‘It’s not,” he answers quickly. “But considering you’re a lieutenant and all, shouldn’t you put some effort in?”
I then realize he’s also not wearing just any old clothes he’s found on his floor as per usual. “Why are you dressed up?”
Jake looks himself over. “I wanted to wear a shirt with my jeans. You should try it sometime,” he adds with a smirk. My spidey senses are pinging, but I’m not exactly going to complain about my teenage son putting in some effort. He’s a good kid, but he’s also a sixteen-year-old boy who’s all about girls, sports, social media, and gaming. Pretty much the same as I was at his age, except I already had the girl, I played varsity baseball, and social media consisted of Myspace, not all the different sites available now.
Almost twenty-three years later, I’m a widowed single dad who’s contemplating taking up Dee Duncan’s offer to one day go into her restaurant for a thank-you dinner. Of course, she probably doesn’t see it as anything more than that, but the woman fascinates me even more after the scene outside her building last week. She flirted, I flirted back, and then I had to go, but the chemistry was there. I’m not so out of the game that I don’t remember what it’s like to feel a spark with a woman. I just haven’t wanted to have it ignite with anyone in the five years since my wife, Lily, lost her battle with ovarian cancer.
Jake walks over to my closet and rummages through the hangers before pulling out a black short-sleeved button-up and holding it out my way. It’s the exact shirt I had been thinking of wearing to Dee’s restaurant when I next had a clear night with no work, obligations, or when I wasn’t a walking zombie because of said work and obligations.
“Put this on. And do something with that.” He points to my hair.
“Jake, wanna clue me in on what’s going on? Is this more than just a normal firehouse catch up?”
“No. Nope. Not at all,” he replies cautiously. “You just never know who might turn up. You said you were open to dating and putting yourself out there. Why not practice tonight? Then we can work on getting you into speed dating or making an online profile for you or something.”
“You really are team dating now, aren’t you?” I smirk and take the shirt from him. Moving over to the bed, I reach behind my shoulders and tug off my CFD tee before replacing it with the shirt.
It was only recently that I decided I should put myself out there and consider dating again. That just happened to coincide with my growing fascination with everything Dee Duncan after Jake introduced me to her videos months earlier. At first I thought it was just another foodie with a god complex spouting their unqualified dribble about an amazing hamburger they’d bought, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Dee captivated me from her first smile to the camera and the following tirade about plant-based products that did not taste the same as the real thing. Then she’d covered non-animal product ones that—when done right—can taste okay. I’ve been a meat-eater since conception—all Andersons are—but the video had even me considering trying something different next time I was at the grocery store.
“Don’t forget the hair,” Jake says, walking out of the room. “Oh, and that cologne I got you for your birthday.”
That kid is something else. He’s awesome, and I’m proud of the man he’s becoming, but he never fails to give me glimpses of ‘what the fuck’ now and then.
After putting some putty in my hair and styling it, and giving myself a spritz of Bvlgari Man, I slide on my boots and walk into the newly renovated kitchen and living area to find Marco and his girlfriend, Renee, standing in a huddle with Jake, the conversation ending abruptly when they see me.
“Don’t stop on my account,” I murmur, giving them a suspicious side-eye as I grab my keys and wallet from the dining table.
“We’re just talking about school,” Jake says at the same time Marco says, “Thinking of going to a Bears game.”
I look between my son and his godfather with raised brows, while Renee struggles not to burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling with amusement before she hides her face behind Marco’s shoulder.
“So . . . school and the Bears. That’s the best you can come up with? Really?” I catch sight of Marco’s top and shoot Jake a glare. “Why does Marco get to wear a CFD T-shirt and not me?”
Renee sighs, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the two. “Jesus, guys. Just tell the poor man.”
“And let him stress about it the whole way over there? Were you calm before your first date with Uncle Marco?”
Marco smirks at Renee, who looks a little flustered. “Hmm, princess, when was our first date?”
Renee’s cheeks turn pink, but she still manages to scowl at her boyfriend while she does it.
To his credit, Jake shakes his head at Marco, tut-tutting in disappointment. “Marco, have you learned nothing from me? You don’t embarrass your woman in front of company.”
“Or at all,” Renee mutters.
Jake nods. “Or at all. But Renee knows I’m right. If we tell Dad now, he’ll build it up in his head, and just his luck, he’ll get nervous and shit.”
“Jake . . .” I warn. “Language around a lady.”
My son rolls his eyes. “It’s Renee. She’s hardly a—” He wisely clamps his mouth shut at the shocked expression on said lady’s face. Marco just chuckles and hooks an arm around Jake’s shoulders. “Hey, bud. Welcome to the doghouse. Get comfortable. It might be a while.”
That makes me laugh under my breath—well out of angry-woman-death-stare range.
“Right. As fun as it is to be the only one in the room without a clue, it’s not my birthday, I haven’t got a new job, and there sure as fuck isn’t anything else in my life exciting enough to be celebrated with a surprise party. So put me out of my misery, and just tell me already.”
Marco’s amused eyes turn to mine. “Rhodes, language around a lady.”
“Oh, fuck off, Marky Mark. Unless you’re going to tell me what the hell scheme you’ve cooked up with my son.”
Renee’s gaze switches between Jake and Marco before she sighs and moves my way. “Okay,” she says, stopping in front of me and reaching out to straighten my collar. “Hmm, nice touch with the cologne.”
“See, Dad? Told you!”
“Rhodes, stop charming my girlfriend,” Marco adds with a sigh.
I roll my eyes, meeting Renee’s amused ones. “Okay. You’re being set up with a woman tonight, and I don’t want you to freak out. Because then Jake and Marco would be right and I’d be wrong, and you really don’t want them to gloat the whole drive to Cohen and Skye’s. Believe me. Jake beat us at pool last week and he still texts Marco every day to toot his own horn. So just smile and nod, take a deep breath, and act like there’s absolutely nothing to freak out about. Can you do that?” Her eyes bore into mine but it takes a while for her words to register.
“Wait . . . you think I’ll freak out? What, is she someone awful or something? I mean . . . did Scotty pick her?” Scotty is the equivalent of our station’s class clown. He’s a good guy, and I trust him with my life every shift. He’s just . . . Scotty.