Money problems were often the bane of all college students at one point or another. Well, trust fund babies aside. Nicole was no stranger to that pain, having needed to balance her budget constantly to make her government subsidies last long enough to not bankrupt herself before college was finished.
She rode a motorcycle partly because it was cheaper than a car, and mostly because if she was going to be in a wreck it had the highest chance of her not walking away from it. That fatalistic outlook on life was still very much a part of her, and no amount of positive affirmations from her girlfriend were going to make them go away overnight.
Rolling into the parking lot, Nicole didn’t attract much attention this time. Not one person was outside at the moment and she found herself unzipping her leather jacket to enjoy the cool autumn air. Despite her issues, she still dressed for the slide rather than the ride, and full leathers with protective gear was a part of it. She didn’t want to walk away from a wreck in enough pain to make her consider finishing the job herself.
Morbid thoughts aside, Nicole could admit to being nervous. Applying for a job hadn’t exactly been part of her plans, yet if she wanted to collect the money from her work as a Ranger that was exactly what she needed to do. Walking into the Maple Grove Fire Station without her Ranger uniform was nerve wracking, yet she knew it was necessary.
That she was in full black attire anyway was moot given her mode of transport, and her clothes choice wouldn’t be proof of her Ranger status either way. Taking a deep breath, Nicole pulled the door open and stepped inside. She was greeted with a small room painted in off white, three doors led out of that room, one labeled as a restroom, the other two were marked employees only.
A receptionist sat behind the nearby desk, typing away at some report or another. Nicole squared her shoulders and stepped up to her, letting the confidence of being a Ranger carry her past her social anxieties to some success. The woman had blonde hair up in a bun and crows feet around her eyes. The nameplate on her desk simply had her last name; Stevens.
“Excuse me,” Nicole said, having to fight to get the words out without her voice wavering. “I have an appointment?”
“Name?” the woman asked.
“Hayes, Nicole,” she answered.
The receptionist typed away, then her eyebrow rose. She reached over to the phone and hit a few numbers, too few for a full number, but enough for an extension. The phone dialed out for a moment, and Nicole’s enhanced senses picked up ringing somewhere above her. The sound cut off and Nicole tried not to focus on the conversation she could overhear.
“The chief will see you now,” Stevens said, gesturing to the door on her left. “Top floor, office at the end of the hall.”
“Thanks,” Nicole said, moving to the door.
The receptionist pushed a button and the door buzzed open. Nicole stepped inside, letting it shut behind her with a click. Her heart hammered at the thought of being stuck inside with people she didn’t know all that well. It was only the knowledge that she could morph and escape through the walls that prevented a full on panic attack from setting in.
A plaque by the door confirmed that Nicole was in the right place and her nerves ignited anew. Once she stepped through that door, there would be no going back. Someone outside of their circle would know she was a Ranger. The only saving grace was that she wasn’t applying for the job alone, not technically at least. Her girlfriend had already completed her own interview two days earlier.
Nicole knocked before she could talk herself out of it, and was asked to enter almost immediately. The familiar face of Fire Chief Grayson stared back at her, a smirk came to his lips the moment he laid eyes on her. She knew he had put it together in an instant and could only sigh as she shut the door behind her.
“I suppose we haven’t done the best job of keeping our secret,” Nicole said, gesturing at her all black outfit.
The man laughed. “Not when you both show up to your interviews in your colors, or list said colors as your favorites in the comments section of the application.” Nicole looked away, mostly out of embarrassment, even if making it obvious had been the plan. Take a seat Nicole, this interview is essentially a formality at this point.”
Grayson’s wording didn’t sit well with her, yet she knew there was a reason for it that wasn’t nepotism or favoritism outside of what she could offer the department. They weren’t hiring two firefighters, they were hiring Rangers who would know how to conduct themselves in such extreme conditions.
“I already know you gave my teammate the job,” Nicole said, intentionally leaving Grace’s name out of it. “But I still don’t like the idea that everything is a foregone conclusion.”
“Understandable,” Grayson said. “The truth of the matter is that you’re already working for us, just in a different capacity. We need a polite fiction for why we’re paying you for work rendered, hence the interview. You’ll still train with everyone like any other we hire, you’ll just enter the field as Rangers instead.”
Nicole’s face scrunched in a thoughtful frown. “Our identities will be nothing but an open secret in that case.”
“I hate to break it to you, but they already are,” Chief Grayson said, steepling his fingers before him on the desk. “Two girls show up, and moments later are replaced by two Rangers at the direction of a third from out of town. I won’t lie. It will be a matter of hours after you’re introduced that everyone on shift is aware you’re the Rangers they work alongside. I can also all but promise that the secret will stay with them.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” Nicole said with narrowed eyes.
Chief Grayson sighed. “No, I can’t. What I can say is that everyone is aware of the benefits of having Rangers on call to help and that we’ve already had conversations about the necessity of keeping your confidence. Your friend Carlos has been a big help on that front, with real world examples of why keeping identities secret can be so important.”
Nicole sat back, taking a few calming breaths. That Carlos was willing to help her in that regard was touching, but there were few things he could actually do to protect them. Nicole didn’t want to be a public Ranger, the very idea of it scared her deeply. Those close to her would quickly become embroiled in whatever media circus erupted in the aftermath of her being outed. That was the last thing that Becca and Colin needed in their lives.
“Tabloids offer thousands for a confirmed Ranger identity,” Nicole said softly. “I looked it up, and it was quite tempting to out myself just to collect the reward. I never truly considered it because I have family to protect, but others might.”
“You’re not wrong,” Chief Grayson said softly. “There were always going to be risks to this plan, especially if the two of you never go on calls without the fancy uniforms. How deep this cover of yours goes is up to you. If you agree to be on call as Rangers for the worst fires, but also work as everyone else does for the more mundane blazes, then your identities will be more secure.”
“Yet still flimsy,” Nicole said in resignation. “There’s always going to be an element of risk, isn’t there?”
“Unfortunately,” Grayson agreed. “So, what will it be?”
Nicole considered the offer for some time, but no matter how she looked at it, there was only one choice that truly worked out in her favor. “I think the option of only pulling out the uniform for the worst fires would be best. Let everyone see me as one of them first and foremost, not as an untouchable Ranger.”
Grayson smiled as he stood, offering out his hand. “Good answer. I look forward to working with you.”
Nicole hopped to her feet and accepted the hand with a firm shake. “I’ll do my best to not disappoint.”
“Something tells me you won’t,” Grayson said, gesturing towards the door. “Now, how about a tour? Most people tend to get excited to sit inside a fire truck.”
Eyes sparkled at the childish thought, remembering her own fantasies when she was younger. It seemed to be a phase many kids went through, especially after a school visit by a few crews. Huh, Nicole could actually see herself doing something like that, especially after the hospital visit. Perhaps this time she could even manage to avoid a breakdown.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The pair stepped back into the reception room, the receptionist merely raised an eyebrow as Chief Grayson set a packet down on her desk. “Two new hires in two days, I’d call that a record.”
“Or a monumental coincidence,” the receptionist said dryly. “I’ll have them in the system by this time tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” the chief said. “In that case, I look forward to seeing you this Saturday for orientation.”
That gave her two days to either settle her nerves, or work them back up into a frenzy. Nicole wasn’t sure how that was going to work out for her, but she was determined to see the coming job for what it was, a wholly good thing. She would get to do something good, and she wouldn’t be alone, Grace would be right there with her.
“I’ll be there,” Nicole said, and her smile was only a little forced.
----------------------------------------
“Nervous?” Grace asked.
Nicole shrugged slightly. Her nerves were certainly frayed and her stomach was protesting her emotional state, yet she couldn’t tell where the jitters from doing something new clashed with the terror that someone might attach her name to her Ranger persona and plaster it all over the evening news.
“That should be obvious,” Nicole said instead. “We’re putting a lot on the line for this.”
Grace pulled her close in a one armed hug. “We are, but neither of us are facing it alone. We have each other.”
Nicole couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why does it feel like we’re psyching this up to be akin to facing a Sylan mutant in battle?”
“Because you are,” Carlos said, stepping out to join them. “Also, if you’re intending to keep your little secret even remotely under wraps, it might be best to not mention subjects related to the Rangers.”
Nicole looked away to hide her darkening cheeks at the rather on the nose statement. She WAS being a bit lax about things simply due to the familiar company. It didn’t help that Nicole didn’t have much experience with keeping secrets, not to mention a poor track record involving them either. She’d cracked with Becca after just a few days, though Colin was still in the dark. Something told her that he would know sooner than she would like.
“Are you sticking around?” Grace asked the New York Ranger.
He waved her off. “Not this time. Remember, I greeted the both of you the first time you showed up. That alone will make people suspicious if they realize you’re the same two girls from that day. My being here will only make it worse.”
“Hence why we’re catching you on the way out?” Nicole asked.
“Bingo kid,” Carlos said with a laugh. “I’ll be around off and on as you get oriented, but I’ll be keeping a respectful distance when you’re not in uniform.”
That was more than reasonable as far as precautions went. At least the pair had elected to wear clothes that weren’t close to their Ranger colors. Grace was wearing a pink tank top with jeans and Nicole had elected for a blue polo with khaki hiking pants. They would be given a uniform to wear regardless, but that wouldn’t happen until closer to the end of their training.
Carlos departed and it was with a shared smile that the pair entered the station proper. Several people were gathered around watching something on a TV mounted high on the wall and Nicole couldn’t help but wonder how quickly they could be ready and on the road if a call came in. Chief Grayson wouldn’t be present, he’d made that much clear when setting up their orientation, but that didn’t stop Nicole from recognizing one of the women present from the high-rise fire. She hadn’t gotten her name then, which was probably for the best.
“Remember,” Nicole whispered. “We’ve never met any of these people.”
Grace choked back a laugh. “Right, I was almost ready to say hi to Natalie over there.”
Nicole blinked, surprised that her girlfriend remembered the woman’s name. Then again, they had each spoken to different people throughout that whole mess. Looking the rather fit woman over, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Grace had taken the time to learn her name. Plus, Nicole was certain she’d seen her on a calendar.
That same woman caught sight of them at that moment and grinned wide. “Well, if it isn’t the fresh meat for the grinder! Get your asses over here and introduce yourselves!”
Her voice had been commanding, and even a month ago Nicole would have wilted from the tone of it. Even her strictest of gymnastics coaches hadn’t sounded half as strict. She had the bearings of a drill sergeant and the build to back it up despite the signs of gray creeping into her brown hair. The tight white shirt she wore only served to accentuate how toned she was and Nicole couldn’t deny that she was very easy on the eyes.
“Oh no, not two more,” one of the guys groaned as his shoulders dropped.
The woman laughed. “Face it boys, my guns bring all the girls to the yard.”
As she flexed, the truth of that statement was as obvious as the sun in the sky. Then another woman with close cropped black hair slapped her upside the head.
“Stop teasing the baby gays,” she said.
“Ow, that hurt,” Natalie said, rubbing her head. “No need to be a bitch Chelsea, it was just a joke.”
“Still not cool Nat,” Chelsea said. “We’ve been married for a decade, you would think you would have grown out of this by now.”
The pair continued to bicker and Grace leaned in close, her voice hushed but not silent. “This was not what I expected when I walked in here today.”
“I’m not complaining about the free show,” Nicole said in turn, letting her words be heard in a surprising bit of playfulness. “I don’t think the boys are complaining either.”
That statement brought the pair up short as Natalie pulled away, ignoring the glare from her wife as she cleared her throat. Obviously that conversation would continue later, but they wouldn’t be privy to it.
“Right,” she said. “I’m Natalie Dunlap, and this is my wife Chelsea. We’re both Captains and the two ranking officers on the evening shift.”
“Grace Evans,” she said, extending a hand.
Nicole mirrored the gesture. “Nicole Hayes.”
The two captains shook hands with the pair of Rangers, then switched off with quick professionalism. The others were quick to follow suit with their introductions though Nicole knew she wouldn’t remember half of them the following day so she focused on the two captains that seemed determined to be the front facing portion of the introductions.
It was then that the appraising eyes of both captains fell over them for but a moment. Nicole wasn’t sure what they were looking for, or if they even found it as they directed the pair over to a group of chairs arrayed by the TV. Natalie and Chelsea each grabbed one, spinning it around before taking a seat, their arms resting on the back as they leaned against it. Grace didn’t hesitate to do the same and Nicole mirrored them begrudgingly.
“Now, what made you both decide to join the department?” Chelsea asked.
Well, the question was expected, but Nicole figured they would ease into things a bit slower than that. She couldn’t give her actual reasons, or even something close to them, so she’d thought about what might work and the answer she’d come up with was far more on the humor side than she originally intended, but it should work.
“Is it bad that it was the calendars?” Nicole asked with a mischievous smirk.
Natalie blinked, then barked out an uproarious laugh. “Holy shit, first time we’ve hooked a gay girl with those things!”
“Is it?” Chelsea asked. “We met during a photo shoot, so I could easily say I hooked you with one.”
“That’s different,” Natalie said, still snickering. “We were already employed, just at different departments in the city.”
“And how long did that last?” Grace asked cheekily.
The married captains shared a look, then Natalie shrugged. “Two weeks for us to decide upon which department would be better for us. Another month before my transfer was approved.”
Nicole grinned, the story hit all the right notes for a whirlwind sapphic romance. She couldn’t help but note how her own relationship with Grace had taken off in a similar manner. They came together due to their shared experiences as Rangers, and now they would share their time as firefighters as well.
“Calendars,” Natalie mused. “That explains what got you in the door, but the two of you have a look of determination we don’t usually get from new applicants, let alone those as young as you.”
“She’s right,” Chelsea said, her eyes far too calculating for Nicole’s tastes. Especially with the secret they were attempting to keep under wraps. “You both lived hard lives, that much is obvious. As much as it hurts to say, but that will be helpful in this line of work.”
“We tend to see death regularly,” Natalie said, continuing for her wife. “Ask anyone here about the first time they watched someone die. You’ll have your own story soon enough if you make it through the training.”
Far too many in the room gave solemn nods at that statement.
“We’re familiar with death,” Grace said softly.
It said something that nobody in the room scoffed at or doubted their statement. The air was heavy from the subject matter and Nicole couldn’t help but consider how much death she had seen in such a short period. How much more would she see before her duty was done?
A sudden clap made Nicole jump. She glared at Natalie whose hands were still pressed together and Nicole had to slowly move her hand away from her watch and Grace did the same. It was a motion that wasn’t missed by the two captains, but neither commented on it. Nicole raised an eyebrow at the rather sadistic smirk that had come to the woman’s face after startling the pair, or the knowing look that the married couple shared right before Natalie spoke once more.
“That should do it for introductions. Now, let’s see what kind of shape the two of you are in and what we have to work with.”
Nicole swallowed, already dreading yet another training session on top of the boot camp that Carlos was putting her through, yet she knew it would only do her good in the long run. It was clear that the pair had an indication as to their identities, but they weren’t making a big deal out of it. The other members of the crew didn’t seem as quick on the uptake which gave her some hope that maybe her secrets would be kept safe.
“Do your worst,” Nicole challenged.
A pair of savage smiles was her answer and somehow she knew she was going to regret her words in the days to come.