lots of notes, of course. Then he spent the last thirty minutes telling us how everything we’d discussed wouldn’t work, and how we were stupid to think it would, and if he was smart he’d fire us all right then and hire an all new staff who knew what they were talking about.”
“What an ass,” Crash swore. “Seriously, has the guy taken any leadership or management classes?”
“It gets worse,” Adeline told him.
“Fuck. Worse?”
“One of his interns, who he treats like shit, later told us that he spent the rest of the morning on the phone with Mr. Wolfe pitching all of our ideas to him. Ideas that he’d told us were crap only an hour before.”
“Wow.”
“Right?”
“Who does that?”
“Douglas Hill the Third,” Adeline said dryly.
“Can’t anyone talk to his boss?”
“It’s complicated. He was hired by the Vice President. And that guy is almost untouchable because he’s like, San Antonio royalty or something. Basically we could bitch to him about Douglas, but he wouldn’t do anything about it. As long as our division is making money, no one cares how it’s being done.”
“And no one has confronted Douglas about it?”
“Someone did.”
“And?”
“He was fired.”
“Jesus,” Crash breathed. “Please tell me you’ve sent out resumes. I can’t imagine working in a toxic place like that.”
“Sent three this afternoon.”
“Thank God. I’m really sorry, beautiful. It sounds like you need a glass of wine, a massage, and a day off.”
She laughed. “One out of three isn’t too bad.”
Crash bit his lip to hold back the words he wanted to say. That he’d come over and give her that massage. Too much too soon.
“So, how was your day?” she asked, clearly trying to change the topic.
“Busy, as usual.” Crash went on to tell her about the many calls they’d had.
“Is it weird not knowing the outcome of the people you help?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, that accident. You held that woman’s head, but you don’t know if she’s okay or not.”
“Ah. Sometimes, but honestly, I don’t think about it too much. Ultimately, I do the best I can in each situation. We might learn about what happens to people after they leave the scene, but it’s to further analyze the job we did. For instance, if we learn that the woman is paralyzed, I would want to try to figure out if it’s because of something we did at the scene. But generally, we try not to second guess ourselves or our actions. We make a ton of split-second decisions and we screw up, just like everyone does. It sucks, but it happens. It’s why we do so much training, so we don’t have to think so much when we get to a scene, we just act.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for, beautiful?”
“For doing what you do. I know you get paid for it, it’s a job, but not everyone could do it. I know I couldn’t, and I’ve met enough first responders in my life to know that you’re really good at what you do.”
Crash chuckled. “You’re welcome. Although I have to admit, I didn’t really do anything for you.”
“Sure you did.”
“No, I really didn’t.”
“You got me to a safe place where I didn’t have to worry about being robbed or hurt while I was seizing. I didn’t have to worry about Coco and if someone would steal him. Nobody was pointing at me and laughing, or worse, filming me with their damn cell phone cameras. You let me process when I came to, and didn’t rush or push me to talk. So yeah, Dean Christopherson, you did a lot. And I appreciate it.”
“Damn. Now I want to beat the shit out of anyone who even looks at you sideways. This might not bode well for our relationship.”
He closed his eyes and smiled at her small laugh. He could picture her smile in his head almost as clearly as if she was standing in front of him.
“Down, boy.”
“Can’t help it. I’m a protective kind of man, beautiful, and if I ever see one person with their cell phone
“What an ass,” Crash swore. “Seriously, has the guy taken any leadership or management classes?”
“It gets worse,” Adeline told him.
“Fuck. Worse?”
“One of his interns, who he treats like shit, later told us that he spent the rest of the morning on the phone with Mr. Wolfe pitching all of our ideas to him. Ideas that he’d told us were crap only an hour before.”
“Wow.”
“Right?”
“Who does that?”
“Douglas Hill the Third,” Adeline said dryly.
“Can’t anyone talk to his boss?”
“It’s complicated. He was hired by the Vice President. And that guy is almost untouchable because he’s like, San Antonio royalty or something. Basically we could bitch to him about Douglas, but he wouldn’t do anything about it. As long as our division is making money, no one cares how it’s being done.”
“And no one has confronted Douglas about it?”
“Someone did.”
“And?”
“He was fired.”
“Jesus,” Crash breathed. “Please tell me you’ve sent out resumes. I can’t imagine working in a toxic place like that.”
“Sent three this afternoon.”
“Thank God. I’m really sorry, beautiful. It sounds like you need a glass of wine, a massage, and a day off.”
She laughed. “One out of three isn’t too bad.”
Crash bit his lip to hold back the words he wanted to say. That he’d come over and give her that massage. Too much too soon.
“So, how was your day?” she asked, clearly trying to change the topic.
“Busy, as usual.” Crash went on to tell her about the many calls they’d had.
“Is it weird not knowing the outcome of the people you help?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, that accident. You held that woman’s head, but you don’t know if she’s okay or not.”
“Ah. Sometimes, but honestly, I don’t think about it too much. Ultimately, I do the best I can in each situation. We might learn about what happens to people after they leave the scene, but it’s to further analyze the job we did. For instance, if we learn that the woman is paralyzed, I would want to try to figure out if it’s because of something we did at the scene. But generally, we try not to second guess ourselves or our actions. We make a ton of split-second decisions and we screw up, just like everyone does. It sucks, but it happens. It’s why we do so much training, so we don’t have to think so much when we get to a scene, we just act.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for, beautiful?”
“For doing what you do. I know you get paid for it, it’s a job, but not everyone could do it. I know I couldn’t, and I’ve met enough first responders in my life to know that you’re really good at what you do.”
Crash chuckled. “You’re welcome. Although I have to admit, I didn’t really do anything for you.”
“Sure you did.”
“No, I really didn’t.”
“You got me to a safe place where I didn’t have to worry about being robbed or hurt while I was seizing. I didn’t have to worry about Coco and if someone would steal him. Nobody was pointing at me and laughing, or worse, filming me with their damn cell phone cameras. You let me process when I came to, and didn’t rush or push me to talk. So yeah, Dean Christopherson, you did a lot. And I appreciate it.”
“Damn. Now I want to beat the shit out of anyone who even looks at you sideways. This might not bode well for our relationship.”
He closed his eyes and smiled at her small laugh. He could picture her smile in his head almost as clearly as if she was standing in front of him.
“Down, boy.”
“Can’t help it. I’m a protective kind of man, beautiful, and if I ever see one person with their cell phone
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