Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 21:46:30 -0500
From: Marcus Kost <meetingofcoincidence@gmail.com>
Subject: Meeting of Coincidence: Chapter 61

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************************

Chapter 61


JW closed the door to the engine, looked on the clock at on the wall that
read 2:13pm and walked off towards his locker. Mack walked up beside JW
holding his gear under his arm, "Fucking nice job man. That was a good
call."

JW shrugged, "It was an obvious call but thanks. You don't have to be all
over supportive any more."

Mack raised his eyebrows, "Never was?I will let you know when you fuck
up, but right now I am telling you that you made the right call when a lot
of other people would have fucked that up."

JW nods head, "Well thank you."

Mack and JW walk up to their lockers, hang their gear up and Mack slaps JW
in the back of the head, "No problem."

JW laughs and grabs the back of his head, "What the fuck was that for?"

Mack smiles, "Not making the right call sooner. You said it was obvious so
why the fuck did you wait so long?"

JW shakes his head, grabs his shower bag and walks off towards the shower,
"Hey Mack make sure you guys get all the tools cleaned up before you hit
the shower."

Mack flips JW off and turns to walk back to the engine. JW was only
pretending and walked quietly back up to the engine a few seconds later
because JW would never leave them to do the work. JW accidentally stumbled
onto a conversation between Gary and Chris. JW listened closely and didn't
know if he was going to cry with happiness or just start cheering.

Chris was complaining about JW and Gary was actually defending JW, "Chris I
don't care what you say JW is the real deal. Yes he is a homo, but let's be
serious here. JW is nothing like the any other fag you have met or we
know."

Chris laughed, "What about the Captain?"

Gary turned to Chris, "You can fuck-off because Shane has saved my ass so
many times I don't even keep count anymore."

Chris tried to joke, "Well I am just saying the Captain is completely
different from JW. I mean come on do we even really know about the guy?
Like did you know that he had kids?"

Gary had stopped cleaning his drywall hook and looked at Chris, "What the
fuck does that have to do with anything?"

Chris hesitantly laughed, "Well? nothing I guess."

Gary shook his head, "Exactly. Now get back to finishing that shit up."

Chris and Gary worked quietly for a few seconds and JW was about to walk
around the corner when Chris said, "I just want to know why JW is gay?"

Gary stopped his work and grabbed Chris by the arm, "Why the fuck do you
want to know that? Why don't you just do your god damn job and leave the
personal shit out of it."

Chris jerked his arm out of Gary's hand, "Fine I was just trying to make a
joke."

JW watched Gary closely as Gary gritted his teeth, "Listen dumb ass we rely
on each other to save each other's asses. You can't go around pissing
people off when you count on those same people to be responsible for your
ass and making the decision where you get burned alive or go home. Now JW
would not do that but I never want to give him a reason to do it."

Chris angrily spat back, "Bullshit! You're just being dramatic now and why
are you all of a sudden defending JW? Is there something going on between
you two? Besides what would you know about that? JW has not done shit yet."

Gary leaned in closer to Chris and pointed into Chris' chest, "Remember a
few weeks ago when JW grabbed Sean and pulled him out of the way of the
dumb bitch who crashed into our accident scene?"

Chris nodded his head stupidly, "So?"

Gary leaned in and whispered, "Well JW saved my ass as well and he should
not have done anything for me. I was a fucking idiot and said the exact
same stupid shit you're saying right now. JW had my nuts in a vice and
choose to release them instead of tighten down. Now remember when we got
back to the station and the Captain blew the fuck up and yelled at JW for
the rest of the day?"

Chris relaxed, "Ya? What about that?"

Gary leaned back from Chris, "That had nothing to do with our accident but
had everything to do with what I said to JW earlier that day. The Captain
was standing right there and knew something was going on and he was trying
to break JW into telling the truth about what I had said to him. But JW
stood his ground for hours when he could have easily done what the
department standard ops say to do. JW could have had me fired on the spot
and didn't. JW could have let me been smashed and didn't. JW did more for
me in one day that anyone else has done for since I started."

Chris stood there stupidly and finally said, "Well I didn't know that. Like
I said I was just making a joke. So just calm down."

JW walked around the around the truck to show he was there and Chris looked
like he was about to have a heart attack. Gary looked at Chris, grunted and
looked over his shoulder and raised his eyebrow in surprise, "Lieutenant I
didn't know you were there."

JW shook his head, "Please don't call me that bullshit unless you have
too. You know my name! ok?"

Gary nodded his head and the three of them stood there in silence for a few
awkward seconds. JW folded his arms across his chest and leaned into the
engine, "So Chris you have a question?"

Chris eyes darted around the station, "Um! I don't! I don't think! Oh I
don't remember."

JW relaxed his arms, "Mind if I speak freely here?"

Gary looked at Chris angrily and Chris looked down, "Go ahead."

JW sighed, "What is it going to take for me to be accepted here with you
guys? I am not nearly as horrible as you make me out to be."

JW reached down into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and grabbed a
picture, "These are my three kids. Leah, Kira and Luke." JW pointed at each
of his kids and gave their age and something they liked.

JW started laughing as he said, "Luke can hardly walk but he is already
catching a ball and throwing it accurately." JW smiled and tucked the photo
back into his wallet, "What else do you want to know?"

Chris looked at Gary nervously and Gary spat back to Chris, "This is your
fucking monkey. So don't look to me for help."

Gary started to laugh with JW until JW unfolded his arms, "I highly doubt
you really want to know why I am gay. So I am going to try and end this
extremely uncomfortable conversation with this? if you want to know
something ask me."

JW turned and walked away and laughed to himself as he heard Gary slap
Chris in the back of head and call him a, "God damn idiot."

JW walked away to the shower and grabbed his phone out of his locker and
started to send Marcus a text message "I am so tired of the god damn drama
here." JW walked into the shower, turned the water on and stripped down
real quick and checked his phone for a response from Marcus but no luck
yet. JW climbed into the shower and was stepping out a few minutes later
and his clothes were gone. JW walked across the shower and grabbed two
towels. JW toweled off quickly and wrapped another around his waist and
walked outside into the bays to find his clothes.

JW was expecting to find them thrown on the engine or hanging from the
ceiling but JW did not see them in the open. He walked around the corner
and met Shane's eyes. Fire shot out of Shane's eyes and JW looked quickly
at the other people in the office and saw two women. JW turned quickly,
almost slipped and ran back inside the shower. JW desperately looked around
the shower and heard a phone starting to ring.

JW dug through a pile of towels and answered the phone, "Son of a bitch!
Where are my god damn clothes?" JW heard laughing on the other side of the
phone and then they hung up. JW was furious and searched the locker room in
a frenzy again. JW's phone rang again and JW answered it, "God damn it
mother fuckers! Give me my fucking clothes! I just walked past someone in
the Captains office and someone was in there god damn you."

JW's whole body went rigid when he heard Shane's voice, "So that is what
happened! Well I will go get your clothes back! Wait a second!" JW could
tell that Shane was hesitant when he said, "You might as well come in here
now. Just keep that towel on."

JW coughed, "What?"

Shane yelled into the phone and JW held the phone away from his ear, "Now
damn it!"

JW walked out of the shower and into the engine bays. Everyone in the
station was now standing in the bays. JW angrily flipped off Mack who was
holding JW's pants and JW walked back towards Shane's office. Shane saw JW
and walked out of his office, "Lieutenant get over here."

Shane pointed at everyone else who was now standing with their arms behind
their back while holding JW's clothes, "I will deal with the rest of you
later. JW stand right there."

Shane turned around, "This is JW and he is the one you were asking about."
JW stood there stupidly, embarrassed to death and flushed red with anger.

JW looked at the two women walking out of Shane's office and noticed the
Battalion Chief Jim standing in a corner shaking his head. JW knew there
was going to be hell to pay the second these women left the station. JW
made eye contact with a short brunette who was in her thirties and JW
thought she was very cute. The other woman was probably the same age but
was much shorter and very fat. The brunette walked up to JW, looked him
over head to toe and then turned around to face the other woman, "This guy
shouldn't be to hard to shoot." She glanced up to JW and gave wry smile and
a wink of her eye.

JW looked up and frowned at Shane, "Did my ex send them?"

Shane looked confused for a second and then realized JW was making a
joke. Shane laughed and then introduced the two women as the photographers
with the fundraiser and they were in the area and decided to stop by. JW
was now terrified as the two women stared at JW, talked to themselves and
it looked like the fat one was taking the towel off with her eyes.

JW stood there for a minute before Shane looked at Mack, "Well I guess you
should give JW his cloths back." Mack laughed, threw JW's pants at him and
JW's underwear landed at JW's feet. JW rolled his eyes, now about to pass
out from embarrassment and quickly grabbed his cloths. The attractive girl
named Violet walked up to JW, "You look good in green."

JW blushed again as he picked up his green trunks and stuffed them into his
pants, "Thanks."

JW was handed his shirt by Shane and JW stared at him stupidly until JW
realized that Shane was in on it as well. Shane walked away with a smirk on
his face, "Well I know you have something's to talk about. Why don't you
get dressed now Lieutenant and act like you belong on this department." JW
scowled at Shane and disappeared into the locker room.

He quickly got dressed, tucked his shirt in and cursed loudly because
someone still had his shoes. JW walked back out into the bays barefoot and
was met by Jim who was hiding a huge smile under his massive mustache. Jim
pulled his arms from behind his back and handed JW his socks and shoes, "It
was my idea."

JW's jaw fell open and he grinned, "Protected by the shield. I see how it
is." Jim pointed JW towards the two women standing at the front of the
station and walked away.

Violet did most of the talking while the fat one just stared at him. Thirty
minutes passed and JW walked the two women out of the station, JW shook
their hands and said thank you and turned back into the station. Violet
called out to JW, "Hold on a second."

JW stopped and Violet walked up to JW and gave him a small piece of paper,
"That's my number. You can just call me when ever you want." JW looked down
at the paper and saw it had a number on it.

JW frowned and asked stupidly, "I am sorry but why would I need to call
you?" Violet blushed and the fat girl rolled her eyes.

Violet looked JW in the eyes, "Well you know! If you ever want to call me."
JW could not figure out what she wanted and stood there trying to think of
something to say when Violet said, "I could not make it any more obvious,
but call me when you get off work and we could go have a few drinks."

JW blushed hard and hid his face with his hands, "Oh my god! I am an idiot,
but I don't get off till six in the morning."

Violet ran her hand over JW's hand covering his face, "Well we could always
go get coffee tomorrow morning and stop hiding your beautiful smile with
your hands."

JW smiled hard, put his hands at his sides and nervously said, "As gorgeous
as your are, I am already taken, but thank you very much."

The fat girl called out laughing, "Told you there was no way he was not
married."

Violet shrugged, "Well you keep that number because if you're ever single
again I would still love to get that drink for you."

Violet turned and shrugged at the fat girl. JW was walking back to the
station door when JW looked over his shoulder back at the two women and
they were talking to each other, they were looking over their shoulders at
JW. JW gave a final wave good bye and walked back inside the station; when
the door closed behind him JW yelled, "You mother fuckers."

JW heard someone behind an engine say, "You look good in green though."

JW laughed, "Bet you assholes didn't score a phone number off her either."

Sean poked his head around the corner of the engine, "Seriously? How the
hell did you pull that off?"

JW laughed, "She gave it to me."

JW took the small piece of paper, ripped it up and tossed it into the trash
as several other men exclaimed, "Wait!.... No god damn it." JW laughed and
walked into Shane's office.

* * *


Marcus was sitting in his office trying desperately to go over a mountain
of emails he had to respond to but JW's text made him worry. Marcus thought
to himself and wished JW could only loosen up some and learn to not be so
self-conscious. Leah flashed past the office door and Marcus sighed. Marcus
heard his phone ding as he got a text message and read it.

Marcus stood up from his chair, "Shit!" The text message was from a friend
of reminding him of a dinner this coming weekend and if Marcus was going to
bring his new boyfriend. Marcus forgot about the dinner weeks ago and hated
to miss this dinner because it was a charity for Aids awareness and Marcus
had committed himself to this dinner months ago. Marcus wondered if he
should just go alone because of the different types of people that were
going to be there and JW was not exactly comfortable around other gay men.

The last time JW was around a bunch of gay men he was completely confused
and uncomfortable. Marcus laughed to himself and thought there is nothing
better than baptism by fire. Marcus replied to the text and confirmed that
he would be there and be bringing JW. Marcus dialed his phone and called
the kids grandfather Pete, hoping they could take the girls this weekend?

Marcus sighed in relief as he hung up the phone with Barabra who was more
than excited to take the kids for another weekend. Marcus walked out of his
office, checked on the kids and asked Leah and Kira to start getting ready
for Leah's soccer practice even though it was in a few hours. Marcus walked
back into his office and saw his phone had another message; grabbing his
phone expecting to see a message about the dinner party, Marcus was
surprised to a text message from JW. Marcus read the text message and shook
his head and quietly said to himself, "There has to be something I can do
for this man."

* * *

JW climbed out of the shower laughing at a joke from someone across the
locker room. Gary stepped into the shower behind JW and cursed at how hot
the water was. JW's shift had been busy and they worked through the night
as they had been toned to a large fire at 11:00pm and they remained on
scene until 8:00am.

JW took a second and realized that he was actually having a great time
right now even though he was exhausted. People were joking, laughing and
talking with JW now and for the first time he felt accepted and it didn't
feel forced. Someone made a gay joke towards JW but he just ran with it and
added fuel to the fire. JW like everyone else was in a hurry to get out of
the station and get home.


The drive home for JW was hard as he was fighting hard to not fall
asleep. As JW pulled into the garage, turned his car off, closed the garage
door and grabbed his bag out of the trunk of his car - Marcus met
him. Marcus wrapped his arms around JW, "I was getting really worried about
you. I called you like twenty times and you never answered."

JW pulled his phone out of his pocket, frowned and said, "It's dead and I
didn't realize it. Sorry but we were really busy the entire shift and we
didn't get back to the station till after 8:00am."

JW kissed Marcus and walked inside and saw his kids on the floor, "Leah are
you taking care of Kira and Luke?"

Leah smiled and nodded her head, "Sure am. How was work dad?"

JW walked over and squatted down, "What no hug?"

Kira jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around JW and said, "Sorry."

Leah climbed up and quickly hugged JW and then we back to the floor. JW
laughed and looked up to Marcus and frowned, "Getting to old I guess."

JW stood up and Luke clapped his hands and climbed to his feet and wrapped
his arms around JW's leg. JW bent over, picked up and Luke and talked to
him as he walked into the laundry room. JW placed Luke on top of the dryer
and stripped out of his uniform down to his underwear and slipped into a
pair of shorts. As JW walked back into the living room Marcus called out,
"I know you're tired and you're headed to bed soon but we have to get our
plans together because we have a lot of stuff coming up."

JW put Luke on the couch, patted Leah on the head and looked at Marcus,
"Sounds good but what do we have going on?"

Marcus laughed and told JW about Leah's soccer games and practice, Shane's
party, Marcus dinner party, kids starting school next week and a trip
Marcus is going to take in two weeks to New York City for business. JW
shrugged, "Sounds interesting. I guess we need to get a calendar up going
to see what is going on."

JW turned and walked towards the bedroom, "I am exhausted and going to bed.
I'll see you guys a little later. Let's go to the gym before we go to
soccer practice." JW disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door
behind him.