what.”
“Probably Darla. I know the lecture. Quit bugging Darla. Leave Darla alone. Do your own job and don’t bother Darla even when she’s in your way, underfoot, and pushy for no good reason. I’ll wait a few days before I put another dead rat in her locker.”
“Julie!”
Julie grinned and went back to shelving magazines.
Jessica went back to the office and got her cake out of the refrigerator before sitting down at her desk to call the doctor. While she listened to the phone ring, she wondered if Julie would put a dead rat in Darla’s locker. It would make things interesting. Of course, Julie didn’t have much room to call anyone else pushy, and Jessica didn’t relish the idea of being on the wrong side of her.
“Dr. Masciano’s office, please hold.”
Jessica scraped the garish blue rose off her cake and placed it on the extra plate Mindi had provided. The cake was chocolate, as advertised. This birthday was starting to have some promise.
“Dr. Masciano’s office. Can I help you?”
“I’d like to schedule a full physical for as soon as possible.”
“Is there a specific complaint?”
“No, I need a full physical.” Jessica sliced off a section of cake with her fork. Mindi had gotten the cake with the good frosting at least, even if it did have big blue roses on it.
“There’s a block open tomorrow afternoon at one-thirty.”
She didn’t have to come to work until four, so she had plenty of time. “That’s fine.”
“Your name?”
“Jessica Decker.”
“Jessica Decker? According to the computer, you had a physical last April.”
“I did, but I need another one. I’m going to be doing some physical training, and I want to be checked out before I start.”
Mindi stopped at the edge of her cubicle, staring at her. Jessica held out the rose, which Mindi took and proceeded to ignore.
“He’ll expect you tomorrow at one-thirty, Miss Decker.”
“Great. Thank you.” She hung up the phone and grinned at Mindi. “One of the regular customers just offered to train me to join the fire department. I’m going to be a paramedic.”
Mindi’s mouth fell open.
Sonya popped her head around the corner. “Did you just say you were going to be a fireman?”
“Yes.”
“Get out. That is so cool. Which customer?”
“The guy with the black hair going gray. Broad shoulders, about six feet tall.”
Sonya shook her head.
“He’s got a voice that could move mountains.”
Sonya pointed at her. “I know who you mean. Large hot cocoa, shot of caramel.” She sighed. “He’s cute. I could listen to him talk all day. He’s a fireman?”
“He sure is.” Jessica rocked her chair back and forth, making it squeak. “He said the department is holding exams in September, and he thinks I can be ready in time.”
“Wow. You could miss Christmas rush. I’m so jealous.”
“You can’t,” Mindi wailed. “You could get hurt. You could get killed.”
“You could get to ride around town with a siren,” Sonya added.
Mindi turned on Sonya like she wanted to throttle her. “This is not funny,” she shouted. “It’s a very dangerous job and you’re egging her on. I thought you were Jessica’s friend.”
Sonya put her hands up. “Don’t get all unhinged on me. Sheesh.”
“What’s all the yelling? I could hear you on the floor.”
Mindi whirled on Julie, who stumbled backward a step, holding a section of newspaper in front of her like a shield. “I suppose you think this is just dandy, too,” Mindi screeched.
“What?” Julie lowered her newspaper.
“Mindi, will you calm down? I’m not volunteering to go to the Middle East to campaign for women’s rights. I’m not even planning on jumping out of any airplanes.” Jessica ate another bite of her cake. It was good chocolate, too.
“Unless you become a smoke jumper,” Julie offered. “Then you would be jumping out of airplanes to fight forest fires.”
“Oh, that would be cool.” Sonya sighed.
“I can’t believe either of you. Any of you. This is incredible.” Mindi threw the sugar rose on Jessica’s desk. It slid into a stack of books, smearing blue icing on the pages.
“So this would be a bad time for this?” Julie turned around the newspaper in her hand so they could see the picture on the front page. The masthead was missing, but Julie had kept the headline intact. “Apartment Fire Leaves Three Families Homeless.” The large picture showed a burning building. Below that picture a smaller picture showed a firefighter being treated for a minor injury while holding the hand of a dazed-looking woman. “Cop hero’s widow finds new love.”
“Why is that news?” Mindi shrieked.
“It’s news because her husband was killed a couple years ago by another cop,” Julie said, her voice dripping sarcasm. “If you remember, it was all over the papers for about three weeks.”
“I can’t believe you two.” Mindi pushed between them and stormed out of the office.
“She seems upset,” Sonya said.
Jessica reached for the paper and skimmed the article. The article had a small mention of the couple, which said she agreed to marry him to the delight of the crowd, otherwise it concentrated on the early morning fire which was thought to have started because of an overloaded electrical outlet in a third floor kitchen.
“I pulled it for you about a week ago and kept forgetting to give it to you,” Julie said. “I just noticed it on my desk.”
“This is great. Thanks. I think I’ll hang it up over my desk.” She looked at the collection of pictures taped to the wall over her desk. Movie stars and burning buildings. Julie clipped out every article she noticed about fires, but most of them didn’t end up on the wall. Jessica cut the picture of the burning building and the happy couple out and taped them to the wall. “This is great. Thanks, you guys. I’m going to be a paramedic.”
Chapter 2
Kevin sat in his sweltering car looking at the bookstore and wondering what had possessed him to offer to help her. In sixteen years with the department, he’d never offered to help someone get in. The guys he’d helped study for exams had always been guys he already worked with. He didn’t know how to train a rookie, let alone tutor a hopeful.
Through the front windows he could see Jessica talking to the moody girl who did the magazines. Now that one was more his type, small and feminine. Or at least shaped like a girl. That one was pretty prickly under the wrong circumstances, though. Besides, she was married. Her left hand had a damning silver wedding band. Too bad. He did prefer the small curvy type.
Not like Jessica. Jessica was too tall, for starters. Nearly as tall as him. She had broad shoulders like a guy too. Plus, she was too young. No matter how old she claimed to be, she looked about twenty-two. How could he be attracted to a too-young tomboy? He liked women who were sophisticated and confident. Women who tended toward perfume, lipstick and dresses. Women who could turn him inside out with a well-timed smile.
But she had a great, infectious laugh. When she hugged him, it hadn’t been unwelcome either. He’d forgotten