to rescue each victim before evacuating, but his mind wouldn’t let it go a person was left behind.

The knocking on the door surprised him.  He didn’t have many visitors dropping by unexpectedly.  No one really ever knew when he would be home. Normally he would have to buzz people inside but the intercom was broken and management had not replaced it leaving outsiders the ability to walk in freely.

Knotting a towel around his waist, he walked barefoot to the living room.  The space was small but big enough for him.  He didn’t have a lot of furniture or many keepsakes sitting around.  It was a basic man cave with a 60-inch flat-screen television atop a multi-compartment stand situated in front of the sofa and matching chair. He didn’t play videogames so there wasn’t any of that stuff cluttering shelves, but he did love music.  The CD stand next to the television was full of music of every genre.  His bikes and climbing gear were stashed in a corner. The other corner had a coatrack since the closet was filled with sporting gear and tools.

He peeked through the peephole and sighed.  Bumping his head against the door he contemplated pretending he wasn’t home but his car was parked outside.  He yanked open the door. “Maggie, can’t you find someone else to pester today?” He asked annoyed by her very existence.