Free Up In Flames by Rosanna Leo

morning, and I didn't see him.” She hung her head as she walked. “Oh, Claire, I feel horrible."
    "That's because you like him."
    "No.” Jules said it so quickly it didn't sound believable, even to her own ears. “He just has this strange quality. I don't know what it is, but it makes you want to gain his good opinion. And he made it very clear he thinks I'm a gullible moron."
    Claire's face was deadpan. “You like him. And you're not a moron. Shane doesn't know the full story. He doesn't know how convincing Kevin can be. He had us all fooled."
    "Especially me."
    "So,” Claire mused, “our hunky captain had a wife. Did he tell you anything about her?"
    "You know as much as I do.” She felt her head pounding and gave the bridge of her nose an aggressive rub.
    Claire gave her sister's arm an affectionate squeeze. “Talk to him, Jules. Say you're sorry. Tell him you haven't been yourself since that idiot Kevin used you."
    The familiar anger resurfaced. She growled, “Ain't it the truth."
    They saw Todd coming towards them and met him at the pub door. “Come on,” Claire greeted her husband. “It's not often the sitter can stay the extra hour. If you buy your wife a rum and Coke, you might get lucky."
    Jules rolled her eyes. “Get a room, you two."
    "Don't be jealous. You've got a hot firefighter at home."
    Jules pushed through the pub door, only to be greeted by the raucous sound of a group of men drinking. It was a familiar sound. She knew those voices. She'd heard them plenty of times down at the fire hall.
    Kevin and his pals were engrossed in some silly, collegiate drinking game, but that didn't stop them from looking up as Jules’ group entered the pub. Jules stopped in her tracks briefly. Shane was there, sitting at the head of the table, his glass raised.
    So he was becoming one of them after all.
    All the eyes at the table of liars were trained on her. A couple of the men actually giggled at the scene before them. Kevin dared to wave hello, smiling his most genuine “aw shucks” smile, the one which used to produce butterflies in her stomach.
    Shane seemed suddenly in a foul mood, frowning at Jules as if she bothered him to the extreme. She nodded at him, and he bit his lip as he nodded back.
    Todd nudged Jules. “You wanna go somewhere else? Duffy's isn't the only pub in town."
    "No.” She concentrated on keeping her head held high as she led them to a booth. “But it's my favorite pub, and I won't be scared from it.” They sat down, and she made sure her back was to the firefighter's table.
    "Boy, you certainly made an impression on Shane. That is quite the look he is giving you,” Claire commented.
    "I know, like he wants to throttle me."
    "That's not the look I see,” her sister responded, eyebrows arched.
    Before they had a chance to order, the waitress was already approaching their table with a chocolate martini on her tray. She delivered it to Jules as if she were part of a huge romantic conspiracy. “Someone thinks you're special."
    Jules felt her cheeks burning as she stared at the martini. It was her favorite drink.
    "Don't look now,” warned her sister. “He's on his way."
    "Hi there, Claire, Todd. Hello Jules."
    She turned in her seat to face Kevin, all the while conscious of Shane's stern expression at the other table. “I don't want your drink, Kevin."
    "Come on, it's just a little drink, Jules. A peace offering. Don't tell me you lost your taste for chocolate martinis in six short months."
    "No, I lost my taste for something else entirely."
    "I deserved that,” he shrugged. “Can I join you guys?"
    "I don't think it's a good idea,” Todd jumped in.
    "Well, let's just ask Jules here,” Kevin persisted.
    She glanced quickly back over at Shane. He had gone to the bar, and was ordering himself an orange juice, but his eyes hadn't left Jules. She had the urge to run and join him at the bar, but resisted it. This was the first time she'd seen him in his uniform. He looked good.