The Firefighter Who Rescues Me

Chapter 27 ♚ Strange Things

In the end, I became exactly what I didn't want to be. An office assistant.

Perks of the job were still having a paycheck, period. That was about it.

I spent my days in very close confines with Lance and Brian, helping them process invoices, make copies, pick up phone calls and keep the coffee machine going. What sucked most about that, was that I couldn't drink any.

On fun days, I got to tag along with them to inspect the site, but I almost lost even that. One morning, while checking out one of the newer constructions, a vat of cement accidentally spilled before me and I had to jump back to avoid it.

"Are you okay?" Lance screamed, waving his arms around.

Meanwhile, Brian stood frozen with his jaw hanging.

"You know what? Maybe we should keep you in the trailer the whole time." Lance winced. "For your safety."

"First of all," I started, my brow plunging. "I'm not a porcelain doll that is going to break easily."

C'mon, I still trained regularly at the gym. With less enthusiasm, maybe, but I was hearty and I was damn sure Surprise was, too. After all, he or she was the child of a hero and a survivor.

"Second, I'm not going to sue you for tripping. That would be my own damn fault."

That didn't appease them and it took almost two weeks of pushing papers before they allowed me to breathe the crisp autumn air permeated with the scents of metal, concrete, plastic and paint, that had become so familiar.

Today was sadly one of those days when I was shackled to a desk. I slammed the stamp marking an invoice as paid out in red ink, with so much force it shook the desk.

Brian jumped in his skin. He'd been reading something on an iPad, his other hand busy with a cup of coffee. The hot liquid sloshed but he managed to settle it down and away from his electronics. If Lance had been at the office with us he probably would've reacted the same way.

"Sorry," I said, not meaning it at all.

"Er, please don't smash the office furniture to smithereens, they're rented."

I scrunched up my face. "I'll try not to."

Brian laughed. "I know I have no right to say this, but try to be patient."

"Is there still going to be anything left to build once I'm back from maternity leave?"

Shit, I still couldn't believe those words were coming out of my mouth.

"Oh, no one told you?" Brian scooted closer. "I thought you might have heard already, but Mr. B is in talks with the City Council to move his company here."

"Whoa." I turned to face him all the way. "Tell me more."

"That's all I know, actually."

I snorted. "You're a terrible gossip."

Brian grinned before continuing. "But if the plan goes well it'll mean he'll bring people over, who will need homes on top of the ones we're already building. And also there's no building big enough to fit the Bernal Industries headquarters, so someone will have to build it, right?"

"Oooh. Brian Levesque, you're a smart cookie." I rubbed my belly as though it were Surprise the one who was excited instead of me. "Thank God for my mom's cousin's husband."

He shook his head. "I still can't believe that. The world is so small."

"You're telling me. I can't wrap my head around everything that's happened since I came to this town. First, I almost died while moving here and now I'm getting married and about to become a Mom."