DESIRE ME IF YOU CAN [EN] - Chapter 39 - 39

It had been about an hour since the report came in: a pet cat stuck in a tree. Seeing Dane, usually visibly annoyed and yawning while checking gear, hop straight into the truck—a rare sight—Grayson followed suit. He still didn't understand why. He had acted without thinking; by the time he came to his senses, the truck was moving.

No one said a word about Grayson joining the call. Their attitude clearly stated they wouldn't get involved regardless of his motives, suiting Grayson just fine. Only one person grated on his nerves right now.

Dane Stryker sat with arms crossed, shaking one leg. Seeing him look anxious, unlike his usual self—presumably because of the cat—felt strange. No matter how big the fire, Dane Stryker always looked annoyed or bored. The only time he showed a different attitude was with animals. Once, he had rescued a squirrel; another time, he picked up a fallen bird to return it to its nest. Grayson had gotten used to seeing those eyes, always serious and sparkling when dealing with animals, lose their light and turn dull the moment the task ended.

What he wasn't used to was his own attitude. For some reason, since that day, Grayson had started watching Dane's every move. He didn't know why. He couldn't understand himself.

Above all, he disliked the current situation. This wasn't the time to kill time here. His business at the fire station was done; he should leave immediately, as he always had. Although his father told him to endure for a year, finding a way out wouldn't be impossible if he pulled a few strings. He had to. Life was too short to find his one and only destined love.

Nearly a month had passed since that day, yet Grayson remained. Unable to justify it to himself, he dutifully went out on calls every time. More accurately, he was following Dane around.

Wait, following that bastard around? Me?

Just as he frowned at this new realization, the truck arrived. Dane was the first off. Throwing on his jacket, he headed straight for the tree. While his colleagues set up the ladder and he put on his helmet, a woman who seemed to be the owner paced anxiously with her neighbors some distance away.

“No good. Can't pitch the ladder.”

After a few attempts, DeAndre gave up, stepping back. Ezra pulled out his radio immediately.

“Let's call the ladder truck. We'll wait.”

While waiting, the backup firefighters loitered, joking with residents. Even so, they didn't forget to check the tree occasionally. Meanwhile, seeing Dane standing in a circle chatting, a group of women gathered, fussing quietly.

“Hey, it's him, right? The...”

To the voice full of expectation, another woman nodded.

“Calendar.”

Stifled screams erupted here and there. Jumping in place, covering their mouths, pumping their fists—all sorts of reactions poured out. Even while hurriedly snapping pictures, they couldn't stop.

“Oh my, I've never seen such a handsome man.”

“And that body. I could die happy if I got a date with him.”

“He's huge. Isn't he like two meters tall?”

“Oh my god, seeing the man of my dreams in reality. I think I'm going to cry.”

“Cherry's such a good boy. Repaying me like this for all the treats.”

“I knew a day like this would come. Cherry knows gratitude.”

There was no way these cheers didn't reach the men's ears. Glancing at them, Ezra nudged Dane with his elbow, gesturing with his chin.

“Seems like those ladies keep talking about you. Why don't you give 'em a wave?”

Dane smiled wordlessly, raising his hand slightly before lowering it. The women's cheers tripled in volume. The other colleagues showed no reaction, however, as if this were common. While they killed time chatting about baseball with a kid, the ladder truck arrived. As if it were natural, Dane climbed onto the ladder; they watched from below as he skillfully ascended.

“Good boy. That's it.”

Dane spoke in a gentle voice unimaginable until now. Approaching slowly as if worried about startling the cat, his demeanor was cautious to the extreme. Everyone held their breath, watching him get closer.

As Dane slowly extended his long arm, almost reaching it, the cat curled up tighter. Ears flattened, tail puffed up, it was ready to bolt. Never taking his eyes off it, Dane snatched the cat by the scruff of its neck in a flash. The cat struggled with a sharp cry; Dane's grip remained firm. Lifting the cat immediately to embrace it, he drew loud cheers and applause from below.

“Woo-hoo!”

“He did it, he did it!”

“Thank god, thank you!”

“Oh, thank you so much. What a relief... I was so scared.”

With relief, people finally started talking with bright faces. Coming down the ladder, Dane found the owner. Seeing the woman with tear-filled eyes receive the cat, everyone placed hands over their hearts, touched. Soon, whispers began to flow among the onlookers.

“Hey, can we talk to him?”

“What? That firefighter? Are you gonna ask if he's the calendar guy?”

“No, you can't say it like that! Be less obvious!”

“Cock of the Year?”

“That's even worse!”

Amidst their flustered hesitation, a woman who had disappeared unnoticed stepped forward. In her hand were several calendars—all firefighter calendars with Dane on the cover. She held out a calendar and a pen.

“Um, e-excuse me... could you sign this?”

Seeing the immense courage mustered by the usually quiet woman, the others widened their eyes in shock. It didn't end there. When she bravely took out her phone to ask for a picture, Dane called a colleague himself, handing over the phone. He granted the honor of a photo. Of course, the rest couldn't let this luck pass. A selfie with the calendar guy!

“Excuse me, me too! Me too!”

“Here, I bought the calendar every year too! Look at this!”

“I was first!”

“I said I was first!”

Everyone, having run home and back, held the same calendar. Some waved loose pages, seemingly having torn off only the covers. In the end, signing autographs and taking pictures took much longer than rescuing the cat.

Seriously, this is ridiculous.

Grayson watched the spectacle, arms crossed and frowning. Seeing the guys act mechanically as if this were a daily occurrence, he was too dumbfounded to laugh. What the hell are they doing?

Tsk. Just as he clicked his tongue in annoyance, he thought he heard a faint human voice. Buried under the noisy chatter, it sounded almost like he was imagining it.