A/N: I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year celebration. :) I'm hopeful for this new year. Also, love all the comments about her & Joe's date... I forgot that the NYE chapter was long so I broke it in two so here's part 1! Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters nor do I make any money off this story.
Plum & Prejudice
Chapter 10:
"Do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at last"
"Thank god we are not staying at Mom and Dad's tonight," I say to Valerie as I brush the mascara onto my eyelashes. Val and I are getting ready together at her place before we get a cab to pick up Tina, Connie, and Lula. Mary Lou wasn't feeling great, so she and Lenny are just celebrating at home. Lucille said Vinnie would meet us there. I was a bit surprised to hear Lula was coming and wondered if that meant RangeMan men would be there. I already know Tina's boyfriend Vince will be there.
"Yeah, no need to hear the lecture from Mom," Val shouts from her bedroom, "I just wish I'd heard more from Steve. He's been pretty distant since the day after the ball." I finish up my mascara before heading into Val's room. She's wearing a black spaghetti strap dress and silver FMP's. She looks great. I'm annoyed at Steve for playing with Val again. Everything seemed fine until the day after his and Ranger's visit. Val said Steve got her number and promised to keep in touch. He texted her twice, but nothing serious.
I know Val doesn't want to show how much it's bothering her. I do believe she's still in love with him. I sit beside her and put a hand on her arm.
"Val, it was clear that he's still into you. Maybe he's just been busy with work," I say even though I'm not sure, "don't let him get you down. It's about to be a new year." She sighs.
"I know, you're right. It's probably just me overthinking since I don't have work to occupy my time," Val replies with a halfhearted smile, "are you going to see Officer Morelli tonight?" I roll my eyes at her subject change as I shrug. He's friendly, and he's handsome, but I'm not sure he's the one.
"He's supposed to meet us at the club around midnight," I inform her, "to get his new year's kiss." Val lets out a squeal.
"Steph," she says, grabbing my arm, "I don't think I remember you ever having a guy around before." I shrug.
"It's not a big deal; it's not like we've been seeing each other long or are exclusive," I explain with another shrug, "now I need to get my outfit on." I stand up and grab my dress, hanging on the back of the door. I have a sparkly sequin dress that has a plunging v-neck, it hits right below my butt, and in some light, it's silver; in others, it's a shimmery lavender. It's a short sleeve and hugs my curves nicely. I'm wearing a Coco de Mer black Damen Gaea bra and brief. It's incredibly sheer and makes me feel super-sensuous and sexy, especially knowing that no one but me knows. Val gives me a knowing look as I slip the dress over my head.
"So," she begins, "will you ask Joe to come over later?" I blush at her question. I wish I didn't blush so much, but I can't seem to control it.
"I don't know… I'm not decided," I hedge, "I don't know if I want to before I know how I really feel about Joe."
"Well, one look at you, and he will be salivating," she says with a grin, "honestly, you'll probably have to beat the guys off of you with a stick. Joe will be lucky if you're still waiting for him when midnight comes around." We both laugh at this.
"Yeah, well, Steve should be the one worried," I say, nudging her. Now she's the one to blush.
"It's not like I'm waiting around for him," she replies flippantly, "come on, let's go pick up the girls." We get a van cab and head out to get the girls. The first stop is Tina and Connie, and then we pick up Lula before we head to Club Casa Night Club. It's relatively new, but we've heard good things.
"I can't wait to get my Tankie on the dance floor," Lula says, moving her upper body. I can't help myself…
"Are a lot of the guys from RangeMan going to be there?" I question, trying to seem nonchalant. I can feel Val giving me a look, but I don't see her.
"Yeah, girl! I invited the whole building," Lula replies enthusiastically, "those guys love to party."
We get to the club quickly, and there's already a line forming down the sidewalk. Thankfully, we purchased VIP passes and can head directly inside. We also get a large table for the night and a few bottles of champagne for when the clock strikes midnight. The music is loud, and I can feel the pulse through my feet and up my body. I start swaying with the music. Tina squeals and runs towards the bar where tall, dark and handsome catches her and spins her around before planting a steamy kiss on her lips. It must be Vince. He's standing next to Tank, and I recognize the lithe form of Lester Santos beside him. I feel a smile reach my lips.
"Ooh, there's my Tankie looking so fine," Lula comments, smacking her lips in appreciation. She sashays over to him, and he pulls her in for a hug and kiss. The couples are so cute. I see when Lester notices me and gives me a wide grin. I give him a finger wave in return. Val nudges me.
"Who's Mr. sexy green eyes?" she asks with a raised brow. I stick out my tongue at her.
"Lester Santos, he works at RangeMan. He was the bodyguard of the lady I met with from Coco de Mer," I inform her, "and he's Ranger's cousin." Val gasps.
"No! Really?" she questions as we make our way closer to the bar, "I hope he has better manners." I can't help but snort. Val may be one of the nicest people I know, but you don't mess with her friends or family.
"He does," I reply, right as we make it to the bar. Lester looks me up and down and grins.
"Wow, looking great, Beautiful," he says, green eyes twinkling. He grabs my hand and presses a kiss on the back before turning it over and kissing my palm, and then leaving another one on my wrist. I feel my heartbeat quicken and a flush go through me. He looks up, his lips on my wrist, and gives me a wink.
"Thank you," I breathe, feeling dazed. Lester grins widely.
"I hope you'll save me a dance later," he says in a velvety voice. Wow, this man is sex walking. Val nudges me. I totally forgot other people were around.
"Uh, Lester… this is my sister Valerie, Val, this is Lester," I introduce, trying to regain my composure. I see Tina smirking at me, and Valerie is grinning as well. He shakes her hand and smiles at her.
"Nice to meet you," he says, charming my sister next. We make introductions before heading to the second floor, where our reserved table is. The layout is two floors in the same positioning. There's a wide-open dance floor in the middle with a DJ table at the front and large tables dotted around the edges of the room. The lights are low and flashing. Once we get to the second floor, Tina yells for us all to get tequila shots. Ooh boy. Val gives me a look as she knows I'm a total lightweight. We cheers and quickly down the clear liquid. Thankfully the salt and lime help, but I still make a face. After the group shot, Val and I wander to the bar. I figure I better stick with tequila and not mix my liquor, so I get a margarita on the rocks. Val goes with a rum and coke.
"Be careful, Steph, don't overdo it, or you'll be hurting tomorrow," she says as I sip my drink. I nod, knowing she's right.
"It's New Year's Eve, though," I comment as we head back to the table. It seems more of the RangeMan posse has arrived. I feel my nose wrinkle in disgust as I see the long red hair of a petite woman. Unfortunately, there's only one person that could be. Caroline Bingley. I look around and see guys of different ethnicities. I don't see Steve or Ranger. Lula and Tank are out on the dance floor. Lucille is sitting in the booth with Vinny. Tina is grinding against Vince on the edge of the dance floor. Caroline is flirting with a guy I don't recognize. She acts like she doesn't see us or doesn't know us, which is fine with me. Val rolls her eyes.
Lester comes over and puts an arm around my shoulders. I can't help but enjoy his company and his attention. He's gorgeous, pleasant, and funny.
"Let me introduce you, ladies, to some of the other guys," Lester says as he guides us to a group of four men.
"This is Hector, Manny, Woody, and Bobby. The big one over there is Hal," he introduces. Hector is a thin, wiry, relatively short Latino man with a lot of different tattoos. Manny is also rather slender yet tall, and he looks full-blooded Italian. Woody is African-American with a lighter complexion than Tank and a defined upper body. Bobby is very similar in looks to Woody, although he has longer curls and more golden brown eyes that remind me of caramel. They all smile and nod at us as we get introduced. Hal is similar in size to Tank but white and a few inches shorter. He's the one Caroline is flirting with heavily. Manny moves to Val's side and begins chatting with her. I see Connie head up to Bobby. I guess she knows him from the bonds office. Lester stays by my side and glances down at me with a smile.
"So Beautiful, no New Year's Eve date?" he questions, pulling me over to sit at the table. I shoot him a small smile.
"Not particularly. I'm surprised you don't have a hot girl on your arm," I say, turning my head pretending to look for said girl. He laughs before looking at me.
"I do," he replies with a wink before downing the rest of his drink. I try to hold back a smile.
"Did you know I was going to be here?" I question, tilting my head to the side. I notice his hair isn't gelled quite the same, and a piece of his hair is falling into his eyes. He brushes it back, and I see his muscle strain against his shirt. How are all of these men so ridiculously good looking?
"I may have heard my thick-headed cousin and Ram talking about the plans," he said with a casual shrug, "Ranger was trying to convince Ram it would be a bad idea." I purse my lips.
"Why did he think it would be a bad idea?" I wonder I'm feeling very curious about this entire conversation. Lester shrugs.
"Something about how the girl Ram is interested in isn't very interested in him. Ranger said it wasn't a very good match because of the family," Lester comments, seemingly unaware that the match happened to be my sister. I feel anger boiling.
"Why did Ranger even think to have a say in it?" I ask, knowing that Lester will probably get suspicious of me asking too many questions. He looks over at me curiously but doesn't comment.
"I'm not too sure," he replies with a shrug, "my cousin is very guarded and very loyal. He probably believes it to be the absolute truth; otherwise, he wouldn't say anything. Do you know Ram?" I nod. He looks at me again, and I can basically hear the unasked question.
"The match that is such a bad idea," I begin, my eyes finding Valerie still chatting it up with Manny, "is my sister and Steve or as you guys call him, Ram." I see Lester's eyes widen slightly.
"What happened?" he asks, now the one asking the questions.
"They dated all through high school. They were inseparable, but 9/11 happened. Steve lost his uncle that day and decided to enlist," I explain, telling the story that isn't really mine to share, "he broke up with Valerie, telling her she deserved someone she knew would come home at the end of the day. Someone she could settle down with. He broke her heart, and she's never had a serious relationship since then." Lester nods, taking it all in.
"Wow, we never knew that about Ram," he says, "he was always so quiet about his life before enlisting." A beep sounds, and he checks his phone. His green eyes meet mine.
"Well, looks like some good news. Ranger and Ram will be making an appearance tonight after all," he informs me with a grin, "so what do you say to a dance?" The timing is perfect as the song changes at that moment to a beat I recognize as salsa. I grin.
"Just follow my lead," Les commands, taking my hand and bringing me out to the floor, where he immediately begins the dance. I won't tell him that mom forced me to take dance lessons like every good Burg girl. Thankfully, dancing was something I always enjoyed because, with the right partner, you truly feel like you're flying. I've preferred Latin dance over the more traditional ballroom dances like waltz or foxtrot.
We start with the typical hand in hand formation before noticing that I can follow his steps, so he pulls me in, so one hand is on my waist, and we are holding each other's hand near our shoulders. I have my other hand on his shoulder.
"Wow, Beautiful and knows Latin dance?" he says with a smirk, "you might be the perfect woman." I laugh.
"Les, you are quite the charmer, aren't you?" I question right before he puts me into a double spin; he spins and then catches my hand, so we're back in the normal position.
"What can I say?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows, "my papa always taught me the right way to treat a lady." He pulls me in closer, so when we do the steps, his leg is right in between mine. I feel his warmth through his clothes. The quick movement, the exhilaration, the alcohol, and the closeness of our bodies has me feeling very warm and very attracted to the man I'm dancing with. My eyes are drawn to his full lips, to his jaw where 5 o'clock shadow is reappearing, to the buttons on his crisp white shirt that is opened to show a bit of creamy caramel skin. The shirt is fitted nicely against him, and I can see his muscles as he moves me around in the dance. I watch as his eyes track down my body, lingering at the v-neck of my dress, and I feel my nipples harden as his green eyes darken. My breathing is becoming harder as the tempo increases, and we move faster towards the climax. His chest brushes against mine, and I'm sure he can feel my pebbled nipples. I look up to see him looking at me with those intense green eyes, and he lowers his head as though he's about to kiss me when someone yells out, "Santos!"
Both of our heads snap up to see none other than Ranger standing there, his face dark. Les looks down at me and shrugs sheepishly, caressing my hand as though a promise to finish later. We walk over to his cousin, who looks pissed, quite honestly. He glares at Lester and then moves his eyes to me. It's barely perceivable, but I see his expression soften, and his eyes lighten. He dips his head in greeting, "Miss Plum." I nod back, not entirely ready to be polite to him after everything I know of him.
I see him jerk his head to the side as a motion to Lester. Les kisses my hand before leaving with Ranger to a corner of the club. I have no idea what they'll be discussing. I head to the table, surprised but happy to see Steve right by Val's side. Maybe he's not so dumb as to listen to his pompous friend.
I decide to get another drink, and Tina joins me at the bar with a knowing grin.
"Whew, girl, you and Lester could light this place on fire!" she giggles as we wait for the bartender to make our drinks. I roll my eyes even though I was definitely feeling overheated.
"It was just a dance," I say, even though I was feeling very attracted to him. Tina laughs and nudges me with her elbow.
"Right, just a dance," she repeats with a grin, "I think you should take him for a roll in the sheets. Vince tells me he's quite the known ladies man." I raise my eyebrows at this piece of information. Somehow, it doesn't surprise me.
"Well Tina, you know I'm not the one-night-stand type," I reply as the bartender hands us our drinks. This round is on me as I give him my credit card.
"Maybe you should! It's a lot of fun," Tina says wistfully, "although eight nights in a row with the same well-hung, skilled man is good too." I laugh at her description of Vince.
"That good, huh?" I question, wondering, not for the first time if I'm making too big of a deal about my first time having sex. I'm probably over-romanticizing it, but I want it to be memorable and meaningful.
She sighs dreamily as she turns to find Vince, "yeah, girl. Like I said, I think he's the one."
I'd like to have that feeling, but I haven't met anyone where I've felt so sure. I get my credit card back, and we make our way to the table. I take a few pulls of my new margarita and realize I am definitely feeling a buzz. I grin at Val and Steve.
"Hi Steph, having fun tonight?" Steve asks, and I notice his hand entwined with Val's. I smile and nod.
"Yes, so far, so good! I'm glad to see you made it out," I reply, "Valerie said she hadn't heard from you, so we weren't sure we'd see you." He has the decency to look a bit ashamed, and Val gives me a little glare. I shrug. I am not going to be coy with him. He hurt her too much already. She may not like to admit it, but I heard her crying late at night for weeks after he broke up with her. She lost fifteen pounds before starting college and acted like a zombie for a few months. Thank God for her freshman roommate Allison or Val may have stayed in her zombie state for a lot longer.
I see Lester and Ranger heading back to the group. Ranger looks marginally less upset, and Les has on his blank face. It's not the typical happy-go-lucky Lester I'm used to seeing. I wonder what they discussed.