Chapter 6: Boxes of Red
We are almost there. These are Janet's, except for Bear, he's mine. I'm just playing with them and working towards a Babe HEA.
…o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o…
…"You have a big day tomorrow. Bear will collect you tomorrow morning for your spa day at around 0930. Your first appointment is at ten. Who is your spa buddy going to be?"
"Hector."
His head whiplashed my way and the room was once again in uproar.
Hector raised an eyebrow and gave me one of the sexiest looks ever. Uh oh. I'm in trouble.
…..o.o.o.o.o.o.o…..
Stephanie's POV
The guys all breaking into fits of laughter was unexpected but so much fun. I couldn't help myself but join in. But who knew these big scary mercenaries could giggle? Go figure. If Hector was surprised by my choice, he wasn't showing it. He just grinned at me as he stalked towards me, his eyebrows doing that sexy ever so slight lift with just a little waggle, much more subtle than Lester, but oh so sexy. Did I say sexy? I think I need another Boston cream or a donut could help. When was my last sugar dose? That Boston cream hasn't even hit the bottom yet. I could be in trouble here.
"Gracias, Chica," he whispered huskily in my ear. " I would be honoured to accompany you to the day spa and it will be good." He winked at me with a sweet little peck on my forehead. Holding my shoulders to steady me, he turned to look at the rest of the Core Team still sniggering.
Between snorts and giggles, Bobby made a statement that sent them all into hysterics again and this time I was in a state of shock. Would he? Hector wasn't at all perturbed, in fact, he was positively beaming.
"Hector, hermano. I reckon you should have the same beauty treatments as Stephanie. All of them."
Uh, oh. Oh God. Shit. TMI. They don't need to know everything, do they? Okay, massage, that's easy. Body scrub? Meh. Who wouldn't like that? Facial, manicure and pedicure? Would he have his nails painted too? OMG! Waxing?! Down there? Okay. I don't need to know that. Bikini wax? G string? Brazilian? Do I dare? A landing strip? They don't need to know that but I'm sure they already do. What do guys have? Ah, yes. Manscaping. But which parts and how far and …?"
Loud snorts and bellowing laughter interrupted my thoughts. Oh shit. I felt the blush heat my face. Hector grabbed me in a strong hug and he was vibrating with silent laughter. I hid my face in his shoulder muttering muffled expletives.
"That's why I love you, Chica. Si, we all heard, every little word. I am looking forward to our spa day."
I chanced a glance to see Tank with tears in his eyes thumping his desk. Lester and Bobby also had glistening eyes and were leaning on their chairs.
"Yes, Beautiful. Manscaping it is. That's why we love you so much. Don't ever change." Wiping his eyes with his forearm sleeve he came over to give me a hug, ruffling my hair as he sniggered and swaggered his way out of the office.
"You are something else, Bomber. Ranger is one lucky bastard. You're a Keeper, alright." He too ruffled my hair after giving me a kiss on the cheek. My eyes followed him as noise and laughter emerged from the Control Room. Oh no!
"Don't worry, Little Girl. This discussion will not filter out there. It's just between us, but I will share it with Ranger. Fuck. It feels good to laugh. You are a very special woman Stephanie Plum. I hope you realise how much you mean to us, to all of us."
I was speechless. I had already said more than enough. Recalling my train of thought I had to smile. Oh boy. I looked up at Hector, grinned coyly and rolled my eyes. Hector winked. I had made the right choice. He has my back, like they all do. Hector is always there for me, right there and also in the shadows like my personal guardian angel.
"Okay, Chica. Come. I will escort you to the elevator."
"Yeah. That's enough excitement for today. We'll see you sometime tomorrow, Little Girl. Relax, enjoy and luxuriate."
After bidding Hector farewell with a little finger wave as the doors closed, I made my plan for the rest of the afternoon and evening as the elevator began its ascent. I sighed a huge sigh, a contented sigh. Laughter is cathartic and seeing my Merry Men laughing and smiling did make me feel good. And it was my fault, for all the right reasons for a change.
It's good how the guys know when a girl needs some alone time. They are great company but a girl likes her own space too, especially in this Tower of Testosterone. A little rest and perhaps a lovely relaxing bath would be a good idea. Upon entering Ranger's apartment on seven, I was surprised to notice a subtle hint of Bulgari lingering in the foyer. I raced hopefully into the bedroom only to be disappointed when he wasn't there or in any of the other rooms either. Perhaps, wishful thinking. Oh well. He did say he was tied up with red tape and surveillance. Hmmm, Ranger tied up, now that's a nice thought. I need something to relieve these hormones.
Shoes off first and then my bra. Ahh. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and considered my agenda for tomorrow. I changed into a soft t-shirt and some sweatpants before flopping onto the big bed in my favourite thinking position.
Last night was such a dream. Remembering Carlos' words of love, the beautiful corset, the silk stockings and all the other beautiful gifts, so special and thoughtful, makes me feel treasured and loved. The messages were sweet, Ella's too. But the ones from Carlos …. Oh boy. I blew a wayward curl off my forehead.
Shower or bath? If I'm having a pamper day tomorrow perhaps a shower will do. While I considered this I must have drifted off because the sound of the phone broke my snooze. It was Ella, confirming dinner was being brought up later so I could have a lovely soak in the tub after all. And she had placed something sweet in the fridge for me to tide me over. Did I say I loved Ella? She understands. I raced to the fridge while running the bath and found a delicious sweet nutty tart. Perfect. I sighed with ecstasy with the first mouthful. I know I moaned as well. It made me think of Carlos. I feel we are on a new plane that something has shifted in our relationship.
Feeling refreshed and relaxed after my bath I put on my jammies, little tank top and matching shorts. A knocking at the door made me grab the robe and as I opened the door I had two visitors. Ella had the dinner tray and beside her was Bear beaming brightly with a very large red box with an enormous black bow. Ella gave me a friendly nudge and as they entered, Bear winked at me.
"I suppose I have to sign for this one, too?" I asked with a smile.
"Oh yes. This is a special delivery that just arrived. My instructions are to inform you to open it now, while Ella is here," as he placed it gently on the coffee table. He took the tablet from me and turned to leave the apartment.
"Thank you, Bear." He nodded and quietly closed the door.
I stared at the box. It was huge, long more than deep. This has to be the dress. Oh my God.
"Breath, Stephanie," Ella encouraged quietly with a gentle pat on my shoulder. I stood frozen to the spot not taking my eyes off the box. Ella took my hand and together we walked over to it.
"Come on. I am so curious too, you know. It's bound to be beautiful." Ella responded excitedly as I began to undo the large black bow. Lifting the lid carefully with expectancy I picked up the card with Carlos' distinctive writing.
"Sexy body, beautiful body, silky smooth skin, exquisite curves … Did I say sexy?"
I smiled as I imagined Carlos saying those very words and opened the black tissue paper to reveal red, a luscious deep red matching all the other items of course.
I was in awe as I lifted it up and out of the box.
"Oh, my! It is beautiful, Stephanie. It is truly exquisite. You are going to be more than just the Belle of the Ball. She held it up against me and began to mutter in soft hushed tones, in Spanish. I heard Carlos' name and watched her curiously. I had to agree. It was gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous.
"Oh, I'm sorry Stephanie," she sighed. "Carlos has really outdone himself. I couldn't help myself. He really does have wonderful taste. Why don't you try it on and we'll see if we need to make any adjustments." I quickly grabbed the corset and shoes.
Sure enough, it was a perfect fit. I sighed dreamily. As I turned this way and that to view the different aspects of the dress in the mirror, I felt like a princess in red. It made my face flush and glow and emphasized the blueness of my eyes. The corset accentuated my décolletage which was so very empowering and it matched the bodice with a sweetheart neckline opening to wide bare shoulders with off the shoulder wide lightly gathered and ruffled straps. The back was open to the top of the corset with a zipper at the back. From the waist was a skirt of what seemed like three tiers, gently ruffled at the front and short like a mini dress. The top layer was an embossed silk like the bodice with a delicate pattern on the light fabric allowing the black lacy trim of the red corset to show enticingly. Underneath were two layers of petticoat, one a light satin and the other a sexy sheer lacy tulle. It showed off my long legs and no matter how I moved it was very feminine and sexy. It had a Spanish cut to the design with the off the shoulder look, the ruffles and the almost flamenco style of the skirt which fell from my hips into a cocktail length at the back allowing my beautiful shoes a proper showing from under the lacy tulle. When I walked the ruffles moved over my knees flashing and highlighting my legs. It was a very sexy dress. Whoa! It was alluring and very glamorous.
I looked at Ella whose eyes were glistening. So were mine and I smiled back at her. No way would my own mother have felt so overcome to see me in a dress so exquisite as this. She wouldn't be able to get past the red! I hugged Ella and she nodded, knowing what just went through my mind. That's probably why I rarely wore red but this was proof, with my soft brown hair and pale skin I looked radiant. The only red I had was a red scoop-neckline top and it often generated an interesting reaction from the men in my vicinity. Interesting.
In the box was another card. With trembling fingers I lifted it and read it quietly. "Sexy, scintillating and alluring you will be. Tomorrow evening you are mine. We will dance the dance of love. I cannot wait to hold you in my arms. Te amo, Querida. C. xox" I fanned myself with the card and felt all warm and flustered.
After putting the dress away carefully we sat down to share a glass of wine and shared dinner together.
"You know, my Mom …,"
"I know Hija, I know." She understood.
The rest of the evening was surreal until I eventually fell asleep thinking of finally seeing Carlos.
…..
The day has finally arrived. I was full of anticipation and ready to start early. So I went down to the gym to burn off some of the jitters. Those huge butterflies were in a flap in my stomach. After a shower and breakfast and dressing for the cold out there. I spread out my things so I wouldn't forget any of my treasured gifts.
Promptly at 9:30 there was a knock at the door. Bear with not a parcel in sight. He laughed at my sigh of relief. Hector was there to greet me in the garage with a shit eating grin on his face. The morning was a blur of pain and ecstasy with soaking, wraps, massages, hot stones, exfoliation, a deep cleansing toning facial, a manicure and a luscious pedicure with a fabulous foot massage and of course, the waxing of the necessary places. I wasn't ready for the works, so the Brazilian was not on the cards. I hoped Hector was not disappointed. I had my nails done in black with red and white patterns and a bit of bling on one nail. I laughed when Hector flashed his equally black nails, minus the nail art. I blushed after the waxing when he waggled his eyebrows in his special way. They had offered champagne and a light lunch and we compared notes at each interval. Hector was fun to hang out with.
But after all that pampering I felt so lightheaded with jelly legs and found myself drifting off in the reception area after all that luxuriating. Strong arms picked me up easily and I snuggled into the warm chest which rumbled with laughter when I sniffed and said how nice he smelled. Oops. There wasn't a thing I could do about it anyway. Wrapping a coat over my shoulders was the last thing I recall until I came to when we entered the Rangeman garage. Lester ran out of the elevator concerned when Hector carried me out, but when I smiled dreamily up at him his look of relief was cute.
"Can't get my feet dirty, Lester." I felt a bit punch drunk. He looked to Hector for confirmation and at Bear who both just gave a simple nod. I had to giggle and my head lolled. He looked at me curiously.
After a rest and an afternoon Boston cream with a bottle of water, Mr Alexander did his magic with my hair. I explained the cut of the dress and the mask and he immediately knew what to do. A strong cup of coffee and some water kept me hydrated. My makeup was done for me by a professional a makeup artist; a very efficient and respectful, very red-haired Goth girl. She kept it stylish and smoky around the eyes checking with the mask a couple of times. Red lipstick to match my dress was the last item. She was pleased with her work and I had to admit it looked great.
The time had come after another break. After dressing in all my finery with help from Ella with zips and the jewellery she took some photos. Last of all I put on the beautiful Venetian filigree mask. It looked so awesome with my hair in a gentle up do using my curls to advantage. I felt so elegant and sophisticated. From top to toe, I was wearing all the beautiful gifts. My holster was fully dressed as well. I've recovered from fighting their obsession with the need to be 'dressed' at all times and moved on. That was the last item I checked as the expected knock came to the door. Ella opened it and hugged me for luck wishing me a wonderful night. Hector and Bear stood in the foyer and just gaped. Hector recovered first and stepped over to me looking totally edible in his classic tuxedo with the crisp white shirt. He took my hand and kissed it.
"Madre Dios. Chica. You look so beautiful." Bear still hadn't found his voice.
"You two look pretty good too, in a very handsome way. I can't believe how different you look with the white shirts."
Grabbing a large black cloak from Bear's arms, Hector carefully wrapped it over my shoulders as we went down in the elevator. As the doors to the elevator slid open a sudden hush descended on the garage when I stepped out. All eyes were on me. I felt excited and warm all over.
After some throat clearing they beamed at me. Then the whistles and 'Yowsers' began along with a number of Spanish mutterings. But each in turn complimented my beautiful dress after I did a show and tell twirly-whirly. More throat clearing and a few blushed faces. So I made them do the same. Not bad. My Merry Men were a real knock out bunch of good looking men in their tailor made tuxes. They each donned their masks so I knew who was who, very distinguishable shapes, mostly with animal designs, Ram being the easiest to pick. That was a given.
"Well. You guys certainly scrub up pretty good. You look totally scrumptious." Who knew my Merry Men could get coy with a compliment like that except for Lester. But before he could say something in response, Bobby clipped him upside.
Of course the limousine had to be a long shiny black Hummer. A second Hummer had the rest of the Merry Men. They do take up some space. As we stepped inside, they laughed and there was a lot of happy teasing banter as they prepped for the event. Part of that was checking my arsenal of goodies and gifts. I chuckled as they listed each one off. A military "Check," came after each confirmed sighting. I do think Tank was not the only one who blushed when it came to my sexy thigh holster and there was a lot of repositioning and groans after I checked the magazine for my Nano confirming it was locked and loaded. Men! I was tempted to ask them the same but I already knew they carried at least three weapons and a knife. Hector of course had a few more hidden blades.
"Man. You are so sexy with that gun," drawled Woody. Mutterings of agreement were silenced instantly as Tank made the last summary of how they expected the evening to pan out.
Before they relaxed they did a sound check with all my electronic devices. Someone already on site by remote access confirmed that my trackers were all activated and reception was good to go. Tank continued. I knew that they would be my constant dance partners and any other gentleman may approach if I was willing. Once the capture was complete they could all relax as Carlos would dominate, more like monopolise, my dance card for the rest of the evening. No complaints from me there. I was excited and beside myself with anticipation. Thankfully it was warm inside assisted by all the warm bodies. Sitting between these muscular men was no hardship either.
As we approached the entrance, Hector carefully placed the black velvety cloak over my bare shoulders while they all donned their masks. Mine was already in place. Lester adjusted the cloak on my other side. He'd been remarkably quiet. I gave him a quizzical look. He smiled and nodded. He's okay.
"Okay team. It's Showtime! Little Girl? All set?" I nodded.
"Hector, you may take our beautiful lady and escort her inside. Let's roll! And heads up."
Lester was first to step out of the Hummer limousine into the cold night air and held his hand out to me. With a flourish and a bow he helped me down and allowed Hector to take the lead.
I was looking forward to this event, more importantly, the middle or final part of this awesome day. Everything had been set in motion and I was ready to rock and roll. I have all my Merry Men with me, looking fabulous I might add.
What could possibly go wrong?
...o.o.o.o.o.o.o…
I know. It has been such a long time. Only one more chapter to go on this story. Thanks to Margaret for her continued harassment and urging. I promise you won't have to wait long for the final chapter. Enjoy.