Eyes to Remember

Chapter 9

Ranger's Office

Tank was chuckling to himself. Again, Ranger had French Vanilla breath this morning. That was 2 out of the 3 mornings he had run this week since arriving in Trenton. Now, he was placing a bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase on Stephanie's desk.

"Flowers now!" Do the other office managers get flowers from the owner?" Tank asked from Stephanie's doorway. The other office managers in Boston and Miami were men. One was his older brother.

"I appreciate all her hard work getting this place organized."

"What about me? I've been working my tail off, too! Did I get flowers? You're full of it," Tank told Ranger. "Those blue eyes only have to glance at you, and you'll be doing cartwheels down the front street, next."

"Bad Asses don't do cartwheels."

"Nor, do they buy flowers because 'you're doing a good job," holding his fingers up making quote marks. "Don't play games with her, Ranger. She loved Allie's father and was heartbroken when he died. I'll stop you."

"I wouldn't do that. Stephanie's too special for that."

After the morning meeting, Stephanie wanted to speak with Ranger when he had free time.

"Now's good."

"Let me get something from my office and I'll come down to yours."

"Ok."

Stephanie grabbed a folder off her desk smiling at the flowers Ranger left.

"What can I do for you?" Ranger asked as Stephanie sat in a wing chair across the mahogany desk from him.

"Thank you for the flowers. You didn't need to do that."

"I appreciate all your hard work."

Stephanie was trying to concentrate on why she was in his office, but Ranger was so handsome. His long black hair in a ponytail, dark brown eyes, dark skin, and hard muscles that never ended. "He's your boss. Remember that," her brain told her. But, that didn't help the pleasurable tingles or shivers she got being around him.

"Two things," Stephanie began, "all the guys have really worked at getting this office operational and it's almost the beginning of Summer. Can I plan a beach themed picnic lunch outside for them in the empty lot? Put up canopy, grill hot dogs and hamburgers, watermelon, maybe a sundae bar." Stephanie pulled a proposed budget out and slid it across the desk.

He was looking at the numbers.

"I won't go overboard."

"Ok. Plan it how you want. The office has made a profit. They deserve it."

"Don't say that. You're talking to a girl from the 'Burg'. I live to shop."

"It's fine."

"I'll run all the final figures by you when I have everything worked out. If you're back in Miami, I'll e-mail them to you," Stephanie explained. She knew she would be disappointed when he returned to his home-base.

"I'll be here indefinitely," Ranger said. "I can run Rangeman from anywhere." He noticed Stephanie left out a deep breath taking it for a good sign. He'd be here as long as Stephanie gave him a chance, not rushing. Just getting to know each other right now She's waited for eight years to find her, he wasn't going to be greedy. "I'll go to some client meetings relieving some of the pressure off Tank since we have been busy. Also, implementing your month end reports in the other offices. I like it if I don't have to spend hours pouring over figures. If I have the office managers come here, would you show them the reports? This way you won't have to travel there."

"That's fine with me." Stephanie wanted to ask something else but was trying to phrase it nicely.

Ranger could see Stephanie was struggling with something. He saw it in her eyes "What else?" he asked.

"Would it be Ok with you, Ranger," Stephanie let out a cleansing breath before continuing, "if just for the beach picnic, the guys could have special dispensation to wear maybe Hawaiian shirts? It's rather difficult to get in the beachy mood if they're all dressed in black looking right out of the Grim Reaper Club."

Ranger watched as Stephanie scrunched up her face and closed her eyes afraid of his reaction. When he didn't say anything, she opened a blue eye. He was smirking at her.

"I can live with that."

"Yes!' Stephanie cheered shaking her fist. "A little color is good."

"Ok, what's next?"

He was in no hurry for her to leave his office, Ranger liked having her there.

"I need your expertise."

Playing with her, "Really? In what area?"

She immediately started turning pink remembering Grandma Mazur's comments on his sexual prowess. Gulping, "Security. My friend the architect has a possible renovation project in the works between Plainfield and Newark."

Telling Stephanie, "I grew up in Newark."

Pulling a picture out of the folder of a small warehouse complex, Stephanie slid it across the desk. The buildings were familiar to him. There were three large brick warehouses. Some of the windows broken and white trim rotted or missing.

"Matt would like to convert the buildings into family lofts or apartments. Reasonably priced for a family, couples, or single people. What type of security features would you recommend for the overall security of the buildings?"

"What's going to be here?" Ranger was pointing to the ground floor of one of the warehouses with large glass windows.

"If there is an interest, maybe drawing from New York, small shops, pizza, or a restaurant."

He pulled the other papers over seeing layouts of lofts or apartments. Some spaces with sleeping lofts, some with one bedrooms, and some with multiple bedrooms all off the main multi-purpose living spaces. Stephanie had drawn a few interior designs with colors showing bedroom designs, play spaces, and living areas. They were good. They showed exposed pipes. Very techno.

"I like these. Each building should have it's own security code so people from one building wouldn't have excess to another unless invited. Security cameras at all entrances, I would think. Maybe security sensors on any street level windows so if anyone attempted to open it from the outside."

"Something like this, would it fit reasonably into the renovation and restorationbudget?"

"It could be worked in."

There were voices in the hallway.

Tank said to someone, "She's here somewhere."

"I probably should have called," came the male voice.

Ranger watched Stephanie. She recognized the second voice, a big grin coming over her face.

"She's in with the boss," Tank showed Matt into the office.

"Matt, what are you doing here?" Stephanie hugged him jumping up.

"Hey, Sweetie," her friend kissed her cheek, "I thought I would tell you some news, but since you're busy," Matt said looking at Ranger behind his desk with a blank expression and set jaw. He knew when he was treading on someone's turf. "I'll come back. How about lunch?"

"I'm meeting Mary Lou. Matt Clark, this is my boss, Carlos Manoso."

Tank watched as the two men shook hands. The jealousy thing was there again. It was registered on Ranger's faceand he was fighting to keep a straight face. Ranger was jealous of Stephanie's friend. Matt was gay and he wasn't going to tell his friend. Tank was going to have too much fun, especially if Ranger stayed around and Stephanie worked with Matt on a few of his restoration projects. Ranger would be right in the middle.

"It's nice to meet Stephanie's boss."

"Matt, Ranger and I were going over some security ideas for the warehouses. So, what's the news?"

Glancing at Ranger, then focusing on Stephanie holding her hand, "I'll come back. I'll run some errands. You're in the middle of something."

"Please have a seat," Ranger indicated the other wing chair to Matt.

"I'll see you, Matt,' Tank patted him on the back and left his boss's office.

Stephanie was getting impatient, "What's the news? Good or bad."

Matt sat down saying, "Good, good, and maybe. I spoke with the Governor. He wants to proceed with the Restoration Initiative, starting with some buildings in Trenton. Your Uncle, the Mayor, is on board, too."

"I knew Uncle Joe would," Stephanie said to Matt.

"Here's the iffy part. The Governor wants to do a sight seeing tour of the buildings involved for publicity and," Matt covered his face with his hands, "ending with a tour of your firehouse. That tidbit you found out about the bricks, that did it."

Stephanie was staring at him, mouth open, "Just what does this mean?"

Matt still had his face covered, "A cocktail party. The Governor loved the pictures of the loft and he's a fan of your work. He read the magazine article."

Stephanie was pacing besides Ranger's desk, hands waving in the air, "Is this going to involve the press? How many people are we talking about? What about parking? I don't have a parking lot of a Governor's limousine."

Ranger was trying to keep a straight face watching Stephanie

"Stephanie, I'll tell the Governor that loft is off the tour."

"No, this involves your career, your restoration project, and money in my bank account," she stomped her foot muttering, "damn bricks."

Ranger butted in, "What about the bricks?"

"The same brick company that made the bricks for Independence Hall made the bricks for my Firehouse. I researched the marks on the bricks. The foundry closed down after it was built. So if my fire station would have been demolished, a link to our history would have been gone, too."

He was shaking his head, "You're amazing."

Matt agreed watching her infatuated and jealous boss, then he realized Carlos didn't know he was gay. So deciding at that moment to add fuel to the fire, he kissed Stephanie on the cheek again, "I agree. I've known that for a while. How about I go to the mall with you and Mary Lou so I can spend some time with you?"