SHADES OF GRAY

Chapter 28

Unlocking the door to her 7th floor condominium, Paulo and Tiana went bustling through the door carrying their white puppies and blankets. Stephanie and Ranger had the overnight bags from their more than one week away.

"Just leave those in the living room, I'll be doing laundry some time," leafing through the mail from her box downstairs and what was bundled by the doormen.

She had to smile; Ranger went right to her refrigerator and brought back two bottles of water that she now kept in there. Picking up her house phone, "Hi, Grace, it's Stephanie. We're back. Can Paulo and Tiana come for lessons tomorrow morning? And Friday? Yes, if Jason is interested, call me when he gets off his shift. I just need to get some groceries and dinner, but we'll be here. I would like to sell it furnished. OK, see you later."

"What's going on, Babe?"

Three faces were curious.

"Mrs. Gibson's son, Jason, is still interested in this place. And, I told her I would sell it unfurnished or furnished."

"Mommy, we won't have our cube," Paulo was pointing down the hall, "or our bed if we leave it here."

"Paulo, Mommy has to buy both of you new beds and I'll buy a new cube if I need too. It would be easier and faster to move just our smaller things and clothes."

Ranger was looking around the apartment, "What cube?"

Tiana was pulling on Ranger's hand, "We watch TV on it," leading them down the hall.

He knew what they were referring to now, the armless modular sofa with its footstool.

"We like this," Paulo told his mother and her boyfriend lounging on it now.

The little girl lifted the cushions on one of the seats and pulled out pillows, "We hide stuff," so all three were stretched out relaxing. Turning on the TV, there was an animal program on the screen.

"It is comfortable, Babe."

"I can order another one, if someone buys the furniture with the condo. We'll just have to put it together. What should we get for dinner?"

Ranger, Paulo, and Tiana looked at each other from their comfortable spot. The little girl had the idea, "Mommy, can we have those little sandwiches?"

"Yah, the fishy ones?"

"OK," Stephanie agreed with them, "fish, Carlos? I can order baked for us. Guy Tony's has both, they like the little fish sandwiches and curly fries. I'll get coleslaw and fruit salad for sides."

"Sounds good, Babe," glancing at the hippopotamuses in the muddy water.

"I'll go call and I'll walk down to get them if you'll stay here with these two?"

He looked to his left at the eyes that were half closed and nodded afraid to move so he wouldn't disturb them, "Here, use this," handing Stephanie his black credit card.

She rolled her eyes, but he was Macho Man paying for everything. Covering her children with a soft pale blue chenille blanket that matched the sofa, she went to phone in the order for dinner.

"I'll be back," Stephanie tied her white sneakers and dropped a kiss on his lips when he looked up from the Chicago newspaper.

"Bye, Babe."

One more glance before going out her condominium door, Ranger was right at home on her sofa with his legs up catching up with the world.

About twenty minutes later she was tapping on her door not able to reach the door knob with the bags in her hands. It opened, "Ding dong, food is here."

Grabbing a bag, "Why didn't you saw you were buying groceries?"

"I just got a few things to hold us over until I go grocery shopping tomorrow."

Setting the wonderful smelling dinner on the kitchen counter, she handed the milk, juice, eggs, bacon, apples, and homemade cream cheese from the corner deli to be put in the refrigerator, fresh bread went in the drawer with bagels, bananas in the fruit bowl on the breakfast bar, and the French toast sticks in the freezer.

"Hey," tickling her little boy and girl, "dinner is here," waking them from their short nap. Smiling, her heard them sniffing.

Ranger had the fish and mini-sandwiches on plates at her table with the curly fries in a serving bowl, ketchup, coleslaw, fruit salad ready. Two glasses of milk poured, silverware out of the drawer, and two bottles of water, dinner was served.

"These are good," Paulo was biting into his small kid size fish sandwich.

Stephanie wiped a smear of red ketchup off Tiana's face as she enjoyed her dinner.

"This is excellent fish," Ranger forked a piece of his flaky cod with crispy topping.

"Mmmmm," taking a bite of hers, "the secret Tony at the deli uses is lime juice with a touch of butter. The topping is parmesan bread crumbs. For a signed 'Sam' book for his little girl he divulged his secret."

Taking another piece off the platter, "I'm asking Ella about it," grabbing a few more curly fries, too.

Opening a small bakery box, Stephanie put white chocolate chip cookies on a scalloped plate with pink roses off her hutch for dessert.

"Mommy, do these move with us?" Tiana touched the delicate plate.

Stephanie nodded, "Grandma Mazur had these dishes in her house. It's called 'Virginia Rose'. After I moved to Chicago, I went to house sale one Saturday for something to do and I found enough of these dishes to use for special occasions."

Biting into his soft cookie, Paulo closed his eyes enjoying it, "Tony's cookies are special."

The dishwasher and washing machine were running. Stephanie made sure the throw pillows were fluffed, candles were lit, and the suitcases all stored away for her to show her condo. She just finished printing out information from her laptop and the washer went off when the doorbell rang.

"Babe, I'll put the clothes in the dryer. Go answer your door," Ranger did about face and went into the hall bathroom.

"Hmmm, a man who helps with the laundry. Good skill," wiggling her perfect eyebrows at him.

Opening her door, was an older couple, a blonde haired man about her age with a muscular build for a fireman, and two twin boys with the same light hair and a few freckles each. "Grace, Terry, come in."

"Stephanie, this is our son, Jason, and grandsons, Bryan and Brice."

The fireman's eyes were fixed on the beautiful woman shaking her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie. My mother speaks highly of you and enjoys tutoring your children."

"A pleasure also," finding her hand in a rough one to the touch firmly in place, "This is Paulo and Tiana. Please, come in," ushering them in her welcoming home.

His green eyes looked around the living and dining areas, but came back to her face, "If I knew my parents had such a beautiful neighbor, I wouldn't have hung out at the fire house so much."

"Thank you for the kind words."

A voice came from the hallway, "All true, Babe. I wasn't able to stay away." Ranger appeared making his presence known and the potential condominium owner could spot a jealous man even with the small upturned corners of his mouth, but his eyes were dark and piecing.

"Grace, Terry, Jason, this is Carlos."

A possessive left arm wrapped around Stephanie's waist and his right shook each outstretched hand.

"I bought this four years ago," handing Jason a print-out of her home when she bought it and photographs of it now. "The fireplace is electric with realistic logs and blower. There are ceiling fans here, in each of the bedrooms, and my lounge or studio. The furnace was replaced before I moved in. Also, the refrigerator and stove were new. I replaced the dishwasher and microwave so all the appliances were white."

"Quiet dishwasher," her guests were commented.

Terry Gibson was going over the print-out, "The carpeting was put in when you moved in I remember from the neighbors looking at the color in the lobby," he chuckled. "I did, too," gazing down at the pale creamy floor covering.

"Why do you have two prices down on the listing, Stephanie?" Jason asked looking around the dining area.

Opening up the balcony door, "I'm moving back to Trenton, Jason. It would make the move easier, if I could sell this furnished. Less packing for me and we would just take our personal things with us."

Paulo and Tiana were outside, "We can watch the fireworks from the park here."

Stephanie had pint sized real estate agents that made the Cuban man chuckle.

"When we bought our unit, there were none available with a park view," Grace Gibson sat down at the table watching the beautiful green park across the street.

"The courtyard just isn't the same view."

Ranger was never far from Stephanie's side as she showed the remainder of her home.

Brice Gibson picked up a 'Sam the Patchwork Puppy' book in the children's bedroom, "Grandma read this to us, too."

"Our Mommy," nudging the twin, "writes them," turning to her picture in the back.

"You're lucky. She's famous."

Tiana had to agree, "We go to book signings."

The little boys went running for their father, "Dad, we could live in someone's famous house!"

"Bryan, we could sell tickets for Game Boy games and give tours!"

Their grandfather was laughing, "Grace, our grandsons are going to be entrepreneurs yet."

Stephanie couldn't help but giggle, but she wasn't famous by a long shot.

"The first bathroom has its own laundry area."

"Stephanie, your bedroom is beautiful and so big. I love your shower!"

The master bathroom was smaller than the first, but it was white with a generous white marble shower and Jacuzzi tub.

"This is the best to watch TV," Paulo and Tiana had the two boys on their sofa cube watching a cartoon.

"And hide stuff," Tiana picked up a cushion like she did with Ranger.

"Dad, would it be difficult to turn this into a third bedroom once the boys were older if I needed?" Jason was trying to imagine the open studio closed in with a wall.

"No."

"There was more of a wall here," Stephanie indicated with her foot on the carpet, "because I think the previous owner used this for a den or library, but I opened it up because of the big windows for my drawing room and made the bookcases into additional storage for my supplies and stuff," opening the doors.

"I have an efficiency apartment near the fire station," Jason explained but with the boyfriend perched nearby stayed a safe distance away from the children's author, "so the furniture would be a plus. It is bright."

"Jason, your father and I will move up here and you could buy our place," his mother didn't let him finish.

"Grace!"

The retired teacher was staring at her husband, "I want a balcony overlooking the park and this is so bright. Let our son watch all the females in the courtyard.

I could sew in here and I love this sofa," sitting down next to her grandsons.

"That," pointing to the square sofa, "I ordered from a company on the Internet. The home makeover shows use their furniture. The pieces come in boxes; you put together the pieces and slip the covers over it. These four pieces come apart, but these two like to watch TV like this."

Jason bent down to be eye level with his sons, "Do you think we would have enough room here? With your mother going to beauty school, you two will be spending more time with me."

"Heck yah," Brice told his father.

Stephanie and Ranger listened to the elder Gibson's and their son discuss exactly who was buying her condominium.

"Stephanie, I want your condo," Grace told her without consulting her husband. "We'll move your furniture downstairs for Jason, but give me the website for that cube thing. My husband has become attached to it," seeing her older husband and two grandsons taking advantage of it.

"Mom, the boys and I want it! You have a condo. Stephanie, it's sold."

The Gibson family was going out her door still arguing about who was actually going to be living in the space.

Ranger and Stephanie were on opposite ends of her living room sofa laughing at each other.

"I hope no one throws a punch, but I think this place is sold, Babe."

"Well, one of them bought it. I guess I have to move now," Stephanie was swaying her hips in place and batting her blue eyes. "Where, Oh, where will I go?"

She didn't notice his movements, they were that quick until she felt the air move around her and Stephanie was bouncing on her sofa when she hit it and then a hard body stilled hers. "Babe, I know where I'm going later," dark eyes were eating her alive laced with lust.

"Really?"

Ranger didn't get a chance to respond because he was completely on top of Stephanie. Catching him off guard, two small bodies were on his back from slithering over the back of the sofa and forced him down.

"We're going home!" Paulo and Tiana cheered.

Kissing her giggling lips., "That's where I'll be."