Yay! I have another chapter out! Just when I thought I wouldn't get it out... I amaze myself lol.

So this chapter took a bit of a turn I wasn't expecting. Hopefully everything turns out okay, but we'll see. Also, I hope to make the chapters longer, but for now, the shorter ones are what's coming out.

Let me know what you think!

Not mine. But I would give my left leg for a night with Ranger.

"Hey Babygirl," I said when I entered Stephanie's office.

Her head popped up quickly. "Grandma! What are you doing here? Does Ma know?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course she does. Can't I come visit my favorite granddaughter?"

Stephanie's lips twitched and she put down her pen. "So what can I do for you?"

"Well I was in the neighborhood getting my hair done so I thought I'd come in and say hi."

"How is Dotty?"

"Still the biggest gossip in town."

"Glad to see some things never change." She motioned to the chair. "Sit. Then I'll show you around. I need to finish the inventory reports."

I shuffled into the chair and took a look around her office. The room was done in a calming blue tone and the floor and desk were a nice dark cherry wood. Her furniture was made of buttery chocolate brown leather and I sank in deeper. For all I cared, she could work at her desk all day long. "Take your time."

She smiled softly. "Comfy right? The sales guy had to bribe me out of it when I went to pick it out."

"I can see why. You might have to bribe me."

Stephanie giggled.

Twenty minutes later, she sighed and sat back. "You're in luck. We got our new shipment in. Connie just put it on the shelf."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go."

The store walls were painted a muted yellow and the hardwood flooring continued from the office. It was a bright, happy store.

"You've done very well for yourself, baby." I said, smiling.

"Thank you. Let me explain the layout. Pajamas and negligees are in the front. Next is wedding lingerie over to the right as well as cotton panties and bras. You can shop for the wedding night and honeymoon days. Comfort over sexy, if you go out."

I nodded. "Interesting idea."

"Lula came up with it."

"Yeah and that's a big if." The woman who I assume was Lula said. She was a big African American woman who was slightly taller than me. She had a bright pink spandex dress with a cream sweater over it. Lula's hair and eyes were chocolate brown, which complemented her skin well. All in all, she was a very pretty girl. "See I figure that you want to look all sexy at night for your hubby to rip off with his teeth. But if you do leave, silky lingerie is not exactly comfortable to do shit in, 'scuse my French. Especially if you go somewhere hot. Not a pretty picture."

"So far it's doing pretty good. Stephanie said. I've had brides come back and thank us. They appreciated the option of the cotton. It breathes better."

"Did you show her the back yet? Granny, you'll get a kick out of this."

I looked at Stephanie and raised my eyebrows. I never could raise just one and it always annoyed me.

"I talk about you." She shrugged.

"A LOT. You and that stick up her ass mother."

"Lula!" Stephanie scolded.

"Huhn." Lula turned to me. "Back's got the sexy shit. Thongs, g-strings, silk bras, demi bras, push up and…" She looked around. "Crotchless panties." She whispered.

I looked over at Stephanie. She was smiling widely. "We call it Helen's corner."

"HA!" I barked. "It's perfect. You're a pip!"

"Victoria's Secret has nothing on my girl." Lula said proudly someone called her name. "Oh shit. Customers."

"Where did you find her?"

"Stark Street. She gave me directions to another storefront I was looking at and we talked bras for a minute." Her face said it all. I connected the dots.

"Was she a prostitute?" I asked, curious.

Stephanie grimaced. "She doesn't like to talk about it. We became friends after that. I guess I looked like a cop, so Benito, her pimp, beat her pretty badly. Thank God someone was driving by…" She paused and looked away. "So when I started making money, I hired her. I figured it was the least I could do."

"You saved her."

"After I put her in that position."

"But you made it right. You helped her get out of that life and gave her a fresh start. If it wasn't for you, she might be dead. That's what she'll remember."

Stephanie nodded. "I hope so. She's been a Godsend."

"Looks like it." I took another look around the store. "I'm so proud."

Her face brightened. "Thanks, Grandma."

Now, we're not a hugging family, but this moment deserved one. I hugged her tightly for a moment, until a screeching pulled us apart.

"Baby!" Lula yelled, jumping into a man's chest.

A man I knew pretty well.

The tall black man. I looked around. No sexy Latino.

My day was turning up.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"Tank, her boyfriend." Her smile became wistful. "I'll always be grateful for him. He saved her."

"He was the one driving by?"

She nodded. "She deserves it after all the crap she's been through."

I could see him clearer now. He stood at six and a half feet with big muscles. I could see why she called him Tank. He was built like one. Not to mention the all black uniform helped him look bigger. "Tank?"

"We assume that's not his real name, but he won't tell us any other name."

"Must be real embarrassing."

We nodded and thought about that.

"What does he do?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Works for a company named Rangeman. That's all he'll tell me."

"He looks like a bodyguard."

"That's what I think. I've only seen him a couple of times, so I don't think he trusts me completely yet. I think that's his military training though." Stephanie's phone went off. "Shoot." She rolled her eyes at me. "Ma…"

I took that chance to pounce. I walked over to where Lula and Tank. "Hello there."

"This here's Stephanie's Granny. This is my man, Tank."

"Hi." He grunted.

"Hello."

"You have a wonderful granddaughter."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, I see you." Lula said to someone behind me. "Excuse me."

Then it was just me and Tank.

"So… Stephanie says you work for Rangeman. What kind of business is that?"

"All types."

I stared at him for a minute. My eyebrows were raised. He grinned. "I see where she gets her tenacity from."

When he was silent, I pushed on. "Well?"

Lucky for him, his phone vibrated. "Saved by the bell." I joked.

He grinned. "Excuse me, ma'am."

Stephanie came back. "Mom's picking you up in ten minutes."

I looked at my watch. "I have to get home to change for the wake. Stiva's got three good one's today." Bingo is for the old and half dead. Since I am neither, I partake in the honored tradition of mourning the dead. Mostly, I go because all of the best gossip happens there (the widow was pregnant with her dead husband's best friend's baby) and it's a chance to see and be seen.

Stephanie just smiled and shook her head. She avoided funeral homes at all costs. Probably because she was usually the talk of the town. Stephanie was one of the first Burg women to go on after a failed marriage and make it on her own. None of the other women understood it.

At least I now had a plan. I looked over at Tank. He was still on the phone and by the look of it, talking to his boss. I needed more information on that company.

And what does a woman in this day and age use to find information?

I needed a computer.