Page 1 of Keeping It Professional

CHAPTER 1

MILES

Icould feel my day getting ready to suck.

It was a beautiful morning, midwinter crisp, pretty enough to put in a snow globe. The first birds were up and cheeping away. I was hunched up like a grumpy old crow, putting off heading into the station. The second I did, the suckage would start, and it would keep sucking for days. Maybe weeks.

I checked my watch: quarter to five. Another five minutes, and I’d head in. I’d finish my coffee, send up a quick prayer, then I’d go in and?—

“Fletcher. You’re here.” Jones poked his head out. “Clive says quit stalling and get your ass inside.”

I chugged the last of my coffee and tossed the cup in the trash. “Tell him I died.”

Jones laughed. “Come on. She can’t be that bad.”

I groaned, because yeah. Yeah, she could. A new partner was never fun, even a good one, and a bad one — abadone would ruin your life. A bad one wouldcostlives. My stomach felt tight.

“Clive wouldn’t hire someone who can’t do the job.” Jones patted my arm, but I shook him off. He was newish himself, two years on the job. He’d had the same partner the whole damn time.

“You don’t get it,” I said.

Jones frowned. “Get what?”

“You know when Ford calls out sick and you’re stuck with whoever? This is likethat, but for weeks, maybe months. There’s this whole settling-in period, finding your rhythm, and just when you think you’re on the right track, you butt heads over something, and you’re back to square one. You know what it’s like? It’s like a first date. A weeks-long first date with lives on the line.”

Jones shot me a sort of wary half-smile, like he was trying to work out if I was kidding or not. I curled my lip at him to show him I wasn’t.

“Fletcher!Get in here! I see you out there.”

We both winced at Clive’s bellow. I sighed. “Wish me luck.”

“Fletcher, I swear to God…”

I groaned, braced myself, and marched back to Clive’s office. His irritation seemed to fill the small room, and I knew he’d been dreading this as much as I was.

“This is Sophie,” he said, as I walked in. “She’s straight out of training, first day on the job, so I’m counting on you to?—”

I caught sight of Sophie, and my heart took a dive. My ears rang. My blood boiled. I gritted my teeth. She looked like a doll or a kid’s action figure, all cute and shiny, fresh from the box. Paramedic Barbie. What was Clive thinking? He was stilldroning on, touting her bona fides, but all I could see was her dumb rookie glow, bright eyes, big smile, like she couldn’t wait to dive in. She had no idea. Not the first clue.

Clive scowled at me. “Got it?”

I hadn’t heard a damn word, but I nodded anyway. “Sure. Hi. I’m Fletcher.” I stuck out my hand. Sophie grabbed it and pumped it, and her whole face lit up.

“It’s so great to meet you.”

“Yeah, likewise. Great.” I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but Sophie glanced at Clive, then back at me. Her smile dimmed a moment, then came back full force.

“I’m a quick learner, don’t worry. I won’t slow you down.”

Bubbly. She was bubbly. Like a sink full of suds. She might’ve been fun to meet out at the bar, all peaches and cream and pretty blue eyes. But here on the job, she’d be a disaster. The thing was with bubbles, they tended to burst. They left a ring in your sink, and streaks of soap scum. She’d puke her first shift or break down in tears, or if I got lucky, she’d full-on faint. Panic, pass out, face-plant on a patient.

“Go on,” said Clive. He nodded at Sophie. “Turn in your paperwork. He’ll be right along.”

I bit my tongue till her footsteps died out, then I let loose. “Are you kidding? Some rookie?”

Clive sagged. He looked tired. “Can’t you just take this for the compliment it is?”

I sputtered. “A compliment? How do you figure?”

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