The Do Over (5 page)

I didn't want to embarrass her. I knew no one, including me, wanted to be here on a Saturday afternoon. Since I'd just come off a tough shift, I was tired and irritable. But when Captain called in a rare favor, asking that I cover for him, I couldn't say no. He'd been like a dad to me for the past ten years.

On top of being worn out, I was running late, so I got behind on setting up for the class. I hated being late. It was one of my pet peeves. I just wanted to do my job and then relax. It had already been a very long day, and it was still early. I also had plans for later that night, and I couldn't get out of them. All of this put me in a bad mood, and I hated that even more than being late. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my priorities and decided I was going to do a damn good job.

As I scanned the class, I saw all eyes were on me except for one single set.
What on earth is she doing?
I walked around the table, tilting my head to the side to get a better view. She was looking at something on her lap. As curiosity got the best of me, I headed in her direction to see that she was staring at a tablet. I wondered if she was on Facebook, YouTube, or maybe even Netflix.

I weighed my options.
Will I let her sit through the entire class and then not give her the certificate? Or should I just put a stop to it now?
I wasn't into playing games, so taking control was the only choice. As I got closer, she had an expression of despair on her face as she clutched her shirt. Maybe she was reading something important. Now, I felt bad for her. Seeing her vulnerability, I toned down my approach.

When I stopped in front of her, she looked up at me through her long lashes. Her eyes were a dark amber color with darker flecks of brown. Her skin was flawless, and her brown hair was pulled up on top of her head.

As I leaned down to whisper in her ear, she gasped, making my lip curl into a half smile. I wasn't sure what came over me, but I needed to regain my composure and focus. I was here to teach a class, not to pick up girls. So, I got up and made it look like I was on my way to close the door.

On my way back to the front of the class, I glanced over at her and smiled. I had to remind myself again that I was a professional. For the remainder of the class, I tried to distract myself by focusing on and engaging the other students. I had an important job to do. It wasn't easy though. My eyes were drawn to her. I noticed she was definitely paying attention now.

As a Lieutenant in the Miami-Dade Fire Department Technical Team, I prided myself on always being professional in every setting. I had always wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps and become a firefighter, and I became even more passionate about my choice after 9/11. Before I entered the academy, I earned an Emergency Management degree from the University of Miami. I loved what I did, and I took pride in the way I conducted myself. I was dedicated and committed to my career.

Now, I was leading a training class where I couldn't get
one
participant out of my head. As I kept glancing at her, I found myself wanting to smell her sweet perfume again. I was looking forward to this part of class when the students had to come up for hands-on training.

"Now, we're going to put into practice what we talked about. Who wants to go first?" I asked the class, looking around to see who would be my first.

A few overly eager students raised their hands, and I had to admit, I was a little disappointed. One at a time, they came up and we went through the motions. Although I rushed through the demonstrations, I made sure I wasn't compromising the objective. Looking over at her again, I noticed she wasn't showing any interest in this part of the class. It was my job to make sure that every student was properly trained in advanced life support. I owed it to her to engage her in this class activity.

"Ms. Ruiz," I called, waving for her to come up to the front.

She straightened up, like she was startled.
Shit, I hope I didn't freak her out
.

After she sauntered to the front of the class, she got into position. Clearly, she knew what she was doing, but that didn't stop me from assisting her. I didn't know what had possessed me. I was drawn to her. I stood behind her as she placed her hands on the dummy. She was the perfect height. I could've easily rested my chin on her head. I reached over, almost leaning into her. I laid my hands over hers as we pushed down on the dummy.

Making sure she applied the correct pressure, I said in a hushed voice, "Make sure it's deep, hard, and steady. Yeah, that's right. You're doing it perfectly."

I wanted to know if the rest of her was as soft as her hands were, but I fought the urge, keeping my hands from traveling up her arm. Her soft perfume filled the air around me. All I wanted to do was bury my head in her neck.

Leaning in, I gave her the commands. Together, we counted, "and one, and two, and three, and…" My voice was huskier than I wanted it to be.

She was the consummate professional. She didn't flinch through the whole exercise. I wanted to say the same about myself. At least I tried while we went through the entire process practically attached to one another. Captain would have my ass for this. I felt like such a prick. I was practically dry humping her. If she leaned back as much as half an inch, she would know just how turned on I was.

I needed to think about baseball.
Yes, lots of baseball. How about that UM game?
I wondered if she was turned on. I just wanted to press my body up against her, gently stroke her skin, and kiss her neck. I needed to stop thinking about that.
Sports, Sports Center, ESPN, football, baseball, grandmothers.
That was what I needed to think about. I had to clear my head of all other thoughts. We were almost done with the demonstration.
Get a grip
. I thought about the look of disappointment on Captain's face.
Yep, that definitely did it.

At the end of class, she was nearly one of the last participants to come up for her CPR card.

Seeing an opportunity to have her stay a little longer, I said, "Um, Daniela, would you mind helping me put away the equipment?" I sounded like a dork, but she had me flustered.

Needless to say, I was conflicted. This was my job and reputation. I had to apologize before she filed a formal complaint. It wasn't just that though. I didn't want her to leave. I wanted to get to know her a little better. I quickly glanced at her left hand and noticed she didn't have a ring on her finger. Now, I needed to know if she was available, hopefully without freaking her out and risking my job.

"Sure, and it's Dani," she said, smiling as she looked at my shirt. "And you're Lieutenant Lucas."

"Liam, but we can keep it formal, and you can refer to me as Lieutenant." I winked.

"Absolutely, Lieutenant." She laughed.

As we started putting away the supplies, I asked, "So, Dani, have you done this before?"

"Done what? Help clean up or CPR?" she asked, her voice soft and sweet, as she tilted her head to the side.

Hot damn, she's flirting with me.

"What?" I responded, my voice low and husky. "Do you mean to tell me that I'm not your first? Damn, I can't believe you've helped others clean up. I'm jealous."

"Oh, don't be jealous." She went to put something in the closet. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "You're the first CPR instructor that I've helped, and I've had a lot of them. It goes with the territory."

I reclined against the table with my arms crossed in front of me. "Oh, so there've been other instructors. I'm not sure I can handle that."

"Yep, but none that I've helped." Fluttering her eyelashes, she shrugged her shoulders.

"I feel a little better, but I'm still jealous."

Shit.
I wanted to drag her over to me and pull her in close. Her playfulness was sexy as hell. She had the most amazing smile. She kept looking at me, shaking her head slightly. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

Out of nowhere, she confessed, "I'm so sorry for reading earlier. It was wrong and very rude of me." She had that look of anguish again. "I was just at a really good part in the book, and it was hard for me to put it down. I know what you're thinking…" She hung her head in shame. "My friends staged an intervention, and I'm aware that I need to go to Kindle Rehab to find balance, but it's so hard when I'm Team Kindle, all the way."

I laughed softly and smiled.
I like her.
"Actually, I need to apologize to you. I—"

"Please." She shook her head and smiled.

I wasn't ready for her to leave. "We're done here, but I'd really love to hear about the book that has you in knots. Maybe we could grab coffee at the Starbucks around the corner, so you could fill me in?"

She checked the time and looked disappointed. "I would really love to, but my friends are waiting for me. We're having a girls' night out. You know, chicks before dicks." Her eyes opened wide, and she blushed when she realized she'd said "dicks" to me.

She's adorable, absolutely adorable.

"Um, maybe some other time?" She added with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Sure. Sounds good." I nodded. My phone rang then, and I turned to grab it. I instinctively answered it, looking away.

When I turned back around, I watched as she got her stuff before she walked out of the room.

Damn, I'm an ass.
"Chris, listen, I have to let you go. Something's come up."

"Wait, don't hang up. I just want to make sure that you aren't going to blow me off tonight," Chris continued.

"I'll be there. I have to go," I said, rushing to get off the phone. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

Why did I answer the damn phone?
I went out to the parking lot to see if she was still around, and then I saw her car pulling out.
Shit! I didn't get her number.

When he'd asked me to go to Starbucks, I'd almost screamed with excitement. I had wanted to do a happy dance, but I had just enough sanity to calm down. I had to remind myself that Macy was waiting for me. I still couldn't believe that I'd said, "Chicks before dicks." I wanted the earth to swallow me up whole.
I'm such a goober.
I'd been so smooth and flirty, and then I had to say
that.
I knew my face had to have turned a dark shade of red.

Then, his phone had rang, and he answered it.
Ugh
! I felt awkward waiting around, so I left. I had never had a CPR class like that, and I doubted I would ever have another.

My heart was still beating rapidly, and I couldn't stop smiling. Just the thought of him standing behind me during that demonstration was enough to make me bite my lower lip. Longing to feel him close to me again, I let out a deep sigh. That wasn't going to happen.
Bummer.

I believed that all things in life happened for a reason. Combined with Macy and Candace's perfectly timed intervention, meeting the handsome Lieutenant Liam Lucas acted as a catalyst for me. With his flirty banter, he showed me what my friends were trying to tell me. I was a woman with needs and desires. Maybe they were right, and I needed to get back in the game. With that hopeful epiphany, I smiled with an inner confidence. I was ready for my reentry into the dating world.
Who am I kidding with the philosophical mumbo jumbo?
I was just excited that a hot guy flirted with me. I surprisingly liked it—a lot.

As I was driving, the sun was setting. The orange rays were breaking through the clouds against the fading blue background, creating an artistic masterpiece. I'd lived here my entire life, and I'd never noticed the vibrant hues. Sometimes, I failed to see the beauty around me because I was so focused on the pain that was in me. I needed to let go of the bitterness with Rick and make room for what could be. Liam Lucas was a reminder that there was still a lot of life and love for me to experience.

Of course, this only proved that my friends were right. Macy was my dearest and closest friend. She and I had bonded over broken hearts. I owed her my sanity after the drama with Rick. There was no love lost between them. She was quite vocal about her disdain, and her feelings were obvious with her eye rolls. She even nicknamed him "Rick the Dick."