Steph's POV
Today was the day – I was going to talk to Vinnie and become a bond enforcement agent. Dad had apparently exchanged some rather heated words with Vinnie yesterday and made threats involving information about a duck – ew! – and all I had to do now was show up and start learning the ropes.
I pulled on some black skinny jeans and a stretchy grey V-neck and then added my new Bates boots. I strapped on all of the required paraphernalia - gun, extra mag, cuffs, stun gun, and knife - and I was ready to go. After pouring my coffee into a travel mug, I was off to the office. I pulled up ten minutes later and gave myself a little pep talk before getting out and walking into the bonds office.
"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum here to see Vinnie," I told the woman sitting at the front desk, and she smiled when she looked up.
"Steph, it's so good to see you! I'm Connie Rosolli, from school," she told me, and I suddenly put two and two together.
"Connie, it's so good to see you! You work for Vinnie, I guess?" I asked.
She popped her gum and nodded. "Yeah, I'm his office manager. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm supposed to come finalize things with Vinnie so I can be your new bounty hunter," I told her, and she smiled broadly.
"Just a sec," she replied. She called Vinnie over the intercom and a few minutes later his door slammed open and the weasel himself appeared.
"Vinnie," I said with a nod. "Thank you for the job." I was trying to be nice.
"Cut the crap, Plum. I'm doing this as a favor for your father. He swears that you're well-trained and know how to handle yourself. Is he right?" Vinnie asked. He's just so pleasant.
"Yes, I'm trained and know how to take care of myself," I assured him.
"And you have your own car?" he asked.
I motioned toward my red Miata parked out front and nodded. "Yep, that's my baby," I told him.
He laughed and shook his head and I wondered what had come over him. "You'll never be able to take skips in that little thing, Stephanie. There's not even a backseat! If that's the best you've got then this job isn't going to work for you. I'll let Uncle Frank know that you won't be a BEA here," he started, but I cut him off.
"No!" I quickly objected. "I'll figure something out."
"Like what?" Vinnie asked. "You gonna cuff 'em to the mirror and make them run beside you?" He thought this was so damn funny.
"I'll go trade it in," I finally offered. I loved my Miata, but I had to have a job. My baby was paid for and worth more than enough to go a long way toward an SUV.
"Fine," he grumbled unhappily. "But I want to go on record as saying that I don't like this one bit. And you won't be picking anyone up until you've spent time training with Ranger!"
Vinnie stomped back toward his office and I yelped out a wait. He turned to glare at me and I kept talking. "I have friends who are in the business and can train me," I tried, thinking of Les the other guys I'd met from Cal's work. I'd much prefer to train with them.
"Ranger or no job!" he huffed before slamming his door closed behind him. Guess I'd train with this Ranger guy.
Once Vinnie was safely ensconced back in his office where I'm certain he does things that I don't even want to think about, I turned to look at Connie.
"Any idea how I can get in touch with this Ranger guy?" I asked with a sigh.
"I've got it," Connie assured me. She picked up the phone and had a quick, quiet conversation and then turned back to me. "He'll meet you at the diner on Main at 4:00 this afternoon. Don't be late."
"How will I know who I'm looking for?" I asked.
Connie laughed and fanned herself. "Trust me, hun, you'll know. When you get a hot flash just from looking at him and instantly swear off other men...that's him."
"I swore off other men a couple of months ago – I'm seeing someone," I explained as I laughed at her description.
"He could make you rethink that stance," Connie informed me.
"Highly doubt that – I think this one's...well, he's the one," I admitted. "Whoever it is, no matter how good looking, couldn't make me forget him."
"Any chance I might get to meet him sometime?" Connie asked.
"Actually, you may know him. He works for RangeMan; his name is Cal," I shared.
Her eyes got big and she started fanning herself again. "Girl, that man is easy on the eyes! I had no idea you were seeing him! Ranger is his boss."
"That's right, I'd forgotten his boss's name. Well, it sounds like I have a car to trade in. Want me to drop by tomorrow morning to see what you have for me?" I asked.
"Sounds good, Steph."
I left Connie my number and signed a couple of forms that were required for me to have authorization to apprehend for Vinnie and then headed out to my car. I always hated negotiating with car dealers. I sighed and picked up my phone, deciding I wanted some help with this. I knew my dad was running his cab route this morning so I dialed Les and chuckled when he picked up.
"Yo, Beautiful. You need some Santos lovin'?" he asked.
"I need some Santos...help trading in my car for an SUV," I told him. "I always feel like car dealers try to screw women over, so I was hoping you might have a bit of time."
"Say no more. Want to swing by the office and pick me up? I'll meet you outside the front entrance," Les offered.
"Be there in ten," I told him, and the line went dead. Talk about a serious lack of phone manners.
