A Challenge
Both parts
Spoilers: Up to Plum Lovin'
Author: Beth (Plumfanatic)
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Not my characters, not making money from them, sure would like to keep them though.
Girl Talk at the Beauty Shop
February 15th, 11:00 AM
Dolly's Clip and Curl
"Then, after we were all through getting Valerie and The Kloughn hitched, a flower delivery guy came around." Edna said, continuing her story of the Valentine's Day excitement. "He had all these flowers and I thought they were just late for the wedding. But, ooooh no, they were ALL for Stephanie. Flowers from three, she held up three fingers, different men! That's my granddaughter for ya, she's got 'em lining up at the door."
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Dolly. "Who would be sending Stephanie flowers besides Joe Morelli?"
"What kind of flowers were they?" asked Emma Getz.
"There was a bunch of daisies, a dozen yellow roses and one red rose." Edna told them.
"Joe must have sent her the red rose, right?" asked Louise Greeber.
"Nope. He sent the yellow roses," she said. "What a horse's butt."
"Then, who sent…" Mabel Burlew tried to ask, but was too flustered.
"Well, the way I see it, that Diesel guy sent the daisies cause he didn't marry her. It was the least he could do after all."
The other women all agreed.
"I figure it was that bounty hunter with the nice package that sent the red one, there was no card. You know the dark one with all the bumps and bulges in the right places. And that pretty skin he has. I don't know what that is, but I sure wouldn't mind takin' a lick of him myself. He is HOT I'm telling' ya. Beats the heck outta those dancers we went to see Emma. And he drives all them nice cars, and lets Stephanie drive 'em too. Now what man let's a woman drive his fancy car, especially when she keeps blowin' them up? Not that cop, that's for sure. I've seen the way that bounty hunter looks at her, like she's the only woman in the world. I may be old, but I can still see when a man's in love. This man is classy, too. He knew what he was doin' sending her that one red rose."
The other women were stunned and sat there gaping and staring at Stephanie's grandma.
"What about Joe? I thought Stephanie was going to marry Joe," Dolly asked. "Don't you want her to marry Joe, they have been together so long?"
"Heck, no I don't want her to marry the cop. He's a good guy and all but he isn't right for my Stephanie. She isn't gonna be a burg wife and raise kids like Valerie. She needs support, trust, passion, a man that follows his own path and expects her to do the same. Ranger is the one for her. He knows it and she is starting to realize it. It won't be too long before some changes happen, mark my word."
The women were speechless. Edna got up and looked in the mirror. Pretty damn nice for a woman my age she thought to herself. She paid her bill and headed to the door.
"Well, thanks Dolly. Gotta run, there's an early viewing today and I don't wanna miss anything. And let's keep this stuff about Ranger to ourselves, okay? Bye girls." Smiling inwardly she thought, the old girl still has a few tricks up her sleeve.
She turned and walked out the door willing herself not to look back. She knew that the phone lines were already buzzing with the gossip. With any luck the Burg would have the cop dumping her granddaughter and the bounty hunter with the nice package engaged to her by supper time. And wouldn't that be nice. She couldn't think of anyone she would rather have her favorite person in the world married to than Ranger. Yep, Ranger is all she'll ever need.
Have Phone…Will Gossip
"Midgie, it's Mabel, you can't say a word to anyone. Edna Mazur just left the Clip and Curl and you are not going to believe this. Her granddaughter, Stephanie, has two new lovers. I think one of them got her pregnant, cause Edna said he wouldn't marry her. I can't remember his name, it was something like truck or gas. And I think the other one has the mumps or measles or something cause Edna said he was all bumpy and swollen and what a shame since he had such nice skin. And some bounty hunter has been bringing her nice presents. And Joe sent her yellow roses so I guess that means he's dumping Stephanie."
On the other side of the room Louise is talking to Esther Hamish. "And then Edna said that Joe caught Stephanie licking some guy that gives her the cars she blows up. He sent her daisies for Valentine's Day with a note saying she had to choose and if she couldn't just use the flowers to decide."
Meanwhile Dolly was in the back office. "Carol, you are never going to believe this. I just finished curling Edna and Stephanie got married to that clown lawyer. She's pregnant and he got Valerie pregnant, too. Her three boyfriends sent flowers to the wedding and the bounty hunter guy blew up Stephanie's car! And after she left, Louise said that Joe has been over at that other lady bounty hunter's house a whole lot lately."
Emma, who was under the hair dryer, was saying, "Connie, why didn't you tell me that Stephanie Plum is pregnant and doesn't know whether it is one of the guys that sent her flowers or one of those dancers Edna and I went to see?"
Stephanie got home and her answering machine was full. She hated answering machines. Half of the Burg had called. She listened to the most outrageous things and just shook her head. "Why Me?" she yelled out to no one. Twelve messages were from her mother. The last one said… "What's this I hear about you and Albert? I thought you weren't really pregnant? How could you do this to poor Valerie? What about Joe, he's such a nice boy? And there is Diesel and Ranger, couldn't you at least let Valerie have Albert?"
There was a message from Joe. "Cupcake, you know I would never cheat on you. It really isn't what it sounds like. I love you. Call me, the boys and Bob miss you."
Lula was all up in arms. "Girlfriend, why didn't you tell me you were doing three of the hottest guys in Jersey at the same time? Don't you go holdin out on me white girl; I want details!"
Mary Lou just said, "Let's do lunch tomorrow and go shopping." Steph smiled to herself. It was Mary Lou's way of saying; I know it's all B.S., fill me in at lunch, I'm here for you.
The last message was Ranger. "Yo, Babe, I know I said I need to talk to you when I get back, but is there something you want to tell me first?"
"Shit," Stephanie cussed, "How did this all get started? Has the whole town gone mad?"
Meanwhile, Edna said goodnight to Frank and Ellen and went off to bed with a very satisfied feeling of a job well done. Well, now that things are all fired up around here, maybe those two lovebirds will finally get it right and I'll get to see his fine package around here more often, she thought to herself.