Here Comes The Sun

Chapter Three

I couldn't get her out of my head, couldn't stop thinking about how pretty and nice she was. How she didn't make me feel ashamed for being twenty nine years old and still not knowing how to swim like the guys had done the moment I tried to whisper it in private to the Chief. He of course replied very loudly with an, are you serious?
That had gotten everyone's attention and he was all too eager to share. Had they not already known how I didn't like being called Archie I was 100 fucking person sure someone would have suggested water wings as my new nickname. With my issues keeping my temper in check I am glad Archie appeases them enough.
I had thought about asking Seth about her since they seemed to know each other by the way they had talked at the pool. I held off on that idea when I remembered how Seth had a habit of fucking every women he ever met. Instead I went onto my instagram. I really only had to keep up with my sister's kids. I went to Seth's profile as he had made me follow him a few weeks back and searched the name maisie in his followers.
I found her easily and clicked on her profile only to freeze at the fact she had over five million followers. I started to scroll and see all the pictures of her surfing or at award events. Most of her posts were related to her career but a few were ones of friends and at parties that seemed a lot more laid back then the ones she wore ball gowns in. Every single photo she looked gorgeous and every single photo reminded me just how out of my league she was.
She was a successful, kind, and generous woman, I was a firefighter with anger issues. Yet none of that was going to deter me, not when she had smiled at me like she had today. I hadn't noticed someone approach me from behind while I sat on the couch but suddenly Colin was clearing his throat behind me
I locked my phone and shoved it into my pants pocket before turning to look at him. He and Mac were the two I had gotten the closest with in the two months I'd been working here. He was a good guy and was easy to talk to. I myself was not easy to talk to so it really helped one of us could. Mac on the other hand was more like me in terms of social interaction. He grunted in response to a lot of things and didn't talk usually unless it was directed to him.
I think he was my best friend but honestly he also might not even like me.

"That is a bad idea waiting to happen." Colin said, moving around to take a spot on the old couch.

"Why?" His eyes glanced to where Seth was making a disaster of a sandwich in the kitchen. Was that a can of sardines?

"Not that one." Colin nodded to where Kyler was laying on another couch, his phone in his face.

Kyler was one of the guys I could just not even force himself to like, he seemed to have a permanent stick up his ass. His problems were always everyone's problems or they were someone else's fault when most of the time he caused them all himself. How did someone like him manage to get a girl like Maisie?

"How long?"I looked away from Kyler, having even more of an interest in pretending the guy didn't exist.

"She moved back to town eight months ago and they were together from about then till about January. I have seen some messy breakups but that one was." He just shook his head and let out a puff of air.

"What happened?" I was being nosy but I still couldn't figure out how someone as horrible as Kyler got a woman like her and then blew it.

"Now that is where I stop gossiping. I have sisters and they taught me there is a fine line between okay and not okay in sharing and what happened between them is well over that line." Well now I wanted to know even more. I looked towards Seth, who definitely was adding sardines to his sandwich, I bet I could get it out of him.

"Yeah, not even Seth is going to spill that particular detail." I doubted that.

"Listen if you want to go for it, Maisie is one of the best people I have ever met. She also happens to be the most beloved woman on this side of the river. On a scale of who this town loves most she falls right under God and right above the Pope." Jesus what had this woman done that I had not heard about? My confidence was wavering.

"I will say you are her type."

"Who's type?" Mac asks from behind me.

"Fucking shit man!" I jump not expecting him to be right there. "Next time could you make some noise or something so I don't shit myself?"

He just shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat across from us on a reclining chair.

"Archie has a crush on Maisie." Colin tells him, making sure to keep his voice low.

"Y'all would be good together." Mac says to my surprise, does everyone in this town know her?

"If something happens just let me know so I can avoid being there when Kyler finds out." He adds.

"Seriously what the fuck happend between them?" I was getting slightly agitated with all the foreboding comments, like they were purposely teasing me with just enough information to make me feel crazy.

Before either could respond the alarm goes off and we all quickly get into our gear and onto the trucks. Mac drives while I sit beside him on our way to a frat house from what Mac could tell by the address. We got a decent amount of calls to that area with college kids being drunk or high and fucking around.
Usually they are small fires but as we grow near I can see the flames coming out of an open window and a group of four boys huddled together outside. One of them is yelling at another when we get there but our focus isn't them, it's the flames that are working their way out of the house.
It doesn't take too long to get the fire out and survey the now scorched kitchen and part of their living room. The one who had been screaming when we arrived is not muttering to himself as he looks at the room in horror.

"Do you see what you caused Jackson? Like what the fuck man?" He yells at another guy who is trying to stay small in the corner.

"I tried putting it out!" He defended himself, their other roommates just watched in silence like me and the crew did.

"With water! You tried putting out a oil fire with water! Do you not know anything?"

"I just wanted fries man!" Jackson screams back at the obvious leader of their group.

"This is why you have doordash, you were already banned from the kitchen because of last time!"

"What happened last time?" Seth asks, we all turn to look at him.

"Jackson here used to have long ass hair until he caught it on fire on the stove." I took his buzz cut and saw a slight red scar on the side of his head. It was still new enough that it could be made out in this dim lighting.

"Well our jobs are finished here." Colin speaks up, directing Seth out the door when he tries to ask another question.

"I just wanted to know how?" Seth whines as Colin pushes him just enough he takes another step towards the truck. We can still hear the guy getting yelled at as we load up.

On the way back I took the opportunity to call Maisie, I had already added her phone number as a contact, not trusting myself to keep track of the small piece of paper that held her messy handwriting. It rings twice before the call gets picked up.

"Hello?" She asks hesitantly.

"Hey it's Archer." I keep my voice even.

"Oh hey! I'm glad you called. I've been thinking about the other things I need to teach you. I'm thinking maybe a couple weeks maybe twice a week depending on what our schedules allow." She rambles, it's adorable.

"Yeah, that would be great. When would you be free for the first one?" I wanted to see her again.

    "What are you doing Sunday afternoon?" She asks. I had been planning to go over to Macs and watch a game but fuck that.

    "I'm free, does around two work?" I can feel Mac's eyes on me but I don't look. I am not going to let anyone ruin the high I am on with how happy she sounds to be talking to me.

    "That's perfect, I'll see you then."

    "Can't wait, Siren." She hangs up first after that and I instantly wish I had found a way to keep the conversation going but Mac was here and he was already giving me a look I didn't understand.

    "Siren?" He asks with his eyebrows raised.

    "Shut the fuck up." I grumble out and ignore the way he laughs at my response.