Playing With Fire Read Online Free PDF

between you and Trevor, right?”
    I let go of Matt’s hand. I took a long drink of water as I thought about how to answer.
    “Well?” said Matt. When I paused a moment longer, he said, “You’re still seeing him, aren’t you?”
    I put my glass down. “We’re having dinner at the Boardwalk Café tomorrow night.”
    Matt sat back, clearly pissed. “You’re two-timing me?”
    “No! It’s not like that.”
    “You’re on a date with me tonight and out with Trevor tomorrow night. You’re dating two men. I think that’s the definition of two-timing.”
    The guests at the next table turned to watch us. The couple at another table pointed and whispered. I didn’t know them, but they likely knew me from my work at the paper. My picture was on the editorial page every week.
    “Look, I’ve only just started dating you,” I said. “It’s not like we’re a couple or anything.”
    “And you and Trevor are?
    I lowered my voice. “No…”
    “Not yet.”
    “What kind of girl do you take me for?”
    “You tell me.”
    We stared each other down for a moment. Then Matt sniffed. He turned toward the window. “What is that?”
    “What?”
    “I smell smoke.”
    “Smoke?” All at once I could smell it too. “Maybe they’ve burned something in the kitchen.”
    “I don’t think so. That’s a garbage fire.”
    Matt stood and strode out the back exit. I followed. Sure enough, the large garbage bin behind the restaurant was on fire. The bin was butted up against the back wall of the restaurant. The flames had already started to spread to the building.
    Matt pulled out his cell. “I’ll phone 9-1-1.”
    “I’ll get everyone out of the restaurant.”
    I went back inside and whistled for everyone’s attention. The waitresses and the patrons at their tables looked at me like I was a crazy woman. “We’ve got a fire at the back of the building,” I informed them. “Everyone out through the front entrance. Stay calm, people. Move slowly.”
    The manager cleared his staff from the kitchen. Once I had walked everyone out of the restaurant, I joined Matt back at the fire. It was larger now, and part of the wall of the restaurant was on fire. I heard the fire alarm at the station go off. The chief and the fire trucks would be here within minutes.
    A crowd of onlookers gathered. Then I saw Trevor. He walked down the alley toward us dressed casually, in a winter jacket over jeans and a T-shirt.
    “Trevor, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you in your firefighting gear?”
    “I just happened to be driving by,” he said. “I saw the smoke and flames.”
    He went back into the restaurant and retrieved a couple of fire extinguishers. As I snapped photos with my cell phone, Trevor quickly used the extinguisher to douse the flames on the building itself. The fire continued to smolder in the metal garbage bin but was no longer a threat to the restaurant. I posted a photo on Twitter with the tweet, Trevor saves the day! The fire trucks arrived, and Trevor helped his team hook up the hoses. They had the fire in the bin completely out within minutes.
    Trevor stood back with his arms crossed, looking pretty proud of himself.
    “You handled that well,” I said.
    “It’s my job,” he told me. “Well, it’s my volunteer work. But you know what I mean. I can’t let all this training go to waste.”
    “You say you just happened to be driving by?” Matt asked him. “You weren’t checking up on Claire, were you?”
    “Why would I do that?”
    “You knew she had a date with me tonight.”
    “Sure, I knew. You told me.”
    “Matt, this is ridiculous,” I said. “Trevor just stopped that fire from spreading to the restaurant. Now you’re giving him hell for being here. You’re just jealous.”
    Matt shook his head like he couldn’t believe I’d just said that. Then he waved me off, dismissing me. “I’m sure Trevor will be happy to give you a ride home,” he said. He turned to leave.
    “Matt, wait!” I