"I need Saturday off. Jenkins is being a dick, and he won't trade me a shift, but I can't be at work that day." I'd been so surprised when Derek asked me to go with him that I hadn't thought of how I would make that happen. He'd put himself out there, and after what we'd experienced, there was no way I would let him down. I know how hard it had to have been for him to ask.
"What's Zane got going on?" Frankie asks.
"Nothing."
"Oh, something at Cypress Grove then?"
Fuck. He's not going to let this go. "No, it has nothing to do with Zane, Mom, or Steph."
"I'm a little confused then, Grumpy Bear, because as long as I've known you, you've never needed a day off unless it was for one of those three people." He pushes his beanie up on his head and scratches before lowering it again.
"I have a thing … with this guy, you nosy bastard."
Frankie glances my way with side eyes. "What thing with what guy? You don't have things with people."
"I do now, fuck you very much."
Frankie pulls the bus into the station and parks.
"Can we just do this? You know my ass won't leave you alone until you tell me and then I'll just piss you off more. We need to stock and clean up and I'll fucking ramble about it the whole goddamned time, so save us the back-and-forth and tell me now."
I can't help but chuckle. Frankie is equal parts entertaining and frustrating … but he's also a good man. "You're making a big deal out of nothing." He doesn't have to reply for me to know he's going to call me on the lie. This is a big deal for me.
"You're trying to get a day off work when you've been stressed about picking up more shifts or taking a second job and it has to do with this guy. Don't bullshit a bullshitter."
I groan and then drop my head against the back of the seat. "He's a friend and he needs my help." He invited me into the most personal part of his life. Fuck if I know if he sees it that way, but I do.
"You like him," Frankie tells me.
"You sound like a child," I reply.
"It makes sense." He shrugs, ignoring what I said. "I didn't really think you'd be the guy who was out banging someone different every night. It's not your style." He winks at me and then climbs out. I should tell him he's wrong, but the truth is, he's not. The point is proven by the fact that Derek is the only person I've touched since I moved out of Steph's, and I told him I wouldn't share.
Still … I get out and jog after him. "It's not what you think. We're just having fun. I need to have a little fun. You said so yourself."
"I sure as fuck did." Frankie nods. "I just never thought you'd actually do it. What are you going to do if you can't get Jenkins to work for you?"
I look at him and answer with sincerity. "I can't be at work on Saturday. It's important." If I flake on him, he'll never ask again. He'll continue to keep all the shit he's dealing with to himself.
We head inside the firehouse and I get supplies to clean and stock the bus. Frankie makes up some excuse to do something else while I do the work. Just as I finish up I hear a noise behind me and turn to see Frankie step into the bus. "Finally, you fucker. You got it next time."
"And you have Saturday off. You're welcome."
My brows pull together. "How … ?"
"I was giving Jenkins shit about tickets to a concert I have. He wanted to buy them off me because they're sold out. I said no before … so now I said yes."
My heart starts thundering and I cock my head slightly to look at him. Frankie and I have always been friends … friends who don't have shit in common but friends just the same. Still, he's never done something like this for me. "That's … that's pretty fucking amazing, but I can't let you do that. I'll figure it out."
I turn around and fuck with supplies that don't need to be fucked with. It's really fucking cool of him to do that for me. I'm not sure what to say. It's not often I have people going out of their way for me.
"You can, and you will. I want to do this for you. Just do me a favor and get some ass out of it or something. It's getting harder and harder to put up with your grumpiness."
"I-"
"Shut up. Your boy needs you and you know you're gonna be there for him. It's how you're built."
Yeah … yeah, it is how I'm built. "I owe you," I tell him and then, "He's not my boy."
"Whatever you say."
As we head back into the fire station, I turn and look at him. Know I could do a little more to be a better friend to him. "We need to plan a night out." He's been offering for months. Why did I turn him down all the time? Because just like Derek … I don't want to need anyone else.