A/N: don't know if a Cupcake warning is really necessary since I don't make Joe out as abusive or anything. He just isn't my favorite.
Steph's POV:
My eyes had been tearing up when Ranger turned away from me in the hallway but dried quickly with my rage. I stormed out of RangeMan, quickly collecting the stupid flowers on my way out. I drove home and stomped up the steps without shedding a single tear. In fact, I was so pissed off I really didn't feel like crying at all anymore.
"What the hell was he talking about? I never so much as suggested I wanted more from Ranger and he'd made it perfectly clear from day one that we would never have a relationship. I'd be lying to say I didn't harbor a small hope that would change someday but that still didn't explain what made this so immediate. One day we were hot and heavy; the next there was nothing. Nothing! And since when do I want to be Mrs. Joe Morelli? Where had all that shit come from?" Rex twitched his nose at me. He might have been laughing at my swollen lip but I was guessing he just didn't know the answers. Great.
Despite Rex's lack of advice I threw him a raisin. He grabbed it and abandoned me to enjoy his raisin in private.
Just like the sadness I had felt immediately following Ranger's schpeal, I found that my anger too, was waning as I sunk into confusion. Ranger's never told me where he'd gone before. He's never needed to. He leaves, he comes back, everything just sort of stays the same. Until today. My spidey-sense was definitely tingling on this one but I just couldn't pin down what it was that seemed to be so wrong. I did a massive mental eye roll. Men. Who fucking knows?
The four days leading up to Ranger's departure had been uneventful compared to the weeks before. No one tried to blow me up and the Merry Men must have known something was up by this point because no one talked any crap to me. I continued to work at RangeMan but didn't see hide nor hair of Ranger. The only signs that Ranger had left were that his office door was now open and someone had brought donuts to work. When the cat's away and whatnot.
The same day Ranger left, Joe called to ask me out to dinner AGAIN. I know I like to eat, but really. We had been out so much lately that food had kind of lost its mystique. Despite the constant feeding I think I'd actually lost weight since eating had become like a job to me. I never wanted to set foot in another restaurant in my life but he sounded so excited over the phone. He mentioned Rossini's offhandedly and it may be my own paranoia but his nonchalance sounded forced. I knew the places we'd been going were getting better each time and I felt like his fake easiness was proof positive. I didn't know what he was trying to pull but whatever it was, he obviously thought I was completely clueless.
As I left work I played out how I was going to avoid Joe's advances yet again without him suspecting anything. I'd faked a headache, a stomach ache, swine flu and even my period (not a smart move, ladies, since I got my real period a day after my fake one ended and Joe made me go to the doctor and check that everything was ok.) But I knew he'd try and make his way into my bed tonight and I was running out of excuses not to.
He would definitely expect to be invited over after dinner. I still didn't think sex with Joe was a good idea, what with all the bullshit I seemed to be wading in, but as evidenced by my molestation of Lester, my control was shaky at best.
And what's worse, I'd have to have the damned flowers on display. I turned to look at the offending fauna and found them sulking. The sun, combined with my manhandling had really done a number on them. They looked like I'd had them for weeks, not just four days.
I took off the rubber band holding my hair back and wrapped it around the tops of the flowers so they stood straight only to bow right at the tip. Good. Instead of sulking they just looked disappointed. With that job done I proceeded to get ready for my impending doom...I mean date.
I stepped into the scalding spray and tried to push the last few weeks out of my mind. I felt like I'd been firebombed. As someone who knows what she's talking about it, isn't a comparison that's made lightly.
I soaked and scrubbed and felt marginally better when I got out.
I scrunched some mouse in my hair and rubbed it with a towel. I padded into my bedroom and though I was sort of dreading this evening I was pretty excited for the opportunity to dress up.
I was running out of date wear fast but I still had a couple dresses I hadn't worn before. I dressed quickly and stood in front of the full length mirror to assess the situation. The strapless dress made my boobs look fantastic with its sweetheart neckline. The blue of the bodice set off the blue of my eyes and the four inch patent platform heels made my legs look a million miles long. I had to admit I looked pretty good.
I went back into the bathroom to fluff my hair and swipe on some mascara. Since I needed the extra boost today I lined my eyes and followed up with some charcoal shadow. Mary Lou is the master of the smokey eye and damned if I wasn't a good student. I was swiping on my fifth coat of mascara when Joe knocked on my door.
I appreciated the courtesy of his knock but I found myself missing a certain someone breaking in at night. I slapped myself in the forehead before opening the door. Bad Stephanie! You are not supposed to be thinking about one man when you have a date with another!
Joe was waiting on the other side with a big smile. He gave me the twice over, leering. "Cupcake," (not my favorite nickname) "you look beautiful. Maybe we should just stay in tonight. Is that dress hard to get out of?"
EEK! "Yes. Very difficult, near impossible really. Besides I'm starving." I sounded startled even to myself.
Joe laughed but agreed that it was time to go.
We arrived at Rossini's, and after a not so furtive wink at Morelli, the Maitre' D escorted us to what had to be the best table in the restaurant. It was set up on a dias and looked out over a gorgeous view of the city. Morelli took my hands in his sweaty ones across the table and just stared at me. Something was definitely up. Between the sweaty palms and the leering I was a little creeped out. We ordered and ate in relative silence. It was like he wanted to talk but he just looked sort of nervous and anxious instead.
When we were done with our entrees, Morelli gave the waiter another akward wink. Without asking, our server came back to the table with a slice of tiramisu. Morelli pushed it toward me and stared at me as I took my first bite. Mmmmm. It was delicious and as I let out a little moan of satisfaction I forgave Morelli all his weirdness and decided it was all in my head. Dessert is a pretty powerful thing.
I plowed through the layered ladyfinger heaven until I hit something hard that wasn't the plate. I pulled out a ring. I guessed it must have been pretty but it was covered in tiramisu so who knows? I suddenly understood why Morelli had been acting like such a creeper.
He took the ring from me and dipped it in his water. He swished it around and wiped it on his napkin. Now that I could see it, it really was beautiful. It's the sort of engagement ring I would want if I wanted one at all.
"Cupcake," he started to get down on one knee and I could feel my heart jump into my throat.
I should be happy that Morelli wants to marry me, right? We had been dating off and on for a long time and I was pretty sure I loved him but this just didn't feel right. I wanted to yell at him to stop and save himself the embarrassment but I couldn't speak with that stupid heart lodged where my voice should be.
When he was finally where he wanted to be I saw that every eye in the restaurant was on us. "I have wanted to do this for a long time. I know we've tried this before and I think I know why it didn't work. I did it all wrong the last time. I sprung it on you without any warning and I didn't even have a ring. The last time, there was something holding you...us back. But I don't think that's the case anymore. You can finally quit bounty hunting and we can start a family. I think this is the perfect time for us and I know you're the perfect woman for me. Stephaine Plum, will you marry me?"
Shit Fuck! I still couldn't speak. I could almost see that life with Morelli. Me playing the little wifey, him the hunky cop husband. 2.5 kids shitting into diapers I had to clean up. No Thanks! I wanted to be eloquent and polite since we were such a spectacle but it was an effort to speak at all. I urged sound to come and forced the words up past the bulge in my throat till they all came spilling out at once.
" No no no no no no." I stammered. The shocked intake of breath from our audience was nothing compared to the look on Morelli's face. He had really thought I'd say yes. I seriously didn't want to do this here but he was leaving me no choice. "Why even makes you think I would want this?" I knew it sounded horrible but I couldn't stop myself. "We haven't discussed marriage since the last time Joe. That's been over a year! I've never said anything about quitting my job and kids are so far from my mind I can't even imagine it. Marriage is supposed to be about communication and partnership. You haven't shown me either of those with all your sneaking around. This is the longest stretch of time we've gone without breaking up and its because we haven't been forcing anything. And what do you think has suddenly changed? It's like after all this time you don't know me at all."
"Steph, don't do this. He's never going to choose you." He desperately grabbed onto my left arm hard enough to bruise. "I'm your last chance at a family. You need to stop acting so childish and stop chasing after impossibilities." He opened his mouth to say more but I'll never know what it was because at that moment my spidey-sense kicked in and I punched him hard in the nose. I heard a crack as his nose broke and caught a glimpse of Joe curled up on the ground with his hands covering his face as I fled Rossini's and hailed a cab.
I had heard those words before. In the hallway with Ranger. They were in this together.
A/N 2: I actually bought the dress and shoes described a few days ago and they are so fantastic that I had to include them in the story. I've posted links to both on my profile so check em out!!!