Another day, another chapter. Enjoy.
I woke up the next morning with a killer hangover and a very naked man half sprawled on top of me. I poked Diesel but he didn't wake up, "Diesel?"
"Mmm? What?"
"I can't breathe," I said. Diesel groaned and rolled off of me. I was naked too. "Did we have sex?"
"That doesn't make me feel good about my skills. I dunno though. I remember coming back to the room and breaking into the minibar. Fuck. You have any aspirin?"
"Shouldn't you be immune to alcohol?" I asked and tried to sit up, it didn't work.
"Fuck even I'm not immune to 20 little bottles of alcohol." He said.
I finally succeeded in sitting up and looked at the table. "And a half dozen more bottles of champagne."
"No wonder I can't remember anything past dessert," Diesel said with a grin.
"Hell I don't even remember dessert," I said and watched Diesel sit up. His back was completely covered in deep scratches. Crap did I do that?
"They hurt. You have friggin talons?" He turned to look at me and smiled even bigger, "Yeah we either had sex or got into a fight," he said as he looked me over.
I looked down and gasped, "Are those bite marks?" Diesel nodded. My thighs had clear bruises in the shape of Diesel's hands. Cripes what had we done?
"Not sure, but it must've been good for you considering these scratches." Diesel said and I nodded with a silly grin. My cell phone rang. I ignored it and went to the bathroom. We both showered and got dressed. I checked my voicemails while Diesel called to check us out.
"Babe. Reminding you that you're supposed to do searches for me tomorrow." Oops. I'd forgotten. I was late.
The next one was from Ranger too. "Babe."
And the next. "We need to talk." Oh crap, what had I done?
"You can't avoid me Stephanie. Get your ass back to Trenton." What the fuck? Avoid him? I wasn't avoiding Ranger. What was going on?
"He sounds pissed." Diesel said.
"Yeah, I've got no idea why though," I said.
"Don't look at me. You ready to go back to reality?"
"I suppose so. I'm late for work after all," I said with a grin. Diesel grabbed my hand and this time I remembered to close my eyes. I found a RangeMan uniform and changed. It was 11am. I was about three hours late. I looked at Diesel, "Can you pop me into the garage?" He grabbed my hand and I was suddenly in the RangeMan garage.
"Thanks." I stood on my tippy toes and pressed a kiss to his lips and then got on the elevator and rode up to the 5th floor. I walked to control and took a look at the monitors. Ranger was in the gym beating the shit out of Hector.
"I wouldn't go down there bomber. Boss man has been in a very bad mood since he got the Vegas report this morning." Hal said.
"WHAT?! He was spying on me?" I was pissed.
"No, Tank and Lester were picking up a skip, you know Ranger can't go to Vegas because of some prior issues…Well Lester called at about three am. We don't know what Lester told him but it pissed him off. Apparently it was something about you? Were you in Vegas Bomber?"
"Shit. Yes. I don't know what he's pissed about though."
"I dunno but it must be bad, he put his fist through his bedroom window." Cripes. I thanked Hal for the warning and headed to gym. Ranger might be pissed at me but there was really no reason not to face the problem head on.
I walked into the gym and Ranger threw a quick glance my direction. Ranger caught Hector with an uppercut to his jaw and Hectors head snapped back.
"You got something you need to tell me Stephanie?" He shouted in my direction before executing a round house kick at Hectors midsection.
I walked over to Hector and nodded at him to get out while he could. Ranger gave him a death glare and he left as quickly as his battered body would let him. "What's going on Ranger?"
"You wanna get in some practice?"
"Not right now. Let me see your hands," I said. Ranger shook his head and walked towards the locker room. I followed him and watched as he stripped and went to stand in the shower. I followed him into the shower, getting soaked by the water and grabbed his right hand. It was cut in several places and his knuckles were raw. I left the shower and grabbed the first aid. Ranger came out in a towel, his face blank and brushed by me. "Sit down."
He didn't sit, he pulled on some black cargos and a tight black t-shirt, added socks and laced on his CAT boots. "Ranger? Why are you so mad at me?"
"Did you have fun in Vegas Stephanie?"
"Yeah, as a matter a fact I did. I don't see how it's any of your business or why you're so pissed though."
Ranger shook his head and started to get up. I pushed him back down. His face hardened. I straddled the bench beside him and opened up the first aid kit to take care of his hands. I cleaned the cuts and scrapes, put antibiotic ointment on them and bandaged the ones that needed it. A few were bad enough for stitches but I knew he'd never go for it. I got up to leave.
"I don't know what I did Ranger. When you want to talk about it, come find me."
I walked out of the locker room and looked back once. Ranger's face was no longer blank. It was sad. I almost went back but I stopped myself. Obviously he had some shit to work out. I slammed the gym door behind me and got on the elevator. I didn't have a car but I figured I'd walk a little ways and call Diesel to come get me. I was about a mile away from Hayward when I heard the car pull up behind me. I figured it was Ranger and I didn't turn around.
"Cupcake? You need a ride or were you just out for your daily soaking wet stroll?" I turned to see Joe and shook my head with a smile. I hopped into the passenger side of his SUV.
"Oh well you know how serious I take my exercise. What's up Joe? How have you been?" Joe and I hadn't been together for a while now, but we'd parted amicably. There would always be a part of me that cared for Joe.
"Just out doing some errands. You want to be dropped off at your apartment?"
"Yeah that would be great." I said and looked out my window.
"You want to tell me why your soaking wet and without a car? Trouble with a skip perhaps?"
"No. Actually I got into a fight with Ranger. I followed him into the shower to get him to talk to me. He still wouldn't talk though," I said.
I could tell Joe was either trying not to laugh or trying not to swear. "You know cupcake, I gotta say that I miss you, but I'm glad Ranger is the one going through a bottle of Maalox a day now."
"I'm not with Ranger," I said to Joe as we pulled into my parking lot.
"Oh, okay. Hey do you still have my Rocky DVD's?"
"Oh shit. Yeah, sorry. Wanna come up and get them?"
"Yeah." We got out of the SUV and rode the elevator up with Mrs. Bestler. I walked in the apartment.
"Hey Steph, we need food. I'm starving after last night. What are you doing back already?" Diesel yelled. I sense Joe stiffen a little beside me.
"We have company Diesel." Diesel walked out of the kitchen and eyed Joe.
"I thought you dumped the cop," he said.
"I'm just here to get some DVD's. Why are you here?"
"I'm on vacation." They eyed each other while I found the DVD's.
"Thanks for the ride Joe. We'll do pizza at Pino's soon?" And then I pushed him out the door.
"So what was up with Ranger?" Diesel asked and strolled back into the kitchen.
"I still have no idea. Apparently Tank and Lester were in Vegas picking up a skip and saw me. They reported back something that pissed off Ranger pretty badly."
"Maybe he heard about our all night sex session that neither of us can remember?" Diesel asked. I punched him on the arm. "Or maybe it has something to do with the gigantic rock on your finger…" he said with a wince. I looked down at my hand. Holy shit.
I need some opinions before I can keep going!!!