The station Romance

Autumn Reid

Chapter 1- The meeting

I had only just managed to sit down at my kitchen table with a cup of tea, before my phone began ringing, a loud and annoying chime of high pitched bells.

“For heaven’s sake…” I muttered, standing up from my old wooden chair. My mobile phone was vibrating on the kitchen counter. It hadn’t stopped all morning, I was thankful for the small moment of peace.

Nothing blissful ever lasts.

Station Manager - Tony

I swiped across on my phone and placed it on speaker, walking back towards my scratched, wooden dining table to grab my brew.

“Autumn, can you hear me?” Tony was always terrible with technology, I’m actually surprised he could figure out how to phone me. Though, I had taught him how to use his phone’s artificial intelligence the other day.

“Loud and clear, boss. Loud and clear.” I responded, trying my best to Stifle a laugh. Tony was like a father to me, he had been my mentor since I started at the station ten years ago, when I turned eighteen.

I had always known I wanted to be a firefighter, my childhood revolved around giggling with excitement everytime an engine roared past me, siren wailing and lights flashing.

“Alexis, can I have you at the station?” Tony’s voice sounded the same as it always did, monotone and somewhat frightening. I could never tell based on solely his voice alone what it was exactly that he was trying to portray. Most people would call them feelings, I knew that Tony had none. His face gave away a very subtle hint of his mood, but if you asked the rookie, Thomas, to identify it, he’d tell you that Tony’s face always looked the same.

You had to know Tony to understand Tony.

“Copy that. I won’t be long.” I responded, before hanging up.

One specific thing that I had learned about Tony in my ten years of working under his guidance was that he hated time wasters. You got straight to the point with Tony, no beating around the bush, he did enough of that at work.

I had nothing else to do today anyway. I had planned to spend my one day off in three weeks relaxing and doing nothing, instead I was returning to work.

I had covered a shift for one of my coworkers, Holly, who was on holiday for a week visiting her mother in Edinburgh, and I covered a period of mourning leave for another member of staff, Michael, who lost his wife to cancer.

Michael was older, almost ready to retire, each member of staff at the station offered to cover a different shift of his, so he could have a full two weeks off to mourn without having to worry, I had offered to cover a final week off for him so he could continue his mourning in peace, two weeks wasn’t enough to comemorate the memories that thirty years had given to him.

Michael appreciated my gesture, and showed it with a bouquet of flowers, he apologised for not giving me more. “Funerals are expensive.” Was my only response.

I found my carkeys, which were resting on my coat rack. I threw on a cardigan and headed outside of my semi-detached cottage.

My neighbour, Mrs O’Neill, an elderly scottish lady who made the world frightened of her just by staring, was sat in her garden, a book in one hand and a beer in the other.

“Starting early, Agnes?” I asked, my eyes moving down to her can momentarily.

“I am.” She nodded, her eyes focused on the book still.

“Be safe.” I warned, before climbing into my car and setting off towards the station.

The drive was quick, the roads were quiet. That wasn’t unusual for the town I lived in. Admore was a coastal town on the North West coastline of Scotland. It had a small, yet chaotic population.

It was the town I always had the pleasure to, and always will continue to, call home. I was born here, raised here and had developed into the woman I am today because of this town, I owed it as much. I vowed to protect this town from harm, or at least from harm in the form of a blazing inferno, which so far; I had done quite well.

I was undoubtedly the best Firefighter in town, my own personal triumphs had taught me as much. I knew how to fight a fire, and I did it bloody well.

I pulled into the Station parking lot and found it filled with the familiar cars of my colleagues. Holly’s blacked out sedan pulled up beside my car. She climbed out of her motor, energy drink in one hand. Diary, phone and carkeys in the other. “Morning!” Holly’s voice was unsurprisingly cheery.

“Morning, Hols.” I greeted, closing my own car door behind me, pressing the worn in lock button on my keys. “How was Edinburgh?” I hadn’t seen her since her return, bad shift pattern I suppose. It was either that or Tony had clocked on to the fact that we were good friends, and didn’t want us spending our shifts talking instead of maintaining our equipment.

“It was nice, thank you!” Holly responded, taking another sip from her can, her face morphed into a shrivel of it’s usual expression, the fizziness of the drink clearly getting to her for a moment. “I wonder what this meeting is about.”

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged, usually Tony would pre-inform me, but I had heard nothing from him. “It must be serious though, Michael’s car is in the lot.”

Holly looked back towards the cars in the lot and her eyes momentarily widened. “Shit, you’re right!”

“The fact that you didn’t notice that when you drove in concerns me.” I shook my head, her lack of observation was surprisingly poor for a Firefighter.

“I was on my phone.” Holly shrugged.

“Of course you were.” I pushed open the door to the station and gestured Holly to walk in before me.

She thanked me and strolled into the station, her eyes still glued to her phone.

I had no idea how she does it, but somehow, she managed to guide herself through the entire station and up to the kitchen, all while staring at her phone as if it might disappear if she took her eyes off of it.

“Ah, Macavoy, Reid, good morning.” I looked around the firestation kitchen, it was filled with all of my coworkers.

Tony, Michael, Alec, Euan, Isla and Tom, they all sat before me, a mug before them with their chosen drink.

Two spots on the table remained open. One was beside Tony, the other was beside Tom.

I took my seat beside Tony.

“A drink?” He asked.

I shook my head. “No.” I knew Tony was anxious to start this meeting and I didn’t want to delay it further by asking for a Coffee. That was not a smart idea.

“Very well.” Tony nodded.

He turned to the small team that surrounded us. “Good morning team. I have a few small things I wanted to Iron out, thank you to those who are here on their day or morning off, it is appreciated.”

“Firstly.” Tony continued, his expression unchanged, “I’d like to personally welcome our newest member, a transfer from Inverness, Euan McTominay.” Tony gestured to the new face at the end of the table.

Euan McTominay sat with his arms crossed, a half empty cup of black coffee sat before him, he nodded and momentarily locked eyes with each member of our Station team. I had to admit, he was attractive, every man on our team was, even sixty two year old Michael. Being a Firefighter kept them all in good shape and made them all physically appealing.

Euan’s jet-black hair, and his chestnut eyes, stood out amongst the crowd of fair-skinned, light haired Scottish ladies and gentlemen that sat around the table. The only exception once again being the oldies, Michael and Tony, who were both greying with age.

“Euan, I’d like you to meet Autumn and Holly.” Tony gestured to me first, then to Holly.

The other Firefighters must have already met Euan, I expected nothing less, me and Holly were not on shift today, we were the very last to arrive, and Tony hated time wasting. He would have wanted to introduce everybody early, to avoid delays in his meeting.

I simply nodded to Euan and turned my attention back to Tony.

Holly, however, turned to Euan and smiled her usual bright smile. “Hi! I’m Holly!” She beamed, giving him a small wave, before turning her face back towards Tony.

“Now. Rota changes. Due to government budget cuts, we will have only two staff members during the night shift, one staff member will remain at home, on call, for half pay, returning to full pay if they are called in.” I could see the slight shift in Tony’s facial expression, the way his teeth clenched slightly tighter together, you could hear them grinding together with a horrifying sort of dragging noise.

“Finally.” Tony breathed a little deeper than normal. “The equipment maintenance. I expect each item to be logged after each use, and checked for damage or abnormalities. Autumn is in charge of ensuring this is done correctly until Michael returns to his usual working hours.”

I nodded. “I don’t expect equipment to be signed out the moment you take it, it’s being used in an emergency, time is of the essence. What I do expect is that once you bring your equipment back, have a moment to breathe and then fill in your log sheets as you unload your engine.”

“Got it.” Holly nodded.

I noticed Alec’s jaw move slightly, in an awkward sideward motion. He had always been somewhat jealous of my position, and how Tony had personally taken me under his wing to train me, but I had been here the longest, apart from Michael and Tony, I knew this place and it’s policies like I knew the back of my hand.

“That is all. You may go.” Tony gestured to the door. “Autumn, a word in my office.”

I stood up and made my way briskly to Tony’s office, holding the door open until he made his way inside, a minute behind me. He did not thank me, he never did, he didn’t need to.

“Sit.” He gestured to the seat opposite his desk.

“Sir?” I asked, taking a seat.

“Autumn.” Tony took a long time to meet my gaze. As if he were trying to delay whatever it was he needed to say to me. “Autumn, I’m changing your shifts.”

I shrugged. “Fine.”

“I’m putting you on shift with Thomas and Euan.”

“What.” My face dropped to a frown. “Sir. I-”

“Autumn.” Tony’s voice was stern, a warning of what was to come should I disagree to his managerial decisions. “Autumn, I know you like your current shift patterns and you enjoy working with Alec and Isla, but I need you to work with Thomas and continue to train him whilst Michael is on a restricted working pattern, and somebody has to show the new gentleman the ropes.”

“Fine.” I nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Well done, Autumn. That will be all.”

I stood out of my chair and turned to walk away from Tony. “Thank you Sir.” I said as I walked towards the door of his office.

“Autumn, one last thing before you go.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“You’ll make a fine manager one day.”