Beefcake for Charity Ch 2
The talk with Tank gave me that extra boost of confidence that as a Jersey girl I usually relied on an extra coat of mascara for. I headed into Pino's to meet Morelli for lunch. Carl and Eddie were waiting at the counter for their orders so I smiled and said hi. "Lookin 'good Steph, you do something different?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah, she's not covered in garbage and smelling like sauerkraut!" Carl snorted.
"Shut it Castanza!" Morelli said breezing in the door behind me and dropping a quick kiss on my cheek. "Hey there Cupcake, table in the back?"
"Yeah," I said giving Carl one of my best Burg death glares before I continued on to the booth.
"He's right, you do look awfully clean, no skips today Cupcake?"
I scowled at him and decided not to drag out what I had to say.
"I've made some decisions," I said. Morelli leaned forward, elbows on the table. "You finally quit working for that sleazoid you call a cousin and decided to settle down with me Cupcake?"
I leaned in to try and answer him without making our business known to the whole establishment. It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't even mad about what he just said- I was done.
"I'm sorry Joe," I said pausing to look into his whiskey colored eyes. A dark curl fell onto his forehead and I swept it aside and sighed. "I'll always love you as friend, but I can't do this anymore, we both know that we don't work. We want different things."
His face tensed and the red deepening by the second. I could see his quick Italian temper about to hit the boil over point. "Dammit Cupcake!," he said through gritted teeth. "This is about Manoso isn't it?" he demanded his voice getting louder with each word. People started to stare. The crazy thing was the louder he got the quieter I was. Usually his temper would spur mine on but I clearly had turned some corner emotionally and or mentally. While he ranted I noticed with a cool detachment the way the vein in his forehead bulged. Has he always turned so red and swung his arms around like that? Then it occurred to me that I used to react in kind. When I am in full Rhino mode; which Joe has inspired in me too many times to count; I swing my arms and yell and scream. Hmm.
"Are you listening to me Stephanie?" He spit out.
I stood up and looked at him calmly. He stared at me expectantly. "I'm sorry I hurt you Joe. I can't continue in this unhealthy pattern we have. I hope one day we can be friends," I said.
Pino's was quiet except for the sound of Joe slamming a bottle against the wall in my wake. Everyone was staring either at him or me. No one even pretended they were not eavesdropping. I've had about enough of the Burg and all the busy bodies too. Maybe I should consider finding a new place to live, I thought as I swung my purse over my arm and headed out the front door.
When I got to my car a big imposing figure in black was leaning against it. "You alright?" he asked. I nodded and he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. "Proud of you," he said quietly into the top of my head blowing a few stray curls away from his mouth. "Thanks Tank!"
"No problem, Little Girl."
I pulled back to look up at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I got concerned. I know how you and Morelli's discussions escalate and I wanted you to have someone watching your back."
"Aww, I think that is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."
"Yeah, well don't let it get around. I don't want it soften my image," he grumbled with a tiny grin on his lips.
"Your secret is safe with me Big Guy!" When I glanced past him I saw Marie Giovanni with her cell phone raised taking a photo of Tank and me and I sighed. "We better get out of here before rumor is I dumped Morelli for you." Tank nodded and opened my car door for me.
With that hurdle down I had to face Ranger. I pulled up my big girl panties and pressed number one on my phone deciding to use the momentum I built up today and face Batman head on. It rang once and I heard that familiar "Yo." How I loved that sound. I took a deep breath and invited him to my apartment for dinner promising I'd pick up something to eat and not try to cook.
RANGER POV
I held my phone in my hand staring at it for a moment wondering what my babe was up to. I don't think she has ever invited me over for dinner. I know she was in the building today and talked to Tank. I had hoped she'd come to me but she didn't and she was gone before I could catch up to her.
With a quick call to the control room I let them know I'd be offline for the next 24 hours and headed over to Tank's office.
As I was about to knock, I got a picture text of Tank holding Babe tight in front of her POS car. I couldn't help the frown that appeared on my face. He had some explaining to do between the meeting earlier and this photo.
Before I could entertain any other thoughts I heard the deep base of my second in command and best friend as he stepped onto the fifth floor. "Hey Rangeman," he said approaching. "Come inside, I have something to show you." he said pushing past me and ambling through the door.
I closed the door behind me with a click. When I turned around to face him he had his phone out. He swiped a large finger across the screen and held it up revealing a photo of a red faced Morelli waving his arms around. "Why do I care about this?" I snapped. Tank rolled his eyes. He actually ROLLED HIS EYES!
"Look closer," he said pointing to the corner of the screen. I pulled the phone out of his grasp and examined it more closely. In the background was Babe looking bored while Morelli was apparently screaming at her at what appears to be Pino's. "You should have seen it," Tank grinned. I lifted an eyebrow in question.
"She dumped him." he said.
"I'm sure they'll work it out," I said hating every word as it left my mouth, "their history suggests I'm right."
"Not this time Rangeman," Tank said, "I talked to her."
"Is that when this took place?" I asked holding up the photo on my phone.
Tank laughed. "Little Girl said the Burg would do that. Does it say she dumped Morelli for me?" he grinned sounding a little too gleeful in my misery.
"WHAT?!"
My reaction made him laugh harder. "Relax Rangeman, that little girl only has eyes for you! She told me earlier she was making some changes and one of them was letting the cop know they are through. He isn't her future. Which reminds me, I hired someone today."
I knew we needed some help so it wasn't really a surprise. "Fine," I said, "I trust your judgment." I still couldn't shake the nagging question of why she would come to Rangeman and talk to Tank and not me.
My thoughts were interrupted by Tanks phone ringing. "Thanks Lulabear," he said and hung up and then tapped away at the screen. "Here ya go, proof," he said calling up video. He upped the volume on the sound.
It was Babe at Pino's with Morelli. My jaw clenched but there was no way I could look away. She sat calmly staring at him as he flapped his arms building up a full head of steam. I could feel my fists clench as he accused her of being my whore and demanded to know what she was willing to do for me that she'd never do for him. He informed her that was all I wanted her for and what would she do once I'd gotten tired of her? The more he ranted the angrier I got. But SHE wasn't reacting. That is not like my Babe. That woman is a spitfire! It is one of the many things I love about her. Why isn't she reacting? This isn't like her... "You're right," Tank interjected into my internal monologue, using what Babe calls our ESP. "She's not acting like her old self, she's taking a page from YOUR book."
I glanced from the phone to his face and saw the matter of fact expression. "She told him she was done. They could be friends but nothing more."
Suddenly I felt something that I usually only feel when I know she is in danger-panic.
"What's wrong Rangeman?"
"She invited me over for dinner."
Tank took one look at my face and and chuckled. "I don't think she is planning to cut you loose too unless you really blow it," he said and clapped me on the back.
"I'll see you later," he said and left me alone, dumbfounded, in his office.
A/N: Please take a moment to let me know what you think. :)