One Bride for Three Firemen

“And your availability is…” she says.

It takes me a second to catch up.

“Like, to work, you mean?”

“Right.” And finally she smiles.

Her eyes meet mine, and she is smiling, but it doesn’t seem to be the kind of smile people give when they are happy to meet someone. It seems like the kind smile people give when they are certain they are supposed to be smiling, even with nothing to be happy about.

“I guess I’m available… anytime. When do you need someone?”

She sighs for a moment and then closes the laptop, crosses her legs as she looks me over.

“Unfortunately, our last nanny was called away suddenly. She really left us in a bind. I’m here”—she gestures around the room as though it is a weird place for her to be—“trying to arrange new caregiving.”

“So you need someone right away,” I gush, both to hear it out loud and to make sure that’s really what she’s saying.

Really? The first rays of hope slice through the dark clouds that fill my mind. Could this really work out?

“You will have Mondays and Tuesdays off, plus alternating Thursdays,” she continues. “Three weeks vacation after the first year of service. Pay is five hundred fifty dollars a week”—my breath whistles through my teeth—“paid every other week. No other benefits. Is that acceptable to you, uh”—she checks my resume quickly again—”Olivia?”

“Oh, totally!” I blurt out, not even thinking.

“Connie will get you acclimated to your quarters and fit you with the uniform. You’ll have to use the Escalade for transportation to and from school. Again, Connie has all the details. She can get you up to speed right away.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” I say quickly. “I mean, thank you! I think this will be really great!”

She presses her lips together and smiles again, then stands and extends her hand to shake my hand. Just like that. I guess I did it!

Then she looks over my shoulder and nods at the far end of the room. I turn around to see a man walking toward me. He also extends his hand and I shake it. He doesn’t let go right away, instead holds my hand for an extra couple of seconds while his eyes slide up and down my body in a way that seems, actually, a bit too damn much.

Connie—who I guess is the woman who let me in—appears behind him. She stands next to me and we both face him and what seems to be an awkward kind of inspection. Like, literally. He is just staring at both of us.

This is the guy from the picture. Teeth. Tan, now that I see him in full color. Gelled hair. He’s wearing a teal-blue golf shirt tucked into tight, cream-colored golf trousers. The front of his pants are very tight, and I can see the outline of his dick, even the ridge of the head as it slides down one thigh.

“Great to meet you, Olivia,” he says slowly. “Really great. You’re just perfect.”

“Um, thanks,” I choke out.

“Kind of a bigger girl, aren’t you?” he smirks. “I mean, for the uniform?”

“Oh, ha-ha! Yes?” I answer gamely.

Just be a good sport, I remind myself. Everybody seems weird at first! How bad can it really be?

Behind me, the doorbell goes off. A couple seconds later, it goes off again. Mr. Harper glares at Connie accusingly.

“There isn’t another appointment,” she objects as she darts off toward the front door.

Within moments, I hear the door open, and a low, insistent voice. The voice rises in volume, and footsteps draw near. Mr. Harper continues to look at me with a smile on his face and his nostrils flared like he is smelling me.

To my shock, Stephan appears in the doorway. In his St. Charles Fire Department T-shirt and trousers, he really is a beautiful figure. I wonder what he’s going to think of my great new job!

“Olivia, we need to get going,” he announces stiffly, crossing his arms.

“Oh, Stephan! Was I taking a long time? I was just going to come out to explain…”

I rush toward him, and to my surprise, he catches me by the elbow and gently urges me behind him. Though I am confused, I let him do it.

“What’s going on here?” Mr. Harper asks, raising his voice right away. “The fire department? Is there a fire?”

“No,” is all Stephan says.

“Hey, um, is everything all right?” I ask meekly, but he turns around and gives me a look that says I need to be quiet, right now.

“Well, if there is no fire, can you show yourself out?” Mrs. Harper calls out from across the room. “Connie? Can you show this person to the front door?”

“I remember the way,” Stephan growls, turning so that he is completely blocking me from being able to get back into the room.

To my dismay, he begins to walk toward the door, effectively pushing me all the way back to the front door, and then back to the truck.