"Can't tell you."
"Why?"
"I may need it next year."
She thumped his shoulder and he laughed, nearly dropping his cake. Only ridiculous antics saved it, but he got some icing on his shirt. Pulling it off, he headed to the locker room in his sleeveless t-shirt. The eyes of every woman in the room were glued to him. The noise level dropped because they were struck speechless.
"I've imagined how he'd look," Trish moaned softly. "Not even close. My imagination isn't that good."
"But the real question," Nina, one of the dispatchers murmured. "Can he cook—or can he cook?"
All eyes focused on Eilene.
"What? I don't know!"
"He took you home," Nina said.
"And brought you in," Trish added.
"And can't take his eyes off you," Hanna, the other dispatcher, said.
"Don't you have phones to answer?" Eilene snapped.
"Bluetooth," Trish said, tapping her ear.
Newton came in with a clean shirt on and the women pouted.
"Dammit, he covered up the deliciousness," Nina complained.
"I look just as good," Harvey, the sniper, said.
"I require proof," Nina replied, crossing her arms. She stared at him, waiting.
Harvey lifted his shirt with one hand. He was well built and had a scattering of dark brown hair on his chest and abdomen.
Nina pursed her lips, examining every inch of bare flesh carefully. "You'll do. After shift, breakfast."
"Uh—yeah—anything you want."
"I want breakfast." Snapping her fingers, she turned sharply, returning to to her desk.
"That happened, right?" he appealed to the other women.
"Breakfast better be really good," Trish said, making a similar exit.
"What just happened?" he asked Eilene.
"You have a date. And, if you play your cards right, you're getting laid. Play right," Eilene warned, pulling his shirt down. "Her ex was an abusive dick, who cheated on her from day one. Don't be that guy."
"You know I'm not, Staff." The men had shortened her name the first day.
"I know. Be sweet, handsome and charming."
"You know, the opposite of you?" Newton said as he walked up. "Be me." He laughed, blocking when Harvey took a swing at him.
A phone rang and they all got very alert, dropping cups and plates in the trash.
"We got one!" Nina yelled, and gave details.
Canon fired off orders and everyone grabbed their gear. Ready quickly, they met at the vehicles and were on the way. They arrived at a tall, suspension bridge which spanned the river, leading into the city from the northern approach. A man stood on the edge, gazing at the water, hands by his sides.
"You need me to take a perch, Loose?" Harvey asked, high powered rifle in hand.
"Yes, but let's see how this plays They're negotiating now. Tell me when you have a target."
"Copy that." He trotted off to find a place to observe.
"What's going on?" Eilene asked Hunter, the police sergeant in charge.
They had been given sketchy details, because very little was known when the call came in.
"He's threatening to jump. And I'd be okay with that, but he's got a dead man switch and his car...." He pointed to a red Ford four door sedan. "It's wired to blow. It could take out half the bridge—and his family's in there. Wife, three small kids, ages three, five and seven."
"Can we get the kids out?"
"That's part of the negotiations. They sent in his psychologist. See the black haired fella?" He pointed to a man in a brown overcoat.
The wind whipped the man's hair around wildly. After a short conversation with the police negotiator, he stepped forward.
"I said no cops!"
"It's me," the dark haired man said. "It's Dr. Jennings—Quaid. What's going on, Riley? Can you come down so we can talk?"
"I can talk just fine up here."
"Okay. May I join you? I don't want to have to yell."
"Yeah. Sure. But not too close." He held up his fist.
Eilene saw a little, black box in his hand.
"I'll stay as far away as you want. But my throat's a little dry. I brought some tea. You want some? Nice and hot. Pearl made it just how you like it. Honey and lemon. No one makes tea like Pearl."
"Yeah. Okay."
"I'll pour, since your hand is full."
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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