Ch 11
"Whatever it takes to make her see" had been Ranger's final words to Lester Santos and he knew just how to do it too. He left Ranger wallowing in his own self pity – 'bout time he realised what he could lose, Lester thought to himself. Now, where did I put Julie's number? Ah, here it is.
o0o0o0o0o
"Julie?! Are you OK?!"
"Hey, I'm fine. I just need your help with something."
"Hey, shoot, what can I do for you?"
"I wondered if you could find out if Ranger is seeing anyone right now – or is planning to, it's just that there's a kid in my class who's going to be moving to Newark with his Mum and I thought I could fix them up for a date or something. I mean, if that's ok with you and Dad. He could act as a personal tour guide and help her to settle in."
Steph gulped, forced a smile and paused before she replied.
Over my dead body!! "Sure, it's fine with me, why would I object? It's not as if we're anything other than friends - I'll see what I can do" she said as cheerfully as she could muster before saying her goodbyes and hanging up the phone.
Her heart sank but on the other side of America a little girl did a happy dance. Uncle Lester would be so pleased! She'd felt Steph's heartache down the phone when she'd made the suggestion of a date for her Dad. Rachel had been listening in on the speaker phone and the two accomplices hugged before dialling Lester with their news.
o0o0o0o0o
"Okay, I have it on great authority that if you were to contemplate dating someone else it would make Steph focus on taking you seriously in the relationship stakes."
"No going to happen, cuz, I couldn't deceive her"
"I didn't say you had to actually go through with it, but just make her think that it was a possibility so that she would stop to think about your change of heart. Make her realise that you ARE serious about a relationship with someone. And that it could be her" Lester reasoned.
"When would this so-called date be scheduled to happen?"
"A couple of days after Ellen's party should do the trick"
"I'm not sure, Les. She doesn't really exist, does she?!?" He added quickly.
"You're in the clear on that one" Lester said and laughed.
Ranger looked decidedly less worried.
"Look,all we have to do is make Steph think that you're ready to try being human and she'll come running to you before you've decided to even see this 'other woman'. Trust me on this one – I'm great at manipulating women."
"I'm really not keen on 'manipulating' Steph, she's had enough of others doing that and she'd never forgive me if she found out. She'd lose all her trust in me. I'm Batman, her superhero for chrissake!"
"Think about it, Ranger. Get back to me by the end of play today." Lester walked out, slowly closing Ranger's office door behind him. Smirking he returned to his desk.
o0o0o0o0o
"Frank?"
"Yes son"
"Can I run an idea past you please?"
Ranger then proceeded to tell him everything that he and Lester had discussed. He knew Steph so well and would be able to guage whether this hair brained scheme might just actually work.
"Actually, provided you keep the whole thing low key then it could do the trick. Make comments like "Hmmm, interesting idea" or "could be what I need right now" so that you give the impression that perhaps it's something you might consider. I think if you also make hints that it's not just this other option, but Steph that you might be interested in then she might start to think that you're finally growing up. Sorry, son, don't take offence, but you've not exactly been behaving like an adult when it comes to the whole heart and soul thing, have you?"
Ranger blinked before answering "Guess you're right. Thank you Frank, you've given me lots to think about"
Frank turned to Ellen who'd heard his half of the conversation and filled her in on the blanks. A big smile fell over her face. "I feel a party coming on, Frank" she said laughing.
"Already sorted" came his smug reply. She smacked him playfully on the arm and said "explain".
o0o0o0o0o
"Tankie, come quick!" cried Lula from the bedroom.
Tank rushed into the room and stopped suddenly. Lula was lying on the bed, wearing only a red and black lacy babydoll nightie.
Lust filled his eyes and he knelt down between her ample thighs "What can I do for you, my lady?" he chuckled with a wolfish grin, licking his lips.
"Now, what was I thinkin' I needed?" she said, looking him up and down and coming to rest on the tent his trousers were making before reaching out to touch him.
At that moment Tank's phone rang. Damn, he thought, this must be how Ranger feels when I call him up.
He looked at his phone. It was Steph. Steph?! What did she want at 9 o'clock in the evening!
"Sorry Tank, hope I'm not disturbing anything." She said, haltingly.
Lula looked up at him in full Rhino mode. She wanted to wrench the phone out of his hands stamp on it and then tear Tank's clothes off. Tank raised his hand to stop her and something in his eyes told her to hang fire. She knelt up on the bed looking intrigued and tried to listen in.
He said a few things, quickly finished the call and turned to look at her. "Well I never" he said then started to purr "Now, where were we?" before pulling Lula into his arms.
"Tell me later, Tankie" she smiled before they fell back onto the bed.
o0o0o0o0o
Steph knew she had to face Ranger. She'd pretty much promised to speak to him for Julie to sound him out about this other Mum. Crap, why had she agreed to help?!? Ranger was hers, wasn't he?! Then she gave a mental head slap. No. She'd gone back to Morelli so many times. Half the time Ranger'd even sent her for Godssake! Perhaps he didn't think she wasn't worthy? Tank had said that was rubbish when she'd mentioned it on the phone and had agreed to meet her the next day at Shorty's for lunch to discuss what needed to be done.
She laid down on her bed in her thinking position. It wasn't helping. All she could think about was that night and how he'd ruined her for all men. What if he decided he liked this bitch more than her? What if he wanted a relationship with someone else. She knew she could lose him for good. All of him, not just the bit she knew she currently had. She needed to think of a plan. Fast. How could she manipulate him into forgetting about her. Fuck! She didn't even have a name yet and Steph already hated her.
She listened to the sounds in her apartment. It was too quiet. Crap!! Rex was still at Rangeman!
She speed dialled 1 on her phone
"Yo, babe"
"Yo, yourself"
Silence
Okaaaaayyyyy, where are we going with this one?" "You wanted something, Babe?"
Yes, you!! "Could I pop over tomorrow and pick up Rex – my apartment's too quiet without him"
Mine's too tidy without you "Sure, I'm in meetings til mid afternoon, what about 4.00?"
Can I say for the rest of the day with you in your apartment, perhaps we could test out your sheets "Great!"
Is that all you want, you could have me too... "great, I'll see you then, then"
He hung up and Steph stared at the phone. God, she wanted him so badly she could cry! Hey, she'd done that to death, hadn't she? What did this other woman have that Julie felt she could step up and grab her man?!? She snorted. Her man!!! Hardly!!
She went into the bathroom and decided to have a shower. Half an hour later, her shower massager had been put through its paces and at least some of her sanity had been restored. She slumped onto her bed, sighed heavily and attempted to get some sleep.
o0o0o0o0o
The next morning came round far too fast. Steph blinked and raised her head from the pillow. She couldn't see much as her hair was falling, haystack-like across her eyes. Bet Nicole Kidman doesn't look like this in the morning, she thought grumpily.
She got up, sensing something was different. She could smell Bulgari, Leather and ... but she couldn't sense him. Crap! Crappity, crappity, crap, crap!! He'd been to see her last night and hadn't stayed. Perhaps he was getting her used to the idea that he would be leaving her, forever!!!
A single tear fell from her eye and slowly slid down her cheek. Buck up, Wonder Woman! She told herself sternly. It ain't over until the fat lady sings and that wouldn't be until Mum's birthday party.