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Lula's New Man
The bail bond's office door swung open and I glanced over my shoulder. It was Lula and she wasn't carrying doughnuts. My heart fell, I needed a Boston cream fix. I was up early to catch Darren Greavy on his way home from his night club bouncer job. Robin was working the night shift at the TPD desk with minimal other staff. Without the usual daytime day shift hanging around, thankfully there was nobody to give me a spin about being up before dawn.
I considered going back to bed, but wanted my check from Connie for the Greavy apprehension. My bank account needed the stimulation. I, on the other hand, needed coffee and sugar stimulation.
Connie's eyes were wide open staring at Lula, "You look great!"
I turned around to look more carefully expecting another demonstration spandex's stretch ability over a plus size woman. I gapped. Lula was in bright red dress that actually was the correct size. Her generous chest was contained with only a hint of décolleté. Her shoes matched the dress. Gone was the florescent hair colors replaced by something natural and styled with restraint.
"Whadda think? It's the new me," Lula beamed as she twirled around.
I was speechless. She was standing in a pin up model pose; hand on hip thrown slightly to the side, the other hand tucked behind her ear. She was smiling, lovely, confident and glowing from within.
"What...How" Was all I could manage?
Connie was still staring.
"How? Did you ask me how?" She said as she rolled her hands down her sides. "Spanx," she said, "Keeps me compact."
"Why the new you?" Connie stammered.
"It's my new man, Reginald. Don't you love the name?" Lula gushed. She raised her shoulders a bit and shivered.
"When did a new man enter your life?" I didn't remember hearing about anybody new.
She gave me the dismissive look and started across the office, "Oh girl, Lula always has a man in her life, sometimes longer than others. I just didn't want to share Reginald with you until I knew he was THE ONE."
I groaned not more wedding plans. One particular episode had Tank fainting in a hotel hall.
Lula hesitated and turned back to us, "I was afraid, you know, Reginald is in, well, he works in a field I'm not comfortable with."
"He's a pimp?" I shot back.
"Oh heck no, white girl, Lula don't mess with pimp low lives."
I knew of only one profession Lula avoided, law enforcement. "Is he a cop?" I asked incredulously.
"Well sorta, he's retired FBI," she admitted bashfully. Lula was cute when she was bashful.
"He's a retired agent?" I sputtered.
"Yeah, he was shot awhile back and has a bum leg. He didn't want a desk job so he retired. The walking cane don't...well, it don't keep him from tending to man business."
Connie had resumed breathing, "How did you meet?"
"I was at the mall having lunch. Macy's was having a big shoe sale. Anyway, he was sitting at a table next to mine. I thought it weird he watched me eat but he said he thought he was the only person who put mustard on cheese fries."
"That's an unusual opening line," I mused.
"I told him heck yes, but it goes better with a glass of beer on the side. You know like beer cheese fondue with Gruyere cheese and nice Bavarian mustard and a splash of Worcestershire sauce."
"What do you know about Gruyere cheese and those other things?" Connie snorted.
"Hey girl, I read magazines. I know those seduction recipes."
I smiled, "So the FBI guy fell for your line?"
"Sure did, scooted over and we started comparing recipes. Before I knew it I at his apartment and we was dunking bread pieces. Turns out, he's a gourmet cook. Good thing 'cause I just read recipes, I don't actually make them."
"He lives in Trenton?"
"He's here 'cause the legislature is in session and he advises. He rents an apartment here and then goes home to New York City," Lula explained.
"What about the new outfit?" I asked.
"He said a fine woman like me needs fine woman clothes so he's been refitting my closet."
I looked carefully, "You can't work outside of the office in that outfit."
"I'm not working today. Reginald and I are going to the city."
"New York City?"
"He wants to take me to a fine restaurant for a private meal. A friend of his has a fancy restaurant. Gotta dress up, though, not like here in Trenton."
I rushed over to Lula and gave her a hug, "When do we get to meet Reginald?"
"He'll be along shortly. And with that a sleek dark Audi pulled to the curb and a 5'10" black man, close cropped hair and short beard emerged from the car. He walked with a cane. Age was forty or so.
When he entered the bail bonds office he broke into a smile, "Tallulah, you look divine."
"Tallulah?" Connie smirked.
"It's my full name, nobody but my Momma called me it."
I saw another form pass by the bond's window and knew who would be coming in the door, Ranger. Just as Lula took Reginald's breath away, I would soon be breathless.
"Ranger?" Reginald asked in surprise.
"Reggie?" Ranger was equally surprised.
They shook hands and seemed pleased to see one another. Ranger's eye strayed to Lula. Ranger doesn't do eye pops or second glances, he just stares, "Lula?"
Lula twirled a bit and had a big grin, "What do you think, Batman?"
For a moment Ranger was speechless. He had seen many of her colorful and revealing outfits. "You look lovely, Lula." Ranger nodded his head and smiled.
Lula blushed then returned to reality and made the introductions. I had a thousand questions to ask Lula and Reginald, but was cut short by Reginald, "Are you ready to leave, Tallulah?"
She smiled meekly, "Yes." At that point I noticed her purse wasn't a large cargo size. There was no way one of her large guns would fit inside. "You've down sized your purse." I stated.
"I don't need a larger one when I'm with Reginald." She winked. Reginald probably has a concealed carry permit. I smiled mostly from relief.
Reginald took Lula's wrap and put it around her shoulders lovingly. The two said their goodbyes and left the office. We watched the dark Audi pull away from the curb. Ranger let out a chuckle, "That might actually work."
"Spit it out, Ranger," Connie commanded.
"Reggie and I grew up in the same neighborhood. His father was a cop, retired now. Reggie was nerd, so others always picked on him. He never started a fight, but always finished them. Joined the Marines out of high school, got a college degree. FBI snatched him up. When I got out of the Army he wanted me to join the FBI, turned him down. I heard he took a couple of bullets recently. He decided to retire."
"Why do you think he and Lula fit together?" I asked.
"His father was a vice cop for a while. Fell in love with a very young prostitute. They married and had 6 kids, all boys. Reginald is the oldest. The wife helped out girls trying to get off the street. Lula's former occupation probably doesn't bother him at all. If I remember, his mother looks a lot like Lula and has the same zest for life."
I smiled, yes, maybe Lula has met the man of her dreams and if not, she has at least one dress that actually fits.