The Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

caressing hand on his arm left no doubt as to just how grateful Ella would be.
    Brody shook his head. “I don’t do interviews.”
    “Maybe you haven’t been asked by the right person yet.”
    “If I did one, it would be with you. How’s that?”
    “Did you hear that, Melissa? He almost agreed to an interview.”
    “But didn’t,” Brody quickly clarified.
    “I’ll tell you what. You can look at it when we’re done, and if there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll take it out.”
    “We can’t promise that, Ella!” Melissa reminded her. “That’s against our policy.”
    “Don’t interfere, Melissa. I’ve almost gotten him to agree.”
    “It does sound tempting.” Brody rubbed his jaw. “I sure could make myself look good. Maybe we could even ban certain words and topics from the interview. Say, the word ‘bachelor.’ ”
    “Well . . . I guess . . .”
    Melissa saw disaster approaching. Giving an interview subject approval of the final cut was against station policy. They could be fired for that, and if someone had to take the fall, it would be her, not Ella. Besides, the word “bachelor” happened to be the one Loudon wanted on the air. She stood up quickly.
    “Ella, can I speak with you for a second?” Ella, as usual, ignored her. Melissa watched Ella curl a teasing finger across Brody’s hand, and suddenly couldn’t stand it another second. “Captain Brody, a word in private, please?”
    “Certainly.”
    Brody extricated himself from Ella’s grasp and followed Melissa into the hallway, the dog trotting at his heels. He closed the door and leaned against it, arms folded.
    Melissa, glaring at him, crossed her arms too. He raised an eyebrow, waiting.
    An embarrassing moment of silence followed. With him looking at her like that, she couldn’t remember what she wanted to say to him. Which made her feel like an idiot. Which made her angry.
    “ Harry? ” Of all things, that was what eventually burst from her mouth.
    “Yes?”
    “Your name’s Harry?”
    “Is that what you needed to speak to me about?” He cocked his head.
    “No, Harry , it isn’t. You ought to know we can’t give you final approval on an interview. Please don’t encourage her.”
    “How should I know that? I’m just a simple firefighter. Now if you want me to rebuild an engine, or—”
    “Okay, I get it. I’m sorry I said those things the other night. I was a little bit buzzed. I don’t always behave correctly when I’m . . . tipsy.”
    His eyes darkened. “Well, that does explain some things.”
    Melissa flushed and wrenched the conversation back to her original purpose. “So will you stop letting Ella promise things she can’t deliver?”
    “Why don’t you make her stop? I don’t work for the Sunny Side of the News.”
    Melissa gritted her teeth. “She doesn’t care what I say, haven’t you noticed?”
    “I’ve noticed that an extremely intelligent woman is letting herself be pushed around. Where’s all that opinionated ranting and raving I listened to the other night?”
    “I was not ranting. Or raving. I was expressing opinions.”
    “Then what’s stopping you now? Just go out there and lay down the law. She doesn’t seem so unreasonable.”
    Irritation took hold of Melissa. Who was this man to tell her how to handle Ella? “Maybe I should drool all over her. Then she’d listen to me.”
    “That’s ridiculous.”
    “Do you love her laugh too?”
    “What?”
    “You’ve been hearing enough of it. Hahahahaheeee . . .” Melissa mimicked Ella’s trilling laugh. “You said I had a lovely laugh.”
    “Are you jealous?”
    Melissa snapped her mouth shut. “Don’t be silly,” she said loftily. “I just don’t want you to make a fool of yourself like all the rest.”
    Brody’s eyes narrowed. “By the way, you do know Hoagie watches football, don’t you? Or maybe it doesn’t matter with that pretty face of his.”
    “Hoagie, as you call him, is more than a pretty face.