REALIZATION
ANOTHER PLUM FANTASY
Scene 1
Stephanie loved rainy Sunday afternoons; especially when they included a light lunch followed by hours of amazing sex with Ranger. Cell phones off. "Do not disturb" on the intercom. His unhurried manner, his attention to the slightest detail and best of all orgasms that were off the chart made rainy Sundays her favorite days of the year.
She was on top, rocking gently back and forth. Steph enjoyed this position. She and Ranger would lock eyes and watch as the other slowly climbed the erotic ladder. She was lost in the rhythm of the rain and their breathing when she saw something in Ranger's eyes that had not been there before.
She leaned down to lie on his chest and whispered in his ear. "Did I loose you there for a minute?"
"No, Babe. I'm just trying to commit this moment to memory. So when…" He suddenly recognized his mistake and wished he could take the words back. But it was too late. He could see her expression change to one of sudden realization and sadness.
"So when its time for me to leave your bed, you will have something to remember." Steph was matter-of-fact with this statement. She showed no sign of anger or hurt. She would die first before she would show how deeply his knife had cut into her heart.
Before Ranger could give any response, Steph smiled and replied. "Well then let's make sure this is really something to remember!" With that she sat up and re-doubled her efforts to reach mutual climax. The sour mood was quickly buried with much sweat and moans on both their parts. Ranger reclaimed the dominate position for the next coupling. Two satisfied people fell into each other's arms afterwards and slept the sleep of the exhausted.
Scene 2
Ranger had heard Stephanie get up during the night and head for the bathroom. He rolled onto his back and fell back asleep waiting for her to come back. When the bedside alarm rang in the morning, he was surprised to find himself still alone.
He went into the bathroom and found it unoccupied. He finished his AM routine and headed for the kitchen, expecting to find Steph having coffee. The kitchen was empty. "What now?" was his thought. Something probably came up in Stephanie's chaotic life and he'll get a call later. She should have left a note. But that was Stephanie.
Ranger hadn't been in his office a full hour when Tank came to his door. "Do you want any calls for Stephanie forwarded to the 7th floor? Connie is on line 3. I guess Steph's cell is still off."
"Stephanie's not here." Was Ranger's quizzical reply.
"Her personal GPS shows she's upstairs, and her car is still in the garage." Tank was confused.
"Tell Connie, she is not here." Ranger ordered as he headed back to his apartment…pissed!
Sure enough sitting on the sideboard in his hallway was the pen GPS assigned to Stephanie also in the silver tray was the keys to her Mercedes SUV. 'I'm NOT Morelli. I'm not playing your juvenile games!' Ranger thought out loud. Anger taking over any feelings of loss, he turned and went back to his office to work. The workings of RangeMan took priority in his mind to the childish behavior of one Stephanie Plum.
Try as he might, through out the day, he could feel his blood pressure rise as thoughts of Steph popped into his head. 'You don't want to play head games with me, Babe. You will loose.' 'I don't need you in my bed. I have other women who will gladly fill that position…without attitude!' 'How dare you take our relationship for granted?'
His poor men paid the price. He snapped at Cisto for not telling him that Stephanie had left the garage on foot at 6AM. Hector heard an earful about the system being installed for the new client. And to quote Hal, "Watch out, Ranger is a bear today." Not even Tank was immune to his foul mood. Everyone on the 5th floor was praying for Stephanie's quick return.
Scene 3
Stephanie had left like a thief in the night. She had left any connection to Ranger in the apartment. There was nothing she could say to him that would not have ended up with her in tears. One thing that Steph hated was her own tears. Even after Morelli had defiled her in the bakery, she refused to cry. Tears showed that someone else controlled her. No one controlled her any more. She was in charge. She would rather walk away from Eden than be thrown from the garden by some asshole angel. She would walk away from Ranger while she still had dignity.
It wasn't that Ranger had lied to her. He had said many times that marriage and commitment wasn't in his cards. But, just like her Wonder Woman fantasy, Steph had hopes of flying off on a magic carpet with her Prince Charming. She could change him. She could show him that she was an important part of his life. She knew now that fantasies are not real. Ranger could not be changed. And she had to start to put her life on track without Prince Charming.
She had walked all the way to the office, cross town; and surprised Connie when she walked in.
"I just tried your cell, and then called RangeMan. They said you weren't there. What brings you in so early?" Connie couldn't hide her surprise.
Stephanie tried to suppress her feelings but everything just poured out. "Oh, Connie. Everything has changed. Is there any coffee?"
"Shit, you and Ranger had a fight."
"No, nothing like that. I just decided that we had no future. I walked out. I don't want anything to do with him."
Steph was not in the habit of sharing personal feelings with too many people. Mary Lou was her best friend but she needed to vent now and Connie was available. Without going into detail, she explained that there could be no more contact with Ranger; not in the office and definitely not in the field. She didn't want him to know about any of her FTA assignments or her location. Oh, and by the way, she needed a car.
Connie was speechless. Definitely not something she was accustomed to. "Oh, boy. OK if that's what you want. You can use my car today until you get one of your own. What about Lula? What should I tell her, if she asks?"
"Nothing, tell her nothing. I'll tell her what I want her to know." Stephanie had determination on her side. Just get on with work and bury the memory that was her goal at least for today. "What have you got on your desk?"
"Dom Delveccio started a fight at the Crown and wiped out their pool table. And Angela Sepkia put her husband in St. Francis by hitting him repeatedly with a loaf of frozen bread. Dom's a repeat. He just can't hold his 'Jack'. Angela, this is her first offense."
Steph grabbed the printouts and her Authorizations to Apprehend and shoved them in her bag. She reached the door just a Lula was walking in. "Whoa girl! You look ready to hunt bear. Awfully early for that face. Have a bad night?"
"My night was just peachy, and morning is looking better. You want to help me or not?"
And so the next few weeks were Ranger-free. No one dared mention him within earshot of Stephanie for fear of uncontrolled wrath on her part. Ranger timed his visits to the office for those moments when he knew there was no chance of a close encounter.
Everything was fine and peaceful…like the calm before the mother of all storms.
Scene 4
Three weeks is a long time to be celibate. You could always take matters in to your own hands, so to speak. But that wasn't his style or inclination. Ranger just wanted a decent night's sleep. He'd given up counting how many times he reached across his bed to an empty pillow and a missing Stephanie. The glass of wine he finished an hour ago might as well have been water. He should be exhausted. They had spent most of the day and half the evening chasing down the Sosa brothers. When they finely pinned them down in the attic of their club house, Ranger was tempted to forgo the $10K bounty and toss them out the window. It would have been a poor business decision but it sure would have made him feel better. A glance at the bedside clock showed it was 12:30. "Enough!" He thought to himself and got out of bed. He reached for his cell.
"Dolce. Long time." The voice was smooth as fine brandy.
"Are you free?" Ranger asked with a smile in his voice.
"I'm never free but for you I'll make an exception" She laughed.
"I'll see you shortly. Stay warm." He hung up and went to dress.
Twenty minutes later, dressed in Armani slacks and shirt, Ranger was in his Porsche. Before leaving the garage he disconnected the GPS and turned off his cell. He was untraceable.
He was smoke in the wind.
Takeko was waiting at the door when he arrived. Her townhouse hadn't changed in all the years he had known her. Soft lighting in the foyer. The sound of the meditation fountain in the living room. Immediately, Ranger could feel the tension and exhaustion draining from his body. She was wearing a long black silk peignoir over nothing but a lace thong. In her hand a glass of brandy. He slipped off his shoes as she closed and locked the door.
His brandy was waiting at its usual place on the coffee table in front of the over-sized over-stuffed white sofa. He took a sip of hers instead and placed it next to his. He stood in front of her, admiring her exotic perfection. Her father was Latino her mother Japanese. Although she was almost five years older than Ranger, her body still looked young and fresh. Decades of Yoga had kept her lithe. And her smile when she looked at him felt genuine and welcoming. He parted the peignoir with his hands and slowly rubbed her breasts. "Mmm" was the compliment he gave her as he bent to kiss her.
"Mmm, yourself. I've learned some new things since you were here last. Has it been over a year? I have much to teach you." Takeko purred.
"I don't think I need to learn as much as I need to do." He smiled, taking her hand. They walked into her candlelit bedroom.
Takeko unbuttoned and slipped off his shirt as they kissed. But when she reached for the zipper on his pants, she could feel him tense up. It was slight, but a woman with her experience knows these things.
Ranger removed her peignoir and laid her across the king sized bed. He leaned over her and gently kissed her breasts and the valley between them. He took her leg in his hand and kissed her calf, the inside of her knee and slowly worked his way up her thigh.
"Oh, Dolce, you have the lips of a baby, and the touch of a man. You have been missed." She spoke in a whisper. With that she pulled him down on top of her and demanded that his mouth allow her tongue to explore his. His moan let her know that there wasn't going to be much foreplay this time. But she wasn't on the clock tonight; there would be plenty of time to play later.
Then it happened again, that slight hesitation in his movements. He was most definitely aroused and at this point she is normally accepting him into her body. He continued to kiss and tease but made no attempt to mount her. She would take things into her own hands. Perhaps a new technique would light old fires. Takeko pushed Ranger's shoulder with her hand and his hips with hers to roll him on his back. There was a light laugh between the two, and she began to straddle him. That's when she knew something was wrong.
"No. Don't." Ranger said rather harshly. He gently pushed her off him and sat up. "Shit" was his only explanation.
Takeko put her peignoir back on and sat cross-legged on the bed. "OK. So there is a problem. I know it's not me and I can see it's not you. So, what is her name?" This was said gently and kindly, one friend to another.
"It's nothing like that" Ranger protested.
"Dolce, how long have we known each other? Ten years? In all that time we have never lied to each other. If you are not lying to me then you are lying to yourself. What is it? How can I help?"
Ranger got out of bed, put his pants on and went to the living room to his brandy. Takeko followed, almost amused at her friend's denial.
"Stephanie, her name is Stephanie. Ever since she came into my life, she has been nothing but a pain. She's the worst bounty hunter I have ever seen, yet she usually gets her man. She has the greatest instincts I've ever seen, but she doesn't know how to use them. She can't keep a car longer than a month without loosing it or blowing it up. She's more dangerous to be around than an IUD. And on top of that she has a stubborn streak in her that makes a mule seem passive."
"So, you love her." She said matter-of-factually.
"I didn't say that" he protested.
Takeko put her head back slightly and laughed. "You didn't have to. I can see the symptoms from here. How long have you been fighting?"
"We're not fighting. We're not anything. We're not together anymore. It's the best thing for both of us. It's just something to get used to."
"And how's that working for you?"
"Fine. Eventually she'll stop popping into my head. Like today, I'm ankle deep in sewer water hunting down this felon and I find myself wondering how much of a mess she could make of herself down there. I am not going to play games with her. I'm not going to chase after her. If she can't act like an adult, who needs her?" His voice was actually starting to rise. Takeko was more amused than stunned.
"Well, from where I stand, you do." She gently took her friend's hand and had him sit next to her on the couch.
"The timing is all wrong, Takeko. I can't take on the responsibility of a relationship now. The company still has me doing jobs. I just can't pick up and leave her. 'Bye, Steph, I'm off to an un-named foreign country. Oh, by the way, there's a 50-50 chance I won't come back. You'll just have to think I abandoned you because they won't tell you if I have been killed.' Yah, that's a real sound basis for a lasting relationship."
"I got out. You can too. But I don't think you want to. You have a luxury cover that keeps your skills honed. And let's face it you lived for the hunt. But times change and people change. We are getting older, dear friend."
"It's just not the time" Ranger protested sadly.
"True love has never cared about timing. It wants what it wants when it wants it. And if you throw this away, you may never find it again. Look at me. By the time I realized what I truly wanted, it had soured and gone. I want more for you, Dolce. With all the pain and ugliness you have endured through the years, you need to find peace. Can you find this with Stephanie?"
"The only peace I've known in years is when I'm with her. I look at her and can picture us growing old together. Then I think of the lie I am living and can't see a future at all."
"Do you trust her?"
"With my life."
"Then trust her with your heart. Go to her. Tell her what you can. The two of you, together can decide what future you have. Please, dear friend, don't throw this one chance for love away."
Takeko stood and retrieved the rest of Ranger's clothes. She handed them to him and gently kissed him on his cheek. "Now go!" With that she retreated to her bedroom and closed the door. Ranger knew his way out.
Scene 5
The sun was just coming up as Ranger returned to Trenton. He found himself blindly driving past Stephanie's apartment and turning into the parking lot. He turned off the car and just sat there for the longest time. Takeko's words had played in his head for the entire drive. So many years of planning, so many years of fighting the nightmares and putting them behind him; how sure was he that any time would be a good time to allow Stephanie into his real life? Well, sitting here and brooding isn't getting anywhere. By the end of today, he will know the course of the rest of his life. He got out of the car and headed inside.
Gawd, Steph hated mornings. Getting out of the warm bed was hard enough. Not getting a decent night's sleep made it even harder. She was still sore from yesterday's romp with her latest FTA. A shower and coffee will make all things new again. After a nice long shower, she put on her pink bathrobe and wrapped her head, turban style, with her towel.
When she got to the living room, she froze in place. Her mind went completely blank. All she could do was stare. Ranger was sitting in her living room chair. His elbows were on the arms and his fingers were steepled at his chin. "We need to talk" he said in a measured voice.
"Uh, OK, sure." She babbled.
"Coffee's made if you want some." He went to stand.
"No, no I'll get it" She needed time to get her pulse back into normal range and find her 'big girl' voice.
Her hands were shaking so much that she almost dropped the milk she was pouring into her cup. Deep breath, that a girl, you can do this she kept saying to herself. She was practically in full control by the time she gave Ranger his cup. Steph sat across from him on the edge of her seat on the couch, holding her cup in both hands using its warmth to help steady her nerves. Ranger broke the silence first.
"I don't like it when people walk out of my life. I especially don't like it when that person is someone I've come to trust. It leaves a hole that doesn't go away. Can we start again with more honesty?" His voice was measured. His words were chosen carefully. But his eyes never left Stephanie's.
"I'm sorry. It was the only way I could end it without loosing my mind. I know you said it was temporary. But I just couldn't stand waiting for the words to be said. Every time might be the last time and I just couldn't take it any more. I'm just not that strong."
"You're much stronger than you can imagine, Babe. I've asked a lot from you. And you have given more than you have received from me. I want that to change. No more time limits. No more emotional boundaries. No more secrets. I'd like you back in my life. The choice is yours."
"I've missed you too. But there are so many unanswered questions." She said almost in desperation.
"Tell you what, if it will help you decide. I'll give you three questions. Ask what ever you want and I will answer them truthfully."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
Oh boy, where to start. Steph thought carefully, took a sip of her coffee and placed the cup on the coffee table in front of her. With a deep sigh, she asked her first question. "Do you kill people for a living?"
Ranger smiled and sat back against his chair. "I did. You know that I was in Special Forces in the Army. What you don't know is that I was a sniper. My only job was to find and kill those people the government designated as enemies of the state. I was very good at my job. So good the powers that be kept me on the payroll long after I finished my tour. I try very hard not to kill anyone now."
Stephanie was quiet, trying to absorb this information without shouting…Oh my God...out loud. He had answered her question, just as he promised. Was she ready for any more honesty? This was like getting three wishes from a Ginni in a Jar. Be careful what you wish for. OK, number two.
"Who are your business partners?" Not the mob, please, she secretly hoped.
This was answered with a deep sigh and a moment of hesitation on Ranger's part. Trusting someone at this level is hard when years of deception have been in play. "I can't give you names. Not because I don't trust you, but because it would be dangerous for you to know them. I can tell you that some of them are ex-Army that I have worked with. Some are major corporate businessmen that have personal reasons to invest. And some are still in the government and don't want to be connected to this type of private security company. That's the best I can do. You've got one more."
Her mind at this point is just spinning. Steph has never had anyone, not even Mary Lou; trust her with such vital and revealing information. Why now? What is going on in Ranger's mind? What is she supposed to say? How can this be real?
She knew what she was going to ask. Her brain had scanned ahead and had already formed the question. The cars… where did he get all the cars? But what her brain had decided upon, her mouth never got the message. When she opened her mouth, instead of cars…this came out.
"Do you love me?" She was as shocked at hearing it as she imagined Ranger was.
Ranger slowly put his coffee cup down, rose and stood before Stephanie. He reached down and placed both his hands on either side of her cheeks and gently urged her to stand. As he spoke he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. And looking directly into her eyes and smiling that broad Ranger smile he said; "Yes, Babe. I deeply and honestly love you." He kissed her gently at first and then with a passion neither were expecting. Tears were filling Stephanie's eyes. Were they tears of joy or tears of relief? She didn't know and she didn't care. She was in Ranger's arms and in his heart, that was all that mattered.
Scene 6
They walked, hand in hand to her bedroom. Steph wasn't sure if her feet had touched the ground at all during the walk. Ranger led her to her bed and slowly unwrapped the towel covering her hair. Softly he pulled her hair back and gently kissed the side of her neck. Then her shoulder as he untied the robe and let it puddle on the floor. His hands felt different; as if exploring Stephanie's body for the first time. He held her breasts as if they were delicate sculptures capable of shattering at any moment. She felt herself shudder as he moved ever so slowly down her waist to hold her close to him by her hips. His kiss promised so much more.
Stephanie tried to unbutton his shirt, but her hands were shaking too much. Ranger smiled down at her and sat her on the bed. "Here, let me do that." And in a minute he was standing in front of her beautifully naked. She pulled him to her and they kissed again. She lay back as he slowly worked his magic kisses down her body. A low moan escaped her as he found her sweet spot and gave it delicate and undivided attention. She felt herself arch and whimper slightly as the rush filled her. Then, as he rose from his knees, she gave a satisfied sigh. Neither one spoke for a moment. They just smiled that intimate smile shared between lovers.
They moved to the center of the bed and Ranger held her close. He moved on top of her and knelt between her open thighs.
Bracing himself on his hands he kissed her deeply. Then, holding himself up with his forearms he took her head in his hands and caressed her hair and kissed her again. "May I?" he whispered in her ear. She smiled up at him. "Yes, yes you may."
He entered her slowly and deliberately. With short, teasing strokes that drove Stephanie to the very edge. He sensed her every need and answered in kind. She could feel his pelvis against hers; exciting every nerve ending she had down there. He never took his eyes off of hers. It was as if he was sensing his own arousal though her. When there was no more holding back, Ranger took full control and sent them both to the edge and beyond. It was the most magical moment in Steph's life. She didn't want it to end.
Ranger rolled to his side and gathered Steph in his arms. She snuggled close to his chest as he covered her with his right arm and leg. They stayed that way for quite a while. Then she softly asked, "Ranger?"
"Hmm?" he looked at her waiting.
"Did we just make love?" She asked almost in a child's voice.
"Ah hm" followed by a nod of his head.
"Wow!" she answered almost in awe.
Ranger raised his eyebrows. His face questioning that last remark.
She whispered in his ear. "That was my first time."
He felt his breathing stop for a moment. Drawing her even tighter to him, he whispered back. "Mine too."
They looked into each others eyes and each saw the promise of tomorrow in the other. There will be many obstacles to overcome. Things were guaranteed to get complicated. But this, they both knew. They had just made love.
END