Tammie Fickas
Brittany watched as the firefighter preened for her camera. She snapped several shots, then lowered her Nikon and pasted a smile on her face. “Thank you for your time. I think I got some good shots.”
The man tugged his helmet off and ruffled his free hand through his platinum blonde hair. He grinned. “Always happy to pose for a pretty lady.”
Ugh, this was one of the worst assignments she’d had since starting with this new company. She’d always dreamed of catching the perfect shot of the sun setting over the Pacific or an eagle flying majestically over the plains. Instead, here she was using her art to make drivel like this Firefighter of the Month calendar. How vain these people were. One last session, and she could be done with this.
Amy, her assistant, handed the card with Mr. December’s information on it to Brittany. “Last one, girl.”
“Finally, I’m so done with this shoot. What a waste of time. They’re all so vain. Just a bunch of peacocks preening for the camera.” As the words faded, the last candidate stepped into her peripheral vision.
“Hey, the last peacock of the shoot is here to make your day.”
When would she ever learn to keep her thoughts to herself? She looked up at Mr. December, trying to compose a somewhat sincere smile. Her heart thudded in her chest. “Matty, is that you?”
“Yep, it’s me. In the flesh. Oh, guess that might sound vain to you.” Matty grinned, seemingly pleased with his ability to throw her words back in Brittany’s face. “But you should know that this calendar project raises a ton of money for the children’s hospital. That’s why most of us do this.”
Soft-spoken, smart as a whip, and sweet as could be, in high school Matty hadn’t been a pretty boy. Not like the attractive, popular kids who strutted around school breaking hearts and making her life miserable. Her Matty hadn’t been much to look at, but he always treated her like a lady. This version of Matty looked so much like the football player who had broken her heart.
“You changed.” Brittany blurted as she stared at Matty’s wild curls and sea-green eyes a girl could get lost in. “But we don’t have time, let’s get these shots while we still have some daylight.” Brittany pointed to the fire engine and the heavy coat and gloves Amy had brought out.
Matty slipped the coat over his t-shirt that clung to his muscles, defining their every curve, and dutifully struck the poses Brittany dictated. As they worked down Brittany’s list of shots, Matty cracked jokes and had Amy laughing, but Brittany refused to be taken in by his pretty face. She had a job to do, but his smile and those abs were making it hard to concentrate.
Finishing the last item on her list, Brittany started to put her camera away. “Thanks for coming out, Mr. Brown. These prints will go back to the fire department to choose which ones will make the cut.”
“Mr. Brown?” He shook his head and turned to go, then stepped closer. “Come on, Rabbit. I’m not Mr. Brown, I’m Matty. You’re going to let me leave without so much as a hug? What did I ever do back in high school to make you walk away from our friendship?”
Tears pricked Brittany’s eyes at the sound of her high school nickname. She blinked hard to dispel them, then lifted her face to see the gentle smile on Matty’s face. What had he done? Nothing except being the best friend a girl could ask for. And then she broke his heart when the quarterback came knocking on her door. Now he was one of them. She couldn’t do this.
Matty pushed a lock of hair back out of her face. “Rabbit, you were everything to me. I was crushed when you chose that football player over me, but I never would have walked away from our friendship.”
Brittany continued packing her equipment. A lens slipped through her sweaty palms and landed with a thud in her bag. Her body betrayed her like a teenager with a crush.
Matty spoke. “Hey, are you free now? Maybe we could get dinner and catch up.”
“Matty, you’ve become one of them. I learned my lesson after the popular guy I went to prom with was just using me to win a bet. If you were the same guy I knew back then, I’d say sure, but I don’t have it in me to get taken advantage of again by someone like you.”
“What do you mean, someone like me? We’ve spent all of fifteen minutes together. I’m still the same guy I was in high school. And I never took advantage of you. What is going on?”
She shook her head. “You’ve changed. Look at you, all muscles and vanity. People like you don’t hang out with people like me. The old Matty would, but this new Matty wouldn’t. Besides, I’m sure you couldn’t forgive me after I stood you up for prom to go with someone else.” She grabbed her equipment bag and turned to leave.
He reached out and touched her arm. “Rabbit, I grew up, but so did you. I may have changed physically, but I’m still the same guy inside. Have dinner with me, and you’ll see.”
“I want to, but I can’t be hurt again. I don’t have it in me.”
Matty smiled. “I would never hurt you. Everything you think you remember from high school about me is correct, except the part where I can’t forgive you for not going to prom with me. You said you felt bad about standing me up. Now’s your chance to redeem that. Have dinner with me.”
Her walls came crashing down. She’d miss his friendship and this grown-up version of Matty could set her heart ablaze. “Okay, I’ll have dinner with you.”
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Spark Flash Fiction 