Lester the Matchmaker
Chapter 2 - Lester's POV
The next morning, after my morning work-out, I drove over to Stephanie's apartment building and parked out of sight, waiting for her to leave for the day. She's not an early riser, but by 8:30 a.m., I saw her walk out of the building and climb into her car. I knew she'd head to the Tasty Pastry and then to the bonds office to see if Connie had any skips for her.
Once her car was out of sight, I picked her thirty-nine cent lock and let myself in. In her bedroom, I easily found the bottle of her favorite perfume on her dresser. I took the empty little vial from my pocket and sprayed a good amount of the perfume into the vial and secured the plug. Then I made sure I left everything exactly the way I found it.
I washed my hands really well in her bathroom to make sure I got the smell of her perfume off my hands, then stopped in the kitchen on my way out and said a quick hello and good-bye to Rex.
The guys back at Rangeman have a skip to pick up tonight so I'm pretty sure Tank is going to ask me to pick up Ranger at the airstrip. I'm going to happily accept. If it looks like he's going to ask someone else, I'll volunteer, but I really want it to be his idea.
Back at Rangeman, I put the little vial of perfume in my desk drawer so it wouldn't accidentally get broken before I need it. I spent two hours doing searches and another two hours on the monitors. Finally, it was lunch time so I went to the break room and grabbed a turkey sandwich, muffin and a bottle of water and took them to my office. I was part way through my sandwich when Tank showed up at my door. I waved him in and he took a seat.
"What's happenin', Tank?"
"Just slumming," he joked.
I gave him a small smile. "Gosh, Tank, you get funnier every decade."
"Whatever. Hey, listen, can you pick Ranger up tonight at the airstrip? I'm going with Ram, Cal and Hector on a take-down, but we're not sure exactly what time the asshole is going to show up tonight."
"By asshole, are you talking about the skip or Ranger?"
Tank narrowed his eyes, but not before I saw him school his face to keep from laughing. "The skip."
"No problem," I told him. "What time is Ranger's flight arriving?"
"Around 9 p.m."
"I've got it covered. Anything else?"
"Yeah," Tank said, turning his head to the left and then right. "Has Stephanie been here today? I swear I smell her perfume."
"Must be wishful thinking," I told him. "I haven't seen Beautiful since Monday."
"Hunh." Tank rose from his chair. "Okay, catch you later man. I'm going to get some lunch, then meet with the take-down team."
XXX
Ranger's POV
The reviews and the pep talk in Boston went well. Better than I expected, actually. The guys were all receptive to my suggestions on some improvements I wanted made and I talked to them about ways to successfully increase their apprehension rate, which was good, but lagging a bit behind Miami, Atlanta and Trenton.
All the Boston guys are gathered in the large conference room now, partaking of refreshments. It's a new thing we just started for review day. Reviews are a bit stressful for everyone, so Bobby made the suggestion that I stay for awhile and spend some time bonding with the men in a relaxing atmosphere before heading back to Trenton. Wives and girlfriends are invited. Boston is the first location to have this little event and it was going well.
I was surprised to see how many of the men had either a wife or girlfriend. It looked like almost all of them. I stood next to the core team and watched the interaction, sipping on a glass of apple cider. I was a little disheartened when I recognized I was a bit jealous. They all seemed happy to be paired up. I saw hand holding, a kiss here and there. A gentle hug here, a whisper followed by a knowing smile there. It was heartwarming.
My thoughts turned to Stephanie, of course. I started to wonder to myself why everyone else in the world seemed to be able to let a special person into their life, except me. I wasn't the only person in the world with a dangerous job, that's for sure. Steph already fits in with my men. Well, at least the ones who have met her. I'm sure she would fit in at any of the RangeMan locations. If I had played my cards differently, I may not be standing here alone, watching all my men smile at their significant others.
I thought about what it would be like to have someone to go home to each night. Not just someone, a smart, sexy, blue-eyed, whirlwind of a woman. The only woman in my life who made my heart and mind as happy as she made my dick. Something to think about.
My thoughts were interrupted when Juan spoke to me. "You ready to head to the airport, Ranger?"
Yes. I certainly was. I know I promised myself I wouldn't make a move on Stephanie and that I'd wait for her to come to me, but that didn't mean I couldn't give her a little encouragement followed up with positive reenforcement, right? "Yes, my bag is by the elevator, let's go," I told Juan.
Stephanie's POV
It was a long day and I was tired. Lula and I brought in three skips, but it took us all day. Still, it turned out to be a nice payday and I didn't get covered in anything yuckie. I went straight from dropping Lula off at her Firebird to my parents' house for dinner. I'd promised my mom earlier in the week and I didn't want to hear the nagging that would undoubtedly begin if I backed out.
Dinner went smoothly. It suddenly occurred to me that my mother must not know I broke up with Joe. How could she? This time, we didn't break up in a public place and there was no loud fight in his house or driveway. The only ones who knew what happened besides me were Joe and Terry and they weren't likely to feed the Burg grapevine their own dirty laundry.
I really wanted to go home so I could shower and go to bed, but I let Grandma Mazur talk me into driving her to a viewing. It was either that or she was going to try to roller skate all the way there and back. I figured I'd better do what I could to keep her from breaking an ankle or hip, so I agreed.
It was 8:30 by the time I dropped Grandma back at home and 8:40 by the time I pulled into my apartment complex. I don't check my mail very often when I'm behind on my bills. I mean, why do that to myself? I'm caught up on everything right now, though, so I stopped at the little box and opened it with my key. I grabbed the mail and stuffed it into my bag, then took the elevator to the second floor.
I greeted Rex first thing when I got into my apartment. I dumped the mail out onto the counter, then filled Rex's dish with hamster crunchies and gave him a couple raisins.
I sorted through the mail, tossing the advertisements into the trash except for the ad from Macy's. Sweet, it had a ten percent off coupon printed on the back.
My heart skipped a beat when I came across a red envelope. It was from Ranger. It didn't say it was from Ranger, but it had RangeMan's return address and was written in Ranger's elegant handwriting. The envelope felt very light as though he'd forgotten to put the card or letter inside.
I carefully tore it open and at first I thought it was empty. Then I pulled the edges apart and peered inside and saw a small piece of paper. My heart skipped another beat or four or five when I read it. There were only three words: I need you.
Ranger needed me? What? Batman needed me? No way. Neither of them needed anyone, did they? I looked up from the note and caught Rex's eye. "You think it could be from Carlos instead of Ranger or Batman?"
Rex looked at me like I was loony for talking about a person as though he were three different people, but I knew what I meant.
I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and carried it to the couch with the note. I read it seventeen more times. Good thing it was a short note.
What could I possibly have that Ranger could need? He has everything he needs and wants and there's hardly anything he couldn't afford if he wanted it.
If he needed me for a distraction, he'd stop by. If he needed someone to do searches at the office, he'd just call. If he needed … wait … he said he needs me, not that he needs me to do something for him.
My brain went into overdrive. Could this really be his way of telling me that he needs me in his life? Maybe. I mean, it makes sense. It's as hard for him to talk about his feelings as it is for me. And three words was not exactly a short sentence for Ranger. He communicates with me mostly through his eyes, his lips and the word Babe with various speech inflections. He lets me know how he feels by protecting me, giving me cars, letting me work when I need money, making out with me in the alley by the bonds office, and feeding me Ella's chocolate cake when I've had a bad day.
My thoughts went back to the day before when I told myself if he gave me any kind of hint that he wanted me in his life, I'd take him up on it. That I'd bite the bullet, take a leap of faith and go for it. Now that the moment had arrived, I was scared shitless. I couldn't read the note any longer because my hands were shaking. My stomach was quivering, a little from fear and a lot from excitement.
Part of me realizes that I've been in love with Ranger for a long time. For years I was afraid to admit it. It hurts to love someone and not have them love you in return so I did everything I could not to think too much about it. I even kept going back to Joe. At least with Joe, I knew where I stood. But now, Joe is history. I'll never forgive him for cheating with Terry. It's probably not the first time he's cheated, but now that I've caught him outright, I'll never go back to him.
So, that leaves my heart and future open for Ranger, and this note could mean he wants me in his life as much as I want him. Am I going to go for it? Do I have the guts to try? This note is practically an engraved invitation. I'd be crazy to pass up this opportunity to be with him. He's perfect in almost every way.
Kind, generous, brave, adventurous, heroic, gentle (with me, anyway), a great kisser and amazing in bed. He doesn't care that I don't cook or clean. He loves my crazy hair and my blue eyes. He thinks I'm sexy and gorgeous. Holy shit! I'd be a fool not to take this chance.
It may have been a long day, but suddenly I have an abundance of energy. I know he was in Boston today, but when I saw Vince at the bonds office earlier, he said Ranger would be back tonight. I headed for the shower. I was going to get myself all fabulous looking and go claim my man.
Ranger's POV
Tank called and told me he was going to send Lester to pick me up at the airstrip. Normally, I never let any of the men drive my Porsche, but I'd lost a hand of poker to Lester recently and the bet was that I would let him drive the Porsche, but just one time. I told Tank to tell him that he could drive the Porsche to pick me up.
Lester was waiting for me when we landed and I tossed my overnight bag in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. The first thing I noticed was the smell of my Babe's perfume.
"Was Stephanie in the car today?" I asked Lester.
"Hello to you too, Rangeman. No, I believe Steph and Lula were out picking up skips all day. No one was in this car until I got in it to come pick you up. Why?"
"No reason," I lied. I wasn't about to tell Lester I could smell Stephanie's perfume even when she wasn't around.
I buckled my seatbelt and Lester took off, heading for the Interstate. I turned my head from side to side. The scent was really strong. How weird. It couldn't still be lingering from the last time she was in the car. That was probably close to three weeks ago and the car had been detailed since then.
"You okay, boss?" Lester asked.
I glanced over at my cousin. "Yes. I guess I just … "
"You what?"
"Nothing. Any word from Tank on the take-down tonight?"
"Not yet."
"Did you get the search results for Vandervine and start on a take-down plan?"
"Yep. He's a regular at The Freeze Club. Goes every Friday night and most Wednesday nights. I made a couple calls. He drinks three beers with three shots of Southern Comfort, then leaves by himself. We won't even need Beautiful for a distraction."
"Good. I'd like to see her get out of the distraction business. Speaking of Stephanie, are you sure she wasn't in the car today?" I asked as I leaned forward and reached under the edge of the seat, then felt around the side between the seat and the door. There had to be something in this car with Stephanie's perfume on it.
"I was in the office all day, I'm pretty sure I would have known it if Steph stopped by and took the keys to the Porsche."
I finally sat up and leaned my head against the headrest, closing my eyes.
The smell of Stephanie's perfume is making me fantasize about her. Not that I don't fantasize about her at other times, but there was something intoxicating about being able to smell her perfume this strongly and yet not have her within reach. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and tried not to think about the hard-on pressing against my zipper. I really needed to adjust my pants, but Lester was just a couple feet away from me. Damn.
I was so relieved and happy when we finally pulled into the RangeMan garage. As soon as Lester turned off the car and handed me the key, I grabbed my bag from the back and headed for the elevator. As soon as I stepped in and the doors started to close, I got another whiff of Stephani's perfume. When I got off on the fifth floor, I walked over the Hal in the control room. "Hal, do you know if Stephanie was here at all today?"
"No, I don't think so," he said. "Unless it was this morning, but I think one of the guys would have mentioned it if she stopped by."
"Right. Thanks," I said as I turned and headed to my office. I unlocked the door and walked in and holy hell if it didn't hit me again. I was either going crazy or I was definitely smelling Stephanie's perfume in my office. I shook my head, adjusted my pants and decided to call it a night. I walked right back out, locked my office door and headed up to the seventh floor in the Stephanie scented elevator. God, I loved that scent. I was going to have to take a cold shower or ... or something, when I got to my bathroom.
I felt a familiar tingle when I reached the door of my penthouse. I smiled, knowing it meant my Babe was waiting for me inside. I wondered how long she'd been there and how she got past Hal without him knowing. I'd have to check on that tomorrow. I hoped everything was okay. I feel at a loss when she's upset and it breaks my heart when she cries.
I couldn't have been more surprised when I opened the door. The lights were out, but there were lit candles everywhere. My Babe was sitting on the couch in a very short, low cut, little black dress. She was wearing black FMP's, but her legs were crossed and one shoe was dangling from her toes. I hadn't touched her in over a week and yet I was experiencing my second hard-on of the night.
Her soft curls and big blue eyes looked ultra sexy in the candle light. I set down my overnight bag, dropped the keys in the dish by the door and walked straight toward her. "Babe, you look beautiful."
She smiled coyly and patted the spot next to her on the couch. She didn't have to ask twice. I sat down next to her and pulled her onto my lap. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you, Babe. Is everything okay?"
She snuggled close to me and pressed her face to my neck, softly kissing the skin below my ear. A shiver ran through me and I lifted her face so I could kiss her mouth. She didn't answer me, but apparently everything was okay because she was kissing me senseless and several soft moans escaped her sweet mouth as her tongue battled with mine.
As good as it felt, I needed to know why she was here and what this was all about. Reluctantly, I pulled back a little and softly caressed her face. "Babe, why are you here?"
She let out a soft laugh. "Well, if you can't tell why I'm here, I must be doing something wrong."
I chucked and rested my forehead against hers. "Babe, I got that message loud and clear, but I'm surprised to see you here. I have to tell you, if you're just on another break with Morelli, this isn't going to work."
"Morelli and I are finished for good," she huffed. I caught him in bed with Terry Gilman and as far as I'm concerned, they can have each other. I'm done and I'm not even upset about it."
She paused, then put her hand on my face. "Ranger, I know things like feelings are as hard for you to discuss as they are for me, but I think we both know what we want. I think I need you every bit as much as you need me, emotionally. If you're willing, I think we should try being together."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Who was this woman and what had she done with my Babe? She sounded confident, but there was an underlying quiver in her voice. I knew this was really hard for her. She lives in denial land and doesn't do feelings. "Babe, are you sure?"
She flashed me a brilliant smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. You took the first step and that made it easy … well, easier - for me to admit how I feel. I love you, Ranger."
Wait. What was she talking about? I took what first step? "Babe, what … " I let my voice trail off. She was offering herself to me and I couldn't be happier. I didn't want to say the wrong thing.
"Babe what?" she asked, brushing her lips across mine.
"Uh, Babe … what kind of wine would you like? I was just going to pour myself a glass."
"I'll have whatever you're having," she told me. "I'm going to go freshen up a bit while you pour it."
Steph headed for the bathroom and I quickly made my way to the wine rack in the kitchen. I flipped on the light and Steph's purse was sitting on the counter. I saw the red envelope that I'd addressed for Lester sticking out of the top. Suddenly, I knew he was behind this. Normally, I would never, ever snoop in my Babe's purse, but something was going on here and our future together was at stake. I quickly pulled out the envelope and found the note inside.
Fucking Lester! I was going to kill him! He made my Babe think I wrote a note to her telling her I needed her. Holy shit, he way overstepped the line this time.
I quickly stuck the envelope back in Steph's purse and grabbed a bottle of wine, filling two glasses.
Steph was just coming back into the room when I reached the couch with our wine.
I handed her a glass once she was seated comfortably again and took a deep breath. "Babe, there's something I need to tell you."
