Page 40 of Just One: Box Set

Chapter Three

L iam strolled in, freshly showered, and threw himself onto his bunk, the mattress squeaking under his weight. “Any hits?” he asked, glancing over at André, who was lying back against the headboard, phone in hand.

“Actually, yeah,” André replied, holding up his phone. “No photo, though.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have a photo either. What’s the message say?”

André shrugged, tapping the screen to read the message aloud.

Saw your profile and LOVE the Dalmatian. I would love to chat!

I don’t know, man. Seems kinda plain. Though, assuming this is a woman, her screen name is kinda cute.”

“What is it?” Liam leaned in, intrigued.

André snorted. “DoggyStyle.”

Liam let out a bark of laughter. “Dude… if it’s not a chick, that’s messed up. But maybe she’s just being cautious. What’s the harm in starting a conversation? You can block them later if they’re a total whack job—or have a dick.”

“You’re right,” André muttered, pushing himself off the bed. “I’ll strike up a conversation… after I shower. Still need to wash off that fire.”

As André headed to the showers, he pulled out his phone again, typing a quick reply as the water heated up.

DallyDude: Hey DoggyStyle (interesting name, by the way), I see you’ve got good taste with the Dalmatian icon. Your profile doesn’t tell me much about you… are you really a woman?

He groaned as soon as he hit send, regretting the bluntness of the question. To his surprise, the familiar dots appeared, indicating she was already typing back.

DoggyStyle: Wow… I wasn’t expecting a reply so fast. Do you not work, or are you maybe a serial killer? And what if I’m not a woman—is that a hard no for you?

André couldn’t help but laugh, the tension from the fire call easing. He quickly typed back.

DallyDude: Not a serial killer, promise. And yes, I’ve got a job, just on a break right now. But if you’re not a woman, we can hang out platonically. Still, I’m looking for my forever girl, so I guess this app is my last-ditch effort.

Tossing the phone onto the counter, he stepped under the hot spray, letting the water relax his tired muscles. The phone chirped again, and he reached out with a dry hand, chuckling at her response.

DoggyStyle: Good thing I’m all woman, though maybe too much of one from what I’ve been told.

Is this weird, using an app? It feels like we’re admitting we’re not good enough to find someone in real life.

I’m busy with work and my side hustle, but dang, now I’m wondering if you think I’m a hairy dude again because I cussed.

His laughter echoed in the empty showers, and he rushed to finish up. Wrapping a towel around his waist, André grabbed the phone, typing a response as he walked back to the bunk room.

DallyDude: I like a woman who’s feisty—don’t worry about the swearing.

I’ve heard way worse from my co-workers.

And nah, I don’t think it’s lame. Honestly, I downloaded the app after losing a bet.

Afraid to ask what your side hustle is, though.

Your screen name has me thinking of all kinds of scenarios.

Liam looked up from his bed with a grin. “I take it you messaged back, and they replied?”

André tugged on a fresh pair of cargo pants and his fire department tee, nodding. “Yeah… pretty sure it’s a woman. And she’s funny.”

Just then, another notification pinged.

DoggyStyle: My best friend set up my profile, and I can’t change the name for thirty days. She’s going to regret it, though, because payback’s coming. And my side hustle? Nothing shady. I knit cute hats for dogs. Probably why I’m still single.

André laughed out loud, showing the message to Liam. “Her best friend gave her that ridiculous name and get this—she knits hats for dogs.”

Liam’s eyebrows shot up before he burst out laughing. “That’s awesome. Can you imagine Chief’s dog in one of those?”

André smirked, picturing their station mascot, Bumble, in a tiny, knitted hat. Chief would lose his mind. His thoughts wandered for a moment, but the ping of another message brought him back.

DoggyStyle: What’s a guy like you do for fun on the weekends?

Smiling, André typed back, feeling like a teenager all over again.

DallyDude: I work weird hours, so relationships haven’t worked out too well. What about you? Besides knitting hats for dogs, what do you do for fun? Also, can I get a name instead of DoggyStyle?

Just as he hit send, the station alarm blared through the room. “Shit,” he muttered, shoving his phone into his pocket and rushing to the engine bay.

He jumped into the truck alongside Liam, pulling on his turnout gear as the engine roared to life. The tension returned to the team as the details of the call came through.

“A house fire,” Harvey called back, his voice tense. “Neighbor thinks there’s a kid still inside.”

That was all André needed to hear. The idea of a child trapped inside sent his heart racing, sharpening his focus. As they approached the street, the sky glowed an ominous orange, the flames licking the air with a vicious hunger.

They jumped out of the truck, gear clanking as they ran toward the burning house. A woman rushed forward, screaming, her face a mask of panic. “My daughter, Katherine! She’s still inside! Please, you have to save her!”

Harvey knelt beside her, speaking calmly while André and Liam headed for the front door.

“Liam, we’re taking the upstairs,” André ordered as they breached the house. The fire raged around them, smoke thick and suffocating, but they pushed through, eyes stinging from the heat.

“Katherine!” Liam called out as they reached the top of the stairs. “If you can hear us, shout!”

André darted into a bedroom, scanning every corner before moving to the next room. “Katherine!” His voice echoed through the crackling of flames. He swung open the bathroom door and froze. There, huddled in the shower, was a young girl, drenched and terrified.

He crouched down, lifting his mask for a second. “Hey, Katherine. I’m André, a firefighter. Can you come with me? We need to get you out of here.”

Tears streamed down her soot-streaked face as she nodded. “I didn’t mean to start it. Am I in trouble?”

André’s heart clenched at the guilt in her voice. “No, sweetheart. Accidents happen. Let’s get you out first, and we’ll talk later, okay?”

She stood, wrapping a towel around her face as André led her out. As soon as they reached the hallway, Liam was there.

“Window’s our only way out,” he said, kicking open the window frame.

André nodded, guiding Katherine toward the opening. “We’re going to climb down the ladder. Stick with me, okay?”

They made their way onto the ladder, but before they could descend, an explosion rocked the house. The ladder wobbled violently, and Liam was thrown off balance, slipping to the side. André’s instincts kicked in, and he grabbed Liam’s coat with one hand, gripping Katherine with the other.

“Shit!” Liam cursed, dangling precariously. “Dre, I can’t hold on much longer!”

With all his strength, André tightened his grip on Liam’s coat, straining as the team below worked to stabilize the ladder. After what felt like an eternity, they managed to lower the ladder, safely bringing them all to the ground.

As soon as they were down, Chief was there, barking orders to get them checked out. But André’s mind wasn’t on the fire anymore. It was on the mystery woman, still waiting for a reply.

“Fuck…” he groaned, panic hitting him when he thought he'd dropped his phone.

Liam held it up, “Looking for this?”

“I need that.” Adre snatched it out of his hand.

Chief gave him a sideways glance. “Why? So you can keep chatting with ‘ DoggyStyle ’?”

André grinned, despite the exhaustion. “Yeah… something like that.”