Disclaimer: Short and sweet – not making any money but having lots of fun.
Thanks to amazing Melody, lovely Luisa, inspiring CSKate, awesome Jaime, supporter Deb, extraordinary editor Deb (bb babe), and of course the immortal and undeniable Bluzkat
Nothing
But Time On My Hands
Chapter 12
By Alfonsina
I stopped into the bonds office the a few days later to check on any new files. Nothing.
"Any luck with the quest for a soulmate?" Connie asked.
"Mine or Woody's?" Well so much for keeping my thoughts to myself. It was something that had been on my mind, but I guess I hadn't realized quite how much.
"We didn't think you were interested. All we ever hear about is the list of women you've been organizing for Woody," Connie said. "But it would be fun to see what you come up with for yourself."
"You finally gonna start to look? I'd like to watch, especially if you ever let your hormones take control." Lula said. "What's got you considering it now?"
"Actually, I've been reading this book and it's making me consider looking for one of my own. Right now, it's more of a fantasy thing."
"Is the book good?" Connie asked.
"Oh yeah, and steamy. It's Outlander by Diane Gabaldon," I said. "And let me tell you that if I found my own Jaime the Red Scott, there are all sorts of things I'd love to do to him."
At some point in the conversation, I lost Connie and Lula. I was in my own world thinking about Jaime the Red Scott with all the muscles and the kilt and his ability to ...
I felt a hand on my lower back and I jumped. Ranger had come back a little early and was standing behind me.
"I'd let you demonstrate some of those things on me," he said directly into my ear, "and then there are some things that I'd show you in an up-close and very personal way. Reality can be so much more fulfilling than fiction."
I needed to start to breathe again. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Come on, in through the nose. I closed my eyes but it wasn't making breathing any easier. Ranger made things hard intentionally and it wasn't until he brushed himself into my backside that I realized just how hard things really were.
"Got plans for tonight, Babe?"
I shook my head.
"Up for a job tonight?"
I nodded. I wasn't sure if I was up to talking quite yet.
"Pick you up at 8:00."
I nodded again.
"We'll talk about the details outside," he said as he took me by the hand and led me to the alleyway.
I was backed against the wall and he was invading my personal space. Oh boy.
"Missed you," he said. His eyes were searching for something that he didn't seem to be finding. Once again I wished I knew what he wanted.
"You weren't gone that long," I said. The man could be gone weeks on end and act like he'd just been to the corner market, so this 'missed you' comment was highly unusual for him.
"So how's the Woody dating project coming?" he asked.
The question didn't come out like they normally did, you know, distanced as though the answer didn't really matter to him. This was asked with studied casual tone and body language, but to me it was a little too casual. Something was up, but I couldn't place my finger on it.
"More like the Woody soulmate project," I said. "Poorly. For a guy who said he wasn't fussy he sure is picky."
"Particular."
"What?"
"Particular is a better word. It indicates that he wants the right thing for the right reasons. Picky is usually selfish and not about happiness. Picky usually has a bad spirit about it."
Got it.
"I'm particular," he said looking like he wanted to kiss me. As soon I thought I recognized the look, it had already passed and with it the potential kiss.
"So who're we going after tonight?" I could pretend we didn't almost have a moment just as well as he could. Ok, maybe not as well, but I was working on it.
"Vic Steward. Major coke distributor."
"And he likes?"
"Short skirts, lots of cleavage. Playful women, but not stupid. He'll be with two or three others. We want to keep him separated from his backup. They aren't important to us."
"OK."
"The file will be delivered this afternoon so you can review it," he said. Then he kissed my forehead and was gone.
He was blowing hot and cold again. That man really needed to have a thermostat installed. I really wished he would make up his mind. Actually, I wished both of us would.
One of the things I'd learned in palm reading was how people make decisions. Some people are very logical. Others are strictly emotional or intuition based. The last group choose not to decide, but that was also a decision and they never seem happy with the results. I try to use logic when I make my decisions, less second guessing. Unfortunately, with Ranger it seemed I always choose not to decide and that left me forever in the land of the less than satisfied. One day I was going to have to decide it was worth it to make my own decisions and live with the outcomes.
This would all be easier if he'd just let me look at that one little line in his palm.
xx
Before I left to get ready for the evening's distraction I saw a zip-lock baggie with five small pieces of amber on my desk. I called Woody knowing he was the only one, other than Ronny, who would leave something like that for me.
He said he was feeling uneasy and if I didn't want to 'protect myself' I could at least humor him and ease his mind. He wanted me to put a piece in my car, one in my locker, one in the desk and one under my bed.
"What about the last one?" I asked.
My question was answered by silence.
I figured it out for myself; it was for one of the cups of my bra.
"But these stones are smaller than the ones in the earrings," I said.
"Despite what you may have heard, energetically, size doesn't matter. Vibration does." Damn, now that sounded like it could be fun. I wondered exactly what kind of vibration he might have in mind.
"Size doesn't matter?" I asked. It just didn't seem right, size always seemed to matter at some level. Didn't it?
At that exact moment Brett walked by. He said, "Too bad for me size doesn't matter. That's a contest I could most definitely win." Then he winked. "Wanna demonstration, Steph?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm talking about gem stones."
Some people.
xx
Ranger had Brett drop off the file in the early afternoon. Before I embarked on the whole beauty ritual, I dug through my closet until I found a black skirt that barely fit and barely covered my assets. I found a blouse that was an almost sheer black to pair with it. Who was I kidding? In the right light the shirt really was sheer enough to read the phonebook through. The requisite black, patent leather pumps, four inches high. Thigh high hose were going to complete the ensemble, the kind that roll on and stay up with elastic. The skirt didn't give the option of a garter belt.
I set my hair on hot rollers while I took a bath and did all the necessary chores to become 'beautiful' for the night. I donned lacy, boy shorts with a matching demi-cup, push-up bra. The cups on the bra were so low that my nipples all but showed. I decided to pray for a warm night, it could be embarrassing otherwise. The piece of amber was small enough not to show through and not to impact my silhouette. The shirt was sheer enough that the bra was going to become a featured attraction in the outfit one way or another.
I dried off and covered myself in a short robe. Then I began my job as transformational artist in earnest.
Regular makeup took me about ten minutes, give or take. I'd gotten the standard Jersey girl on the prowl look perfected to take about fifteen minutes, that was the look employed for most distractions. Tonight, however, was the 'I'm expensive but worth it' and that was about twenty-five minutes beginning to end.
The makeup was done but the hair was still in rollers when Ranger let himself in. I stuck my head out the bathroom door and said, "I need a couple more minutes. OK?"
He nodded.
I closed the door, put on the shirt and attempted the skirt. The skirt was actually a perfect fit provided it didn't need to be zipped. I was going to have to get serious about some gym time or buy some larger clothes.
"Damn it," I said.
"You OK in there?"
"Yes and no. Yes I am fine, sort of. And no, because I can't get the zipper on this damned skirt to go up."
"I'm good with zippers."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I finally got the zipper up but the skirt was so tight that I felt like it had been shrink wrapped onto my body. I finished my hair and used enough spray to prevent it from moving in a tornado. I was ready for my close-up, so to speak.
He walked with me to the elevator and smelled my neck.
"Babe, why do you smell like the mall?"
"It's Cinnabon bath stuff from Philosophy," I said. "You know I love cinnamon rolls. There's nothing like having something hot, spicy and sticky that makes you want to lick your lips. This way I remember all the good stuff with none of the calories or the guilt."
"I'll help you burn off some calories."
"Sorry. I was talking without thinking again."
I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to keep up the sexy banter. Something was going to happen sooner than later if I wasn't careful. I just wasn't sure what that something was that was going to happen or how I felt about it.
xx
The lounge was done in chrome and rich leather. From all appearances it looked like Vic Stewart was holding court. I couldn't catch his eye initially. I got almost no attention with my chocolate martini at the bar. Moaning and licking my lips was having no impact on anyone but me; it made me want a Hershey's chocolate bar with almonds. There wasn't even a dance floor that I could employ.
I decided to be more active in my attempt to get his attention. I 'accidentally' dropped my clutch purse. Instead of bending at the knees to retrieve it, I bent over giving him a view of the lace he wouldn't have gotten to see otherwise. Then again, Brett, Zero and Caesar wouldn't have seen it either. I counted myself lucky that the skirt didn't split when I bent over.
I was now a magnet for half the men in the room, and some of the women. As I stood back up I realized that I had quite the audience. I made a show of readjusting myself oh so slowly. Vic was instantly by my side.
We bantered and I used my new line about 'hot, sticky and spicy' to get him to follow me out of the bar.
Ranger had me home in under an hour.
"I was serious about helping you burn off some calories," he said.
"No thanks. You'll probably just want me to run with you or take me to do an obstacle course somewhere."
"Not necessarily," he said. "I can be very creative when it comes to exercise. Think about it."
He held me closely for a minute and left. That's when I felt a draft. He'd unzipped my skirt and I hadn't even noticed. Jerk.
