Page 96 of Igniting Her

It had also not mistaken consequence for exile.

Ellie scraped red frosting from the corner of her plate. “You’re doing the face.”

“Which face?”

“The one where you decide a room is a tactical problem.”

“There are forty-three people in a space rated for thirty-six.”

“There she is.”

Cassie looked around the room. Every person who mattered already knew. The rest had reached conclusions months ago and were waiting for the courtesy of confirmation.

She set down her untouched plate.

“May I have everyone’s attention?”

The room quieted with suspicious speed.

Ellie turned toward her. Humor remained at the edge of her mouth, but her hazel eyes searched Cassie’s face. Cassie let her hand fall between them, palm open.

Ellie took it.

Forty-three people inhaled at once.

“For the sake of accuracy,” Cassie said, “Firefighter Ridge and I are in a relationship. It has been disclosed to the department, and the appropriate supervisory boundaries are in place.”

Silence held for one remarkable second.

Then the station erupted.

Jamie shouted that accuracy had been achieved in April. Priya demanded five dollars from three separate people. Teak climbed onto a chair, pointed at Cassie and Ellie’s joined hands, and yelled, “Vindication,” though nobody could determine what position she had held. Someone from C shift slapped the table. Sofia covered both ears and laughed.

Mo walked to the dry-goods cabinet and removed a white envelope swollen with folded bills. Cassie looked at him. “You permitted gambling in my station.”

“Your former station,” Mo said. “The pool was on the date you two would stop insulting our intelligence. I had promotion day.”

Cassie regarded the envelope. “That is appallingly sentimental.”

“It was statistically sound.”

Teak began striking a plastic fork against her cup. Others joined her until Mo raised one hand.

“No,” Cassie said.

“Too late,” Ellie murmured.

Mo faced the room. “I’ve been asked to say a few words.”

“You have not,” Priya said.

“First, I want to thank everyone who contributed to my forty-five dollars.” He waited through the objections. “Second, to Ridge, who has gone through burning buildings with less hesitation than she brought to one captain’s office. And to Everett, who finally learned that a correct order can be revised when conditions change.”

Cassie should have objected to the comparison. Instead, her fingers tightened around Ellie’s.

Mo lifted his paper cup. “May neither of you ever again make the rest of us sit through that much meaningful eye contact without hazard pay.”

The room raised cups, forks, and one toy engine.