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Everything you recognize belongs to Janet Evanovich
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Chapter 2. Dinner and a show
Stephanie started the car and drove home. When she came home her neighbor Mrs. Bestler was operating the elevator again. Well, thought Stephanie. If Mrs. Bestler liked to operate the elevator then by all means. It wasn't like she took someone else's job.
She gave Stephanie a shrewd look.
"Second floor. New locks and old boyfriends."
Stephanie gave her a confused look and left the elevator after thanking her for the tour. When she came closer to her apartment she understood what Mrs. Bestler had meant. Joe Morelli was standing outside her door. It looked like he had tried to pick the door lock.
"Joe."
"Hi, Cupcake."
She did not open the door.
"What do you want?"
"I heard that Ranger's left town."
"And?"
"Don't be like that Cupcake. Bob's been missing you."
"And?"
"Why don't you open the door? We can order pizza and talk."
"I've nothing more to say to you, Morelli. Just like the other times lately that I've told you to leave me alone."
Something gleamed in his eyes.
"Don't wait too long, Cupcake."
With those parting words he left.
Stephanie opened her door, silently thanking Hector, who had installed a new lock on her door. She had refused to let Rangeman pay for the locks and installation, so Hector had installed a reused lock, and gotten paid in pizza. Stephanie had never told him why she wanted a new lock, after refusing Ranger's offer of a secure lock so many times before. She had a feeling that if she told Hector about Morelli sniffing around, and of finding him inside her apartment a couple of weeks before Hector helped her with her lock, Morelli was in danger of disappearing. Permanently. Right now she could honestly not really find any fault with that.
Inside she went to her fridge. She had enough food left from Ranger's dinner the day before, that she would not need to mooch off her parents for today, at least.
Just as she closed the door to the fridge her phone rang. Caller ID said it was Helen Plum. She pondered to let it go to voicemail. In the end she answered.
"Hi mum."
"Stephanie, this is your mother."
Steph didn't say that was why she answered like she did.
"Yes mum."
"We're having pot roast and apple pie tonight. And then your grandmother wants to go to a viewing."
Steph debated whether or not she would say she had other plans, but in the end she just said she would be there at six.
Then she sat down at her laptop and looked at some job sites. She couldn't find anything that she wanted to do. For half a second she thought of contacting Rangeman and ask about a job there, but she didn't want any charity. After a lunch of a PB and olive sandwich she decided to clean her apartment before the dinner at her parent's house. When she wiped down the counters and table in the kitchen she looked at the empty place where Rex's cage used to be. Her little buddy had died just after New Year's, and she still missed him and the sound from the wheel when he ran. But he must have been one of the most long lived hamsters in history, even on the non-healthy diet she usually gave him.
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Five minutes to six Stephanie parked her car at the curb in front of her parent's house in the 'Burg. She was just on her way up to the door her grandmother held open when she heard another car coming down the road. She recognized Joe Morelli's car. She didn't say anything, just closed her eyes for a moment, and Edna could see her granddaughter's spark dim a little more. She had already looked tired and wan. Not at all like she had had the time to get a tan and it was already the end of July.
"Hi Grandma," Steph said.
"Baby granddaughter," Edna said. She looked over Stephanie's shoulder to Morelli just getting out of his car.
"There's a viewing I want to go to tonight. And to get the best parking and viewing opportunities we had better leave as soon as dinner's over."
Stephanie realized her grandmother was trying to get them away from Helen and Joe as soon as possible, and gave Edna a grateful smile. She stepped inside, and Edna almost succeeded in closing the door in Morelli's face. Helen was just coming from the kitchen and screeched to her mother to hold the door open. Helen then proceeded to welcome Joe, and barely acknowledging her daughter. Steph went to greet her father, who was sitting in front of the television.
"Hi, daddy."
"Hi, Pumpkin." He looked over her shoulder.
"Did you bring Joe?" he asked.
"No, I guess mum invited him."
Joe came into the living room, and tried to put his arm over Stephanie's shoulder. She managed to avoid it by moving closer to her dad.
"Hello, Mr. Plum," Joe said.
"Morelli," Frank answered.
"Cupcake."
"Joe."
"Dinner's ready," Helen called from the kitchen.
As they sat down to dinner Morelli managed to get the seat between Stephanie and Helen. Frank sat on Stephanie's other side, and her grandmother was opposite her at the table.
They began the usual ritual of passing the dishes. Stephanie only got two pieces of the pot roast, and a small amount of mashed potatoes. She passed on the overcooked broccoli, but took some of the salad.
"Why aren't you eating more, Stephanie?" Helen asked. "Are you not well, or are you… Oh my God! You're pregnant! Why me?! Why couldn't I get daughters who…"
Everybody looked at Stephanie, who could feel a tic right under her left eye.
"Cupcake?"
"I am not pregnant. Just because I'm not stuffing myself that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong."
"Actually…" Morelli began, and at the same time grabbed the hand closest to him. "I was thinking it was time for us to get pregnant. And married, of course," he said with a look at Helen.
"I am not marrying you. And definitely not having children or sex with you."
"You're not getting any younger, you know."
"Neither are you. We've not been dating each other for half a year! Why on earth would you think I would welcome a half assed offer of babies and marriage?!"
"Stephanie…" Helen began.
"No, mother. I'm not interested in Joe. We've been over since before Terry Gilman died in that car accident."
She got up from the table.
"Grandma. If you still want to go to the viewing I'm leaving now."
"But the apple pie," said Helen.
"For once in my life I can with 100 percent certainty say that I am not interested in dessert. And I'm not having morning sickness. I am having all day sickness over the fact that my own mother is unwilling to listen to me. Read my lips: I won't ever get involved with Joe Morelli again. If you cannot accept that, mother, you better adopt Joe yourself."
"Young lady, I have not raised you to be that impolite!"
"No, the only person allowed to not listen to anyone else is obviously you."
"I'm coming with you to the viewing," Edna said.
Frank said nothing at all. The only sign that he had heard the raised voices around him was the fact that he had paused the fork on its way to his mouth.
Stephanie and Edna left the table, and Helen got up from the table to the cupboard to get her special 'ice tea'.
"Why me? Why have I raised an ungrateful daughter who doesn't know what's best for her?"
Frank looked up from his plate at Morelli.
"I think you'd better leave."
"Frank! I invited Joe over for dinner!"
"You obviously invited Stephanie as well. And you didn't bother to be 'polite' to her."
Helen just stood there with a gaping mouth. Morelli for once in his life got a clue and thanked her for the dinner before he left.
When he went out to his car he could hear Helen's raised voice. For a second he pondered if it would be better to not get involved with Stephanie and her family again. But then he squared his shoulders. Stephanie was his. She had been his since the day she followed him into the garage and allowed him to play choo choo. The fact that she had lost her virginity to him about ten years later only cemented his ownership of her. A quick glance at his watch made him decide to drive by Stark Street and see who was working the streets. Maybe the curly bottle blonde had decided to follow his strongly worded 'advice' to go brunette? He got behind the wheel of his car and adjusted himself in his pants.
Inside the house Helen made it clear to Frank that he had no idea about what was in the best interest of their youngest daughter, and soon he was back in front of the television and the Sport's Channel.
