This is an AU story. I hope you find the characters still themselves even if their world is different.

Sally

The Good Wife

Chapter 12

Lester and I made our way to the car and I tried to hand him the keys. He put his hands up and backed away. "No way. Bossman didn't give me keys to his car, he gave them to you. I'm your bodyguard and I'll be riding shotgun."

"Well then let's just take an SUV and you can drive." There had to be a dozen black vehicles in this garage.

Lester shook his head and climbed into the passenger side of the Boxter and waited for me. Finally I relented and climbed in. Wow. It was a nice car. I have nice cars, but we were more luxury sedan type people. This car was dark and sexy like its owner and I loved it. I think I may have moaned a little when the engine roared to life. Lester just cleared his throat and I tried not to look at him.

We pulled out of the Rangeman garage followed by a black SUV. I felt like I was leading a parade.

"Why am I driving again?" I asked Lester.

I could hear the smile in his voice, "This is one of Ranger's personal cars, not like the company SUVs. If he wanted me to drive it, he would have given me the keys." He paused for a minute, "The only time he has given one of us the keys is to drop it off somewhere for him. He doesn't let most people drive his cars."

I snuck a look at him, "What does that mean?"

He shrugged, "It means he doesn't consider you most people."

What did he mean by that? I felt the need to clear the air a little with him, "About the other night, in the limo, it isn't what you think."

He put his hands up again in surrender. "None of my business, you're both grownups."

I glanced at him before turning back to the road, "But I don't want you to think that's something I do. I'm sure you know way more about my husband's sex life that you want to, but I want you to know while he may sleep around, I don't."

"Why would you care what I think?" He sounded surprised.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I just do."

He shook his head, "It's a damn shame you know. Your husband is an idiot."

"Thanks, I think." When we stopped at a red light I looked over at him. He looked like he wanted to ask me something else, but wasn't sure if he should.

I was enjoying getting to know him. He was easy to talk to. "Just ask. If I don't want to answer you, I won't." I smiled at him.

"Why'd you stay? Why do you put up with it? I mean I know there are a lot of women who'd stay for the money and the power or the title that goes with the whole thing, but that doesn't seem like you." He was shaking his head again.

I shrugged. "I made a deal. At the time I thought it was worth it."

He raised an eyebrow, "And now?" The light turned green and I didn't answer.

"You know he doesn't do that either." I must have looked confused. "Ranger, I mean it isn't that there aren't plenty of women who aren't more than willing, especially on jobs. He likes to keep things professional, plus I don't think he's ever been all that interested before. But with you, it's like he can't help himself."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. I was relieved when we pulled up to the salon. Lester told me to stay put. He climbed out of the car and surveyed the area. Satisfied, he came around to my door and helped me out. He walked closely behind me and slightly off to the side, I could tell he was trying to shield me from the street. The significance of his posture made me a little edgy. But as I stepped into the salon, a sense of calm washed over me.

Lula had done well for herself. She started with just one chair in a little space, but continued to grow her business into the impressive spa it is today. The interior was calming, soothing neutral colors on the walls, herbal scents in the air. This was a home away from home for me. A woman's hair salon is like a man's favorite bar. Everybody knows your name and you could share your troubles and they would all take your side. The receptionist greeted me and then gave Lester and appreciative once over. I told her we just came by to see Lula and Mary Lou. We made our way back to the salon. Lula was in lime green today, from the highlights in her hair to her Via Spiga heels. I asked her once how she could stand in those shoes all day cutting hair. She reminded me that for years she stood doing a lot worse on a street corner. It put it all into perspective.

"Girlfriend, we don't have an appointment today." Lula squealed. "And my phones been ringing off the hook since they mentioned in the newspaper article that I done your hair and makeup for the party." She looked like she wanted to hug me, but she was wearing gloves and had a paintbrush in her hand. Mary Lou was in the chair with tinfoil all over her head. I had interrupted them mid color.

"Hey Lou," I smiled at my childhood best friend in the mirror. "No Lula, I just came by to see you guys for a bit. It's been so crazy lately that I missed you and our regular gab sessions." I plopped down in the next empty chair and introduced Lester to them, explaining he was my bodyguard for the day.

Lula looked him over and made some sort of noise that sounded like, "Mmm, mmm, mmm." Mary Lou was rendered speechless.

"Ladies," Lester nodded before moving to stand guard near the doorway, giving us some privacy.

"So is he one of the hot Latin men you were seen getting in the elevator with Saturday night?" Mary Lou asked with one eyebrow up. Can everyone do that but me?

My eyes grew wide, "What do you mean?"

Lula answered me, "The grapevine is buzzing about how you cut out early and were seen with two hunky Latin lovers." She fanned herself.

Mary Lou whined, "Lula, can you highlight and gossip at the same time? I don't want to look like Ronald McDonald when you're done." Lula returned to her work. They were both waiting for me to answer.

I snorted, "Lester and Ranger were my bodyguards for the night." I paused, not sure of how much to tell them, "There was a security threat, so they whisked me out and up to a secure room." That seemed simple enough.

Mary Lou pressed, "And?" She made a circular motion with her hand which meant keep talking.

"And what?" I started swiveling the chair I was in back and forth.

Lula wouldn't let it lie, "I saw the other guy when you left the house, and he was one fine man. You're telling me you were in a hotel room with those two fine specimens and nothing happened?" Now she was arching her eyebrow at me. The girls knew Dickie and I no longer slept together, but they didn't know the full extent of his problems. They both thought I should be able to find companionship elsewhere.

"Lula, I'm a married woman…sort of." was my weak answer.

"Uh huh, I notice you didn't say no." She shot me a look, but continued highlighting Mary Lou's hair.

I was not discussing this with them, "Guys. That is Dickie's M.O. not mine."

Mary Lou seemed to get it, but Lula kept on, "Well why the hell not? You deserve some action girl."

I shook my head, "Okay, new topic, what else is the grapevine buzzing about?" They both shrugged; guess I was the featured topic for a while.

I needed to be subtle, "What do you hear about Joe Morelli?"

Mary Lou's eyes went wide, "Wow, I haven't heard you mention his name in years."

I snorted, "Yeah, well I'd like to forget about him completely, but I ran into him today and I wondered what he was up to."

"Well it looks like he turned out better than any of the other Morelli men, not that it would take much. He's a police officer, but I think he works for the State Police, not the Trenton PD." All good information, but also stuff I already knew.

I guess I needed to be less subtle, "Is he still with Terry Gilman?"

Mary Lou looked a little suspicious, "Why would you wonder that?"

Shrugging, I tried to play it off as a simple trip down memory lane, "I don't know, seeing him took me back to high school and I remembered they were hot and heavy back then. She's divorced now; I wondered if they picked up where they left off."

Seeming to accept my reasoning, Lou answered, "Hard to say, you see them together every once in a while. Like out for dinner. But it seems to be off and on. He inherited a house from his Aunt Rose about two blocks from ours. I'd have heard about sleepovers."

"She still work for her family?" I asked.

Lou nodded, "Yup, she's like the negotiator or whatever. She always was her daddy's little girl."

Lula interjected, "Enough stalling, tell us about your hot bodyguards. What all is included in their services?"

Luckily Lester chose that moment to remind me of my lunch date with Ranger. Date? I mean appointment. I hugged them both good bye, careful to avoid Lula's paintbrush and Mary Lou's tinfoil. Lester made me wait at the front entryway while he scoped out the scene. Satisfied it was secure; he led me to the car and got me settled in before going around and climbing in on the passenger side. I saw the Rangeman guys in the SUV pull out of their parking spot and wait for us.

"Find out anything good?" He asked me.

I laughed, "Just that I was seen leaving the party the other night with my two Latin lovers in tow."

Lester's head whipped sharply to look at me, "What?" His eyes were big as saucers. Ex military men were no match for the burg gossip mongers.

I just smiled at him and eased back into traffic, heading out to meet Ranger. I knew the café where we were meeting, but I hadn't been there in years. My dad and I used to go there sometimes on Sunday mornings for breakfast, just the two of us. It had good food and no atmosphere. The people kept to themselves and their meal. I lucked out again and found a parking spot right in front of the café. This car must have good parking karma. Or maybe it was Ranger, his car was parked a few spots over, even better than mine. The black SUV found a spot across the street to keep watch.

Lester did the whole bodyguard routine again. Once it was safe, he ushered me in. My eyes went immediately to Ranger. He was already seated in a booth with his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the door. He was still dressed in all black, but there seemed to be something different about him. He looked like a bad ass. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. I could see diamond studs in each ear, they were nice ones too; I had a similar pair from Dickie. I could also tell he was armed to the teeth underneath his jacket. He just screamed bad boy. It was like testosterone was oozing out of every pore. A zing went through my body, all the way to my core.

As we approached the table he and Lester did some sort of head nod and then Lester was gone.

"Babe," he gave me the full 200 watt smile. I saw his eyes travel my body in appreciation. For some reason I didn't blush. When his eyes finally reached mine I just gave him a saucy smile. I scooted into the seat opposite him before I lost control and tried to climb onto his lap.

"Ranger," I greeted him, mimicking his tone. I let my eyes take in the change in his appearance. So far I had seen Tuxedo Ranger, Bodyguard Ranger, Urban Commando Ranger, Sexy Dinner Date Ranger. If I had to name this one it would have to be Bad Ass Ranger.

"So which one is really you?" I asked him after tallying his personas in my mind. His only response was a quirked eyebrow.

I explained, "In the short time I have known you I have seen you wearing many different hats. Bodyguard, business man, security specialist, dinner date, and now you look like a Bad Ass. I have seen you wear a tuxedo, custom dress pants that are thousands of dollars a pair, sweats, cargos and combat boots and now diamond studs that are almost as big as the ones I wear. Which one is really you?"

He studied me for a moment, no emotion evident on his face. "Which one do you think?" He finally answered me, his voice was flat.

"I'm not judging you, just curious. God knows I have to fit into a dozen different roles in a week. I'm the Governor's wife, a role model for every little girl in the burg to idolize. I'm my mother's daughter, her pride and joy, only because I married into the right family of course. I'm Stephanie Orr, married to the heir of the Orr fortune and proper member of upper crust society." I snorted at that one. "I'm a nosey investigator who always gets her man. I'm Wonder Woman, fighting the good fight for those who can't fight for themselves." I sounded a little bitter. With all of those personalities battling for face time, I kind of lost track of who I was.

Ranger's eyes were softer now. He reached across the table and picked up my hand in his. "Just like you Babe, I'm all of them and I'm none of them. I play the parts that are needed. The key is to remember to keep something back just for you so you always remember who you really are."

I swallowed, "I think I may have lost her, I mean me." In my home life, the place that I would keep just for me, I am still playing a role, the happy little Mrs.

"No you haven't." He smiled at me, "I've met her." I really wished I could raise one eyebrow because now would be a really good time to do so. Apparently he understood because he continued. "She's funny and kind and loyal. She gets distracted and thinks out loud." He gave me a sexy grin, "She's made fast friends with ex military men who most people don't give a second glance. She was late to a meeting because she needed to share doughnuts with all of my men. She won't let anyone push her around. I saw her blackmail her father and put a State Police Lieutenant in his place, all with a smile on her face." I blushed and dropped my eyes from his. He put a finger under my chin and tipped my head so my eyes had to meet his, "She's sexy as hell and has no idea the effect she has on men, which makes her even more incredible." He leaned in close to me. "She's amazing."

I was stunned into silence. I think that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I said the only think I could think of, "Thank you." I was trying to keep the tears at bay. It had been a very stressful few days, but these would be happy tears. Luckily I didn't have to come up with anything else. The waitress approached us and we ordered. I was having a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a chocolate shake. Ranger ordered a cobb salad and water.

"So do you always eat rabbit food?" I had noticed he didn't have any doughnuts this morning. And at the meals I had seen him eat he usually picked the healthiest options, unlike me. He smiled in response. "Let me guess, body's a temple or something like that."

He shrugged, "Something like that."

"Not me. I love food." Food seemed to take up some of the space in my life that was left by my pathetic excuse for a love life. Sugar also went a long way in curbing my overactive Hungarian hormones. It was probably best not to think about my hormones with the Cuban Sex God sitting across from me.

I decided to change the subject. "I checked in with the local gossip grapevine. It seems Terry Gilman and Joe Morelli are still friendly. They aren't really an item, but they're seen out together at regular intervals. Not sure if that helps us any."

Our waitress brought our drinks and he continued our conversation, "It may not have any relevance, but it's always good to have as much information going in as possible. You never know what may come up. Find out anything else?"

I smiled, "I think I may have freaked poor Lester out a bit. But he's kind of fun to tease and I couldn't help myself." His eyebrow was up, begging an explanation. "I told him that I made the gossip vine on Saturday night, as I was seen escaping from the party with my two Latin lovers." I gave him a big smile.

Where Lester looked petrified, Ranger just gave me his wolf grin. His smile softened, "Does it bother you, the gossip that must surround your life? It must have been hard to get used to."

I snorted. "I never had to get used to it. I'm from the burg. I've been gossiped about my whole life." I played with my straw, "I never really fit in as a kid and my mother never let me hear the end of it. Every mother in the neighborhood called to tattle on me." I sighed, "My love life took center stage when I gave it up to Morelli behind the counter at the Tasty Pastry. If anything, marrying Dickie made it a little easier. The family has enough clout that people don't want to piss them off." I look a long drink of my shake.

"When I was younger it bothered me. I felt like I was living under a microscope, God forbid my mother heard about Mary Lou and I cutting class or getting caught with a cigarette in the girls' bathroom. It wasn't until after I was free of that place, when I married Dickie, I realized how ridiculous it was to put so much concern into what other people thought about what I did with my life. And by other people I mean housewives from the burg who are so unhappy with the role they have settled for that they're all too happy to pick apart anyone who is different. No matter the horrible things he has put me through, I will always be grateful to my husband for getting me out of the burg."

He smiled, "You don't exactly seem to be the typical happy homemaker I tend to associate with that part of town."

I laughed. "Not hardly. I can't cook. The only reason I have a kitchen is because it came with the house. Cleaning is not really my thing either. Never really saw myself with the 2.5 kids and the picket fence, waiting for my husband to come home to pot roast on the table at 6:00. It's not that it isn't a good life for some people, just not for me."

Our food arrived, halting conversation for a little while. The cheeseburger was as good as I remembered it and the onion rings were to die for. I have to say; even Ranger's salad looked pretty good. I think it was the bleu cheese and bacon that made it palatable. Ranger watched me inhale my meal.

"How can you eat that and still look like you do? All the crap I have watched you eat in the last couple of days, you should weigh 200 lbs." I wasn't sure if he was disgusted or impressed.

I shrugged. "I have good genes." He didn't look convinced. "I do work out some. We have a nice gym at the Foundation and it is more fun to work out sparring than boring weight machines. But really I just have an unnatural love of food." I didn't think I should tell him that it helped to fill the void left by my lack of a sex life.

He just shook his head. We were interrupted by the waitress again. She seemed to be hovering around our table. She asked Ranger if everything was alright. I noticed when we ordered that she hadn't even bother looking in my direction. He ignored her flirting and asked for the check. When she set it on the table, I grabbed it, wanting to treat him to lunch. I noticed she had written not only her name but her phone number at the bottom of the check. I rolled my eyes, "Does this happen a lot?" His only answer was a shrug. While I was distracted he grabbed the bill and pulled cash from his pocket to pay for it. He left both on the table and he led me to the door, his hand at the small of my back.

I couldn't help but tease him, "Wait, how are you going to call Dottie? You forgot her number on the table."

"Not my type, Babe." He answered me while his eyes scanned the street for threats before we stepped out the door.

I snorted, "She's everybody's type, blond hair, big boobs and willing." He just shook his head. "Alright then, what is your type?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew it was a bad idea.

His eyes darkened as they swept my body from head to toe. His hand on the small of my back slipped down to grip my hip. He leaned in and I could feel his hot breath on my neck as he growled in my ear, "Babe."

Oh Boy!