Hey everyone! sorry i couldn't update sooner- you know: school, homework, and other stuff.

hope you'll like this chapter please read and review! i love the reviews so far so thanks a bunch!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that belong to Janet Evaonvich

Drastic Change

chapter 3

"Back Up With The Girls"

I woke up in my bed at 7:30am for a morning jog. The alarm also woke up Jeremiah who slept on my bedroom floor, we weren't that romantically close, but we have become very good friends to each other. Although he said he was on vacation, truthfully, he had business clients and meetings to attend to. He got up and walked to the bathroom for a shower, as I changed into sweats and raced out the door. He told me before sleeping last night that he had two meetings today. One at 10am and the other was a dinner meeting so he wished for me to attend with him, he said that we could possibly go out to lunch together. We agreed to go to Vinnie's office at 9:30 for me and then he'll be on his way and hopefully I was back on the bounty hunter job. My car, a silver Honda accord 2000, was still in the parking lot.

At eight thirty, I got back to my apartment where Jeremiah was eating a bagel and drinking coffee at my kitchen counter. "I went to the store while you went running," he said between bites, "hop in the shower, you usually take forever getting ready. By the way, it came clear to me in our contract that we agreed on allowing you to tell only two other people not involved in our relationship. I drawn up contracts for both Connie and Lula to sign, they can't tell anyone of our contract, but they can aid you with getting Joe or Ranger, although, it's just Ranger now isn't it," He smirked, he gotten into my thoughts about getting out of our contract. I stuck my tongue out at him, oh so mature Steph! and went into the bathroom to shower.

o0o0o0o

At 9:30 I pulled my car up to the front of the office with a large cup of coffee, I really needed a extra cup of coffee. We both got out of the car and into the office where Connie and Lula were sitting looking totally bored with themselves. They gaped at me as soon as I walked in, their mouths dropped even more open as they saw Jeremiah walk in behind me.

"Hey girlssss! What is it? You guys didn't miss me?" I fake pouted at them as they continued to stare endlessly at me.

"Damn gurl! Look at you! Can't believe its really you! And that you got the best body for that outfit!" Lula jumped up and grabbed me into a full tight hug. I was wearing a faded dark blue crop top with long sleeves showing my superb flat stomach and black cargo pants. My unruly curls were pulled back into a simple ponytail.

"Oh My God! Steph! Everyone was beginning to think you've died!" Connie was speechless until now. "And you look so much better shape than ever before!"

"Is Vinnie in?" I asked

"Nope, he'll be here in an hour though," replied Connie.

"Ahem," Jeremiah cleared his throat, "I'm sorry sweetie pie, but I got a meeting to go to."

"Er… right, Lula, Connie, this is Jeremiah, my… before you guys squeal out loud, you guys need to sign certain contracts," I said as Jeremiah pulled out the contracts he wanted them to sign.

"I am to keep confidential on all matters that are revealed to me….," Connie read the three page contract out loud until the end of it as Lula read silently along on her own copy with her.

"Are you shitting me?!" Lula exclaimed. "We don't know anything of this shit you want us to keep quiet about! So you won't tell us unless we sign fucking contracts!"

"She got a point Jeremiah, I mean-" I started to reason but he cut me off.

"Sugar pie, I ain't taking any chances." He stared directly at me and I sighed.

"This here looks like some deep shit! Dammit!" Lula said as she looked at us in big wide eyes and grabbed a pen off of Connie's desk and sign the contract. "Here" She handed it to him. Following Lula's lead, Connie signed the papers too.

"I better get going, I will see you later sugar pie, I will call to see if we can have lunch today." He turned and walked out of the office as we sat and watched a limo pull up to drive him to his meeting.

"Damn skimpy! Who the hell is Jeremiah?" Lula gave me a questioning look and I sighed. I pulled out a thick copy of the contract between Jeremiah and me. I dropped it on Connie's desk and took a deep slurp of my coffee until I drained the cup of every last drop. Connie started reading and muttering as Lula read over her shoulder.

Seven minutes later, after completely reading the contract, Connie put it down on her desk and they both stared at me. "What? I went insane and signed it ok?! I felt bad for him, and he was an old college friend. And we did get to know a little bit about each other over the past three months and catch up on things since the last time we seen each other in college. But, well, I need help out of it, and I picked you two," I defended myself, "It says I could go to help from two people who are not family members. And-"

"And neither Joe or Ranger can know about this because they're your bargain out of the contract and it would be unfair to Jeremiah," Connie said while nodding her head in thoughts of the contract terms.

"How the hell can they get you out of this crap without knowing?! Girl, Ranger doesn't show any emotions and shit, and Joe… well he, um," Lula looked at me. I knew she was referring to Joe's recent engagement, but she thought I didn't know already.

"I know," I sighed, "Joe is now out of the question, I have only Ranger to save me now, but not the usual saving." We all stood there silent and lost in our own thoughts.

"I'm screwed big time! Right?" I asked knowing the answer already.

"No shit!" Lula said to me, "Well Jeremiah seems so good to have in bed, and also well set in his money area."

"Real good," Connie says as she types and clicks away on her computer, "He's fucking billionaire! Lula look!" Lula leaned over and so did I, just curiously because I already knew about his company and being rich.

"Damn skimpy! You're engaged to the richest and one of the best looking man on earth, and you want to get out of it!" Lula exclaimed.

I sighed and went to explain my reasons that have been on my thoughts for the past months. "You guys don't know how it is. Me and him are more just friends, even after three months. He's never home on the week days and its lonely, how do you think I got into shape? I exercised, jogged, went to the gym, took yoga and self defense lessons to make the hours go by. Sure he gives me a one year credit card to his bank account, but" I held my hand up so they could hear me out before getting excited about me having his credit card and shopping, of course with his money, "but its just like that for the past three months, and I want to be lonely like that again for the rest of my life? It's marriage, not just boyfriend where I can be independent again. Also, the whole 'me and him' doesn't feel… right. I feel like I'm missing something, not something, everything, including life. It's just… wrong" I sighed when I finished and looked down at the floor.

"Whoa, that's very deep Steph," Lula said as Connie nodded silently agreeing.

I shrugged. "I told you. It's lonely, a lot of thoughts just to myself when you got no one to really talk to like back home here."

"Okay! That's it, we'll just have to help her get Ranger," Connie looked dead seriously at Lula as she said this.

"It wont be easy, but we got… how much time?" Lula asked. Connie flipped through the contract and gulped, "eight months."

"Well we're going to try and save you girl! What are friends for?" Lula smiled at me as Connie smiled almost identical to hers. At least they're being positive, for now, and I could use the moral support, I thought and smiled.

"You guys are right. Let's get me un-engaged."

"Meanwhile, I know of something that could cheer you up just a bit," Connie said.

"Shopping time!" Lula exclaimed.

"What about the office?!" I asked as I saw both of them getting ready to leave.

"I'll close it. Vinnie can kiss our asses. It's a special day and for good reasons, Steph's back home," Connie answered.

"Damn straight," Lula agreed.

so what do you think? plz read and review! thxs- i'll try updating as soon as possible