" TRAPPED "

✦

"9-1-1, WHAT'S your emergency?"

Josephine suppressed a yawn as she watched the call flash across the monitor. She had a late class the previous night and stayed up through the night to get some last-minute studying in before she was due to head to work.

"Help me! I'm stuck in a garbage truck."

"You're locked in a garbage truck?"

"I can't move my legs I can't get out! It's gonna crush me! Please hurry!"

"I'm sending the nearest police car."

During the day, there weren't many interesting calls so Josie tried to occupy herself. It wasn't until later in the evening that things at the call center finally picked up a bit.

"Josephine."

"Yeah?" She craned her neck to glance at her coworker.

"Take line two. They're asking for you."

"For me? By name?"

"Yes. Requested you specifically. More demanded."

"Okay." Josie stuck her earpiece into her ear and clicked on the incoming call on line two. "9-1-1, this is Josie Davis. What's your emergency?"

"Josie, it's Athena." Athena's voice sounded from the other line and a hint of nervousness crackled through the speaker.

"Athena?" The dispatcher furrowed. "What's going on? Is everyone okay? Are you on duty?"

"Everyone's fine," she assured. "This is personal. I, um, seem to have gotten myself in a-a bit of a jam. I need you to call Hen and have her call me back at this number."

"A bit of a jam, huh? Are you...safe?"

"I'm in no danger of anything, except being embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Josephine smirked. "Athena Grant...what are you up to?"

"None of your business, Josephine! Just call Henrietta."

"I'll find out, eventually. Calling Hen now."

⏜●⏝●⏜

THE OVERHEAD light in the dining room flickered on and Josie groaned at the incoming figure. She went back to the meal sitting in front of her and twirled her fork around in the bed of pasta before a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

"Why are you eating in the dark?" Karen asked.

"Because I don't want your parents to come down here and ask about my day."

"Why is that?"

"They ask too many questions and I don't have the brain capacity for that."

"They missed you," the rocket scientist mused. "Don't tell 'em I said this but you don't call them enough."

Josie guiltily lowered her head and frowned. "I-I know."

"Call them more so I don't have to be the one airing your business out."

"I don't air your business out!" She crumpled up a paper towel and tossed it at the woman.

"Oh, yeah? They just magically found out about Hen?"

The college student innocently shrugged and flashed a small grin at her older cousin. "Whoops." She set down her fork in the now empty bowl and then folded her hands on top of the table. "Speaking of her...any update on you two?"

"Nope."

"Have you spoken?"

"Hell no."

"You'll have to, eventually. I mean, Denny's asking questions and there's only so many ways to segue out of the conversation."

"I've been meaning to thank you, by the way," Karen breathed out. "You've been so good with him during this and I hope you know it means a lot."

She nodded and listened to the woman ramble on about the reasons why she didn't want to speak to her wife. Josie completely understood, infidelity was not an excusable action but Karen and Hen had a child so all she could do was hope they would communicate at some point.

"Who was that on the driveway the other night?"

"Hmm?"

Karen narrowed her eyes at her younger cousin. "There was a Jeep parked outside the house the other night and unless you decided to trade in your Toyota...you were with someone."

"Just a guy."

"Just a guy?"

Josephine shrugged. "It's new. We're, uh, taking things slow."

"When do I get to meet him?"

"Probably never."

⏜●⏝●⏜

BOBBY SAT on the bench in the locker room when Buck came strolling in a lot earlier than expected. He turned over his shoulder and raised a brow at the younger firefighter who he assumed would be gone for the remainder of the morning.

"Thought you had the morning off?" Bobby questioned. "Weren't you supposed to be in a blimp or something?"

"Hot air balloon," Buck corrected. "I, uh, got cold feet and almost bailed..." He could feel the harsh stare from his captain even if they weren't at eye level. "But then she bailed and I gotta say, I'm kind of grateful."

"Grateful? I thought you really liked Abby."

"I-I did. I do. It's, just, I met someone."

"Oh, Buck..."

"It's not like that. I mean, I haven't slept with either woman yet," Buck rectified, knowing that Bobby would assume the worst due to his history. "But this girl...she's great. Smart, beautiful, fun, and things aren't complicated with her."

"And things are complicated with Abby?"

"I'm just starting to think maybe...this type of relationship isn't for me," the younger firefighter confessed his thoughts. "I respect the way Abby takes care of her Mom and I like her Mom. But...it's a lot to deal with."

"And this other woman is less to deal with?" Bobby squinted his eyes, unable to comprehend the younger man's words. "I'm not sure⎼"

"It's Josie!" He blurted.

"Our Josie?" The fire captain lunged forward and widened his eyes. "Hen's wife's younger cousin, Josie? The college student and part-time dispatcher, Josie?"

"That's the one."

"And she feels the same way about you?" He couldn't believe what he was being told.

"Yeah. She wants to get to know each other before things become serious so..."

"Well..." Bobby cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I think Josie's great, she's a sweet girl, and she's got a good head on her shoulders. Abby's great too. But you shouldn't be running away and hiding because a relationship is too...adult for you. Women come with baggage, that's just life."

"The thing is I'm not sure if I'm running away because it's too much or because of Josie. I think I could really like her."

"Then that's something you need to take into consideration preferably before one of those women gets hurt." Bobby stood up from the bench and dusted off his pants. "I'd hate to transfer you because you hurt Josie."

"You'd take her side, Cap, really?"

"I knew her first."

⏜●⏝●⏜

JOSEPHINE DIPPED her finger in the bowl of raw brownie batter and raised her brows in amusement at the taste. Isabella glanced over and smacked the girl on the side once she attempted to do it again.

"No double dipping. These are for my residents. They're gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and—"

"So they're free of all the good stuff."

"My residents are elderly people, they can't have a lot of unhealthy foods," Bella said. "Or they have a million and one restrictions, this is the only way I could bake them sweet treats. Mix the cookie dough."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I should have enough batter left over for a small tray of brownies. Want me to put some aside so you can bring it over to Buck tomorrow night?"

The firefighter called her earlier in the day and asked her if she would be willing to go on a proper date with him. Josie, of course, said yes and told him to send her whatever details and she would happily see him the following day.

"No. I don't want him to think I'm handy in the kitchen."

"Good point. You are a total disaster in the kitchen," the nursing student raised her brows. "Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"Not really. Buck and I have hung out a few times now, the only difference is that it's a date."

"Man, I wish my cousin's wife could help me find a boyfriend," Isabella playfully whined. "All they do is give me headaches and make me wish I didn't know them."

"If there's another cute firefighter at the station, I'll slip them your number."

"I'm holding out for a doctor. Or a surgeon."

"Dream big, baby girl."

⏜●⏝●⏜

"THESE ARE trick buttons."

An accusatory tone laced Josephine's voice as she fumbled with the buttons on Buck's shirt. He laughed for what seemed like the tenth time in a row, feeling the same rush of hormones (namely adrenaline) as she did.

"They're not trick buttons," he eyed her manicured fingernails shakily fumbling with his shirt. "I think it might be nerves."

Dinner, drinks, and a bit more of getting to know each other. That was how their night went and Josie would say it was successful. There was even a shared kiss on the walk back to his car that felt explosive and exhilarating.

But that one kiss eventually ended up with them cramming in the backseat of his Jeep.

"Nerves? Me? No way."

Buck caught her hands in the middle of slipping the material of his shirt off his shoulders with a soft sigh. "We don't have to do this." His baby blues looked into her brown eyes and he lunged forward to catch her lips in an eager kiss. "I think we're too tall for the backseat anyway."

"I know," Josie threw her head back. "This is your fault."

"Mine?"

"Yes! You're the one who lives with roommates."

"Says the one who also lives with roommates."

"Family," she corrected. Her eyes glanced down at his now exposed torso and a soft smirk danced across her lips.

"See something you like?"

"No," she denied.

"Liar." A squeal slipped past her lips when he pulled her closer to his body and feverishly kissed her, lips drifting to her cheek, and then down to her jaw. Josie's mouth opened on its own accord and a soft moan slipped when he nipped in just the right spot. The sound was like music to his ears, her hands instantly squeezed at his bicep, and—

"Is that your phone?"

A heavy, repetitive vibration was felt in his front left pocket.

"Ignore it," Buck mumbled.

"I can't..." The vibration continued and caused Josie to pull away and screw her face up. "It's right underneath me."

"Sorry. Let me just..." When he grabbed the phone and glanced over the messages a sorrowful expression cast over his face. Buck then spared an apologetic look at Josie and she immediately shook her head. "It's Abby, I'm sorry. It's her Mom and—"

"I don't need the story."

"I'll call you later."

Josephine tried her best to unravel herself from his lap and poked her head in between the driver and passenger seat to grab her purse resting on top of the console. She spared a small smile at Buck before attempting to reach for the door handle but he grabbed her elbow and flashed another apologetic look.

"Josephine..."

"We're good. Call me or text me...whatever."

-------------------

authors note

-did y'all really think things were gonna go well on the FIRST date???? 🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

-stay tuned for the next chapter!