For a Hero Read online

  “Why, Boss? You’re going to be a star!” Hank threw an arm around David’s neck.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Hank.” A slithery voice hissed from the dining area. Alex stepped out toward the pair and David winced. He knew what was coming.

  “Hi, David.” The temptress revealed herself next to Alex. Veronica, the bitch, cocked one hip to the side and judgment and hatred seeped through her gaze.

  Hank had seen a lot of women in his day. He had become acquainted with quite a few, and they were all capable of spitting some poison. However, he had never seen someone seethe with disdain like Veronica did. It was somewhere between arrogance, malice and ignorance. Why on earth would she wish David ill? He was basically the best guy ever. As far as Hank knew, David didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t lie, hell, he didn’t even curse often. What could he possibly have done to warrant hatred?

  “Alex,” David never stopped tending to the brisket. “Just wait at the dinner table with the fellas. I think the rolls are already done; go grab some. I’ll bring you some meat. We don’t have to cause a big scene here.”

  “We’re off-duty, Conlon. I don’t have to follow your orders right now. Besides, I’m not going to cause a big scene. I just wanted to make sure that your little pal understands that you are not going to be such a big star tonight.”

  “That’s fine, Alex. I don’t even want to go. It wouldn’t surprise me if nobody bids and I just go home. It would suit me just fine.”

  Hank’s jaw dropped. Why is he just taking this? Is it because of the girl?

  Veronica draped herself across Alex’s chest. “That’s right, Pervert. It wouldn’t surprise me either. I happen to know first-hand that you are nothing special. Just a big freak.” She grabbed Alex by the jaw and exchanged a long, gross, nasty, noisy French kiss with him.

  David winced. His eyes closed. His lips pursed. He hurt. Hank could see it. Alex and Veronica couldn’t though. Thank God. Hank needed to do something.

  “What the hell is your problem, Hooker? What did the Chief ever do to you?” After the words escaped his mouth, the thought crossed Hank’s mind that it might be the beer talking, and it might not have been such a great idea.

  David turned and put a hand on Hank’s chest. “No, please. Just let it go”

  Veronica slinked off of Alex. She put her index finger in Hank’s face and began waving it around in a little Z shape. “That man is a freak of nature. He tried to hurt me. I let him take me home out of the goodness of my heart, and that pervert tried to tear me in half. He is not normal. Not a man. He is some kind of monster.”

  David hung his head and turned back to the meat. He tended to it as if nothing else mattered.

  Hank took a sip of his beer and proclaimed, “Wow, Bitch. It sounds to me like you couldn’t handle his giant dick. Maybe that’s why you settled for “Below Average Alex” as the football team used to call him after seeing him in the locker room.”

  David whipped around, knowing that Alex would try to escalate the conflict. He grabbed Hank by the shoulders, lifted him up and behind him. David caught a punch thrown by Alex and simply turned him the other direction. “Guys, the alcohol is getting you all worked up. Let’s just enjoy the BBQ and not worry about this anymore.”

  Veronica reached to hold Alex’s hand, whose pride was visibly damaged. She whispered consolation into his ear, “Don’t worry, Honey, you are proportional.” They walked out of the main door.

  Hank looked at David, “I guess they aren’t in the mood for brisket. Ehh. It’s probably for the best anyway. This brisket has got to be at least fourteen inches long and I don’t think Veronica can handle more than four inches of meat.”

  David’s solemn expression broke into laughter. The guys high-fived. David spoke. “You know, you didn’t have to do that. But, I appreciate it.”

  “It was my pleasure, Boss. I mean, you did bring this HUGE piece of meat here tonight for all of us to enjoy.”

  “Alright, Hank. That’s enough.”

  *****

  Jenna sat across the table from her new friend, Miranda. They had some things in common, Jenna admitted, much more than any girl she had tried to befriend before. It was still strained, but she was committed to trying. This is a new town. She could be a new person. She could have a girl-friend; she could ride the bus; hell, she could even be wildly attracted to a strange man. Wow, how quickly things changed.

  Halcyon was a relaxed place. Like the name implied, its environment encouraged comfort and plenty. It was known as a coffee bar, but what the locals bragged about, and the reason Miranda invited Jenna to Halcyon for the evening, were the s’mores. When ordered, they would bring you your own personal fire, with graham crackers, marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate bars and little skewers to roast your decadent treat to perfection.

  “So, how was the first day?” Miranda was Hispanic, shorter than Jenna, with a more solid build. She wasn’t nearly as driven. Jenna noticed Miranda texting a lot during work and playing with her hair. She was really friendly to her, so none of that mattered.

  “It was ok. It will be hard to make the transition, I think. I was really close to a promotion in the Dallas office, but my boss was a prick so here I am.”

  Miranda sipped her drink and looked down.

  Jenna continued speaking, “No, Miranda. I am happy to be here. You are great. The job will be great. I am grateful, it’s just hard to get used to the change, a new direction, you know?”

  “No, I understand. Don’t worry about it. Tell me again about this miracle man you saw on the bus today.” Miranda leaned forward, scooting the fire pit and s’mores to one side.

  ‘Oh boy, girl talk,’ Jenna thought. ‘Let’s see if I know how to do this.’ “He was gorgeous. He looked like an angel, like no man I had ever seen before. He was hugely tall; he had muscles from here to Houston and the best part of all: he was NICE.”

  “How do you know he’s nice?”

  “He beat up this asshole on the bus.”

  Miranda almost spit out her drink. “Ha! Is that your idea of nice? I’d hate to see what your Christmas dinners are like.”

  “No, I mean, this asshole was being really mean to these women on the bus. And this guy just didn’t let him get away with it. It was so . . . refreshing.” Jenna’s eyes wondered off into the distance as she enunciated the final word.

  Miranda smiled to herself while she coated her graham cracker with melted marshmallow. “It looks like somebody has got a little crush.”

  “That is complete and utter nonsense. I am a grown-up, adult woman with a great career, a fat nest egg, and a Dodge Stratus that I don’t drive because I don’t yet know the city I live in. I don’t get crushes. At the most, I was mildly fascinated.”

  “By his body!” Miranda raucously added.

  “Oh hush.” Jenna’s feigned posh didn’t fool Miranda, for the pull of a smile tugged her dimples out and flushed her cheeks the most pleasant pink.

  “It’s ok, Girlfriend. I won’t tell anybody. I know you want to be Miss Serious and Cool all the time. Here, let me help distract you until you see your crush again. I have this ‘friend.’” Miranda held her fingers in quotation mark positions while she said the word. “His name is Blaine Windsor, a total hottie. He and I are kind of seeing each other.” She smiled a naughty smile to herself in memory of an undoubtedly hot fantasy. “Anyway, he kind of owns Austin. He is always throwing parties and charity events. Tomorrow night, he is hosting this Holiday Fantasy Date thing. All of these gorgeous men are going to be up for auction. If you get one, he is supposed to take you on a once-in-a-lifetime kind of date. Blaine invited me to go, as long as I promised not to bid on any of the other men. Nobody said YOU couldn’t shop around a little, however.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure about plopping down a huge sum for a Fantasy Date. Besides, I can’t even get a real date, the kind where the guy pays. Plus, the only guy I’d want to go on a date with got dropped off at the fire hall today an
d I didn’t even catch his name.”

  “Stop being such a chicken, Jenna. You’re going to loosen up, you’re going to go to this thing with me, and you’re going to have a fantastic time ogling half-naked men, and that is final.” Miranda sloshed her drink at Jenna at each ‘you’re’ for emphasis. “Look, I even have the little brochure. It has a picture of all the men being auctioned. Pick you out one, Girlfriend, and then go home and scoop all the change out of your cushions.”

  Jenna begrudgingly took the booklet from Miranda’s hands. It read “Fourteenth Annual Holiday Fantasy Date – meet the man of your dreams, and let him make your dreams come true.” “Oh my god.” Jenna rolled her eyes as she read on. The list of charities benefiting from the auction was huge. “Wow, this must be a really big deal. How do they guarantee that the men are sold for enough money to cover the cost of the evening, much less have any profit for all these charities?”

  “Oh Honey, you don’t understand. This is not your average, every day, run-of-the-mill fundraiser. These are major-league players here. Blaine is worth eight figures. All of the people he invited to come are probably going to spend a pretty penny just to show off in front of their other little rich friends, and I expect each of these men to sell for around ten thousand dollars. Plus, look at the caliber of guys being auctioned. Tell me how much YOU think a date with a guy like that is worth?”

  Jenna flipped to the back of the book. She wasn’t impressed. They looked like models, actors, sport stars, and a few even looked like her Hallmark card man but none of them really stood out . . . and then her breath suddenly escaped her lungs. Her mouth fell agape.

  It was him. Her angel. Her Wonder Boy. Her hero. Leaning against the silver pole of the fire hall, smiling a million-watt scorcher, he tore her heart asunder. He wore yellow fireman’s pants with red suspenders over a navy blue t-shirt that was tight enough for the cords of his chest to shine through. She couldn’t decide what was more beautiful, the line on his triceps or the way his blue eyes sparkled as he smiled. She felt alive in places she forgot she had, her empty, aching pussy and her empty, aching heart.

  Miranda noticed the look on Jenna’s face. “I told you they were something! Look at you; you’re having trouble containing yourself. You can keep that brochure, Girl I don’t want to know what you are going to do with it when you get home.”

  “You aren’t going to believe this.” Jenna trembled. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “What is it?”

  “This is him.”

  “Who?”

  “Him.”

  “Girl, you better be A LOT more specific.”

  “He, him. My man.” She realized that expression left her lips too late. “This is him, the guy from the bus.”

  “Oh my, which one? Let me see!” Miranda grabbed at the booklet and pulled it from Jenna’s vice-like grip. “Hmmmmm. He IS scrumptious. What does the caption say? Oooooh. David Conlon, Chief of Austin Fire Department.”

  “David Conlon.” Jenna spoke the name and then she sat silently in thought. Then she quickly grabbed her purse and plopped it on the table.

  “What are you doing?” Miranda asked about her new friend’s curious behavior.

  Jenna had grabbed her smart phone and opened an app. “I’m checking my bank account.”

  *****

  “Where on Earth did you get this picture of me?” David flipped through the Holiday Fantasy Date booklet until he found that silly image of him in his fire pants. “No girl is going to want to bid for a guy who wears suspenders.”

  “I thought you didn’t want anybody to bid on you, Boyscout. Didn’t you think this was silly?” Blaine worked away, shaking hands, directing workers, making plans, building the event all around him in the massive Austin Convention Center. The empty main hall has begun its transformation into a winter wonderland. Tinsel and garland hung everywhere. The tables were bedecked with elegant white tablecloths and in the middle of each sat a centerpiece of bounty and excess, the familiar likeness of a horn of plenty, and a boar’s head with real fruit and vegetables all around it. Mistletoe dangled over the entrance to every door, even over the stairs and down from the stage where the lucky women would be embraced by their perfect purchases later in the evening. And up above everything else, in the back of the stage, stood a twenty-five foot blue spruce Christmas tree. Decorations of red, silver and gold made it sparkle like the night sky.

  “I don’t want anyone to bid on me, and it is silly.”

  “Of course it is, and that is why you are wearing that super tight muscle shirt underneath your fireman’s uniform, because it’s silly.” Blaine’s facetious smile between his words of dictation to his employees shot out at David, warming his heart.

  “You’re really getting into the Christmas spirit, aren’t you? Does it make it hard to meet your daily brooding quota?” David hated to admit it, but he was nervous, very nervous.

  “Nah, I get all my brooding done in the morning over coffee. It might make it easier to relax if you have a seat with the other fantasy guys. Maybe they can calm you down a bit.” Blaine teased.

  “Ha ha, very funny. For your information, Mr. Important, I do have some things I need to be doing. So you go right on ahead with your little event planning and I will leave you alone.” David tried desperately to hide his shyness and fear from his friend.

  “Perfect. Good luck.” And Blaine was gone, disappeared into the bustle of the evening.

  “Dammit.”

  David glanced over to where the other men being auctioned were sitting. They laughed. They flexed. They were having a great time. ‘This is stupid,’ he thought. ‘This damn thing starts in two hours. Where is Sara?’

  *****

  The bubbly blonde bounced down the halls in the back of the convention center. David’s friend Blaine had given her a call and told her to meet him here early, that he needed her help with some special plans for David.

  She knocked on the door, office 142B. It slid open. “Sara! Enchante!” Blaine grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the room. He lifted her hand to his lips and without breaking eye contact kissed the soft skin of the back of her hand.

  “Oh my, David said you were smooth, but I had no idea you would be so charming.” Sara’s grace and poise was unwavering, but she blushed a tad nonetheless.

  “What else has your cousin said about me?” Blaine’s eyes narrowed.

  “Oh, just that you are tall, dark, handsome and rich and I should stay far, far away from you if I know what’s good for me.”

  “Sounds like good advice. Danger is my middle name.” Blaine winks.

  “You’re cute, Mister Windsor, but I am immune.” Sara winked back. “Now tell me more about this plan of yours.”

  *****

  “Oh Lord, Here goes.” David spoke to himself before it was his turn to be paraded out in front of the crowd. “They are probably all hopped up on eggnog and peppermint Schnapps; they won’t even realize I’m up there. Sara can just bid with the money I paid her and I can go home.”

  The lights go down. Blaine’s voice can be heard over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, our final piece, and most sought after prize to be auctioned off at the 2012 Annual Austin Holiday Fantasy Date is an evening with our own Angel, Fire Chief David Conlon. He stands six feet, four inches, weighs two hundred thirty pounds and his hose is the longest in the city. He has recently garnered quite a bit of fame by saving the Congressman’s daughter at the Waldorf Estate. He loves moonlit walks, Irish cuisine and pulling damsels from distressing and precarious situations. Now, ladies, who needs rescuing tonight?”

  A roar of applause and laughter filled the room. Spotlights erupted from the ceiling and formed a circle on the stage. A stage-hand from behind David pushed him out. “You’re up, Conlon.”

  “For the first time on our stage tonight, Folks, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, the original Fire Man, DAVID CONLON!”

  Music came over the speakers. The song Blaine c
hose said it all. “Lay where you’re laying, don’t make a sound.” David didn’t know what to do. So he just walked out on stage. “I know they’re watching, they’re watching.” He smiled a little bit. Ladies like it when a guy smiles, right? “All the commotion, the kiddie-like play.” Then he looked out into the crowd. Women everywhere were screaming, gasping, waving, jumping giddily. A grin spread across his face. “Has people talking, talking.” No, he’s got this. He pops his suspenders off. “You. Your sex is on FIRE!” He rips his shirt off with his bare hands. The crowd goes wild.

  Blaine laughs and put a hand over Sara’s. “Did you have any idea he had it in him?”

  “Nope.” Sara pulls out her iPhone and starts recording video. “But he will tomorrow.”

  “Get ready to bid, I’m about to open the floor and start auctioning. Do you remember the plan?”

  Sara laughed. “I sure do.”

  “Great, get into position. I’ll go grab the microphone.”

  *****

  Jenna gasped. “Oh Lord, there he is.” She held her placard tightly, not wanting to miss her chance. Miranda was thoroughly enjoying how excited her new friend had become.

  *****

  David shook his ass around. ‘This isn’t too bad,’ he thought. ‘I can do this.’ A silver pole stood erect on the stage. ‘That Blaine has got one terrible sense of humor. Oh well, if that’s what the ladies want.’

  David strutted over to the pole. He put one hand on it, gripped it and flexed his arm. The crowd went wild. He turned. His other arm wrapped the pole. He tightened the muscles in his back and pulled himself up. He climbed up a few feet and took his feet off of the pole. He pushed himself up horizontal on the pole, hanging on and supporting himself with just his hands. ‘I could get used to this.’ He sealed his grip on the pole and walked himself down. The building was about to explode with applause.