The Rookie (manxmen)**Hothouse Book 1**

Chapter 30

I was brought out of my musings by the now former Fire Commissioner stepping up to the podium and began the introductions for tonight speakers. I only paid attention to what he was saying with only half an ear. The only speech I was interested in hearing tonight was Lance's, so I let my eyes wonder around the room looking at all the different departments in attendance tonight, even the Mayor was here and the entire City Council members and their spouses. Lance was up at the table of honor along with the other top brass and such. My gaze returned to my friends and family around the table where we were seated and I couldn't help but smile at their antics. Even here, they were acting like kindergarten kids. Danny, Chuck, Tommy, and Robbie were using a piece of folded up paper towel and their hands to play football field goals across their table space. Xavier was busy trying to short circuit Nate's thought processes by caressing the back of his neck with his long fingers. You could visibly see his shudders every time those busy digits brushed over a certain spot on his skin. I quickly averted my eyes. I was already worked up enough without having to watch someone else's intimate contact to add to my discomfort.

The Mayor was introduced as the next speaker, and I wished for something stronger than the wine they were serving with the rubber chicken or the slab of raw meat that they were trying to pass off as catered food at these things. I watched as Lance tried to appear polite and interested in the proceedings going on up there and I had to smile. He had shared his plans with me over the last few weeks since I have been released from the hospital and he insisted I stay with him until I recovered fully from my injuries. He didn't give me an option to refuse and for once my Mom just smiled and indulged my man and his wishes to have me close to him.

And one of the first things his office decreed was that Xavier was now Battalion Chief of Ladder 29. Christy chose to stay on as Xavier's secretary rather than move on into the Federal Plaza with Lance as his Personal Assistant, she said she preferred the less stress job. So upon the mutual decision amongst all the guys in the crew, the sexual group relationships on the job were going to stop. Lance and Xavier decided that it would be better for everyone involved that on the job everyone kept it professional, but if they chose to have something outside of the station house, on their own time then that was their business. Fraternization within the same unit could happen, but only with the clear understanding that if the personal relationship interfered with the job, then it's an immediate reassignment of all those involved. And the couple involved cannot work the same shift as the other partner if they belonged to the same station. Those were just among the new rules that Lance set in place.

So keeping within those rules, Robbie was promoted to Lance's Personal Assistant, he was more than qualified to do the job. Lance told Robbie that he was more than happy he chose to work with him. Lance felt that Robbie was wasting his talents as his PA, but Robbie wanted the job more than anything else, and everyone had a hard time saying no to Robbie. So that left three open positions in our unit and I was hoping Nate would have taken one of the positions, but he refused in honor of going back to school. He was serious about becoming a Fire Marshall and all of us applauded his decision. So, Xavier was checking out the top players of the other stations as well as the promising students from the academy as candidates to fill the open positions.

A round of energetic applause once again brought me out of my head as I watched my man smile and shake the hands of the other heads of departments as he made his way to the podium. I sat up straighter and I was almost vibrating with excitement as I enthusiastically applauded right along with everyone else. Xavier turned and winked at me and I am sure the huge smile that split across my face showed everyone seated with me just how proud, and how much I loved and supported my man. I was too busy looking at him, ardently studying the way his body moved. I was totally caught up in how handsome he looked up there, how regal almost, and powerful, a true man in charge that I didn't notice it when he had said my name until a spot light swung my way and people clapped as Lance asked me to stand up. Wide eyed and in complete shock, I jumped and plastered a smile on my face when Robbie all but dug the flesh off my ribs to get me moving.