Chapter 2: Rumor Has It
A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I'm still really rusty and feedback helps me find out what works. Plus, it's always beneficial to hear ideas that further the story. I'm currently writing this a chapter at a time and then posting so I don't really know where this is headed. I'm terrible at outlining a story because it inevitably changes so much as I write it. As always, I don't own anything recognizable, JE does.
P.S.- I made a minor edit on chapter 1. I realized Ranger's mini speech had a whoopsies. I've fixed it now. :) Also, I'm having trouble with the doc manager and the formatting on my Mac. Sometimes it comes through as code instead of words. I apologize for those of you who received multiple notifications about updates. I had to remove it and repost.
*Ranger's P.O.V.*
After Steph's little revelation, I couldn't wait to make my move. It's been a long time coming and the thought of losing another moment to indecision was intolerable. I leaned over and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her to me. "You really shouldn't have told me that, Babe." I stopped when my face was millimeters from hers and looked into her eyes. As much as I wanted this, I wouldn't force myself on her. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused and she was breathing in little pants. When I glanced down at her lips, she gasped and began to fidget in her seat. That was all the consent I needed. I closed the remaining distance between us and pressed my lips up against hers. My original plan of a short but thorough kiss flew out the window the second we touched. Fire shot down my spine and pure lust flowed through my veins. I applied more pressure to her lips and ran my tongue along the seam. She moaned and leaned closer, plastering herself to me while opening her mouth. I slid my hand under her shirt and played with her nipples through her lacy bra. She moaned again and drug her nails down my back over my shirt. My hard-won control was slipping having her this close. I've wanted her for months and that was before I knew how good this could be. Just as I was debating whether to drag her across the console or up to her apartment, my phone chirped.
I pulled back and rested my forehead against hers. She was panting and it was doing amazing things for her chest. I closed my eyes to gain control back. Looking at her was not going to help that happen. I removed my phone from my belt and answered without looking. It was the control room with a problem that couldn't wait. She leaned back in her seat and tried to catch her breath.
"I'm sorry, Babe. There's been a break-in at one of our larger accounts and I need to be on site when the police arrive." Unfortunately for both of us, work comes before fun. It's not just money, it's other people's safety and well-being. I looked at Steph to see her reaction. She was already calming down and embarrassment was blooming across her skin in a lovely shade of pink. Cute.
She nodded and climbed out of the car without saying a word. I watched her walk unsteadily across the lot and pulled away as she crossed over the threshold into the lobby. I continued to wrestle with my lust as I thought ahead to what needed to be done. I struggled with the urge to just turn the car around and finish what we started, but my sense of duty finally won out. If I don't watch it, that woman will be my undoing.
*Stephanie's P.O.V.*
I staggered my way into my apartment, my fingers touching my lips. They were still tingling from Ranger's kiss. Wow that man can kiss! Is there anything he can't do exceptionally well? Oh Steph, don't go there. You don't need to think about the other possible things he might be great at, you'll have an embolism. I leaned my head down against the cool counter and thought about my grandmother's dating antics. Nothing ruins a mood faster.
After I got my hormones under control, I said hello to Rex and wandered into my bedroom. I walked into the bathroom to check my hair and realized my face was still flushed. I definitely had a just-screwed look that didn't seem to want to go away. Considering all we did was make-out, this does not bode well for how I'll look if we take it any further. Okay, I just need to focus on something else until it goes away. I can do that, denial is what I do best. I'm the queen of Denial-land. Just look at how well I ignore my lack of skills with hunting felons.
Once I got my mind back on track, I sat on my bed to contemplate what to do next. Should I try again today or just call it and take a nap? Since it was only 10:45 am, I decided to call Dad and see if he would give me a ride over to their house to borrow Big Blue. As an added bonus, I could mooch lunch off my parents while I'm there. Lula would have been an easier choice, but I didn't really want to see her so soon after my make-out session with Ranger. I need time to come to terms with the shift in our working relationship, but I also need to make a capture so I could pay my rent on time and a car is needed for that.
Dad was already in his cab headed home, so it took him no time at all to swing by and pick me up. The best thing about riding with my father was the companionable silence. It gave me plenty of time to get my thoughts together before my mother's inescapable inquisition. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, but I've gotten more than a little tired of her quest to make me the perfect housewife. I know it comes from a place of love, but it's freaking exhausting.
We pulled up right at 11. We walked in and Dad went straight to his recliner in front of the tv just as Mom walked in with his plate. I headed back to the kitchen and sat down at the small formica table. Grandma glanced up when I came in and started making me a sandwich. Mom walked up just as Grandma finished our sandwiches and stopped to shake her head at me. She's probably been fielding calls all morning about my exploding car. I felt bad about all the grief she gets from the Burg busybodies about my exploits, but I don't know what I can do about it. It's not like I ask for felons to assault me or my cars to explode.
"Stephanie, why can't you get a real job? One that doesn't put you in near-constant danger? Sharon Zebrowski's daughter doesn't get threatened nearly as much and she works at a bank!" She lamented, sitting down across from me. Grandma brought over our plates and sat between us. I shrugged and started to eat; I didn't want to get into it today.
"Oh leave her alone Helen. She's happy with the job she has and it's exciting! Plus, I like always having a fun story to tell at the beauty salon. Keeps life interesting." Well that's one way of looking at it. Despite Grandma saying she benefited from my catastrophes, I know she said that to take some of the heat away from me. The only thing Mom hates more than my job, is Grandma's hobbies.
"Mother, please. You shouldn't enjoy Stephanie almost getting killed on a regular basis." We both looked at her. Was that what bothered her so much about what I do for a living?
"I thought you didn't like my job because it reflected poorly on your standing in the Burg? I thought you wanted me to be a housewife and stay home with my future children?"
"Well, yes that would be better, in my opinion. You would be safe if you stayed at home. At this rate, you're going to get blown up before you even find someone to spend your life with! Do you know what it feels like to constantly receive calls telling me you almost died? And then to have you waltz in here acting like it's no big deal? I'm terrified that one of these times they're going to be calling to tell me you're dead!" She had worked up a head of steam at this point and was visibly shaking. Crap. I didn't realize that she was so worried about me. I just thought she didn't approve of my choice in career.
"I didn't mean to scare you, Mom. It worries me, too. I don't wanna die anytime soon," I said. I made a split second decision in my head and told her, "That's why I'm going to get serious about this and get the proper training. I love my job, but I need to take it seriously. I have a friend who is way better at this than me, and he offered to train me." God help me if he was serious about me running up a bill, but if I don't ask for help I won't live long enough for him to collect on it anyway.
Grandma spoke up, "I bet that friend is that hot Ranger fellow you hang around with every once in a while. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you with the whole relationship problem as well." She winked at me and grinned when Mom startled.
"Ranger? Isn't he part of a gang? I've heard that he was a thug who didn't care about the law." I needed to put a stop to this line of thinking before it got out of hand. I didn't want to make her more worried than she already was.
"Ranger's not a thug, Mom. He's an ex-Ranger, hence the nickname, who owns his own security company. They track down felons, provide private security, and even do a little bodyguard work. He's a good guy."
She didn't look convinced. "What about asking someone else to help you. Someone like Joseph Morelli? He's a homicide cop now and I hear he's good at his job."
"Joe's an asshole. He's been going around saying we're dating for months apparently and we haven't even spoken to each other since I brought him in! I'd rather ask someone who isn't delusional to help me. Ranger's better anyway. There's a reason why we call him Batman."
"I thought that was just because of how good he looks in black," Grandma said. She grinned and moved her eyebrows up and down, "Though I bet that man looks good in anything and even better with nothing on!"
"Mother!" "Grandma!" We exclaimed at the same time.
"What? You know it's true, you're just afraid to say it." Yea because I have enough problems without Ranger finding out I've been discussing his body with my grandmother.
My mother just shook her head and said, "But Joe's a good man! He would make a good husband for you. It's not like he was actually a murderer. He was cleared of all charges! I don't believe for one minute that he would spread rumors about you that he didn't believe were true. Maybe he just hasn't gotten around to asking you out yet, but wanted to let people know he would. I'm sure he would be a better choice for this. This Ranger fellow can't possibly be the better choice to keep you safe."
"That doesn't make it any better, Mom. Only an arrogant asswipe assumes someone will go out with them without asking. Ranger is the best and would wipe the floor with Joe, end of story." She looked skeptical but apparently didn't have anything more to say about it because she started to eat her lunch.
Ten minutes later, I had finished eating and was enjoying a cup of coffee and talking about some of my funnier captures with Grandma. Mom was alternating between doing the dishes and staring out the window. I guess she had a lot to think about after our conversation. I'm hoping this means she's coming to terms with my life and who I choose to have in it. When I finished my coffee, I realized it was time to head to the office, so I said my goodbyes and climbed into Big Blue. Big Blue is a classic powder blue Buick Roadmaster that was left to Grandma a few years ago. This car didn't fit my image, but it fit my budget. I guess I'm glad Grandma let me borrow it all of the time. I backed it out of the garage and pointed its bulbous nose towards the Bond's Office.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up in front of the office and attempted to parallel park. When I was mostly in the spot, I gave up, got out, and walked in to find Lula and Connie in a heated debate about fried chicken. Lula was a fan of Cluck-in-a-Bucket, but Connie preferred KFC. They had reached the point of no return and were currently throwing insults at each other without waiting to hear a reply.
I slammed the door shut and all conversation stopped. Lula looked me up and down and I suddenly felt nervous. It's been over an hour, and I'm pretty sure I looked like my normal self again.
"Girl, you look like you had a good lunch! Was it with that Officer Morelli? He is fine!" She walked over and sat on the couch, her leopard print mini skirt riding dangerously high up her leg.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Joe and I aren't going out. I haven't spoken to him in months," I said while flopping down on the other end of the couch.
"That's not what I heard. Word on the street is ya'll have been doing the nasty for months now. Seems like it was especially good today because you're glowing!"How the heck does she do that? It can't be that obvious.
"I'm not glowing, I'm sweating. It's hot outside! Anyway, I told you I haven't seen Joe in a while. Ranger told me Joe's been spreading that rumor all over. I think he's trying to use the Burg to pressure me into going out with him."
Connie's head popped up over her computer monitor. She had gone back to painting her nails, but now she was suddenly interested in our conversation. "Ranger? When did y'all have time this morning to talk? He was barely in here five minutes."
Crap. "It wasn't while he was here at the office. He picked me up later when my car blew up. He told me about Joe when he dropped me off at my apartment."
They ignored the fact that my car exploded. It's not like it was the first time something like this happened. It wasn't nearly as interesting as the fact that Ranger and I had apparently had a private discussion about my love life. "You and Ranger talked long enough to get into that? I've never heard him say more than a couple of sentences in one sitting and he's never one to spread rumors. What prompted him to tell you this?"
Well I just walked head first into that one, didn't I. How do I explain that he was warning me without telling them who he was warning me about? "He just thought I should know what was going on. He was trying to be a good guy about it." There I didn't say anything that gave it away.
"A good guy about what?" Well I spoke too soon, didn't I?
I sighed. "He was warning me that even though I was with Joe, he wasn't above poaching." I sank down farther on the couch. They both seemed to be in shock. Their eyes were popped out of their heads and their mouths were gaping open. I sighed again and waited for them to recover and quiz me some more. Just when they were calming down, Ranger walked through the door.
A/N- I posted early because I finished early. :)