Chapter 4 - Rhea
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Rhea
After heading home from the mall, the whole incident played over in my mind repeatedly. The way the three guys all seemed to play their own role, the way they stayed so calm, the heroic moment that Ash dove into the back of the car…
As soon as I walked through the front door, I knew it was time to take a cold shower. The heat I had built up in my fantasies had simply become too much for me.
While drying off from that, I wondered how I could actually choose between the three of them when it came down to it. It seemed like an impossible choice. Calder’s self-control, Beck’s laid-back ease, Ash’s impulsive strength; they all had something irresistible on their side.
Tonight was all about Calder, though, and the butterflies in my stomach were running rampant.
Part of me wanted to call and cancel, claim that I didn’t feel well; but I knew that was just me being nervous.
What if he didn’t like me? What if we didn’t get along?
What if I did something so horribly embarrassing that I could never show my face in public again?
Calm down, I told myself as I started working on drying my hair. You’re going to be fine. Oh, damn, he’s so fine.
I shook my head at myself. I needed to get a hold of these emotions. I couldn’t spend all night drooling over Calder’s incredible body. For most of it, I’d need to not be a complete puddle. I had to focus.
I managed to get ready within an hour, though I still wasn’t sure if I’d done enough.
The dress was perfect; flowing and flowery, but not overdone.
It would work for a formal place just as much as it would for something a bit more casual.
My hair was pulled up into a clip, but I could pull it loose easily if I needed to.
What would I be doing that for? I thought, and found myself giggling for a moment before I cleared my throat and checked myself in the mirror one last time. There were about five minutes left before Calder had said he’d be over.
I hurried downstairs, then reminded myself not to look too eager. I had to play it cool. Pretend that I was the most confident woman in the world. I looked good, and I knew that; I just had to show it.
When I reached the front door, I heard the bell, and my heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath before I answered. As soon as I saw him, my knees felt ready to buckle.
He looked surprisingly put together for someone who’d just run next door from work. He wore dark jeans with a checkered shirt that showed off his powerful arms, and had his short hair perfectly combed. It seemed like he was getting ready to star in a magazine photoshoot.
“Wow,” he said with a smile, holding out his arm for me to take.
“Wow yourself,” I answered as I stepped outside with him and closed the door behind me. “I was sort of expecting you to show up in your uniform.”
“Mm, I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” The wink he gave me made my stomach flutter. “But no, I have a set of nice clothes in my locker when I’m on call. In case of emergencies, you know?”
“So, this date’s an emergency?” I teased as he led me down the porch stairs and out onto the lawn. “That’s good to know.”
“It could be, when you make my heart stop.” It was cheesy, but the mere fact that Calder was the one who said it made me blush.
He led me across the lawn to the blue SUV parked in the road. I must’ve looked surprised, because he chuckled as he opened the door for me. “Did you think I’d drive you in the firetruck?”
“I mean, I definitely wouldn’t have complained,” I joked, getting into the passenger seat. “But this is nice, too.”
While Calder walked around to the other side, I quickly checked my make-up in the mirror, and adjusted my dress to make sure that it still sat perfectly while I was in the car. Maybe I was overthinking things, but in my opinion, that was better than underthinking them.
Calder was a confident driver, and I found myself trusting him from the second we pulled out into the road.
He talked to me comfortably, but I could tell that he was focused on what he was doing.
It seemed as if everything he did was measured and purposeful, almost as if he was controlling himself at every level at all times.
It made me wonder what kinds of walls he had built around his mind and his heart, and whether I would ever be allowed to see beyond them.
Not really the kind of thing I should’ve been thinking on a first date, of course. There was no telling how far this would go. There was still a lot of time left for this to go wrong and for us to go our separate ways.
Just enjoy it, I reminded myself, picturing Jackie as I did. It wasn’t that hard to do, either. Calder was already an incredible, charming gentleman, and I had the feeling it was all sincere, too.
When Calder parked in front of a fancy-looking steakhouse, I almost couldn’t believe my luck.
One day in my new house, and I was already being properly wined and dined by one of the most handsome men I had seen outside of TV shows and movies.
It made me wonder what I had done in a past life to deserve this.
Calder got out of the car and opened the door for me again. “Didn’t know firefighting paid this well.”
I motioned toward the front of the steakhouse, where a host was already waiting for us.
“It doesn’t,” Calder said slyly. “Actually, I had to withdraw my life savings just for the booking.”
Humble, too, I thought as we walked up to the entrance. The host wore the classic penguin suit that waiters did at events in movies, and he even gave a little bow as Calder offered his name.
Inside, the place was all perfectly planned industrial lighting and deep forest green velvet chairs.
All of the tablecloths were pristinely white, and most of the tables already had sets of plates, cutlery, and various types of glasses waiting on diners.
It was the kind of place you’d have to save up for a while just to visit.
The host seated us in the far corner, under a set of warm lights and with enough distance from other tables that it felt private. Calder pulled out my chair for me, and I had to resist the urge to curtsy to him in return. He sat down on the other side of the small table.
“Your waiter will be with you shortly,” the host announced with a quick nod, before he left us to our own devices.
I leaned forward, and Calder did the same, enabling me to whisper to him. “This is crazy.”
“I’ll be honest, I’ve never been here,” he answered, “but I heard good things about a place from this dude we helped with a kitchen fire.”
“You get all your reviews from station calls?” I laughed, picturing Calder asking random people post-fire about their taste in restaurants. “Usually, I just find them on the internet.”
“You shouldn’t trust everything you read on there, you know,” Calder warned, but I could hear the playful tone in his voice. “I’m told it’s pretty easy to lie online.”
I gasped melodramatically. “Never! Everyone on the internet speaks the truth at all times. Those are the rules.”
I was so engrossed in the conversation that I almost fell out of my chair when a voice spoke right beside me. “Good evening Miss, Sir. My name is Raymond. I’ll be your waiter tonight. Would you like to consult our wine list?”
Calder raised his eyebrows at me. “What do you think? A shiraz, perhaps? Or a cabernet sauvignon?”
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know a whole lot about wine.”
“We have a 2017 Serafino that has had excellent reviews,” Raymond pointed out, and Calder nodded.
“Then please bring her a glass of that, and a soda for me. I’m on call.
” he said confidently. I wondered if he knew the prices already, or if he was just going with the flow of the night.
Maybe he was simply trying to impress me.
What he didn’t know was that he really didn’t need to try; I was very quickly falling head over heels.
“Of course, Sir,” Raymond said. “One moment, please.”
As he walked away, Calder grinned. “Bet you Beck and Ash don’t know the first thing about a good wine.”
“Jealous?” I teased, surprised at how easy it was.
“Hardly.” He sat back slightly in his chair, making me wonder. “I’m just saying, of the three of us, I am your best choice.”
“We’ll see.” This time, it was my turn to offer him a wink. “The night’s still young, and neither of them have even had a chance.”
“Ah, I’m fairly sure of myself,” Calder insisted, reaching forward to let his fingers trail over my hand. “I don’t think that I have anything to worry about.”
He definitely had the kind of confidence that only came from self-assurance. It was addictive and maybe a little dangerous, but at the same time, he radiated a safety that I found myself craving more of.
As the night went on, I only found that hunger growing.
Calder was honest, thoughtful, and sweet.
On top of that, he made me laugh; once, so hard that I almost spit my wine out on my dress.
The mood of the restaurant and the insanely good food only contributed to these feelings.
At some point during dessert, Calder reached across the table to wipe a splash of cream from my cheek, and I wanted to leap into his arms right there and then.
Luckily, I managed to hold myself back, and I also managed not to embarrass myself too much. I only dropped my fork once, and Calder simply made a quick joke about it.
By the time the date ended and we were walking back to Calder’s car, I was sure that I had already fallen for him.
Maybe it was ridiculous to think that, given the short time I’d known him, but it didn’t matter.
He had this magnetic attraction that I couldn’t ignore.
Maybe he was right; maybe he was the best choice out of the three of them.
At home, he walked me back up to my front door, and I was a bundle of nerves.
His composure broke for a second when he tripped over the badly repaired floorboard on the porch, and this time, it was my turn to laugh. “Oh, yeah, I… I still need to fix that properly.”
“It’s definitely a safety issue,” Calder said with one eyebrow raised. With the way he was looking at me, I blanked and couldn’t think of a comeback.
“Do you want to come in for a coffee?” I blurted out, and Calder reached out to lift my chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“That would be irresponsible,” he said softly, though he took a step closer to me. “I’m on call, remember? I have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
His eyes had mine in a vice grip, and my breath caught in my throat. The world slowed to a crawl as he brought his face down toward me inch-by-inch. It was difficult to wait, to not leap upward and wrap my arms around him. I was transfixed.
When Calder’s lips met mine, it was as if a universe had been born in my soul.
I closed my eyes, and it seemed as if a series of lights were crossing over my vision.
The taste of him was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
The sensation of his tongue in my mouth was warm and passionate, even if every movement he made was carefully controlled.
It was like he was holding back a beast waiting to break away from its cage.
Then, suddenly, a loud beeping broke the spell, and Calder pulled away from me. I fell forward in surprise for a moment, but caught myself.
Calder pulled a pager from his waistband, and frowned when he looked down at it. “I’m sorry, Rhea. I have to go.”