Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Zita was irritated. She’d had to deal with a call from a bigwig at the studio who wanted to know what the hell had happened that morning, and why she’d pushed Carmen around.
It figured the bitch had called someone to complain, trying to get Zita fired.
It wouldn’t be the first time someone had tried to say she’d done something inappropriate in regard to her medical care.
She’d been able to mitigate any trouble for herself, but only because several other people who’d been in the break room at the time had already corroborated her account of what happened, including the choking woman herself.
Which made her wonder why the asshole had bothered to call her in the first place.
If he already knew what happened, why try to intimidate her?
That was just one more reason she was tired of working as a set medic.
There was politics involved in every career.
Someone’s ego. But when she was on the ambulance, she didn’t have to deal with nearly the amount of shit she did while on set.
And yes, while there was still the chance she could be sued for medical malpractice, it was a significantly lower chance than when working with the rich and sue-happy Hollywood set.
She hadn’t lied to Sage when she’d told him that she always looked at job openings at set locations.
She did, for all the reasons she told him.
But this time felt different. She loved the Norfolk area.
The vibe was so much different than the West Coast. The people were pretty friendly… and Sage was here.
Which was ridiculous. She’d sworn that she’d never be the kind of woman who uprooted her life to be with a man, and here she was, considering doing just that—and she wasn’t even with Sage.
But she couldn’t deny the attraction, the chemistry on both their parts.
Which was why she’d wanted clarification about whether he was just looking for a friend…
or a friends-with-benefits situation. She didn’t think so, but if he’d backed off and decided he was just interested in a fling, she would’ve turned down his movie invitation.
Zita knew herself well enough to know if she continued to hang out with Sage, continued to get to know him, his friends, his likes and dislikes, she’d end up falling for him.
And if he just wanted to get laid? That would hurt.
Zita couldn’t deny she’d felt a spark in her womanly parts that she hadn’t felt in years when she realized he had her back while she was dealing with the choking woman.
Yes, the people she worked with on the ambulance would do the same thing, but with Sage, it felt different for some reason.
Personal. Very personal. So his saying that he wanted more than a booty call was a relief.
Which was why she was putting extra effort into her appearance for tonight. This would be the first time, other than when they were in his Jeep on the way to and from Anchor Point, that they’d be alone together. And she was very much looking forward to it.
It was all she could do not to stretch to her tiptoes and kiss him when they’d said goodbye that morning.
And she swore she could see the same need in his eyes as well.
It boded well for some kind of relationship between them.
Zita was enjoying the thrill of the chase though.
It felt nice that he was trying to impress her with the coffees.
That he was moving slowly, even though it was obvious they both wanted more.
She liked being courted. A lot. Too many men these days wanted to fall into bed to “see if they were compatible” instead of getting to know each other outside the bedroom as a way of finding out the same thing.
Zita liked sex as much as the next girl, but she needed more in a relationship.
She needed to be able to talk to her partner.
Needed to know they had something in common.
And so far, Sage was ticking all her boxes…
Except for the tiny little fact they lived on opposite sides of the country.
She scowled, pushing the thought to the back of her mind.
Like Sage said, one day at a time. She had plenty of time to worry about the “what-ifs” later, if things between them continued to progress.
And tonight was the next step in testing their compatibility.
She was actually looking forward to dinner and the movie.
She’d never been interested in science fiction, but she had a feeling watching the Star Wars movies with Sage would be an experience in and of itself.
A text pinged on her phone, letting her know Sage was pulling into the lot of her motel. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door, seeing that he had indeed arrived.
She waited until he’d parked, then he surprised her by jumping out and jogging around to the passenger side of his Jeep, where she was already reaching for the handle. He opened the door for her and smiled.
Lord. This man. Holding her door open? Wearing form-fitting jeans and a tight black T-shirt? And wearing some kind of heavenly cologne? He’d obviously had more time than he thought after leaving work if he was able to change and take a shower and everything.
After she was settled, and he’d gotten back into the Jeep and started driving toward his apartment, she said as much.
“Casper and Laryn had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, and Buck and Mandy were taking their dog, Rain, to the vet for some kind of checkup.
So the rest of us decided we were playing hooky as well.
I feel bad, as I’ve been gone more than I’ve been around lately, but the thing with our job is that when we’re on a mission, we can work twenty-four hours a day sometimes, with no breaks.
So our colonel is pretty cool about giving us time off when we’re on base. ”
“I get it. Sometimes I get paid to sleep at the station when I’m on shift, and other times I’m working for twelve hours straight. There’s no telling when the shit will hit the fan, so we tend to take our downtime when we can get it.”
“Exactly,” Sage said with a huge smile on his face.
This was one more thing they had in common, and Zita loved it.
They arrived at a midsize apartment complex in under fifteen minutes.
It was four stories high and looked clean and the parking lot was well lit.
Zita felt safe, not only in Sage’s presence, but because of the location of where he lived.
Which was probably a little silly, since bad people could live in the most expensive and fancy places, but there was something about the complex that appealed to her.
Walking into Sage’s apartment, Zita hadn’t been sure what to expect. Would it be a typical bachelor pad? Would it be as neat as a pin? Was Sage a slob? She was pleased to see it was none of the above. It looked like her own apartment back in California, when she had time to actually live there.
There were photographs everywhere—which Zita made a mental note to check out when she could—the requisite large-screen TV, a comfy-looking love seat, and she absolutely adored the two oversized tan suede chairs, with blankets and pillows stacked up on the seats.
There was also a footstool in front of each.
They looked extremely comfortable, and she loved that apparently Sage liked to be cozy while watching television.
He had no coffee table, but he did have a decent-size table in the small dining area next to the galley kitchen.
That space wasn’t anything special, but it included the normal appliances, plus a microwave, a coffee machine, and what looked like an air fryer on the counter.
Off the kitchen, there was a hallway that had four doors, and a half bath sat off the living area.
It was a fairly large apartment for a single guy, but obviously taken care of, clean and lived in, which made Zita feel more at home.
“It’s not much, but it’s home,” Sage said, after giving her time to look around.
“I’d offer to give you a tour, but it’s not too exciting.
Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, the normal closets, and of course, this room and the kitchen.
I’ve got a designated parking space, which I love, and there’s twenty-four-hour security. ”
“Three bedrooms?” Zita asked. Then immediately regretted the words. Why should she care how many bedrooms the man had in his apartment? It was none of her business.
“I wanted enough room so when my parents came to visit, none of us would feel as if we were on top of each other. They don’t have a ton of extra money, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable with them staying in a motel when they’re here.
” He shrugged. “They haven’t come out too many times, but it’s worked out well when they have. ”
Zita’s heart did a little somersault in her chest. Of course Sage was so thoughtful. He wasn’t the stereotypical macho badass military man someone might assume he was.
“What are you in the mood to eat for dinner?” he asked, walking into the kitchen and opening a drawer. He pulled out a stack of papers and set them on the counter. “These are all my favorite places to order from. Take your pick.”
Zita chuckled as she saw the number of takeout menus.
She shuffled through them and decided on an Italian place that had the most delicious-looking picture of a plate of spaghetti piled high with sauce and meatballs.
Intellectually, she realized that the real thing probably wouldn’t live up to what the picture advertised, but she was starving and craving some carbs.
“Good choice,” Sage said with a grin. “I order from here all the time. They know me well. And for the record, their pasta is homemade, which makes all the difference in the world.”