A short one, but the next one's ready too! Let me know what you think! - Heather x
Wait a sec…where were my panties? I'd chucked them in a pile with my t-shirt. I searched and searched, but my lace French panties had vanished.
Oh. My. God. Ranger had used my bathroom before me…but he wouldn't…would he?
Chapter 7
The thought of Ranger walking around with my panties in his pocket had me close to hyperventilating, so I tried not to think about it.
Probably he didn't have my panties.
Probably The Panties Fairy took them away to be cleaned.
Probably I'm delusional.
My not-thinking-about-it plan wasn't working so well for me. Maybe I'll go with plan B; I'll just ask Ranger if he stole my panties.
Hmm…maybe I'll give plan A another chance. Ranger might send me to a third world country if I try plan B.
That decided; I headed to the office. I was driving my new black Ford Escape. It wasn't as happy-looking as my old yellow Ford Escape, may it rest in peace, but it was more kick-ass. Maybe Ranger was right about the black thing.
Which got me thinking about Ranger, and therefore my panties, and before I knew it I'd made an accidental detour to the McDonalds drive thru. I ordered an Egg McMuffin and felt much better.
I walked into the office and picked up my pile of files off Connie's desk. I sat on the couch and started reading through them.
Lula sniffed the air, 'Did you buy your skinny ass McDonalds and not get Lula some?'
I met Lula's eyes and saw the instant she went into full Rhino mode.
'I'm a full bodied black woman, I need McDonalds or I'll waste away before your eyes, look at me, I'm wasting right now! I look like a waif! If you were a good friend you'd come with me to McDonalds right now. Look here, I have my purse all ready to go. We can pick up some scumbags on the way back.'
No way was I winning this fight. 'Let's go.' I sighed, resigned. I picked up my files and my bag, and we left. We drove to back to Micky D's, Lula ordered half the menu and I succumbed and ordered fries.
I'm pretty sure I've undone all the good of the run.
Running is stupid anyway.
Our first fta of the day was Elsie Jonason, she was born and raised in the Burg and she was everything a Burg girl was supposed to be.
She married at nineteen, had her first child at twenty, and has been popping them out alternate years ever since.
Five kids down the line and she looks forty-five, not thirty. Which might have something to do with her husband's wondering eye, and everything to do with her smashing up her husband's car with a tire iron.
If it was just her husband's eye that had been wondering then maybe his car wouldn't have gotten destroyed, but it was hands too, and his…well.
I could definitely relate, in my opinion his car deserved to be smashed up, and his secretary's too.
I knocked on the door and Elsie answered timidly. Her face brightened when she saw it was me, 'Stephanie,' she smiled, 'I'm glad they sent you to bring me in,' she said, 'I heard that rat fink Morelli was cheating on you.'
'Yeah.' I said, 'men are bastards.'
'Yeah,' she agreed, 'Thomas was boffing his secretary. Can you believe it? How cliché is that? At least screw the sandwich girl, or someone more original. The fucking secretary's not even that pretty! She has a huge nose…'
'Maybe she's like Pinocchio,' Lula said, 'and every time the bitch lies, her nose grows.'
'That would explain it.' Elsie said, 'that lying slut! All those times I phoned to see when Thomas would be home and she'd say he was having a dinner meeting and…' Elsie's bottom lip wobbled precariously.
I felt the first tendrils of panic; I cannot handle other people crying.
'You've got to be strong.' I said hastily, 'you can't let them win.'
Elsie nodded and tried to pull herself together. It looked to be a losing battle, but then Lula handed her a Twinky bar from nowhere and Elsie scarfed it right down, smiling bravely.
'Can I get re-booked now while the kids are at my Mother's?' she asked.
'Sure.' I said, and we trooped off to the cop shop. I phoned Vinnie to meet us at the police station so that Elsie could get released as quickly as possible.
Us women scorned have to stick together.
I climbed back into my Ford Escape and blew out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding; I hadn't run into Joe.
I wasn't sure what I'd do if I did. Gone was the hurt of his betrayal, well ok, not gone, but definitely buried, but the anger? Oh I had anger in spades.
Probably if I saw what a bruised wreck he is I might feel better. Hmm. I opened the door and hopped back out.
'Where you going?' Lula asked.
'Inside, back in a sec.' I replied.
I navigated my way through the police station with ease. Joe was at his desk, head down, doing paper work. There was piles of it; stacks and stacks of paper work. It looked like it would take weeks to get through it all.
Sometimes politics at the cop shop got tricky, and I was friends with a lot of the cops; I doubted they were happy about him screwing around on me. Hence paperwork.
I love my friends.
Joe must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked up. He looked terrible; he had a mutha of a black eye, and a broken nose, he was sitting stiffly – and I knew from my friend Sally at the hospital that this was because he had three broken ribs, and one fractured one.
I was having a hard time working up any sympathy.
My anger wasn't dissipating any, but my satisfaction levels were skyrocketing – I wonder what I should get Ranger and his Merry Men as a thank you present?
'Shut the door.' Joe said.
I walked in and slammed it instead.
Joe winced.
'Was she worth it?' I asked.
'Cupcake-'
'Don't ever call me that again.' I ground out.
'It didn't mean anything, it was just sex, I swear. Please, Stephanie, don't throw us away for this.'
'You already threw us away.' I said, smiling.
'Jesus. You smiled at me just like that before you ran me over.'
My smile widened, 'Payback's are a bitch Morelli.'
'And what was this?' He asked, gesturing to his face.
'Ranger was irritated.' I said.
'He fucking broke my ribs, him and his goddamn goons. He grabbed me by my shirt, so I grabbed his, I asked him why his shirt was wet, and he went fucking gonzo.'
Ranger's shirt was wet with my tears, but I wasn't going to tell Joe that.
I met Joe's eyes, 'Watch your back Morelli, I will get even.' Then I opened the door and closed it calmly behind me.
I was right; I did felt better.
I hopped in the car again and turned on the engine.
'Where are we going now?' Lula asked.
'The Mall.' I said.
'Not that I'm complaining, but why?'
'We're buying Batman a present.' I said.
