Chapter 7
Stephanie met Lula a block down the street and hopped in the car.
She was still shaking with anger, but the minute the two looked at each other, they grinned and high fived each other. They would thank Connie later.
Lula headed her car out of the Burg. By now Ranger would have put out an APB (all points bulletin) to Rangeman to be on the lookout for Lula's firebird and they would be checking out their normal haunts.
Stephanie sat back and relaxed. Her friends had her back. They had bristled at the restrictions that Ranger had put her under. Nobody did that and got away with it.
Lula parked in the back lot of a little restaurant. They had found it one day while they were out looking for a skip.
It was fast and cheap, but better still, it was out of the way and they could talk in peace.
Lula and Stephanie walked into the diner and took a booth at the back. They both ordered a cold drink and perused the menu.
"So, White Girl, other than having that fine ass of a man chasing you, what have you been up to? We never see you very much anymore. I know that it has been a bit slow in the office, but you could come and visit now and then."
Stephanie played with the glass. How do you tell your friends that you are so very broke and cannot even drive to the office unless there is something to pick up? How do you admit to your pals that you are so hungry that you were ready to fight your hamster for his food? How do you tell someone that your bills are piling up and everything can come crashing down around your ears if you even get so much as a parking ticket?
Lula looked at Stephanie. Her facial expressions had never been a mystery. She decided to change the subject.
"I dropped Tankie like a hot rock a month ago. I am sure you heard. He wanted me to change who I am and who I want to be. He insinuated that I should change my wardrobe now that I have a, 'and she made finger quotes in the air', "real" job and am now in the public representing Plum Bail Bonds, not Vinnie's Ho Garden of Love."
Stephanie sat with a furrowed brow. She just could not believe that Tank had done that. Tank was so supportive of her changing her profession. He loved his ladies big and black. He loved the colors she wore and complimented her all the time.
"I can't believe he would say that, Lula. At Rangeman, he may be a man of few words, but when he talks about you, he can't help but show how proud of you his is."
Lula grumbled. "Well, I'mma telling you that he has changed, and not for the better. I cut my losses and I am footloose and fancy free now. I'm looking around, girlfriend, and let me tell you, there's lots of eye candy out there."
The waitress came back and they placed their orders.
Stephanie sat with a furrowed brow. She may be tired, and she may be hungry, but something did not sound right here.
Their meals arrived at that moment and they both dug in.
Stephanie looked sideways at her friend. She seemed different somehow. One minute she was joking and the next she was so very serious. Leaving Tank must have taken a toll on her.
They chatted as they ate, catching up.
Lula was thinking of changing her job. She needed more money than what Vinnie was prepared to pay. She wanted a new car, and more shoes. She had been checking the help wanted ads and was keeping her options open.
Lula pulled out some money to pay for lunch. Stephanie could not help but mentally note that that was the first time she had ever, ever paid for a meal.
Lula noticed her eyeing her wallet "I'm doing some jobs with a friend right now and the pay is really good. Don't worry, it's not my former profession, in case you are wondering."
She glanced at Stephanie gauging her reaction. Stephanie shrugged her shoulders.
Lula had always bounced when it came to life. If she was working a side job she would find out about it eventually. Lula could not keep a secret for long.
They glanced up at the clock, noting that over two hours had elapsed since they had snuck away.
"So, how do you want to do this, Steph?"
Stephanie had been wondering the same thing. As soon as they hit town, she suspected that she would be found. Would they surround the car and drag her out and take her back to Rangeman?
Should she tempt fate and have Lula drop her off at home, where her Grandma was and have to watch as someone from Rangeman risked their manhood to come collect her?
If she headed for her apartment, would they post an around-the-clock guard, making them more short-staffed in the process?
Should she 'man up' and have Lula drive her to Rangeman so she could face the music for the stunt.
She was feeling like a small child who had run away from home but hadn't yet figured out where to go.
Stephanie sighed as she finished her drink.
"I guess you better drop me at Rangeman. I have a feeling I will be explaining my actions soon enough."
While it had been fun, and exciting to get the drop on Ranger, she was mentally preparing herself to feel his wrath. She knew he was trying to keep her safe, but sometimes she just needed to get away and think.
Mentally she shook herself. It had been a dumb thing to take off and she was willing to admit that to Ranger, but at the same time, it was her life. She refused to take all the blame believing that his suffocating rules had driven her to take off.
She tried to justify the whole episode in her mind. She was a grown woman and yet he had not taken the time to sit down with her and discuss it like adults. Instead, he had ordered her to do this, and not to do that. She was not one of his soldiers or employees.
She had come to the conclusion some time ago that she could never work full-time at Rangeman. She would never be able to work under the rules and regulations that made Rangeman Enterprises the best of the best in the way of a well-managed company.
She had been feeling for some time that it was time to cut her losses and maybe move away. Trenton was not holding the same interest anymore.
She was not the greatest bond enforcement agent and the fact that she was probably never going to be given anything larger than the crumbs at the bottom only confirmed that her career path might be forking ahead of her.
Her apartment was coming up for renewal on the lease and the owners had already been in discussion with her about it being turned into a dedicated seniors complex. There was city funding that could be applied for if she moved out. Her neighbors were all lovely people but they were all living on fixed incomes and would appreciate their rents being lowered if that happened.
Last but certainly not least, she had been wondering about her relationship, or in this case, lack of relationship with Ranger.
She had never been, nor ever would be a love-em-and-leave-em kind of girl. She was on the wrong side of thirty now. She felt she needed to figure out something soon.
While she was not planning on being the married with children playing in the backyard kind of girl, she wanted to at least be able to have the opportunity to participate in a stable relationship.
She had been holding the conversation with Lula and pondering her future at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking.
She looked at Lula. She was ready to head back and face the music.
Lula smiled a smug smile. She would help her best friend. No man was going to keep them down for long.
They climbed back into the car and headed back to town, toward Haywood. At the edge of town, they both noticed a black Escape perform a u-turn in the middle of the road and follow them.
They looked at each other and shrugged.
Lula stopped at the front door and Stephanie climbed out. She walked into the main lobby, nodding at Zip who was manning the desk. He nodded back, but did not smile. Hmmmm.
Stephanie went to press the elevator button but the elevator door opened. She walked in and the door closed. The button for seven lit up and the elevator swiftly rose.
The door opened and Stephanie stepped out. The apartment door was open.
She gulped and walked in, placing her purse on the hall table and taking off her shoes, she waited.
Ranger walked out of the kitchen.
A/N- Bonus days – a chapter both Saturday and Sunday. It's March and the start of spring, right? Please?
