11. River
CHAPTER 11
River
I’m gassed, and it’s only twelve hours into my shift. The moment I stepped foot in the station, we were called out, and it’s simply been call after call since. Luckily, each one was pretty manageable, but my body is tired, and my muscles are sore.
I move through the firehouse, ready to help with dinner, and I run into a good buddy of mine, Jamison, who just had a baby a few weeks back.
“Dude, welcome back!” I shake his hand and pull him into a hug. I won’t tell him, but he looks exhausted.
“Thanks, man. I swear, that stomach flu was almost the death of me, then right when I was feeling human again, Tamara went into labor. I haven’t slept for weeks now.” He laughs, and I see that despite the lack of sleep, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. “My first shift back is next week. Just came by to make sure everything was good before my return.”
“How’s baby Ivan? I would love to swing by and meet the little guy,” I respond, truly excited to meet the newest member of the firefighter family.
“He’s the best, Nichols. Honestly, I feel like my whole world will never be the same.” The love for his newborn son is palpable. “I think Tamara is going to swing by one day with him once I’m on shift. Being gone after having him around will be rough, so she said she’d come visit.”
“Awesome. I can’t wait to see the little guy.” I start to move toward the kitchen, seeing what the probie has in mind for dinner.
The moment I walk in, I’m assaulted with the most delicious fragrances, from oregano to garlic. My mouth is watering already.
“What’s for dinner?” That’s from my brother, who’s seated on the couch watching television.
“Something edible, I hope,” my captain hollers from the corner of the room. He’s engrossed in the latest crossword from the Sunday paper.
Apparently, our newest probie burned his first meal, and since then, he’s been hounded on the regular even though it was a fluke, and he has only made incredible meals ever since. He attributed the disaster to nerves on his first day, and I can’t blame him. It’s intimidating coming into a house like this and feeling like you have to win everyone’s affection and trust.
Clay had been living in a different part of Boston with Abby when he was married in hopes to expand their family, but once she asked for a divorce, he moved back to the city and quickly transferred to the same station and hasn’t looked back.
Now that they’re divorced, I’m glad he has us to lean on because when Abby left last year, he was in bad shape. Luckily, I think with the consistency of work and the support all of us can provide, he’s finally seeing the light at the end of the dark tunnel of his divorce.
I grab a water and sit next to my brother. Soon, the kitchen is filling in, everyone ready for our next meal.
“So, you seeing Kennedy tomorrow?” My brother looks too excited about the prospect of us getting together that I can’t help but wonder why.
“You got a bet on us or something?” I know my answer the minute I ask, as he can’t even look me in the eyes.
“Fuck you for betting on me. That’s our thing with other people. Who are you taking this bet with?” I shouldn’t have expected any less than this from Clay. We are known for doing this to others, but I guess I’m at the center of this for him now.
“I went in on that bet.” This comes from Dario, who keeps his eyes on the television while interjecting himself into this conversation.
“Same here. Where we at in the saga?” That comes from another of the guys at the firehouse.
“What the fuck? You guys are all in on it?” Slowly but surely, I see everyone bobbing their heads; even my captain took part in this little deal.
“Great, so all of you are betting on my sex life?” I gape at all my brothers who I would literally walk through fire to protect.
“Well, yeah, man. I mean, have you seen her? She’s fucking hot. If your brother hadn’t told us you’d called dibs, I would have asked her out,” Dario pipes up.
“Watch it!” I point to him, then direct my glare to my brother. “You’ve been busy getting everyone on board in the last few days.” Right when I say it I see my brother cower lower into the couch.
“Clay, when did you start this bet with the guys?” He’s avoiding my eyes again, and I know he’s been up to something.
“Dude, everyone saw the way you eyed her when she stopped by a few months back. Remember, she came by on a mission to get you to try on that tux for the wedding because she said you were way behind, and Sam was going to come after you next?”
Kennedy did come to the firehouse, and she was fuming. She said I was wasting her only afternoon off with the mundane parts of the wedding details and that I had to get off my lazy ass and try on the tux. It didn’t hurt that she caught me lifting weights with my shirt off. I saw her gawking, even though she was acting like I was a pain in her ass.
“Was that the blonde who came in here with those fuck-me heels? Yeah, I wouldn’t mind getting more acquainted with her.” Fucking Delarosa mouthing off, and I swear I see red.
My brother must sense my rising anger and tries to diffuse the situation. “Well, she’s not someone’s property, and she’s got her eyes on a Nichols, not a Delarosa. Also, I told you my side of this bet was the way to go. Look at him—he’s going to Hulk out on Deli over there.” My brother laughs, and I feel the rage dampen a fraction.
“Fuck all of you for betting on my love life,” I throw out and realize my mistake.
My brother does a double take and then stands up. “You said love! Oh my god. Mom’s going to shit a brick when she hears this!”
“Don’t you dare tell Mom, you fucker. And it’s an expression. Plus, you already said too much the other day with her. Now she’s going to hound me. Do not add fuel to that fire, man.” I jump off the couch and start chasing my brother.
In the midst of all the chaos, as I chase my brother around the kitchen, I see our Cap shaking his head, although a smile graces his features.
* * *
I wake up to Lola’s tongue on my cheek, licking me, most likely trying to get fed or go to the restroom.
“Good morning to you, pretty girl. You ready to go on a walk?” The moment she hears the W-word, she barks and starts to pace the room as I gather my things to get her outside. The weather is finally warming up later in the day, and I feel like summer is right around the corner.
Once Lola gets a few laps outside, we get ourselves back into the apartment, and I take her food out.
While Lola’s inhaling her meal, I pick up my phone and start to solidify my plans with Kennedy.
Hey Skip. We still good to meet at the restaurant at 5:30?
Skipper
Yeah. That should still work. I have a few meetings throughout the day and hopefully no one stops me on the way out.
Great. See you at Luigis soon.
I look down to find Lola watching me, clueless that I have to leave her a few more hours on her own. Hopefully, she’s out of her vendetta phase. When I would leave her alone when she was still a puppy, she would go into my closet and chew one of my shoes. Of course she’d choose my favorite and most comfortable pair. I started closing the door, but the taller she got, the quicker she learned how to open the door. Back then, I’d come home, and she would be lying on the bed with my shoe and a torn pillow to boot.
She hasn’t done that in some time, and I just hope she doesn’t decide to grace me with that personality again.
“Alright, sweet girl of mine. We’ve got a little more time together, but then I’m headed out after my shower,” I say as I scratch her under her chin. “But I won’t be gone all night. I promise. I have to get Kennedy right where I want her. Don’t worry; you’re still my number one girl.”
* * *
I stand outside of the restaurant, waiting on Kennedy. She’s a few minutes late, but she texted that she was on her way. I stand just outside the entrance, as there is no wait for a table on a random weekday. The influx of tourists won’t start until next month, so we are still a few weeks away from the chaos this city brings in the chaotic summer months.
Kennedy’s Uber pulls up, and she steps out. I’m used to seeing Kennedy in some sort of business attire, as she’s always running from work to whatever friend gathering we usually see one another at. But tonight, she’s dressed in a flowing dress, something very reminiscent of summer, and I take her in a bit longer, realizing how naturally beautiful she is.
Her hair is pulled to the side into a long braid, a much more relaxed look for her than I was expecting. She isn’t one to wear too much makeup, but she has a little bit on her eyes, and I’m not sure if the redness I see on her cheeks is her own flush or something she added. Either way, she is absolutely breathtaking.
“Hey Riv, sorry I’m late. I got pulled—” The moment she’s close enough, I pull her in and kiss her. I have been thinking of her nonstop, and when I didn’t have things going on at the station, my mind constantly drifted back to her. Now I can act on it when I’m around her, and I’m not wasting any time.
She closes her eyes and melts into my touch. I don’t know how long we stand there, but someone walking on the sidewalk yells out, “Get a room,” and I can’t help the laugh that slips out. I pull away, and I see Kennedy’s cheeks flush; this embarrassed side of her is new to me.
“It’s good to see you,” she says as I interlace my fingers with hers and pull her toward the entrance to the place. “So where are we going on this non-date?”
I laugh thinking about the back and forth exchange via text. When I told her we should grab a bite to eat, she kept arguing that we weren’t dating and that this was the exact opposite of what we should be doing together.
I’ll admit, we have a deal that we are just having some fun together, but it feels wrong not to at least grab food and talk to one another. We are usually at each other’s throats, and finding neutral ground felt like the gentlemanly thing to do.
“Have you been here before?” I point at the restaurant behind me. My parents discovered this spot soon after moving into this neighborhood, and it’s been a staple for my family and me.
“Maybe once years ago? I can’t remember. The sign may have been different.” She looks up and points at the sign inside that mirrors the sign hanging above the door outside as well.
“Yeah, Luigi is the father, and his son, Leonardo, decided to revamp the colors and bring more people in when business wasn’t doing so well. I was here watching the entire thing unfold when the son broke the news to the dad. It was like I was watching an Italian movie with the father yelling and throwing his arms in the air. It was hard to look away.”
“You seem to be quite invested in this place.” She looks at me, sort of surprised I have this deep of a connection with a local restaurant.
“Yeah, they were sort of a big part of my upbringing after my dad passed. We would come here as a family when Clay and I were small, but then my mom couldn’t come back into the restaurant for years, so they’d deliver to my mom’s house until my brother and I were old enough to come by ourselves and pick up take out,” I ramble, and I see Kennedy taking everything in, without seeming bored.
“River, hey, son. How are you?” Luigi’s booming voice pulls my attention as we walk inside, and I look over to see the older of the Russo family coming toward Kennedy and me.
“Hey, Luigi.” I shake his hand, and an easy smile takes over my face.
“And you brought a beautiful woman with you. Bellissima.” He pushes me aside now that he has spotted Kennedy and pulls her hand up, kissing her knuckles. I see her blush and smile at the sweet man.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kennedy,” she introduces herself. I stand there and take her in. No matter if Kennedy is in her work attire or in a simple dress like she is now, she exudes strength. Her confidence is nothing but a turn-on for me, and I am taken in by her beauty.
“Come now, let me show you to our best table in the house.” Luigi takes us to the back, where he has a whole setup with candles in the wine bottles like you see in the movies.
“I’ll get you some carpaccio on the house for the beautiful lady. We love our River here, and now he finally brings a girl to my restaurant. I can’t wait to tell Maria.” He claps his hands together, and before we have a chance to thank him, he’s already disappeared into the kitchen.
“Wow, so you really know this place well,” she says as she pulls the menu open. “Also, this is screaming first date, Riv. I told you, what we’re doing isn’t dating.”
I try not to let her reminder sting, but it does nonetheless. I get it; we’re not coming together for anything other than the physical aspect, but it felt wrong not to take her out. Plus, I know how much Kennedy wants this between us, so I may as well have a little fun and draw this out as much as possible. May as well make her sweat a little bit, right?
“Um, yeah, we have been coming here for as long as I can remember. My brother and I eat here a few times a week when we are too tired to cook.” I rub my hands down my jeans as I grab the menu in front of me, trying to act like I don’t know what I want. I’ve had this menu memorized since I learned how to read. “And I’m not just going to use you, Kennedy. I think we can at least hang out here and there without pulling our clothes off.”
I can feel her eyes boring into me. When I look her way, I don’t know if she’s irritated I made us come out tonight or if she appreciates how I’m treating her. Kennedy stares for an extra beat, then brings her eyes down to the menu in front of her.
“What’s good?” she asks after she looks over all the different items.
“You can’t go wrong with anything, but their lasagna is one of my favorite dishes. The ricotta is fresh, and I swear you can never go back to store-bought or even ordering it from another restaurant after you eat this one. It’s incredible.” I solidify my statement with a chef’s kiss, bringing my fingers to my lips and kissing them.
This draws a laugh out of Kennedy, and it seems to relax her a bit.
“I want to be honest with you. I was so nervous today. I thought coming out with you tonight would feel weird. Like whatever energy we were feeling the other times we were together would have fizzled. But, and I can’t believe the words that are going to come out of my mouth right now, I’m really enjoying this side of you, River. I mean it.” She beams a smile my way, and I know how much this is throwing her off. We went from clawing each other’s eyes out to undressing each other with them instead.
“I know what you mean.” And now it’s my turn to bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them.
“So what’s the plan after this? You coming to my house, or are we going to yours.” She sips her water and looks back at me.
“After this, we are headed to a movie. They’re showing some old ones down the street at the Cinemake. I thought it would be fun to go there.”
I swear her eyes double in size. “What is going on, River? I mean, I thought we were on the same page with this arrangement.” Her irritation is evident in her tone.
“We could still have a little fun in the dark.” I take a drink of my water this time and throw a wink her way. She’s looking at me, and I know she sees right through me.
“You’re going to make me squirm, aren’t you?” I nod at her question, and she throws a napkin at me.
“Fucking jerk,” she hisses.
“Well, soon enough, I’ll be a jerk you want to fuck. It will be well worth it,” I toss out at her. I know that I’m prolonging what we are planning on doing, but something about it makes me want to see her drool for that physical part with us. Okay, so maybe everything I said about making her squirm hasn’t passed. I like seeing that fire in her eyes when I push her a bit further.
Even in the dim lighting of the restaurant, I see her cheeks deepen in color, and I know I’ve got her mind wondering when that night will come. It’s taking everything in me to not throw this gentleman act out the door and run her back to her place.
“Well, let’s hope next time we can skip to dessert then,” she throws out, and the wheels are already turning about the next time we meet up. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and in the end, I’ll get Kennedy, naked and ready for me, at the finish line. Hopefully, I’ll get a little begging to boot.