Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
ZINGOS IS NEW to Landmere, at least for Georgia, and playing arcade games was such a creative date idea. This was a point in Dane’s column, and she wasn’t sure if she liked him. Not when Elijah still commanded all her dreams. But she was sure tonight would be fun.
Georgia walked into her apartment and immediately kicked off her shoes. Her work at the clinic was busier than normal today, and she was ready for a long, steamy shower. No, a bath, and she planned to light candles.
Her phone rang, and it was her brother. She smiled when she answered with a hello.
“Hey, Sis. What are you doing tonight?”
Moving to sit on her bed, she reminded him. “I have a date, remember?”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. With Sloane’s friend?” Nash asked, though he sounded distracted.
“Yes, his name is Dane, and we’re going to Zingos. It’s my first time going there. I’m excited. What are you doing tonight?”
“A few of us are going out,” he told her. “Elijah has been grumpier than normal. He needs to get laid.”
“How often does he need to have sex in order not to be an asshole?”
Nash chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth? His disposition has never been cheery, but he’s been in a mood lately.”
“And clearly, the only way for that to change is to hook up with someone.” Not that she would know, but no way was sex some sort of mood stabilizer.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” Nash laughed again. “Anyway, Elijah and Sloane are planning tonight, so text me if things with Dane don’t pan out and you can meet us.”
Another date with no spark didn’t sound appealing.
“I have high hopes for this one. Sophie and Anna have nothing but good things to say, and Sloane seems great. I doubt she’d have a friend who is a piece of crap,” she informed her brother.
“Text me when you get home if I don’t see you later.” Nash’s big brother voice came out. “Even if you do sleep at his place, lie to me and tell me you’re home.”
“I thought I told you not to be that guy.”
“I’m allowed to be when it comes to my sister having sex.”
“No, you’re not. We’re adults.”
“I can consider myself lucky you never shared your horrid stories with me before. But I can’t see you having a one-night stand and then sneaking out so they don’t ask for your number.”
Her brother was incorrigible.
“I take it that’s a real-life experience you’ve had.” Georgia squinted her nose at her brother, who was a womanizer. Thankfully, none of her friends had been a victim of Nash’s drive-by sexing.
“Oh, little sister, you have no idea. One night, I had to hop a fence, and I still have a scar on my ass from it.”
“Oh my god, you are the worst. I’m hanging up now so I can get ready.” Georgia laughed as she ended the call and tossed her phone on the bed next to her.
She took a deep breath and relaxed.
Her date wasn’t with the smoking-hot firefighter she couldn’t stop fantasizing about, but this Dane guy did seem decent.
Maybe he would be the one to take her mind off Elijah.
IT WAS OUTRAGEOUS how determined Elijah was to ruin Georgia’s date.
He was a grown-ass man for fuck’s sake, and it wasn’t like he was going to give in to his desire and hook up with her again. And he was for sure not going to date her.
Elijah didn’t date.
It was too complicated in his line of work.
He remembered Miles Blackwood, his mentor when he first joined the fire academy back home off the south coast of Maine.
When their station responded to a BOX alarm at an apartment complex, it was a raging, working fire.
The operation to extinguish the flames took over four hours.
Everyone was out of the building when the complex collapsed due to the structural damage.
Elijah leaned his head against the back of his seat in the car, closing his eyes as he remembered the search for Miles. He screamed out his mentor’s name so much, he wasn’t sure if he lost his voice from the fire or from trying to find his friend.
When Elijah realized Miles was actually in the building that had been reduced to rubble, the day forever changed him.
He’d never forget knocking on his friend’s door at three in the morning and sobbing as he told Miles’s wife how he didn’t make it. Miles died in the line of service.
He’d never forget holding her as she dropped to the ground, screaming and yelling, crying for her husband who she’d never see again.
He’d never forget the eyes of Miles’s fifteen-year-old boy, wide with worry as he took in the scene of his crying mom in Elijah’s arms.
The devastation shocked the family, shocked the station, shocked the whole community.
The imprint it left on his life, ten years later, was still strong.
Elijah didn’t want anyone else to go through what he did, what he saw Miles’s family endure. The moment he heard of the opportunity in Landmere, he didn’t hesitate to relocate from Maine to Maryland to get a better headspace.
A knock on his window brought him back to the present. Of course, it was Nash’s smiling ass.
“You plan on sitting in your car all night?” Nash goaded him while he opened the car door.
Elijah hopped out, shut the door, and locked his car. “Nah, just trying to prepare myself for dealing with you.”
Nash looped his arm over Elijah’s neck and scuffed his head. “Admit it, you love me.”
He pushed away from his friend and tried to calm down his hair. “Yeah, yeah.”
As they were walking to the front door of Zingos, Sloane joined them.
“Do you think it’s fucked up we are barging in on Dane’s date?” She asked, biting her lip.
Nash stopped. “Shit, is that what we’re doing? George is going to kill me.”
Elijah crossed his arms. “Why would she care?”
“Hey guys!” Benny greeted them as he joined the crew.
“I gave her shit about texting me when she got home, even if she was sleeping at Dane’s house. She’s going to think I’m intervening on purpose,” Nash huffed out.
“Why would she sleep there?” Sloane asked with confusion.
Benny laughed. “It’s what you do after a date, you fuck. And then you sleep over.”
“Not me,” Nash proudly added.
“Do you think they’ll be pissed we’re here?” Sloane was starting to backtrack, and Elijah couldn’t have that.
“Let’s go in.” Elijah swung the door open and pointed inside. “A change of plans. Let’s just get drinks instead of joining them. If they come over, that’s up to them.”
Nash mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, “Whose brainiac idea was this?” Elijah doubted he’d be thrilled to know it was his.
Because he has an unhealthy obsession with Nash’s little sister.
Who was still a fucking virgin.
“THANK YOU FOR bringing me here.” Georgia gushed to Dane.
As it turned out, the date had been fun so far. A complete turnaround from her last experience with Adam.
Dane grinned while sipping his beer. His blue eyes sparkled. “This is a place Sloane has mentioned a few times, so since I’m new here, I figured it was a great place for us to meet. How long did you not live in Landmere?”
There it was again, another mention of Sloane.
Not that it was a problem, but Georgia talked about her friends often too. But she was wondering if he was aware of how often her name brought a spark to his eyes. Perhaps Georgia was scouring for a reason things wouldn’t work out with him, and that wasn’t fair. She flashed another smile.
“I graduated from high school when I was seventeen.” She inwardly cringed because high school references made her think of Adam.
“I left for my undergrad at the University of Virginia and then stayed for medical school. I did residency in South Carolina. The goal was to always come back to Landmere.”
Using his fork, he stabbed one of the meatballs they ordered for an appetizer. “I imagine all of that schooling was hard, especially since it doesn’t sound like you gave yourself a break.” He bit into the snack.
“Don’t get mad,” she teased. “While I love being a doctor and did very well in school, I was never a big fan of a classroom setting. I wanted to get it all over with and not take a break.”
He picked up his napkin and tossed it on the table. “That’s it, I’m leaving,” he said with a laugh. “Seriously, I get it. It’s why I love teaching, so I can make education conducive for all learners. Even for the ornery ones who don’t like a ‘classroom setting,’” he said, using air quotes.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Dane was checking off the boxes left and right for boyfriend material. He was handsome with his aqua eyes, brown hair with a reddish tint, and a perfect smile. His personality was amazing. He cared about learning more about her, and he was funny.
“I bet you’re a great teacher! Why elementary school?”
He paused for a second, looking at his beer. Then he turned his smile back on. “It’s where I think I can make the most impact. You know, mold the young minds of tomorrow’s leaders.”
“You are going to love our community. When I was away for school, I missed my family and friends, but I also missed the environment of growing up in Landmere. Not a small town, but not large enough to feel alone. I’m glad I’m back. What made you want to be in Landmere?”
“Sloane.” Then he took the last gulp of his drink. “She and I have been friends since elementary school when her family moved next door. She talks about how special Landmere is, and I was itching for something new, so when this job opened up, I applied, and it worked out for me.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Where are you from? I haven’t met Sloane yet, but you definitely have an accent.”
“All my hard work gone to waste! I practiced sounding less Tennessee,” he joked with her.
“I think an accent is cute.”
“Not sure if that’s an insult or not.” He lifted an eyebrow.
Her eyes widened. “No, not an insult. Okay, not cute. Your accent is hot.”
“That’s better,” he drawled. “We’re done with food, want to play some games?”
“Yes, but be prepared. I have two brothers and our summers revolved around going to the arcade. I’m a shark at any racing game, and oddly good at Whac-A-Mole.” Georgia bragged about her gaming skills.