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Judd was surprised; he had just seen the most beautiful woman walk by him. He wanted to get to know her better. She worked for the emergency services just like he did. He needed to find a way to go and talk to her.
Judd got up to go and start a conversation but changed his mind at the last second. He couldn’t think of anything impressive to say. He wanted to seem cool and adventurous, but she already knew the drill since she was here in this first responders' boot camp. He needed a strategy to get to know her. Not just I saw her over a coffee break.
Grace was sitting with some of the 911 operators and saw that this man was staring at her. The two of them grabbed a coffee at the same time. Grace did not know the man and did not know what he wanted. If he wanted something, he could just come over and ask for it. She did not take the last of the coffee, and there were still biscuits there. Whatever he wanted, she was not going to wait to find out. She was here to learn more about the job she loved. She also had friends here. Grace would not wait for this man to come and say something if he ever built up the courage. Grace went back to focusing on the conversation the man had seemingly forgotten about.
Grace was really enjoying this boot camp. She had been a 911 operator for a year now, and she really wanted to learn some strategies to help people better when they were in danger. She loved her job, and she was one hundred per cent focused on it. This was her opportunity to ask questions and learn, and nothing was going to distract her from that. She loved saving lives and being a lifeline to the people who needed help.
The first day was over, and she headed out of the building when someone bumped into her.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” The man said. It was the same man that she spotted staring at her earlier.
“All good?” Grace asked.
“Sorry, Ma’am, I’ll]watch better where I’m going in the future.”
Grace nodded and went to walk away. The people here were all first responders. There was nothing strange about that encounter.
When Grace got back to her room, her friends were teasing her.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Leanna said in a deep voice.
“That man has the hots for you, Grace,” Deanna said.
“I’m not here to meet anyone; I’m here to learn about the job. He could live anywhere in this state. I’m not about to do a long-distance relationship and all that. I don’t even know that guy, and what would be the point. Let’s just focus on what’s important, saving lives," Grace said.
“Okay, but you're coming out with us tonight. There is an excellent bar here, and I want to let my hair out and all that,” Deanna said as she let her hair fall on her shoulders, shaking it to the side.
Grace and her friends got ready for the night out. Grace got her nice shorts out and her best top and was all ready for the night off. She was here to save lives, but she could still have a good time going out with her friends and having fun.
Grace and her friends arrived at the bar, and things were swinging. It looked like everyone was out having fun. There were lots of people from the seminar there, and it seemed like they had the same idea as the three of them. Leanna went to get them a table, and Grace was in charge of getting them the drinks. She was walking towards the bar when she felt someone run into her, and her shirt got wet.
A woman was standing in front of her, and she bumped into her. Next to her, on the other side, was the man that bumped into her earlier.
“Ma’am, do you need some help getting cleaned up? Mary is such a klutz. I'm sorry that she spilt her drink all over you. I’m Judd here, and these drinks are on me. Tell me what you want to drink, and I’ll get them,” the man said and offered a polite nod. He gave Grace a towel to dry off. He also took out another shirt that he had. “Here, you can have this. I’m not using this, and I’m sure it will be nicer than the sticky shirt.”
Grace took it and went to the bathroom to get dried up and change shirts. She had run into this man three times today because the first responders’ world was small, especially in a big state like Texas. What were the odds they were from the same city? Grace also has a klutzy friend. That’s why she was the one that got the drinks. She was happy that it wasn’t her favorite shirt and that her shorts did not get wet. She was able to change shirts, and it was not too much of a fuss.
Grace left the bathroom and went back to the bar to get the drinks.
“Thanks for the shirt,” she said as she saw the man was there at the bar.
“Drinks are on me, miss, and I mean that. It's the least I could do to make up for Mary. Mary is really sorry, by the way. I’m on drinks duty the rest of the night.”
“Three craft beers, please, if it’s not too much of an issue,” Grace said.
“I’m Judd, by the way, and you are miss?” Judd asked.
“I’m Grace,” Grace said politely as she took out her hand to shake it.
Judd had a lovely warm hand, and Grace felt safe when she shook his hand. It was like a safe, friendly, cuddly bear, and it felt so good.
When the beers were ready, the two took them and went to the table that Leanna got.
“Would you and Mary like to join us? We are always happy to meet more people who are first responders.”
“Yeah, sure, why not,” Judd said and called Mary over to join them.
The five of them got along and were enjoying each other's company. They learned that Mary and Judd had been friends since they were children. They also knew that they were all from Austin and that this was not too far from home, and they would all be returning to the same city.
“I’ve had fun tonight. Can we exchange numbers so that we can do this again?” Judd asked.
Grace got her phone out and gave it to Judd so that she had his number, and she texted him to have hers.
“One more round, everyone,” Leanna called out.
They all agreed to one more round before they called it a night. They were all laughing merrily and enjoying each other’s company.
“So our rooms are in the same direction. Why don’t we walk together?.” Leanna suggested.
Leanna and Deanna pulled Mary with them, which left Grace and Judd to clear the tab and walk together.
Judd and Grace were left behind, and the two of them walked together.
“How did you become a firefighter?” Grace asked.
“Growing up, I was in a troubled youth group. I wanted to do better and be better. I wanted to save people and be a person I could be proud of. I found the 126, and it became my home. I get to help people daily.” Judd said honestly. “Why a 911 operator?” Judd asked.
“I grew up in a normal home with a normal mom and dad. They always provided me with everything I needed, and I just wanted to feel like I was giving back. I love helping people and talking to people, and this seemed like the perfect place with my skill set, so I applied and got the job," Grace said.
The two talked to each other so quickly that they did not realise that they were back at Grace and her friends’ building.
“Good night. I had fun tonight. It was nice meeting you,” Grace said.
“It was a pleasure, Grace,” Judd said, walking over to his friend. Grace walked to her room and opened the door seeing Deanna and Leeanna.
“It looks like you and Judd got on great. Will you see him again? I mean, we are all from Austin. You should totally hang out again,” Deanna said.
“Ooh, Grace and Judd,” Leanna said.
The two of them had fun teasing Grace, and Grace got ready for bed. Grace went to sleep with a smile on her face that night, happy that she had met someone new.
It was a week later, and Grace got a text from Judd. The two of them had been texting non-stop.
‘I’ll pick you up for a date Friday night at 7,’ the text said. Grace was excited. She really liked Judd and was excited to go out with him.
Grace showed the text to Leanna and Deanna.
“Oooh, someone has a date with Judd,” Deanna said.
“I told you so,” Leanna said.
The three giggled and were all so happy to see that Grace had a date with such a nice man.
Judd was planning the date. It needed to be perfect. Grace was such a great woman, so she deserved the best date that he could arrange. He would make sure that this date was something that they both enjoyed. He had never met a woman like Grace, and he was excited to be going on a date with her. He had the perfect place in mind and hoped that Grace liked it as well.
“So, you know where you’re taking her on the date?” Mary asked at the fire station.
They were on the lunch break, and they were sitting there with the rest of the fire squad. Judd was ecstatic to go out with Grace. She was beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and everything that he had wanted. He knew the perfect place in Austin to take her and was ready for the date so he could show her what a thoughtful gentleman he was. The two of them had been texting non-stop since that night out at the conference. Judd had picked his favourite barbeque place in the city as the place that they will go on their date. It was famous statewide and was also a great place with a romantic atmosphere and great wholesome fun, and incredible food. There was nothing more Texas than this place. If Grace would enjoy it, that meant that she really was the woman for him. Judd had it all planned, and that was what mattered.
It was the day of her date, and Grace was in her apartment.
“Come on, and we got to get you ready for the date,” Leanna said and grabbed Grace, bringing her to her room, where different outfits were lying there to be tried on. "We only have three hours before the date we need to get you ready. Do you know where he is taking you?”
“He said it was a surprise and that I’ll like it. He said that it was very Texas," Grace said.
“Okay, well, that sounds doable. We got to get you ready. Shower first so that we can start getting you ready,” Deanna said, pushing Grace toward the bathroom.
When Grace was done with the shower, they worked on styling her hair. Grace had beautiful curly hair, and they wanted to make sure that it was on point tonight. Most people did not see Grace, and she was just a voice on the line to save them. Tonight they wanted Judd to see who Grace was as a whole person. She was genuine and more than a soothing voice, and Judd better sees how amazing this woman was. When they were done with the hair, they moved on to the outfit and picked the one that was the most Grace. Grace tried it on and found it fitting.
“That’s so you. Judd won’t be able to keep his eyes off you tonight,” Leanna said.
“It’s perfect,” Grace said.
Leanna and Deanna then helped Grace apply her make up. Grace liked a more neutral look, and that was what they went with. They were done with 15 minutes to spare, and they were so proud of themselves.
“You are beautiful. Judd will think he is the luckiest man in the world,” Deanna said.
Grace looked at herself in the mirror and knew that she was ready. This date was a huge deal, and she was prepared to go out with this wonderful man she had met. The three women were so happy and were finally brought back to reality when they heard the doorbell ring.
Grace walked gracefully to the door and opened it to see Judd.
“These are for you. You look great, Grace,” Judd said as he handed her a bouquet.
“Thanks, so do you,” Grace said and took the flowers from Judd. The flowers were soon placed in a vase and set on the table.
“Ready to go?” Judd asked.
Grace nodded and took her jacket. The two of them left the apartment and walked to Judd’s car. Judd opened the door for Grace and helped her get into the car. When she was in, he closed the door. He got in on the other side and turned on the vehicle. Grace smiled at Judd, and Judd smiled back at Grace. Grace had a feeling that tonight would go great.
They finally arrived at the restaurant, and Judd opened the car door for Grace. Grace saw where they were and was excited. She loved it here. She had many of her happiest memories here, and hopefully, another happy memory would happen there today. Grace had a good feeling about this date, and her feelings were usually right. Grace got out of the car and closed the door.
They walked up to the door, and Judd once again held the door open for her. Grace was no damsel, and she could handle herself, but she also liked that Judd was a gentleman that opened the doors for her.
Judd thought that Grace was a queen and that he, of course, should open all the doors for her. It was how he was raised to be a gentleman and that this woman here was already special to him, and he would do anything he could to treat her right.
They entered the restaurant and looked around. It was so classy and homey at the same time—the perfect place to come when significant events happened.
“Hello, how can I help you?” the hostess asked.
“Ryder. Table for two,” Judd said.
“One moment, please.” The hostess looked at the book and called a server to come and get them.
“It is this way. Come with me,” the server said. He placed them on a table in a quiet spot in the restaurant and handed them the menus. “My name is Tim, and I’ll be your server this evening. Let me know if you need anything,” Tim said and left them to it.
“So what do you think?” Judd asked Grace.
“I love it. Thanks for bringing me here,” Grace said and smiled at Judd.
Judd and Grace were looking at each other and smiling softly at each other. Things were soft and easy between them. Judd was happy that Grace was enjoying herself. He wanted this date to be a success.
“This place has a special place in my heart, and I wanted to share that with you; I’m so happy that you like it. This really is the best barbeque in the whole city,” Judd said happily.
“I love it here. It is the perfect place. I really love the pork tenderloins here. There is nothing like the meat that they serve here,” Grace said and had a soft smile on her face.
“I agree. It really is the heart of Texas, a good meat place, and so many of my fondest memories have happened and been celebrated here. One of my best was when I was accepted to my squad, and the 126 all came here to celebrate. I knew then that I had found the fire squad that I was meant to serve along with. That day will always be special to me,” Judd said, a fond smile on his face.
“That is lovely. I’m so happy that you have found the squad that you are meant to serve along. Finding a purpose is hard, and I find it remarkable that you have found yours. This place really is so special. It is more than the meat that they serve here. It is the family and the memories, and they are all special,” Grace said and took Judd’s hand, lightly stroking it.
Judd and Grace played with each other's hands softly and just stared into each other’s eyes as they softly spoke to each other. Soon the server was back, and they had to place their order in. They each put their orders, knowing exactly what they liked and went back to looking lovingly at each other.
Grace felt good about this date. It was easy to talk to Judd, and he understood her and saw who she really was. She had always wanted to be with someone who saw who she really was and liked her for that. This was the best first date that she has been on, and it was only just starting.
“What is your fondest memory from your childhood?” Grace asked Judd.
“I was in the troubled youth program I mentioned before, and we were out hiking when I saw this squirrel stuck in a tree. I went and climbed up and got it down. I knew at that moment that I wanted to help people that I was going to do something in the service of others,” Judd said as he remembered that memory fondly. “How did you know that you wanted to be a 911 operator?” Judd asked.
“I always knew I wanted to serve others. I liked customer service, but I wanted to do something that helped people who were in need. I was always good under pressure and was able to handle the details. I tried the job out when I was 18 and loved it and have been doing it ever since,” Grace said with a smile on her face.
The two continued sharing stories and small talk. They were able just to share things. Both being first responders allowed them to understand each other in a way that many others often did not understand. When their food arrived, they enjoyed their meal and ate silently while enjoying each other's company.
Grace took a piece of her meat, put it on her fork, stretched her arms out so that they could reach Judd, and had him open up his mouth and take some of the meat on her fork. Judd ate it and enjoyed the meat. It was delicious. Judd did the same; he took some of his meat and gave it to Grace to try. The two of them giggled and enjoyed the meal. It was yummy, and they both had a great time.
“Wow, that was so good,” Grace said when she was done with her meal.
“It really was. Are you ready to go to the next place?” Judd said as he asked for the check.
“There is more?” Grace asked.
“Yes, we have one more stop for the evening before it is time to go home,” Judd said.
Judd paid the bill when it arrived, and the two of them got up to go to their next destination.
Judd stopped the car in front of a small ice cream shop. This ice cream shop has always been his go-to place whenever something good happened in his life. Now he wanted it to symbolise that he found his next great thing. That Grace was a blessing that came into his life, and he will share this magical shop with her.
“This is my favorite place in the city. It has special meaning to me, and I wanted to share that with you. They also have the best ice cream waffles that you can find in the state,” Judd said as he took Grace’s hand and led her into the store.
“Judd, it’s great that you are here,” The owner said when he saw Judd enter the shop.
“Hi, Felix, it’s great to see you. We will have two waffle specials," Judd said.
“Coming right up.”
“I’m excited to try this. Thank you for bringing me here; I love ice cream.”
“This place is special to me. So many of my good memories have been celebrated here. I always have a waffle special whenever I come here for special occasions. And thought that it would be the perfect way to end the perfect evening," Judd said as he led them to a table.
They watched as Felix made the two waffle specials, and Grace was transfixed by how delicate the whole process was. She was touched that Judd would share such a touching place with her. She felt like she was really getting to know Judd, and she liked what she saw so far. Judd was a kind and thoughtful man that she could introduce to her mama. She knew that what they had was unique and that Judd was a keeper.
“Here you go, two waffle specials,” Felix said and placed the two dishes on the table.
Grace dug into the ice cream and waffle, and Judd was right. This really was the best she has ever had. Grace loved ice cream, and it hit all the right notes.
“This is wonderful, Judd,” Grace said as she dug in.
“I’m thankful that you like it Grace, I really wanted tonight to go great.”
“Tonight has been amazing,” Grace said and took a spoonful of the treat. She held up the spoon to Judd's mouth, feeding it to him. The gesture touched him.
The two of them quietly ate their treats and were happily looking at each other. Judd knew that this woman was special. He knew that he could spend the rest of his life with this woman. She was an angel and a queen and deserved to be treated just right.
Judd and Grace finished their treats, and they packed up their stuff to get ready to go. Judd grabbed Grace's hand and held it, and the two walked out of the shop hand-in-hand. Grace looked at their intertwined hands and smiled. The two walked to the car, and it just felt right at that moment.
Before they got into the car, Judd placed his hand on Grace’s face and looked at her lovingly. He bent forward and lightly kissed her. Grace felt sparkles fly through her and kissed Judd back. The kiss was mesmerising, and it felt like they came home to each other. This was the place that they were supposed to be at, and nothing would ever match it. The two broke apart and stared lovingly at each other with a soft smile on their faces.
Judd opened the door for Grace and waited for her to get in before closing the door for her. The two drove back to Grace’s place. On the ride back, soft music played on the radio, and the two quietly contemplated each other and shared gentle conversation. It was exactly what they needed, and they were enjoying it.
Soon they were at the parking lot of Grace’s apartment building. Judd opened the door for Grace, and she got out of the car. Grace got up and placed a soft kiss on Judd’s lips. Judd appreciated it and kissed her back.
“I had fun tonight. Next time I’ll show you the special places that mean a lot to me,” Grace said as she held on to Judd’s hand.
“I look forward to it, Grace. Tonight was amazing, and I’m so happy that we were able to go out",” Judd said.
“I’ll text you,” Grace said and was still holding onto his hand.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Judd replied and gave her another kiss.
The two kissed softly and held hands. Neither one wanted to let go. Finally, Grace let go of his hand and started strolling away while still looking at him. Judd softly waved at her and continued watching her until she entered her building.
Judd knew that someday he would marry that woman. She was a special woman; Judd already knew that. Tonight was the best date he had ever had, and he was looking forward to seeing her again.