"Damn!... Those sons of bitches!" Pissed over his employers' call notifying him he'd have to work the weekend starting this evening, Chad slammed the phone back atop its cradle, outwardly displaying a rare moment of uncontrolled rage. "I knew this was gonna happen. If there was anyway possible they could screw up our weekend... Shit!... Those sorry bastards!!"
He and Toni, having planned this evening's party more than three months earlier, hoped that by informing everyone of their upcoming little get-together that far in advance would leave little to no chance of anyone or anything interfering or screwing up their intended plans. The only possible scenario of which posed any threat whatsoever of disturbing their orchestrated evening was a completely random oriented replacement scheduling program which, should fate so deem, could slate Chad as the replacement thereby leaving him vulnerable to being recalled on a moments notice. Thus go the rewards and pitfalls of being an employee of the metropolitan fire department.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Toni, hearing Chad's outward manifestation of anger, hurriedly rushed to his aid hoping to defuse and calm her otherwise laidback husband. Having heard the phone ringing earlier but having no idea as to who called or what invoked his outrage, she asked, "Who was that on the phone?"
"My God Dammed Boss, that's who!" Slamming his fist to the counter, Chad raised his head heavenward, closing his eyes, disgusted, shaking his head, denying the utter gall of their timing. Too late to call everyone and cancel or reschedule with the start of the party less than two hours away, "Damn those sons of bitches!"
Toni, knowing now the origin of his anger, sensing and feeling both the urgency and disappointment in her husband's voice and actions, moved closer, pressing her soft, comforting body to his, trying to console the man she'd fallen in love with two years earlier at a party not much different than the one they were throwing this evening.
Toni, an elementary teacher new to the area (well, taking her teaching position a year and a half before she and Chad's introduction) had little to no time for a personal life, leaving very little of a chance of meeting a nice guy and starting some sort of a relationship. Thus far, having frequented a few of the local clubs when invited by another of the single teachers she worked with, the only men she'd met were either already married or just looking to get her drunk, take her home, and spend a night between her incredible legs. Wishing no part of either losing proposition after having successfully protected her cherished virginity through both high school and college, she'd practically given up on dating, choosing the security and comfort of her apartment, curling up with a romantic novel, dreaming and fantasizing with the book's characters, awaiting the day she too would meet Mr. Right.
Chad, on the other hand, spent his entire time working and living at the fire department, giving him no chance whatsoever of ever meeting some nice young lady... Well, that is unless he rescued her during an operation while performing his duties, but, an unlikely scenario. It appeared he was slated for a bachelor's life. He, also not a participant of the nightlife scene but having grown up locally and no where as innocent, upon finishing college attended the academy and joining the force upon completion, hadn't met or been introduced to anyone he'd even remotely felt anything other than maybe some sort of physical or sexual attraction.
Unknowingly, he and Toni were the lucky possessors of an indirect, mutual acquaintance, his friend and co-worker Paul, as well as Toni's lifelong childhood friend, his wife, Teri. The two of them, Paul and Teri, both tired of seeing their closest friends... though both very attractive, nice, with professional careers and quite capable of wooing a qualified partner if presented with the right sort of circumstances... alone without anyone to share their lives and intimate moments, it was then that it occurred to them: why not introduce them to one another. Both very conservative, he not a letch as she despised and she not the usual bimbo everyone tried fixing him up with, who knows, maybe it would work. Why not?
Shortly thereafter, both Toni and Chad were invited to a small party at Paul and Teri's place, each by their respective friend, thus setting up the fated meeting of the couple who'd eventually become husband and wife.
Now Toni's turn to play cupid, or so she'd devised, tonight's gathering of a few of their closest friends presented an opportunity for her to make introductions between James, a young inspector stationed downtown and an acquaintance of Chad's to a co-worker and fellow teacher of hers, Ashley. Everything set up with the start of the small, intimate gathering barely an hour and a half away, mayhem presents itself in the disguise of an accident, leaving Chad to fill in for the injured fireman.
Holding and consoling her partner and the love of her life, Toni reached up and tenderly kissed him with her soft, problem-solving lips, using the same manor she always did in dissolving what appeared to be a serious crisis. Smiling, caressing his neck with the gentle expertise of her long sculpted fingernails, thinking carefully for something to say to try and ease his battered spirits while giving a positive spin to the current situation.
"I know it's not exactly what you'd planned, but at least you'll get to spend a few hours with both me and our friends before having to leave. Besides, for all intents and purposes, the party will practically be over by then." Damn, how does she do that? When everything appeared to spiral out of control right before his eyes, voila... there she is changing what seemed hopeless only a moment earlier to something he was able to deal with. Returning her smile and kiss, a calm eased his tense, disappointed demeanor, relaxing him in the arms of his beautiful wife.
