Finding His Unicorn

“I can’t remember. Do they let rookies at the bar here?”

“Rookie?” I call out as we lean against the bar and I raise my fingers for two beers.

The bartender raises his chin and slides the beers down the long wooden plank. Chief and I grab them.

Just as I bring the bottle to my lips, the walkie-talkie at my side sounds. I reach down and bring it up to my ear as Chief shakes his head.

“We’re not on call, Blaze.”

Regardless, I listen in for the address to see how far away it is. After a second I look at him and his face falls as he sets down his beer.

“It’s over in the park, on Smith and Second. That’s us,” I say, pulling some cash out and leaving it on the bar. “Let’s go.”

“You just don’t know when to quit,” Chief grumbles as I tell the dispatcher over the radio that we’re taking it.

I’m a part-time firefighter in a small suburb of Chicago, but I usually work full-time hours. It’s not that they need the help, I just like the distraction. When I was in college I lost both my parents in a car crash and I dropped out. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do now that I didn’t have them or their support. I’d thought I wanted to be a banker or something like that and majored in business, but after the shock of losing them, I realized that life is short.

Luckily my parents had life insurance and it took care of me. I’ve never had to worry about money, but I’ve always been really careful with it. I never wanted to waste the gift I was given, so when I sat back and thought about what I wanted to do, I realized that helping people was what was in my heart.

I had a buddy from high school that reached out to me after I lost my parents and made me go to the gym with him. We started working out every day, and the more I did it, the better I felt. It was at the gym where I would watch the firefighters work out and sometimes I’d see them in the middle of a rep and their radios would go off and they’d have to jet out. They’d hop in their trucks and hit the sirens and I remember standing there watching them leave thinking I should go help too. It truly was a calling inside of me. My need to go into the burning building and rescue someone overrode my need to sit back and watch.

I went through the training and Chief was one of my instructors. We ended up getting along and he said he saw a lot of promise in me. The department didn’t have a full-time spot, but I let Chief know that I didn’t want to take the full-time pay away from a firefighter that needed it. Part-time was just fine by me, and late-night hours too. I don’t like being alone and most nights I sleep at the firehouse even if I’m off.

Maybe my parents knew one day I’d end up in this job and that’s why they named me Blaze. Everyone thinks it’s a nickname, but I don’t mind it. I was born to do this job, and I work hard at it. I don’t have a lot in my life besides the crew I work with, and it’s okay with me.

Some people might think it’s lonely but I’ve gotten used to it. The guys at the station are my family and I really don’t have time for much else. I can’t remember the last time I looked at a woman and felt even a hint of a spark. So what’s the point of wasting my time with women if they mean nothing? I remember how much my parents loved each other, and I won’t settle for anything less than that. Until I find the one, I just plan on working and doing what I can to save lives.

“What was the call for?” Chief asks as we hop in the truck and hit the sirens.

“A non-emergency, but they’re sending an ambulance,” I tell him as I cut through a red light and head south.

There are different levels of emergencies we can be sent to cover, and thankfully since we don’t have our gear this one doesn’t require much. We just need to show up and assist any medical personnel and check for fire safety.

“Good. Maybe we can get back to McCarthy’s before my beer gets hot.”

I shake my head as I make the turn and see a giant crowd in the park. “What the hell?” I say to myself when I see something that looks like a unicorn.

Chapter Three

Rosabelle

“Oh God,” I whisper to myself when I see no one else is dressed up for the office picnic.