Catching On Fire Read online

  Catching On Fire

  by

  Sue Knott

  ©2012 Brian & Terry Lynch

  All rights reserved.

  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

  All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to any real persons, living, or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author. No matter what my mother thinks, she does not appear in this book.

  Catching On Fire by Sue Knott 1st edition, April 2012

  The visions are tattooed on my brain. I think they’ve been there since birth. Long before I could have ever understood the power of the elements, I’d seen the images in my mind’s eye. Farmlands washed away by floods. Cities buried under mountains of snow. The forests of the world catching on fire…

  Chapter 1

  Autumn, 2008

  I have hated my boobs my entire life. Well, maybe not all 24 years. I mean, they didn’t show up until I was 12 – but at that time, they made a grand entrance practically overnight. I have definitely hated them since then. They’re too big for my small frame. And they attract attention. I hate attention. Plus, they attract the wrong kind of attention. Case-in-point was closing in fast from across the bar: two lecherous jerks.

  One of the guys had his eyes on my friend, Kim. The other had his fixed straight at my boobage. They were definitely giving off the jerk vibe. I could look at most people and tell what they were all about. There were some people I couldn’t read, but these guys were very readable and they were radiating “jerk.”

  “You lovely ladies look thirsty. Can we buy you some drinks?” That was the tall one, who hadn’t yet bothered to take his eyes off my chest.

  I glanced pointedly at our full drinks. “Sorry, looks like we already have that covered.”

  Kim, oblivious to my attempt to brush these two off, blushed and smiled. “Maybe next round.”

  I closed my eyes to hide the fact that they were rolling up into my skull. This was just so typical of Kim. I could never understand how some people couldn’t get a sense of someone by looking in their eyes. Kim was one of those people. She couldn’t tell a jerk from a prince. She trusted everyone. Even after being burned by a series of losers, she still smiled at any self-centered jackass that made a move.

  The trouble was, Kim was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. But, she didn’t believe it. Her looks intimidated regular guys. But, jerks were bold enough to approach her.

  If you don’t realize how beautiful you are, I guess it’s hard to realize that someone staring admiringly into your eyes could be a jerk. Now, me, if I can’t “read” a guy, I can guess his intentions by the fact that his admiring gaze is falling about 10 inches below where it should be. That was one advantage – probably the only advantage – of having big boobs.

  But, right now, I had to deal with the problem at hand. It had been about ten seconds and already the tall one put his arm around my shoulder – even though I hadn’t indicated that would be in any way welcome. Truth be told, I was a little afraid of these guys.

  “Jeepers creepers, Kim! Look at the time! We’ve gotta go.” Damn. That was probably the worst acting job of the century. Could I possibly have been any more exaggerated when I looked at my watch?

  I grabbed Kim by the sleeve and started pulling her off her barstool. She pouted in protest, but reluctantly complied. She trusted my judgment even if she wasn’t always happy about it. She knew “jeepers creepers” was my code for “these guys are creeps.”

  “Aw, cutie, what’s your hurry? We were just getting acquainted.” The short one spoke in a drunken slur.

  “Sorry, but we are really, really, really late.” I barely bothered turning my head over my shoulder to shout my reply. I dragged Kim through the crowd. I hated bars. Too loud. Too crowded. Way too many jerks. The only reason we came was to hear the band. I breathed easier once we made it out the door.

  Kim shook herself loose of my grip and grumbled in protest. “Honestly Rae, aren’t there any guys you think are okay?”

  “Sure. Not all guys are jerks. Unfortunately, the ones that are appear to hold their jerk conventions in bars on Friday nights. C’mon. Step up the pace.”

  “Why? Are we really running that late?” Her tone was more than a tad sarcastic.

  Kim had come to a dead stop. I glanced back at her and saw, to my horror, the jerks coming out the bar. “Yes, we are. Those two are following us.” I spit out between clenched teeth.

  Kim immediately started into a trot, now looking as worried as me. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and hit the panic button. Nothing. We were too far away. Damn! Why did I leave my purse in the trunk? My mace was in my purse. I instinctively started arranging my keys between each knuckle like spikes – as if that would actually do any good. At 5′3″, I wasn’t exactly a powerhouse. And while Kim’s lanky figure was the picture of perfection, she wasn’t muscular at all. She deplored the gym and anything remotely connected to exercise.

  “Ladies, ladies, why you hurrying off? Maybe we can give you a lift, huh?” The guys were hurrying our way.

  I barely turned my head to reply. “Don’t need a ride. Thanks anyway. Bye!” That sounded pretty good. I figured if we didn’t show fear, we wouldn’t force their hand.

  The “Bye!” didn’t insert the finality I had hoped for. The guys had nearly reached us. Stupid, stupid high heels! What idiot in the fashion world designed shoes to attract attackers rather than get away from them?

  “Why in such a hurry, sweet cheeks?” The slurrer grabbed Kim’s shoulders, forcing her to a halt. One of his hands dropped to her butt and gave it a lurid squeeze.

  “Sis! Hey, Sis!” A total stranger was leaving the bar and half-jogging toward us. I was completely caught off guard. The two guys looked equally surprised – and pissed.

  “Hey, you weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” The stranger caught up with us, slipping his arm protectively around the totally confused Kim’s waist and steering her toward me.

  I recovered and flashed our rescuer a warm smile. “Hey, sorry. We were running so late, we just didn’t have time to look for you.”

  “Well, at least let me walk you to your car. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” The stranger smoothly maneuvered his other arm around my waist, gliding us both away.

  “Not at all.” Kim took my lead in playing along. Finally, the two goons gave up and turned back toward the bar.

  “Where are you parked?” The rather attractive stranger released us from his arms.

  “The end of the street. Thanks for the escort.” Damn. That came out a little more breathy than I intended.

  “How’d you know we needed help?” Kim was trying to grasp the situation.

  “I saw your friend dragging you out with a worried look on her face. Then I saw those two guys trailing behind and I got bad vibes off them.”

  “Bad vibes?” Kim got excited. “You sound like Rae! Do you pick up on vibes a lot?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Do you rescue many damsels in distress?” I couldn’t help but notice that our gallant protector had not once stared at my boobs.

  “I think you may be my very first damsels.” He flashed an incredibly charming smile.

  I liked this guy better by the second. Caring. Charming. Brave. Definitely brave. Mid-size, he would have been no match for those two creeps if things hadn’t gone smoothly. I’m pretty sure he was well aware of that fact, since his rather aggressive pace never slowed. We reached my car in no time.

  “We were going to go grab a bite. Can I treat
you to a burger or something?” I returned his smile, but I think I batted my eyes in the process. I stared down at the asphalt, totally mortified.

  “By golly, that would be great. I’m starved. I’m broke. And I’m worried Boris and Igor might try to follow you.”

  “Do you know the Towne?” Everyone knew the Towne, but our intriguing rescuer didn’t sound like a native. Rather than the harsh Buffalo, NY, twang, his voice had more of Midwestern lilt.

  “Love the Towne!” Again with that smile. It was melting me. “I’m parked just a block away. I’ll meet you there.” He disappeared around the corner and I think I breathed for the first time in minutes.

  Chapter 2

  “I can’t believe what just happened.” Kim was still sort of hyperventilating as I turned on the car.

  “Well, it’s over now, so try to relax.”

  Kim put her hand on her chest, closed her eyes and took a couple slow, deep breaths. Then she turned on me with a fury.

  “And you! I can’t believe you! Ms. Safety Queen who’s constantly harping about being careful and not trusting anyone…and you know this guy for thirty seconds and you’re asking him out?!”

  Okay, she had me there. I could feel the blood rising to my face. “It’s not like I asked him ‘out’ out… I’m just repaying him for saving our butts.”

  “You think he’s hot.” Kim knew me all too well.

  “Sooo…?”

  “Sooo…you’re not following your own rules. You’re not being cautious. You’re ignoring warning signs.”

  “What warning signs?”

  “Well…being broke isn’t exactly a good sign.”

  I had to admit, that bothered me a bit, too. And I hated that it did. I didn’t consider myself materialistic. “Maybe he’s broke ‘cause he’s paying his mother’s hospital bills. He seems like the kind of guy who would do that.” I couldn’t believe I was wishing a sick mother on the poor guy.

  Kim wracked her brain for more ammunition. “He was hanging out at a bar. You don’t trust guys who hang out at bars.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t always hang out at bars. I mean, we were there and we don’t hang out at bars.”

  Kim sat quietly for a minute, thinking hard. I was falling into one of the traps I constantly lectured her about. She was not going to let this go.

  “You know,” she contemplated, “this would have been the perfect set up. Have two guys scare the girls, then the brave, gallant hero comes to the rescue. It would work every time.”

  I swelled with a combination of pride and disbelief at my own achievement. “Kimmy, I’ve succeeded! That is a brilliantly suspicious thought. You may now distrust men as much as I do.”

  “No one distrusts men as much as you do. But, I guess it’s pretty easy to be suspicious when you’re not the one involved,” Kim smirked. “Shoe’s on the other foot now, Raedar.”

  Hmm. Could Kim be right? Was my instant infatuation clouding my better judgment? No. That couldn’t be it. I trusted the guy because he was wonderful. I could see it in his eyes. I could feel it in my bones.

  “I just have good vibes about this guy.”

  She gave me her “reality check” look

  “It’s not like I go around having good feelings about guys all the time.”

  “I’ll give you that. I can’t remember you ever having good feelings about any guy for yourself.” Kim sat quietly for awhile and then she started laughing hysterically.

  “What?”

  “It’s just so funny to see you finally getting all hot and bothered.” She started to snort the way she always did when she laughed really hard. “Thanks for the escort,” she exaggerated my too-breathy delivery. “Are we your first damsels?” She batted her eyes profusely.

  My cheeks were getting hotter by the minute.

  “It’s going to be fun watching you make your moves. I had no idea you were so…” she searched for the right word, “aggressive.” Now she was laughing so hard she was crying as well as snorting.

  I gripped the steering wheel harder. I had no idea I was so aggressive either. I can’t believe I just flat out asked this guy to join us. And Kimmy was right. I had never been truly attracted to a guy. Sure, over the years there’d been a couple I’d wished would ask me out. But, I’d never felt this total, immediate, overwhelming attraction. And I felt like I had no control over my brain or my ridiculous batting eyelashes – and who knew what else I’d have no control over?

  Funny, I could predict other people’s reactions, but not my own. Though, I felt safe in predicting that I wasn’t going to find this situation nearly as amusing as Kim was sure to.

  Chapter 3

  When we got to the Towne, our charming savior was standing by the door waiting for us. It was the perfect situation to get a good look at him. He was standing in the light, but we were walking through the dark – so he couldn’t see me giving him the once-over.

  He was even cuter than I’d thought: slightly wavy, tousled, dirty-blonde hair; a shy, little-boy smile that created a dimple on his left cheek; bright blue eyes that had a sort of twinkle to them –eyes that couldn’t hide anything. You could tell he was genuinely glad to see us.

  “Hey, damsels, I was starting to worry you ditched me.”

  “I’ve got this giant, old boat of a car. It takes me forever to find a spot big enough to park it.” I hated that car and its gas-guzzling ways. I’d had a sort of strange obsession with ecology and climate change for as long as I could remember. Since childhood. I think since even before I could use words. Certainly long before anyone ever used the term “global warming.”

  But, the car was the only thing I could find in my price range that wasn’t literally held together by duct tape. I rationalized the purchase knowing someone, somewhere would be driving the thing if I wasn’t – and I substituted more eco-friendly transportation as often as I could.

  “By the way, I’m Rachel Shannon and this is your ‘sister,’ Kim Laskowski,” I stuck out my hand as a matter of habit. At my job, I did a lot of public relations work. Lots of hand shaking and formal greetings. Not exactly appropriate for this occasion. I immediately felt like an idiot.

  “I’m Jim Kirkwood.” He shook my hand with a rather bemused expression. Even though I was embarrassed to death by my ridiculous formality, I got a huge thrill from touching his hand. It was warm and felt surprisingly strong, yet soft. I swear I felt some sort of electric current travel up my arm, making every nerve ending stand at attention.

  Kim, bless her heart, stuck out her hand, too, so I didn’t have to look like a dolt all by myself. “Nice to meet you, ‘bro.’ One of us must be adopted, though.” Kim had long, almost black hair and a slightly olive complexion that made Jim seem pale in comparison.

  “I must have all the recessive genes.”

  “Recessive jeans? I thought those were only for guys a lot younger than you” Kim joked.

  Jim stared at her blankly. You really had to know Kim before you could get her jokes. Her sense of humor was a bit odd.

  “The boys these days? They wear their jeans way down low…receding down their butts? It was a joke. You know, one of those forms of speech that make you laugh unless they have to be explained to you?”

  “Sorry. I’m sure I would have found that absolutely hilarious if I hadn’t just gotten off an 18-hour shift. I’m not too sharp right now.”

  So, he did have a job! I was hoping my elation at this news wasn’t radiating all over my face. But, I kind of think it was. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jim studying me out of the corner of his eye. He had a perplexed look on his face.

  “Eighteen hours! Is that even legal? What kind of job do you have?” Kimmy was really coming through for me, asking the key questions so I didn’t have to look like I was probing.

  “I’m a surgical intern at Buffalo General…which basically means I’m slave labor. But, they do give us a cot, so we can catch a few winks when things are slow.”

  Okay, this was totally hu
miliating. Kim was giving me the “ooo he’s a doctor” look. She could barely contain herself. I tried hiding behind my menu, but I could feel her eyes burning through it. And, of course, she was kicking my ankle under the table.

  “Mrs. Laskowski always wanted a doctor in the family. As her new ‘son, you’ll be making her a very happy woman.” I spoke with all the nonchalance I could muster as I folded my menu. “Where do you get the energy to go out after an 18 hour shift?”

  “Spot Coffee.” He smiled. “But it’s just barely working. If it weren’t for the promise of food, I’d be flat on my face by now. I’m not a late-night kind of person.”

  “So you’re not a regular at McGee’s?” Good ol’ Kim was still filling in all the background info for me.

  “By golly, no. Never been there before. It was one of the nurses’ birthdays. I just stopped by to be sociable.”

  “We don’t get out much either. Rachel works with one of the guys in the band, so we just dropped in to listen.” Kim, I knew, felt it necessary to establish that we were not barflies either.

  “The band was awesome! Which one was your friend?”

  “David Moore…the one in the kilt.” Jackdaw was a Celtic rock band, so the kilt wasn’t as weird as it sounds. And he had great legs, so showing them off certainly wouldn’t hurt the band’s popularity. “He’s really talented. A gifted art director by day, an equally gifted musician by night.”

  “Wow. Most people are lucky to do one thing well. Must be amazing to have two talents.”

  I could see Jim’s eyes get a distant look. I knew he was imagining himself with two talents. I wondered what they might be, those talents he secretly desired? Surgeon and composer? Poet and drummer?

  Who was I kidding? Intriguing as I found him, Jim was still a guy. Probably wished he was quarterback and a rockstar. I wouldn’t shatter his dream by bringing up the realities of the multitalented. I mean, life is short. Very few could achieve greatness in two different pursuits. One or both would always be shortchanged…always suffering from whatever time you devoted to the other. It would be a maddening dilemma.