Chapter Five
Hazel
As I walk into the office, my heart is still hammering away in my chest. Holy shit… Joshua Bradley. A big part of me hoped I’d see him again, but the logical part rejected the possibility. All it took was a trip to the post office to drop off my passport application.
“How long until we can cruise the ocean blue?” Angela calls when I pass her cubicle.
Backtracking a few steps, I look around to see who’s nearby and lower until I’m kneeling beside her. “Nurse Hottie,” I mutter.
“Nurse Hottie?” she asks, confusion on her face.
“Nurse Hottie.” I clear my throat. “I—” The ringtone on my phone shuts me up, and I stare.
Nurse Hottie Calling…
“What’s up with you? Aren’t you going to answer that?” Angela asks, and I raise the screen to her face. “Nurse Ho—oh!Seriously? Nurse Hottie?” It seems neither of us can string enough words together to form coherent sentences. “Answer it!”
When I don’t move, she swipes across the screen, and I gasp. Angela grabs my shoulder and gives it a little shake.
“Hello?” Joshua calls, and Angela fans herself at his deep voice.
“Ow!” I cry when Angela pinches me and pushes the phone against my cheek.
“Hazel? Are you okay?” His voice drips with concern, and I swallow my sigh.
I clear my throat. “Hey, yeah, um, bumped my knee?”
“Bumped your knee?” he asks doubtfully.
“Mmmhmm… What’s up?” I feel stupid. It’s like I’m back in seventh grade, unable to speak to the hot guy in class. What the hell, Hazel? Get your shit together. He asked you out!
A string of muffled sounds can be heard through the line, and I assume he’s adjusting the phone. “After you left, I realized I forgot to mention my next day off won’t be until next week.”
“Oh.” I sigh, wondering if he’s regretting asking me out. I did run out on him without exchanging information until I remembered and tracked him down in the parking lot. I’m a fucking hot mess.
“No, no, no. It’s not like that. It’s actually the opposite. I didn’t want you thinking I was blowing you off when I’m unable to call. My shifts are crazy as hell, so if it’s okay with you, after today I’ll be in touch via text. Is it all right?” He rambles, making me smile.
Angela giggles, and I know she heard his nervous chatter. I nod and she gawks at me.Answer him, not me!she mouths.
“Yeah, that’s fine with me.”
“Great! And Hazel?”
I sit back on my calves, enjoying the sound of my name on his lips. “Hmm?”
“I’m really glad we bumped into each other. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you were discharged.”
The call ends before I can reply, and my hand lowers to my lap.
“What’d he say at the end? I didn’t catch it.”
I glance from the phone’s darkening screen to Angela’s curious face. “He hasn’t stopped thinking about me…”
Angela fans herself. “Shit, girl!”
I nod. She pulls me to my feet and drags me to the ladies’ bathroom. I retell the events of the last hour, and she smiles—grins really. A stupid one that brightens her eyes with happiness. “What?” I ask.
“I no longer feel guilty for setting your hoohah on fire.”
