A/N: Thanks to PhillyGirl27 for her invaluable advice and corrections!
Chapter 3
The following morning, Stephanie was inspecting the contents of her new refrigerator when a light rapping noise sounded at her door. She opened the door to find a petite Hispanic woman standing there with a wicker basket looped over her arm. The basket contained a dazzling array of fresh cut flowers.
"Good morning, Stephanie, I'm Ella. I'm in charge of domestic affairs at RangeMan."
"Domestic affairs?" Stephanie questioned.
"Oh, it's just a fancy way of saying I take care of the grocery shopping, laundry and occasional cooking," Ella smiled. "May I come in?"
"Absolutely." Stephanie stepped aside and Ella set the flower basket on the counter.
"I believe there should be a vase in one of the upper cabinets if you wouldn't mind looking for me," Ella asked. Stephanie easily found the container and handed it to Ella who quickly and efficiently arranged the flowers in a stunning display.
"Do all of the apartments get fresh flowers?"
"Oh, no, these are especially for you. It's not every day we have a celebrity staying with us."
Stephanie blushed and pushed a curl behind her ear. "Thanks, but I'm pretty much a regular person."
"Well, I think you're pretty special," Ella replied.
"Thank you. You're very kind. Would you like to sit down?"
"No, I'm just here to make sure you have everything you need. I know you have a specific diet you adhere to for your training so I made sure I stocked those items for you."
"Well, I'm not back to training just yet, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Ella turned to leave, "if you need anything else, please call me. I'm extension 625 on your RangeMan phone."
"Thank you again, Ella. It was a pleasure to meet you."
"It was a pleasure to meet you as well, dear."
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After Ella left, Hal came to take Stephanie down to the medical level on the 3rd floor. She had met Hal the previous day and he was her official RangeMan guide.
Stephanie was anxious. While she could keep the pain in her ribs somewhat at bay with ibuprofen, her breathing was worrisome. It took a lot of breath work to swim and at this point she couldn't take any deep breaths without hurting. Hopefully Bobby would be able to help her.
Stepping off the elevator, Stephanie was met by a handsome black man in a lab coat. She wondered if he had to have his medical attire specially made to accommodate his biceps. They were huge!
"Good morning, Stephanie, I'm Bobby Brown."
Stephanie took his outstretched hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you."
"Since this is our first meeting, I thought I would do a quick physical and then we can discuss your treatment and therapy."
"Sounds great," Stephanie replied.
Bobby led Stephanie into an exam room where she changed into a gown. He took her vitals and carefully checked her bruising and ribs.
"Well, your bruises are healing nicely, but I know that's not your main obstacle to getting back in the pool. Unfortunately, it will take time for your ribs to heal and your breathing to improve."
"I'm having trouble because I can only take shallow breaths and coughing is a killer."
"I know it's difficult, but it's important you try to breathe normally to help clear mucus from your lungs and prevent a chest infection. If you need to cough, hold a pillow against your chest. I also want you to take rest periods."
Stephanie frowned. "It's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but it doesn't surprise me."
"Your body has suffered a trauma and needs time to heal. You can keep mobile between rest periods, but I don't want you to overdo it. Walking around and moving your shoulders occasionally will help. You can even do that in the pool." Stephanie brightened at the idea.
Bobby then went over some breathing exercises before he excused himself from the exam room. Stephanie emerged a few minutes later.
"I know this is a difficult time for you, Stephanie, but I promise I will be with you every step of the way."
"Thanks, Bobby, I really appreciate the support."
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After taking Stephanie back to her apartment, Bobby went up to the 5th floor to see Ranger. Although his door was closed, he knocked and waited for a response. Surprisingly, Lester opened the door. He walked in to find Tank sitting in one of the visitor chairs.
"Having a party without me?" Bobby joked.
"Do you have a report on Stephanie?" Ranger asked.
"Yeah, did you get to see her naked?" Lester waggled his eyebrows. Tank stood and smacked Lester in the back of the head.
"What the hell?" Lester complained. "Like you guys haven't thought of that too."
"Santos," Ranger barked, "keep it up and I'll forget we're cousins and kick your ass."
"Jeez, I'm leaving," Lester stated while rubbing his head. "I've got a client in 30 minutes anyway."
After he left, Bobby gave Ranger the rundown of how Stephanie was doing. "She's amazing boss; one of the most dedicated athletes I've ever met. I have no doubt in my mind that she'll bring home the gold. And she's very easy on the eyes. I thought she was good looking in pictures, but it's nothing compared to the real deal."
Ranger was having a hard time listening to his cousin, and now his chief medical officer talking about Stephanie. He was trying to remain professional even though he found himself attracted to the blue eyed beauty. He found her athletic prowess, kind spirit and good looks to be a triple threat. He only hoped he could get through this assignment without doing something stupid.
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Later that same day, Hal escorted Coach Johnson to Stephanie's apartment.
"I'll be just outside if you need me, Ms. Plum," Hal said.
"Thanks, I appreciate your help," Stephanie responded.
Coach Johnson swaggered in. "Wow! Nice digs, Plum. Maybe I should get a stalker so I can stay here too."
"That's not funny, Coach. In fact it's terrifying to think that someone would want to put me out of commission. "
"Take it easy, it was just a joke." He made himself comfortable on the couch. "Tell me about the rock star therapist you've got."
"Bobby's great! I had my first meeting with him today and he gave me a lot of advice and some breathing exercises. I can even do them in the pool."
"Speaking of the pool, how soon before you can start training again?"
"It's going to be at least a couple more weeks."
"You better not get lazy on me, Plum. We've both got a lot riding on your success."
"I thought you were here to see how I'm doing, not badger me."
"You know what," he said rising from his position on the couch, "I thought you would be glad to see that I haven't given up on you. It's nice to know you haven't lost your attitude," he sneered.
Stephanie walked over and opened the door to her apartment. "Hal, Coach Johnson is leaving now."
On his way out the door, Coach Johnson stopped in front of Stephanie. "Just remember, I made you into what you are today. There's plenty of talent to take your place, you know."
"Thanks for the reminder. I'll make sure I remember to curtsey the next time I see you." And with that she shut the door in his face.
