A/N: Last August, Christi issued a "Midsummer Writing Challenge" on BCRU. The goal was to include as many of the following as possible in 1000 words or less: 3 car explosions, a building explosion, a skip apprehension, an exercise scene with Stephanie and at least 1 other person, a chat at the bonds office with Connie, Lula and Stephanie, Ranger and Stephanie in the alley, Stephanie and Joe at Pino's, 1 or more Merry Men sent to the hospital while on Bomber duty, dinner at the Plum household, a viewing at the funeral home with grandma trying to get into the casket, a fight scene with one of the following pairs: Ranger/Morelli, Lula/Grandma Bella, Stephanie/Joyce Barnhardt, Helen Plum/Grandma Bella. Well, I failed the challenge… both in terms of the word count and the deadline. Nevertheless, once I started this fluffy little story, I couldn't seem to stop. I'll post every Tuesday until the story is complete. As always, the characters and many of the plot elements belong to JE. I've just rearranged them a bit.
Huge thanks to Dog in the Manger for her skills as a beta, her unending patience and her friendship. All mistakes are mine.
Connie propped her iPad up on her desk next to a Bluetooth speaker.
"Put the mats over here." She gestured to the space between her desk and the plate glass window that looked out onto Hamilton.
"Damn, we look fine," Lula said as she unrolled her yoga mat and placed it next to mine. "We look like we could be representin' Team USA in the Olympic yoga event."
Over black yoga pants, we were wearing stretchy tanks in different colors. Mine was blue. Connie's was red with white polka dots. Lula's was white… with sequins. Truth be told, maybe Lula's tank didn't stretch quite enough.
"Huh," said Connie. "I don't think yoga is an Olympic event." She looked at Lula like she was just noticing her appearance for the first time that morning. Lula's long hair was done up in little braids that were gathered into a high ponytail. At the end of each braid were beads. Red, white and blue.
"It should be. We could dominate the synchronized yoga event." As Lula talked, the beads clacked together, as if for emphasis.
"Yoga's really not about competition and domination," Connie said patiently. "It's about meditation and aligning the mind and body—"
"I bet I can out-meditate, out-align anybody," Lula interrupted confidently.
"Um, well, OK." Connie must have realized that it was futile to argue with Lula because she turned and touched the power button on the iPad. As she centered her bare feet on her yoga mat, she said, "Let's just get started. This one is called 'Sun Salutation for Beginners' so we should just be able to do what the leader tells us to do. If you get lost, look at the video on the screen."
New Age-y music filled the bonds office and we heard the soothing, electronic voice of the Pocket Yoga instructor.
"Come into downward facing dog. Sink down deep between your shoulder blades and let your tailbone reach toward the sky, as the heels press down towards the earth. Inhaaaale," she intoned a breathy voice. "Bend your knees and look forward. Exhaale.
As I stretched, I felt a familiar, pleasurable tingle along my spine. Holy crap, Connie was right! Yoga was amazing. Usually I only got this feeling when Ranger was close enough to suck me into his Bulgari-scented orbit. Who knows? Maybe if I got good at this, I would experience some of the other sensations that only happened in Ranger's presence. My panties dampened a little at that thought. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, stretching my spine as the disembodied voice from the iPad instructed me to do.
"Babe." The new voice was low and husky. "I need to see you outside."
I opened one eye and instead of looking forward, I stole a glance backward. Ranger was standing at the door to the bonds office. He might have been thinking about smiling but it was hard for me to tell upside down.
Muttering, "Be right back" to Connie and Lula, I struggled to my feet and followed Ranger into to the alley. Suddenly my back was pressed against the bricks. Ranger placed his hands on the alley wall on either side of my head and leaned into me.
"Care to explain?"
"We're doing yoga."
Ranger brushed a gentle kiss across my lips, teasing my bottom lip with his tongue. "In the bonds office? Because…?" His voice trailed off, letting his question hang in the air.
"There's a new yoga instructor at the community center. He's from Oregon and Connie is pretty sure he's The One."
"The One?"
"You know, her soul mate… the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with."
"Connie and a yoga instructor… this is quite a development," Ranger said thoughtfully. Yep, he was smiling. "Is this a case of opposites attract, or do they actually have a lot in common?"
"Um… that's a good question." I answered. "It could be either. She hasn't actually talked to him yet, but once we get good enough to join the class, she's going to. For now, she's just been kind of observing him from afar."
Ranger pulled back a few inches and stared at me in disbelief. "But she's sure he's The One."
"Of course. Don't you believe in love at first sight?"
Ranger sighed. "Not really. Not until today. But when I saw you wiggling your perfect little ass in the air, I think I may have changed my mind."
"You've seen me before. Lots of times. Today wouldn't count as love at first sight," I countered, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. After all, Ranger didn't actually say he loved me.
"I haven't seen you like that before, from behind, you bent over-"
I glared at him. "Besides, I wasn't wiggling my ass. I told you, I was doing yoga. I'm trying to achieve inner bliss."
"Babe." Ranger's eyes darkened. "If you wanted bliss, all you had to do was ask."
Funny, the kiss he gave me seemed to work way better than yoga for aligning my mind and body. Usually, when Ranger was nearby, my body was whispering, "Yes, come closer," while my brain was shouting "No! Danger! Danger!" Now, both mind and body were practically shrieking, "Yes! Live dangerously!"
When we finally broke apart, Ranger said, "Tank and I have to fly to Boston to meet with a client. The timing isn't ideal, but it can't be helped. Lester and Hector are going to be your shadows for the day. Try not to break them before I get home tonight."
I was still a little breathless from the kiss, but I managed to pant out, "What makes you think I want shadows?"
"Not want, Babe. Need." He cupped my chin in his hand
"Last week, you brought in a FTA named Igor Slossberg."
I nodded. Igor had been arrested for vandalizing the Ticket Vending Machine at the Trenton Transit Center and slugging the guard who tried to stop him. It wasn't a particularly memorable apprehension. He liked to drink at Two Pelicans Tavern, down by the docks. After his third beer, he needed to relieve himself. Lula and I had followed him into the men's room and stunned him as he stood in front of the urinal.
"His family isn't so happy that you brought him in. Word on the street is that they are looking for a little payback."
"Igor's father owns the Jewish deli on Tenth. What's he going to do? Refuse to sell me any knishes?" I giggled at my own joke, feeling very brave.
Ranger played with a curl that had escaped my messy ponytail and tucked it behind my ear. "Igor's parents are divorced. After the split, his mother moved home to Brighton Beach. Her brother, Igor's uncle, is a player in the Russian mob."
Little black dots swam in front of my eyes and suddenly, I was feeling more lightheaded than brave. If Ranger hadn't held me up, I think I would have ended up in a heap on the ground.
"Breathe, Babe. I've got you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you." Our bodies were pressed together firmly from chest to groin and Ranger's thumbs ghosted across the exposed skin between the top of my yoga pants and the bottom of tank top. "You just need to lie low today and let Hector and Lester keep you safe. I'll take care of everything else."
I felt his breath on the shell of my ear and the tip of his tongue reached out to flick my earlobe before he pulled back to look me in the eye.
"You just have to promise me one thing. No bliss until I get back, OK?"
oOoOo
I leaned against my current POS car, an '86 Mercury Grand Marquis with a grey-primered quarter panel, facing Lester and Hector.
"So what's our plan for the day, Beautiful?" Lester asked with a smile.
Instead of answering, I fiddled with the zipper on the black RangeMan windbreaker. Ranger had extracted the jacket from the trunk of his car and wrapped it around me before he had headed to the airport. I guess he didn't think my yoga attire was appropriate for a day with Lester and Hector. Well, at least Lester.
"Aww, don't tell me you're going to make us follow you around all day, pretending like we're not trailing you. It'll be more fun if we can just take one car," Lester argued.
I sighed wearily. "I guess you're right." Always having someone after me—and it seemed like it was a different someone every week- was turning out to be exhausting.
"I'll drive," Lester said, sounding relieved.
I glanced at the shiny, black RangeMan Explorer parked down the block and then at my car. Time to get your moxie back, Plum, I told myself. I straightened up and managed an almost smile at Lester. "I don't think so," I told him. "I'll drive. Just let me get my purse from the bonds office."
I was almost to the door when I felt strong arms wrap around me. I was on the ground, a firm body pressed against my back like a shield, a second or two before I heard the sound of the blast. Two minutes ago, I had a Grand Marquis with a rusted out hole in the trunk. Now the Grand Marquis was more hole than car.
"You OK, Estephania?" Hector whispered in my ear.
I couldn't speak, but I managed to nod in assent.
"Don't worry, chica," he whispered in my ear. "I drive."
