Author's Note:
I know...I know I should be writing on Scavenger Hunt and Innocent, but my muse just can't help herself.
This is a Story I have been working on for nearly two months now and I finally think I found the perfect ending for it.
I did not intend for it to be this long, but it just happened.
This is sort of a belated Thanksgiving Story.
Enjoy!
Steph's POV
"Hello Tank how are you doing?" I question as I recognize the number on the screen.
"How did you know it was me?" The man on the other end replies. Tank is a frequent caller and considered highly suicidal. He usually just calls to talk and never really threatens with suicide, but today I can tell there is something different about him, which puts me on alert instantly.
"I memorized your phone number." I reply honestly. I have been volunteering for the suicide hotline long enough, to know you should never lie to a caller. You can bend the truth, but never lie or promise things you cannot keep. "How are you?"
"Not good...the nightmares are getting worse. I can't...I can't help to un-see it...I can't handle this anymore" He never talks about what It is. But I assume it is bad. I have talked to him a lot in the last few weeks and I know a few things about him. His name is Pierre, but he likes to be called Tank; he used to be a Ranger, but retired to open up a Business called Rangemen with his best friends and fellow Rangers.
"Talk to me about those nightmares. Maybe I can help you" I suggest and cross my fingers that he will go for it this time.
But as usual Tank replies "I wish I could...I really do...but it's classified. If I'd tell you, it could get us in a whole lot of trouble with Uncle Sam."
"You can't keep it bottled up. Just tell me what you can, it will make it better" I say and cross my fingers even harder, hoping that he will finally open up a little. I talked to a colleague of mine about him, who is a psychiatrist, and he thinks that Tank shows all the signs of PTSD.
"No, it won't...To talk about it...it will only make it worse...all those dead people. It is as if they haunt me. I am responsible for their deaths. And that will never go away..." He says and in the background I hear a clicking sound, as if he is loading a gun.
"Tank, what was that sound?" I question alarmed.
"I have to end this...There is no other way out of this." He answers and my stomach drops. Tank is prepared to take his life today, unless I am able to talk him away from that.
"How about this...You tell me where you are and I will come to talk to you?" It is not for the first time that I suggest this to him. I like talking to Tank. Since he usually doesn't talk much when he calls, I fill the silence with my rambling just to get his mind of things. I even managed to make him laugh a few times, as I told him a few dinner- with- my -parent's stories.
"Don't think about calling the cops. They won't be able to find me...You may see my number, but don't waste your time tracing it." Tank informs me. "I am an Army Ranger. I know how to cover my tracks."
"Okay...okay...we won't trace it, but tell me where you are and I will personally come down there to talk to you. I will bring coffee and doughnuts..." I propose. Coffee and Doughnuts, including a few other sugary treats, always cheer me up.
My best friend Lula pushes a note in front of me, which says 'Alert 911?' I reply: 'Try tracing it, but I doubt we will have any luck!' Lula nods and walks off.
"Doughnuts?...I haven't had one in a while" He answers, but I hear another clicking sound in the back.
"You are missing out. So how about it?" I ask.
"You can't talk me out of this...the world is better off without me" Tank replies with a sigh. "You don't know what I have done...what we have done...You shouldn't meet with a monster like me."
"You are not a Monster. You did what you were ordered to do." I tell him and add. "It is not your fault and I would love to meet you. I think we could be good friends. I could drag you to my parents for dinner, so you can see for yourself how crazy they are."
"It is my fault...I could have refused to do it" He shouts through the phone, which has me pulling my head set away from my ear. As I look up, I see Lula signal from the other end of the room that she didn't have any luck tracing the call.
"You would have been court marshalled!" I say calmly. "Listen; there is nothing you could have done. I assume you did what you had to do, to get out of the hell hole Uncle Sam put you in. But taking your life isn't helping anyone. Your friends need you, your family needs you."
"No one needs a broken man...Goodbye Steph..." And with that he hangs up. Tears well up in my eyes and I quickly throw my headset onto the table and run into the hallway, before they start to fall down my cheeks.
I squad down against the wall and take a few deep breaths. That is the down side of this job. The ones I couldn't safe will forever stay with me.
I got into this for two reasons. One is my sister Valerie, who tried to take her life, after he husband of twelve years left her for a younger woman and took everything from her and her two daughters. Thank god, police found her in time. She went to therapy and turned her life around. Now she is married to Albert, to whom I introduced her.
The other reason is Lula. I found Lula two years ago, half beaten to death, in an alley way next to Pino's. Her shitty Pimp beat her up for talking to the cops. I took her to the hospital and stayed with her for a while. Lula and I became fast friends and she too, turned her life around.
But that wasn't enough. She wanted to make a difference. Together we signed up for Volunteer work and stumbled up on the Suicide Hotline.
We have been doing this for a little over a year now, part time, next to running a small fashion shop in the heart of Trenton, much to my mother's dismay.
"You okay?" Lula asks, as she sits down next to me. Even though I feel shitty, for not being able to help Tank, I still have to smile at her. Lula is a full figured, African-American woman, who loves spandex and bright colours. Today she is wearing yellow highlights in her hair, yellow nail polish and yellow spandex, teamed up with a flowy pink top and pink FMPs.
"No... Not really. I couldn't help him... He said 'Goodbye'. He never says 'Goodbye'." I tell her and lean my head onto her shoulder. I don't need to tell her, who I am referring to, as I have mentioned to her Tank multiple times.
"I am sorry, Steph." She replies sincerely. "Come on... our shift is over. We will get Pino's and watch Ghostbusters at home."
I nod and let her help me up. Lula and I are living together in a house outside of the Burg. The Burg is where I grew up. A place where everybody knows their neighbours and the lawn is always trimmed to perfection. It is full of housewives, gossipers and 'I know better than you' People and I didn't want to live there anymore.
Just as we get home, I get a text from one of the other volunteers at the Hotline. 'Pierre is alive. He just called again and was asking for you. He promised to call again tomorrow.'
"At least you will be able to sleep a little tonight" Lula remarks, as she reads the text over my shoulder.
"Yeah..." I only answer and get comfortable on the couch.
I try to get into Ghostbusters, but my mind keeps going back to Tank and how I can help him. Then a light bulb goes off in my head and I quickly grab my phone to look for the address. Once I found it, I look at Lula, who fell asleep the first half an hour of the movie.
I quickly scribble a note onto the notepad lying on our couch table and place it in front of her. With that done, I grab my keys, coat and handbag and rush out the door. What I am about to do goes against every rule of the Suicide Hotline, but I don't give a damn. Tank needs help and this is the only way I can think of, that will maybe help him.
Ranger's POV (Everything in Italics is meant to be in Spanish)
"Sir?" I look up from my paperwork and at Woody, one of my long time employees.
I motion for him to come in and sit down. "Report!"
"I know it is none of my business, but I think something is off with Tank." The man opposite of me replies.
"Explain!"
"Sir, Tank has been more silent than usual and I don't think that he is sleeping enough either, if the bags under his eyes are any indication." Woody informs me.
"Thank you for your concern." I reply and look back down at my paperwork. As Woody gets up, I add "Close the door behind you." Only as I hear the door clicking into place, I push myself away from my desk and stand to look out the big, floor to ceiling windows. I note that it has been snowing, covering Trenton in white fluff.
As I watch the snow fall, my mind goes to what Woody just said. I have noticed the same things, but I don't know what to do. Lester, Bobby and I haven't been sleeping very well either. We are just better at hiding it.
After the last mission, it really doesn't come as a surprise to me, that we have had a harder time adjusting back into this world. The government specifically requested the whole Core Team for this mission, which is odd, since I usually go alone. But what Uncle Sam wants, Uncle Sam gets.
We strive for action, adrenaline rushes and getting rid of bad people, which is why we went and charged a nice lump sum of money.
The mission was only supposed to last for 2 months, but we were gone for six and during our time in the Brazilian jungle, I wished enough times, that we had charged even more money or refused to do it all together. We made it out by the skin of our teeth and the things we did, still haunt me in my dreams. I need to be completely exhausted to sleep these days. Which is why, I only sleep maximum of four hours every other day.
Suddenly my phone rings, jerking me out of my thoughts. "Yes?" I bark as I pick up.
"Sir, there is a Stephanie Plum down here, she wants to speak to you" Cal reports.
"Tell her to come back in the morning" I tell him and hang up, but seconds later the phone rings again. "WHAT?"
"This is Stephanie Plum and it is important that I speak to you tonight. It's a matter of life and death, so don't you dare and make me come back here in the morning, because it could be too late." The woman on the other end replies with determination in her voice, which tells me she won't take no for an answer.
"Put Cal back on the Phone" I tell her and seconds later Cal is back. "Matts, tomorrow 0500! Now send her up." I growl and hang up on him. What could be so important, that a civilian needs to speak to me in the middle of the night?
I make my way out of my office and wait for her in front of the elevator. As the doors open, I have to suppress a grin. Stephanie Plum is pretty. Her brown, curly hair is a mess on top of her head and judging by the Wonder Woman pants, I'd say she is wearing her pyjamas, under her thick, black winter coat.
"Ricardo Manoso, how can I help you?" I question and shake her hand.
"I know it is late and I am sorry to barge in here like this, but what I have to tell you is important. Can we talk somewhere more private?" She questions as she looks around. The fifth floor is pretty much empty at this hour, but I can tell she'd rather not speak here.
"This way" I say and guide her to my office. "So how can I help?" I ask, once I close the door behind me.
"I work for the Trenton Suicide Hotline and I received a call from one of your friends or colleagues. Or at least I hope I am in the right place...because he told me about this company and that he started it with his friends..." She rambles on.
"Miss Plum, who are we talking about here?" I question concerned. If one of my employees called the suicide hotline, it is quite serious and I need to help him immediately.
"Call me Steph and uhh his name is Pierre, but he goes by Tank" She replies and I let myself fall into the closest chair. I feel like someone just knocked the air out of me. Tank? Suicidal? Dios
"Mr. Manoso...Mr Manoso? Are you okay?" Steph questions and pulls a chair close and sits down next to me. "Breathe in...Breathe out...just deep breaths."
I have said the same thing to new Army recruits, more often than not on their first mission. But I seem to forgotten it, as soon as Steph mentioned Tank. I just sit there and listen to her sweet, calming voice and do as I am told. A few minutes later, I can breathe normally again and look at her. "Are you sure it's Tank? I mean that person could have just pretended to be him?" I question quietly, knowing the likelihood of that is next to zero.
"He said he was military, he used to be an Army Ranger and he retired with his best friends to start Rangemen. He told me once that he likes cats" She replies and to me that is enough confirmation that she indeed is talking about my best friend.
I have lost enough friends during my time in the Army, but knowing that my best friend is thinking about taking his life makes me sick to my stomach. We don't talk about a lot off shit, because we can communicate without actually having to use our voices, but I would have thought he would come to me if he needed help.
"How did I not know this? How did I not see the signs?" I question out loud.
"Often family and friends don't want to see the signs or the person is just too good at hiding them." Steph explains and rubs her hand up and down my back. This calms my rapidly beating heart only a little. "I think I heard him load a gun in the background today. He told me he couldn't deal with his nightmares anymore and that the world was better off without him."
"We have to get to him now" I say and jump up, but Steph latches onto my hand.
"He is fine...he called the Hotline again and promised to call tomorrow" Steph says and pulls me back into my seat.
"Did you talk to him a lot?" I find myself wanting to know everything about her interaction with Tank.
"Yes...he called a lot in the past four weeks. I just thought you should know. Today he said Goodbye on the phone, he never did that."
"I need to talk to him" I quickly stand again, with the great urge to make sure that he is okay, and grab my keys from my desk. "And you are coming with me" I add and pull her out off her chair. Under different circumstances I would have admired the way her face flushed as I slit my hand into hers, but there are more important matters at hand.
"Slow down, or I will trip over myself" Steph says between breaths, as I am dragging her down the stairs. But instead of slowing down, I simply pick her up and nearly run the rest of the way down to the garage.
I swiftly place her into the passenger seat of my Cayenne, before getting into the driver's seat myself.
"But my car..." Steph remarks and looks back at her POS.
"We will get it later" I simply state, as I speed out of the garage.
10 minutes and a few broken traffic laws later, I pull up at the curb in front of Tank's house. We make our way quietly up the footpath and stop just a couple of meters short of the door.
I don't know if I want to talk to him or if I should simply beat his ass for not talking to me sooner. The latter option doesn't seem that appropriate, but I am not good at talking. Neither one of us really is. You can take the man out of the Army, but you can't take the Army out of the man.
"You don't know what you are going to say when he opens that door" Steph points out the obvious and for a second I am wondering why the hell she can read me this well. I have had years to perfect my blank face and this cute, curly haired New Jersey Girl, seems to be able to read me like an open book.
"How would you do it?" I find myself asking, as I turn to face her.
"I would talk to him. Tell him that I am going to be there for him and that we can get through this together." Steph replies. "He won't need an elaborate speech... I got the feeling, that he just felt left alone with his problems. He can't tell a civilian or just any psychiatrist about his problems, since he has done classified stuff. But he can talk to you about it...I assume you lived through the same hell as him. You can rely on each other."
Without confirming or denying her last remark, I walk over to the door and press the bell. As no lights turn on and I can't hear any movement in the house, I ring the bell again and again. Nothing.
I pull my keys out of my pocket, find the right key and quickly let myself into the house. A bad feeling has settled into the pit of my stomach and I am getting more worried, every second that ticks by and there is no sign of life in this house.
I pull my gun from where I had tugged it into the back of my pants and start clearing the ground floor. Suddenly I hear a female voice scream and quickly make my way to where the scream came from, only to find Tank in the kitchen with a gun pointed at Steph's head. Inwardly I curse myself, for not telling her to wait outside, while I cleared the house.
"Tank...lower your gun" I say calmly and tug my gun back into the back of my pants. "She is a friendly..." But as Tank doesn't comply, let alone acknowledges my presence, I add in my Commanding Officer Voice "LOWER YOUR GUN, SOLDIER!"
Tank snaps out of it and after looking at me confused, he places the gun on the kitchen counter. "Who is she and why are you in my house?"
"This is Stephanie Plum" I inform him and his eyes grow wide in recognition of that name.
"Those lines are supposed to be anonymous!" He growls and moves into his living room, with me and Steph hot on his tail.
"You said Goodbye" Steph simply states.
"So what?" My best friend questions angrily. "Many people say Goodbye, when they hang up the phone."
"You don't." She points out and I nod in agreement. At Rangemen, we keep phone calls and conversations as short as possible. Saying Goodbye costs us precious seconds, in which we could do more important stuff. "And since you said, that you hadn't had a Doughnut in a while, I thought I bring you some." She adds with a smile and pulls out a carton from Tasty Pastry, from her handbag.
"You are an insane woman" Tank mutters and walks back to the kitchen. "I will get the coffee, since I assume that I won't be getting rid of you or him for a while."
Just then I remember his gun on the kitchen counter, quickly signal to Steph to stay where she is, before I follow my friend.
"I wasn't going to off myself with you here" He grumbles and I quickly grab his gun from the counter.
"Why didn't you come to talk to us?" I question and try not to sound accusingly.
"You all had your own shit to deal with." Tank simply replies. To me he doesn't look like someone who wants to take his life, but then again, Tank was trained by the best to school is demeanour and facial expressions. God knows what's hiding behind those walls, he has erected.
"We went through the same shit. We saw the same things..." I swallow hard, before I switch to Spanish, so Steph won't understand what we talk about "I have nightmares too...I work myself into exhaustion every day, so that I can get some sleep. But sometimes even that doesn't work. You need help...we all do."
"I can't un-see it. Those women and children are dead, because of us." Tank barks back and sinks down onto the floor.
"We didn't have a choice. They had guns and they were protecting Omar" I tell him and come to sit next to him on the ground. "It was us or them."
"I know and yet it haunts me. We killed them all" My best friend shakes his head and stares into nothingness.
"We had orders. We got rid of Omar. Other children and women in that Area are better off now" I try to reason, but it doesn't erase the images from my head or Tank's. "Killing yourself is not a way out...we need to stick together and we need to get help."
Tank only nods and we stay silent for a while, before we both get up from the floor. "You are going to stay with me for a while" I tell him in a stern voice, letting him know I won't accept an argument. "I don't want you checking out on me. And you are on desk duty until further notice. I will get Hec to revoke your access to the gun safe, so you won't get any stupid ideas."
"Copy that" He nods, as if he knows that he doesn't have a say in this matter, and grabs three mugs out of the cabinet. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it" I reply and once he poured the coffee, we make our way back into the living room, where we find Steph fast asleep on the couch.
"She just showed up at Rangemen..." I inform Tank and sit down in the bean bag, which Tank has lying on the ground, close to the TV and Tank sits in the other one. He bought those bean bags for his nephews, when they come around to play Playstation. "...and demanded to see me." I add and look at Steph.
"She has some Balls...You didn't send her away?" Tank questions with a raised eyebrow.
"Well she snatched the phone from Cal and told me that it is a matter of life and death... Something in her tone made me believe her" I tell him with a small smile.
"As in Cal with the flaming skull tattoo?" Tank questions amused.
"As far as I know we don't have another one working for us, so yeah the one and the same" I say and shake my head. "I am going to ask him tomorrow how she did it."
"His wife comes in and shops at my store. He loves the lingerie she brings home, so I promised him a huge Christmas basket full of new stuff, if he'd let me use the phone" Steph mumbles from her spot on the couch and opens her eyes. Just now I realize how blue they are.
First Tank only chuckles, but then his booming laugh fills the room, which makes me smile too. It's been a long time since I heard him laugh. But then again we didn't have a lot to laugh about lately.
Steph just smiles sleepily, closes her eyes and turns her back towards us. I quickly get up and cover her with a blanket, which was lying on the one seater. "Thank you" She whispers and is instantly back asleep.
Tank is wiping his eyes, as I sit back down. "I needed that"
"Laughter has been rare lately" I point out.
"Yes it has." Tank nods and looks out the windows. It hasn't stopped snowing and I predict that traffic will be a nightmare tomorrow morning. "You remember that mission in Russia?"
"Yeah" I nod.
"To date, that is my favourite Mission. No one got hurt and it was almost like a boys weekend, except for the fact that we were in minus 40 degree weather, drinking hot tea instead beer in plus 40 degree weather in Vegas" Tank shudders, which makes me chuckle. He hates the cold, which makes it odd that that specific mission is his favourite.
"I am glad we had packed enough rations, otherwise Les would have started chewing on his own flesh...or on one of us." I state and take a sip of my, now cold, coffee.
"I am glad we made him shovel through that mountain of snow" Tanks grins.
"Me too" I agree and think back. I think I have to agree with him. That mission is my favourite too. We got stuck in that cabin, and Uncle Sam got another team in to do the dirty work. We didn't even get an extraction team, so we had to hike all the way to the Sea of Japan, where we caught a boat over to Tokyo.
We made Les shovel the snow, because after day three he needed an outlet. My cousin is a little hyperactive and he was driving the rest of us crazy.
Tank and I stay up all night drinking coffee and talking. We haven't done something like this, since our Army Basic Training Days, where we drank alcohol not coffee. How the times have changed!
It may not be all good, but maybe our talk tonight helped a little and he knows that he isn't alone in this.
Steph's POV
The next morning, Ric, that's how he said I should call him, drives us all back to Rangemen. Whereas I think the term 'morning' is an overstatement. It is 6 am and both men have already been for a run. They asked me if I wanted to join, but I politely declined. Running was never my strong suit and I rather enjoyed another hour on Tank's heavenly couch, than morning exercising, with two men, who are clearly in top shape.
As Ric and Tank came back, they both took off their shirts and I fell off the couch starring at them. If they noticed, they thankfully didn't acknowledge it.
The way Tank carried himself this morning, showed me that I did the right thing, by telling Ric what his friend is going through. It seems like someone has lifted the weight of his shoulders.
Suddenly the car door opens and Ric smiles at me. "We are here" He simply states and helps me out of the SUV.
"Thanks" I mumble and step away from the car and towards Tank. "I want to apologize again. I know it was not my place to tell him, but you needed help and I didn't want you doing something stupid."
"It's okay little girl" Tank replies and surprises me, by giving me a hug. It takes me a few seconds to realize what is happening, before I put my arms around him as well. "Thank you."
"You are welcome" I assure him and smile as he releases me. "Take care of yourself. If you need someone to talk to, call this number" I add and hand him my business card.
"Will do" Tank nods and walks towards the elevator, leaving Ric and me alone.
"You know... not everybody would have done, what you did...in pyjamas" Ric remarks and steps a little closer, with a small smirk playing on his lips. I have to swallow hard and try not to breathe in too deep. Whichever aftershave he is using, makes me want to climb him and ride him like a pony.
"Sorry...wait...what did you just say? Pyjamas?" I nearly shout in shock, as I realize what he just said. I look down on myself and discover that I am indeed wearing pyjamas. Before I can stop myself, I slap my forehead and shake my head. "I swear these things only happen to me..." I say with a dry laugh. How did I not notice my pants, as I looked at myself in Tanks hallway mirror this morning? Sometimes I am as blind as a mole. God, Ric must think I am a lunatic.
"I don't think you are a lunatic" He informs me with a small smile and steps even closer. "I think it's cute...wonder woman." Is he flirting with me?
"Do you want to get a drink with me tonight?" I blurt out, before I can stop myself. He instantly takes a step back and slides his blank face in place.
"No, thank you." He replies and I can feel my face heat up. I am sure I am red like a tomato. Way to embarrass yourself, Steph! He probably has a wife or a girlfriend waiting for him at home.
"Oh...ok...well, I gotta get going. My friend must be wondering where I am... It was nice to meet you" I say and hold out my hand. He shakes it and I quickly retreat to my car.
As I get home, I sit in my car for a few minutes, banging my head against the steering wheel. How could I have misjudged that situation so badly?
Ranger's POV
Four weeks later
"Alright I will see you later, little Girl" Tank says as he walks into my office and hangs up the phone. Lester, Bobby, Tank and I have all been seeing a Therapist and it's been worth it. We all are able to sleep a hell ova lot better these days.
We have agreed with the Therapist, that Tank is not allowed near any guns, until she gives the OK. Hector has locked him out of everything and we took his gun license, just to be sure. My best friend is still staying with me on seven and having a roommate has actually been great, until my annoying cousin Lester moved himself in as well, followed by Bobby. Now most nights we watch Movies and play poker.
"How is Steph?" I question and as he sits down in chair in front of my desk.
"Why don't you call her and ask her yourself?" Tank replies with his standard answer, for every time I ask. "I still do not understand why you told her 'No'."
"You know as well as I do..." I start, but Tank interrupts me.
"Yeah...Yeah...Yeah... I have heard your excuses for the last few weeks. But you are an idiot, you know" Tank is the only one who could get away with calling me that and he knows it. "'My life does not lend itself to relationships' and 'No one needs a broken man' are not valid excuses. Just so you know, she speaks Spanish." And with that, he grabs the files he needs of my desk and disappears.
Momentarily I do not understand what he meant by that statement, until I remember that we switched to Spanish, so that she won't understand anything, as we were at his house. But if she speaks Spanish, she would know that I am just as broken as Tank and yet she still asked me out.
Steph's POV
A couple of days later
The door bell rings, just as I am slipping out of my high heels with a sigh. I have been trying to wear these shoes in for the better part of the last two weeks, but they have yet to get more comfortable, than the first day I wore them.
I open the door barefoot and the only thing I see is a bunch of different coloured roses. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, you can" The man, replies and lowers the flowers, so that I am able to see his face. I thought I recognised that voice. Ric is standing in front of me with a small smile playing on his lips. "You can do me the honour and be my date to the Rangemen Thanksgiving Party this Friday."
For a second I think that he is joking, since he said 'No' to that drink four weeks ago, but his facial expression tells me that he is serious. I honestly do not know what to say, so I turn around and walk towards the kitchen.
I hear the front door close and heavy boots make their way down the hall way. "It was pointed out to me, that I was an Idiot to say 'No" to you."
"Ah Yeah?" I raise an eyebrow and turn to grab a bottle of white wine out of the fridge and two glasses out of the cupboard.
"Yes. My pain in the ass best friend informed me that my excuses for not going out with you are invalid. And he is right...don't tell him I said that, or I will never hear the end of it" Ric replies and places the flowers on top of the counter, before going through my cupboard on the hunt for a Vase.
"Under the sink" I tell him and he grabs the only vase Lula and I own. "So...you want me to be your date?"
"Yes..." He nods, puts the flowers into the vase.
"But what about you wife or girlfriend or whatever?" I ask and look at him.
"I don't have a wife or a girlfriend or a whatever" He replies and I can tell that he is telling the truth.
"And what excuses did you say you had, for not going out with me?" I probe further, needing to know.
"1) my life does not lent itself to relationships. This is true by the way... I have a list of enemies, which would gladly hurt the people around me, to get to me or even kill me themselves. And 2) No one needs a broken man." He concludes and leans against the kitchen counter.
"You are not broken" I inform him.
"Really? That is the only statement you have a problem with? What about my enemies?" Ric questions, as if he is frustrated by me.
"You are in the Security Business, you would know how to protect me, so yes the only statement I have a problem with is, that you call yourself a broken man" I retort. "Because you are not. Tank and you are so much alike. He called himself broken too...You are both Idiots." I tell him and shoot him a glare, willing him to see it my way.
"You are not broken, just human. And it is a perfectly normal response to have nightmares and PTSD, after that shit you have seen." I add and take a deep breath. "So anymore excuses, why you cannot have a drink with me?"
"No, I am out of excuses" He replies and just stares at me. "You are something else."
"I am hoping that is something good" I mumble.
"Definitely" He says and slides a sleek black envelope, which I didn't realise, he was holding towards me. "You don't have to decide now." Ric tells me, places a kiss onto my left cheek and without uttering another word he leaves my house.
I quickly poor myself a generous glass of wine and drown it in one go.
"White Girl...who was that?" Lula shouts and seconds later appears in the kitchen. "He is sex on legs...Uhhhh are these from him?"
"That was Ric and he wants me to be his date to Rangemen's Thanksgiving Party" I inform her as I pour myself another glass of wine, not needing to tell her who Ric is, because I told her all about my embarrassing attempt to ask him out.
"So we have to go shopping?" She asks and a grin of excitement spreads on my best friends face.
Ranger's POV
Friday
This is the first time we are having a Rangemen Thanksgiving Party. It seemed fitting as we have a lot to be grateful for this year and a lot of my men don't have any Family left, do not talk to their families or are single. So the Core Team decided to host a Thanksgiving Party, for all of our employees. A few of them are bringing their girlfriends or wives as well.
Ella, my aunt and Rangemen Trenton housekeeper, organized it all and today more than ever I am grateful that we are able to open the walls of all our Conference Rooms, to turn them into one big room. We are going to be at least 80 people and the only other room the building to be able to take these many people is the garage.
"Tia Ella outdid herself once again" My cousin Lester remarks as we are standing next to each other, surveying the room. Les is wearing a ridiculous jumper with a fat Turkey on the front. We have agreed to keep the dress code casual, knowing how my employees hate having to wear a suit.
"We don't pay her enough" I tell him and take a sip from the water I am holding.
"You know she won't accept more money. She already thinks what we are paying her and Tio Louis is way too much." Les points out.
"I know...but I figured a way around that" I grin and take an envelope out of my cargo pants pocket.
"Nice" Les comments, after he inspected the contents of the envelope. "A Cruise to Cuba... The Family will be happy to see them."
"I figured." I reply and greet a few employees as they walk into the room, with a nod. I have not heard anything from Steph and Tank won't tell me if she is coming or not, that's why I am standing right at the entrance like someone in High School, who is anxiously waiting for his Date to arrive.
"So that is Stephanie Plum" Les says and I quickly turn around. "If you don't want her... I take her."
"Matts 0500" I growl and make my way over to where Steph is looking a little lost.
"Hi" She says shyly as I approach.
"You came!" I state the most obvious and can't help the smile spreading across my face.
"I did." She nods.
"You look beautiful" I tell her and place a kiss on her cheek. Steph is wearing black, tight jeans; black flat shoes and a brown jumper. The Jumper says 'I have been Training for this all year' and has a Turkey on the front. "I like your jumper."
"Your invitation did say wear a Thanksgiving Jumper." She points out and suspiciously eyes my black, combat outfit. "This apparently does not apply to you."
"I have not had time to change. We took a criminal back to jail this morning." I explain and wave Les over to us. "Steph this is my cousin Lester, Lester this is Steph. Play nice while I get changed" I shoot a pointed look at Lester, before turning around and leaving the conference room.
Steph's POV
The Party is great and the food was amazing. I want, whoever cooked this meal to adopt me, as this Turkey was better than my mothers, who by the way was not happy that I would not be spending Thanksgiving with them.
I have been talking to Tank every Week and he told me, that they all were seeing a therapist. If you look at Tank now, you would not think that only four weeks ago, he was thinking of taking his life. And looking at Tank and Ric as an outsider, I can see that this has brought them even closer together.
"That was delicious" I say and lean back in my chair. Ric turns his head and looks at me with a smile; a smile that makes the butterflies go crazy in my stomach. The whole time during Lunch he managed to touch me innocently in some way, as he was passing the bread rolls or pouring me wine.
I wasn't even sure if I should come, but Lula told me I had to go. She also pointed out that it had been way too long, since I had a social Orgasm.
After Lunch, we all pile out of the building and wander to the empty lot next door. Someone brought a football and soon insults are being thrown around, bets are being made and the few women, who attended the Lunch, cheer their men on.
In the end Ric's Team wins, but not without serious complaining by the loosing Team, which claims Ric's Team cheated. "What do you think, did we cheat?" Ric comes closer, with a big grin on his face and mutt all over his clothes, followed by Lester and Hector, who I found out, may be scary looking, but actually has a great sense of humour.
"Steph...you clearly saw that...the ball was not over the line" Lester complains and throws his cousin a dirty look.
"Well..." I start and a smile spreads over my face, as I look at Ric.
"Don't say anything wrong, woman" He mockingly threatens. His eyes are playful and a wolfish grin spreads on his face.
"Oh...well...I think Lester is..." I can't even finish that sentence, before Ric stalks closer and I back up a little. Soon enough I run screaming like a little girl, with Ric hot on my heels. I know that he would have no trouble to catch me on no time, but he lets me slip through his fingers a couple of time, before softly tackling me to the ground.
"So, you were saying that Lester is in the wrong?" Ric's face is only inches away from me and I can barely think straight.
"Maybe" I answer and glance at his lips and then back into his eyes, which have turned black of desire. He brings one hand up to cradle my face and seconds later his lips crash down onto mine.
As the need for air becomes too much, he pulls away and I am having a hard time getting my heart rate back under control. "Want to change that into a yes?" He asks quietly and runs a finger over my lips. He seems as affected by that kiss as I am.
I can only manage to nod and receive a smile in return. "Good" He places another small kiss onto my lips and then pulls both of us from the ground. "Hey Santos, she just agreed, that you were in the wrong...which means we won" Ric shouts across the yard and draws me into his side.
"Yeah, because you and your tongue convinced her of that" Lester shouts back and I bury my head into Ric's side of embarrassment.
"Santos" Tank, Bobby and Ric growl at the same time and Tank smacks him across the head.
"Kids" Ric shakes his head, making me laugh.
So, what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Leave a comment?