Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Stephanie Plum characters. I'm not that good. I'm just borrowing them from Mrs. Evanovich, and not making any profit. The Cora character and her dog are my creation.
Chapter 1.
As I sat there in traffic, with all three windows open in my truck, hoping against hope God would send a breeze through this August Day. I was really beginning to wonder about my journey. As far as I could see it, I'd been on this wild goose chase searching for someone I'd never met because my intuition said I should. It really was damn depressing because my only company was my faithful border collie, Annie. However, our perceptions of this trip were totally different. I was getting sick of being alone and living out of my truck, hotels, or ratty apartments. She was just perfectly happy traipsing across the country with her mommy, as long as she could have her head out the truck window.
That's what she was doing at the moment. She looked at me with longing eyes, asking "Please go so I can cool off in the wind." It felt like the longest red light I'd ever waited on. Ok, maybe not 'The' longest, but it's certainly in the top twenty. The bank a couple blocks back said 88o. Now, I know that's hot, but it felt one-hundred times hotter, at least with no air conditioner in my truck.
Finally green! Now we're getting somewhere.
"Trenton doesn't look so bad. Sure a lot of people, but back in California we were in the big city too. Hey, the ocean is real close over here too." Yep, Trenton, New Jersey. I already feel out of place because I'm not Italian. "Hey Annie, the road coming up is St. James." That was the name of the road I lived on growing up in Ohio. "Sounds like fate, think we should check it out? I got the feeling we're in the right place at the right time again. I hope we'll have some better luck finding an apartment. I'm also thinking we'll be here a while."
Annie took time out of her window to look at me while I talked, but she quickly resumed. She has little interest in petty things like an apartment and money.
Oh crap! What am I going to do about that! I've been living off my father's inheritance and small time jobs to supplement that income, but it seriously needs replenished. Guess I'll worry about a job later, at least I'm in the right place, and think I'll be here for a while. I've got a good feeling about that. I had this same feeling out in California, like I was very close whoever I was looking for, but then one day the feeling was gone. All I could think about was the east coast, so there I was. The feeling led me to Trenton, New Jersey. Unfortunately, I didn't know who I was looking for, except I think a kid.
"Hey Annie, look. There's an apartment building. Think we should stop? We haven't had any luck finding a vacancy that doesn't have a strict 'no-dog' policy though."
What the hell, it's worth a try. So I pulled in the parking lot and get out, Annie in tow. As I did, a little old man walked out the front doors. Maybe I'm in luck and he will know if there is a vacancy.
"Hey sir, excuse me?"
"What!"
"Do you know if there is any vacancy in this building? Or where is the super so I could maybe talk to him?"
"Yeah, there's a vacancy up on the second floor. Dillon's the super, so talk to him. Basement."
"Thank you. Come on Annie."
I'm happy to report the building was cooler inside than out. I went down the stairs and found myself facing three doors. Door number one had a padlock on it, so I don't think that's it. Door number two had boiler written on it. I think I'll choose door number three.
I knocked a couple times. It's creepy and dark down here. Mental not; never live in a basement. Someone must be home, I hear the TV running. An average height man, who actually looks tall next to me, answered with a hello. He had a receding hairline and a beer gut, but he looked like a nice guy.
"Hi, my name's Cora Benjamin, and I understand you have an apartment vacancy? I'm looking for one."
"Ah, okay. Yeah, name's Dillon the super. Yeah, there is a vacancy up on second floor. This your dog? Cause usually I don't allow dogs."
"Yeah, this is my dog, but she's very well behaved. She excels in obedience and has no problems in an apartment alone or otherwise. And we'd be good tenants, but I just really need an apartment." Lay the sauce on thick, maybe get a bite.
"We'll, okay. I'll give it a try. Lets discuss the details, and then I can show you the apartment before we make any decisions."
Details didn't take too long, and the price was right. I even got the furniture the old tenant didn't take with them; a bed, a kitchen table with two chairs, and a couch. Plus, you know, the stove a fridge and microwave came with it too. I'm really happy I had a bed; I was worried it would be the sleeping bag on the floor for a few days. I was not looking forward to that, again.
Unpacking was going to be the problem. It was past seven o'clock, and the sun was going down. So I just sifted through the truck, grabbing boxes I needed for tonight. There wasn't much activity in the lot while I hauled in stuff. I guess most of the people here are senior citizens and now are finishing up Wheel-O-Fortune and Jeopardy.
Just as I was trying to decide which was more important, my chocolate stash or my fan, a dark SUV pulled into the space behind me. Of course, I turned to look, and out of the drivers side came a man in a dark t-shirt, dark jeans, and biker boots. Since I didn't know anyone in town except Dillon, and this guy is all lean scary muscle, I'm a little freaked. He looks hot, but I'm still freaked. I didn't particularly want robbed, raped, or murdered on my first day here. Then a woman gets out of the passenger side in spandex shorts, cross trainers and a white t-shirt. She had obviously tried to tame her bushy brown hair in a pony-tail, but it looked like she lost today.
"Hey, you moving in?" She sounds pleasant enough. "I'm Stephanie Plum, second floor.
"Cora Benjamin, your new neighbor."
"Oh, you must be in Mrs. Karwatt's apartment. Are you new to the area or new to the building?"
"New to Trenton; well, New Jersey actually."
"Well as Stephanie has forgotten to introduce me; Joe Morelli, her boyfriend" said mr. scary man. When I shook his hand I saw his eyes dart down to my belt. Crap. He's spotted my gun.
"Since you're new to the area, and I don't feel like doing the paperwork, I'll just let you off with a warning that carrying concealed is a felony in this state."
"Oh, yeah, sorry. I didn't know." I quickly unclipped my gun and placed it in a box to take upstairs. "You must be a cop."
"Yeah."
"Good to know."
"Do you want help carrying boxes up? Some of these look kinda heavy." That Stephanie girl seems very nice; I even like how she offered to help.
"Oh, well sure. That one is heavy, and valuable. And these are the ones I should take in tonight." So we each grabbed a box and headed for the building and up to my apartment. Annie was already making herself at home on the couch. She adjusts to change easily. When we set the boxes down she felt it her duty to give the new people a good greeting, running over and demanding a scratching. The box Joe was carrying rattled of bottles when he set it down.
"What do you have in here? Dishes?"
"Not exactly." So I pulled out a bottle of my dad's homemade wine, strawberry to be specific. "Strawberry, dandelion, and grape wine; my dad's home made. I'm gonna pop a grape one and drink to a new place once I get settled for the night. Care to join me? I just gotta find the cups."
"Well if it's strong, I don't have much of a tolerance, but I'm just across the hall. So that wouldn't matter." Stephanie said.
"Sure I'll drink to your new place."
"Okay, well, all I found are plastic picnic cups. Here goes, and the grape is the least strong of the three. Then comes the dandelion, then the strawberry. Both of those will knock your socks off."
So my first day in this place, I met someone in the building, and now have two new friends. I got a good feeling about this, unless that feeling is Annie on my leg, I can't really feel my foot at all. Guess we'll have to work out the sleeping territories later on this bed. I'm just so tired I don't care.