A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I'm so glad you are enjoying this story. I have really enjoyed writing it. To be candid, this is the last pre-written chapter I have so updates will probably come weekly moving forward. Anything you want to see happen in this story? Drop a review! I love seeing what you think / want to happen and it could possibly make an appearance. :) I hope the New Year is treating everyone well even though it's been a shit show here in the U.S. I hope my words can make you forget about it even for a moment. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own none of JE's characters nor do I make any money off of them.
Plum & Prejudice
Chapter 11:
"Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure."
As they meander back to the group, I get the chance to study Ranger and Lester side by side. Although I'd guess Les has an inch or two over his cousin, they're about the same height. Lester has a lighter complexion, but they have the same slim nose, set of eyes, and handsome jawline. Lester's hair is a dark brown, where Ranger's is a deep brown, almost black, to match his darker skin. Lester is a bit slimmer yet still muscular, whereas I can clearly see the bulk of Ranger's muscles, although it'd be a stretch to call him bulky. Lester is wearing a white button-up shirt while Ranger is in all black. They must have their clothes tailored because they fit like a glove.
Damn, what a gene pool. Realizing how lost in the thought I am, I take another drink of my margarita. Honestly, I should be done after this one because my thoughts are just totally wandering...comparing two hot cousins. One definitely has the better personality, that's for sure. My eyes scan the dance floor, and I realize that almost our entire party is out there except for myself, Val, Steve, Lester, and Ranger.
Lester and Ranger take seats on opposite sides of me. I'm in a hot man sandwich. I giggle to myself and blush when I realize they both give me a questioning look. Their expressions are almost identical, which makes me laugh harder. I cover my mouth with my hand. I see Val give me a motherly look. I'm able to figure out that she's telling me I drank too much. Lester wraps an arm around my shoulder.
"You okay, Beautiful?" he questions, his green eyes probing mine. I smile and see Ranger lean forward onto the table with his elbows.
"Fine, I just realized how similar you two are," I say, "I remember thinking you looked familiar on Wednesday when I saw you, but I knew I never met you." I turn to Ranger.
"You two have very similar facial features!" I exclaim as though I figured out a puzzle, "and I may be a little bit tipsy, which is making me find almost everything funny." I put my thumb and pointer finger together to indicate a little bit. Lester grins at me, and I look over, surprised to see Ranger also giving me a huge smile. I blink, not accustomed to seeing him with an expression on his face. He looks beautiful.
"I'm going to go to the bar and grab another drink," Lester tells me; he looks down at the drink in my hand, "do you need anything else?" I giggle.
"Nope, just wanter...I mean water," I reply, tripping over my tongue, "sorry, I don't usually drink much." His grin widens, and he laughs.
"Sure thing, Beautiful," he responds as he stands to head to the bar. I push away the rest of my margarita as I don't want to drink anymore for fear of what could come out of my mouth. I notice a brief silence as Ranger does nothing to attempt small talk. I barely notice as Valerie and Steve hit the dance floor.
"So where did you meet Lester?" Ranger finally asks after clearing his throat. I'm surprised he's trying to talk to me. I turn to study the man beside me. I notice he has a glass in his hand, and he has his legs stretched out under the table. He's acting relaxed, but I can tell there is tension within his body.
"I met him on Wednesday during a business meeting," I reply, surprised he didn't already know this. Ranger nods and swirls the liquid in his glass.
"What type of business are you in?" he asks, his deep brown eyes meeting mine. He's talking low, and if I couldn't see his lips, then it would be hard to hear with the music. I'm surprised he's feigning interest for this long, considering his dismissal of me at the ball and hearing him warn Steve away from Valerie.
"I work for E.E. Martin as a lingerie buyer," I explain, starting to feel a bit more sober. I notice his eyes darken, and his grip tightens on the glass. "I was meeting with Angelica Jones from Coco de Mer. Lester was her bodyguard." I watch as his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows.
"Right, I remember that contract," he says, looking down at his drink and clearing his throat again. A song I recognize comes on, my eyes close, and I start swaying to the music. I feel a jolt as a warm hand rests on mine. I open my eyes and look straight into Ranger's. He smiles tentatively.
"Would you like to dance?" he asks hesitantly. He seems so different today from the ball and the day after. I'm surprised he's even asking me now, but maybe it's because Caroline is preoccupied with Hal. Realizing we're the only ones left at the table, I say yes. Besides, I do love the song playing. I nod, so he stands in one fluid motion and offers his hand to me. I take his hand with a small smile, and the electricity in his touch sends a jolt through me. I see his eyes widen ever so slightly, which leads me to believe he feels it as well. He shoots me a grin that throws me off guard. He really is handsome. The song playing is "Vivir mi Vida" by Marc Anthony, and it's an excellent salsa beat.
We start off moving slowly to the music but quickly pick up the rhythm. Much like Lester, I think Ranger is shocked that I can follow along so smoothly. We move together as though we've been partners for a long, long time. I follow each of his steps, spins, and maneuvers like I was born to salsa. He gives me another grin, and I laugh as he does a double spin. I go around and around before he pulls me back in as the song ends, and he dips me low. I feel the excitement thrumming through my body and the fire from his touch. His eyes have become molten chocolate as he stares at me. My breathing is a bit uneven from the dance, and now it is heavier from realizing how close his lips are to mine. My eyes scan his face, landing on his lips, which are full and even. My tongue darts out to moisten my lips, and my eyes flashback to his. If possible, they seemed to grow darker.
The moment ends as a loud beat sounds, and the music switches to classic club trap music. Ranger clears his throat and deftly pulls me back up to a proper standing position.
"I...uh...thank you for the dance," I say with a small smile, "you're a terrific dancer." He tips his head in acknowledgment.
"Thank you, you as well," he replies, grabbing my hand and placing a kiss. I blush profusely. I don't understand him. He's rude one minute and polite the next. I see him get dragged off by Caroline Bingley, so I head back to the table. I could use some more water. I grab my glass and head up to the bar for a refill. My phone says we're about thirty minutes out from the New Year. I don't see any notification from Joe. I wonder if he'll make it after all or if he'll leave me on my own.
I'm sipping my water at the table as I watch the group enjoying themselves on the dance floor. Tonight has been nice. I close my eyes and feel the beat of the music as I try to relax. I'm hopeful for this new year. I think it will be good for me both personally and professionally. I feel better after drinking more water. The tingle on the back of my neck brings me out of my peaceful moment. I open my eyes to see Ranger sitting beside me.
"Getting tired, Babe?" he asks as I see him take a drink of his water. I give a half shrug. I decide not to get upset over his nickname. I guess it could be worse… I cringe when I think of Joe calling me cupcake.
"A little," I respond, "done dancing?" His lip tips up into a smirk.
"I'm not big on dancing," he replies and turns to face me. I see the sparkle of his diamond stud in the lights. He looks down at his watch, and I see him smile.
"Looks like it's time to countdown," he says as the music quiets and a spotlight is on the ball hanging from the ceiling of the club. The magical feeling of a new year about to begin has everyone humming with anticipation. Somehow, Ranger has moved closer during this time, and our thighs are touching. He's not looking at me but up at the ball. My eyes scan the room one more time as I half expect Joe to be there somewhere. I'm a little disappointed he hasn't contacted me or shown up.
In the blink of an eye, the chant is loud, "5...4...3...2...1… Happy New Year!" A roar goes up in the crowd, and I'm grinning. Ranger turns to me and moves quickly, planting a kiss on my cheek.
"Happy New Year, Babe," he says softly with his eyes sparkling. I can feel the blush coming all the way from my toes at his tenderness. This action is not something I expected from him. Unconsciously, my hand moves to touch my cheek, where a lingering tingle stays from his kiss. I'm sure I'm bright red, but thankfully in the din of the club, it should be hard to tell.
"Happy New Year, Ranger," I reply, and we clink our water glasses together. Maybe he isn't so bad after all.
We sit without speaking as the crowd mills about the floor. I see Val and Steve making their way towards us. I also see Lula and Tank. It appears the whole crew is making their way back to the table. I hear a high pitch laugh, and Caroline swinging her hair over her shoulder catches my eye. Her eyes narrow and flick between Ranger and me. An unpleasant look crosses her face before she quickly replaces it with a fake smile. Caroline takes a seat right on the other side of Ranger and places a possessive hand on his arm. He doesn't seem to mind. I'm amused as Lester sits next to me and waggles his eyebrows suggestively. I laugh. He tips his head towards his cousin.
"I hope that stick in the mud didn't bore you too much," he says, baiting Ranger. I can't help but chuckle. Ranger's expression darkens.
"You really shouldn't laugh at a man," Caroline interjects in that annoying voice. I look at her questioningly.
"Why not? I love a good diversion, and isn't life more fun if you don't take yourself too seriously?" I question and wonder if Caroline has ever had a thought for herself. Lester lets out a hearty laugh, reaches around me, and slaps Ranger on the back.
"She's got you there, primo," he chuckles, "don't be so serious all the time." His face remains stoic. I am reminded of Ranger's lacking qualities in his inability to joke. Lula diverts our attention by clinking her glass.
"'Cuse me," she states loudly, "I just want to say... here's to a new year! I'm looking forward to getting to know you ladies better." We raise our glasses and cheers in acknowledgment. I'm distracted by Steve whispering into Val's ear. She blushes but nods to whatever he says. I begin to yawn and realize I am getting old. I can't stay up like I used to.
The group starts dispersing as people decide it's time to head out. I catch Val's eye, and she nods to me. I see her kiss Steve before making her goodbyes. I give hugs to the girls and say bye to the guys. Val links her arm in mine, and we head out to grab a cab. We're silent on the ride back to her apartment as we're in our own worlds.
"Steph," Val says as she washes her face from the bathroom, "tonight with Steve was magical." I sigh as I place an arm over my eyes from the bed. I don't want to ruin her mood and tell her that Ranger was trying to keep them apart. Hopefully, Steve is smart enough not to listen.
"And what about you?" she questions even without my response, "Joe never showed up or said anything? You seemed pretty cozy with both Lester and Ranger." I remain quiet on the bed.
Val emerges with a clean face in her PJs. She gives me a look before turning out the light and sliding into the bed next to me.
"Come on, Steph, you're awfully quiet," Val whispers in the dark.
"It was a nice night," I finally reply, "no, no word from Joe. I still have the same opinion of Ranger... he's still rather rude and thinks too highly of himself. Lester is fun, but not for me."
"Oh, Steph, I do wish you'd find someone who makes you feel like I do with Steve," she says as she grabs my hand and squeezes.
"Maybe one day, or I'll just be the crazy aunt with a lot of money to spoil your kids," I say, knowing it is a real possibility. I let out a big yawn before drifting off to sleep.