Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 83

Lucy's Point of View

Looking at the clock, I see it is just past 3pm. I head out to the sales board and see that the team with my help has hit target for the month, with one week to go. I go knock on Anders' door, as he hangs up the phone shaking his head a little. I would not say he looks annoyed, but he looks far from pleased. I second guess the reason I had come in here, to see if he is happy to let the guys have an early finish, given they reached target, with a full week of sales to go. "Hey, what's up?" Anders asks.

"Erm, well, the team has hit the monthly target today, and well, we still have a full week of sales. I was going to ask if they could do a flyer and finish now?" I asked him.. Anders grunts, looking up at the clock, then blinks his eyes.

"s**t, yes, I was going to let them go after lunch. Time just passed me by." He shrugs.

I wonder what is bothering him, hoping it is not the fact that Josie has volunteered with myself and Joanne to clean Davey's house, as he moved all his things out last night.

"Cool, I will go let them know." It is a well-known fact in sales that once Friday afternoons come, nobody is available to talk to, they are pretty pointless, so having the early finish as a bonus for having a good week or hitting targets doesn't, in theory, cost the company any real time.

I head out onto the sales floor, and give the team the good news, that let's be honest, they have all been waiting for and hoping they could get out early.

They disappear like rats from a sinking ship, out the door in double-quick time. I smile, remembering that feeling very well, from when I worked at my old place. Stepping back into my office, Anders shouts through for me to go back into his office for a chat. Guess I am about to find out what is bothering him. Taking a deep breath I walk back to his office, taking a seat.

"Are you going to Davey's, or should I say Cal's house straight after you are finished here?" he asks.

"Yeah, that's the plan. Ben is going to meet me there." I smile.

I plan on taking the bus, as the fire station is a short drive from the house, and it makes no sense for him to come all the way into the city to pick me up to drive all the way back.

"I will take you across, I was trying to hire a van to get your brother moved out of his current place tomorrow, but they are not hiring Saturday and Sunday because they are fully booked because of the air show. So... I have let Ben know I cannot get a van." He sighs. "That's okay, as long as we get it cleaned and the grass cut, I'm sure we can move the furniture over in little bits after Ben has finished work on Saturday and Sunday night." I smile, wondering if that's what has annoyed him, but not sure why it would. "Sure, if you like, I can spare a few hours helping as well. I know Josie will want to help, so you have two for the price of one." He laughs, quoting the recent sales pitch, £2000 for one issue with the second issue free.

"Hey, we only want, £1000 for those half-pages anyway, so we're not losing anything," I defend with a giggle.

Anders lets out a chuckle, nodding his head.

"Was that what was annoying you earlier?" I ask, maybe I shouldn't be so friendly with my CEO, but to be fair, we are more like a group of friends now.

"No," Anders curt reply, shaking his head.

I don't want to push him, but it is intriguing to say the least, so I wait to see if he will divulge any more information. After a couple of moments, I realise that's the only answer I'm going to get, so I quickly try to come up with a change of subject. "Josie is doing a fire inspection at the moment, with just that young lad, Wayne or whatever his name is," Anders states, the look of annoyance flickers on his face once more.

Now I get what's bothering him, he's worried. Especially since the police found pictures of Josie in Linda's house, and now she's been released from police custody, he's naturally concerned.

"Hey, Wayne may seem a little young, but he has a good head on his shoulders. Plus, we've been going to our self-defence classes. Linda try's anything, she'll get more than she bargained for, trust me, Josie is no slouch," I try to reassure him. Anders nods once, but I can see he'll not relax until Josie is back from the inspection and messaging him that she's okay.

"I'll be coming over with her tonight. Not that I'm any good at cleaning, I have staff for that s**t. But I don't mind doing some of the garden." Anders sighs. "Hey, you don't have to."

I appreciate the help and support, but seriously, Anders and manual labour are not cohabitors, despite his strong muscles.

"Na, I don't mind, Josie loves to help people, and I love to see her happy. Plus, your brother deserves a helping hand." He smiles.

"Cool, well I best get on the phone to the printers, and organise the cut off for the issue, else I'll not get out of here in time. " I smile, then head off back to my office.

Finally with the printer sorted, with the files of graphics being promised to them in ten days, I shut down my computer, before grabbing my bag, that contains leggings and an old t-shirt ready for me to clean and bleach. I hope Anders is ready to go. "Hey, I am ready when you are." I smile at him as he nods his head, his fingers furiously typing, then shuts down his computer, with a sigh, before grabbing his suit jacket. I hope he has something to were other than business dress to cut the long grass, but some how I doubt it.

We pull up outside the house, we're the first here, given Ben and Josie, Joanne and Whip-Me don't finish 'til six, but I have a key, as Davey had passed Ben a spare one yesterday when he made the offer to Cal.

Opening the door, it's not as bad as what I was made to believe, and I wonder if Kathline gave the place a quick dust around when Davey moved out last night. My phone buzzes to say I have a text, and I see it's from Cal.

Kathline has said she will watch the kids for a few hours if I want to work at the house. Do you think they'll be okay? They hardly know her. Xxx

I am sure they'll be fine, and she has your number, if they aren't then you can go pick them up. Xxx

I smile, my heart warming at just how good a father my younger brother is. It could've been so very different, and I am glad we had great parents when they were alive to show us by example. Despite his acting out stage when they first died, he's turned his life around, and I feel so proud of him.

I grab the key for the garden shed from the top of the kitchen countertop, he had kindly left the lawnmower and strimmer, as Kathline had them at her house anyway. He also left most of his furniture, which means Cal doesn't need to worry much about purchasing anything, other than two spare beds for the kids' rooms. Little does he know that I ordered a princess bed for Kirstie and a racing car bed for Dante, as a surprise for them.

I head out into the overgrown garden, Anders hot on my heals, as I pull out the lawnmower and strimmer.

"Joanne is bringing the cleaning stuff. So, I'll strim, if you don't mind mowing." I smile at Anders.

"Put me to work," he states, and I grin at him.

I begin to strim the top off the grass, to a length that'll be okay for mowing, then glance around, rolling my lips as I see Anders, in his full suit, trying to work out how to start the lawnmower.

"Push the orange button and hold the little leaver under the handle," I instruct him, tying to keep the amusement from my tone.

The garden is pretty big, bigger than the one at our house, so the kids will have plenty of space to run around and play once it is cut down.

I'm lost in my work, when I feel two strong arms circle my body, the sparks that erupt on my skin lets me know exactly who it is, and I cannot suppress the smile.

"I'll do that babe," Bens low voice whispers in my ear.

"You're here." I smile, my heart leaping with joy.

I often wonder if the intensity of our connection will waver, but so far, it has only increased with each passing day.

"Yes, now I'll take over doing this, it's a big job, I didn't expect you to do it," Ben all but admonishes me.

I giggle slightly, nodding my head and passing him the strimmer, before heading into the house, as Joanne arrives, damn she gets more glamorous every day, she really is growing in confidence. Not that she didn't appear to have it in truck loads, but this is different, like she is happy and proud to be herself. It's very good to see.

"Hey, did you go out and do the garden in that skirt?" Joanne asks.

I look down, then realise I have not changed into the leggings and old t-shirt, damn Anders and I must have looked ridiculous tackling the garden in full business dress, and I regret my inward laughter at him earlier.

"I forgot to get changed." I laugh as Josie looks out the French doors that lead to the garden shaking her head and giggling at Anders.

"Is it totally weird that I am perving the arsehole, whilst he does manual labour in a business sui?!" she asks, but I gather it's a rhetorical question rather than one that requires an answer.

Although I'm enjoying a good old perv myself as I glance at Ben, his big muscles bulging as he moves the strimmer from side-to-side. My lady parts pulse at the sight of him, and if I'm totally honest I cannot wait to have the house back to ourselves.

Grabbing my bag, I quickly go to the bathroom, and get changed, before heading back down the stairs to be greeted with an array of cleaning products, sponges, mops, and buckets.

"There is quite a bit of limescale on the taps, so I have bags and white vinegar, we need to make little pouches and pop them over the bottom, then come back tomorrow and take them off," Joanne orders and both Lucy and I look at her, the question on both our lips. "Vinegar?" Josie asks.

"Yes, best thing, and a lot cheaper than the overpriced limescale removers you can buy. Although the house will stink like a chip shop for a couple of days." Joanne laughs.

With a shrug of our shoulders, Josie and I set to work to cover the taps with the bags of white vinegar, then realise, that perhaps we should have left a hot and cold without the homemade limescale remover so we could fill the buckets of water. Fixing our mistake, the three of us are soon busy washing paint work, cleaning windows, hoovering the floors, as Cal comes in, looking around the house, a wide smile on his face, but then quickly checks his phone, clearly worried about the kids. "Hey, they are fine with Kathline, she is a good sort." Josie reassures my brother with a smile.

"Okay, so what do you need me to do?" he asks, as if it's not going to be his home.

"Bleach the toilet and bath, it is a bit yellow around the bowl," Joanne states with a smile, handing him a bottle of bleach, as he nods his head and disappears upstairs. Ben walks in, giving me a warm smile.

"Garden's cut down, needs a good weed, but it is safe for the kids now." He grins wrapping his arm around me.

"Damn mother, you are using vinegar to clean again. Now I want some fish and chips," he moans to Joanne, whilst he pulls me into his chest and steals a quick kiss.

"Hey, you always say that, and so it's all in hand." Joanne grins at her son, as the door opens and Whip-Me walks in, followed by Davey, Twinkle, Wayne and Headache, his harms laden with fish and chips for everyone, along with some bottles of villa pop. "I got coke, but also, some dandelion and burdock, and sarsaparilla. You cannot have chips from the chippy without those," Whip-me shouts then walks over and plants a big kiss on Joanne's lips, as Anders looks over eyes wide, but says not a word. Ben shakes his head, but smirks, then whispers to me.

"The team all know now, after Twinkle walked in on them snogging behind his desk."

"Oh," I reply giggling.

"Yes, they have taken the eyes out of me all afternoon. Calling me Daddy's favourite." Ben chuckles.

"You are my favourite." I grin at him.

"Humm, you want to call me daddy?" he groans slightly.

I bite my bottom lip, never had I thought of such a thing, but now he mentions it, the pulsing of my lady bits indicates I'm not averse to the idea.

"So, let's eat, then get this place ship shape and Bristol fashion before Cal moves in tomorrow," Whip-me orders and Joanne grins with pride as she helps him sort out the food, and I'm plagued with very un-lady-like thoughts about calling Ben Daddy when the kids and Cal finally move into this house.