Off Duty

by Kristen Hope Mazzola

  Brayden: Thank you for letting me know. I am heading that way now. Hope you get some rest after a long night shift.

  Smiling at the words, I closed my eyes and relaxed even more. It felt good to help put his mind at ease. “This, is why I became I nurse,” I whispered to myself.

  James’ voice called through the door. “Breakfast in bed is served, my lady.”

  Man, he really knows how to treat me right.

  “Be right out!” I yelled back. I reluctantly stepped out of the tub and let the water drain out, toweling off as fast as I could. The worst part of baths was having to get out of the nice warm water and freezing your ass off in the chilly air, and forget it if I accidentally stepped out onto the cold tile—so miserable. I curled my toes in the gray shag bathmat, wrapping my fluffy pink Victoria’s Secret bathrobe around my bare body.

  James was already sitting up in bed with two trays set for us. Eggs, bacon, home fries, and Diet Dr. Pepper—breakfast of champions. I dove under the covers, letting James wrap his arm around me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

  He smiled down at me while dousing his eggs with Tabasco. “Anything for you, babe.”

  I slowly twisted the red cap and heard the fizzing of the carbonation from my weakness—I’d been hooked on it since college.

  James and I sat in our king-sized bed, eating our food while I told him all about my shift.

  “Damn. That really does suck.” We both got up from bed, grabbing our trays to clean up. Checking his watch, James pursed his lips. “Now, I have to run or the guys are going to be standing around with their thumbs up their asses.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Oh the life of the boss. Have a good day.”

  My phone blared on my nightstand and I groaned at it. I had passed out hard right after James left for work and I had no idea how long I had been out.

  Grabbing my phone, I swiped to answer the call without even opening my eyes to check to see who was calling.

  “Hel-Hello?” My sleepy voice cracked as I tried to will myself to wake up.

  Martha’s jubilant voice boomed from the other end. “Girls’ night tonight. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

  Of course, I forgot. I didn’t even know which way was up most days; working nights was really starting to take its toll on me. “You know I wouldn’t miss our sushi date for the world,” I lied through my teeth.

  “I woke you up, didn’t I?” My best friend’s tone hinted toward frustration, but it’s not like I slept all day by choice. Blame my scheduler, not me. I hated keeping vampire hours, but the money was good and I loved my job; it was give and take at its finest.

  “I didn’t get home until about eight this morning. What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes, shifting as the dogs started to stir under the blankets. Luckily, Nike and Thor were lazy, sleepy little angels while I napped. As long as they were under the covers, curled up next to my legs, they were happy campers.

  “It’s almost three. See you at six per usual?” Martha was not one to stay on the phone for longer than a few minutes with anyone. She preferred to gab in person or via text, but she knew texts wouldn’t wake me up from the dead of sleep after a night shift, even if my phone was on its loudest setting.

  “I will be there with bells on,” I responded, sinking back down into my plush bed.

  “Perfect. See you later, girl.” With that she hung up and I set an alarm to wake me up with just enough time to walk the dogs and get to the restaurant on time.

  Girls’ night, one of the very best inventions ever. Martha was waiting for me next to the hostess stand at our favorite little hole-in-the-wall sushi place. We had found it a few years back when we got lost one night and it was the best find ever. It was a total family affair, their food was phenomenal and cheap, and the place was open until three in the morning. It really couldn’t be beat.

  “Hey, bitch!” Martha practically screamed as I walked through the door, pulling me in for a hug.

  “Hey slut. Is Kari meeting us?” I asked as the hostess showed us to our regular booth in the back of the restaurant.

  Martha nodded, taking her seat across from me. “She got tied up in a meeting at work. You know how she can’t say no to her boss.”

  The hostess handed me a paper menu and a pencil to check off what I wanted to order. “Thank you,” Martha and I both said in unison, smiling up at the young lady.

  “Nice to see you again. Enjoy your dinner. Jill will be right with you.” Ming, the petite hostess who had just come to the States to start college, bowed before heading back to her post. We made a point of knowing everyone who worked at this joint, and it always paid off somehow.

  I turned to Martha to continue our talk about Kari. “Seriously? Again?”

  “You know how she is.” Martha rolled her eyes before checking the back of the menu for anything new.

  Kari was too nice—it was just her nature—and she got walked all over by her prick of a boss because of it. Martha, Kari, and I had all gone to Columbia together and had been the Three Musketeers ever since. Even with our different career paths, we found a way to make time to get together, and we had supported each other during some of the most challenging times in our lives. I didn’t know if I would have made it through nursing school without their encouragement.

  Martha was tall, voluptuous, loud, and stylish. She was an assistant editor at an up-and-coming fashion magazine and was taking the literary world by storm, even working on her own fashion blog and a book.

  Kari was petite, soft-spoken, loyal, and had the heart of a lion. She had just passed the New York bar exam and was working her way up in one of the largest law firms in the city. She was fierce when she needed to be and was the perfect balance of sweet and dangerous. We knew she was just biding her time before she could bust out on her own, but for the time being, she would have to pay her dues and keep her head down.

  Without even ordering it, chilled peach sake was brought to our table by our favorite server, Jill. She had been the first person to ever take care of us there, and from then on we were her regulars. Jill was also one of the only Caucasian people that worked in the restaurant. She was married to one of the owner’s sons and helped in the restaurant when she wasn’t taking her business classes.

  “How’d your business law test go?” I asked Jill as she filled our sake glasses for us.

  The smile that lit up her face got me so excited. “I got an A! Finally! I was so nervous.”

  Right then, Kari bounced over to us, taking the seat next to me. “Did I hear that right?” Kari screamed, “Did you get an A on that test?”

  Jill bit her lip, nodding. “I really don’t know how I am ever going to be able to repay you for all of your help when I had questions.”

  Kari shook her head violently. “I am just so glad I could help! Answering a few questions in an email from you helps break up the mundane work I am doing at the firm. File after file of yawn-fests is what I have to look forward to most days.”

  A table waved to Jill and she scurried away to go help her other guests.

  I wrapped an arm around Kari’s shoulders. “That is so sweet of you, helping Jill like that.”

  Kari shrugged. “Those law classes can be hard even for law students. I really was happy to help. I mean, I have the knowledge, why not use it? It’s not like they trust me at work to ask me things yet. It’s nice to feel smart again.”

  We raised our white sake glasses in the air. “To girls’ night. May the gossip be juicy and the dirt never leave this table.” With that we threw the shots back and finished checking off the ridiculous amount of delectable rolls and sashimi we were about to devour.

  Martha glared at me from across the table. “So, how’s the boy?” Her distaste for James was never hidden; she thought I could and should do better.

  “He’s doing well, working on some townhouses in Queens right now.”

  “No ring yet?” Kari nudged me with h
er elbow.

  I shook my head. “Guys, you know how I feel about marriage.”

  They both dramatically sighed.

  “One of these days”—Kari pointed her finger at me—“you’re going to find a guy that makes you want to throw all your feminist bullshit out the window.”

  Martha nodded. “You’re our only hope. Kari works too damn much with men who all look like trolls and all the men I meet or work with are gayer than Liberace.”

  “Well, I am sorry to break it to you loves, but I don’t think James and I will be tying that knot ever, so we might need to find a new chick friend to place these pressures on.”

  Martha dramatically rolled her eyes and slapped her hand on the table. “I just will never understand your viewpoint here. I really cannot wrap my head around it.”

  I took a deep breath in. How many times am I going to have to explain this? “I have never seen a marriage succeed. They either tear apart at the seams and or crash and burn. Everyone is miserable. I am happy with James and the way things are, and besides, the whole wedding ring tradition—don’t even get me started on that bullshit.”

  Kari started to laugh a little. “Everything comes from somewhere. Just because slaves used to wear gold bands on their left ring finger to show they were owned by someone doesn’t mean a present-day wedding band has the same ownership connotation. I mean really, Karla, get your head out of that ba-humbug state of mind.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “Can’t we all just agree to disagree here?”

  We took another shot to clear the air and then moved on to how one of the interns at Kari’s firm had been trying to play a game of grab-ass at the copy machine the other day.

  “I mean, it’s the most action I’ve gotten in a while, but twenty-three is just a little too young for me.” Kari blushed.

  The rest of girls’ night was spent talking about what celebrity couples were breaking up, who Martha was trying to get interviews with, and Kari’s nonstop babble about being in a penis-envy environment with no light at the end of the tunnel. We all hugged goodbye, making plans to see each other for another sushi date in two weeks.

  I got home to a dark apartment. Nike and Thor started to yap at me was I walked in, trying to be as quiet as possible. James called out from the bedroom, “Babe? How was your night?”

  I set my purse on the counter and stripped down as I made my way into our room. “It was nice, same ol’ thing. Kari and Martha are still ragging on me for us not being engaged yet.”

  I curled up in James’ arms as he pulled me in close, laughing softly. “Well, they’re going to be holding their breath for a long time. You’ve made it pretty clear what would happen if I ever asked.”

  “Thank you for respecting my wishes.” I kissed him on the cheek.

  His soft lips brushed against mine. “Of course, my love.”

  Cross Checked

  A Shots On Goal Standalone

  By Kristen Hope Mazzola

  Available now to order!

  Acknowledgments

  To my Rockstars: You all have no idea how special each and every one of you are to me. I honestly do not know what I would do without the group and support that you all offer to my career. Thank you for everything you do, big and small.

  To Reggie: You have become such a wonderful friend and colleague! Thank for everything and for taking the awesome picture that is on this book’s cover.

  To Robert: I am so grateful to be able to call you my friend. Thank you for everything you do. I know you think it isn’t that much, but to me it is!

  To Helene: I love you to pieces and I am truly thankful for you in every way possible.

  To my Mema: I love you more. Thank you for giving me the love of NYC that I have. The time that I spent with you there will always be so special to me.

  All books by Kristen Hope Mazzola

  The Crashing Series:

  Crashing: The Wedding: Cali’s Story (Crashing #0.5)

  Crashing Back Down (Crashing #1)

  Falling Back Together (Crashing #2)

  The Unacceptables MC Standalone Series:

  Unacceptable

  Unspeakable

  Unbreakable

  Untouchable

  Unbearable

  Undeniable

  The Hysterics Standalone Series:

  The Hysterics

  Colt & Serena: A Hysterics Short Story

  Shots On Goal Standalone Series:

  Hat Trick

  Cross Checked

  Cherry Picked

  Low Blow

  Playoff Beard

  Off Duty

  Standalones:

  Stupid Hearts

  Rough & Tumble

  Boxsets:

  The Crashing Series

  Lust & Love

  The Huntress Series (co-written with Dawn Robertson):

  The Huntress (Book 1)

  The Hopeless (Book 2)

  The Nameless (Book 3)

  The 69 Series:

  (multi-author collaborations for charity)

  Hook & Ladder 69

  Bleed Blue 69

  About the Author

  Bestselling author, Kristen Hope Mazzola, lives in the suburbs of Tampa soaking up the sunshine while watching hockey or football at beach bars. She writes contemporary romance ranging from steamy romantic comedy, angsty new adult, all the way to sports romance – with dirty bikers, hot military men, and swoon-worthy rockstars in between. A portion of her royalties goes to the Marcie Mazzola Foundation.

  Stay Connected

  www.KristenHopeMazzola.com

  AuthorKristenMazzola@gmail.com