Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to say Janet Evanovich is just a brilliant pseudonym, unfortunately I do not own her works. Or Ranger.

Author: BatmansBabe

Summary: Stephanie has quit her job, and she's ready for a real job. When the button factory, Cluck-in-a-Bucket, and the many other "suitable" places her mother would approve of don't work out, Stephanie pulls out the big guns. The Rangeman guns.

Chapter 1-Pantyhose and Charity Cases

I stared at the desk, in all its' enormity. It was wide and expansive, with a large computer system she noticed had games on it. The phone was relatively close to where I sat, and from my spot I could see over the desk, out into the lobby from whence I had come that morning, with Tank's supervision.

The phone rang next to me, and with a soft sigh of contentment, I spun in the soft chair, twisting slightly to the left.

"Rangeman offices, Stephanie speaking."

"Shit. I thought Lula was kidding."

I winced at the familiar voice, and, feeling particularly mature, stuck my tongue out at the phone and crossed my eyes in a burg lady-like way. "Rangeman offices. Can I help you sir?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I can't kid sir. I have a job, sir."

"Stephanie, cut it out."

"I'm trying to be a professional here, and you're ruining the image."

"Professional?"

"Of the secretarial sort. I'm wearing a suit and pumps."

"Panty hose?"

"Are you kidding me? I haven't worn panty hose in years except when I'm conning little old ladies. They're icky. As the only woman in this office, I've taken the liberty of demanding there be no panty hose in the dress code. I have no complaints as of yet, but let me make sure Tank's okay with it before I put it in the rule book."

"So let me get this straight."

"Go on."

"You're sitting behind a Rangeman desk in a short yet sophisticated skirt and pumps and there are no other women present in the building."

I decided to leave Ella Guzman out of the woman category for the sake of it. "It seems you're straightened out."

"Ranger's there?"

"He owns the place."

"And he's seen you. Without the panty hose?"

"He's seen more than that on occasion."

It was silent, and I did some more cringing, trying to gage his reaction over the phone line, knowing it was a hopeless cause.

"What are you implying?"

"What are you inferring I'm implying?"

"Stephanie."

"I'm merely implying that I've done distraction jobs for Rangeman before, and that he's seen more than a little naked ankle before."

Again, he was silent, and I knew he was wondering if it was just the distraction. Or, the distraction for the job. I knew he suspected, there would always be that wondering…did something happen between Ranger and I? I wasn't planning on giving him a straight answer. As I stared at the screen of my computer, the background blank as of yet, I saw the flash of a diamond earring, before creamy mocha skin came into view where the lobby doors were supposed to be.

"Stephanie."

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to cut this conversation short, officer. I have work to do. I'll see what I can do about that situation."

"Stephanie."

"Goodbye. Have a nice day."

I set the phone down, interlaced my hands on the sideboard above me, and looked up.

"Morelli?"

"Wondering if I was wearing panty hose."

He nodded wisely. "Are you?"

"No." He raised his eyebrows at that. "Oh, what, so you're big Mr. Professional, my employees are to be dressed in their Sunday best, panty hose and all?" He just crooked his lips upward. "Well, I'm sorry, but I've taken the liberty to leave panty hose out of the uniform." He said nothing, just kept smiling. "So…I'm wondering what you expect me to do all day here. Tank didn't explain anything beyond a few grunts and pointing and 'sit there, behind the desk, there are games.' I didn't think that was all that was in the job description."

"I'm advancing your prospects while keeping you safe and getting you information on yet another crazy out to get you. You sit and look over paperwork and research and look at spreads and type in numbers."

"Big numbers?"

"Mostly."

"So…how much of this is actually vital to the running of Rangeman?"

He looked at me, the grin on his face widening. "You don't expect me to answer that, do you?"

"So this is a charity case."

Ranger chuckled. "Babe, you are a charity case."

I ignored the jab. "So…show me what mad skills I'm going to learn behind this desk, Professor Higgins."

He came around the other side, pulled my rolling chair back and to the side, and wheeled another chair up next to mine. He clicked an icon on the screen as he sat, and as he waited for it to open, he set a hand on my thigh, his palm skimming across it.

I swatted it away, and the grin widened. "Just checking."