Disclaimer: You all know the deal, I don't own shit.
Authors note: Thanks for reviewing! Means a lot! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Hope you enjoy it, by the way I promise this story will get better through time. So far I've just finished writing chapter 19 and the plot does improve and it gets funnier when - ….you know what you'll have to wait and see!
Chapter 9
I woke up around 10-ish and changed into some clean, dry clothes and I drove over to Mary Lou's to see how she was getting on today.
I knocked on her door and she answered this time, with a smile. She was changed and looked a lot better. Her face was clear and clean, unlike the last time I saw her where it was red and blotchy.
"Hey Steph, come on in." she said beckoning me inside. I looked around the apartment which now held loads of boxes of stuff. The couch had a plastic sheet covering on it and the tv was gone.
I raised an eyebrow at her, "Work things out with Lenny?"
She grinned, "Yep, he's so great and sweet. I really think we're going to be okay."
I grinned, "Good, and you know that the apartment is always open for you in Spain."
Her face fell, "You're not going to stay?"
I frowned at her slightly, she didn't seriously think I was going to be staying here, did she?
"Mare, I live in Spain. It's my life there. Besides the Burg just brings up too many memories. I've gotta go back. I've got a job and friends…"
"What about your friends here? Steph, you haven't contacted me for 2 years except for the other day when you appeared up on my doorstep. You belong here Steph. Please, reconsider?" she said looking a little desperate. I felt a lump appear in my throat,
"I'm sorry Mare, but I can't. It's hard to leave but I know that if I stay here in Trenton any longer then I scheduled I'll never leave."
"What's wrong with that? Trenton is great. It's perfectly nice and simple. It's safe and convenient."
"But Mare, that's why I don't want to stay here. I'm not a Burg person; I don't want to be a Burg housewife with a Burg husband or boyfriend. I want to meet someone who will love me for who I am without knowing my hideously embarrassing past. The Burg life is just not for me Mare. I'll end up alone when I'm 70 and I'll have wished I had gone back to Spain." I sighed and looked into her eyes, "I know this is hard, it feels awful but this is just something I have to do with or without your blessing. I'm sorry Mare. I really hope everything works out for you and Lenny." I said hugging her and giving her a brief kiss on her cheek. She pulled away and looked me in the eyes,
"You sound like your leaving right now."
I wriggled under her gaze and guiltly looked down at the floor,
"I've got nothing holding me back, but I did tell my new boss that I'd be back in the Spain in a week so I guess I could stay a little longer. I just came to see whether you were okay." I said grinning.
Mary Lou rolled her eyes, "Of course I'm okay, it was just phase. Come on let's go grab some lunch."
She said grabbing her coat and beckoning me out of the apartment.
Twenty minutes I was at the office carrying treats for Connie and Lula from the Tasty Pastry. Mary Lou had to cut lunch short as it was moving day for her and she was expected to be all moved back into the house by 7 tonight, so we said our goodbyes and she made me promise to call her when I was leaving if I didn't see her before then.
Bless.
"Ooooo girl, ya know I love ya." Lula said as she opened the bag of donuts. She offered me one but I shook my head and held up a hand.
"I'll pass thanks."
She raised an eyebrow, "You kidding?"
I grinned, "Nah, I've already eaten loads."
She grinned and stuffed another doughnut into her mouth.
I looked up Connie who had managed to grab a couple of donuts before they vanished into Lula's stomach, never to be seen again.
I heard my phone ring and I flipped it open slowly walking towards the door.
"Hello?"
"¿Es este Stephanie?" the voice said and I let out a squeal of excitement. (Is this Stephanie?)
"Si, que tal Cammy?" (yes, how are you Cammy?)
"STEPH! Soy mucho bueno gracias, y usted?" she said in her strong Spanish accent. (STEPH! I'm very good thank you, and you?
"Soy Buenos, mucho gracias. ¿por qué usted está llamando?" (I'm good, thank you very much. Why are you phoning me?)
"¿No puede una muchacha telefonar a su amigo?" (Can't I phone my friend?)
"Cammy…?" I said raisin an eyebrow and opening the door to the office and walking outside.
"Interruptor al francés un segundo... él está escuchando." (Change to French…he's listening.)
"Ok, Que continue ?" (Okay, what's going on?)
"C'est Paul... qu'il triche sur moi... ce qui je font ?" (It's Paul…he's cheating on me…what do I do?)
"CE QUI ?" (WHAT?)
"Est-ce que Steph, je peux rester avec vous ?" (Can I stay with you, Steph?)
"Petit problème…J'ai viste mon famille dans Trenton, New Jersey. Je ne suis pas dans ma maison. Je suis désolé, pouvez vous m'attendre, je serai en arrière dans une semaine ou ainsi." (Small problem…I'm visiting my family in Trenton, New Jersey. I'm not in my house. I am away, will you wait for me, I will be back in a week or so.)
"Je ne peux pas, Steph, est-ce que je peux visite avec vous…?" (I can't, Steph, can I visit with you?)
"Je ne sais pas…Cammy, c'est tres difficile, ce ne est pas une Francias ville, c'est américain et anglais. Pouvez-vous parler anglais ?" (I don't know…Cammy, it's very difficult, it isn't a French village, it is American and English. Can you speak English?)
"Urgh…oui, une petit peu." (Urgh…yes, a small bit.)
"Qu-est que sais pouves-vous parler?" (What can you say?)
"Hello? My name is Cammy. I is Frenchs and Spanish, can you speaks Frenchs and Spanish?" she said in a strong accent.
"Oui, c'est tres bien. Ok, vous devez visiter Trenton avec moi." (Yes, it is very good. Ok, you can visit Trenton with me.)
"Ok, je peux telephoner vous quand j'ai arrive." (Ok, I will telephone you when I arrive.)
"Ok, a bientot! Au revoir Cammy." (See you soon! Goodbye Cammy.)
"Saloo!" (Bye!)
And I hung up. Okay, now my good friend Cammy is going to come to Trenton to see me because her abusive boyfriend is cheating on her. I knew coming here would complicate things. Why did I ever say yes?
I heard a scuffle behind me and turned to see the door to the office wide open with Connie and Lula in the doorway staring at me.
"What?" I said innocently frowning. They looked at each other and just grinned. Behind them I could just make out Vinnie and Ranger both staring at me.
"How the fuck did you do that?" Vinnie shouted over to me.
I raised an eyebrow and flipped my phone in my purse, "Do what?" I said coming back into the office and flopping onto the couch.
Vinnie shook his head, "You just spoke in three different languages on one phone call. What the fuck, or rather, where the fuck have you been to learn French and Spanish; was it?"
I sighed, "No where…" no way in hell was I telling him where I was or I suspect it would get around fast and I would be getting phone calls in Spain telling me gossip or some ridiculous information that I was trying to get away from.
"Right… since you're here, can you do some skips?"
I raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm not a bounty hunter any more…"
"$500,000 to you, for one file." He bartered.
"Done." I said grabbing the file out of his outreached hand. I flipped open the file and looked at the record.
John Rippami, was arrested for:
Rape
Murder
Car theft
Illegal weaponary
Fraud
Drug dealing
I looked closely at the picture trying to place letting a small smile form. I removed it before I turned and stared at Vinnie who was raising an eyebrow at my small smile.
"You're giving me a mob boss? Are you taking the piss?"
"Oh come on, you have abs and are as toned as Laila Ali, are you telling me you haven't worked out and got trained up, since you moved?"
I blushed slightly, "Ok…"
"You're going to do it?" Vinnie said shocked. I raised an eyebrow and looked next to him to see Ranger was wearing a slightly shocked expression also. I looked at Connie and Lula who were looking at me like I was insane.
"Yeah! Look, I've gotta go, I'll be back later. When's the deadline on this file?" I said turning to Connie.
"Next week." She said still looking at me as if I had a death wish.
"Okay, see ya, bye!" and I quickly made my way out of the office and into my car. I rolled the engine but cut it as I saw Ranger walk towards the car and tap on the window.
I wound it down and frowned at him, "Yeah?"
"Babe, are you sure you're gonna do this?"
I smiled at him, "Put a little trust in me Ranger. I'd say you were nervous."
He raised an eyebrow, "He's a mob boss, even I wouldn't touch this file."
I let a small grin break out on my face, "You turned this file down?"
He nodded, "Partly because of the mob boss thing…"
"Partly?" I said raising an eyebrow.
"It was a little under my usual price." He said flashing me 100-watts.
I rolled my eyes, "I knew there would be something else. Look, Ranger, I can do this, don't worry."
"Babe, I don't worry." He said raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes again and sighed,
"Whatever batman." And I rolled the engine and took off leaving Ranger behind me with a slightly unamused expression on his face.
I was sooo gonna pay for that but oh well.
TBC
AUTHORS NOTE: I used an online translator for the Spanish and some of the French. So don't blame me if it's a little iffy, I know those translators are a little crappy but it was that or just writing it in English and that's just boring. R&R!