Fire Next Door | Evan Buckley

chapter two

"Nice to meet you Evan Buckley," the words spill out before she could catch them. Katelyn scolds herself,  already lying on her first day. Her eyes plead to Evan to not mention their past interactions as the Chief stands between them. 

"Likewise, Chief if you'd like I'll show her where her office is," he's already walking away before Chief answers, he gestures to Katelyn to follow. "Just down here," he takes her through the same hallway where she found the chief's office. "Here you are," Katelyn opens her door and steps into the tiniest room possible, barely fitting a desk and couch. A couch? 

"Thank you..." Katelyn starts, "Also I apologise for getting angry at you outside the station I didn't even thin-"

"It's fine, really. I better go but it was nice to meet you Katelyn," there he goes another smirk.

Katelyn is left with her thoughts, and her new space to organise. Neither is much to work with.

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Katelyn scans her to do list, deciding which task is easiest to tackle first. Landing on 'interview the crew.' She decided before she even got the job that she wanted to ask around and talk to the firefighters if there was anything they wanted done or needed help with.

Katelyn makes her way towards the main area, and is unable to find anyone until she looks up at the second level and see's a crowd in what looks to be a kitchen. She carefully takes the stairs, heels are difficult on slippery surfaces. She sees the firefighters gathered around the kitchen and table, while chief looks to be cooking. This must be their hang out area, she notes with the playstation sitting under the tv.

"Katelyn! you found us," a lady with the biggest smile heads towards her, "Im Henrietta, but please call me Hen."

"Nice to meet you Hen," she voices unable to hide her happiness at how welcoming everyone is here, "Is there something going on?"

"No," she laughs, "this is just where we hang around in between calls and Bobby is baking cupcakes for everyone." Another man walks up beside Hen, about to say something to her when he notices me watching him.

"Sorry hello, Im chimney. Well Howard, but everyone calls me Chimney," the man introduces himself. Another nice firefighter, with a slightly weird name.

Katelyn feels even more thankful for this job, she didn't expect it to be this pleasurable. That is until Evan and her make eye contact, for a second she forgot who she was working with. 

"Oh well, do you think I could steal one of you for a quick chat? anyone is fine," Katelyn asks.

"Yes of course, not much else happening. Eddie!" Hen calls over to the Kitchen.

A tall, dark, handsome, and muscular man walks over. Very muscular. "Hello Katelyn, I'm Eddie nice to officially meet you." He holds out his hand, a gentleman as well. 

"I was just wondering if you had a quick minute?" Katelyn fires, hoping he'd say yes.

"Just for you," he teases and Katelyn blushes. Not now, she's at work and needs to cross something off her to do list and not flirt with this man, very handsome man.

They walk over to the couch and sit together, enough room between them for Katelyn to concentrate on her questions, "I was just wondering if you had any ideas or concerns surrounding the station that you think could be useful for me to know."

Eddie smiles, "I don't think so, no. This place is great, has been since I joined the 118."

118, must be what they call themselves. 

"Well that's good to hear, I didn't have much else to ask you. I was kinda leading with that question," she looks down at her notepad.

"Let me ask you a question then, Katelyn" this brings her attention back to his face. This makes Katelyn nervous, what could he possibly want to know. "Are you free this Friday night?" That was definately not what she was thinking. 

"Oh Eddie, i'm flattered," she nervously laughs, "but I shouldn't be getting into anything right now."

Eddie leans into her ear, whispering, "If you change your mind let me know." This makes Katelyn blush, the heat from his words make her shiver with excitement. He pulls away and to hide her bright red face, Katelyn turns her head towards the kitchen and catches Evan's eyes. Evan is staring right at them, an expression hard to read on his face. 

Evan gets up from his seat, and walks downstairs.

"I should get back to my office, but thank you Eddie." 

Katelyn flashes a wave to the others in the kitchen as she walks past on her way to office. She wonders where Evan ran off to.

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The day has nearly passed, and unfortunately for Katelyn not much work had gotten done, between Eddie's flirtation and the annoying neighbour her mind kept wandering off. Feeling unsatisfied with what she has been able to cross off her list, she gets together her stuff and leaves her office. She walks into the main area, hopefully able to talk to one of the firefighters again. Even though she has Kiara, it'd be nice to have more friends here in LA.

A woman with dark brunette hair, and a baby in her arms is walking into the station. Katelyn walks up to her, seeing if she needed any help, "Are you okay mam?"

"Mam?" she laughs, "I hope I'm not that old, although it feels like it with this one." She smiles down, tickling her baby's stomach. Just as Katelyn was about to answer, Chief walked up beside her.

"Hey Maddie, Chimney's just up there," he nods his head towards the upstairs quarters. Maddie, does she work her? her brows must be furrowed in confusion because the chief says, "This is Maddie, she's Chimney's wife and Maddie, this is Katelyn, the new administrator."

"Yes we just meet," Maddie says smiling at Katelyn. 

Chief gestures for Maddie and Katelyn to follow him up the stairs, Katelyn walks behind Maddie admiring her hair. Maintaining healthy and shinny hair is so hard. 

When they enter the kitchen area, Chimney beams at Maddie, "There are my two most precious girls." 

"Oh Chim," Maddie says giving a little kiss to him. "Say hello to Uncle Buck and Uncle Eddie," Maddie says while holding her baby up to face towards Evan and Eddie standing at the counter, eating the rest of the cupcakes Bobby had made. "Oh seriously, you ate all the cupcakes Buck?"

"I tried to get him to save you one," Hen calls from the couch, "that boy does not listen," she says more to herself than anyone.

"Oh Katelyn," Maddie turns to her, "We are having a little game night tommorow and you should come! It'll just be the few of us." Katelyn is excited at this invitation, a chance to get to know them all and make some good friends.

"Sounds fun, here's take my number so you can text me the details."