One Night Stand

Chapter 11

When they arrived at Halligan's Nicole walked away from the group, quickly scanned the bar and found Morris. As she approached he spotted her and smiled, "I was beginning to think you ditched me girl."
"I told you I'd show up eventually." Nicole said as she gave him a hug.
"I know." Morris replied. "But I know hot it goes. You get distracted, lose track of time and I end up getting ditched for some girl."
"I have literally never done that to you." Nicole replied then dryly added, "Nice to know what you think my priorities are."
"No it's not that, it's just..."
Nicole put her hand up to cut him off, "Just stop talking before I'm forced to take your man card away for being too needy!"
Morris wasn't sure how to respond until Nicole broke out laughing. "Alright, point taken Davin. I owe you a beer for my little needy moment, maybe a few."
"I never turn down free beer." Nicole replied with a smile. As Morris got them drinks she looked around the bar again and she noticed that everyone from their shift was there, even Bailey. Unfortunately she also noticed Gray's good mood from earlier had definitely faded as she stood at the end of the bar alone.

"Gray why do you look like someone ran over your puppy?" Cabello asked about half an hour after they got to Halligan's. In that short time Gray had gone from happy to sullen.
Laughter rang out from the other side of the bar where Nicole and some of the guys were joking around.
The scene made Gray shake her head and down the last of her beer. She turned to Cabello and replied, "I'm gonna head home."
"Come on Gray, it's still early." Cabello quickly said. She knew it was a lame attempt to get Gray to stay but hoped it would buy her time.
Gray tried to give Cabello a serious look but couldn't hold her laughter in for very long. "That's the best you've got?" She managed to ask between giggles.
"Give me a break Gray. You've been silent for like twenty minutes and suddenly you want to leave? We've been drinking so my usual good responses are a little slow in formulating." Cabello said with a smile.
Gray thought for a moment then held up her glass, "You'll be forgiven if this gets filled up."
Cabello nodded, "I can make that happen." Once they both had full glasses Cabello sat next to Gray and said, "Although I think I can guess why your mood changed, I'm asking anyways. Why do you seem so bummed now, when you seemed so happy earlier?"
Gray looked her friend in the eye and knew lying was pointless because she sucked at it. "My answer is gonna make me sound kind of needy and pathetic."
"Lay it on me, I don't judge." Cabello said encouragingly.
Gray sighed and blurted it out. "Nicole and I had a good conversation at Hopleaf then when we got here she's at Morris' side, ignoring me."
Cabello nodded, "That's kind of what I figured. What did you guys talk about?"
"She wants to try to be friends." Gray simply stated.
"I'll admit I'm fuzzy in this kind of situation with women, is that good or bad?" Cabello asked.
"Given my history with women, who the fuck knows." Gray said with a laugh. She let some silent moments pass before she added with a sigh, "I think I pushed it a bit though."
"How so?" Cabello asked. She wanted to gather as much information as she could before she finalized her feelings about Nicole.
"I brought up the friends with benefits idea." Gray said shaking her head. "She said she just wanted to be friends and I jumped right to trying to get her back into my bed. That was just plain dumb!"
Cabello shrugged, "Well you obviously still have a thing for her and that's not dumb, she's hot!"
"Cabello!" Gray said surprised.
"What? I may not be into women but I can appreciate an attractive person. And from talking to her she seems like a good person too, no dominating ego that I can tell. What's not to like?" She shrugged then added. "As far as you being dumb that all depends. What did she say in response to your friends with benefits idea?"
"She basically said friends with benefits could be good but being regular friends is all she can offer because she not in a good place for anything more serious." Gray explained.
"So again I ask, is that good or bad?" Cabello asked because she honestly couldn't read Gray's expression.
Gray shrugged and took a sip of beer, "I guess it's a good thing given that we now work in the same firehouse."
"Fair enough I guess. But my next question is how do you feel about the situation?" Cabello asked knowing Gray may not want to give her an honest answer.
Gray glanced over at Nicole standing next to Morris, chatting up a couple of women she didn't recognize. She sighed and said with a shrug, "It is what it is Cabello. No more no less."
After Cabello took in the scene her friend was looking at she just nodded and said, "Give it time girl."
"Time for what?" Gray asked. She figured the situation was pretty cut and dry so she had no idea where Cabello was going with her statement.
"Time for Nicole to come to her senses and realize how wonderful you are, of course." Cabello answered with a warm smile.
"Thanks Cabello." Gray replied with a genuine smile.

When Gray woke up she felt apprehensive about the shift that started in a couple hours. She knew she would be getting a new partner, since Cabello was starting the fire academy but surprisingly that was the least of her worries.
Foremost on her mind was Nicole. Gray hadn't talked to Nicole since their trip from Hopleaf to Halligan's, so she wasn't exactly sure where they stood. It wasn't like she behaved badly the other night but she questioned if her flirting had been a bit much. Gray thought their conversation at Hopleaf was a positive step but after the silent treatment at Halligan's she wasn't sure. The whole night left Gray very confused and very uneasy about her next encounter with Nicole Davin. Gray couldn't deny that the Nicole situation did affect her anxiety about the new partner situation. If this shift would have been with Cabello, Gray had no doubt her friend would help her through the day. Cabello had a talent for distracting Gray from her problems, plus Cabello would run interference if any awkward situations occurred. But with a new partner she knew she'd be on her own in dealing with Nicole.
Gray knew she couldn't hide out in her room forever so she headed for the kitchen.
    "It's about time." Rafferty teased as he neared her approaching. When he saw his roommate his expression changed, "You alright Gray?"
    She nodded and offered a small smile, "Yeah I'm fine, why?"
    "I'm not sure but you don't seem like your normal self." Rafferty offered as an explanation.
    "You've seen me for all of two seconds Kyle, how can you tell anything?"
    He shrugged, "I dunno, just a feeling I guess."
    Gray offered a bigger smile, "Well we both know that me and change don't always get along so well."
    "Ahh," he answered with a nod. "You're worried about who you'll get as a new partner."
    "Do you blame me?" Gray replied, playing up this part of her anxiety.
    "I guess not." Rafferty replied. "I remember Cabello felt the same way after your accident then again when..."
    Gray knew he didn't want to finish his thought so she did, "When I transferred and went off the rails a bit?"
    "Yeah, something like that." Rafferty said uncomfortably.
    Gray walked up to him, grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye, "It's okay. We all lived through my freak out so let's call it what it was. I've been doing fine for a while now so let's move on. You don't have to worry about me so much, I won't break." She patted one shoulder then let him go.
    "Fair enough." He replied then added, "You're my best friend Gray, I'd worry about you regardless of your behavior."
    "Point taken." She said with a smile until she glanced at the clock. "But if we don't get out of here soon we're gonna have to deal with an angry Bailey on top of the changes."