WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW?
By
Dimaris
Chapter 4: Couple
RPOV
I called Tank to have him meet me in my office on the 5th floor. His first words were, "So, how'd it go in DC?"
"I'm free and clear. They tried hard to get me to rethink my decision by offering me more money to renew the contract but I don't need more money I need Stephanie."
"Did you go see Bombshell? She asked me if you were alright and coming home any time soon. So is big, bad Ranger Manoso finally going to step up to the plate and get the girl?" Of course, Tank asked me that with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Hell, I didn't have to take that from him besides I was nervous enough. "Yeah, I just dropped by to update you and pick up something from my apartment then I taking Steph to dinner at Rossini's."
Before the elevator doors closed Tank took one more shot. "So, what do you need to get from the apartment?" I just shook my head and growled at him, "You don't need to know."
As I drove back to my Babe's place, I rehearsed everything I wanted to say in my head. I had the ring I bought a year ago in my pocket along with the official termination letter from the government. I prayed that she loved me enough to say "yes" because if she didn't, I would fall apart.
When I knocked, her door was opened by a vision in sky blue silk. Her dress caressed her lush figure stopping a couple of inches above her knees and the neckline dipped just to the top of her breasts showing a hint of cleavage. Her luxurious curls were loose and fell around her delicate shoulders and down her back. Instead of her favorite black FMPs she was wearing high heeled silver sandals, silver shadow over her incredible blue eyes and long, silver earrings. God, she was gorgeous.
I'd changed into a new charcoal gray Armani suit with light gray silk shirt and a gray and silver silk tie. We both just stood there and stared at each other. I was probably drooling.
Then I heard her stomach growl. "Babe, are you ready for dinner?"
Steph isn't really good at riding in a car without talking so she asked me if I could tell her where I had been for the last week or so. When I told her Washington DC, she asked if I had to go on another mission. I grinned at her and said, "Not this time, Babe."
When we walked toward our table in Rossini's, people were dialing their cell phones so fast they probably crashed the Trenton circuits and the Burg grapevine was going up in smoke. If only. Stephanie just rolled her eyes and sighed.
After we were seated and I ordered a bottle of Crystal, I took my Babe's hand in mine. It was now or never. I was scared to death.
SPOV
Earlier I felt sorry for myself because my Valentine's Day had gone down the toilet. There was no loving man in my life, no date, no valentine cards although Ranger did send me flowers. Now I'm sitting in my favorite restaurant with my best friend who is not dressed in black. Ranger always looked beautiful—handsome just doesn't do him justice—but tonight he wore gray and silver with his long black hair loose and diamond studs in his ears. Heaven knows, I never expected this; I might have dreamed it but Lord knows I never expected it.
Then Ranger began to speak and I was no longer able to breathe.
RPOV
"Babe, as I told you, I just returned from DC where I refused to renew my contract with the government."
Steph looked at me with a stunned look on her face and whispered, "What does that mean?"
"It means, Babe, that there will be no more missions to take me away from home and, except for RangeMan jobs, my life won't be dangerous. It means I can finally have a personal life and I want it with you." Stephanie started to interrupt but I held up my hand to stop her. "Please, this isn't easy for me so let me finish." She nodded her head for me continue.
"Stephanie, I love you and would like to make a life and family with you if you'll have me. I know I've said a lot of stupid and confusing things to you in the past. I have no excuses to make other than my feelings for you frightened me. Fear and panic are not emotions I've had to deal with for a long time. Then when I walked into the café to meet a new bounty hunter for Connie, you took my breath away. Babe, I'd never been in love before so I didn't know what to do. Now I know what love is, it is because of you."
My Babe looked at me with tears in her eyes. She seemed to be at a loss for words. Neither one of us are very good at talking about our feelings. I'm going to have to open up even more to convince her I mean what I say.
"Ranger, you said you loved me in your own way. I just didn't know what you meant by that. You've always treated me gently and with tenderness but you seemed so distant and unfeeling. Do I understand you want a relationship with me and there are no restrictions or qualifications?"
I took her hand in mine. "First of all, Sweetheart, my name is Carlos. I desperately want a loving relationship with you. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose that closeness but I want more. Stephanie, do you only care about me as your friend or can I hope for more than that?"
She reached out and touched my cheek. "Carlos, I have been in love with you for a long time, but I didn't think you felt the same way. I never said anything because I was afraid you would stop being my friend. I just couldn't deal with the thought of losing you. I'm sure you've always known how much I wanted to be near you. After all, I would do anything for you; but after our night together you told me to go back to Morelli. That hurt and I desperately tried not to love you anymore; but I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."
I could hardly believe it but my Babe loved me. Slipping the ring out of my pocket I got down on one knee and with a deep breath asked, "Stephanie, will you marry me? If you want to wait, I will. If you don't want to tell anyone, I won't. Whatever you desire, I will do. Just please say 'Yes,' amante."
She slid to her knees, threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. Putting her left hand on my chest she whispered, "Yes, a thousand times yes."
I slipped the engagement ring on her finger, kissed her hand and brought her to her feet. We may not have remembered to order dinner but when we strolled out of Rossini's staring into each other's eyes, we both knew that all of our tomorrows would be a dream come true.
A/N: Response to Black Heart Valentine challenge scenario (Perfect Plum) and Cara and Teena's Let's Talk about Love challenge (Babe_Squad). Oh, and of course, don't own Janet Evanovich's characters just like to play with them, especially Ranger. Sadly, I'm not making any money.
Word count = 1,244