Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
MORGAN
It was one of those mornings...
Morgan hadn't been able to sleep very well. Her brain was struggling to let her sleep.
Not only had she napped overly long at Station Seven, she was still struggling to get through to some of her students. She knew that she wasn't going to get through to everyone, but she also knew that students learned in different ways and while she could only teach in one way at a time, she could vary her lessons to reach out to all of her students in some way. It wasn't easy to find that balance, but she was determined to do it. To find those alternative ways of teaching, Morgan had been up and down all night trying to wear herself out so she could sleep.
And failed miserably.
That's why she stumbled into the bathroom, bleary and zombie-like before she realized that the bathroom was already occupied.
Palmer was standing at the sink shaving and all he was wearing, or not wearing, was a towel.
His gaze lifted and he looked at her from his reflection in the mirror.
"Oh my god. Palmer, I'm... I'm sorry."
She retreated into her bedroom and sat heavily on the bed waiting for him to finish.
He was going to be leaving around the same time as she was, but this hadn't happened before, and she was too tired to pull herself together.
She swiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands and tried not to bark at Palmer when he knocked on her door.
"Morgan?"
"I'm sorry, okay?"
There was a moment of quiet before she heard his voice again.
"Morgan? Can I come in?"
Oh god. She knew she had to look like death warmed over, but she knew that Palmer didn't care.
"Yeah... okay."
The doorknob turned and the door swung in. She wanted to keep looking at the floor but apparently, she had a masochistic side. She looked up at Palmer and groaned inwardly. He was a gorgeous man in clothes. Bare-chested and in a towel, he was unforgettable.
She was going to be dreaming of this sight... for the rest of her life.
He was wiping the shave cream off of his face. "Are you okay?"
No, she was trying not to stare at his chest and those abs... OMG.
"I'm just tired. Sorry. I didn't sleep well."
He moved closer and reached a hand toward her shoulder but seemed to think better of it, backing up a step.
She was grateful, because being that close to his chest, smelling whatever it was that he wore on his skin, was a dangerous thing.
"Can I help you with anything?"
Keep it inside, she reminded herself. "Inside voices, please."
He drew back again, and she winced.
"Sorry, Palmer. That was me reminding myself to keep my thoughts inside and well... I wasn't all that successful."
He smiled and she almost swooned.
Yes, swooned.
She couldn't stare at that much hotness with a smile and not feel like her knees were weak. Thank goodness that she was sitting on her bed.
"The bathroom's yours whenever you need it. I made coffee. Do you want me to make you something for breakfast?"
"A coffee IV will do, thanks."
She smiled and hoped that he would think everything was okay.
His expression said he wasn't all that convinced.
So he was smart and sexy.
Great. Just great!
"Okay, I'm going to get dressed. Let me know if you need anything."
She smiled and gave him a little wave, feeling more and more idiotic with every second.
He turned and walked straight into his bedroom, the towel shifting over his spectacular backside with every step.
Before he shut the door behind him, she was wet and needy.
Shaking herself, she grabbed her clothes and dashed into the bathroom.
The bathroom wasn't warm at all, and she wondered if he'd showered much earlier or if he just liked cold showers.
"Yuck."
Turning on the water, she put her wrist under the spray and adjusted it, so it was hot enough but not too hot.
Shaking the hair tie from the mess her hair had become, she dropped her clothes without thinking into the hamper and darted into the shower. She rushed through her shower, scrubbing her scalp as if it offended her.
It was mainly because of her frustrations, but her scalp took the punishment for her stupidity.
"You need to hold yourself together," she admonished herself. "It's crazy. You can't just have this stupid crush anymore."
She snatched up her long bathing towel and attacked her skin to scrub off her exhaustion and stimulate some blood flow. If she was going to be able to manage a bunch of teens all day long, she was going to need all the energy she could get.
When she got out of the shower, she felt half-human and somewhat eager to get going.
And she had to get going. School and that start bell was not going to wait for anyone.
Morgan rushed through brushing her teeth and yanked her brush through her hair to make some semblance of a decent head of hair.
The problem was... every second that she wasn't actually occupying her mind thinking of getting ready, she was thinking about Palmer and that amazing six or eight pack he was hiding under his clothes. She didn't know how many there were. She couldn't exactly count without looking like she was ogling him.
Which she barely kept herself from doing.
She dressed in the bathroom, shrugging on her sports bra with her skin still partially damp and managed to pull on the rest of her clothes while she brushed her teeth.
Morning breath wouldn't do when she was talking to students all day.
High school kids had no problem telling you if they didn't like your clothes. They would certainly tell her if her breath stank.
Smiling at herself, she rinsed out her mouth and quickly cleaned the sink counter and closed the shower curtain. A quick visual once-over and she turned off the light and left the bathroom.
RHETT
Rhett waited to leave until the last minute, which wasn't normal for him at all. He was feeling a little... unsettled and he certainly didn't want to drive like that. When he'd seen Morgan in the reflection of the mirror, the moment had hit him in a way that he hadn't expected.
There had been something... intimate in the moment.
It wasn't the first time that he'd felt that way.
Having her lean against his shoulder while she was sleeping, her hand on his thigh, that moment had been burned into his memory.
He didn't even know why he'd gone to check on her other than the fact that he needed to see her. He needed to know that he hadn't made things too uncomfortable.
He'd meant to ask her, but then he'd just been worried.
She looked exhausted and he could feel stress rolling off of her in waves.
He just needed to make sure that she was going to be okay to drive.
But, when she'd reappeared after getting ready for school, she looked much better, telling him that she appreciated the hot water in his shower.
She'd even done a little gesture, raising her fist in the air after her first sip of coffee.
He knew that she was all right.
He wasn’t.
He had to come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to his roommate.
More than attracted to her.
He wanted to ask her out.
And soon.
Picking up his cell phone from the counter, he made a call as he hefted his duffle bag strap onto his shoulder.
The call picked up almost immediately.
"Hey! How are things going with my sister? Has she gotten on your nerves yet?"
Now that Jacob was on the phone, Rhett didn't know what to say.
"Is everything okay with Morgan?"
"Yeah. Yeah. In fact, she just left to drive to school. Sorry."
He had a feeling that he knew the look that was likely on Jacob's face. He was skeptical about the answer.
"No, really, man. She's fine."
A voice inside Rhett's head added on a little addendum. 'She is fine. Gorgeous even.'
He wasn't used to his own mind arguing with him. Maybe it was another side effect of having Morgan living in his apartment.
"Okay. Then you just called to talk?"
Jacob didn't sound dismissive. He sounded curious.
"No. I had something to say, but I'm just not sure how to do it."
"Huh. Okay."
Rhett opened the front door of his apartment and stepped out into the hallway. "I want to date your sister."
He turned around and locked it behind him and started walking for the elevator.
He was waiting for the elevator when Jacob finally spoke.
"Uh. That kind of came out of left field."
"It's what I had to say to you."
"Yeah. You said it alright."
The elevator dinged and the light over the control panel lit up.
"Jacob? I'm about to step into the elevator. I might lose you, I-"
"Yeah."
"Yeah?"
"You can ask her out. She's an adult. She can do what she wants, man. But if I get a call and she's crying or tells me you did something that crossed a line, I will drive down there and bury you."
"Okay." The elevator door opened up and Rhett stuck his foot in the door to keep it from closing before he finished his call.
"Okay? You understand me?"
"I know, Jacob. I'm not that kind of guy."
"Yeah. I know. But she's my sister, man. She's all I have left of my family."
"I know. I won't do anything stupid. I hope you know that I'm a better man than that."
"Yeah. That's the problem. I'm just not ready to give her away, if you know what I mean. Take your time with her, okay?"
The elevator dinged and the doors shuddered around his foot. "Okay. I need to get to work."
"Firefighters," Jacob grumbled. "You just want to get to work so you can eat and sleep on the job."
Rhett pushed his way into the elevator and sighed. "What flavor of donut did you pick up this morning, beat cop?"
"You fucker..." Jacob was laughing so it was impossible to take him seriously. "I'm a detective, asshole!"
"Sorry, can't hear you... losing the call."
Rhett ended the call and found himself smiling on the way down to the lobby.
He was still smiling when he pushed through the front door of the lobby, but it didn't last long.
Morgan's car was still in its parking spot beside his. She was sitting behind the wheel with her head down.
Rhett dropped his bag and ran to her side of the car. "Morgan?"
He knocked on the window and she shook her head. "I'm fine. Go away." The words were muffled through the window, but he could still hear her.
Well, that wasn't going to cut it at all.
He put his hand on the handle and pulled. The door opened right up. "Morgan, what's going on?"
She looked up at him. "Claude won't start and I looked for a Lyft or an Uber in the area and I can't find one. I'm just about to beat my head against this-"
"Give me your hand, Morgan."
She put her hand in his without hesitation.
"Come on," he gave her a smile, "I can drop you off."
She stood up and moved to the side so he could grab her bag from the passenger seat.
They were halfway to the passenger side of his truck before she spoke. "Wait. Aren't you going to be late?"
"You have to get to work. I'll drop you off and leave my truck with you. It's not stick shift so I know you can drive it."
"Yes, but-"
She took her bag from him, and he opened the door for her, helping her climb up.
He wasn't sure if she realized that she'd been holding his hand since he got her out of her car. If she did, she hadn't tried to take it back. He wasn't going to call attention to it, but he missed it when she took her hand back to put on her seat belt.
"I need to grab my bag and I'll be right back. We can figure things out on the way, okay?"
"Okay." She gave him a smile as he closed the door, and he felt a little bit like a hero.
He jogged over and picked up his duffle for work. By the time he had it in the back and climbed in she was on her phone. "Thanks, Rush. I appreciate the help. We're leaving the apartment now."
Rhett narrowed his eyes at her as she hung up the phone. "You have Rush's number?"
Morgan rolled her eyes as he turned on the truck. "Kylie sent an excel file to my phone with all the numbers. I hope that's okay."
He pulled out of the parking spot with a smile. "Of course. I should have given you one."
"Why?" She stretched out her legs. "I hadn't met most of your co-workers. I still haven't, but that's okay. I'm just staying in your apartment until I find one for myself. Kylie just gave it to me since I met her and Thora, too. They want to get together sometime when you guys are working at night. I guess we're going to have dinner together and play with the kids."
"That sounds nice."
"It does, right?" Morgan was beaming. "I'm just sorry about my car trouble. You're really sweet to drop me off. I should have waited to talk to you and make a plan, but Thora said that they live near Shilling and so I just thought I'd save time and-"
He put his hand over hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's fine. Thoughtful, too. I'll ride in with Rush and I'll call my friend when I get a minute during my shift. If you leave me your keys, he can have your car towed to the shop."
She smiled at him. He could see her beautiful face in his peripheral vision. "Sounds like we helped each other out, huh?"
"That we did, Morgan. I was wondering-"
"Oh my goodness!" She leaned forward toward the dashboard. "Your air conditioner is so much better than Claude's."
He smiled at her. The air pushing her hair back from her face. "I'll have Jordan look at your AC."
Morgan turned to look at him. "No! I didn't say it, so you'd ask your friend."
Rhett grinned. "Well, I certainly can't do it. I have no talent for that, but Jordan's a top-notch mechanic. We'll take care of it, Morgan. Don't worry."
"Okay," she started to turn back, but stopped. "Hey, you said you were wondering about something? I'm sorry. I just rolled right over you."
"No, it's okay. I'll talk to you about it when we have some time, like tomorrow night when I get back from the firehouse."
"Oh," her voice was softer, more... hesitant. "Okay."
He wasn't sure he'd made the right decision to even try to start the conversation, but after deciding to admit it to himself and her brother, Jacob, he just wanted to ask her. Now he was trying to get her to school on time, so it was probably the best thing that she accidentally rolled right over him.
As he pulled into the school, he saw a few adults on the sidewalk talking amongst themselves.
One of the women waved at the truck and Morgan enthusiastically waved back.
"Where do the teachers park?"
She gestured at the small area in front of the school building. "Right here, anywhere. I think they put the teacher parking here so that the staff can look out during the day. Fewer pranks that way."
Rhett nodded and set the parking brake before stepping out of the cab.
Morgan didn't wait for him to come back around and open her door. She was out and walking around the front while he grabbed his duffle from the bed.
For a moment he thought about reaching for her hand again, but this wasn't the time. They were at her workplace, and he didn't know the rules she had to follow. It had been a long time since he was in a school like this in any other capacity than as a part time educator to teach fire safety.
All the people he worked with were men and friends, but he didn't want to hold any of their hands.
Rhett moved over and put himself on Morgan's right side to keep himself between her and the incoming traffic and walked at her side until they were on the sidewalk.
He wasn't sure where he could go from there.
Morgan turned to him and waved for him to follow her.
It felt good that she wanted him to walk with her.
"Morgan! We were getting worried!"
Morgan sighed. "Claude wouldn't start this morning so Palmer is letting me use his truck to get home tonight."
"So this is Palmer, your roommate?"
Rhett heard that from the woman at the back of the group, but she didn't stay at the back for long. She sauntered around the side and held out her hand to him. "I'm Amanda. And I'm single."
He shook her hand and then reached out to the next woman, trying not to make a scene. "I'm Palmer."
"I know," she smiled at him. "I'm Joan. I'm another teacher in her building."
"Social Studies?"
Joan grinned. "Specifically, Early American History. If a man was wearing a white powdered wig, I know about it."
"That sounds like fun."
"Knee breeches," Joan waggled her eyebrows, "they make me weak."
He barely had time to meet the others before Rush pulled up along the curb. "Let's go, Rhett!"
Rhett looked at the group and ended up looking at Morgan. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She smiled and before he knew what was going on, she gave him a hug, whispering in his ear. "Thanks, Palmer. You really saved me today."
He reached his arm around and settled his hand on her lower back. "Anytime, Morgan. I'll always be there."
When they pulled back from the hug, they both looked a little shocked or maybe confused was a better word.
"Rhett!"
"Sorry." "No, go."
He ran up to the truck and got in.
Rush moved forward as soon as the door was closed.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Morgan said she had car trouble?"
"Yeah."
He looked in the side mirror and watched Morgan walking into the school with the others.
"So," Rush's tone sounded like he was grinning ear-to-ear, "have you asked her out yet?"
"What?" Rhett looked at him, his brow furrowed. "Why would you ask that?"
"Curious. That hug looked pretty friendly."
"It felt pretty friendly." Rhett smiled to himself and leaned back against the seat. "And I'm planning on asking her out. I called and asked her brother today."
Rush took a moment to comment. "You know, man, you're an actual gentleman. You asked her brother?"
"Well... I think it was more I told him that I wanted to date his sister and he didn't immediate threaten me."
"Well, he's known you quite a while. And if he thought she was safe living with you in your apartment, I don't think he'd have trouble with you dating her."
"I didn't think about that."
Rush chuckled. "Well, you're too close to see it. Just letting you know, everyone's expecting you two to end up as a couple."
When Rhett looked over at him, Rush shrugged his shoulders.
"The gossip mill at Station Seven is better than social media."
Rush laughed out loud as they turned into the firehouse parking lot. "Absolutely."