Why?”
“Because you’ve got to be crazy. Firefighter? Do you know what you’re putting yourself up for?” He started ticking things off on his fingers. “Lung disease, heart disease, various and sundry cancers from toxic smoke inhalation, broken bones, pulled muscles, and trauma. As a paramedic, you’re fair game for every communicable disease going. Add the fact that you’re twenty-nine years old—“
“Thirty, yesterday.”
“You’re thirty. So you won’t heal as fast as a younger person when you do get hurt. And I have a feeling the physical tests aren’t going to be a piece of cake, even though you are in very good physical condition.”
“I’ve got someone helping me train.” Jessica started swinging her feet back and forth under the exam table, banging her heels on it. “There’s three parts to the test, and it doesn’t start until September.”
“I’m not going to change your mind, am I?”
Jessica shook her head. She’d been too excited to sleep last night.
“I guess I’ll be able to afford that boat, now that you’re going to be visiting me more regularly.” He watched her face for any change in expression. “Have you talked to your parents about this?”
Jessica stopped grinning. She’d meant to call her parents in Florida last night, but never gotten around to it. They were not going to be pleased. Mindi’s fit would be nothing compared to her parents’. Or, rather, her mother’s. Leave it to the doctor to find the one part of this adventure she was nervous about.
“I see. I guess I’ll leave that up to you.” He stood up and took the blood pressure cuff off the wall. “Let me take your blood pressure.”
“The nurse already did.”
“If you’re going to be one of the city’s bravest, I think I’ll want to double-check a few things. I want to have a good baseline to work from when you hurt yourself. Note I didn’t say if. Give me your arm.”
Jessica held out her arm.
He wrapped the cuff around her arm and pumped it up. “So you’ve found yourself a nice fireman to train you.” Glancing at her face, he positioned the stethoscope on her arm. “I see you have good color. He must be attractive.”
“He’s okay. He’s too old for me.”
“Hmm.” The doctor counted her pulse before speaking again. “If too old can turn you pink like that, I’d hate to see what would happen if you found just right, Goldilocks.”
“Goldilocks?”
He reached through the back of her hospital gown and pressed the stethoscope against her back. “Yes, Goldilocks. Deep breath. This porridge is too hot. This bed is too soft. This fireman is too old. Again.”
Jessica took another deep breath. Was she being picky? He did seem pretty old, but older men looked distinguished sometimes. Sonya was right. That voice—she could listen to it all day long. The doctor shifted to the other side and requested two more deep breaths. She’d never envisioned herself with an older man, though. In all those weddings she’d envisioned while leafing through the wedding flower book, she’d pictured a younger groom. Younger, black hair, tall, more wiry than bulky, deep soft brown eyes. The doctor tested her lungs from the front and then he listened to her heart. He was being overly thorough, in her opinion.
He picked up her chart. “Yup, excellent color. Are you still taking birth control, or do you just collect the little round boxes?”
“I’m taking them.”
“Even though you aren’t using them for their intended purpose?” He looked at her through his eyebrows. “I’m your doctor. There’s no need to be embarrassed. Medically, you’re safer waiting.”
“The boxes are rectangular,” Jessica grumbled. She stared at the wall, willing her blush away. It had to be a record. Thirty years old and a virgin. “And I want to be prepared.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Dr. Masciano murmured, bending her knees. “You know, if you want a job where people throw up on you, you could become a nurse.” He took out his rubber mallet and tested her reflexes. “It’s going to take a couple of years of college, but there’s no age limit to start.”
“I was pre-med tending toward Emergency Medicine in college.”
“You could do that too. It’s much like the fire department in many respects, except the job is always in the same place and there’s less smoke.” He probed her glands. “I could even help you out.”
“Maybe if I wash out of the fire department.” Jessica didn’t want to admit to that possibility, but knew she had to. She hated the idea of failing in front of Kevin. What if she couldn’t make the grade? What if the training was too hard, or if she hurt herself, or she couldn’t master the material? For the rest of her life she’d be stuck working at the bookstore and hightailing it to the warehouse every time he walked in.
Dr. Marciano shrugged and made a few notes on her chart. “It’s your choice. You’re in excellent condition. I want you to come back in six weeks for a follow-up. People have been known to develop heart murmurs and other defects when doing strenuous exercise. Listen to your body. Don’t push yourself past your better judgment to impress your fireman friend. He’s not going to be impressed if you pull something or pass out because you stressed your system. You still run, don’t you?”
“Three or four times a week.”
“At least you’re not starting from total inactivity. Don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Good luck. Make an appointment for six weeks from now. And don’t forget to call your parents.”
* * * *
Jessica checked her answering machine when she got home after midnight. It had one message. Mindi had the day off, which Jessica appreciated more than she wanted to admit. She considered Mindi a good friend, but after the stern lecture from her doctor, she didn’t think she was ready for another hysterical episode from her best friend. As it was, the rumor had already gone around the store and become distorted. She’d had to explain to one of the coffee bar girls that she wasn’t dating a firefighter, she was training to be one. Then she’d had to explain to Tony that she hadn’t been in a fire, she wanted to pull people out of them. And just about every woman on staff had told her to bring around some cute firefighters. For some reason, every time someone mentioned cute firefighters, she thought of Kevin.
Kevin was not her idea of a cute firefighter. If he were thirty, she’d have been overjoyed to have him speak to her, let alone have him offer to train her. But he wasn’t thirty. He was too old. Goldilocks.
“Hello, Jessica.”
Jessica sank into the couch at the sound of his voice.
“I spoke to a friend of mine about helping me work with you. She works down at Eleven, and she should have some insight on what you’ll need to work on as a woman.” He coughed. “Give me a call and let me know when we can meet. Bobbie and I will both be off duty day after tomorrow. It looks like you’re right around the corner from here, so maybe we can meet at Meechan’s Kitchen.”
He pronounced it Meechan’s Keetchen so it rhymed. You could always tell somebody was from the neighborhood by how they pronounced the name of the local diner.
“If that’s okay with you. Unless you’ve chickened out already.” He laughed.
His dark little chuckle sent a thrill down her spine. No, she hadn’t chickened out. If she did, she’d never be able to face him again. She couldn’t stand the idea of him being disappointed in her.
“Give me a call. You can leave a message on my machine when you get in. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Good-bye, Jessica.”
Jessica’s