Chapter 09
My cheeks are still burning when Elena asks me what I want to know.
For a moment I am confused, too stunned by her playful banter.
When I asked for a do-over, I had hoped we would be able to be civil with each other, but nothing prepared me for this.
It is as if the lieutenant is a whole different person.
Her eyes twinkle with mischief and her smile is radiant. She is gorgeous.
“Well?” Elena teases, and I realize I have just been staring at her.
“S…sorry, I…”
Elena snickers and I feel the heat creep up my neck, turning my cheeks even more crimson. I must look so ridiculous right now, as if I can’t even deal with a bit of flirting. Wait— is that what this is? Flirting?
I clear my throat and roll my shoulders back while the lieutenant raises an eyebrow expectantly.
“Do you like cats?”
It is out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
Really? I didn’t even think about it. Her grin just spreads, and suddenly the bottom of my coffee cup becomes very interesting.
It’s not that I wouldn’t normally ask the question, it is important knowledge to me, but it’s not one I’ve asked in a professional setting.
Nothing about this is professional, Maya. She must think I’m an amateur.
“I do. All animals, really.”
“Even spiders?”
She shudders. “Maybe not those.”
Now it’s my turn to grin. Big, bad Elena is afraid of spiders.
Who would have thought? Not that I can blame her— I’ll run away screaming and leave you to your own devices.
I once made my ex pull over the car so I could sprint out, just because there was a spider sitting on the dashboard.
It’s just that I didn’t expect it from the woman who runs into burning buildings for a living. It’s… refreshing.
“What about snakes?”
“They are okay. We remove them from behind walls and underneath floors often enough.”
My eyes grow large. “Really?” I breathe.
“Oh yes. They are often too stunned to move, so you can pick them up quite easily. I can show you if you want?”
She grins again and there is something of a challenge in her eyes. Is she testing me? Snakes never bothered me, but I never had to touch one either. Suddenly I am curious what it would feel like, and I nod eagerly. This is answered by two eyebrows that shoot up in pleased surprise.
“Okay then,” Elena laughs. “Little thrill-seeker, you.”
I can’t help but beam up at her appraisal, and am greeted by a smile. A real one— soft and warm. She really is gorgeous.
***
We chat for over an hour before we walk to the station.
After our talk about animals, all topics were open for discussion.
Books, movies, the best hiking trails in the city, and even the best tapas place.
That turned into quite the discussion. When I mentioned Prado de Flores, Elena just shook her head.
Then she tutted me like she was berating a schoolgirl.
“It’s Bodega Biarritz. Everyone knows that. ”
My jaw still clenches at the thought of her tone, and our conversation got quite heated.
So heated that the barista came over and asked us if everything was okay.
But in the end, we both had to admit that we hadn’t visited the place the other had mentioned.
Elena decided we should visit them both, together, and then come up with a final verdict.
There wasn’t even room for discussion. She booked a table at Prado de Flores for next Friday at seven.
Is this a date? Before I could protest, she hummed that we had to get going, and stood up.
Now, the warmth and playfulness I witnessed in the café slowly fade as we near the station.
It’s almost as if Elena puts on a mask, compartmentalizing her work life from her social life.
Don’t flatter yourself. You are work to her.
But somehow it doesn’t quite feel that way, at least it didn’t this morning.
“Elena?” I say, my voice softer than I intend it to be.
“Hm?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
I look at her and for a moment I wonder if she even realizes the effect she had on me yesterday.
How cold and stand-offish she was. This morning untied a knot in my stomach and it made me believe that this might actually work.
If we can keep talking like this, it might turn out to be my best article yet.
Because that’s what all of this is about, isn’t it?
“Our chat, I… I enjoyed it.”
Her mask slips for a brief moment as the corner of her lip curls up. She glances at me sideways and shrugs. Then her jaw sets again and she is back to being the lieutenant.
“Listen, Maya. When I ask you to do something today…”
“I will do it, no questions asked.”
She glances at me again with a pleased gleam in her eye, and nods shortly. Then she holds the door to the station open for me, and we walk in together.
***
Things changed after our coffee date. Elena changed.
She is still the same commanding lieutenant, short and curt, but her voice is softer now.
Warmer. The days are filled with jumping in and out of trucks, doing drills in between, and the dreadful paperwork whenever there is some spare time left.
It’s honestly exhausting, and I am just shadowing.
Most of the calls they get are cats stuck and false alarms, but there are also plenty of car accidents, floods, and even people who’ve locked themselves out of their homes or vehicles.
Apart from a burning trash bin, we don’t see any other fires for the rest of the week.
Part of me is relieved. Seeing the crew battle the flames freaked me out even if it fascinated me at the same time.
But another part of me is confused. So, when we are lounging in the cantina, I quietly ask Rosa about it.
Wouldn’t want Elena to think badly about you, now do you?
“Fernandes?”
She peels her eyes away from the television for a brief moment. There is some telenovela on and I realize too late that this might not be the right moment. Rosa loves her shows and watches them any chance she gets, unless she is kicking one of the boys’ asses at darts.
“Hm?”
Her reply is as short as Elena’s replies are, but laced with something warm and sweet. She really is the kind of woman I could easily befriend and hang out with. I smile, but scoff at myself at the same time. I am here for work.
“I’ve noticed that… well, for firefighters, you don’t seem to see that many fires?”
Her lips curl in an entertained grin but her gaze is glued to the screen again.
“Disappointed, guapa?”
I chuckle at her playful tone and see Elena look up from the corner of my eye. Huh? I shake my head and lift my hands.
“No, not at all. But I am surprised.”
This time Rosa turns and really looks at me, her green eyes twinkling.
She runs a hand over her knee and bobs her head up and down for a moment, forming her reply.
I take a moment to take her in. Her short dark hair is pulled back in a baby bun and her bronze skin is sparkling even under this fluorescent light.
She is really quite stunning. But not as stunning as Elena.
“When I joined, I thought I would be saving people from the flames every day. But it turns out it’s actually very rare, chica.” She huffs out a laugh. “I never thought I would say this, but I am glad that it is.”
She offers me a soft smile, a real one this time, and I return it. There is something else there, too.
“You are?” I press.
“We are,” Elena replies, suddenly right behind me.
I startle and gasp, whipping my head toward her.
She grins briefly and then sinks down next to me.
The couch cushions dip a little, sliding me closer to her.
Our thighs touch briefly and my heart suddenly flutters when I feel the warmth of her body through the fabric.
I am so distracted that I miss the first few words of what she says.
“…what we train for, and the reason why most of us join. It’s what we live for, so the days without it seem like a long stretch.” She pauses and looks me in the eyes.
“But Maya, every day without a fire is a day people get to live. That buildings remain standing. That forests remain intact. And that’s the ultimate goal here, isn’t it?”
I let her words sink in. Their battle against the flames is to save lives, keep as much of the structure intact to keep the city safe. It’s about making the flames submit as rapidly as possible. But the way Elena gazes down the railing into the bay makes me wonder if she believes her own words.
“You…” I hesitate, not wanting to get on her bad side again. “You look disappointed.”
Her eyes flick back to mine, instantly pinning my gaze. My mouth runs so dry that when I swallow it hurts. Rosa pretends she is watching her show again, but I see her tense at my words. Oh no, what did I just do? Elena inhales slowly, and her jaw ticks just once.
“Why would I be disappointed when nobody dies? That should be rewarding enough.”
But the silence that follows after that tells me that it isn’t— at least not on all days. I don’t dare to press any further, though. The lieutenant seems to relax a bit after that and searches my face briefly before flicking her gaze to the screen.
“Didn’t Camilla die?”
Rosa nods intently. “This is her long-lost twin sister, Adriana.”
Elena rolls her eyes and then winks at me. I can’t help but chuckle, and just like that, the cantina feels a lot lighter again.
***
When I arrive at the station on Thursday morning, Elena is waiting for me at the door.
She is wearing pressed navy-blue pants with a fitted uniform shirt that I haven’t seen before.
It has her last name and badge on it, with the insignia of the bombers over her heart.
Her hair is drawn back in that tight bun, making her jawline look razor-sharp against the crisp white collar.
I bite my lip before I can stop myself. Wait, did her pupils just dilate?
“What’s… going on?” I say breathily, gesturing at her uniform and praying that she doesn’t see the flush on my cheeks.
“A school visit.”
Her reply is short and firm. She tilts her chin toward one of the station vehicles parked alongside the building, and strides over to it.
I feel my stomach turn and my throat clench up.
She definitely noticed. I close my eyes and squeeze them tightly for a moment before I turn on my heels to follow her.
By the time I slide into the passenger seat, she has already slipped on her seatbelt and is ready to go.
The ride to the school is quiet, almost cold.
I carefully glance at Elena a few times, but her eyes are glued to the road.
The way her jaw is set tells me that now is not the best time to press her for more.
Shit. I’ve been shadowing her for nearly two weeks.
After our coffee, most of that has been pleasant, but I still seem to get under her skin for some reason.
Should I not have asked her what was going on?
Wait… was I supposed to know about this visit?