2. Where There’s Friends.
2
Where There’s Friends...
Phoenix “Phee” Preston - April 18th, 2025
It’s been damn near a week since I last saw Angel, but we’ve been so busy around here that I hadn’t had the chance to stop by the bakery. Hell, I hadn’t even had the time to stop by Maddox’s cafe to potentially run into her. It was that time of year when we had to do an excess amount of paperwork, and I hated that shit. I wanted nothing more than to have my free time back.
Luckily, all I had was a bit left to finish up, and I knew I’d be done by today if we didn’t have any emergency calls. Once that was done, I’d have nothing standing in my way of going to talk to the woman whose affection I longed to receive.
I smiled as I climbed out of my car with the bags filled with sandwiches I’d picked up from Kiwi’s Coffee Cafe. I was in a good mood today, so I brought everyone on duty some breakf ast.
“Damn, who got you smiling like that?” I hear as soon as I walk into the station. I glance over to see two of my coworkers (my best friend Kentrell and my cousin Jed) working on one of the trucks. I sigh and walk over.
“Sup, y’all,” I greet, ignoring their question completely. I handed over the bag of breakfast sandwiches.
“What took you so long to get here?” Kentrell asks before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Usually you’re the first one.”
“Sorry, I was busy thinking about my future wife.”
Jed chokes on his food, and Kentrell laughs, patting him on the back. I smirk, handing him a bottle of water. He chugs it and then does his best to catch his breath as he stares at me in confusion. I shrug.
“You’re engaged?” He asks once he finally gets all of his coughing out. “Since when?”
“No, but ain’t nothin’ wrong with manifesting,” I mumble. They both double over in laughter, and I shake my head.
“I never pegged you for the settling down type, Phee,” Jed says as he stares at me in amusement.
“Yeah, they must be special as hell,” Kentrell agrees. “You’ve never said shit about getting married in the past. You always claimed that it wasn’t for you. This woman must have some kind of spell on you.”
“She bad?” Jed asks with a smirk. I don’t say anything, and he laughs knowingly. “She must be thick as hell, too. You know you have a type.”
“ Don’t y’all have something better to do than to grill me?” I laugh, waving them off. “Finish fixing that raggedy ass truck so we won't break down the next time we get a call. I’m going to clock in.”
They laugh as I leave them to return to what they were doing. I push through the double doors that lead to the main lobby. I speak to a few others, letting them know I brought breakfast as I make my way to the office to clock in. I was a bit late, but I knew that my uncle wouldn’t say anything, especially when he saw that there was food.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” I hear him say as soon as I enter the office. I greet him before handing over his sandwich. “Ah, okay. I’ll excuse you this one time.”
“Unc, you a trip for real,” I chuckle, shaking my head.
Uncle Sol was married to my Aunt Gracie, and they had both been in my and my sister’s lives a lot after we moved here. They helped my grandpa with us as he got up in age. They have always treated me and my sister like their own, and I’d always appreciate them for that. I had that father/daughter type of bond with him, similar to the one I had with my grandpa. He always looked out for us, even when I told him I didn’t need his overprotectiveness.
However, that didn’t deter him from keeping up with me that year I was away. He’d been begging me to come back and work with him again until I finally took the job. I wasn’t the most social person for a few months, but I eventually opened up and returned to my extroverted self once I realized that being here wasn’t the punishment that my mind thought it was.
“ So, how’s the prep going for the fundraiser?” He asks as I take a seat across from him. “Are we still on track for it to be the first weekend of June?”
“Yeah, of course,” I nod. “You know we gotta keep the tradition going.”
“Good. Good,” he nods. “By the way, I heard the bakery reopened this week. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Mrs. Henrietta’s granddaughter, but she’ll be taking over. Mrs. Henrietta always bragged about how talented she was, so I have no doubt she’ll do a good job. What do you think about getting her to donate a few pies to be auctioned off at the event?”
“Oh, yeah, we’ve met,” I say, trying not to smile too wide. Just the thought of seeing her again and hearing her voice gave me a boost of energy. “I’ve had something she made before, and it was really good.”
“See, that's perfect,” he replies. “So, I’m assuming you’ll go down and talk to her later?”
“No problem at all, Unc,” I nod before standing. “Well, let me change into my uniform so I can officially start working.”
“Okay, and please go supervise Kentrell and Jed’s non-mechanic asses,” he says, shaking his head with a sigh. “I don’t know why they insist on trying to fix the truck when they both know that is not a skill they possess.”
I laugh and nod before exiting the office. I head straight to the locker room and grab my uniform before stepping into the small unisex bathroom that was put in once I first started working here. I always appreciated that, even though I was pretty androgynous and most o f my friends were guys, everyone still respected that I was a woman and that I needed my privacy. It was just one of the small things that always made me feel accepted in this more male-dominated profession.
I changed into my black pants and black shirt with the firehouse’s logo. Next, I tuck in my shirt and fasten the belt before stepping into my shoes. I set the clothes I’d just taken off on the counter so I could tie up my hair. I’d been growing my locs for about five years now and was proud of the length. Recently, I dyed them this orange/red color, and I thought that it complemented my complexion well. Hell, a lot of people thought so, including the few women I entertained here and there. There have been plenty of times when they ran their hands through them as I was feasting.
My mind drifts over to Angel, and I envision her softly tugging on my locs as I taste her. Fuck, I knew she tasted so good. I wanted nothing more than to lie between her thick thighs and savor her flavor for hours and hours. I could picture her now trying to keep her composure as those cute little glasses she wore tried their best to stay on.
There was just something about her that made me want to worship and tend to every part of her body. It was wild to me because I’d never felt this strongly about anyone else that I was attracted to. She was different, though. I could tell.
I sigh as a knock comes at the bathroom door and brings me back to earth. I collect my clothes and open the door to see another of my coworkers, Emerson, standing there. He tells me to come quick because Jed’s dumb ass has broken something on the truck.
I s igh and place my clothes in my locker before following him back out to the garage. My head immediately starts hurting as I see water coming from somewhere it wasn’t supposed to on the truck. I groan and go over to assess the situation.
Even though this firehouse employed about eight or nine firefighters on a rotating schedule, only three of us knew how to work on the fire trucks. Me, Emerson, and Chief Park. Even though I was technically a lieutenant, I didn’t mind helping with the mechanics from time to time since I was professionally trained in that field as well. My grandpa made sure of it when I was training to become a firefighter. He said it was important to have as many skills as possible, and I never doubted him once.
“Move. Move. Let the professionals through,” I joked as Emerson and I playfully pushed Jed out of the way.
We got to work trying to figure out what was wrong with the truck as we talked about random shit. The guys argued about who the better football team was, like they usually did, as I nodded along. Although I like sports, I don’t care much for football. I was more of a women’s rugby fan, but aside from Emerson, they didn’t know anything about that. Every time I brought it out, I may as well have been speaking a different language.
It took a few hours to get the truck up and running again, but we did, and it was just in time to go tend to a fire at an old farmhouse a few miles away. So, we geared up and got to work doing what we all loved to do. Luckily, the fire wasn’t too bad, and no one was hurt. I loved those outcomes but knew from experience that they weren’t always the case.
I ’ve been a firefighter since I was eighteen. I didn’t go to college like my sister and instead went straight into the academy once I graduated from high school. Since I knew all the ins and outs, thanks to practically growing up around firefighters, I passed the exams easily. That was almost thirteen years ago, and I still loved this job. It was truly my calling.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, and we only got a few calls for minor, non-fire-related emergencies. I guess that was the thing about small towns. There weren’t nearly as many fires as in the big city, but we were still needed, nonetheless. Honestly, I liked the slow pace of everything. I’ve never been a fan of bustling city life anyway. You can’t fish in a public park.
Speaking of fishing, it’s been a while since I’ve visited my granddad’s old fishing spot. He owned a little cabin on a lake about two hours away, and we used to go up there a couple of times a summer just to be one with nature. My sister always hated it since she wasn’t the outdoorsy type. However, I loved everything about being outside. The trees. The breeze. The smells. The sounds. Surrounding myself with nature was something I always tried to do when I could.
“Speak of the devil,” I mumble as I glance down at the vibrating phone on my desk. My sister’s name and picture flashed across the screen. I answered it. “How may I help you, Mrs. Raven Preston-Anderson?”
“Hi, big sis!” She greeted me in a chipper voice, and I immediately groaned. She wanted something. “Don’t groan like that! I haven’t even said anything!”
“ Yeah, but I know you, Raven,” I say. “You’re up to something, and I can tell from your overly excited voice. I’m annoyed already.”
“Phee, please just listen,” she whines. “Her name is Courtney…”
“Nope, I’m not going on another one of your terrible blind dates,” I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “Last time, you hooked me up with a straight girl, who had the audacity to say that she always wanted to be with a girl to see what the hype was about. I got up and left her ass right there. Nah, I’m not doing that shit again.”
“Phee, I’m sorry about that. I am,” she sighed. “She was so into you that I didn’t realize it was nothing but fetishization. I’m sorry, twin.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, shaking my head. “I forgive you, but I’m not hooking up with any more of your friends. If anybody else asks, tell them I’m taken.”
“Ugh, fine!” she grumbles. “God forbid a girl wanna see her sister find love...”
“And I appreciate it, Rae, but I’m good. I promise,” I say with a sigh. “Look, let me go do my job and I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, big sis. Go save the town,” she chuckles. “Oh, and don’t forget we have dinner plans tomorrow! The twins have been asking when you’ll come see them again.”
“Tell them that I’ll be there for sure,” I reply. “Now, get off my line, please.”
She chuckles. “Alright, damn,” she says. “I love you, with your mean ass.”
“I love you, too, you big baby,” I tease, quickly hanging up the phone before she has a chance to reply.
I s igh as I place my phone back on the table. I rub my hands down my face and close my eyes. I loved my sister with all of my heart, but she had a habit of trying to set me up on dates ever since I moved back. She was a hopeless romantic and wanted nothing more than for me to find my person.
While I appreciated her and what she was trying to do, I also wasn’t the biggest fan. I didn’t think that I would find the love of my life on these blind dates. I believed that it had to happen naturally. You can’t force yourself to be attracted to someone because, at the end of the day, your heart wants what it wants.
And what my heart wanted was the beautiful bakery owner by the name of Angel Savoie.
My Sweets.
“Not you claiming her already,” I say to myself with a sigh. “You don’t even have this woman’s number.”
“Knock. Knock. Earth to Phoenix,” I hear someone say, and I look up to see Kentrell leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’ve been calling you for the last minute, but I see you’re over there in your own world.”
“Whatever,” I waved him off. “What do you need?”
“There’s a really beautiful woman here to see you,” he smirks. I furrow my eyebrows, and he snickers. “You got women coming to your job now? Damn, she must really be different. Also, you’ve been in here for hours. Ain’t it time for you to clock out?”
I glance at the clock above my desk and see that it’s a bit after 6 p.m. Damn, I must’ve zoned out while I was working on plans for the festival. I get up from my seat and log out of my computer before follow ing him out to the front lobby. A smile spreads across my face as my eyes land on the woman I’d been thinking about all day.
She doesn’t notice my presence since she’s busy reading something on the bulletin boards. I take that time to admire her and her style. I noticed that she was a colorful person and loved wearing things with cute designs. Even now, she was wearing light blue summer shorts and a white cardigan with tiny, crocheted blueberries along the sleeves. Her hair was styled in a half-up, half-down hairdo, and even though I couldn’t see her face, I could see that she was wearing glasses again. I guess they were prescription.
As I got closer to her, her fragrance delighted my senses, and it took everything in me not to hug her around the waist and bury my nose in her neck.
“Hey, Sweets,” I say softly as I lightly tap her shoulder.
She jumps a bit but settles down once she turns to look at me. Her eyes instantly light up as she turns her body entirely towards me. I notice she has a box in her hands, and I raise an eyebrow at her. She smiles that sweet smile of hers. Fuck, she’s so beautiful.
“Hi, Phoenix!” she finally says, and I damn near swoon at the sound of her saying my name. Suddenly, a look of embarrassment flashed across her face as if she were just realizing something. “Oh, wait, this is kind of weird, huh? Me just showing up at your job. I don’t know why I’m here. Well, I mean, I do, but like…still. Should I go? I should go.”
She tries to move around me, but I step in her path, shaking my head. “Nah, you here now,” I smile. “Did you need something?”
“ Oh, uh, okay,” she stumbles over her words, but I find it endearing. She takes a deep breath and thrusts the box toward me, her eyes squeezing shut. Damn, she’s so cute. “You never came by the bakery, so I assumed you were busy and…I kind of made extra and wanted to bring you some because you said you liked them. Maddox told me you worked here. I’m not weird, I promise. I…I don’t know why, but knowing you liked it made me…kind of excited.”
“Is this what I think it is?” I ask as I finally take the box. I open it to see a pan with my own mini strawberry shortcake. I glance back at her and see that her eyes are now open, but she’s still trying to avoid my gaze. “Look at me, Sweets.”
As if those were the magic words, her head snapped up, and she pushed her glasses up as well. Everything about her was so damn adorable but also sexy as hell. The fact that she’d thought of me made my heart soar. I’ve never had anyone besides my family make anything for me before. It warmed my heart.
“Thank you,” I say, and she nods. My eyes travel to her plump lips, and I feel the urge to kiss her, but I hold back. That would come in due time. “Can I have your number?”
“Okay,” she says, taking my phone when I hand it to her. She quickly saves her number, and I thank her. Silence falls between us before she asks, “Are you busy after you get off work?”
“Why? You wanna ask me out?” I flirt.
“I would if you let me,” she chuckles, and my smile grows wider. I nod. “Would you like to have dinner with me, Phoenix?”
“I would love to, Sweets. Just let me go clock out and change. You can wait right here if you’d like,” I suggest, and she nods.
I h anded her back the cake so she could hold it while I went to switch outfits. I had to have set a record because I swear, I was in and out of the locker room in under a minute. Of course, Kentrell and Jed bombarded me with questions, but I ignored them, telling them to mind their business.
When I finally made it back up to the front lobby, Angel was sitting in one of the chairs, tapping away on her phone. As I approached, she looked up, and that beautiful smile was back on her face.
“Ready, Sweets?” I ask. She nods. I hold the door open for her, and we exit out into the humid spring evening. “So, where to, love? Did you drive down here?”
“Uh, no, I walked. The bakery is only a street over,” she says. “Also, I finally moved into the apartment above it yesterday, so I just keep my car parked there. I rarely have to use it now since everything is within walking distance.”
“Perfect. So, that means I get to drive you,” I say as I lead her to the parking lot. I open the door of my truck for her and help her climb in before heading to the other side. Once we’re buckled up, I look at her. “So, what are you craving?”
“I’m not sure,” she admits nervously. “Honestly, I didn’t think this date through. I asked because I didn't want the conversation to end so quickly. Also,” she pauses and turns to look at me. “I want to get to know you, too. You intrigue me as well.”
“Again, that’s perfect,” I chuckle. I start the engine and pull out of the parking lot. “And I know the perfect place for our first date.”