"I hate you Buckley, don't you ever forget that"
☼
𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐃 was an unexpected addition to the 118, but everyone seemed glad to have her along. Everyone except fo...
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𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 ─ 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐘
𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐘 night when Johana Bradford first met Evan Buckley. Lightning cracked along the skies, but the city of Los Angeles was as bustling as ever. The rain couldn't stop the people of L.A. from their Friday night fun, so Johana wasn't surprised when she stepped into the crowded bar. Rosie's was packed for a Friday night, but Johana happened to snag the last seat at the bar.
"What can I get you?" asked the bartender.
"Whiskey neat, thanks."
She sipped on her first drink of the night, savoring the taste. Her first night back in L.A. and Johana was already having a drink at the bar her dad use to frequent. She hadn't thought about her dad in years, but something about the bar awakened past memories of him.
Tom Bradford was not a nice man. Like his other two children, Johana had the displeasure of experiencing his abusive tendencies as a child. Johana's mother was just another one of many women Tom cheated on his wife with, however, Johana was the only child that resulted from several affairs. Johana was the forgotten child in the Bradford family.
When Johana was seven, Tom divorced his wife and remarried to Johana's mother when he found out he had another child. That was when Johana first met Tim, her half-brother. At seventeen, Tim solidified his resentment towards his father. From the abuse and all the affairs, now he had another kid. There were times that he felt bad, though, that Johana would endure the same kinds of things he and his other sister went through. Johana would see Tim and her half-sister sporadically though the years, but their relationship was always strained, and Johana was never very close with them.
But tonight was not about family. Johana hadn't spoken to Tim in years, and she didn't plan on telling him she was back. Tonight was about drinking. Tonight was about new beginnings and a new life.
Johana was on her third whiskey when a the seat next to her opened up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a fit blonde guy take the seat. She rolled her eyes as the perky blonde ordered some fruity cocktail.
"Hey!" She really hoped he wasn't talking to her. But when she turned her head to face him, she found herself staring right into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. "Do you like Star Wars? Because Yoda only one for me!"
Johana found herself chuckling even though the pick-up-line was really bad. Like that was one of the worst lines she had ever heard.
"Does that usually work on women?"
The man shrugged, but grinned. "It seemed to work on you."
She rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her drink. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed some cash and placed it on the bar counter. "Have a good night."
Johana left the blonde in a state of bewilderment. As she walked out the front door into the pouring rain, she looked back. The man was staring at her in amazement. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, he thought the himself.
It was only ten o'clock, when Johana walked down the street after leaving the bar. She didn't know why, but she kept thinking back to the blonde guy with the birthmark on his face. He was attractive, sure, but that goddamn pick-up-line ruined the vibe. But he was exactly her type. Muscular, blonde, blue eyes, funny.
The sound of pounding footsteps brought Johana out of her thoughts. She quickened her pace as the footsteps grew louder and faster. Nervously, she hugged her jacket closer to her body and reached in on of the inside pockets. She tightly gripped her pocket knife and spun around, her instincts already kicking in.
But her eyes softened when she saw who was running after her.
"Hi," he started. "You forgot this."
He held out her cellphone, and Johana let out a nervous breath. Taking it from him, she smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she genuinely smiled, and here she was smiling at a stranger.
"Thank you."
The rain poured down on them both as they stood on the sidewalk. Johana opened her mouth to speak, but she was speechless. She had no words for the handsome man in front of her.
"Do you want to get out of here?" She asked him.
He grinned, "Yeah, I do."
Thunder rumbled in the distance as the two walked together in the rain. Lighting struck and a soft smile found Johana's lips. The two walked side by side exchanging pleasantries before deciding to go back to her place.
A week later, Johana found herself gearing up for her first day of work. She had been a firefighter for just over a year before returning to Los Angeles, and firefighting was the only thing in her life that made her feel whole. That was until she stepped foot in the station of the 118 and came face to face with her new team.
