“And you haven’t?” He had taken this job because he loved the excitement, the rush he got when the lights and sirens were going, knowing that he was going to use his skills to save lives. And this one had started out that way, but when they got there it had turned out different. It had been one of the worst scenes he had ever been to. He had been on the scene for fires, helped rescue a man out of an iced-over river, but it looked like a bomb had gone off in the middle of New York City. Dust and debris and pandemonium everywhere. Ten people injured, one died on the scene from massive chest injuries and the other man had died at the hospital later from a heart attack.
“I try not to think about.” Miguel shrugged. “The nature of a job. There might be something worse just around the corner.”
Asa had thought about those words all the way home that day. Hallie had asked him if he was happy. He had never thought about it before. He loved his job. He was having fun in New York dating some interesting women. But was he happy? Lately he had been feeling like something was missing in his life. Maybe Miguel was right, maybe the crane collapse had just put him in a weird head space.
He went home, made himself something to eat and tried to get some rest. He should be exhausted after working back-to-back shifts, but his mind kept going back to Hallie, wondering how she was. If she’d gotten home okay. Part of him wondered if he would have put her out of his mind had he not known she was his neighbor, but a bigger part of him thought that she was just the kind of person that would stay with him.
He got up and left his apartment. It would be easy enough to check. Then he could just go back to his life.
He knocked on her door, listening for sounds inside. If she wasn’t home he could check with the hospital. Most of the time they never knew what happened to the people they transported, but Asa could find out, see if she needed help. Perhaps contact a family member for her. It was what he would have wanted someone to do for his sister.
He knocked again and this time he heard rustling from inside of the apartment. He waited for a moment and then she opened the door. She wore sweats and fuzzy pink socks on her feet. Her springy curls stood out in every direction. Her eyes widened when she saw him and a guarded look crossed her face immediately.
“What are you doing here?” It certainly wasn’t the same greeting he had gotten when he’d first approached her that day.
“I came to see if you got home okay.”
“I did. How do you know where I live? Did you follow me home? I may have hit my head, but if you think you can abuse your position and try to take advantage of me, you have another think coming.”
“Whoa.” Asa put his hands up in defense. “Why the hell would you think I would try to take advantage of you?”
“You showed up at my door. You knew I lived alone. How many women have you followed home before? I bet they let you in because you’re charming and good-looking. But it’s not happening this time. I should call and report you to your supervisor.”
Asa felt his anger rising, but he tried to tamp it down. What was she supposed to think? It must have been scary for her to see a strange man show up at her door. “I’m your neighbor. I live at the end of the hall in 4D. I sure as hell didn’t follow you home. We bumped into each other once when I was moving in. I’ve seen you at the mailboxes before.”
She paused for a moment and he could see the pain and sleepiness on her face. “Prove it to me.”
“You want to see my lease?”
“That would be nice, but just show me that you can get into your apartment.”
“Okay.” For a moment he wanted to refuse, but the last thing he needed was for the little schoolteacher calling up the FDNY and complaining that he was stalking her.
He took a step back and she came out of her apartment with a metal baseball bat.
“You always answer the door with that?”
“When I’m not expecting visitors. My mother got it for me when she heard I moved here.”
“Smart.” He had to give her that. She should bash the head in of any man who tried to mess with her. He stopped in front of his door and pushed it open to reveal his large studio apartment.
“It’s twice the size of my place!” She stepped inside, her mouth agape, and even though he was annoyed with her he had to admit that she was still mighty cute.
“Here’s some of my mail. Addressed to me here.” He thrust some envelopes at her. “And here is a picture of me with my parents when I completed my training with the FDNY.” He pointed to the framed black-and-white photo on the wall.
“Oh.” She placed his mail back on the little side table he had taken it from. “I’m sorry. You do live here. You’re the guy who had all the big, hot guys move him in. You apologized to me for the noise the day you moved in. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.”
“You hit your head and I keep irregular hours. It took me a little while to place you, too.”
She placed a hand on her forehead as if she were in pain. “What did I say to you today? Was it crazy? I know I was out of it, but was it as crazy as I think it was?”
“No.” He started feeling the need to tease her a bit. “It was just something about me being an angel with a perfect body.”
“Oh, no.” She groaned deeply and walked toward the door. “I’m going to crawl under my bed and die now.”
“Hey!” He grabbed her arm and turned her around. “I know you were joking, but don’t joke like that, especially after a head injury. What did the hospital say?”
“That I’m not allowed to go to work and that I need to rest for the next few days because I might have some lingering pain and dizziness. But I’ll be fine. I’m going to go in.”
“No, you’re not.” He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her large almond eyes. “Your eyes are watery. I can tell that you’re still in pain. You’re not going to work tomorrow. You’re going to follow the doctor’s orders and rest.”
“How exactly are you going to stop me?” She looked up at him defiantly.
“I liked you a lot better when you were dazed from a blow to the head.”
“Listen, I just spent the last five days alone in my apartment due to this stupid freak snowstorm we had. The last thing I want is to spend another week alone in my apartment. Those kids are the only reason I’m still living here. I don’t want to miss a week of work.”
She was dedicated to her students, and maybe she was lonely being all alone in this big city, but he couldn’t allow her to risk her health.
“I’ll come by tomorrow.” He hadn’t meant to say it, but it slipped out and he couldn’t take it back. He felt the need to look after her. Like there was a reason that he and Miguel, out of all the EMTs and paramedics, had responded to the call when they were technically off duty. “Just to check on you, and just in case you get any ideas it’s not to stalk you or take advantage of you, or any other twisted thing you thought up.”
She nodded and it was
