A/N: Hello everybody! I want to thank the other lovely authors on this fandom for the inspiration to continue writing. I've tried a new approach to what is in the end a love story… with a twist, of course! The first three chapters focus on the romantic component, from then on I'm aiming for a thriller-type of read. Therefore, since I'm doing something a little different than usual, feedback is absolutely encouraged!
Keep in mind that Italics denote flashbacks
Chapter 1
Jacob Wheeler took a sip of the scalding coffee from his styrofoam cup, merging into morning traffic with a small sigh. He had twenty minutes before the start of his 8am shift and only three more kilometers until he reached the station, so he was not particularly worried. Instead, his mind started calculating the hours that separated him from Linka. His shift at the fire station was twenty-four hours long, and by the time he'd get home the following morning, Linka would already be at her office job. She was a statistical analyst for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), proving that beauty and brains could, in effect, peacefully coexist.
Therefore, it would be at least thirty-six hours until he could hold her again, he sighed, drumming his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel. Even though he'd just left the warmth of her arms, Wheeler already missed her. He was ridiculously in love with the woman, he told himself for the umpteenth time, not without a foolish little smile on his face.
When he pulled into the parking lot of the station, he realized that he had changed in a significant way since meeting her. Sometimes, his need for her morphed into a sort of physical ache he did not pretend to understand. He'd become so accustomed to her presence, the velvet of her skin, her scent, especially since they'd moved in together, that it was unimaginable to envision one day without her.
Wheeler suddenly prayed for multiple calls at work, so that at least time would pass more quickly and his mind kept occupied. Otherwise, he would just have to work out longer than most days. Being a firefighter in New York City was definitely improving his physique. Not that he'd needed much help to begin with, since he was tall and broad-shouldered, but having a physical job had surely increased his muscle mass. He'd seen numerous women take notice of his impressive body, or maybe it was the fact that he possessed the classic boy-next-door smile and pretty blue eyes. In fact, he'd never had problems with women even before becoming a firefighter. He did not really believe all that bullshit about men in uniforms having more charm than the average Joe. He'd seen some ugly firemen in his time, he chuckled to himself, locking the doors of his Range Rover as he exited the vehicle.
Even though, to be fair, it was just over a year ago that he'd joined the team. It was thanks to his uncle Lou that Wheeler had chosen a decent career path. He'd never been much good at school and was actually a high school drop-out that had gotten his diploma later on than his peers.
Wheeler came from a rougher neighborhood in Brooklyn, a product of a dysfunctional home, so he was thankful that he'd had uncle Lou to grab a hold of, like an anchor in a sea of chaos. The now-retired firefighter was his mother's older sibling, and he had never fully approved his sister's decision to marry Wheeler's father. It had turned out to be prophetical, in fact, since Wheeler's dad was a violent alcoholic who had made Wheeler's teenage years a sort of living hell.
Uncle Lou had practically pestered Wheeler to volunteer at the fire station where he was working at the time, giving the young man a push in the right direction. Wheeler felt blessed to have had at least one person who'd been lucid enough to think about his future.
Wheeler had a passion for helping people and the adrenaline that came from facing danger. Therefore, responding to calls was his favorite part of the job. Linka had told him that her heart would hammer with preoccupation anytime she heard of emergencies happening in the downtime area, and even though he'd been pleased by the sincerity of her caring revelation, he would not trade his job for another.
The sky above him was grey, although rain was not in the forecast. He leisurely walked to the back door of the station, pulling it open with ease. The concept of someone worrying over his wellbeing was new, mused Wheeler. His dad was out of the question, for he only ever cared about gathering up enough money for his next drink, and his mom was too busy looking after her husband's pitiful condition.
Wheeler did not know what he'd done to deserve Linka in his life, but he was as thankful for it as each breath in his lungs. His mind travelled back to how they had first met; fate had been smiling on him, then. Well, not fully, since Linka had not been initially smitten with him, to say the least. It had been his sheer persistence that had won her over in the end, and it had taken hard work on his part! More than he'd ever cared to dish out in the past, in fact, but it had royally paid off in the end.
While going through the motions of signing in for his shift, Wheeler succumbed to the flashback of the evening his eyes had taken in their very first glance at love. He felt the magic of the memory on his tongue, sweet and soft and overwhelming.
The night of the party was the warmest one of the summer so far, but the breeze made it pleasant rather than heavy to bear. Wheeler followed his friend, Kwame, inside an elegant apartment complex before they ducked into a waiting elevator to reach the last floor. Wheeler didn't know the host of the party, only little details that Kwame had provided along the way. Her name was Gi, she was a marine biologist, and apparently one of Kwame's best friends.
It was a few months that Wheeler and Kwame had started hanging out together. Kwame had an all-natural produce shop in the downtown core, and he and Wheeler had instantly bonded. Wheeler admired the dark-skinned young man's dedication to the environment and his quiet wisdom. His family had witnessed the horrors of the Rwandan genocides but had luckily escaped to America thanks to a family friend. Wheeler believed this was in part the backdrop to Kwame's level of maturity and sensitivity. Wheeler could tell that Kwame respected him, in turn, and the New Yorker would delight his friend with tales of his adventures at work.
Gi had set the party against the fading skyline, all the way up on the rooftop, and little strings of pale yellow lights decorated the space tastefully. Kwame spotted the host among the crowd and they hugged, Gi's smile wide for her friend. After formally meeting, Wheeler thought the Asian girl incredibly sweet and welcoming.
He wasn't sure what happened next, but all thoughts fled his mind like wild herds from hungry lions. Gi was pulling closer a girl their age so she could introduce her to the boys. Wheeler stared at the blonde addition as if she had been beamed down from heaven itself, his mouth surely gaping. She seemed ill-at ease with the attention, her features set expressionless before them. But it wasn't every day a guy met a gorgeous gal like that, so Wheeler let his eyes travel over her splendor.
The girl was clad in a long, auburn dress, simple yet stunning on her, her long blonde hair loose over her back. Her eyes were piercing and cool like jade or Caribbean ocean waters, skin flawless, lips like a cherub, and a body with all the right curves. Wheeler thought for sure she was a model, and he couldn't help but picture her modeling diamonds or some other classy product.
He watched her blink at his intense assessment of her, her long eyelashes curling over those captivating eyes, before she retrieved her hand from his warm handshake. Apparently, he wasn't thinking clear enough to release his grip on her hand in a timely fashion.
"Linka moved to NY from Russia not long ago," Gi smiled, beaming at the blonde proudly after introducing her. "We met through a work-related conference and now we're inseparable!"
Wheeler watched silently as Kwame made polite conversation with Linka. She nodded and responded briefly to the boy's queries, her movements controlled, her eyes shining intelligently. Wheeler's tongue would not work and words would not come to him. It was as if his brain was filled with thick smoke; he felt lost in the haze swirling inside him.
He listened to her voice caressed by a sensual accent that further added to her appeal, feeling stupid and inundated by heat all the while. Meanwhile, Linka seemed immune to him, something Wheeler was not used to from the opposite sex. She actually seemed a tad annoyed by his insistent glance, and he spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out how to approach her.
Thankfully, the opportunity presented itself. Gi spilled some red wine over the front of her dress, and Linka immediately went inside to retrieve some club soda for her friend to help with the stain.
"Want a beer, man?" Wheeler asked Kwame, who nodded with a smile as a response.
"Help yourselves, guys. There should be some cold ones on the table. If not, there are some more in the kitchen."
Wheeler took little heed of Gi's instructions, and even though the table was well-furnished with all kinds of drinks, he bolted for the little staircase that led inside the building.
Linka was closing a cupboard when he entered the vast kitchen area, and he saw that she had retrieved the small bottle of soda. She looked up at him and slowed her movements as he stood before her.
"Hey," he smiled, trying to casually shove his hands inside his pockets and not believing the fast racing of his heart inside his chest. It was madness!
"Linka, is it?"
The Russian girl nodded, carefully, clutching the bottle a little closer to her.
Then, she spoke at last. "Jacob."
"Everyone calls me Wheeler," he retorted, hoping to God he was not blushing at the way her lips had caressed his name. He'd never felt more like a teenager in his life!
"So… uhm, how do you like the big city?"
"It is still overwhelming," she disclosed with a small smile that aimed at his heart and centered it perfectly. "But… it is also beautiful, in a way."
Wheeler's cell phone started ringing and he cursed it just then. He contemplated not answering, but if someone was calling him at that late hour, it had to be for some valid reason. He muttered an 'excuse me' to Linka and reluctantly answered.
"Wheeler, hey," the voice on the other end was saying, and Wheeler ran a hand through his red hair, frustrated. Not now, God, please!
"Leave everything and get your ass over here. McFlurry came in with a fever and he just got worse, so chief's sending him home. We need you here at least until morning."
"Great timing, man," Wheeler groaned, meeting Linka's curious glance.
The voice on the other end laughed. "Bet she's a hot one!"
"You have no idea," was Wheeler's response, an ironic smile on his lips. "I'll be right there, but you all owe me big time for this."
He clicked his phone off and sighed a little shoving it in his pocket.
"Work. I'm sorry, I gotta go."
"Oh," Linka's voice was colored with curiosity, but she did not add more. She was probably assessing whether it was any of her business asking what kind of a job required after-hours attention.
Wheeler solved this dilemma for her by explaining, "I'm a firefighter."
She seemed impressed, but let her glance fall from his. Linka did not appear too comfortable being alone with him in her friend's kitchen, and this only intrigued Wheeler further. She was, possibly, the opposite of every other girl he'd met in the city thus far.
"An exciting job, I assume."
"Never a dull moment," he grinned, and she smiled a little. Wheeler felt his body relaxing for a moment. He had not realized he had been so alert, tense even.
"What do you do?"
"I analyze data for a non-profit organization, as well as program their website. It is not as riveting as what you do, I am sure."
Wheeler was stunned. He never would have thought she could do something so unrelated to her external appearance! Office people could often be so blah and plain, while she was sweet-holy-mother-of-God-wow!
A group of people entered the kitchen then, some sober, others not so much, and Wheeler and Linka made their way back up to the party, where the redhead said goodbye to both Kwame and Gi. Linka had been pulled aside by a couple who seemed to know her. She distractedly waved goodbye to him, and Wheeler left feeling like a puzzle in the middle of a hurricane, all the pieces blowing in the wind. He was unsettled, his thoughts were not so clear, and he felt drunk on something he had not drank. That was his first taste of Linka, and he unquestionably wanted more.
Once he reached his destination, Wheeler made his way to the 'commons room' of the station, knowing it would probably be nearly empty at that hour. No emergencies usually meant sleep for the crew, but Wheeler did not sleep a wink the night he met Linka. Visions of her haunted his brain until morning, and he was glad there had been no calls because he was feeling utterly distracted.
Before noon the next morning, his replacement showed up, so it had been a shorter shift than Wheeler was used to, even though it had felt endless to him in his current state.
He made his way to his car and put it in gear before pulling out of the lot. He grabbed his cell phone and, plugging in his headset so that his hands were free, he dialed Kwame.
"Wheeler, how was work? Sorry you had to leave so soon last night, my friend," Kwame quipped when he answered on the third ring.
"Not as sorry as me, man. How was the rest of the party?"
"Fun."
Wheeler slightly tugged at his earpiece impatiently, while biting down on his bottom lip thoughtfully.
"Hey, about Gi's Russian friend, Linka… did she come with anybody at the party?"
Kwame hesitated, seemingly trying to remember. "I don't think so. She talked to a few people throughout the evening, but that was it."
"Did she hook up with any of those clowns?"
"Wheeler, what are you getting at?"
"You gotta help me see her again, man," Wheeler said with a determined tone of voice, unable to keep any secrets from his friend. "Think up something, anything! But don't tell Gi your real motives, or else she'll tell Linka and I have a feeling she'd freak out a little."
"She did seem very reserved," Kwame agreed, before a small sigh betrayed him. "Listen, Wheeler, do you think that's such a good idea? You messing around with one of Gi's close friends could impact my friendship with Gi."
"I don't wanna 'mess' with her!" Wheeler readily replied, a tad undignified. Sure, he hadn't been relationship oriented up until now, but change was an inevitable part of life! Usually, the girls he dated would maintain his interest for a very brief span of time, then for some reason or another, it would end as insignificantly as it had begun. Kwame always teased him a little about his bachelorhood, but Wheeler justified himself by saying he just hadn't met the right girl yet. And who was to say Linka couldn't become that, someday? She had sure served him a lot to think about in one night, and he found himself fascinated by her, simply smitten.
"Kwame, just make it happen, I'm beggin' you! I need to see her again. I just want a chance to talk to her some more."
"When have you ever just talked to girls?" Kwame bantered, and Wheeler could picture him grinning.
"Dude, come on! I intend to be every bit of a gentleman, FYI."
"Let me think about this, Wheeler. I still need to assess all the risks involved."
"Kwame!" Wheeler rolled his eyes, but gave in to laughter once he heard his friend lose composure on the other end. He knew he had convinced Kwame, however, and this made him grin for the duration of the ride home.
