Chapter 2
2541 Words
Chapter Two
Vanessa
A new guy I just met who’s on the fire department with Mauro carries on and on about how romantic Mauro is. Yeah, I didn’t need that confirmation since I’m standing dead center in a re-enactment of a night that happened ten years ago.
And that’s not jealousy in my tone—it’s envy. I love Maddie and I only want her happy, but no one has ever put in an effort like this for me. Not that I really care that much because the last thing I need in my life is another man thinking he owns me and can run my life.
“He is sweet,” I say with a smile and nod.
“Yeah, one day he’ll be captain at the firehouse. Maybe after I retire.”
His wife touches his arm in an affectionate pat. “I doubt that day will ever come.” She smiles.
What must it be like to love your job so much you don’t want to leave.
“We have three kids and they’re approaching college. Someone has to pay for their education,” she says.
Patel, as he introduced himself to me, stares down at his wife with a smile that matches hers.
“Scholarships,” he says to his wife.
They laugh like it’s a conversation they’ve had a million times.
It’s nice and yet it still makes me want to throw up about as much as Mauro setting this whole thing up for Maddie does.
Again, envy not jealousy.
“You know I have this cousin,” the wife whispers in my direction. “He likes blondes. He’d love you.”
Patel shakes his head. “Excuse my wife.”
She slaps him on the shoulder in a friendly ‘stop’ manner. They’re cute and the fact that they’re married with three kids and still civil to one another proves that marriage works for some people.
“No, just think, we wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for Raj.”
Patel nods in agreement at his wife. The sweet look shared between them tells even a bystander like me how much in love they are.
“Patel,” a deep voice interrupts our conversation.
Thank God, I needed a clear path to escape from yet another set-up.
“Cristian.” Patel places his hand into the hand of the large figure to my left.
Great, tonight just got even more intolerable. I down the rest of my flat keg beer, ready to excuse myself to go for a refill.
“I was just telling this lovely woman what a romantic your brother is.” Patel gestures to me.
Like Cristian didn’t know I was here. I swear he’s embedded a chip in me like they do to dogs and cats. The guy doesn’t understand the word no. I could still kill Lauren for giving him my number. What kind of friend is she?
I search her out with only the glow of the bonfire flames to light the surrounding area. She’s nowhere in sight. Great because I’m about to ask Mrs. Patel to drive me home even if I have to hear her brag about her cousin’s dating resume.
“I hope him and Maddie are happy. They seemed it when they left.” Cristian smiles. One that probably leaves most women he comes in contact with, weak in the knees. Uniform or no uniform.
He’s a good looking guy. Okay, okay, he’s hot. Like mysterious hot. Always more stern looking than his brothers are. Maybe it’s the police officer in him. Assessing the scene before he can relax and be himself. My dad has the same trait. On guard most of the time in public. Never able to settle until his back is to the wall so he’s able to see the entire place and prepare for anything that might happen.
“Hey, Vanessa,” he says to me, sipping from his own Solo cup.
I want to roll my eyes at his pretend surprise at finding me here, but Commander’s daughter and all that.
“Hello, Officer Bianco.”
A smirk tilts his lips.
Patel and his wife’s gazes are poised on us with curiosity.
“You can call me Cristian,” he says.
“No. That’s okay.” I shrug.
“Okay, Miss Flanagan.” My gaze snaps to his and he raises his eyebrows, his smirk growing more prominent.
Touché Mr. Bianco.
“Well.” I drag my eyes away from him although I have to say seeing him out of uniform is doing crazy things to my libido. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
For such a stiff do-gooder he sure has a sense of style even in the decade-old clothes we’re wearing. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I’m going to refill my cup.”
“You too,” Mrs. Patel steps forward, reaching into her purse. She pulls out a card. “Just in case you change your mind. He’s a very sweet boy. He’s just holed himself up with studies, what with being a doctor. Has a great big mansion on the north shore.” Her eyes light up, selling her cousin to me.
“I’m just not looking for anyone at the moment, but maybe I’ll think about it.”
I shoot her an easy out that should allow me to leave this conversation and Cristian’s proximity.
“What’s this?” Cristian glances over us to read the card.
“Oh, it’s my wife matchmaking again.” Patel laughs.
“Cristian, I have a niece that you’d love.” Mrs. Patel moves on from me to Cristian.
Perfect.
“Thanks for thinking of me, but I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”
I can’t help but wonder if that’s actually true.
A puffed sound falls from Mrs. Patel’s lips. “You’re only getting older. You don’t want to be chasing your grandkids around in a walker.”
Cristian’s head rears back.
“She’s pretty. Just graduated from UC, smart as a cookie, but she’s disappointed her parents by wanting to go to culinary school now.” Again, she looks up to her husband and they share a look of what are you going to do.
“I wish her luck, but I’m going to take my chances on that whole walker thing and stay single a while longer.” Cristian smiles and for some reason, he appeases Mrs. Patel to stop pushing. She’s not giving him a business card or handing out her niece’s phone number.
“I try. That’s all I can do.” Her hands come up in front of her in a placating gesture.
Patel wraps his arm around his wife’s waist. “Let’s get you home, Match dot com.” He kisses the hairline of her scalp and a small piece of my icy exterior melts at the affection they share.
“See you both and if you’re ever finding yourself alone on a Saturday night give me a ring.” She winks.
Patel and Cristian shake hands before the couple ventures off into the darkness.
I turn around to head to the keg, but footsteps fall in line behind me and I know I’m not alone. Ignoring his presence, I walk into the woods where grown people are pretending they’re hiding from the cops. Hello, half the force is probably here today.
“Bianco, what’s up man?” Some guy approaches Cristian behind me. Not that I needed clarification that Officer Bianco was probably staring at my ass the entire walk over here.
“Not much,” Cristian says.
A slapping of hands commences behind me. “Killer hat trick this past Thursday. I think we’ve got a shot this year.”
Stop listening.
I step forward to the keg, waiting in line behind two women laughing about how they can’t figure out the tapper, reminiscing about their college days and how they only drink from bottles now.
“Let me help.” I approach, pumping and tilting their cups under the nozzle. A minute later they’re saying thank you and complimenting me on my hat.
I forgot I was even wearing my favorite hat from a decade ago. Good thing my dad stores everything in marked boxes in the basement. He might be organized, but he’s still kind of a hoarder.
The unfortunate part of helping the two women is that by the time I’m ready to fill my cup the keg needs pumping again. I place my cup down on the forest floor, ready to do just that when two strong corded muscular forearms come into my line of sight.
Cristian pumps and I’m not even going to ask why he’s not wearing a jacket in the fall. He’s probably one of those hot-blooded males who wears shorts the minute he hears bird’s chirping after a long winter. I question those dumbasses every spring.
“Thank you,” I mumble because it was kind of him to pump the keg, even if I never asked.
“You’re welcome.” He fills his own cup.
“Not on duty tonight, officer?” I insert sarcasm into my tone because being a b***h will make it easier for him to keep his distance.
“Well, Miss Flanagan, I’m off for two days if you’re wondering.”
I step away from the keg allowing the lingering guys who are talking about hockey a chance to fill their cups.
“That leaves me open for that date.” He c***s an eyebrow.
My head falls back in defeat. “There is no date. You have a pass. Most guys would love the chance to get out of a date with the person who wins them at an auction.”
He sips his beer. “I’m not most guys.”
I sip my beer and don’t respond. He’s right. He’s not most guys. Most guys don’t look like he does. That or I’ve been hanging around the wrong places.
“Some might say that most women would love to go on a date with a police officer.”
“I’m not most women.”
He laughs. One that heats my insides and makes him even more attractive. I know I’m going to be visualizing him the next time I pull out my Unicorn c**k vibrator, but I’ll deal like I always do.
“I agree,” he says when he finishes laughing.
“Perfect. Then it’s a deal. No date.” I smile and turn on my heel heading toward the bonfire.
“Whoa.” His hand gently grabs my arm.
I spin back around.
“You know that’s not what I was saying. Come on, Vanessa. I need your dad off my back. One date. It’s not going to kill anyone.”
I purse my lips, trying to figure out how I’m going to get him to let this topic go. I’ve had one police officer dictating my entire life already, I don’t need another.
“Just lie,” I say with a shrug.
His strong shoulders sag a bit and he shoots me a look like ‘give me a break.’ His eyes are those of an innocent man who probably always does the right thing. I’m doing him a favor keeping him at arm’s length.
“Fine,” I say when the silence stretches out.
He smiles.
I hold a finger up into the air. “You do one thing tonight that you’d never normally do and I’ll go out with you.” I smirk. Let’s see Mr. Squeaky Clean take me up on that offer. I’m picturing my victory already.
“What?” He screws his face up then sips his beer.
I cross my arms around my middle, waiting for him to say no way so that I can move on. “You heard me. One spontaneous thing. Here. Tonight.”
“Like what?” he asks, his eyes scanning the area around us that I now realize is quickly emptying out. Half these people probably have babysitters to get home to.
I shrug. “That’s for you to decide.”
His forehead bunches. “What do you want me to do? Jump over the fire or some s**t like that?”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t end up in the emergency room, so no, I don’t expect you to jump over a roaring fire. That would ruin Maddie and Mauro’s night.”
A pissed off look crosses his face and he downs most of his beer.
“That’s it, let’s go, Cris. It’s two against two and I need a guy.” Luca, Cristian’s little brother, twirls a soccer ball on his finger as he steps up to us. Lauren follows behind with a girl I don’t recognize.
“What?” Cristian glares over at his brother. “I’m not playing soccer tonight in the pitch dark.”
He has a point.
“Come on Cris. Lauren says she can score five goals on me.” Luca glances over to Lauren who has a s**t-eating grin on her face, and he rolls his eyes.
Cristian blows out a breath. Lauren saddles up to my side, kicking the soccer ball from Luca’s hands. She does some fancy footwork then kicks the ball in the air before catching it. That girl has coordination I do not.
“The answer is no. Find Bentley, he’s over there.” He points toward the bonfire.
Luca must know his brother never does something he doesn’t want to do because he barrels away from us without a word.
“What’s going on over here?” Lauren asks, walking backward, twirling the soccer ball on one finger like Luca was moments ago.
“Nothing,” I say.
“Lauren, what’s the craziest thing I can do tonight?” Cristian hollers out and Lauren’s feet stop, staring at me over his shoulder.
She knows this game. We play it often. Well, not since college when guys tend to think they can say hello and you’ll be falling all over them. There’s nothing wrong with making them work to impress you a little. It builds character. LOL.
Lauren being Lauren pretends to think about it. In the past, we’ve had guys shave their heads or their eyebrows, dress in girl’s clothing, striptease with a pair of girl’s panties on. God knows what Lauren’s going to recommend.
“You’re a smart boy, Bianco. Turn the tables,” she says. “What’s the worst thing you could do to Vanessa tonight?”
I flip her off. Nice friend I got there. Who wants her?
A devilish smile creeps onto Cristian’s lips. “Anyone tell you, you’re a f*****g genius, Lauren?”
She laughs. “All the time. Tell your brother for me though.”
Luca comes over, stealing the soccer ball from her hands, while a guy tripping over his own feet follows behind. The girl and guy standing on the sidelines watching Lauren and Luca argue about who goes first.
“So, Officer Bianco, what will it be?” I c**k a hip and a brow.
“Maybe a date with you isn’t worth the embarrassment?” He steps closer and I back up an inch, unease setting in as his demeanor grows more confident and sure.
I shrug. “That’s fine. I’m happy to split ways now.”
He takes another giant step forward and sips the remaining beer from his cup, tossing it down to the grass, his gaze intense and set on whatever he’s about to do.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice weaker than I’d prefer.
We’re chest to chest now because he’s taken me by surprise and I forgot to flee with his approach. Okay and maybe his eyes mesmerized me. A little. Not much.
“I’m going to do the one thing I didn’t think I’d do tonight.” His voice has dropped an octave and we’re alone in the darkness of the forest now where the warmth of the bonfire has disappeared. A cold chill runs across my cheeks until Cristian’s hands land on either side of my face. “I’m going to kiss you.”
His lips fall to mine. Did I say it was cold? It’s not. It’s warm. Cristian’s mouth on mine steals the chill from my body. I should knee him in the balls or at least push him away, but I don’t. Instead, my lips betray me and move in time with his. I wrap my arms around his neck and I rise to my tiptoes, kissing him back.
His arms cradle me flush against his body, his tongue exploring mine and under the canopy of the forest, away from any prying eyes, Cristian Bianco sets my body on fire.
I love breaking other people’s rules, but I’m not sure about breaking my own.
- Writer
