Hey everyone, I am deeply SORRY for not updating sooner. I hope you will enjoy this chapter, so please read and review, pleaseeeeee.

I do not own any of the characters that rightfully belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm just simply borrowing for my own fun. ENJOY!!!

A Drastic Change

Chapter 4

"Old Job and Ex-boyfriend"

We went shopping at the mall and it felt as if I never disappeared from home three months ago. I called Jeremiah to tell him that the girls and I went shopping and if he still wanted to spend lunch with me. He instead decided to go to lunch with the people who were in the business meeting with which left me to grab lunch with the girls after we finish shopping, because we couldn't get hungry from our shopping extravagance. Jeremiah also reminded me that I was going to attend his business dinner with him tonight at seven. Connie and Lula found it to themselves to find me the perfect cocktail dress for tonight. I already had a dress in my closet that I had in mind, but the girls insisted and there I was trying on hundreds of dresses along with outfits that I truly loved and looked good in.

After we finished shopping, I dropped off my purchases at my apartment and then we ordered ourselves Chinese takeout and ate at my apartment when the food arrived. Afterwards we got into the conversation of my wedding as we headed for the bonds office where Vinnie would probably ready to kill Connie and Lula with a chainsaw. Every idea of getting Ranger to save me that Lula thought of had Connie and me laughing.

We walked into the office laughing about my 'upcoming doom' which had become surprisingly a joke and funny that I would actually get married off to someone, especially since I didn't love him. Interestingly enough, it was funny and we weren't drunk. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

We stopped laughing as we saw Vinnie screaming at us. "RANGER WAS HERE AND WHERE WERE YOU CONNIE?! NOT HERE! I'M GOING ON FUCKING VACATION TOMORROW BECAUSE OF MY DAMN WIFE AND I'M SUPPOSED TO LEAVE MY BUSINESS WITH IRRESPONISBLE PEOPLE! AND I WAS SUPPPOSED TO BE BACK HOME FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO TO FINISH PACKING SO SHE WON'T FUCKING KILL ME! AND-" he paused and stared at me. Yes, Stephanie Plum is back home, I thought seeing his expression.

"Hi ya cuz," I said.

"Oh my god! Steph! You want your old job back? Take it! It's yours forever, you do a better job than Lula!" Lula yelled back in protest, "Please! Ranger still won't take any FTA with a low bond."

I smiled. "Thanks Vinnie, vacation? Where?" I said being polite and behind me, Connie and Lula started laughing hysterically.

"Uh…." Vinnie looked stumped, "A cruise, a nice little cruise." With that Lula and Connie laughter became more louder and they were rolling on the floor shaking in madness. I raised an eyebrow at Vinnie.

"Ok, so my wife is finally pregnant, and she wanted a vacation so she booked a vacation for pregnant women and their husbands," Vinnie mumbled and turned red. "I got to go home and finish packing, I will be back home in two and a half weeks after being on a ship with horomonal crazied women." Vinnie grabbed a few of his things and left, stepping over Connie and Lula's twitching bodies of laughter on the floor.

"Ok, so he's gone." Connie said as she recomposed herself and walked around her desk and sat down. "You want to start on your skips now or tomorrow, you do have that dinner tonight," Connie asked me. It was already close to four o'clock.

"Tomorrow, I wanted to see Mary Lou and then head over to my apartment and get ready," I said.

"Which dress?" Lula asked. We ended up buying two different cocktail dresses, both short and sexy written all over it. One was a multitude of blue shades that was strapless and the skirt fell down in an angle to one side. The other was a black halter that fit my body like a second skin and long silts that ran really high up on both sides of the skirt.

"I'm not sure yet," I said thinking about how they both looked on me, "I'll think about it as I get ready. See you guys tomorrow." I walked out of the office and into my car and headed towards Mary Lou's house.

When I reached Mary Lou's house, it was quiet and no one was answering the door. I called her house phone to see if perhaps she was asleep and didn't hear the doorbell. No one picked up the phone but it went to the answering machine and I heard her voice recorded to say, "Hey, sorry we are not home, me and my husband are on a week vacation for our anniversary and our kids are staying with grandparents, so please a message and-" I hung up. Things seem to be going well for her. I guess I will have to wait until she gets back.

I went back to my apartment earlier than I expected to find a certain familiar truck following me. Joe Morelli was watching me get out of my car after I parked and go up to him as he did the same in his truck parked beside mine. He looked furious and yet guilty at the same time. Hehe, he thinks I don't know about his engagement, well I got news for him, I smirked as I stopped in front of him, standing a good distance from him.

"Cupcake, where have you been? I went crazy trying to find you. I was surprised to see you back and driving around," he said calmly but his expression said otherwise.

"Well, you see, I went on vacation to Texas and reunited with an old friend and now I'm happily engaged," I said calmly back. He looked damn surprised and furious at the same time, "I know about your engagement so we're both better off this way, right?"

"Stephanie, I," he sputtered confused.

"We can be best friends still right? And I hope I'm invited to the wedding because you're a part of mine," I said threatening. He smiled at that. "Sure cupcake, you'll love Sarah. I think you guys will get along. We can be best friends, don't worry," he pulled me into a hug, "I missed you," he whispered.

I broke the hug and smiled at him, "I missed everyone here too."

He looked behind me with a concerned expression. I turned to see a limo pull up into the parking lot and Jeremiah exiting the limo. "And that would be Jeremiah Person, my finacee," I said to Joe as Jeremiah walked towards us.

"Hey sweetie pie," Jeremiah kissed the top of my head.

"Hey honey. Jeremiah, this is Joe Morelli. Joe, this is my husband to be, Jeremiah Person," I introduced and saw them give each other a firm handshake.

"Sweetie pie, you should get ready for our dinner tonight," Jeremiah looked at Joe for a moment and back at me, "I'm sure Joe and I could talk and watch some television before we leave?" He looked at Joe expectedly and Joe shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I promised my Sarah that I would take her shopping and such to go over some wedding details," he smiled at us, "It was nice seeing you again cupcake." He hopped into his truck and drove off after he waved slightly at us. Joe and I seem to be taking the end of our relationship really well, perhaps it is better this way. At least he is still my friend, I thought as we headed up to my apartment.

I took a long shower after Jeremiah's quick shower. He was busy on his laptop and cell phone I didn't disturb him as I looked at him as I walked to my bedroom door to close and lock it. Still with wet hair and my towel wrapped around me, I pulled out both dresses I bought today and stared at them. Which one? If not, I did have about ten other short cocktail dresses in my suitcase I had yet to unpack that I had bought in Texas. Now I was really stumped on what to wear and it was already 5:30 which meant only an hour and fifteen minutes to get ready because of the other fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant with Jeremiah.

I hope you really liked this chapter, I hope to update soon but I do not know how soon (please don't kill me for that- I will try to very soon)

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