A/N: No way! I have time to update?
That's right :) I'm not going to school tomorrow. Albeit, it's because of a surgery but who the hell cares?! I got timeeee babyyyyy!
Enjoy!
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Chapter Eleven
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"It's too long."
"Too short."
"...It's ugly."
"Too damn sparkly."
"Are you going for the gorilla look?"
"Shit stain brain, really?"
"Not tight enough. It's making your hips look huge."
"What the hell?! You might need a pushup bra with what you're working with."
"And maybe pack some pillows underneath....you know, to make your butt seem bigger."
"She doesn't want a big butt!"
"Dudes like big asses! And trust me Jackie, I've seen this man.....he'll like a big booty."
"How do you know?"
"'Cause he has a delicious one."
I felt my eye twitch and glanced up at the ceiling, mentally asking the Big Man Upstairs what his deal was and why he hated me so. I wasn't an overly violent person, tried to live up to good morals and ate my vegetables....well, sometimes. Okay fine, I never ate vegetables. But I tried once. The thought counted right?
At the moment, I was standing in my bedroom, in front of the full length mirror on the wall with I-think-I-know-everything-about-fashion Jackie and Lula. Not only had they forced their ways into my home but they had also wrangled me down to the mall to buy not one, not two, not three, but five dresses after commenting on my 'blasé' outfits. Five dresses! Totally just pulled my wallet out and bought them all for me!
Well....maybe I took the wallet out myself but they encouraged me. I swear, these women could be excellent at selling things. Which, I supposes, is kinda what they do already.
Anyway, I bought the damn dresses. Five different ones. All because of them. All because they whined and yammered on about how good I'd look in them and how Ranger would crumble to his knees when he laid his eyes on me.
Yeah, mistake number one: Telling them I had a 'job' to do with Ranger. Jackie didn't even know the guy but, of course, ringleader Lula insisted that I must dress up and so the nightmare began.
I had five dresses. Five dressed that THEY had picked out and, apparently, didn't like anymore.
"Oh no, girl! That's too much cleavage!" Jackie winced when I arrived out of the bathroom in the third one; a lacy, white ensemble that ended at the top of my thighs and had a neckline that dipped down clear to China.
"You picked it out!" I screamed in rage, balling my fists.
They exchanged worried looks. "It looked better at the store..." Was the woman's only reply.
My left eye twitched spasmodically.
"Yeah white girl." Lula tsk tsked. "You don't want to give him the entire package on the first date. You want him to imagine; add a little mystery. Get him riled up. You're not a 'ho too, ya know."
I frowned at my reflection. "About that-" I started, preparing to pounce on the opportunity to talk about the subject of their profession. If they were really going to stay here.....God I sounded like I was caving. I would have to tell them that they couldn't stay here, simple as that. There was no way I'd allow it. 'Hos were, for lack of a better term, not very....sanitary.
"Hey!" Jackie huffed; folding her arms across her chest and shooting me an evil glare that let me know I had spoken my thoughts aloud. AGAIN. "We're very clean!"
"I clean everyday." Lula stated. "What, you think we just leave our shit dirty?"
I smiled sheepishly and held up my hands as a signal for peace. "No I just-"
"We not 'hos by choice, white girl." Lula continued, voice turning nasty. "It pays the bills, okay?" She motioned to me. "We just like you; trying to make a living doing whatever is available."
I begun to retort but Jackie added in one last sentence that really made me stop and think. "I'm sure you've been in that spot before. That spot where you get fired and don't know where you're going in life." Her words were soft, a little sympathetic; as if she was embarrassed which maybe she was. "I wanted to be a Pediatrician, you know? I...it just...Nothing worked out he way it was suppose to, I guess." She smiled sadly at me. "Just...not enough time, huh?"
Yeah. Yeah, that was true, wasn't it?
I turned back to the mirror to stare at me. I mean, really stare and scrutinize the woman gazing back at me. The white dress disappeared, Lula and Jackie vanished and I found myself standing there all alone, twenty odd years younger, in my old room, dressed in my fairy custom from Halloween. It in the evening and my parents were downstairs congratulating my sister, Valerie on her A plus after complaining about my trip to the principal's office after kicking Jerry Sherome in the shoe.
I saw myself in all my nine year old glory; a determined look on my face while I whispered to myself over and over again that today would be the day. The day I'd finally be able to fly; to soar into the sky. I'd become a fairy. I'd become Wonder Woman. I'd become anything, something that let me feel the clouds on my face. Nothing could stop me from achieving my goals. Then, everyone would see. Everyone would see that I wasn't a complete failure. Today, Valerie wouldn't be the only one who made our parents smile with love radiating out of their eyes.
My vision blurred and the image slowly drifted off into a sea of white streams. I was me again; thirty two year old Stephanie Plum in a revealing, white dress on with no family, barely any friends, a job she sucked at, magnet for disaster and not one proud moment from her parents to account on.
Where did all the dreams go?
Washed away with the cold truth of were no such things as fairies or superheroes or magicians. There were just people trying to make it a day at a time in this reckless, unavoidable thing called life.
A soft thud interrupted my bittersweet thoughts and I jerked upwards, turning towards the location. It took me a full minute to realize that the sound had indicated the front door opening and that someone was walking through my apartment.
Someone with boots.
"Holy smokes, it's him!" Lula whispered desperately, peeking out the door. "White girl, it's him! That Ranger! He's looking around your living room. Oh man...he looks even finer that I last saw..."
I felt my heart speed up and felt a surge of anger bubble in my chest. Why the hell didn't anyone use my fucking doorbell!? I began to usher the women out of my room. "Get out there and stall!" I still had no idea what I was wearing! The lacy dress? The green one? Black one? What was he wearing?! Did he really look fine-er?! Do I really bring the gun? If so, where to put it? Carry my purse!? Wear my heels?! Which inch!? It was eight o'clock already!? Did I have time to put on makeup?! Was makeup necessary? How much makeup? What color!? Ranger was in my apartment!
I closed the door on Lula and Jackie before they could argue and hurried into the bathroom in a frenzy of whimpers and racing thoughts.
Thirty minutes later (record speed!); I came stumbling out of the bedroom in three inch, black heels and my purse thrown across my shoulder. I almost tripped, caught my balance and then leaned my arm on the couch; flipping my short, brown locks to turn and smile flirtatious at Ranger.
My smile dropped however when I took in the scene before me and my eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. My first thought was; why'd I leave them with him!?
Ranger was sitting on the couch with, probably, the most uncomfortable look I'd ever saw him express. He had on a pure, black suit and slicked back hair. And, although he didn't look much different from the last time I'd seen him, I had to agree with Lula; he did look better for some reason.
My appreciation of his looks would have to wait, though. Because, at the moment, Lula and Jackie were standing before him.
Naked.
Well okay, not fully naked but things were poking out here and there. And music was playing in the background. From a stereo I didn't even remember buying.
My God, they were stripping for him!?
Ranger's eyes came up to meet mines and I saw a flicker of something; relief, amusement, fear, I had no clue. Lula and Jackie turned as well and I made a frantic motion with my hands that signaled 'Come here!' "What the hell!?" I whispered to them with wide eyes.
Lula shrugged. "He was being real unresponsive. I just wanted to cheer him up."
Hah. Kind of like when I made a comment about his sex life to get a rise out of him. She was more like me than I had originally thought. Excluding, of course, the addiction to taking her clothes off. I jerked my thumb backwards towards my bedroom they caught on and hustled away while taking the stereo on their path out.
Ranger stood while I sashayed to him and I saw his mouth twitch. He was amused. "New roommates?"
"Temporary. You still thinking about offering Lula that job?" I teased, smiling.
"Strangely...yes." His eyes roamed over my form and instinct suddenly told me to heave my chest up higher. I was decked out in a velvet red dress that came to halt at mid-thigh (the all too infamous modest-yet-sexy-length). It had spaghetti straps; a neckline that outlined the top of the average sized breast God instilled upon me and, in my opinion, fit my shape very firmly. My hair was naturally curled and a few brushes of mascara added a bit of shimmer to my brown eyes.
I wasn't Marilyn Monroe but, all in all, I think I looked presentable. My dark red to his black matched perfectly, by the way.
Another flicker passed through the man's dark eyes and I felt my stomach heat up. I hadn't occurred to me until this very moment but....I had really went out of my way to dress up for a, and I repeat, a non-date. Why the heck was I trying to impress him all of a sudden?
Because his eyes are like dark pools of ecstasy, his body is the epitome of sexy, his face basks in pure Sex-Godliness, he's totally off limits; not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well and you've recently had an epiphany about your not-so-achieved past goals.
In laments terms; I was in a little funk and maybe, just maybe, Ranger admiring my looks would help me out of it. Even if I knew it'd go nowhere.
"So?" I asked after he stared for a few more minutes, feeling self conscious. "How do I look?"
His eyes met mines again and he struggled out in a thick voice, "Good."
"That's it?" I blinked, urging him onward. "Just good?"
"Very good."
"Very, very good? Not too dressed up?"
"Not at all."
I sucked on my teeth. I'd need more than that to brighten my mood. "Are you sure? I feel a little fat..."
"Stephanie, at this very moment, I'm contemplating taking you into your bedroom, stripping off that dress and showing you just how good you look to me. Are you happy with that response?"
Gulp.
There was no way to hide the surprise in my face and the blush rising on my cheeks. My mouth came open all by itself and I couldn't form a reply because my throat had just dried up. Ranger was staring at me with those deep eyes of his and I felt frozen in place. I was completely caught off guard. Yes, I wanted him to compliment me more but....wow. I uh...his words were totally unexpected.
Damn him and his unpredictable, complicated ways!
"Thanks." I squeaked out finally in a small voice when the initial shock wore off.
His mouth curved upwards slightly. "You're welcome. Now go get you're gun." Damn it. How'd he know I didn't have it? He gave me a look and I rolled my eyes, groaning.
"Fine." I started to turn, paused and then faced him once more. "You were just joking right? About the bedroom comment?"
Ranger broke out into a grin that could have resembled a vicious wolf and it sent all kinds of chills down my back. "Would you like to find out?"
My face burned again and my mouth went dry for the second time when my brain blanked at the prospect of replying. It seemed to be a proven fact that when he made sexual comments, I froze up. That being said, I turned on my heel and power walked into the kitchen without a glance back for fear of showing my flustered state.
I knew when I was beat. Ranger was obviously the more experienced one when it came to flirting. I'd have to watch out next time.
Besides, I had a feeling that his comment was truthful. Why, you ask?
Well because I had noticed a bulge in his pants that was obviously not his gun.
The scary part?
I was deliberating taking him up on his offer to find out for myself anyway.
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Hope you liked his next installment! ^_^ A bit short maybe but it's out there. Reviews are always appreciated. More R&S soon! Love and Peace, homies.
