AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’s just marched into my fire house demanding I withdraw a bid for a building that I have every right to ask for, for a cause she knows nothing about because she somehow thinks she’s entitled to it.
Well, I got news for you, missy. Your precious library isn’t the only game in town.
Abruptly, she changes tactics. She takes a deep breath and something about her seems to soften. “Look, I’m sorry I came in here demanding that you give up the Addison,” she says. “I was probably out of line.”
Probably?
Eyebrow arched, I let that go and wait for her to continue.
“The fact is, the library is really short on funds, our building is old and falling apart. We need the Addison,” she says. “It was basically promised to us, and we’re counting on it. I would deeply appreciate it if you would consider withdrawing your application.”
It’s too bad she’s short on funds, but that’s not really my problem, and I’m still angry at the way she came marching in here, making demands. “Look, I’m sorry if the town council is going back on whatever they told you, and I’m sorry your building is falling apart, but—”
“But we need it more,” she interrupts. “Couldn’t you just expand your station into the empty lot in the back?”
She tosses her hair over her shoulder and damn, it is a shame that a woman this fine-looking is so aggravating.
I have no idea how much the head librarian in Welkins Ridge earns, but given her designer clothes, her manicured nails, her gold earrings, and her perfect hair, I’m going to guess that she’s not in any immediate danger of living on the streets—unless she’s like Christine, who thought credit cards were her own personal Swiss bank accounts.
But if she is, that’s her problem to deal with, not mine.
My jaw starts to tighten again. Justifying my decisions to an obnoxious stranger is not how I want to spend my morning. “We actually looked into it, if you must know, and it will cost more to build from scratch than to retrofit the Addison. I’m not sure where you got the idea that the fire department is swimming in cash, but saving lives and property is expensive work. We need more people, and the Addison is our best shot at growing the department.”
She purses her lips and I get the sense that she is thinking seriously about something. I wait, curious about what will come out of this woman’s mouth next.
“Maybe you could raise money with one of those sexy firefighter calendars?” she suggests.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, you get all your guys to take off your shirts and you pose with puppies and kittens and hoses and whatever.”
I squint at her, not sure that I heard her right. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Firefighters have been doing it for years in Australia. They’ve raised millions for charity.” She sweeps the room with a glance. “You guys are a decent-looking bunch. I bet you could raise enough cash for a new building.”
I am literally at a loss for words. There are so many things I want to say in reply to this that it all gets stuck in my throat. I can only imagine what would happen if I suggested that she take off her clothes and pose for a calendar to raise money.
I mean, I’d buy it, but it wouldn’t be worth losing my job for making the suggestion. Probably.
I’m tempted to order her out of the fire station right now, but I hold my tongue. I’ve only been on this job six months and I’m still learning my way around the town politics. For all I know, this chick could be the mayor’s sister or something. I owe it to the fire station to be professional even if she isn’t.
I break through the dam of outrage that is building up in my throat. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be doing that.” I take a step back and start to turn away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m very busy—”
“Polishing your trucks, yes, I see.”
She takes a step toward me. Annoying as she is, I kind of admire her moxie.
“Look,” her voice turns almost—but not quite—pleading. “I’ll have to let staff go if we don’t get that building because I’ll have to redirect funds into building upkeep. That means shorter hours and less service for the community, and that’s going to mean fewer donations in the future, and since we’ll be serving fewer patrons, we won’t have the metrics to show the council that we need more money. It’s a vicious cycle. Please, for the sake of the community, I really hope you’ll withdraw.”
Her blue eyes are big and earnest and pleading. She looks so sad and desperate that for a wild moment, all I want to do is say whatever will make her happy.
Then I catch myself. I’m not going to let a woman manipulate me again.
I turn back around to face her fully. “Listen, Miss Wilder, I have an entire community counting on me, not to mention a crew that regularly risks their lives doing their job. I’m not going to let some entitled woman whose idea of hard work is reading a book tell me what I can and can’t do. You do what’s best for your department. I’ll do what’s best for mine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to polishing my trucks.”
The tone of my voice leaves no room for doubt that the conversation is over. Her eyes flash with anger and her pretty lips flatten into a thin line. She knows she’s been dismissed.
“This isn’t over,” she warns, shaking a manicured finger in my face. “I’m going to fight for the Addison with everything I’ve got.” She spins around on one of her delicate little heels and flounces out of the station house.
