A/N: I swear I had no intention of turning this story so angsty, but... well. The muse was very demanding today. I have not really any clue of where this will go next, so your guess is as good as mine. I beg you, please don't stone me for the update...
"Yo," I just said when picking up the call and waiting what he was about to say. He certainly did not disappoint.
"Babe, I need you…"
My heart stopped for a second and my grin was so wide it actually hurt. Looks like I owed Cal and Lester an apology and Ranger actually came to his senses. Who knew? I was about to reply when he went on.
"I need you for a distraction job tonight? You available?"
And just like that, my grin vanished and wrinkles appeared in my forehead. I might have let out a frustrated groan, but also reminded myself that I should have known better. I should have known myself better. And I should have known Ranger better. It was never just that simple. Mainly because Ranger wasn't that simple. Maybe a little bit of mental warfare worked on other guys, but not on him. Not that I had considered what I was doing mental warfare. Though, often enough it felt like that.
"Of course," I just replied semi-frustrated and didn't care whether Ranger realized. "What's the outline? How do I need to look?"
"Sexy and classy," he just explained, giving me the rundown on the guy and the premises. The good thing about tonight? Despite the fact that I would probably be frustrated as hell, I'd get at least a neat paycheck out of this. Not that one lessened the pain of the other, but it was at least not completely for nothing. "Bobby or Vince will pick you up around 7. Works for you?" he asked and I confirmed the basics again, signalizing him I had paid enough attention and was ready by 7.
I opened my closet and figured I better get started on my outfit, seeing as I only had a few hours to get this done and get ready. Working through my closet also provided me with a perfect excuse to not dwell on the fact that today had been the first time in weeks that Ranger and I had spoken and technically both of us had pretended like nothing was going on. While I sure as hell would' throw it in his face that we needed to talk about us at one point maybe, everything would have probably been better than just agreeing to doll up for whatever job he had.
I pulled out several possible dresses without feeling any sort of excitement that usually was bubbling inside me for a distraction job. While I wasn't dreading it, I also wasn't particularly ecstatic about it either. Reaching the end of my closet and not really excited about any of my choices so far, I pulled out a dress I had long forgotten about. Initially purchased for a wedding I was attending, I remembered it had never been worn to said wedding and couldn't remember why not.
Finding some heels that would work perfectly, I started the process of becoming someone else. With every distraction I was technically able to create a new person for the night and it always been fun. Given, some of the statements I had made to some of Ranger's FTAs had been outrageous and guaranteed me interest of the FTA, but they also always gave me an opportunity to test things and see how they felt. While my object was to gain interest and give off the impression for my guy to get very lucky, I could be as wild and creative with my words as I wanted, as long as I delivered. And I always delivered, sometimes in a timeframe which was even shocking to myself.
Deciding on playing a part right from the get-go this time, I started my transformation. Straightening my crazy curls took forever, but gave me a look I had barely ever seen. While I liked m curls, looking at myself in the mirror with straight hair, it added a certain sophistication I wasn't used to. Adding my slightly dramatic, yet on point make-up and I looked like a whole different person. Deep, red lips, dramatic eyes and a tiny bit of jewelry, and I was ready for the dress.
Pulling it on, I all of a sudden remembered why it hadn't been worn to the wedding it initially had been purchased for. Mainly because it was a little too sexy and a little too revealing. The dress was a deep red and matched my lipstick perfectly, displaying a high neck, but also being complexly backless. A few clever cutouts under my breasts displayed my midriff and a few more above my breasts showed of quite a lovely amount of cleavage. The skirt was a mix of cloth as well as mesh and showed of long legs when moving, but seemed harmless enough when standing still. This was most likely more sexy than classy but felt like everything I needed.
My doorbell rang just when I finished getting my purse as well as something to wear above the dress for the ride over to the venue. Slipping into my heels which I had put next to my door, I walked downstairs, seeing Bobby behind the wheel of a fleet car and got inside on the passenger seat.
"You look stunning," was his first statement my way and I smiled politely at him, knowing he had never seen me with straight hair before.
The drive to the location took about fifteen minutes and I could already see several Merry Man when we pulled into the lot. Bobby had explained to me who would be here today and what everyone's job was as well as where I could find them. As always, I would be watched closely by a lot of eyes tonight – voluntarily and involuntarily – and knew I was as save as possible. Ranger and me might have a different opinion on a few things these days, but I knew my security was never up for debate.
Getting out of the car I was met with several more statement along Bobby's and just smiled at everyone. Ranger stepped my way, said nothing for a second and then mentioned he needed to wire me. I shook my head at him and held out my hand for the wire.
"I have been in plenty of these situations to know how it is done. Just give me the wire and I do it myself," I mentioned and saw him look at me even longer. So, I just took it from him without asking, seeing as he still had his hand open to show me.
He didn't look like he had expected that, but I didn't really care, stepping around the cars to get a bit of privacy away from them and him and getting set up. I wasn't lying when I had said I knew how to do it, seeing as it wasn't rocket science to start with and I had been subjected to these more often than I actually liked. I was done within seconds and walked back, speaking a few words to test of they could hear me through the wire. When everyone confirmed that they did, I just nodded turned around and handed Cal my cover-up, seeing as I would most likely not need it for a while and needed to make an entrance.
The take-in of several breaths behind me told me that I definitely had succeeded with the sexy part of my assignment. Not that there had ever been doubt. And then I started walking, entering the upscale bar within a few steps and spotting my target not even a minute later. As luck would have it, the seats next to his were all empty and I made my way over, dropping a few seats away from him onto a seat and signaling for the barkeeper who happened to be Slick.
Placing my order, I already knew I had every single pair of eyes on me and rummaged my rather small bag for my phone, pretending to type something. I played my part almost perfectly since it took him probably a few seconds to chat me up.
"You look like you could use some company," he simply stated and I wasn't certain how he came to that conclusion within the rather short timeframe that I had been here.
"What gives it away?" I asked amused, getting handed my drink a second later and having my companion almost instantly interject the bill, presenting his card for Slick.
"Well, the way that you look like that and didn't arrive with a companion already. No man in their right mind would let you get here, looking like that and not make sure everyone knows you are off limits."
I smiled politely; glad my dress fulfilled its purpose that quickly.
"Looks like my companion just canceled on me," I simply stated, holding up my phone as if that explained everything.
"His loss is definitely my gain," he smiled. "I'm Trevor by the way."
"Emily," I answered, taking his offered hand and realizing surprised he was raising it towards his lips, pressing them on the back of my hand a second later. O-kay than.
"A beautiful name for an even more beautiful woman," he commented and I was about to roll my eyes. It wasn't the remarks as such that seemed a little too cheesy and a little too planned, but also everything this guy was presenting. He wasn't bad looking and certainly not as cheesy and self-loving as some of the guys Ranger had me go after, but there was something icky about him. I couldn't quite tell what, but something seemed… weird.
I wasn't sure whether Ranger had forgotten to turn his mic off or whether he had a lapse of memory and had forgotten he actually was mic'ed as well, but what I heard in regards to conversation coming through my earpiece was something I didn't need to hear. And also very distracting since I was more engrossed in what he was telling Tank instead of paying attention to my companion.
"…not sure what her problem is."
"…break sooner or later cause…"
"…that's why I never get attached…"
Often enough I heard a 'Ranger' coming through the lines, with Lester or Zip trying to get a word in until Ranger eventually barked an annoyed "What'" at either of them.
"Dude, your mic is transmitting," Lester just replied equally annoyed and then there was a very long silence and it must have been that moment when everyone realized that there hadn't been any patches of conversation coming from my end. A dead sure giveaway that I had certainly heard most of that exchange.
While Ranger cursed and finally turned his mic off or at least muted it, I decided I had enough excitement. Time to get this show on the road and me back home in my bed where I could spend the next few days, eating ice-cream and doing probably a poor imitation of Elle Woods yelling at the TV.
I leaned towards my companion who by now and gave him a totally voluntary unvoluntary view down my cleavage.
"Since my date for the night turned out to be a dud and I certainly just realized that I can do so much better, how about you fill in for the remainder of the night?" I asked, both eyebrows raised.
"I'd be honored, whatever you have in mind for the night," he just replied, still smiling.
"Marvelous. Let's get out of here."
Sliding of my stool, I grabbed his hand softly and pulled him after me. I had expected to reeve up the heat a little and maybe even come on to him a lot more direct, but turns out, he didn't need a whole lot of explaining and talking. Sometimes it was just that easy. Of course, he might as well believe we were off to watching a movie or a play or… whatever.
I had just managed to get through the door and pretended for a second to stop and check my phone, giving my cavalry a chance to step in and guide me away within a heartbeat. Trevor didn't know what hit him until it was too late and any resist would have been futile. He didn't even seem that surprised in regards to how the night turned out and still managed to make a 'call me' sign when Vince and Hector walked him towards a car. I could have pointed out that calling him might have been impossible, seeing as we never got to a stage where numbers were exchanged, but kept my mouth shut.
What followed was a very strange atmosphere, most likely courtesy to the earlier exchange between Tank, Ranger and everyone pretty much listening in. It seemed like everyone around me watched me carefully, curious what my next steps would be or there was a mess they needed to clean up tonight.
I decided on not breaking this time, as Ranger had pointed out so gallantly and just stared at him for the longest of time, not even bothering with a smile.
"Babe," he eventually started and I'd be lying would I deny that little feeling of victory for once. But it only lasted so long and I held up my hand.
"Save it," I stopped his flow of words. "Unless your next words start with 'Can we talk about what happened a few weeks back and I was an ass' I'm not interested in hearing anything and don't want to hear it."
I stood in front of him, looking at him expectantly and waiting for what was about to come. Which was nothing as it turned out. As expected, to be honest. I shook my head, saw a few of the guys around us do more or less the same and walked past Ranger and towards Bobby to get back home. Before I got into the car I stopped, turned around to look at him and was surprised to find him actually looking at me as well. I had expected that I would be facing his back.
"If you ever want to talk about that day in your office, you have my number. It's only that and if you should need my help once more for a distraction. Anything else? Don't bother calling. It's time you realize that I don't break and maybe we reached a crossroad where you need to make a decision how we move forward. Do you want to take what you consider the highroad from here on out and expect me to come to you, or are we for once actually going to sit down and lay it bare? Maybe it's time for you to realize that I'm not as weak and breakable as you seem to see me as. And just to make it clear, before you hide yourself behind… whatever lie you like to tell yourself. It was you calling me, telling me you needed me. Whether that was for a job or not does not really matter right now. I didn't call you and didn't reach a point yet where I was facing something so bad, I needed your help. So, right now, I'd say you broke before I did and was this a game, it was 1-0 for me. And right now, I don't see you being able to even the score. But maybe you find it in you to surprise me for once."
Silence. Absolute silence from everyone. I just nodded knowingly and turned to my side, seeing Cal.
"Cal, I see you Monday Morning at 6."
And then I got inside Bobby's car who just looked amazed at me. Like I was the best thing he had ever seen in his life.
"Can…can we just go already?" I asked and a second later the car set into motion.
Had I just made the biggest mistake yet?
