*****Flashback*****
Mercedes sat in EMT class, yawning. She surrounded by newbies and hopefuls, knowing only about 60% would hack it enough to actually get certified. She had been here 2 times before. She was 20 now, and had to take this course each year until she got her final certification. Twirling her pencil, she yawned again, looking to the door to see a man walk in. He looked cocky and she just shrugged. His tanned skin and well-groomed hair glistened in the summertime heat as he made his way to a desk next to her and looked at her. She was wearing her FDNY T-shirt and a backward cap that said 55 on the face. She looked over at him as he got situated. Her legs were up on the chair in front of her, with no plans on giving it up. She looked forward and doodled on the pad in front of her.
Carlos put his things down and looked to the girl on his right. She looked un-entertained and bored. He smirked slightly and looked over he body. Damn, she's got a rack. He thought to himself as he took in her profile. Her face seemed perfect to him. He could only see half of her face, but he knew her eyes were amazing. Cold Steel blue with a hint of hazel around the pupil. He watched her hands; one was doodling as the other one was drumming nails against the desk. He looked at her hat and shirt that said FDNY and 55 on them. His eyebrow raised. Cute and a firefighter. He wasn't used to women being firefighters. He had the old idea of they should be home and ready for sex anytime the man wanted it. Just looking at her, he knew she was far too independent to try to fit that way of life.
Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned her head back, her ponytail falling over the back of the chair. Looking up suddenly as the door closed, their instructor was there, and was no non-sense. She smirked and shook her head. EMS Trainer Smith. Mercedes knew him well. She had been in his classes 2 times before. The instructor moved to the desk and dropped a doll on the table. Rescesutation Annie they called her. Mercedes raised an eyebrow as the Instructor went on to call names.
"Anthony Amarillo."
"Here."
"Merc. Ahh, Mercedes Boscorelli. Fancy seeing you here."
"You too." She said slyly, looking up at him and smirking.
"Final certification, Miss Boscorelli?"
"Damn right. Then I full-fledged firefighter."
"We shall see." He continued through the names.
Carlos looked up at the instructor came in and dropped the doll on the desk. Starting to call names he heard the girl next to him talk. Mercedes? What kind of name is that? It's a car! Not a name for a girl! Especially not a tomboyish one likes her. Her last name is Boscorelli? What a name. Probably took her until 5th grade to spell it all. He thought to himself.
"Carlos Nieto."
Carlos didn't hear his name, he was to busy thinking about the girl next to him.
"NIETO! CARLOS!"
He heard his name yelled and jumped, looking forward.
"Based on the fact you jumped a mile, you must be Mr. Nieto."
"Yes, sir."
"Good, pay attention or you flunk."
Carlos blinked as the instructor threatened him. All ready annoyed that the girl had distracted him, he paid no more attention to her. Except for a few sideways glances.
Mercedes giggled when he got yelled at. What a dork! She thought to herself as she doodled some more. Roll call ended and the instructor made teams of 2. Calling random names. He tamed up each person with another in the class.
"Boscorelli and..Nieto!"
Both of them looked up and blinked. Looking towards the other one they looked back. Moving their desks together, she looked up at him. Looking back at her, he couldn't help but stare into her eyes. They were cold steel. He just stared into her eyes as her mouth moved.
"Umm. Hello? Nieto? Are you done gawking at me?"
He snapped out of his daze and nodded, completely embarrassed. If he didn't turn on the suave soon, he thought he would lose his touch.
"So... Been in this class before?"
"Not this one."
"Really? How many of these have you taken?"
"This is my third."
"Really? Enjoy the class or dating the instructor?
"Excuse me?" Mercedes looked at him and blinked, get face getting serious.
"You like the class or are you dating the instructor?"
"I need 3 certifications to become a full-time firefighter. No I am not dating the instructor." She looked disgusted. Carlos cursed at himself. Man he blew that one. Good one Carlos, why not just pull her hair out. He shook his head, staying quiet the rest of the class.
When the class ended, Mercedes gathered her things and walked out. Carlos grabbed his things in a rush and ran after her.
"Mercedes!" He called after her.
She was already outside and on the curb, getting ready to cross the street when he stopped behind her.
"Mercedes!"
Mercedes turned and saw Carlos standing behind her.
"Yeah?"
"So. What are doing now?"
"Going to work. I work at a fire station." She wondered what planet he fell from.
"Oh, need a lift?" He blurted out.
"Umm..No I have a ride."
"Oh, who's picking you up? Your boyfriend?"
"Umm... If you asking if I have a boyfriend or a lover, I don't. But if you must know, my ride is my brother. And he's right there." She pointed across the street.
Looking over, Carlos expected to see some teenager in a Camero. She looked like the type of girl that came from a family of car mechanics. He saw the one thing he never expected to see. His mouth dropped seeing a RMP and an officer leaning against the hood, arms crossed over his chest. He looked impatient.
"That's your brother?" Carlos blinked a few times.
"Yes. I have to go now." She turned to walk away as Carlos grabbed her arm.
"Where do you work, maybe I could meet you for drinks after?" He asked, hopefully.
"I work a 20-hour shift as a firefighter, in the 55th precinct. My brother works a cop in the same district." Mercedes looked up at him. Carlos felt defeated. She had tarnished all hope of him getting a chance with her.
"Mercedes! Come on! What the hell is taking so long! Jesus Christ! MOVE!" Maurice yelled from across the street.
"Night Carlos." She shook her head as she ran across the street and got in the RMP.
Mercedes sat in EMT class, yawning. She surrounded by newbies and hopefuls, knowing only about 60% would hack it enough to actually get certified. She had been here 2 times before. She was 20 now, and had to take this course each year until she got her final certification. Twirling her pencil, she yawned again, looking to the door to see a man walk in. He looked cocky and she just shrugged. His tanned skin and well-groomed hair glistened in the summertime heat as he made his way to a desk next to her and looked at her. She was wearing her FDNY T-shirt and a backward cap that said 55 on the face. She looked over at him as he got situated. Her legs were up on the chair in front of her, with no plans on giving it up. She looked forward and doodled on the pad in front of her.
Carlos put his things down and looked to the girl on his right. She looked un-entertained and bored. He smirked slightly and looked over he body. Damn, she's got a rack. He thought to himself as he took in her profile. Her face seemed perfect to him. He could only see half of her face, but he knew her eyes were amazing. Cold Steel blue with a hint of hazel around the pupil. He watched her hands; one was doodling as the other one was drumming nails against the desk. He looked at her hat and shirt that said FDNY and 55 on them. His eyebrow raised. Cute and a firefighter. He wasn't used to women being firefighters. He had the old idea of they should be home and ready for sex anytime the man wanted it. Just looking at her, he knew she was far too independent to try to fit that way of life.
Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned her head back, her ponytail falling over the back of the chair. Looking up suddenly as the door closed, their instructor was there, and was no non-sense. She smirked and shook her head. EMS Trainer Smith. Mercedes knew him well. She had been in his classes 2 times before. The instructor moved to the desk and dropped a doll on the table. Rescesutation Annie they called her. Mercedes raised an eyebrow as the Instructor went on to call names.
"Anthony Amarillo."
"Here."
"Merc. Ahh, Mercedes Boscorelli. Fancy seeing you here."
"You too." She said slyly, looking up at him and smirking.
"Final certification, Miss Boscorelli?"
"Damn right. Then I full-fledged firefighter."
"We shall see." He continued through the names.
Carlos looked up at the instructor came in and dropped the doll on the desk. Starting to call names he heard the girl next to him talk. Mercedes? What kind of name is that? It's a car! Not a name for a girl! Especially not a tomboyish one likes her. Her last name is Boscorelli? What a name. Probably took her until 5th grade to spell it all. He thought to himself.
"Carlos Nieto."
Carlos didn't hear his name, he was to busy thinking about the girl next to him.
"NIETO! CARLOS!"
He heard his name yelled and jumped, looking forward.
"Based on the fact you jumped a mile, you must be Mr. Nieto."
"Yes, sir."
"Good, pay attention or you flunk."
Carlos blinked as the instructor threatened him. All ready annoyed that the girl had distracted him, he paid no more attention to her. Except for a few sideways glances.
Mercedes giggled when he got yelled at. What a dork! She thought to herself as she doodled some more. Roll call ended and the instructor made teams of 2. Calling random names. He tamed up each person with another in the class.
"Boscorelli and..Nieto!"
Both of them looked up and blinked. Looking towards the other one they looked back. Moving their desks together, she looked up at him. Looking back at her, he couldn't help but stare into her eyes. They were cold steel. He just stared into her eyes as her mouth moved.
"Umm. Hello? Nieto? Are you done gawking at me?"
He snapped out of his daze and nodded, completely embarrassed. If he didn't turn on the suave soon, he thought he would lose his touch.
"So... Been in this class before?"
"Not this one."
"Really? How many of these have you taken?"
"This is my third."
"Really? Enjoy the class or dating the instructor?
"Excuse me?" Mercedes looked at him and blinked, get face getting serious.
"You like the class or are you dating the instructor?"
"I need 3 certifications to become a full-time firefighter. No I am not dating the instructor." She looked disgusted. Carlos cursed at himself. Man he blew that one. Good one Carlos, why not just pull her hair out. He shook his head, staying quiet the rest of the class.
When the class ended, Mercedes gathered her things and walked out. Carlos grabbed his things in a rush and ran after her.
"Mercedes!" He called after her.
She was already outside and on the curb, getting ready to cross the street when he stopped behind her.
"Mercedes!"
Mercedes turned and saw Carlos standing behind her.
"Yeah?"
"So. What are doing now?"
"Going to work. I work at a fire station." She wondered what planet he fell from.
"Oh, need a lift?" He blurted out.
"Umm..No I have a ride."
"Oh, who's picking you up? Your boyfriend?"
"Umm... If you asking if I have a boyfriend or a lover, I don't. But if you must know, my ride is my brother. And he's right there." She pointed across the street.
Looking over, Carlos expected to see some teenager in a Camero. She looked like the type of girl that came from a family of car mechanics. He saw the one thing he never expected to see. His mouth dropped seeing a RMP and an officer leaning against the hood, arms crossed over his chest. He looked impatient.
"That's your brother?" Carlos blinked a few times.
"Yes. I have to go now." She turned to walk away as Carlos grabbed her arm.
"Where do you work, maybe I could meet you for drinks after?" He asked, hopefully.
"I work a 20-hour shift as a firefighter, in the 55th precinct. My brother works a cop in the same district." Mercedes looked up at him. Carlos felt defeated. She had tarnished all hope of him getting a chance with her.
"Mercedes! Come on! What the hell is taking so long! Jesus Christ! MOVE!" Maurice yelled from across the street.
"Night Carlos." She shook her head as she ran across the street and got in the RMP.