A/N: not mine but enjoy playing with them.
So this year lent begins on Valentine's Day, well that just means I can't give up chocolate. Who am I kidding, I'm Stephanie Plum. I live on junk food and chocolate is part of the base of my food pyramid. Well, at least it was until my father had a heart attack last month. Way to start the New Year, my Dad is going to be okay after undergoing a triple bypass. He can't drive his cab right now and has begun cardiac rehab. He's already lost ten pounds. So has my mother who was getting a bit of a middle age spread herself. Of course my parents were unhappy with the change in their diet but we wouldn't want to lose him like Grandpa Harry. Grandma doesn't eat much but the healthier diet is better for her too. Everyone went to get a checkup and it turns out our unhealthy diet is starting to impact everyone. Grandma is pre-diabetic as is Valerie. Val has joined a women's gym and the membership includes a free personal trainer for a week. She's also improved her diet and lost 20 pounds. The doctor thinks if she loses weight she'll be okay.
So where does that leave me? Well, Mom is still making dessert but it's now low fat and low sugar and not every day. Ella offered to help Mom revamp her recipes to be more heart healthy and she spent several days at my parents' home working on dinner. Their diet now includes lean meats and fish, vegetables and salads that are not dripping in butter or cheese. The broccoli now is eaten at the table instead of returned to the kitchen and trashed. Mom uses fresh vegetable or frozen ones. No canned vegetables or fruits. Yeah fruit, that's usually dessert. My sugar addiction is legendary and last time I used sex as a substitute for sugar. This time I'm using exercise as a substitute. I've lost ten pounds but have noticed I'm much more toned and my jeans are fitting better.
So, you may be wondering how other parts of my life are going. Well, I work three days a week for Rangeman now. Ranger has had me under his medical insurance as a domestic partner. He's been paying for my premiums, this I found out when I went to get my checkup. Joe wasn't happy to hear this, my response was you never offered and at least I have insurance. I figured he just kept me as an active employee and took premiums from any checks he issued to me for work performed. Anyway, I use the gym at Rangeman and I've been using the gun range. I still hate my gun but I want to be safer while doing my job.
All these changes I've been making seem to have caused some friction at the bond's office. Vinnie is mad that I'm working for Rangeman part time. I still take skips from him and work them two or three days a week. I've been taking a Rangeman with me, usually whoever has the day off. I split the bond with them fifty-fifty, they try to refuse but I insist. They ask me to help with gift shopping or to hang out. I get to know them a little better and I even introduced a couple to some women they are now dating.
So, this has caused a big argument with Lula. She considers herself my partner but she wasn't ever a real partner. I know she could use the extra money I'd split with her but she left me more times than I can count. Like when I was thrown into the Delaware by Uncle Sonny's goons. Yeah, she went looking for the giraffe and left me. The files are electronic now, so Vinnie laid her off. She can't be a bounty hunter because of her criminal record for hooking and possession; they won't license her. Her Firebird is rusted out and falling apart. The last year they made that car was 2002, what does she expect? She can't get a lease or loan because she's on unemployment. The state of New Jersey has vocational services, because she's on unemployment they are assisting with retraining so she can return to the work force. She's actually better off than working for Vinnie. She's getting food stamps, assistance with her electric bill and rent. She has a grant to pay for school and books. She's in an apprentice program to be a carpenter. Her attitude would put a lot of people off but she can get away with a lot of it on work sites. She is unhappy with the dress code, no spandex or via spigas. She wears cargo pants or jeans and tops that cover her triple d breasts. I told her she has the opportunity to make a good income and improve her life. She can be a role model for her friends that are still in the business. She's also angry because I stopped bringing donuts and fast food to the office. She mooched food off me when I usually had less money than her. She at least got a salary for the file clerk position.
Connie is jealous that I spend so much time with Ranger but she doesn't understand that I don't spend time with him. He's working either in his office or going to meetings in the office and out of it. He meets with attorneys or clients and he travels to Miami once a month to see Julie. He still has the office in Boston but is in the process of selling that as he did with Atlanta. She also misses me bringing donuts but again, she always had more money than me, she has a salary. Vinnie gave her a raise because she threatened to walk; Harry is friends with her family so he pressured Vinnie into giving her a raise.
So, back to me, my friendships at the bond's office are there but not as close. The girls resent me because I'm taking control of my life. There has been less gossip because I'm not rolling in garbage anymore, nothing has exploded lately and I'm bringing in my skips. My street cred has improved over the last month. Hard to believe in only a month how much my professional life has improved. The TPD betting pool is still there but now the pot is growing and they are complaining.
Personally, I've improved my health. I still have Lou as my bestie; I'm closer to Val and the girls. My mother is my mother. She worries about me but less now that I have a Rangeman with me to get skips and I'm in the office more. Its winter so Vinnie hasn't been bonding people out as much, some prefer to stay in jail. They have heat and food. Those he does bond out have been showing at court. So, if I don't have skips I work more in the office. This week, I have no skips and today will be day three in the office. If I don't get anyone this week, I'll do five in the office and have the weekend off. Ranger said there are always searches and I've been learning other things. He has me helping design security systems for families or single women and I'll start attending client meetings to help put them at ease. The guys are a little intimidating. Imagine that.
That just leaves my love life. Yeah, that's still pretty crappy. Joe is Joe. He's not getting any younger and wants to start a family. At least that's what he said last night when we attended the VFW's Fat Tuesday party. Dad got tickets for everyone; the problem was the food wasn't what we really eat now. Joe got mad that I refused to eat the junk food. I didn't eat cake. I ate some chicken and salad. I didn't eat the mashed potatoes swimming in butter or the lasagna dripping melted cheese. I wanted to dance; Joe refused to dance with me. Then the guys from Rangeman showed up, including Ranger. Joe wanted to go home and watch the game, I told him to go. He expected me to show up at his house but I didn't. I spent the evening dancing with the guys, and my Dad but mostly I danced with Ranger.
Since Ella helped my Mom with her cooking and shared recipes they had become pretty good friends. Ella shared a lot of info on Ranger and the guys so my mother is no longer afraid of them. She's trying to set them up with the daughters or granddaughters of her friends. She was having difficulty deciding if I should marry Joe or Ranger. Joe was Burg but she's beginning to see some of his verbal abuse that has always been chalked up to being Italian. Ella pointed out my father never yells like Joe does. She also realized that Ranger has the financial means to support me, something all mothers are concerned with, and his business is legal. Joe always whispered in her ear or had his mother do it to cause fear that Ranger's business was a cover for illegal activities.
So tonight, being the first day of Lent, we always have a family dinner after mass. During dinner we share what we are giving up. We also talk about what different volunteer opportunities we will undertake. My mother makes a meal of scallops dripping in butter and buttery mashed potatoes. This year our meal was swai fillets marinated in McCormick brand Baja citrus marinade, with quinoa and brown rice, steamed carrots and a tossed salad with an oil free dressing. Joe was not impressed.
"What kind of dinner is this? Where's the lasagna and stuffed shells? My mother always makes that for Ash Wednesday," he grumbled.
"Manners, Joseph. Your mother would be appalled to hear you complain about a meal you were being served as a guest. If you don't like what we are having there's the door," my mother retorted.
Ranger was sitting on other side of me and gave my mother his thousand watt smile, "Everything looks delicious Mrs. Plum. I see that you took your discussions with Ella seriously. The fish is flaky and the quinoa and brown rice are cooked perfectly, as are the carrots."
My mother beamed at him, "I told you Carlos to call me Helen. Thank you for noticing. I want my Frank to be with us a long time."
Joe picked at his dinner and grudgingly told my mother it was good. He stated he did public service everyday as a cop and didn't have time to volunteer. My mother admonished him stating he should be involved in the community to help foster good relations with the police department.
Ranger discussed the program that his office had started to mentor children down on Stark Street last year with the approval of Governor Christie. It was going to be continued under the new governor. It's called Help for Rosa after his grandmother. He was offering tutoring programs, ESL for adults and children, self-defense lessons, tax preparation services through his accountant and local colleges, and after school activities to keep kids from turning to the gangs. Ranger explained that he would be going to schools in at risk neighborhoods discussing how he became involved with a gang and his brush with the law at 14 and how he went into the Army and now has a successful business. He hoped by doing this he would teach them they have options other than gangs or dealing.
Val was volunteering two days a week at Help for Rosa and she was bringing Angie and MA with her. They would provide babysitting service and help with homework after school. Albert offered legal services twice a week; he helped women file for child support, TRO's and with filing for divorce. He had closed his private practice and joined a firm specializing in family law. Part of his partner agreement was to offer a set number of hours of pro-bono work so providing services at Help for Rosa fit the bill.
My Dad was volunteering at the VA as a transportation dispatcher. He will volunteer to drive once his doctor clears him. My Mother is volunteering at the Information Desk at the VA so they go together. Grandma Mazur is volunteering at the animal shelter. Mom made her give her dog away because it was messing in the house. My turn came to announce my volunteer project and I announced that I was working at the food bank; I would be boxing food for those in need, including seniors and the poor. I was going to do this two days a week.
When dinner was over Mom, Val and I cleared the table and brought out dessert. It was an Angel Food Cake with strawberry and cool whip trifle. Joe grumbled again because my mother always made a coconut cake. Even Ranger had some. We started discussing what we were giving up for lent.
Mom was giving up peanuts, which are her favorite treat. Dad was giving up his nightly cigar. Val was giving up one piece of clothing from her closet per day. She would put an item in a bag and at the end of lent she'd have 40 items and donate them to the battered women's shelter. Angie and MA were giving up chocolate as was Grandma Mazur. Ranger said he was giving up wine. He likes to have wine with dinner. All eyes turned to Joe.
"I'm giving up hot tea," he confidently stated.
I was stunned and said, "You never drink hot tea. You have to deprive yourself of some small pleasure or indulgence and offer that sacrifice up to God. Or you might give up a bad habit as a way of positively turning your life back toward what God wants for you. But, I'm not surprised you wouldn't give up something meaningful. You're always about self-gratification."
"Oh yeah," Joe said, "and what are you giving up Cupcake?"
"You," I replied.
"What the hell are you talking about," he yelled.
Ranger was the voice of reason when most of the table was laughing for yelling, "Why are you doing that Babe."
"Well, as I just said, you might give up a bad habit. I decided that Joe is a bad habit and after 40 days, I hope it sticks."