for some time now. I’m going to check if the captain’s available. Be right back.”
A few minutes later Susan’s iPhone rings. “Hey Karen! How’s your date going?”
“What date? He left.” Karen said rather annoyed.
Mike walked back over to Susan waiting for her to finish her phone conversation. “Already? It’s not even 6:00 yet.”
“We never really clicked anyway.”
“So sorry it didn’t work out Karen.”
“No problem. It happens. See you tomorrow at the office.”
Already sensing the outcome, “The office hookup bombed, huh? Mike asked.
“Unfortunately yes. It was my fault. I was just trying to help and I just made things worse.”
“Welcome to the club. Now you know what I’ve been dealing with. Also the captain isn’t going to be available tonight but he’ll be back on shift in a few days.”
“OK, I’ll call the captain in a few days then and see if I can meet with him then. As far as Nick is concerned, should I go to your place and talk to him or would that just make matters worse?”
“I would leave him alone tonight but tomorrow afternoon from 11:00 to 1pm, you’ll only be able to find him in one place?
***
“Hello Nick.” Turning around from closing the refrigerator door, Nick was surprised and happy to see Susan standing there. “Hey! What are you doing here?”
“Mike told me I could find you here at the soup kitchen. I hope that’s OK?”
“Only if you roll up your sleeves and give me a hand. Just kidding.” Susan puts down her purse and begins to pick up left over dishes.
“I was only kidding.” Nick said.
“No, I want to help and by the way, I’m sorry about your date with Karen.”
Nick started laughing to hide his embarrassment. “She was very sweet, full of questions, but she was fine. Most guys would’ve jumped at the chance to sit down with her, but I felt awkward. I just felt I wasn’t ready.”
Susan moved closer to where Nick was standing to rinse the dirty dishes. “The good thing about this whole experience is that you got out of your comfort zone and tried. Next time it’ll be easier. But you’ll have to do that one on your own. I don’t have any other single girlfriends to introduce you to.” Susan said in jest as she placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. “Do you volunteer here a lot?”
At least once a week for the past 3 years.” Mike said.
“I used to volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital performing simple duties, stocking rooms, talking to patients when they needed someone to talk to, filling water pitchers, simple stuff but then my career kicked in I just never found the time to go back.” Susan said.
“If something’s important to you, you’ve got to make the time.”
“Ever since you rescued me from that fire, I seem to be thinking about that more and more as the day’s progress. Things that I thought were important before, no longer are.”
“I trust that’s a good thing?”
“Oh definitely but it’s still a work in progress.”
“I can relate.”
“You know the guys really miss you at the station.”
“Yeah, I don’t know when I’m going back.”
“Yes, but you can visit them.”
“You’re right. I could at least do that with all this time on my hands.”
“Besides the firehouse could use the master chef back.”
“Oh so you heard about my title, did you?”
“Oh yes and I look forward to trying one of your specialties one day.” They both looked at each other and shared a gentle smile. Realizing he was admiring her beauty longer than he should have, Nick turned around and said, “Well I’ll just start the dishwasher and we’re done.”
As they walked out of the soup kitchen together, Susan noticed that he was carrying a motorcycle helmet. “How long have you been riding?”
“For about 6 years now. It was a wedding present from my
A few minutes later Susan’s iPhone rings. “Hey Karen! How’s your date going?”
“What date? He left.” Karen said rather annoyed.
Mike walked back over to Susan waiting for her to finish her phone conversation. “Already? It’s not even 6:00 yet.”
“We never really clicked anyway.”
“So sorry it didn’t work out Karen.”
“No problem. It happens. See you tomorrow at the office.”
Already sensing the outcome, “The office hookup bombed, huh? Mike asked.
“Unfortunately yes. It was my fault. I was just trying to help and I just made things worse.”
“Welcome to the club. Now you know what I’ve been dealing with. Also the captain isn’t going to be available tonight but he’ll be back on shift in a few days.”
“OK, I’ll call the captain in a few days then and see if I can meet with him then. As far as Nick is concerned, should I go to your place and talk to him or would that just make matters worse?”
“I would leave him alone tonight but tomorrow afternoon from 11:00 to 1pm, you’ll only be able to find him in one place?
***
“Hello Nick.” Turning around from closing the refrigerator door, Nick was surprised and happy to see Susan standing there. “Hey! What are you doing here?”
“Mike told me I could find you here at the soup kitchen. I hope that’s OK?”
“Only if you roll up your sleeves and give me a hand. Just kidding.” Susan puts down her purse and begins to pick up left over dishes.
“I was only kidding.” Nick said.
“No, I want to help and by the way, I’m sorry about your date with Karen.”
Nick started laughing to hide his embarrassment. “She was very sweet, full of questions, but she was fine. Most guys would’ve jumped at the chance to sit down with her, but I felt awkward. I just felt I wasn’t ready.”
Susan moved closer to where Nick was standing to rinse the dirty dishes. “The good thing about this whole experience is that you got out of your comfort zone and tried. Next time it’ll be easier. But you’ll have to do that one on your own. I don’t have any other single girlfriends to introduce you to.” Susan said in jest as she placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. “Do you volunteer here a lot?”
At least once a week for the past 3 years.” Mike said.
“I used to volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital performing simple duties, stocking rooms, talking to patients when they needed someone to talk to, filling water pitchers, simple stuff but then my career kicked in I just never found the time to go back.” Susan said.
“If something’s important to you, you’ve got to make the time.”
“Ever since you rescued me from that fire, I seem to be thinking about that more and more as the day’s progress. Things that I thought were important before, no longer are.”
“I trust that’s a good thing?”
“Oh definitely but it’s still a work in progress.”
“I can relate.”
“You know the guys really miss you at the station.”
“Yeah, I don’t know when I’m going back.”
“Yes, but you can visit them.”
“You’re right. I could at least do that with all this time on my hands.”
“Besides the firehouse could use the master chef back.”
“Oh so you heard about my title, did you?”
“Oh yes and I look forward to trying one of your specialties one day.” They both looked at each other and shared a gentle smile. Realizing he was admiring her beauty longer than he should have, Nick turned around and said, “Well I’ll just start the dishwasher and we’re done.”
As they walked out of the soup kitchen together, Susan noticed that he was carrying a motorcycle helmet. “How long have you been riding?”
“For about 6 years now. It was a wedding present from my
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