Smoke and Fire (Surrender to Them 1)

Okay, fuck it, I’m not going to bed, so I might as well have a beer.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down with my phone in my hand. My contact list was full of girls that would give me a quick fuck—and most of them wouldn’t mind if Trent joined in, but even that wasn’t as enticing as it used to be. It was the kind of life twenty-five year old me wanted to have forever while thirty-five year old me was starting to question my life choices. I met a few decent girls along the way, but I wasn’t interested in marriage or settling down at that point in my life. Having a family had never really been a priority, especially after growing up with such a dysfunctional one as an example of how bad things could turn out when you just stuck around because you had some twisted sense of duty.

Maybe things don’t have to be that bad. It would be kind of nice to settle down with a good woman and raise a couple of babies.

I sipped my beer and moved my finger across the screen to my news app. The fire made headlines, which was uncommon for one that didn’t have casualties. The fact it was in one of the better parts of town must have drawn more attention than it deserved. Luckily, we got there before things got out of control. Any fire that ended without a casualty was acceptable by my standards after seeing so many that didn’t. The insurance would take care of the damages, anyway. I read a few more news articles as I finished my first beer and grabbed another one. As I walked back to my chair, I heard a buzzing sound. I stared at my phone for a second, and then realized the sound was coming from the table next to the chair Trent had been sitting in. I walked over, grabbed it, and stared at the screen. It was a number I didn’t recognize. Trent was already in bed, so I wasn’t going to wake him up for a random call.

“Hello? Trent’s phone.” I slid my finger across the screen and lifted it to my ear.

“Uh, hi. Is Trent available?” It was a woman’s voice.

Hmm, I wonder if this is the girl from last night.

“I’m sorry, he’s asleep. Can I take a message?” I walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a pen.

“Oh.” There was a loud sigh on the other end of the phone. “No, that’s okay.”

Yeah, it definitely has to be her. Nobody else would be calling him.

“Hey, are you the girl from last night? The one we pulled out of the fire?” My brain connected the dots between what he told me earlier and the unknown number.

“Yeah, that’s me. My name is Kayla. Are you one of the firefighters that helped save me?” Her voice seemed to lose some of the disappointment it had moments before.

“I am. My name is Chase. I’m Trent’s roommate.” I tilted the phone on my shoulder as I spoke. “Do you need something? I don’t want to wake him up, but I’d be happy to help.”

Especially someone as pretty as you.

“Well…” She sighed again. “I really need a ride to my apartment.”

“Darlin’, that thing is a smoldering crater. I mean, they’re not going to let you stay there.” I shook my head back and forth out of instinct, even though she couldn’t see me.

“I know, but I need to see if I can find my cell phone and my purse. I’m stranded. I thought I was going to stay with one of my friends, but it seems like that isn’t an option.” The disappointment quickly returned to her voice.

“Hold on, give me the address where you’re at. I’ll come get you.” I pulled a notepad over and clicked the pen.

Trent would have went to get her if I woke him up, but he needed his sleep. I sure as fuck wasn’t doing anything productive. I grabbed the keys to my Corvette and hit the road. Being behind the wheel woke me up a little bit, and I was glad I didn’t finish my second beer. I rarely drove after even one drink, much less two. I had seen the ill-effects of those mistakes far too many times in my career. The address wasn’t that far from where the fire was the previous night and when I approached the curb, I almost broke out in laughter. Kayla was wearing Trent’s clothes—literally. She had on a Chicago Fire Department t-shirt, baggy as fuck pants, and I was pretty sure those slippers were too big for him, much less her. I rolled up to the curb and hit the button to lower my window.

“Did someone here call for the sexiest Uber ever?” I leaned over and opened the door.

“You must be Chase—or a serial killer.” She eyed me suspiciously for a moment.

“If I was out on the town with murdering on my mind, I’d pick someone that didn’t look like they raided a lost and found.” I chuckled as she climbed inside.

“Your roommate dressed me.” She looked down at her clothes. “Poorly, I’ll admit.”

“No problem, I’m sure we can find something that fits you better.” I hit the gas once the door was closed.

“Wait, my apartment is in the other direction.” She pointed and turned her head.

“I already told you, it’s uninhabitable. They aren’t going to let you in, no matter how desperate you are.” I looked to the left before blowing the caution light as it turned red.

“Where are we going, then?” She turned towards me with a worried expression on her face.

“My place. You need a place to crash and we have a couch. That seems like the perfect combination.” I shrugged and shifted gears.

“Hold on, I wasn’t asking for that. I just need to get some money and a hotel room for the night!” The worried expression reflected a little more concern and she spoke in a hurried tone.

“That ain’t happening, obviously. What’s the big deal, anyway? We saved your life, so obviously we aren’t going to kill you.” I chuckled and shook my head. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure Trent will be happy to see you. Maybe you two can get that date out of way faster than you expected.”