“You’re going to be great! Just try and calm down a bit. It’s going to be fine. Everyone is anxious on their first day on the job. It’s totally normal.” My mother tried her best to comfort me, but to no avail. “I was a complete ball of nerves on my first day and it ended up bring the best day of my life, second only to the day you were born.”

I was about to walk into Precinct 69 in Brooklyn. I was about to have a dream I’d had since I was a little girl come true. Both of my parents had been NYPD, and it was time for me to finally follow in their footsteps.

Growing up, I had mostly been a loner. I preferred fictional characters to the mean girls and horrible bullies I had dealt with at school. I loved mysteries and crime dramas, reading them as fast as I could get my hands on them. Now, I was embarking on my own crime-filled adventure.

“Yeah, Ma. I know, I know. I’m allowed to be nervous, though—it shows that I care.” I paced a few times just down the block from the front door like a lunatic.

“Your father and I are just so proud of you, Jess. You are going to be one hell of a cop!” I could hear her sniffling a bit.

“Thanks, Ma,” I sniffled a little bit too, “Ma, I gotta go. I don’t want to be late for my first shift.”

We hung up the phone and with a deep breath and shaking hands, I walked into the station. I knew my way around it for the most part, and within a few minutes I was standing in the captain’s small office, trembling like a leaf.

“Good morning, sir.” I choked a bit as my throat turned into the Sahara, looking down at the captain that was reading a file on his desk with a magnifying glass.

“You must be the new kid.” Captain MacDonnell heaved up from the chair behind his desk as I reached my hand out to shake his.

“Y-Yes, sir,” I stammered.

He hit a button on his phone. “Whistler, come here. Your new partner is waiting.”

Captain MacDonnell had a devilish smirk on his face as one of the most handsome men I had ever laid eyes on strode into the minute space. He was tall, broad, and had the clearest cobalt eyes I had ever seen in my damn life. That wasn’t the kicker though—it was his damn smile. That smile could make an angel sin.

With a sly simper spreading on his lips, he held his hand out. “Sean Whistler. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Jess—uh, Jessica McBee. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” My fingers gripped his for far longer than was appropriate as I got lost in the clear oceans that captivated me, and the captain cleared his throat.

“Whistler, show McBee the ropes and keep her out of trouble, ya hear? Her parents were on the force and her dad was actually my partner when I worked vice for a blink of an eye.”

Sean put his hand on my shoulder and started to usher me out of the captain’s office. “Nervous, McBee?” he asked, digging his car keys out of his pocket.

“Is it that noticeable?” My cheeks were burning red as I followed him out the doors and to his patrol car.

He shrugged. “Just a lucky guess. Everyone is a little nervous in the beginning, but don’t worry, I got your back.”

I melted into the passenger’s seat, thankful to not have a raging dick for a partner. That would have made everything so much worse.

“So, your parents were cops, huh?” he asked as he put the car in reverse.

I nodded. “It was kind of a no-brainer for me. I always wanted to be just like them. They were my real-life heroes, ya know?”

He flashed his toothy, panty-melting smile, and I about damn near fainted.

How am I supposed to be professional and not swoon over my partner every time he grins at me?

“Yeah, I totally get it. My uncle was a cop, and I thought it was the damn coolest thing in the world. When we were little, he’d let me and my buddies ride around the block in the back of his car with the lights on and I even got to play with the siren sometimes. I thought it was the best shit on the freaking planet.” Sean was luckily oblivious of my drooling as he talked to me.

Sean and I spent the day driving around, writing traffic citations and a speeding tickets—nothing to write home about. I didn’t care, though; to me, it was the most thrilling day of my fucking life. I was actually dressed in my uniform, wearing a badge I had earned, riding around with a partner in a cop car, protecting and serving the community that I loved.

“You did all right today, McBee.” Sean winked at me, putting the car in park in the back of the station.

I shifted in the lumpy seat to get a better look at my new partner. “Thanks for everything today. I learned a lot.”

“Don’t mention it.” He rubbed the back of his neck slowly. “Say, would you want to grab a drink with me and a few of my friends tonight? Jordan is guest bartending at a new place and Gavin and I promised her we’d show up.”

Over the course of the day, Sean had told me all about his friends. Jordan was some type of famous bartender and went all over the country helping failing bars turn their staff around before they tank. I thought it was really sweet that Sean made it a point to support her whenever he could; it really said a lot about his character.

The big shocker was Gavin—I couldn’t believe my new partner was best friends with the captain of the New York Otters. That was fucking mind-blowing shit to me. Growing up in Brooklyn, the Otters were a way of life—my dad and I never missed a game when he was off in time to watch them. I had so many amazing memories of sitting on his lap watching Gideon Hayes and Reggie Cox dominating the ice back in the day.

The fact that I was getting invited out with Sean the first day was pretty awesome—I had been worried he wasn’t going to like me or would get sick of how boring of a life I had within the first five minutes of meeting me.

“I would love to.” I gripped the door handle firmly in my quivering hand.

Get a damn grip, McBee. It’s normal to be invited out for a drink after a shift.