But then, a month later, I saw him again.
After the school lost an entire dorm building, they launched a two-month fire safety campaign. The city’s fire department sent in some officers to give lectures and hands-on training.
In a group of firefighters, Nathan was impossible to miss, tall, handsome, and naturally the most eye-catching one there.
A few girls near me were whispering, betting on how many abs that hot firefighter had.
I couldn’t help feeling a little possessive, like my prized cabbage was being eyed by a bunch of pigs.
Nathan asked if anyone knew how to use a fire extinguisher and needed a volunteer for a demonstration.
The second when his eyes landed on me, my heart skipped a beat.
His deep voice cut through the chatter, “How about the student in the bucket hat?”
Before I could react, my roommate gave me a little shove, and I found myself awkwardly walking toward Nathan.
He asked if I knew how to use a fire extinguisher.
I nodded.
Ever since my last visit to the fire station, I’d gotten really interested in this stuff—watched tons of videos, read up on it, and somehow picked it up.
He handed me a small fire extinguisher, but just as I was about to pull the safety pin, he suddenly stepped closer, his arm loosely around me.
I froze, my breath catching, every muscle tensing up. But all he did was guide me through the process while explaining the extinguisher to the rest of the group.
His voice was low and smooth, right by my ear.
Despite the air conditioning, I broke into a sweat.
In the end, I managed to help with the demonstration and even earned myself a little red flower.
After the training ended and everyone else had left, I stayed behind, not ready to go just yet.
I watched Nathan chat with his fellow firefighters, and suddenly, his deep, dark eyes found mine.
My heart jumped as he started walking toward me.
I froze, unsure if I should stand up or stay seated.
“Thanks for helping out earlier,” he said with a smile that made his eyes light up.
“Uh, no problem,” I stammered, feeling a little flustered. Then, before I could overthink it, I asked, “Do you have time? I could show you around the campus.”
It seemed like the polite thing to do.
Nathan nodded. “Sure, I could use a tour guide.”
His friends overheard and immediately volunteered to join us.