"Hey, Captain," a sultry voice came.

Goosebumps raced down Jim's shoulders as a pair of firm hands massaged his neck. "Oh, h-hey, Jo." He glared at Chekov. "No one announced you." Forcing a smile, he turned back to her. "H-how's the med bay? You on break? Need to be getting back?"

Jo raised an eyebrow. "No, my shift is over, and Cat said yours probably was, too!" She popped her hip. "Want to get something to eat? None of that replicated crap at the caf. I'm talking the bar. I've heard it's pretty good, yeah? I'm thinking chicken wings and whiskey."

Jim tried not to look at the way her skirt hiked up her thigh as she stared him down seductively. Tall black boots and dark lipstick would make her stand out in the sea of nurses any day. A night of drinks and wings with her at the bar sounded incredible, but she radiated danger.

She laughed at him. "What're you starin' at? I'm mighty hungry. Let's go?"

Cringing, Jim sat back. That damn southern accent and Georgian saying. Instead of her lovely freckled face, he saw Bones's scowl for a moment. "Ah, you know what, I've gotta stick around and do some, some, uh, work."

Pavel cleared his throat as he passed by the captain's chair. "See you in ze morning, keptain! Enjoy zat verk."

"Yeah, Chekov," he muttered. "Thanks."

"What do you gotta do?" Jo asked. "The night crew's comin' on, aren't they?" She perched on the arm of Pavel's unoccupied chair.

Jim stared at her boots. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he nodded frantically. "It's just some beginning of the mission type of stuff. Reports, you know, stuff." Was that sweat forming on his brow? He couldn't recall the last time a woman left him so out of sorts.

"Stuff," Jo nodded, her eyes narrow and suspicious. "Okay. Well, I guess it's caf food with the nurses." She shrugged. "Tomorrow, maybe?"

Clearing his throat, Jim nodded more. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good." His head bobbed up and down. "I'll catch you later, okay? Cool, great." Smooth, Jim.

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Jo turned and stalked away. Jim groaned.

"Captain, what work are you remaining behind to do?" Spock asked from his station.

"Nothing, Spock," Jim groaned.

The Vulcan's signature eyebrow quirk made the captain's blood pump faster. "Though you lied to Nurse McCoy." Spock pondered for a moment. "You're deceiving her. Why?"

"I had to. Bones is pissed that I'm seeing her. Was seeing her? Hell, I don't know. Anyway, I can't have my CMO with his shorts in a bunch." Jim groaned and massaged his brow. "But how can I dump her? I don't want to. I have to. But I don't know if we're even together, technically? Why am I even telling you any of this?"

"Perhaps because it seems you cannot speak to Doctor McCoy about the issue as you might usually." Spock pressed his fingertips together. "Perhaps if I could offer a solution-" Spock started.

"I highly doubt that, Spock." Jim pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'm out. I'm going back to my cabin, I guess, and staying there."

Jim's stomach growled. He heaved a groan and looked at the clock in his quarters. Only nine. It was hours and hours until he would wake up and grab a quick breakfast from the caf. Against his better judgment, he threw on a sweatshirt and hurried along to the bar.

"Captain!" Uhura waved to him the moment he arrived. "Hey. Over here."

Chekov chuckled as the captain took a seat. "I thought you were verking?"

Sighing and settling in with his forehead in his hands, Jim closed his eyes. "I needed an excuse to not go out with-"

"Jo!" Uhura called.

Jim looked up in a panic. Sure enough, the worst thing that could have happened was walking in, wearing a new dress with those tall black boots.

"Jim?" Jo said cautiously. "I thought you were working?"

"The captain always works the day shift," Uhura nodded. "Being in charge sure has its perks." She rolled her eyes. "And then there are the rest of us."

Jo frowned. "I thought you said-"

"How was the caf with the nurses?" Jim interrupted her. The simmering anger in her eyes was much too familiar; it was the exact same rage that Bones kept so thinly veiled. This frightened him just as much.

"Did you blow me off?" Jo looked around the table. "You could have just said you were hanging out with your friends, Jim."

"No, Jo, geeze, of course not. I wrapped up a little early and was starving."

"She just said you weren't working." The nurse crossed her arms in a way Jim had seen Bones do a thousand times.

His stomach lurched. "Okay, let me explain."

Uhura bit her lip and Pavel stuttered, trying to save Captain Kirk. But Jo swung her hips around and stormed out, holding her middle finger up as she marched away.

"Vell done, Keptain."

"Shut up, Chekov."