Tommy Sallow is onto better and brighter things. After working a small hometown beat in upstate New York, he's finally in sunny California. As expected, it's the same shit in a different town. Except, you know, now he's near the ocean and miserable...
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It's been a long two weeks. Between working all day at the school and the restaurant being understaffed, I really haven't had a whole lot of time at home. It seems every moment I actually have off, Tommy is working. We have tried our best to make the most out of our limited time though.
If I'm at the restaurant, he makes sure to have dinner there. He even stopped by with his partner the other night. Not to mention the added bonus of sneaking off and making out like a couple of teenagers before he got pulled away on a call. I do have to say, his new bending of the law lately is really fucking hot. Of course, he was on high alert and the whole thing was over fairly quickly. But that only made it hotter. I don't think the Tommy I met five months ago would have felt me up, pushed me up against the wall, and let his fingers roam below my shirt like that while on the clock. But I can't even lie, his being in uniform and the lust filled rush of ignoring our responsibilities, even for a quick moment, was a damn thrill.
On the nights I wasn't working and Tommy was, he would stop by my place for dinner during his break. I think Mia really liked seeing him in uniform. It made the whole hero thing a lot more real for her. I can't say I minded it either. I learned to prepare his dinner in a to-go container though. One big call and he was out the door, even if he didn't have a chance to eat yet.
Watching him drive away, lights brightening the night sky, seemed to leave a whole other kind of pressure across my chest. I don't think I've ever felt so much worry and fear before. But there's this aching sense of unsettling nerves every time he goes to work. His job isn't like a lot of the others out there. Sure, most calls are calm and routine, but there's a lot of extremely dangerous ones too. And it's the unexpected danger that worries me the most.
I guess I never really understood the reality of what he does until I had to watch him fly into his car and speed down the street. My breath stuck in my throat, wondering where he was going, who would be there to back him up, if they'd manage to have the upper hand. When he's on shift, my heart pounds with the sound of every siren. My phone glued to my side. I don't know if this is normal and if it will ever go away, but for now, I can't seem to settle the fears that stay rooted in my gut every time he puts on that uniform.
Because I know the truth of his job. As much as I wish to ignore it, there is a possibility he can walk out that door and not come back. And that's the very thing I keep trying to push to the back of my mind. The very thing I hope fades away with time.
But now, now I've been given the gift of time. I was supposed to work a double today, but it turns out one of the younger waitresses needed the money a bit more than me this week and asked for the shift. I have so many extra hours lately that I gladly handed it over.
My mom just so happened to take Mia to the movies not too long ago, which means I have the next couple hours to myself. I could run a few errands that I have needed to do in order to restock the fridge. I could clean the house, which is also a necessity right now. Or, I could surprise the very man who's been on my mind all day.
