3 comments/ 14519 views/ 5 favorites Flirting with Protocol Ch. 01 By: lipsnlace The shrill ringing of his cell phone woke him from a dead sleep. Looking at the screen of his phone, he knew who was calling even though the bold "UNKNOWN" flashed at him urgently. It rang again, pulling him from his stupor and he hit the green 'Send' button and held the phone to his ear. It took a moment before his brain connected to his mouth. He couldn't quite make words to say hello, so it came out a grumbled, "mmlo." "Good morning, Sunshine." Her chipper voice so early made him groan out loud. She giggled softly, paused, and then said, "I need you." She waited for his response as his mouth went dry. He sat up in bed, ran a hand through his dark hair, and then asked intelligently, "What the hell time is it?" Another stifled laugh, then, "0243 hours." Business, he told himself, just business. My gorgeous dispatcher is calling her paramedic supervisor, not me personally. Yet it was still his cock that got chub just from hearing her voice. Which was always a challenge since he had heard it all damn day for the past two and a half years. Michael attempted patience and failed, saying on a sigh, "Cal, details please." "Grumpy this morning, boss." The smile in her voice was clear. "Joey got an eye injury patient and they're transferring it out. I need you to come in and cover for it, please. Your junior tech is already enroute HQ." He sighed, then, "I copy. I'll be enroute shortly. See ya soon." He hung up the phone, swinging his legs out of bed. Another partial night of sleep, he thought. That brings the total to too-fucking-many. *-*-*-*-* Finishing the last bitter dredges of crew room coffee, Michael opened the door to dispatch to find Callie reading, bare feet propped up on her desk. Wiggling her toes to some silent music, she looked up as he entered, smiling at him distractedly. He tried not to let his eyes wander too much, but it was too damn early to expect that much self-control. "Awesome," she said, already typing, "Can I put you in service?" He saw that she had his badge number typed into her computer, one dainty finger hovering over the 'Enter' key. "That depends on if you know where my fucking EMT is. Who is it again?" She didn't even flinch at his mood. He briefly wondered if that was a good or a bad thing. "That new guy, Chris Something. Seems nice. I believe he's refueling and restocking," she looked at a security monitor. "Yep. Pulling up out front now. So... You're in service now." She gave him her best Cheshire grin, knowing he hated having to come in to cover. "I need you to...," she trailed off as a harsh beep interrupted her; sitting up straight, she answered a 911 line from the area Michael was now in service for. Cal pointed at him then thumbed in the direction of the door. Guess that's my cue. *-*-*-*-* It was another bullshit call, another nursing home RN needing bigger Band-Aids. He got to his station and sat down to start on his chart for the call, grunting gruffly at his junior tech. Bad enough that the kid hadn't brought in the right bag to the care facility, then he didn't fill out the papers correctly either. Michael's pager started singing at him, but his partner's pager was quiet. Looks like it's not a call. He looked down to see a page from Callie: "Be nice to him. You were new once, too. C." Michael shook his head, knowing she was right, and tried not to sigh. "So, Chris, let's go over protocol for..." *-*-*-*-* The dispatch center she worked in was run like a tight ship, but she preferred it that way. People always bitched about the dispatch supervisor expecting too much from her and her coworkers, but Callie appreciated the rigor. There was too much on the line to not have expectations of perfection here. The crews were hers to take care of; that's how she saw it. Make sure they're safe, make sure they have the help they need from their company and other EMS agencies, make sure they get there. She cared about them. And okay, maybe she cared a little too much for a particular paramedic supervisor. But he was hot! And it had been a little too long since her last man, if you could call him that. Between 911 calls in their rural county, she could read, she could doodle, write, chat, whatever. As long as the phone got answered when it rang, it was fine. What she mostly ended up doing was daydreaming. It wasn't all dirty thoughts; maybe 20% dirty. Okay, fine, 30. Who cares? As soon as the phone rang, a switch flipped and she was Dispatcher Callie, capital D capital C. Not that at work they were productive fantasies; they usually just served to make her more frustrated. And it was frustration she couldn't work out until she was home alone, without the responsibilities of working in EMS. He just sounded so disgruntled on the phone that morning. So sleepy, husky. Sexy. Then later, caught up in her daydream about him, she hadn't heard him coming until his key was in the door to dispatch, so she grabbed a book and tried not to blush at him finding her daydreaming about him. It wasn't that she wanted him, per se. Or at least that's what she told herself. He was an attractive, intelligent, educated male who she took care of, professionally. And would like to take care of personally, if you know what I mean, she thought. They just flirted. That's not too inappropriate, right? It was just friendly, sometimes slightly suggestive banter. Banter that sometimes made her blush in a way not many people had been able to accomplish. After finishing the call for a patient who had fallen and just needed help up, she surrendered to her daydream once more. She felt a calm smile drift over her face as she wandered back to the place in her mind where professionalism was strictly kept at the door, and once again found herself bare ass naked, bent over Michael's knee, and squirming. *-*-*-*-* She walked out to her car several hours later, grateful beyond words that her shift was over. Most calls didn't shake her. There was a wall she had constructed to remain professionally, emotionally distant from callers while still being the caring, supportive dispatcher people needed. She was a medical 911 operator; she saw all kinds of calls that would shake any normal person picking up that phone. But the calls that really got to her were calls for injured kids. And she could still hear the mom crying on the phone, begging her to get help to her son faster. She didn't see Michael leaning on the car next to hers until she was right next to him. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest and a slight frown touched his eyebrows. "Heard you had a tough one, Cal." She looked up at him and half smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes, appreciating that he cared enough to check on her, then looked away and shrugged one shoulder non-commitally. He didn't need to know that when she got home she planned on bawling her eyes out, then sleeping for ten hours before coming back for another brutal 12-hour shift. "It's okay to care, Callie." "Not really. If I care, I cry. If I cry, it doesn't benefit anyone or anything. It doesn't get the 4-year-old help any faster, Michael." A tear slid down her cheek and she swiped at it, frustrated with herself. "What good does it do? I have to be the eye of the storm. Calm, collected. I can't afford emotion for that." He slung an arm around her shoulder, trying to still be the concerned friend/coworker when what he wanted to do was kiss the tear off her cheek. Instead, he pulled her under the shelter of his shoulder and squeezed her gently. Looking out across their campus, he said, "Thursday night, we're going to hang out. I would say tonight, but I know you'll be here. Thursday. We'll go get a beer, or whatever." She looked up at his profile, seeing the curve in his nose from where a drunk had broken his nose a year ago at work. She saw his firm jaw, dotted with a full day's neglected stubble, his dark lashes framing green eyes that wouldn't look at her, wouldn't acknowledge they were stepping over that line. She just nodded, knowing he would see or feel her acceptance. "You have my number," she said softly as she stepped away from him and into her car. *-*-*-*-* The next night after work, Callie was back to normal. She had cried her eyes out as predicted, and picked herself up and over it. Shit happens, she had told herself, you just have to keep going. So she did. And now that she was feeling better, she was a bit dejected that after two and a half years of flirting, he finally asked her out and it was a pity date. Or worse, a pity friend date. Well, she wasn't going to have any of that. She didn't need that kind of thing anyway. She was just going to take her best friend Ryann to the fair like they had planned. Rides, cotton candy, and games would be just what she wanted, and her best friend to keep her company. I don't need his pity party. Even if he is super hot, and a big flirt, and even if I'd like to run my fingers through his hair, pull his face toward mine... She grabbed her cell phone. *-*-*-*-* Michael's phone chirped announcing a new text message. Expecting shit for cancelling plans with his best friend Matt for Thursday night, he sighed and resignedly picked it up. But when he saw Callie's name on the screen, his apprehension disappeared and he grinned. C: So, about tomorrow night... M: Yeah? C: You don't really have to. Thanks. I'm okay now. Michael's smile faded. M: You don't want to hang out? C: It's not that... just don't want you to feel obligated. He raised an eyebrow and ran his hand through his hair in a telling nervous gesture. This mattered, and he wasn't quite sure why. She was feeling insecure, but why? Giving up trying to puzzle it out, he pushed the 'Dial' button on the top of the screen. "Hello?" Callie's voice sounded surprised on the other end of the line. Still stirring and feminine, but with a touch of apprehension. He was used to her being so confident and in control at work that this change was noticeable, if only minor. He didn't bother with 'hello'. "Why would I feel obligated to take a friend for beers? Like it's so taxing." She hesitated a moment before, "I don't know. It just isn't necessary. I'm okay. You don't have to pity me." "Pity?" "Yeah. We've never been out before. Rough days happen, and I'm sure you'd rather be doing something else..." Like what, clean the litter box? Do the dishes? he thought. Opting for tact and trying not to snort, he went for the blunt honesty that their careers required, saying, "Honey, if taking you out for beers after a hard week was a chore, I'd be as crazy as some of our patients. Relax, it's just a beer. If you don't want to go I'll just have to keep flirting with you 'til I convince you." She smiled, biting her lip. "Well, I sortof already had plans." "Okay. Should I be jealous?" He grinned, knowing she wasn't seeing anybody. She had made it clear in passing remarks that she wasn't looking for anything. "Definitely," she said, keeping the laughter out of her voice for a full few seconds before giggling softly. "Ryann and I were going to hang out at the fair." "The short, dark-haired girl? Nice. They have beer at fairs. Lots of it. And anyway, it sounds like you need chaperones. Big, manly ones who carry large sticks." He made his voice deep on the last part, enjoying flirting with her. "Yeah, probably. You know anybody who fits that description? Because I don't." She laughed openly. "I'm offended, young maiden. I'll have to get out my very big stick and show it to you." Even over the phone, he could make her blush. "Really, at the fair? That's brave. Most men would be too embarrassed in such a public place." "Okay, so tomorrow then. I'll bring a friend, too -- safety in numbers. Meet you there at 6?" "Yep." She grinned, knowing Ryann would be proud of her for making the plans. Her dry spell was only about as long as the Bible. And where this wasn't exactly her getting out of it, it was a step in what Ryann would consider the right direction. "Bye, doll." "Later, Mike." *-*-*-*-* Somehow, Ryann's interpretation of 'just a beer' was strikingly different from Callie's. There had been times when Cal and Ryann were out somewhere and ran into Michael; these things happen in small towns. So Cal's crush on him wasn't entirely off of Ryann's radar. And of course, Ryann wanted Cal to lighten up and have fun, which she told her. Repeatedly. And besides, you can't go to the county fair without wearing a little bit of country gear. It didn't matter if you weren't a country person—it was practically mandatory. Which is why the girls were standing in Cal's room, staring each other down over a denim skirt, cowgirl boots, and a stylish red flannel shirt with a belted waist. "Ry, I'm not a cowgirl. I don't know any cowgirls. Where did you even find this stuff?" "I'll try not to take offense to that; these are from my closet. Oh come on, Cal. It's fun. Dress up with me, please?" Ryann pouted, just a little. She knew she'd win this eventually. A deep sigh, followed by "Fine. Hand me the damn clothes. But I'm not wearing my hair in pigtails." Callie pulled her jeans and t-shirt off, tossing them into a hamper nearby. She reached for the borrowed skirt as Ryann smiled triumphantly. She pulled the skirt up over tanned, freshly shaven legs and buttoned and zipped, noticing that the skirt that wasn't too risqué on her shorter friend was definitely sexy on her longer legs. Pulling it down to adjust the length only bared more smooth skin at the top, but brought the skirt to what Cal considered a more appropriate length for a 'friend thing'. The shirt cinched in at the waist with a wide black belt, the bottom hem meeting the top of the skirt so that when she moved, there were glimpses of skin between the two. She pulled on the boots, and left her light brown hair to fall in wavy lengths down just past her shoulders. "Okay, it's not so bad. You win." She slid on some neutral lip gloss, brushed some mascara on her long eyelashes, and then announced she was ready to go. Ryann reached over and undid one more button on Cal's top, then gestured toward the door. *-*-*-*-* Michael scuffed his shoe in the dirt of the parking lot, half-listening to what Matt was saying. When he sensed Matt was waiting for a response to something, he just said, "Uh-huh." "Really? You think it would be best if you gave me your Xbox? That's great; I'll come get it tomorrow." He punched Michael lightly on the arm. "I know you're nervous about tonight, but sheesh. Calm down, bro." Michael ran his hand through his hair, then shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm not nervous, okay? It's just, we haven't hung out before outside of work. It'll be fine. No worries." Matt laughed. "Yeah, no worries? I can see that." He rolled his eyes. "Chill, we'll get a beer, go on some rides. Loosen up, it'll be fun." The girls pulled up in Ryann's new red Beetle, parking nearby. They met up with the guys, Michael and Cal making introductions before they headed into the fair. They stopped inside the front gate at a booth to purchase bracelets and game tickets, and then made their way inside, chatting amicably and dodging screaming children and sulky teens. The first ride they came to was the bumper cars. Cal stopped mid-sentence when she saw them, grabbed Michael's arm and dragged him over, determined to drive them. They stood in line behind a group of loud teenage girls, a few of whom were not-so-subtly checking out Michael as they stood there. "Looks like you have a fan club, mister," Cal said, elbowing him in the side and gesturing with her head toward the girls. "Should I get their numbers for you?" She goaded him, enjoying the slight blush sliding across his cheeks. "Yeah, maybe 10 years ago. Should I break their hearts?" he asked, grabbing Cal around the waist and dragging her up against his body. Her breath caught in her throat as she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he nuzzled her neck and dropped his mouth down to right next to ear. He was so close she could feel his breath heat her ear. Trying to keep steady legs under her and a smile on her face as the line advanced, Cal tried not to lean against his firm chest. "Is it working?" he breathed, his voice husky. "...that depends entirely on your goal, Michael," Cal said, looking at the disappointed looks on the girls' faces. He grinned at her, pulling away slightly but leaving his arm draped around her waist. "My goal, doll, was to make you blush. I love it when you do that. And I see that that's score 1 for Team Michael." She swatted his chest playfully. "You don't make me blush. It's just... the sun." "Right," he said, winking at her. When it was their turn, she jogged to the car with her favorite number on it -- number 8. Michael took number 17 next to her, his eyes glued to the hem of her skirt as she bent over to grab the seat belt ends off the floor before lifting her legs high to climb in. He kept praying for a gust of wind to lift it, for her to bend just a little too far. Fate must have been on his side because right as she was climbing in, he caught a glimpse of shiny teal panties, tightly caressing the smooth skin of her ass. Just for a moment, and then it was gone. And that's all it took for him to go almost full-mast. At the sound of the whistle, they drove off, circling each other around the large track, taking every chance to ram into each other. They called to each other, challenging and flirting. She blew him a kiss after one particularly hard hit as she T-boned the side of his bumper car, then drove off laughing. The excitement and adrenaline kissed her cheeks with a red tint, a smile never leaving her face. As the whistle sounded again, calling an end to the violence that was simulated car crashes, Mike climbed out of his car, crowing his victory. "How can you win at bumper cars?" Callie asked, laughing as she accepted the hand he offered her to help her out of the car. "It's all about attitude." He held onto her hand as they strolled out of the corral. They wandered down an aisle of venders, looking for Ryann and Matt, who had gone off in search of hot pretzels and nachos. They found the two in front of the petting zoo, animatedly discussing Molly, the blue ribbon pig that year who had managed to sweet-talk Matt out of his nachos. Ry spotted Mike holding onto Callie's hand somewhat possessively and winked at her friend. Callie blushed and tried to drop Michael's hand, but he held on and brought her knuckles to his mouth, brushing them in a soft kiss that sent warm shivers shooting low in her belly. Callie looked over Ry's shoulder and saw a woman selling bathing suits, sarongs and other clothing at a stall. She put her arm through Ryann's and pulled her in that direction, telling her how she creamed Mike at the bumper cars, making sure he heard her bragging. He hung his head in mock shame over losing to a girl and laughed as they sauntered off. "So, you rammed her, huh?" Matt asked, laughing at the innuendo in his question. Mike punched him playfully on the arm, "Har, har, you Neanderthal." "If I were a Neanderthal, I'd take that shortie you left me with and toss her over my shoulder. Carry her back to my cave and show her my club." Matt winked lewdly, and Mike just rolled his eyes, used to his friend's outrageous sense of humor. "Looks like they might try on a suit. Better go lend them our gentlemen's opinion," Matt grunted, following the girls. Hands in his pockets, Michael followed, trying to keep the image of that glimpse of Callie's panties out of his mind -- unsuccessfully -- so he could keep his cock from standing at attention. The image of her in some of those skimpy swimsuits did nothing to help the situation. Flirting with Protocol Ch. 01 *-*-*-*-* Ryann handed Callie a skimpy excuse for a bikini that looked like if she glued it in place it might barely cover her naughty bits. She told Ryann just that. Laughing, Ryann replied, "Well, that's sortof the point, isn't it? Plus, it's a freaking hot August day, and tomorrow will be the same. We could go to the river tomorrow. Besides," she lowered her voice as the boys got closer, "Don't you think Mike would love it?" Callie knew she was right, but looked at the suit for a moment apprehensively. Deciding to try it on, she headed toward the back of the tent to a little changing room with a sliding curtain door. She could hear Ry asking Matt what he thought of a suit, and she glanced at her friend, thinking, What a flirt. When she went to close the curtain behind her, she could see that the boys had come inside the tent with Ry, effectively filling the small tent. Michael looked up and she made eye contact with him, smiling shyly and lifting the suit toward him before closing the curtain. Callie started getting undressed inside the little room when she caught movement in the mirror. She hadn't closed the curtain all the way when she had come inside, and she could see Michael browsing some shirts pretty close to the changing room. Her hand reached to close the one-inch gap out of modesty, but a low tingle made her hand pause midair. I left it open on accident, she reasoned, and nobody else is out there. I could leave it open, just for him... would he look? She dropped her hand and continued undressing. *-*-*-*-* Michael was lingering near the changing room, hoping he could give her an opinion on the suit she had gone to try on. Really he just wanted to see her in the thing. Working together, he mostly saw her in their uniforms, which weren't made to flatter her womanly curves. The skirt she wore today was a big treat, but the swimsuit was practical nudity. And he was practically hard just imagining all that bare flesh. Which was exactly why he was feigning interest in the rack of witty tees in front of him. His first look was accidental. He had glanced toward the curtain when he had seen movement there, and had seen her pulling the red shirt from her shoulders. She let it fall to the floor, her eyes not venturing away from the reflection of her legs. Mike instinctively moved toward the curtain, making sure nobody else would see her -- or see him watching her. His eyes then glued themselves to the curve of her breasts beneath a shiny teal bra. As she reached behind her to undo the clasp on her bra, she arched her back, pushing her breasts up as they were freed from their confines. He almost gasped as her nipples came into view; tight, hard pebbles of rosy flesh sitting against perfectly round, perky, slightly-more-than-a-handful breasts. When time started moving for him again, he was pulled from the glory of her breasts by her hands undoing the button fly and zipper of her skirt, letting it slide down her legs. She bent over to move it out of the way, feeling her panties move up her round flesh and between her cheeks. She cautioned a glance and saw him staring at her ass. She flushed, feeling her pussy juices seep from between her lips. She wondered if he could tell, if he could see a wet spot forming on her panties. He could. Her tight panties were pulled across her pussy tightly enough to show the definition of her lips, showing that she kept the labia smooth. He could see a spot of moisture darken the teal panties right at the center. She slid the panties down off her legs and quickly pulled on the bikini bottoms, suddenly nervous to show him her naked pussy. She pulled on her nipples slightly, unable to deny them a little attention before pulling on the bikini top, tying it under her chest and spinning it around. She pulled the cups up over her breasts and grabbed the strings, holding them up behind her and saying, somewhat softly, "Will you tie this for me?" Michael jumped when he realized she was talking to him, that she knew he was there. She met his eyes in the mirror, smiling and blushing. He couldn't help but wonder if she had done it on purpose. "You can come in, I'm dressed." "Uh, yeah. Sure." He came into the room and pulled the curtain shut behind him -- making sure to pull it all the way shut. She held the strings up to him and he stepped right behind her, standing close due to the close quarters. Her ass brushed his crotch, and he didn't pull away. If it had been on purpose, he wanted her to know the effect she had on him. She felt the hard bulge on her ass and wiggled slightly, trying not to be too obvious. He pulled the strings tight and tied a bow behind her neck. She turned around, hands on her hips, and faced him, waiting a few moments before asking softly, "Well...?" He glanced down to the suit, seeing that the top had ridden up on her chest, the bottom swells of her breasts showing. "It's... um, fucking great, but I think I tied it too tight..." She looked down and giggled, cupping the bottoms of her breasts as if to cover them. "Yeah, looks like it. Try again?" She tried to turn her back to him again, and he stopped her, pulling her hard against his body and claiming her mouth with his, one hand cupping her neck. His kiss was a firestorm in her body. Electricity tingled and danced in her pelvis as she was plastered to his tall frame. His hand that started on the bare flesh of her back travelled down, cupping her ass and pulling her up against him, showing her the evidence of his arousal, pressing it to her smooth stomach. He released her mouth and laid his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he fought to gain control of himself. He met her eyes and kissed her nose gently. His voice was low and husky, "Sorry. Couldn't help myself." She chuckled and brushes a kiss across his lips, then pulled her top down further. He caught a glimpse of a nipple as she did. "Don't apologize, Mike. I think I have to buy this suit now, though. Untie me?" She turned her back to him and he kissed the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder, meeting her eyes in the mirror. He untied both bows then stepped back through the curtain, pulling it closed behind him. She noticed he closed the curtain all the way and smiled, getting undressed quickly and sparing only a few passing pinches and caresses for her flushed body. *-*-*-*-* Miraculously, Ryann hadn't noticed Michael's foray into the dressing room, but she did notice that Cal was a little more flushed as she paid for her suit and tucked the bag into her purse. Callie just smiled at her as Ry bumped her with her hip, flashing her a questioning glance. "Who wants to ride the Zipper!?" Callie asked as she grabbed Mike's hand, heading toward the sounds of shrieking teens. Ryann groaned before saying, "Ugh! She made me ride the thing six times last year." "I can't help it! I love the adrenaline." "You're a junkie," Ryann said, laughing at her friend and going along with her toward the ride. They only rode it three times before Callie relented. Grinning with flushed cheeks, they strolled the game booth aisles. Ryann stopped at a shoot-the-target game, eyeing a stuffed Buzz Lightyear on the top shelf. Laughing, Matt grabbed the fake gun and said, "Fair maiden, I will win you Buzz if it's the last thing I do... today, anyway." With a grin and a wink at Ryann, Matt took aim, fired, and missed. Swearing under his breath, he plopped down another game ticket and fired again, missing again. Ten minutes and a whole bunch of tickets later, a slightly deflated Matt handed Ryann a Buzz Lightyear a size too small. Laughing, she hugged the stuffed animal to her chest, saying, "Men. Always promising size and never delivering. Good thing you're a fireman and not a cop!" She laughed out loud, kissing Matt on the cheek and shoving him playfully. Tired from the sun and walking around, they decided to call their fair-going outing a success and head home. As they walked toward the parking lot and their separate cars, Ryann mentioned going to the river and Callie immediately blushed, remembering the swimsuit. "Yeah," Callie said, looking at Mike, "Gotta try out our new suits." Matt said he wasn't sure what his plans were, but Ryann swatted his arm, saying, "Come on, Buzz. You wouldn't leave me with the lovebirds, would you?" and grinned up at him. Matt laughed, "No, I guess I wouldn't." "Great!" Callie interjected, "Let's meet at my place at about noon." She reached up on her tiptoes and brushed a soft kiss across Mike's mouth. "See you tomorrow," she said then grabbed Ryann's hand and headed toward the Beetle, saying under her breath to her friend, "You're not going to believe it..." Flirting with Protocol Ch. 02 This is the sequel to Flirting With Protocol, which is a suggested first read. There's more story than sex, but I hope you like it! Let me know what you think! xo, L&L *-*-*-*-* On their way back to Callie's house, she had filled Ryann in on the changing room incident with Michael, leaving out the details of her leaving the curtain open and how hard his cock was up against her ass and her belly. She focused on how he came in the room to tie the top – "You little minx, you could've easily tied that!" – and how he had kissed the living daylights out of her. "You lucky bitch. The only kiss I got today was from Molly the pig when I gave her some pretzel," Ryann laughed. "Nice work, girlie. So proud of you!" Ryann hugged her friend excitedly as they got out of the car. Ryann decided to stay at Callie's for the night since they were hanging out at the river with the boys the next day. The girls gave themselves pedicures and chatted about their plans for the next day, Callie prodding Ryann about her flirting with Matt all day at the fair. "Oh come on, Ry. I bet you bought that swimsuit that Matt liked, didn't you?" "Yeah, okay. But I happened to also like it. He's nice! And he won me Buzz, and he oinked at Molly." Callie raised an eyebrow at her, "Okay, Cal, it was cute. Whatever." They both laughed. "And besides, you're over making out with your paramedic, what am I supposed to do but flirt with his hunky friend?" "Such a sacrifice for you to make, I'm sure." "Cal, I'd take a bullet for you." "Yeah, especially if the bullet is hot fireman-shaped with perfect teeth. A real do-gooder you are, taking one for the team." Callie rolled her eyes. *-*-*-*-* The next day, when Michael and Matt knocked on Callie's door a little early, they opened the door at the sound of a chorus of 'come in!'s from the girls. They rounded the corner to the living room to find both of them already in their new bikinis from the county fair, Callie putting sunscreen on Ryann's tanned back and shoulders. Callie finished rubbing sunscreen into Ryann's back and grinned up at Mike, wiggling her sticky fingers at him. "Do you want some?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye. "Depends on where you're offering to put it," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively and internally fighting valiantly to keep blood from rushing to his cock. "How about your back, stud? I doubt you'll need it anywhere..." she looked down his body slowly, tracing a line he could almost feel, "... else." He shifted his stance, trying to hide the bulge forming in his trunks from her blatant perusal. Mike laughed, grabbing Callie into a hug and kissing her hair. He pulled his shirt over his head and turned his back to her. The sunscreen she squirted on him was cold and he wiggled, laughing. Then she started to rub it into his skin and his laugh turned into a groan. "Oh, Cal. That feels amazing." On the other side of the living room, Ry twirled her finger in a circle at Matt, telling him wordlessly to turn around. He chuckled as he pulled his own shirt over his head, presenting the broad expanse of his shoulders to her. Ryann caught Callie's eye and grinned as she feigned firing a gun at herself, making Callie laugh. "Doll, I have to pee." Mike turned to Cal when he was sufficiently coated in sunscreen. He grabbed her hand as she started to point and give him directions to the bathroom, interrupting her by saying, "Why don't you show me?" Callie grinned and headed down the hall, guiding him by the hand behind her. He couldn't help but reach out and touch her smooth, bronze skin, tracing an invisible line down her back with a broad hand, bringing it around her flank and wrapping his arm around her from behind. Pulling her tight against him, he halted their walking halfway down the hall and pulled her head to the side. He nipped and kissed at the curve where her neck met her shoulder, soliciting a groan. She reached up to grab a handful of his hair, grinding her ass against him as she dropped her head back on his shoulder. Not relinquishing her hold on his hair, she turned in his arms, pushing her body against his chest to kiss him full on the mouth. Running his hands down to cup her ass and bring her harder against his front, he groaned against her lips, "Fuck, you're beautiful." He backed her against the wall, pulling the cup of one side of her bathing suit top down just far enough to let her nipple pop out, hard and rosy. She stifled a groan as he descended on her nipple, pulling it into his hot mouth. He rolled it between stiff lips, sucked it gently. Nibbled, licked, pulled. A wolf whistle pulled Callie from her reverie, reminding her that Ry and Matt were just at the end of the hall in the other room. Embarrassed, she pulled a smirking Mike by the hand and into the bathroom. *-*-*-*-* Matt pulled his fingers down from his mouth, his lips still tickling from the whistle. It's not that he minded seeing his friend make out with a chick – they'd been drunk at bars enough together that that wasn't new – but he didn't think Callie would appreciate it. Plus, Ryann was still putting sunscreen on him, and he was having a hard time not getting stiff in his flimsy swim trunks without the show. Just the look of her in that suit she bought at the fair, her hair cascading down her back and a tattoo wrapping one slender thigh, combined with her little hands rubbing his back like that. Damn, he thought. Down, boy. *-*-*-*-* Mike kicked the door closed behind him, not taking his hands off the gorgeous woman in front of him. His hands on her hips, he urged her to hop up onto the counter, his lips finding hers in an unhurried, leisurely explorative dance of lips and tongues and teeth becoming familiar to both of them. Callie spread her knees to bring Mike closer to her body, pressing her stomach against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers running through his hair at the base of his neck. Coming up for air, Mike rested his forehead on Cal's, his eyes closed and his breathing slightly heavy. "I don't know how I've kept from doing that so for long," he admitted, opening his eyes to look into hers. "I didn't know you wanted to, really. I just thought you were a flirt," she said softly, a smile across her flushed mouth. He laughed, saying, "Well, I suppose it's a good thing you couldn't read my thoughts, then." "Oh really, Mr. Russell?" She smiled teasingly. "Remember when I came in the other night, and you had your little bare feet up on the desk?" Callie flushed, remembering her fantasy she had been having of him when he came strolling into dispatch, interrupting her. "Yeah, I remember." He paused a second, his eyes caressing her face. "You're blushing." "No, I'm not!" she laughed, unable to keep a smile from her mouth. "Okay, I might've been thinking... about you. When you came in that night." His eyebrows lifted in surprise, and his grin was cocky. "Is that right?" She laughed, her blush deepening. "Well, are you going to tell me what you were thinking about me?" he pressed, his voice soft as he bent to brush a kiss down the smooth skin of her neck. "...Maybe later." Cal slid off the counter at the sound of Ry's impatient voice calling them to hurry up with their making out so they could go to the river. "If you're good." *-*-*-*-* The drive out to The Falls, as all the locals called it, was peaceful. The slight wind was warm as it rushed into open windows of Matt's truck, pulling stray strands of Callie's hair into an unknown dance. The sun was making its presence known, shining through the branches of leaves of the wooded back road, streaking through at different angles with every curve of the road. Sitting up front together, Ryann and Matt joked with each other in a comfortable way, playing with the radio, animatedly discussing which songs should be banned due to being intolerable. Matt even patiently described the function of his fire radio installed into the dashboard. "I've got a portable that's always in a bag in the back, but sometimes when I'm heading to the fire station to respond to a call, it's nice to be able to get more information. Whether it's fire or medical we're going on, what's the situation, anything odd," Matt explained. "You keep a portable radio with you? Isn't that a little paranoid?" Ryann asked. "Nah, my pager won't always work, and I like to know what's going on, just in case." "Oh, so you're just nosy." Laughing, Matt replied, "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Mike enjoyed watching Callie, the sun brightening natural highlights in her hair and a soft smile on her lips as she watched the scenery roll by. He slid his big hand over Callie's, lacing his fingers with hers and pulling it to his mouth for a soft kiss, not wanting to break her reverie. Finally they pulled into the parking lot of the Falls, celebrating when they saw there were no other cars out there with them. Having the place to themselves was a treat; usually on days like today there were several groups of teenagers coming to do their underage drinking in the seclusion of the hike-in pebble shore. They climbed out of the truck, grabbing bags, coolers, and chairs, and started the half-mile hike down to the shore. "I think if Sasquatch was going to live anywhere, it would be here," Ryann started, nudging Matt with her shoulder and navigating the winding dirt path. "I mean, there's seclusion, fish in the river, a rope swing to play on, and a waterfall to shower under. What more does he need?" "I don't think he'd be worried about showering, Ry," Callie laughed as Ryann wrinkled her nose. Callie smiled up at Michael as he held her elbow, helping her over a tangle of tree roots used as makeshift stairs down a particularly steep section of the path. "Maybe he just needs to be taught how," Ry continued, elbowing Matt when he snorted. "Maybe you could teach me how," Matt suggested, finishing with a wink. Rolling her eyes, Ry said, "Yeah I'll just pencil that in for next Tuesday." She took Matt's offered hand as she climbed over the massive tree trunk blocking the path. It had fallen a couple years ago during a particularly harsh storm and nobody had bothered moving it. Michael scooped Cal up over his shoulder and, with a pat on her butt, stepped his long legs over the log. Shrieking at being hoisted and captured, Callie kicked at Mike, finally giving up and smacking him on his butt. Once safely over the log, he set her back down on her feet, stealing a kiss to silence her when she started to complain. Grabbing her hand, he gently pulled her the final few feet of the path, emerging to a sun-warmed, small pebble shore. An old oak tree perched at the shoreline, thick branches used to house a rope swing that swayed gently over the water. A light, warm breeze danced across the surface of the water, following slight ripples downstream and around the bend. Closer to the waterfall, a slight mist hung in the air and dampened the row of large boulders at the edge of the pool. Natural landings were carved into the wall of rock, serving as jumping-off points for the more adventurous river-doer. Higher above, "Do Not Jump" signs were posted, marring the otherwise natural surroundings. "Ta-da! We're here," Ryann huffed, flopping down onto a lounging chair and dropping the bags she carried. "You're not just going to sit there, are you? We came for the river, darlin'," Matt said, setting his own cargo down on the shore and kicking off his shoes. "Yeah, maybe later..." Ry said, looking out at the river. "I'm enjoying the sun for now." "You'll never get her in the water, Matt," Callie said, fielding a glare from her best friend. "She won't get her hair wet." Matt shook his head then looked at Callie mischievously, saying, "Challenge accepted," he strode over to Ryann and laughing, scooped her up over his shoulder and in a moment had them both up on the rope swing. "Matt, don't!! I'll kill you! Ugh, Matt, please!" Ryann begged, wiggling in his arms. Laughing, he climbed back down off the rope swing and put her down on dry land. She swatted his chest and he captured her hands, pulling her into his chest and hugging her to his sun-warmed, broad chest. "Sorry, darlin', I won't drop you in the water," he said, nuzzling her ear and enjoying how her smell wafted around him in the breeze. "Damn right you won't," she said softly, looking up at him and smiling. She surprised him by pressing a shy, quick kiss to his lips and walking away, hips swinging. Callie and Michael had just finished blowing up floating tubes when they heard rambunctious laughter and loud footsteps come traipsing down the path, so they weren't surprised when a few moments later, three teenage boys came shoving each other through the mouth of the path. Rolling her eyes at the teenagers, Callie grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him after her, into the river. "At least they're staying over on that side," Callie said to Mike, nodding her head toward the waterfall and the fence of boulders that provided a natural divider to the two areas of shore. The teenagers had dropped their backpacks at the boulders, scattering their shirts and towels before shoving each other and cannon-balling off of the rocks and into the pool. "Yeah, still was more peaceful without them," Michael said, settling into this tube and dangling his feet into the water. Callie floated next to him on her own tube, trailing fingers through the water and relaxing back to let the sun drape across her skin in a warm caress. Callie could hear the light banter between Matt and Ryann on shore, and smiled to herself. Ryann was different around Matt, but Callie didn't think she noticed. She wasn't as defensive, didn't keep a wall up as much as around the other men that she dated. Callie closed her eyes and smiled, thinking, Maybe they'll start dating, too. They'd be a cute couple. We could go on double dates... "Fuck! Mike, man, he jumped off the high landing, what an idiot!" Matt was standing, looking in the direction of the waterfall. Michael swam to the shore, and in moments the boys were walking toward the boulders. "Did he come up? Which one did he jump off of?" Mike asked, shaking the water out of his ears. "Shit, I don't see him yet," Matt said, pointing to the Do Not Jump sign. Out of the water now, Callie started making her way over toward the boulders when she saw Mike and Matt take off running to the shore. Both men dove in, and as Callie stood on one of the boulders, she saw them circling in the water, their voices echoing off the damp stone walls. The other two boys had been ordered out of the water and sat shivering in the shadow, looking worriedly toward the water. "There!" Matt yelled, just before diving in, and Callie let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding when the two men pulled the boy to the surface. "Callie, doll, he's unconscious. Get an ambulance. Now." Michael said, his voice the authoritative tone she was used to hearing. He was Paramedic Michael, now, and she couldn't be more relieved. Scrambling off the rocks and toward the bags, Callie grabbed keys and started sprinting toward the path when Ry stopped her, "Matt's portable is in here! He has a first aid kit, too, but not much. Here's some towels..." Callie grabbed the portable radio and Ryann dashed off toward the boulders where Matt and Michael had the boy out of the water. Relieved she didn't have to go find cell signal to call out, Callie switched on the radio, checked the frequency, and pushed the button to make the mic live, "Priority traffic for fire dispatch, from off-duty MedCom." The second of quiet static was enough to make Callie's heart race harder before she heard a response. "Off-duty, go ahead." "Fire dispatch, I need Rescue and medical to Young's River Falls. Teenage male dove off the falls, unconscious, 2609 is with him as is an off-duty medic, I'll contact MedCom directly." "Copy Off-duty, stand by for tones..." Callie switched to the ambulance frequency, paused to make sure she wasn't interrupting other traffic, then spoke, using her own radio call number, "MedCom, from 1613." There was a pause before, "1613, go ahead." "Did you copy my traffic on the fire scanner?" "Affirm, unit 217 is enroute the Falls from Post 2, can you give them an update?" Callie started jogging over to the men, saying, "Stand by one, I'll get 311 the radio for specifics, they have him out of the water, unconscious." The crew in the ambulance hopped onto radio, "217 copies that traffic, ETA is 8 minutes." Callie caught Mike's eye and said, "217 is looking for an update. ETA of 8 minutes. Rescue should be closer." Mike nodded and took the radio, calling the ambulance and giving them a patient size-up. Relieved beyond words that the boy was breathing, Callie addressed Matt, "What do you need?" "Ideally, I need a backboard. The sooner we can get him up to the parking lot, the better. Ry's controlling the bleeding, but that head wound is nasty, and the longer he's unconscious..." Callie could see the worry wrinkle Matt's brow. "What about that folding lounge chair? Can we lock it flat and get him up the path?" Michael shook his head, "There would be no way to stabilize his neck or back, and the chair could fold, or we could drop him with only the few of us. We'll have to wait." The sirens from the fire engine echoed down through the trees, and Matt continued, "Shouldn't be too long now, they're here." Ry cleared her throat, eyes wide and skin a little pale, "Um, Matt, this towel is soaked." Callie looked at her friend and noticed the freaked out expression on her face. "I'll take over, hand me another towel," Callie said, continuing to put pressure on the cut as she put another towel on top of the first. Firm, steady pressure. Firm, steady pressure. Don't lift it up to look, Callie chanted to herself in her head, reciting the protocols she had given to more 911 callers than she could count. Michael was focused entirely on monitoring the boy's breathing, keeping his head steady, watching for signs that he wasn't getting enough oxygen. At any moment, they might have to start doing CPR, and he felt entirely naked without his tools and medications that would help ensure the boy's survival. The sound of pebbles shifting beneath heavy boots was music to all their ears as a swarm of firemen came down the path, the ambulance crew right behind. One of the first responders took over Callie's job and she gladly stepped back, going to provide what comfort she could to Ryann as they both stayed out of the way. The two somber teenagers stood nearby, and one of them looked at Callie, begging with his eyes as he asked, "Will he be okay?" "He's really lucky we were here. He's in good hands." "I dared him. He didn't want to jump. I called him a chicken bastard." "Well, he's alive. Let's hope he stays that way." Callie said, wanting to berate the young idiots for disregarding their safety. She said a silent prayer they would learn from this. Ryann and Callie packed up the rest of their stuff, and the two extra responders who couldn't grab a handle on the backboard to carry the boy up the path helped them cart their stuff up to the parking lot. Callie thanked them and, noticing the looks she was getting from both the fire personnel and her own crew members, she put on a sweatshirt over her bikini. Callie could see Michael talking with the ambulance crew as they loaded up the patient and, with a final handshake, the ambulance doors closed and they took off with lights and sirens toward the nearest hospital. Thanking and saying goodbye to the last of the firemen, he ran a hand through his hair and headed back toward the girls. Flirting with Protocol Ch. 02 Callie wrapped her arms around Michael's waist, resting her head on his chest. She felt him shift and settle into her, his breath on her neck as he put his face against the curve of her neck, breathing out on a big sigh. Glancing over, Callie could see Ryann and Matt talking over at Matt's truck, their bodies close and their fingers barely touching. She could see Ryann wanted to provide the intimate comfort that Matt needed, but didn't know how to breach that barrier. Callie ran her fingers through the wet strands of hair at the base of Michael's neck, tugging gently to get his attention. "Are you ready to go?" "Our stuff is down there still, we have to go get it..." He trailed off, looking tired. "We got it, sweetheart." She pushed the hair back from his forehead, marveling at how focused he had been on his patient. "Oh. Okay. Yeah, let's go." *-*-*-*-* Back at Ryann's place, the group lingered near the cars, making small talk, though Michael was quiet. "I can take you home," Callie offered, squeezing Michael's hand in hers. Nodding, he climbed into her car. "Call me later," Ryann said, giving Callie a quick hug before watching them drive off. Ry glanced over at Matt, who was leaning up against his truck, arms crossed, considering her. "Now what am I going to do with you?" she asked him softly, one hand on her hip. Not saying anything, Matt strode purposefully over to her, only stopping when she was pressed against him. Brushing the hair back from her face and cupping her cheek in his rough hand, Matt watched as Ry's eyelids closed halfway and she lifted her face toward his, silently giving him permission. "Ry, I have to kiss you now, I have to," he whispered against her mouth before dropping the last fraction of an inch and scorching her mouth with his. *-*-*-*-* Callie pulled into the driveway of Michael's house and turned off the engine. Turning in her seat to look at him, she leaned her own head against her headrest, mirroring his position. "Talk, mister." He turned to look at her, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't do anything for him. What if they had been delayed? What if they couldn't get down to us? He would have died. I didn't do anything for him. What good am I without my tools?" He searched her eyes, looking for the judgment he thought he would find there. Callie let out a soft sigh, then started, "You pulled him from the water. His friends were just sitting there, expecting him to come up, but you knew better. You got him out, you kept him breathing, you stabilized him. You made sure his bleeding was controlled, you made sure people with the right tools were on the way. You took scene command and did the best you could do with what we had. You can't make an ambulance materialize with all the proper meds and equipment." "I didn't make sure they were on the way, you did." "Yeah well, that's my job." Michael sighed, relenting, "I know I did what I could. But if things had gone a little different, it could have been not enough. I don't like feeling helpless." "Who does? But he's alive because of you and Matt. You need to relax, take a shower. Eat something." "You're always taking care of us." Michael tucked Callie's hair behind her ear. "Yeah well, that's my job, too." Callie smiled, holding her face against his palm. "Come inside with me, Cal." He looked seriously at her, begging her with his eyes. "Please, spend the night with me." Callie flushed, felt heat spread through her body at the suggestion in his husky voice. His smile when she nodded heated her to the core.