Cat Johnson's Blog - Posts Tagged "firefighters"
Romance on Black Friday? YES!
An excerpt from the story "Mr. December" in my NICE & NAUGHTY hot holiday trilogy with firemen!! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! Cat Johnson
Jason Bryant smiled. "Peggy. You look festive."
She did, dressed in a dark green pantsuit with a red berry pin. He recognized both items as being store stock. Peggy was a loyal store employee, he'd wager right down to her Bryant's private label underwear.
Peggy, who had assisted his grandfather for over twenty years and now belonged to him, raised one painted-on eyebrow. "We'll see how festive you feel after I tell you what's happening."
Jason frowned. Whatever it was, he was not going to let it ruin his first Black Friday at Bryant's helm. He hadn't worked his way up from stockroom clerk, to floor associate, to manager, to Chief Operating Officer to let anything get in his way now. He gripped Peggy with one hand on each of her bony shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "What is it, Peggy?"
She released a loud cackle. "Well, Jesus. It isn't that bad. No one's dead. I just got a call from the Santa who's supposed to be here today."
Jason nodded. "Mmm, hmm. One of the local firemen promoting the charity calendar." There was a stack of calendars for sale at every register in the store.
"Yup. Mr. December, Troy O'Donnell, Ladder Company No. 3. Six feet tall and two hundred pounds of solid muscle, from what I can see."
"Yes, Peggy. I get it. What about Mr. O'Donnell?"
"He ain't coming. His girlfriend or somebody called." Peggy waved a dismissive hand, seeming far less interested in Mr. O'Donnell's dating status than she was in his physical attributes. "She said he's been throwing up for hours. They're not sure if it's the full-blown flu or just a little stomach bug, but he was apparently up and getting dressed between bouts of vomiting. He was trying to come here for his shift when she called me so I could tell him myself, officially, that he should stay the hell home."
He agreed, but hoped Peggy hadn't actually used the phrase stay the hell home. "Of course he should stay home. It wouldn't do to have Santa vomiting on the children, or spreading a stomach virus to our customers and staff."
"That's what I told him. But now what do we do about getting a Santa last minute?"
"Have you called the firehouse to see if they have a spare?"
Peggy laughed at that. "Have you seen those firemen in that calendar? If they do have a spare, they can send him over to my house."
Yes, Jason had seen the nearly nude fireman calendar, all twelve months of it. Aside from selling it at his store, Peggy had it hanging in her office for almost a month now even though it didn't officially start until January of next year. The item seemed to be very popular with the ladies. Apparently from her rundown on Mr. December, Peggy had memorized all of the hunky firemen's stats already. He rolled his eyes and had to smile. Peggy was seventy if she was a day.
"Stop rolling your eyes at me. I'm old. I'm not dead. And yeah, I called. They got nobody for us today. All of their fireman Santas are either on duty at the firehouse or spoken for elsewhere. They got them playing Claus all over town, you know, not just here. The children's hospital, the library. They said they might be able to swing somebody for tomorrow if he's still not better."
Jason pursed his lips as an idea struck him. He'd often wanted to be a fly on the wall in the store, see what his employees were up to when he wasn't around, hear unsolicited comments from customers. But his face was too well known in the store. This little misfortune could turn out to be a perfect opportunity. "Peggy. We've got the Santa suit here, correct?"
"Yup. Up in my office. Just got it out of the dry cleaners."
"Excellent. I'll arrange for a Santa. Oh, and I'll be out of touch for the day, so if anyone calls for me, just take a message."
Peggy cocked an already sharply arching black brow at him. "What are you up to?"
He winked at her and held one finger up to his lips to indicate she should keep quiet.
She shook her head. "You've got the devil in you, just like your grandpa."
Jason smiled and laid an arm around her shoulders, steering them both out the door of the break room. "And you've worked for us both, for over twenty years now. So what does that say about you, my dear Peggy?"
She let out a loud crackling laugh. "It says that I know I'll have a lot more fun working for a devil than a saint, that's what. Come on. I may have to find more padding for the suit. You're in better shape than last year's guy."
Nice & Naughty
Cat Johnson
Jason Bryant smiled. "Peggy. You look festive."
She did, dressed in a dark green pantsuit with a red berry pin. He recognized both items as being store stock. Peggy was a loyal store employee, he'd wager right down to her Bryant's private label underwear.
Peggy, who had assisted his grandfather for over twenty years and now belonged to him, raised one painted-on eyebrow. "We'll see how festive you feel after I tell you what's happening."
Jason frowned. Whatever it was, he was not going to let it ruin his first Black Friday at Bryant's helm. He hadn't worked his way up from stockroom clerk, to floor associate, to manager, to Chief Operating Officer to let anything get in his way now. He gripped Peggy with one hand on each of her bony shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "What is it, Peggy?"
She released a loud cackle. "Well, Jesus. It isn't that bad. No one's dead. I just got a call from the Santa who's supposed to be here today."
Jason nodded. "Mmm, hmm. One of the local firemen promoting the charity calendar." There was a stack of calendars for sale at every register in the store.
"Yup. Mr. December, Troy O'Donnell, Ladder Company No. 3. Six feet tall and two hundred pounds of solid muscle, from what I can see."
"Yes, Peggy. I get it. What about Mr. O'Donnell?"
"He ain't coming. His girlfriend or somebody called." Peggy waved a dismissive hand, seeming far less interested in Mr. O'Donnell's dating status than she was in his physical attributes. "She said he's been throwing up for hours. They're not sure if it's the full-blown flu or just a little stomach bug, but he was apparently up and getting dressed between bouts of vomiting. He was trying to come here for his shift when she called me so I could tell him myself, officially, that he should stay the hell home."
He agreed, but hoped Peggy hadn't actually used the phrase stay the hell home. "Of course he should stay home. It wouldn't do to have Santa vomiting on the children, or spreading a stomach virus to our customers and staff."
"That's what I told him. But now what do we do about getting a Santa last minute?"
"Have you called the firehouse to see if they have a spare?"
Peggy laughed at that. "Have you seen those firemen in that calendar? If they do have a spare, they can send him over to my house."
Yes, Jason had seen the nearly nude fireman calendar, all twelve months of it. Aside from selling it at his store, Peggy had it hanging in her office for almost a month now even though it didn't officially start until January of next year. The item seemed to be very popular with the ladies. Apparently from her rundown on Mr. December, Peggy had memorized all of the hunky firemen's stats already. He rolled his eyes and had to smile. Peggy was seventy if she was a day.
"Stop rolling your eyes at me. I'm old. I'm not dead. And yeah, I called. They got nobody for us today. All of their fireman Santas are either on duty at the firehouse or spoken for elsewhere. They got them playing Claus all over town, you know, not just here. The children's hospital, the library. They said they might be able to swing somebody for tomorrow if he's still not better."
Jason pursed his lips as an idea struck him. He'd often wanted to be a fly on the wall in the store, see what his employees were up to when he wasn't around, hear unsolicited comments from customers. But his face was too well known in the store. This little misfortune could turn out to be a perfect opportunity. "Peggy. We've got the Santa suit here, correct?"
"Yup. Up in my office. Just got it out of the dry cleaners."
"Excellent. I'll arrange for a Santa. Oh, and I'll be out of touch for the day, so if anyone calls for me, just take a message."
Peggy cocked an already sharply arching black brow at him. "What are you up to?"
He winked at her and held one finger up to his lips to indicate she should keep quiet.
She shook her head. "You've got the devil in you, just like your grandpa."
Jason smiled and laid an arm around her shoulders, steering them both out the door of the break room. "And you've worked for us both, for over twenty years now. So what does that say about you, my dear Peggy?"
She let out a loud crackling laugh. "It says that I know I'll have a lot more fun working for a devil than a saint, that's what. Come on. I may have to find more padding for the suit. You're in better shape than last year's guy."
Nice & Naughty
Cat Johnson
