Earlier this year I read an interview with JE, where she seemed pretty happy to get rid of the number centered book naming thing. It made me wonder about coming up with 27 number themed titles, and then pairing up story ideas with them. In the end, I came up with 31 story ideas (more, if you count the multiple ideas for several of the numbers), and The Number Series was born. Some stories are longer one-shots, some are short, and some developed into multi-chapter offerings. All have the title somewhere in the story. I have no set posting schedule for them.

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All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm just playing.

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One of These Things is Not Like the Others

SPOV

The elevator door closes behind me and I try not to notice how hot or crowded it is in here. I took great pains in putting together my outfit for tonight; my instructions were "noticeable, but don't cause a riot." I didn't have the guts to tell Ranger that that covered a lot of ground.

The walls of the elevator have a high-polished shine, making them a decent mirror. Hunter green isn't a color that I normally gravitate towards, but the dress immediately captured my eye in the store. It's strapless, with a sweetheart neckline; the top half looks like layered strips of fabric for a bodice. The lower half of the dress is a bit looser and looks like draped fabric, ending several inches above my knee. It's unique, and I love that it reminds me of freshly messed up sheets…and the fun someone had in the bed.

I've paired it with some nude 4-inch strappy heels and kept the jewelry simple with faux diamond studs and a chunky gold bangle bracelet. I hear a muttered "Dayum!" behind me as I shift my weight from foot to foot, making my hips sway. I look good tonight and I know it; that doesn't mean that it isn't nice to have some independent confirmation.

The shine of the doors means that I can see most of the guys in the elevator with me. All are wearing black slacks and button-down shirts in an exciting variety of white, grey and black. They all look silky to the touch, making me wonder if Ella ordered them in bulk. I don't need to look to know that they are all carrying at least one gun and a knife. I figure Ranger won't expect me to be similarly "dressed," but he might be pleased that I stuck a small keychain stun gun and pepper spray in my gold clutch.

Earlier today, between kisses and touches in the alley, Ranger asked me to be an extra set of eyes and ears at a cocktail party. He wasn't very helpful when I asked what I was supposed to be on the lookout for, just "anything out of the ordinary. Trust your Spidey-sense."

He had to get here early to check-in with his contact, so it fell to Ram to pick me up for the ride to Philadelphia and the Ritz-Carlton. Normally it'd be Tank to pick me up in Ranger's absence, but when I enquired about the switch, Ranger shook his head and said, "Babe. I want the guys to blend in. Tank's running things from the com unit down the block."

Ram is one of the Merry Men who isn't afraid to talk to me, so at least it wasn't a silent drive. I was able to glean that Ramon suffered a knee injury showing off in the gym this morning and has been replaced on this job with Zero, Bobby finally asked out the nurse over at Helene Fuld that he's been crushing on, Hal and Les weren't in trouble for pranking each other, but rather for the broken toilet that resulted, and Tank got another new cat.

All good stuff, but I noticed that Ram didn't include that he was moving in with his girlfriend this weekend. He laughed and blushed when I pointed that out, and then asked if he should buy her a gift. Yes, Ram. When in doubt, always give her a gift.

The cocktail party we are keeping an eye on is being held in a private room in the restaurant on the top floor. Andelle's is a premiere, and expensive, gathering spot; I'm hoping the hors d'oeuvre that circulate live up to the hype. Hey, I'm not going to pass up free food.

The elevator pings long before it should. When the doors open, a group of women dressed for an evening out stand ready to board. They all look shocked by the delectable site behind me. I know the feeling; my guys clean up good. There's probably enough room for them to board if we really squish, but instead I give them a smile and a finger wave, saying, "Sorry, ladies. This one's full."

Junior hits the button to close the doors, and I swear I hear one of them mutter, "lucky bitch!"

It's not true, but it's nice to be the one everyone is jealous over for a night. Like Cinderella, I'll most likely turn back into a pumpkin at midnight.

The doors finally open on the correct floor, and I'm faced with an ornate mirror over a side-table. The green of my dress is a darker color than I'd normally pick, but it, and my smaller stature and skin on display, makes me stands out from the neutral-colored shirts that surround me. One of these things is not like the others runs through my head, making me snicker. The guys look at me, but I just shake my head. Nerves. It has to be nerves making me have this flight of fancy.

Without a word, they silently disperse from behind me and fan out around the room. It's impressive how they look like they're mingling but are on high alert. It makes me wonder what Ranger was thinking, asking me to work this party. Looking at the confident, well-poised women milling around in their high-priced, designer dresses, one of these things is not like the others wings through my mind for a completely different reason.

Shaking the negativity loose, I grab a glass of champagne from tray of a passing waiter and take a sip. It's good stuff, and I'm going to have to remember to sip rather than gulp. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I move about between different groups and chat just enough to not look like a creeper while standing there listening in on their conversations. What I'm hearing in front of me isn't particularly interesting, but there's two guys behind me discussing which women will be their 'mark' for the night and how to get access to their drinks.

I don't have mics or earbuds like the guys, so I excuse myself to go find one of them and pass along what I heard. Sliding in between Ram and Binkie, I do my best to point out the two guys without actually pointing out the two guys. While our eyes are sweeping the room, I spy Ranger halfway down the hallway to the kitchen.

He looks good. He's not wearing anything different than the rest of the guys, black slacks and a black shirt, but it somehow looks different. One of these things is not like the others, indeed. His hair is long enough to dust his shoulders again, and tonight he's pulled it back loosely, giving him a sexy Antonio Banderas look. The dim light glints off his diamond stud, a real one, but it's the smile that gets me. He looks loose and relaxed as he talks to someone hidden in the doorway.

He steps back and the person he was talking to steps forward. She's gorgeous, with long dark hair and a killer body. The dress I was happy with now seems shabby compared to hers, and the sunburst brooch at her hip is to die for. I feel my teeth clench when she puts a perfectly manicured hand on his arm, and they share a laugh. Forgetting my rule, I gulp rather than sip my champagne, trying not to wince when I realize I've finished the glass.

"Hey, Kiki's here!"

Ram's looking the same place I am, at Ranger and his friend. Kiki, apparently.

"I take it you guys know her?"

Eh, I'm not above fishing.

Binkie laughs. "Yeah. Kiki Hernandez, FBI. We've worked a few cases with her. She's ok, gets the job done. Ranger seems to like her."

I pretend to not notice the glare Ram is sending Binkie over my head. Kiki. Flirty and fun name. I watch as they start walking down the hall, and as soon as Ranger sees me, his blank face slams down. Now isn't that interesting? They pause in the doorway to talk some more, and I purposely turn away, doing a loose-hipped walk to a group of older gentlemen in expensive business suits. Putting my disappointment in a box and slamming the lid down, I take an opening to butt my way into their conversation. Ranger hired me to do a job, nothing more.

For the next hour, we mingle. I can feel his eyes on me, but he never makes an effort to move closer to me and every time I scan the room, I see him not far from her. I have a bitter moment where I think a heads up might have been nice, even as I have to acknowledge that he had to see me with Joe when we were together. Lock that shit up, Stephanie. Do the job.

I hear plenty of random tidbits and am privy to more hook-up plans that I want to be. The hors d'oeuvres are as good as advertised and they, the champagne, and the dress charged on someone else's card, make the night bearable. I've been maneuvering myself towards the bathroom, passing off whatever tidbits I learn to whichever Merry Man is closest. I'm still not sure why I'm here, but I'm doing my best while running around blind.

Just when I'm going to break off for a moment to myself, my path is blocked by an amused Cuban.

"Enjoying the food, Babe?"

"Yep. What exactly am I doing here? You already have a date for the evening."

I can't quite figure out the look in his eyes when I say that. After a lengthy pause, he asks, "Aren't you going to ask me about her?"

"No."

"No?"

"The last time I asked you about a woman, you smirked and didn't answer." No need to set myself up for disappointment at the reminder of where I fall in his life. I shrug, "She makes you smile, which is a good thing, so I'm happy for you."

I actually got that last sentence out without bursting into flames or getting struck by lightning, so some guardian angel is looking out for me tonight. His eyes narrow, like he's processing what I said. He takes a step forward and raises a hand to move a curl behind my ear, but I take a step back out of his reach.

"Your dress is very fitting tonight, Babe. Matches the rest of you, very green. I kind of like the jealous look."

I'm not sure what's showing on my face, but he seems to realize that his words did not go over well. "Babe—"

"I'm glad I still entertain you."

Without giving him time to respond, I turn on my heel and beeline to the bathroom before I cause a scene. I like the jealous look. What bullshit. He likes keeping me in the friends with benefits box and most of the time I can deal with that and keep my feelings to myself, but it's another thing entirely to turn those feelings into yet another joke.

Standing in front of the mirror, I give myself another critical once-over. I was so confident at the beginning of the night, and it sucks that I couldn't even stay in that zone for two hours. Reaching up to tuck away the same stray curl that Ranger had reached for, I take a deep breath and command my hand not to shake. Ranger hired me to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, not stand in the bathroom and wonder why her and not me. My pep talk isn't quite working and stomping my foot in frustration is not happening in these heels.

I hear someone coming in the outer door of the bathroom and pop quietly into one of the ornate stalls and move as far back as I can, so I don't have to see anyone before I'm composed. I'm pulled from my musings on the mysterious Kiki when the sound of footsteps stops, and two women start talking at the sinks.

"Did you see her necklace? Tiffany. Two carats for the center stone, easy."

"Do you know who she is? If she's staying at the hotel, she's a non-starter. Too much security."

"We'll have to get her talking and see if we can get more information."

My interest is piqued, I regulate my breathing to hopefully not give myself away. Ever so slowly and carefully, I pull my phone out of my clutch, thankful that it's set to silent. Unlocking it and setting the phone to 'do not disturb' takes a few precious seconds. After that, I open up the photo app and slide it over to video. Slowly inching down toward the ground until I'm squatting in a very unladylike position, I hold it under the stall door, tucked up against the wall. It's an awkward angle, so it's a crapshoot if I'm actually picking anything up other than audio.

"What about the woman in the blue pantsuit? Her necklace looked like Choppard and I heard her say that she was meeting someone after this. We can call down to Remi and tell him who to look for when she leaves, and he can tail her."

Well, that's ominous. Sounds like I'm listening to some scouts on the lookout for jewels they can swipe.

"Maybe. The woman in the black dress with the starburst pin at the waist is a possibility. That's vintage Cartier and worth a pretty penny. The hottie with her could be a problem, unless we can separate them."

Holy crap! I'm pretty sure they're talking about the mysterious Kiki, so the hottie with her can only be Ranger. Just thinking of the two of them together, even in the same sentence, is a stab to the heart but I push it down to worry about later.

"We'll chat up the Tiffany and the Cartier but settle for the Choppard if that's our smartest move. I'm not looking to get pinched like Derek and Mason."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm going to use the facilities before heading back out."

"I might as well, since I'm here."

No, no, no! I pull the camera into my chest and slowly rise, hoping that they'll be like most women and skip the first stall. I wait, my heart hammering in my chest, but there's no jiggle on the door. Instead, I hear them both head further down but I'm still too nervous to breathe, let alone move. After what seems like a freakishly long time, but is probably only a minute or two, they're back at the sink and washing their hands.

Using the running water for cover, I tap out a text to Tank.

Tell the guys to pay attention to the two women getting ready to come out of the bathroom. Tell Ranger to pick a fight with Kiki and stay away from her. If she leaves, she needs to leave by herself.

Hitting send, I hope I don't have to stay in the stall much longer. I have no idea who the first woman would be, so I need to get out there and chat up Ms. Choppard in the blue pantsuit and give them a reason to focus on Kiki and her Cartier pin. I have no idea if this is why we're here, but it definitely seems like a crime waiting to happen, and if she's FBI then it's right up her alley.

They've moved on to checking make-up. Making sure the sound is still off on my phone, I pull up the video and move the slider bar until I get a glimpse of the two women on the screen. It's not a great angle, but I can tell one has long blond hair, swept to the side and an ice blue sparkly dress. Should be easy enough to keep an eye on. The other is more non-descript in a black sheath dress and medium length brown hair. Looking for her funky shaped black purse with an oversized flower is the best I can hope for.

Once I hear the inner, and then the outer, bathroom door close, I peek out of my little prison and blow out a breath at the empty room. Striding to the doors, I count to ten before following them out. Back at the cocktail party, I survey the room for a blue pantsuit and spy her talking to a man gesturing wildly with his champagne glass. Les isn't standing very far away from them, so I make a beeline to him and purposely ignore the look Ranger is sending my direction.

If Les is surprised by my sudden presence at his side, he doesn't show it. "Pretend like you like me, and you want us to exchange numbers," I tell him quietly while I scan the room for a sparkly dress and a giant flower purse. Sparkly Blue Dress is talking to an older woman with a huge honking necklace that practically blinds people when the light catches it, so I think I've found woman number one. A man comes up behind her and speaks quietly in her ear. His posture and demeanor scream bodyguard, and she makes excuses and moves away. Sparkly Blue Dress looks disappointed.

"I do like you, Beautiful. Want to explain why Ranger is giving me the death glare?"

"Not even a little. Pull your phone out and pretend you're entering my number."

While he does that, I send the video I shot in the bathroom to Tank, and hope it goes through quickly. With a fake laugh to Les, to carefully "bump" into Ms. Blue Pantsuit with the Choppard necklace.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me!"

"No harm, dear. I simply love your dress."

"Thank you. That blue is exquisite on you and really shows off your necklace. It's beautiful!"

As we exchange pleasantries and chit chat, I spy Big Flower Purse inch closer to us as she pretends to talk to champagne guy that was previously talking to the woman I'm now conversing with. Steering the conversation to hopefully where I want it to go, I spy Ranger and Kiki out of the corner of my eye. They have their little tiff, and Ranger walks away.

"Is this your first time staying at the Ritz?"

We've worked our way around to why we're in Philadelphia. For someone wearing what is easily $20,000 in diamonds around her neck, she is surprisingly down to earth and easy to talk to.

She chuckles. "No, we've stayed here many times. Have you tried the spa? The hot stone massage is divine!"

With that nugget, Big Flower Purse starts to drift away. And then there was one…Kiki. She's talking to Woody, laughing at something he says, and I take the time to really study her. Friendly. Pretty. Probably good at her job, and some of the guys seem to know her and like her. Both Blue Sparkly Dress and Big Flower Purse are covertly watching her.

While I'm watching her, I fail to notice Ranger sliding in next to me. "Want to tell me what's going on, Babe?"

"Using my eyes and ears. "

"Babe."

Using the champagne glass to hide my mouth, I whisper, "Heard Blue Sparkly Dress over by the bar and Big Flower Purse over by Binkie in the bathroom discussing the jewels on display. There's someone named Remi downstairs waiting to make the grab if someone leaves. Marks one and two are out because they're staying here at the hotel, so that leaves Kiki and her Cartier pin, but they noted that you were a problem. I sent Tank a copy of the video I was able to shoot. Something about not wanting to get pinched. I don't know why we're here, but if you tell Kiki to call it a night and have guys shadow her, you can maybe catch some jewel thieves."

Leaving it at that, I wander away to make another circuit of the room. Ranger heads over to Kiki, leaning low to talk in her ear and I turn away from them. Ranger's wrong; green isn't my color, and neither is yellow. If he wants to talk about her, we will. Maybe it's time to close the book on the friends with benefits thing and just stick to friends where it'll be easier to keep my expectations manageable.

By the time the party is breaking up, my feet are killing me, and I've made two more circuits. I pointed out a pickpocket, narced on at least two couples using a storage room to get to know each other better and learned a hot stock tip I could make a killing with if I had any money to throw at it. Tricia, aka Blue Pantsuit, stops to wish me a good night, making me feel a little guilty. One by one, I watch as most of my guys do the 'blink and you missed it' disappearing routine that they're so good at. I'm chagrined to note that there is a patron or two left, otherwise it's just me, Les, and Ram. And Ranger and Kiki talking over at the bar.

I turn to Ram. "Are you my ride home?"

His startled look is unexpected. "I thought you were with Ranger?"

"His dance card is full, and since I don't actually know what my job here was, I doubt I have to stay. These killer shoes really are killers and I'd like to get out of them."

"Give me five minutes, Babe."

Awesome. I somehow missed them coming over to stand by us. Guess I get to meet the illustrious Kiki, after all. Turning toward them, I steel myself for what's coming next.

"Stephanie Plum, meet Agent Kiki Hernandez of the FBI."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Hernandez."

"Please, call me Kiki. Girl, you made my night! We were hoping to get some dirt on an insider trading deal and instead we snagged some jewel thieves. Not a bad trade-off!"

Insider trading…That had me thinking about that stock tip. "Walthen Energy is supposed to come out with a report on Monday mid-day, but it's going to show inflated earnings and you can make some money if you scoop it up early in the day and then sell it at a profit. They're meeting at The Harbor House for brunch in the Green Room tomorrow at 11 to discuss it."

Four pairs of surprised eyes are staring at me. "What? Is that the kind of dirt you wanted."

"Oh, hell yeah! You were right, Carlos. She's amazing."

Yeah, that's me. Carlos's amazing and entertaining friend who's going home alone. I shrug off the compliment. "I was told to keep my eyes and ears open. I hope it works out for you." Turning to Ranger, I tamp down my traitorous heart and refuse to think about the way he's looking at me. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll catch a ride back to Trenton while you finish up whatever here."

"Really, Steph. Five minutes." As if sensing my hesitance, he throws in, "Please?"

Damn him! He knows I'm a sucker for him using the P word. Nodding my head, I walk over to the bar and take a seat. Watching them, there's genuine affection there, and maybe a dynamic I don't understand. The bartender hands me my requested bottle of water and I see Les and Ram scoot on out of the room with a wave and a smirk. Not sure what the smirk is about, other than they've ditched me here with Ranger and his whatever. Yeah, haha guys. Real funny. Thanks.

Because I'm watching them leave, I'm completely unaware of Kiki bearing down on me.

"It was so great to finally meet you, Stephanie! The guys all talk about you, especially Carlos and Lester. I hope we get the chance to work together again."

With that, she pulls me into a hug and whispers, "Take it easy on him. Men are clueless." Just as fast, she lets me go and waves on her way out the door. What the hell warped crap have I stepped into now?

"Babe."

A sigh escapes me as I turn to face him. I knew I'd have to talk to him sometime, just maybe not tonight.

"I was an ass earlier."

His admission is unexpected. Normally I'd rush to fill in the awkward silence, but this time I'm going to let him do the talking.

"With the jealousy comment. It's an ego thing. Guys like it when women get jealous over them."

I have no idea what to do with that, so I still stay silent. After a short battle of wills, he starts talking again. "I've known Kiki for a couple years. She's been dating my cousin Angelo for almost all that time. I have it on good authority that he's got a ring and is working on a proposal."

All of that should reassure me, but instead it kind of pisses me off. "Would it have killed you to tell me that earlier? What was this night even about, having me show up blind and blunder my way through the party to keep you entertained?"

His blank face slams down, but I've learned in the past ten minutes that if I can wait him out, he'll offer up some information.

"It was a test—"

"Great. Did I pass?"

"Babe. You notice and hear and see things. I didn't want to color your perception or narrow your focus by telling you that Kiki asked for help finding a small fish that could lead her to a bigger fish. With your track record, I had faith that you come across something useful, even if you didn't know it at the time."

I chew on that. I think there might have been a compliment in there, but it feels kind of like he's calling me a party trick but prettying it up. "Dragging a dozen guys and me out on the hopes that I overhear something seems like a bad business bet."

"Rangeman was hired to do security for the party. Helping Kiki while we were here was a personal favor. The test was me seeing if you could work with a team, even lead it."

"Why? And if the answer has anything to do with entertainment, you'll see just how killer these shoes are."

His eyes briefly drop to my shoes, and there's no mistaking the heat in his eyes when he looks up again. "They're really great shoes. The dress, too. It's been killing me all night. It reminds me of when you wrapped yourself in my sheet to head out to the kitchen for a snack after you finally got feeling back in your legs."

I suck in a breath at that; it was pretty much what I thought when I saw the dress, too. Wrapped up in his million-thread count sheets, rifling through the refrigerator for sustenance after he's worn me out, and not minding when he boosts me up on the counter to wear me out some more. When I look at him now, with the hair escaping the tie and his eyes blazing with lust as he watches me pull my lip between my teeth, I start to forget that I'm a little mad at him.

Ranger lifts a hand and cups my jaw, his thumb sweeping a path on my cheek that leaves my skin feeling seared. We haven't broken eye contact, and I can see the memories of our last night together reflected in his eyes. He leans toward me, his mouth closing over my ear lobe for a nibble, followed by a small flurry of kisses along my neck until he's back at my ear. "I bet I could wear you out and make you unable to feel your legs again. I'll even let you keep the dress on."

I'm not even going to pretend that it wasn't me that just whimpered. Not thinking twice, I reach for him and use a hand curled around his belt to pull him to me. And if that part of the hand that curled into the front of his slacks for leverage just happened to brush against something showing some interest in its surroundings? Well, oops. "Maybe I'll even keep the shoes on for you."

With that, I hook a leg around his thigh and anchor him to me. Yeah, it wasn't me making the needy noise that time. He's leaning forward again when we hear a discreet cough and a "don't mind me."

He backs up enough to shoot the bartender a back off message, but the spell is broken. It's probably for the best; I don't want to have to call somebody to come bail me out on charges of public indecency.

"Why were you testing me."

"I want to hire you, Babe."

I'm surprised at that. I already work for him from time to time, as evidenced by me being here at all. "I already work for you."

"Not like this. I want to hire you to run distractions, some intelligence gathering, searches, and the bond enforcement we still do. You'd be in charge."

I mull it over for a minute. It's an intriguing offer, I just don't know where it's coming from. "Not to sound like a broken record, but why?"

His thumb continues to work its way back and forth across my cheek as the other hand settles on my hip. "Because we're a good team. Because you bring skills to the table that I need. Because you have an excellent capture rate and a wide range of contacts that make you perfect for the position." The thumb swoops over to caress my lip. "And because I want more time with you."

The word is on the tip of my tongue, and he uses his thumb to cover my lips. "You know why."

Kissing his thumb before I lean back a bit, I look into his eyes for a clue as to what he's thinking. While they're more expressive than they usually are, he's not giving me any hints here. "Spell it out for me, Ranger. What are we talking about here?"

Please don't let me be wrong. I can live with friendship, but this feels like more.

"I want to work with you, and spend more time with you, so you can see how good of a team we are. I want to show you there's more than Vinnie's and scraping by. I want you to see that you don't need a picket fence and pot roast on the table at six to have a happily ever after. I want you to know that you have more options than what the burg tells you are acceptable."

I want to rush head-first into this, but I want to be smart about it, too. "That depends. Are you going to be in the habit of blindly testing me? Because that seems like a sure-fire way to make it hard to trust you."

"No more tests, Babe. It was more to check what I already knew and to get you to see that you could do the job I was offering."

"I didn't—"

"You seamlessly gathered intel, identified a problem, got the information to the command unit and devised a plan on the fly and executed it, before also passing on information on a RICOH case."

Laid out like that, I sound pretty damn awesome.

"Because you are."

He punctuates that with a searing kiss, and I don't even care that I said it out loud. There's another discreet cough and this time I'm the one glaring at the bartender, who just shrugs and says, "It's a hotel. You can rent a room."

"Damn. That sounds like an excellent idea."

Ranger laughs. "I rented a room for the weekend in the hope that I could convince you to stay and spend some time with me. Ella packed a bag for you."

"Feeling a little confident there, are we?"

"More like hopeful that I could persuade you."

With a smile, I ask the bartender for a bottle of the champagne they were serving during the party. Grabbing Ranger by the shirt, I pull him close for another kiss. "Come on, we've got some negotiating and celebrating to do."