I do not own JE's characters. I just like to play with them.
A/N: This a new story. Brace yourself, Babes, this is a TART. I welcome your reviews and input. The rating is for some scenes and language. Steph and Lula are best friends and they are badass. This is mostly fluff.
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Stephanie POV
My best friend is a crazy woman. "Lu, there is no way that I want to be a Girl Scout Troop leader." She is pacing in my office at work.
"Girl, I got this scoop from Sally. If we take a troop of little Girl Scouts, then those bitches that are friends with your sister will not be allowed to do it. We can do it, Girl. They can meet here. Come on, it will be fun."
She must think that I am dumb. "Lu, people in the Girl Scouts have to go camping! I do not want to go camping and I do not want to sell cookies. No. Do it with Maddie."
Lu puts both of her hands on my desk. "Stop being a fucking coward! You said you wanted revenge and we like kids. Don't talk about it, be about it, Girl."
She is doing song quotes to me again. I think to myself and wonder whether I can really do this. I do like kids and we have the space. We are not criminals and I do want to get revenge on Valerie's bitch squad.
"Fine, Lu. I will be a troop leader with you." She grins and hands me a form.
"Good. Sign this form and I will take them to file them at the place." I sign the forms and she leaves quickly.
I lean back in my chair and think about the dinner I have to go to at Mateo's family. I love him, so I just hope that his mother is a calm woman. I do not want a pushy woman in my life.
I decide to call Freda Markowitz and she answered on the first ring. "Hello, Steph. How are you doing?"
I smile. She is so nice. "I was thinking about having lunch together today. Are you free?" She giggles and agrees instantly.
"Of course, Steph. I will meet you the Bertucci's at 1pm. I love their bread." I hang up and send a text to Lu that she has to watch the place while I get the scoop from Freda. I call Mateo and see if they need to find anybody. I can ask Freda if she has heard anything.
Mateo POV
"Yo, Cuz. Pay attention. The background check on Rosco Washington came back clean. We do not know where to find this guy and he is worth $100K from Sebring." He was off in his own world as we tried to get him to focus during this meeting.
"I think that you should Shell." He is right. She would know where this guy was. He was wanted for multiple counts of grand theft auto. We had not turned up anything when we tried to canvas his neighborhood.
"Okay, I will call her. How are we on the accounts for Diamond Estates?"
Williams, our new sales department stands and gives his summary. We had head hunted him from a marketing company that Savannah knew about. She told Tank that he was looking for a change and that he was from the Army Reserves, so he would be able to meet our physical standards. I zone out a little myself and my ringing phone makes me almost jump in my seat. I get up and leave the conference room to take the call.
"Hello, Mitch."
"Hello, Mateo. I am going to meet Freda for lunch and Lu wants us to be Girl Scout troop leaders. Do you want me to find out anything for you while I have one of the queens of the Grapevine at my disposal?" I smile. She is so silly. What did she say?
"Mitch, Baby, you cannot be serious! You are going to be a Girl Scout Leader?" She giggles.
"Yes, Mateo. Lu and I completed our application today. We can talk about it later. I love you. So, do you need help with anything?" I adore her.
"Yes. We are looking for Roscoe Washington, Mitch. Have a nice time at lunch, and please call me if you find out anything. I love you, too."
She hangs up and I smile. I wonder if she will have one of those uniforms. She would look so fucking hot in a tiny pleated skirt. I would definitely buy her cookies. Damn, I need to calm down. I take a deep breath and return to the meeting.
I needed to focus. Ranger is love drunk, Bobby is nervous about his proposal, and Tank is going for a nooner if the way that he keeps checking his watch is any indication. It looks like I am eating whatever Tia Ella prepares today. It is hard work being me today. I cannot wait until tonight. I miss my wife.
Stephanie POV
I left Maddie there alone to take any calls that came in and she said that she had lunch plans with Ric. I told her that she needed to wait until Lu came back. She said okay as long as Ric could wait with her. I gave her the Burg glare—I could still do it—and told her that she had better not have sex in my office. She just pushed me out of the door claiming that I was too touchy and to bring her back some cake or something.
At the restaurant, I waited in my blue and silver sundress, denim jacket and silver open toed strappy sandals. My hair was in a loose bun and I had on my silver sunglasses. Several men gave me the once over, but I ignored them while I waited for Freda. I have horrible luck, because Joe Morelli comes into the restaurant with some blonde bimbo attached to his arm.
He spots me and they choose to come over to where I am standing. "Hello again, Cupcake. I might forgive you for what you did to me the last time I saw you if you will have dinner with me." Isn't he on a date?
I smile a polite smile. "No thank you, officer. I am still a married woman and I have no desire to cheat on my husband."
I saw Freda arrive out of the corner of my eye and she was in an orange and white wrap dress. She looked like an ice cream treat or something. Her hair was swept up into a ponytail. She waved and came over to me.
"Hello, Steph. Sorry that I am late. Little Jay was messy and he got me all over my other dress, so I had to change. John has him right now." She smiled at me.
Morelli tries to get my attention again. "So are you saying that you will not have dinner with me because you are married, Cupcake?" Freda was not even here and she looks disgusted with him.
"That is exactly what I am saying, officer. You have a nice day, though." I start to walk away with Freda and Morelli has a parting shot.
"That marriage will never last, Cupcake. You need a real man like me." What is he smoking?
"Thanks anyway, but I have a real man. He is a decorated soldier that will kick your ass if you even think about touching me. Stay away from me, Morelli."
He did not like my threat. I don't care. I join Freda at our table and she has already pounced on the bread basket. I take some for myself and we order iced tea to drink.
"Girl, I love that dress! You have to trade clothes with me so I can wear it home." I laugh but I see that she is deadly serious.
"Why don't you just come shopping with me, Lu and Maddie the next time we go, Freda?" She nods and smiles a huge smile at me.
"Before you tell me anything else, have you heard of Roscoe Washington?" She thinks for a minute and then she gasps.
"You mean the guy that acts like the dukes of hazzard?" What was she talking about?
"Steph, he steals cars and tries to jump over things in them like on that television show. He has a facebook page about it. He is supposed to do something at the old race track tonight. I have forbidden Johnny from going to watch it, though."
I text the information to my husband and relax and let Freda tell me all of the gossip around town. She gets to something funny, though and I laugh into my garden salad.
"You mean it's true? You are going to handle the Girl Scout troop for the Burg?" I grin at her like an evil villain and she cackles laughing.
"Oh, you have to let me help you! I want a front row seat for this, Steph." That was my plan, anyway.
"Of course, Freda. You are welcome to become a den mother or whatever."
"I love what you have done to Valerie and her little henchmen, too. Their husbands all think that they have women problems."
She continues giggling and we make arrangements to meet up to shop on Saturday early and we hug goodbye. I cannot wait to tell Lu that Freda is on board with our plans. I feel good. I got to look great while making Morelli feel like a bug and lunch was delicious. I love fried calamari. I even have Maddie's lunch. So why do I not see my car in the parking lot? Dammit!