The Night Belongs to Fireman Read Free

“Really? The important thing isn’t nearly walking into a game of darts? Or worse?”
    Rachel, struggling to free her hair from the veil, turned to her friends. “Don’t I have enough people watching every little thing I do? Why him ?”
    Exasperated, Fred reached over and untangled her veil from her hair. “You are the strangest girl I’ve ever met.”
    â€œWhat kind of thing is that to say—”
    â€œAll right, all right.” Cindy grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. Limo’s waiting.” She bundled Rachel behind her and addressed Fred. “Thanks for everything, attractive stranger. She’s usually such a sweet girl, believe it or not. Devotes her life to helping animals, will do anything for a friend, even drink too much champagne during her friend’s last night of freedom . . . okay, we’re going now.”
    They all waved good-bye and flocked to the door. After they left, the entire room seemed to go dim.
    Back at the table, Mulligan tossed some money down and pushed back his chair. “Nice move, bro. You scared away the only girls worth talking to in this whole joint.”
    â€œI didn’t scare anyone away. I rescued her from being slobbered on by a vomit-covered idiot.” Fred worked at a knot in his neck, trying to understand how the night had begun with a mauling in the fight ring and somehow gone downhill from there.
    â€œDetails, details,” said Mulligan. “Come on, let’s ghost. I want to see what’s rolling at Firefly.”
    â€œNah, man. I’m done. If that bout wasn’t enough to do me in, that girl was. She got in more hits than Namsaknoi.” He tenderly felt his jawbone, where she’d bonked him in the hallway.
    Mulligan cackled. “You should date her. I can see you with a girl like that. She’d keep things hopping.”
    â€œ Not going to happen. The girl I go for is going to be nothing like her.”
    â€œI wouldn’t say nothing like her,” mused Mulligan as they headed for the exit. “She’ll probably wear a veil at the wedding.”
    â€œNothing like her,” said Fred firmly. “What kind of woman nearly walks into a game of darts?”
    â€œSomeone fun, someone who lets loose once in a while. Someone who’s not Courtney. Someone who doesn’t think she’s superior to everyone else in the damn world.”
    Mulligan’s lip curled. The guys really didn’t like Courtney. Sometimes Fred thought he would have called it off much sooner if he hadn’t wanted to prove them wrong. Dumb, since they weren’t exactly wrong. “Courtney,” he pointed out, “is proud of my fight trophies. She wouldn’t rip them apart.” He gave a mournful glance at the dismantled statuette in his hand.
    â€œRight. She’d probably polish them every day in their little glass case,” said Mulligan. “Because she’s a control freak.”
    â€œAnd Courtney wouldn’t be caught dead alone in a dark hallway with a drunk. What was that girl thinking?” He followed Mulligan through the door into the cool of midnight. The loud music from the bar chased them, the wail of U2’s “Mysterious Ways” suddenly stifled as the door slammed shut.
    â€œSeems like you were watching every move she made.”
    â€œSomeone had to,” he grumbled, trying to remember where he’d parked.
    â€œHoly shit,” Mulligan breathed.
    Fred was still scanning the street for his truck. He remembered parking next to a construction barricade. The City Lights Grill squatted in the shadow of the old City Hall, which had partially burned a couple of years ago. They were finally starting to rebuild, and during the day this entire area was a construction zone mess. At night, it was a ghost town of earth movers, backhoes, and cranes.
    â€œThere it is,” Fred said, finally spotting his Toyota pickup and moving toward it.