I flipped open my phone and punched the speed dial, "have you lost your friggin mind?"

"He doesn't love me anymore," she whimpered.

"Then why is he so upset that you broke up with him," I demanded. "Lula…you have got to get over this. Tank is with you because he wants to be with you. He likes you. And another thing…when in the hell did you become an emotional wreck?"

"When he started hanging out with skinny ass models and…and…I'm not good enough for him white girl. I was a ho…for pay," she wailed.

"A fact he knew long before the started dating you," I reminded her. "What is wrong with you?"

"I messed up my life. I want to get married to my Tankie and have some babies and I was a ho. I can't have babies. I can't tell them that their mama was a ho."

"Lula…half the women in Trenton are hos in some way or the other. At least you have always been honest about it. Just because they got paid in furs and cars and you got cash…that doesn't mean that they're any less ho than you were."

She was quiet a moment, "get me an appointment with Dr. Martin?"

"I'll call as soon as I get to my desk."

"Tell Tankie I love him and I'm sorry."

"I will," I said tiredly and closed the phone. I turned to Tank, "she wants to get married."

"I know. We've been looking at flowers," he rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to marry her?"

He shifted uncomfortably. Let me tell you, it was amusing to see this 250 plus pound man so uncomfortable.

"It's a yes or no question Tank," I said with a smile.

"Yes," he sighed.

"Maybe it would be a good idea to tell her. And maybe the next diamond she puts on her all important finger…could come from you for real."

"I knew I didn't buy no ring," he muttered as he stalked off.

I grinned at his retreating back. After a few moments I gathered my belongings and headed into Rangeman.

Cal met me in the hall, "hey Steph…the boss wants to see you."

"Sure thing," I agreed.

"And Steph..."

"Yea," I smiled.

"I…err have a date with Natalie tomorrow night."

I beamed at him, "good for you."

"Yea," he bit his lip anxiously.

"Yea," I agreed. I walked to my desk shaking my head. The world was topsy turvy. Lula had broken up with Tank because she had been a ho. This was something she had always been proud of before. Now it was causing her all manner of turmoil. Cal had a date with girl about half his size. It sort of made me think of dachshunds mating with German shepherds, but I digress. Lester had this look on his face that made me think he may have just found the girl who could take him to his knees. That was alarming. And I was willing to admit that I needed a lot of work. It was all crazy. Jersey bravado can only go so far.

I dumped my belongings and walked back to Ranger's office and tapped lightly on the door.

"Enter," he said.

I pushed the door open, "Cal said you wanted to see me."

"Yea…will you shut the door?"

"Sure," I agreed and closed the door and sat down across from him. "What's up?"

"How was therapy?"

"Painful," I winced.

He sighed, "What can I do to help?"

I smiled at him, "you just did the best thing you could have done."

"What did I do," he frowned.

"You care," I said quietly. "Is it because I'm your employee or…"

"Babe," he said softly.

I met his eyes and sighed, "thank you."

"I know I'm an ass. I know I can be…cold. But I know you're struggling. I can see you hurting. You're important to me. I don't always show it, but you are. The thing is…I know you're figuring things out and I don't want to be a distraction to that. So…tell me if I push you."

"You're not pushing me," I sighed.

"Okay," he nodded. "About the job."

"Right," I nodded. "I got some research done this morning before I went to therapy. The underage girls are okay. The emancipations are genuine. I still wouldn't cross the line…"

"It won't happen," he said grimly.

"I got some interesting stuff on Marc Halliburton. I'm going to interview him tomorrow I think. I also think I'll have a heart to heart with Marina and Lauren. I've got some dirt on Gina too. Natalie was definitely steering Cal away from bad news. The thing is…she told me that they did background checks. If they do…then they obviously don't care what they find. I haven't even done extensive on Gina and I already know she wouldn't pass clearance on most jobs."

"Why," he frowned. "What's on her rap sheet?"

"Armed robbery, trafficking, prostitution," I raised a brow.

"Oh damn," he sighed and leaned back in his chair rubbing his face tiredly.

"You're going to handle telling Veronique or do I have to?"

"I'll do it," he shook his head.

"You didn't sleep last night?"

"I got a couple of hours," he said briskly.

"You need a couple more," I said gently.

He looked at me over the desk, "you do too."

"Yea," I smiled.

"Want to go upstairs with me?"

I took a deep shaky breath, "Yes."

"But…"

"No buts if it's sleep," I smiled. "Do you think it sets a good example for the rest of your employees?"

He was quiet a moment, "no."

"Then…"

"Get to work," he said tiredly.

"Done boss," I smiled and left his office. I went to my desk and immediately set to work. It wasn't until I saw Tank walking toward another researcher that I cursed and called Dr. Martin to see if she had room for Lula. She did. I called Lula after that. It was in her court now.

When I finished that I called Natalie to get her to set up appointments for me with Marc, Marina and Lauren. I also set up an appointment with one of the models named Hazel. There was something there I just needed to clear up. It was almost seven when I finally shut down my computer and started gathering my things.

Ranger met me in the hall. "Are you finally going home?"

"Yea," I nodded.

"Are you going to sleep tonight?"

"I'm going to try. Are you," I raised a brow.

"I'm going to try," he agreed.

"See you tomorrow Ranger. Oh yea…I'm going to cut out tomorrow at five."

"That's what time you get off work Babe," he smirked.

"I know," I blushed. "But I tend to work a little later and…"

His face closed off and became the wall I was used to. "You have a date," he said matter-of-factly.

I nodded.

He just nodded briefly and walked back into his office.

I sighed. I had a feeling that something had just happened that I should understand. I just didn't know what it was.

I moved around the kitchen singing along to the CD player. I was listening to Def Leppard again, but this time I was skipping the sad songs and going straight to peppy. Right now I was singing Pour Some Sugar on Me at the top of my lungs as I made myself a light supper of Pasta Primavera. I hummed and tasted the sauce and moaned. "Yea…this is good," I nodded.

"Can I have a taste," he asked.

"Oh shit," I jumped and whirled around brandishing my wooden spoon. It was Ranger. I clutched one hand to my chest to calm my beating heart. "You scared the shit out of me Ranger. Can't you wear taps or something?"

"Babe," he grinned.

I sighed and offered him a taste off the wooden spoon.

"Good," he smiled.

"I have enough for two," I offered.

"I'd like that," he nodded. He took over making the salad for me so I could concentrate on the rest of the meal. "I talked to Veronique about Gina."

"What did she say?"

"She's said she already knew about it. She said she was doing a favor for a friend."

"How did she sound?"

He paused for a moment, "something wasn't right. Get me everything you can and we'll go see her together. I have a feeling your spidey sense will root it out."

"Sure," I nodded pouring the pasta into a bowl. We carried everything to the table and sat down to eat. "You haven't been over for dinner since the I-beams."

"True," he nodded. "I never thanked Manuel for that," he grinned.

"I did," I muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," I blinked at him innocently.

His eyes narrowed, "right…"

After dinner we cleaned up together and moved into the media room.

"Do you feel like talking," he asked.

"You want to talk," I blinked at him incredulously. "Do you mean work?"

"No…I mean yes I want to talk and no I don't want to talk about work."

"Ah," I bit my lip. "Okay…fire away."

He took a deep breath, "how do you feel for Joe?"

I sat for a second thoughtfully, "I don't feel anything for him. Well…I take that back. I'm a little angry with him. He treated me badly when we were together," I rolled my eyes. "I don't wish him any ill will. I don't have any desire to see him ever again. I take my share of responsibility for the fiasco that was our relationship."

"What is your share of responsibility?"

"Oh boy…you really…"

"If you don't want to talk about it…"

"No…it's fine," I sighed. "My share of the responsibility is that I knew it wouldn't work long before it ended. My mother approved of him. My friends…most of them…some of them…approved of him," I shook my head. "He was the easy way out. He wanted to be with me or at least he said he did. He didn't have commitment issues."

"I do not have commitment issues," Ranger said grimly.

"Okay…whatever," I rolled my eyes and flopped back on the couch.

"How do you feel about Brian?"

"He's new. He's different. He doesn't seem to want me to be anything other than what I am. He's nice."

"Have you slept with him," he whispered.

"What?"

He turned to me and frowned, "have you slept with him?"

I sighed, "no…contrary to popular opinion, I am not a slut."

He flopped back beside me, "I didn't say that you were."

"Not in so many words," I agreed.

"Babe…"

"I've been out with him one time Ranger."

"We've never been out and…"

"Don't go there," I glared at him. "It's not the same and you know it."

"Why isn't it?"

"Because you didn't want anything from me but my vagina," I hissed.

"That's not true…I wanted your mouth and your…"

"Not funny Ranger," I sighed.

He sighed, "You told me the other day that the things you wanted would make my hair curl."

I smiled, "yea…and I meant it."

He nodded and pursed his lips, "how do you know that?"

"You told me," I said softly.

"When?"

"Off and on over the time I've known you using various words."

He nodded again, "I see where you're coming from now."

"Do you?"

"I think so," he agreed.

"It doesn't matter anyway Ranger," I said tiredly. "I'm not in any shape to go after any of the things I want right now. I have to fix me and then I'll know for sure what I really want."

"So you could be like your mother or you could be like me?"

"Ha," the hysterical laugh bubbled out of me before I could get a handle on it.

"Well…that's basically it, isn't it? I mean you could be her or me?"

"Or something in the middle," I suggested shaking my head.

"You really don't know what you want then, do you?"

I sighed, "I think I know. But in any case…I have some work to do in order to know for sure."

He was quiet a moment. "But we're still friends?"

I took a deep breath, "if that's what we are…"

He studied me, "are we more?"

"I don't kiss the rest of my friends," I pointed out.

"Ah," he said and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "You do kiss me."

"I do," I agreed.

"That makes us more?"

"That makes us more," I agreed.

He leaned over and touched my lips with his gently, "good to know."

"Yea…good to know," I agreed.

We turned to the television to watch a little baseball and before we knew it we were both drifting off.

"Come on Babe," he said getting to his feet. "Let's go to bed."

"Are you staying," I yawned.

"To sleep," he agreed.

"Okay," I sighed. Together we turned everything off and went to my bedroom. I changed and turned down into the bed.

"I don't have any…"

I opened a drawer and tossed him some Mickey Mouse silk boxers in his size.

"Babe," he shook his head.

"They're not somebody else's," I yawned. "They're mine."

"You sleep in them," he raised a brow.

"Yep," I agreed.

He groaned and disappeared into the bathroom and returned with little round Mickey Mouse faces all over his ass.

I grinned, "Very nice. They look much better on you."

He shook his head and climbed into bed beside me. He wrapped around me tightly. "Good night Babe."

"Ranger…"

"Yea," he yawned.

"What's your favorite movie," I whispered.

"Hmm…I don't know, it's probably Clear and Present Danger," he yawned.

"Do you know what mine is?"

"Babe…everyone in Trenton knows yours is Ghostbusters," he chuckled. "You've been through three copies since I've known you."

I bit my lip. He was right. "What's your favorite word?"

"What," he blinked and sat up to lean over and study my face. "Where is this coming from?"

"I just…I wondered," I blushed.

"I have never thought about it," he said seriously. I watched color creep up his face from the moonlight in the window.

"Is it something dirty," I grinned.

He shook his head rolling his eyes at the same time, "no. Go to sleep." He lay back down and nuzzled into my neck.

"Chicken," I muttered with a smile.

"Babe," he warned.

I smiled and closed my eyes.