Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
CROIS
When he showed up to the gym to train, his coach gave him a long, hard look.
David shook his head.
“Who did you rough up?”
“Me?” Crois dropped his duffel bag on the bench in the locker room and reached over his head to pull of his shirt. “No one.”
When he dropped his t-shirt on the bench, Crois looked up and saw David in the mirror. He saw the older man looking at him with one perfectly arched eyebrow.
“What?”
David lifted his chin and lowered his eyes to Crois’ arm.
Crois knew exactly what his coach was talking about. He decided to address it so that they could get on with their training session.
He turned around and extended his arm. “This happened before I even left the precinct.”
David stared at his arm and then looked up into his eyes. “What the hell were you doing?”
Crois smiled, but it was more rueful than a happy smile. “Would you believe that I got these from someone who was trying to apologize to me?”
David shook his head. “No way.”
Crois nodded his head. “It’s true. Now,” he looked over at the door, “you gonna step out so I can change?”
David shook his head. “You shy now? You afraid my dick is going to dwarf yours?”
“I just need a minute, man.”
David waved a hand in his direction. “Fine. Fine. I’m just joking, man. I’ll be out on the floor, waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Dave.”
“Ah…” The older man could be a bit of a curmudgeon. He’d calm down as soon as they started working out.
Crois unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down while he towed off his shoes. When he’d dropped his pants down, he stepped out of them and reached into his bag for his boxing trunks. He shook them out and pulled them on over his underwear.
The door to the locker room opened and Crois looked up.
Hank Berg walked in.
The man was built like a truck. Broad across the shoulders and arms that looked like he lifted small cars for fun.
Crois knew him from the First Responder community. Hank worked out of Firehouse Twenty-Nine where everyone called him ‘Pitts.’
Crois’ mind worked over that reference that had to be explained to him before. ‘Pitts’ Berg.
Ha!
Internally he rolled his eyes.
“Hank, it’s been awhile.”
Hank nodded and continued wiping off the sweat from his face and neck. “Cajun boy. Long time no see.”
Cajun boy?
“What are you doing at the gym?”
Crois watched as Hank stopped walking and ran his towel over his shoulders and chest as he stared back.
“They didn’t tell you?”
Crois let out a breath. “Obviously not.”
Hank grinned and nodded his head. “I’m the one who’s going to kick your butt in the ring.”
Ah.
Okay.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Crois had more than a moment of pause. “We’re not in the same weight class are we?”
Hank dropped his towel around his neck. “Weight class? This isn’t a professional fight, Crois. You don’t need to whine about this, do you?”
Crois shook his head. “I’m not whining, Hank. It’s just a question.”
He wasn’t whining. He just didn’t like the odds.
Crois was good to fight pretty much anyone, but just at a glance, Hank wasn’t in his class weight wide.
Hank was about three or four inches shorter, but the bulk of his muscles outweighed Crois’.
The man was a firefighter and broke down doors for a living.
Of course he’d be bigger.
Bulkier.
In the ring, even with the rules fully enforced, there was a good chance that Hank could land a bunch of bone breaking punches.
His weight alone would put enough strength behind to do a great deal of damage.
“So, are you going to back out?”
Crois straightened up and put his shoulders back. “Hello no. I don’t back out.”
Hank grinned. “Sounds good.”
A knocked sounded at the door.
“Crois! Get your ass out here!”
Crois ground his teeth together. “I’ll be right there, Dave!”
Hank chuckled as he walked past him. “I wish I could stay and watch you train to get your ass kicked, but I’ve got better things to do.”
Crois bent over and started to put on his boots, keeping his gaze focused. When he heard the water in the shower turn on, he swore under his breath.
He would box. There wasn’t an option not to.
Facing Hank Berg could get painful, if he wasn’t well trained.
So, he quickly finished lacing his boots and got up from the bench. He’d better get his ass into the ring, and train.
Shit.
HARMONY
During a relatively calm moment on duty, Harmony went into the bunk room and sat down on her bed and folded her legs while she got out her iPad.
She went to her go to online shopping site.
.
In the search bar she typed in DRESS FOR WEDDING GUEST.
The options that popped up were all pretty, but the models wearing them were all curvy, well-built women.
Harmony looked down at her thin frame and sighed. “All of these dresses are going to look wrong.”
“Dresses?” Vega walked in and leaned against the bottom of her bunk. “Dresses for a wedding guest? Harmony? What haven’t you told me?”
Smiling, she looked up at her ambo partner. “I was invited to the wedding for Pilar Bravo and Dr. Ashley.”
Vega’s grin widened. “You going with Crois?”
It took a moment for Harmony to decide how to answer.
She went with the truth.
“Yeah. Crois invited me to go with him.” She felt like laughing at what she would have considered absurd before. “On a date.”
Vega grinned at her. “Good for you.”
She thought about his words.
“Good?” She frowned. “You probably said that because you’re shocked, right? I know I didn’t expect it either.”
“Hey… hey.” Vega sat down beside her. “I’m not shocked. In fact,” he leaned in and touched his arm to hers, “I was sure you two were headed this way for a while.”
She turned her head and looked at him. “A while? What does that mean?”
He smiled. “The word? Or the concept?”
Before she could answer, he continued.
“You two might not have noticed it, but I’ve had a feeling that you guys were going to get together at some point. I’m just happy that it’s happening. You guys… I think you’re going to be good together.”
Harmony gave him a look.
She wasn’t sure what he thought he noticed, but she knew that she’d admired Crois for some time.
But she also thought that Crois would never look at someone like her.
Vega was still looking at her and managed a smile. “Thanks.”
Silence fell around them as they sat there on her bed.
“Thanks, partner.”
He nodded and lifted his chin toward the screen of her iPad. “Have you found a dress you like?”
Harmony’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t do a lot of shopping for dresses.”
Vega nodded. “Need any help?”
She felt her face flush as she met his gaze. “Can you help me?”
“Sure. I’ll help you look.”
She handed the iPad over to him and he took it in hand, scrolling down a few times. He tilted his head one direction and then the other.
“Uh… there are some decent looking dresses, but I don’t think your best option is to shop for something like this on .”
Harmony slouched. “I don’t have a lot of time.”
He took out his phone and opened it up, turning to his calendar. “What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”
She looked back at him. “Nothing yet.”
Vega smiled and typed something into the screen on her iPad. When he was done, he turned it around to show her.
Harmony saw the map on the screen and squinted at the tiny words. “What’s this?”
Vega gestured at the screen. “These pins are the stores that I took my sister do when she had to find a dress for a wedding.”
Harmony brightened. “I remember! You showed me the pictures. She looked great!”
He nodded. “Her build is like yours. I think we can find you something amazing to wear.”
For the first time since Harmony had agreed to go to the wedding, she wasn’t dreading the idea of trying to find a dress.
“Thank you, Vega.”
He waved off her thanks. “No need for thanks. I’m looking forward to this.”
As he got up and left the room, she turned off the iPad and set it back into her bag. Finally, she was looking forward to it, too.