Better Late Than Never REDUX - Chapter 3
A few minutes after returning to his post on the landing, Gage spotted Trivette coming up the stairs, snapping a crisp twenty-dollar bill.
Gage quickly snatched the money out of Trivette's hand as he walked past.
"Hey!" Trivette protested. He reached out to grab it back, but Gage raised it over his head, which put it about an inch out of the older Ranger's reach.
"This should just cover what you owe me for the Cowboy game last weekend," Gage said, sliding the bill into his pants pocket.
"Aw, c'mon, man, you couldn't even let me enjoy winning a bet with Walker, could you? Do you know how many times that's happened in all the years I've known him? Exactly twice," Trivette wailed, holding up two fingers right in front of Gage's nose.
"Serves you right for betting against me and Syd," Gage teased him.
"Actually, I was rooting for you. I've seen the way you look at her when you think no one's watching and I've also seen the way her whole face lights up when you come into the room. It's a wonder you two have been able to fight it this long," Trivette said, "Besides, one look at that dress, and I knew you didn't stand a chance."
Gage flashed back to the first second he saw Sydney in that dress and realized Trivette was right. He knew in that instant that he'd sooner walk through all the fires of hell than go on pretending he was 'just friends' with such a ravishing beauty. After all, he wasn't stupid.
Just then, a gangly, red-haired, teenage boy lurched toward the two Rangers, calling out in a slurred voice, "What'd you do with that hot chick, man? She was sweet!"
Resisting the urge to throttle the kid, Gage took him by the arm, led him to a chair on the opposite side of the landing and sat him down in it – hard.
"How 'bout if you sit down before you fall down, chief?" Gage advised. The boy tried to stand up, but Gage nudged him and he fell right back into the chair.
"I think this fella needs some fresh air, don't you Ranger Gage?" Trivette said, taking the boy by the elbow and leading him through a set of French doors that opened onto a terrace adjacent to the landing.
As they walked away, Gage heard Trivette say, "Son, you won't remember this tomorrow, but I just saved your life." Gage couldn't keep from chuckling.
"Did you just see a skinny red-haired kid come this way?" asked a stocky young man with curly, dark hair and severely bloodshot eyes. The unmistakable odor of Southern Comfort wafted toward Gage as he spoke.
"First, hand it over," Gage said, holding out his hand expectantly. The boy started to protest, but Gage gave him his best bad-cop scowl and without further ado the boy produced a silver flask from his inside jacket pocket. Gage tucked it into his own jacket and said, "He's out on the terrace getting some fresh air. I think you should join him."
"Yes, sir," the boy said, awash with relief that only his flask had been taken into custody.
Over the next hour or so, Gage confiscated three more containers filled with adult beverages of one kind or another, one of which was being shared by a young couple hiding in the shadows on the edge of the terrace. From what he'd seen just before they were caught, Gage figured he might have also saved them from a shotgun wedding.
Now and then, he caught a glimpse of Sydney as she mingled among the guests with the birthday girl and her family. Once she'd looked up and their eyes met. The brilliant smile she gave him sent warm shivers all the way down to his toes.
Just before 9 p.m., Gage heard Walker's voice in his ear. "It's about time to close up shop. Sydney and I will make sure everything is secure downstairs. Gage, you and Trivette handle the second floor."
"You got it, boss." Gage replied and began his sweep of the upstairs rooms. As he passed the womens lounge, he thought he heard whispering voices, one of which was not female.
Knocking loudly first, he pushed the door open, calling out, "The party's over and I mean right now!" To his surprise, the same couple he'd caught out on the terrace emerged from the handicapped stall. The girl, a tall, leggy blond, was tying up the top of her turquoise halter dress while her dark-haired, athletic boyfriend was tucking his shirt into his pants, having forgotten to zip his fly.
"You two, again? Zip it up, Romeo, and wait for me in here. I want a word with Juliet."
Leading the girl into the hallway, Gage asked, "What's your name?"
"Juliet Davis," she said without a hint of sarcasm.
"Really? His isn't really Romeo, is it?" Gage asked incredulously.
"No, it's Mark. Mark Fitzgerald."
"Juliet, how old are you?"
"Seventeen," she said, avoiding his eyes.
"Yeah, and I'm the king of England."
"Fifteen," Juliet said, her voice cracking. "Are you going to arrest me?"
"No, but I could arrest him for statutory rape. Do you know what that is?"
"Yes. Please, don't do that. We weren't… we didn't actually…"
"I understand. Do you have any older brothers, Juliet?"
"Two, Jack and Sam, They're twins," she said.
"Well, Juliet, what do you think Jack and Sam would do if they found out what went on here tonight?"
"Oh, no! Oh, sir, you can't tell them. They'd kill him!" she cried, grabbing his sleeve.
"Does Mark know you're only fifteen?"
"Yes."
"How old is he?"
"Eighteen. His birthday was last week."
"I promise I won't arrest him, or tell your brothers – this time. But if you two don't quit playing with fire, one or both of you is going to get burned. You won't get to go to fancy parties when you have to take care of a baby, and he can't win football games from a jail cell. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"My name is Gage and I work for Company B of the Texas Rangers. If you ever need anything, you just call there and ask for me, OK?"
"OK," Juliet sniffed. "Ranger Gage, why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because, believe it or not, I have a sister named Julie, and I know what I used to do to guys like Mark. Now, I want you to go downstairs and look for my partner, Ranger Cooke, and tell her you need a ride home. She's wearing…"
"I know who she is. I saw you two dancing together earlier."
Gage flushed a little. "Well, uh, good, then you know who to look for. I'll let her know you're coming."
Juliet turned to head downstairs, but stopped and turned back. "Ranger Gage?"
"Yes, Juliet?"
"Just so you know, Mark looks at me the same way you were looking at your partner."
"I don't doubt it for a minute," Gage said, realizing the talk he was about to have with Mark would probably be a whole lot of wasted breath, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to put the fear of God into the kid.
"Sydney?" Gage said, activating the mic on his earpiece.
"Yeah, partner?"
'I'm sending a girl named Juliet Davis down to you. Tall, blond, blue-green dress. Her boyfriend will be unavoidably detained and she will need a ride home."
"OK, I see her on the stairs. I'll take care of it. Give him hell, Gage."
"Count on it," he said, switching off the mic.
Opening the restroom door, Gage called, "OK, Mark, get out here."
"I didn't…I mean, we didn't do what you think…" Mark stammered, running his fingers through his hair and closely inspecting the carpet.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Gage growled.
Mark looked him straight in the eye. "It's not what you think. I really love Juliet."
"Let me tell you why I doubt that, Mark. If you truly loved her, you would respect her enough to keep your pants zipped in her presence. You would hold her in too high a regard to ever bring her into the handicapped stall of the womens bathroom for a grope session. You would treasure her innocence like the precious jewel that it is and never do anything to tarnish it. If you love her, you will honor her family by asking her father and her older brothers for permission to date her and then abide by their decision," Gage said, moving slowly forward as he spoke, forcing Mark's back up against the wall. "Are we clear, Mark?"
The look in Gage's eyes told the boy there was only one acceptable answer.
"Yes, sir," he said, swallowing hard.
"I want your word, man to man, that nothing like this will ever happen again, because if it does, Jack and Sam will be the least of your worries. They may beat you senseless, but I have a badge and I'm not afraid to use it. Your butt will land in jail so hard you'll bounce, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. You have my word," he said, holding out his hand, which Gage gripped in a very firm handshake.
"Now go downstairs and wait for me. Did you drive here?"
"Yes, sir. Juliet and I came together."
"She'll be getting another ride and I'll be driving you home as soon as I'm finished here."
"I can get a ride with…"
"I said, I'll be driving you home." There was that look again.
"Yes, sir. Are you going to tell my parents about this?"
"That depends on how you behave from now on. Now get going."
As Mark headed downstairs, Gage finished checking the rest of the second floor and, finding everything in order, told Walker, "Upstairs is all clear, boss."
"Thanks, Gage. I heard you caught a pair of lovebirds about to nest," Walker said, adding, "Seems like you're destined to find romance of all kinds tonight, huh?" Gage could hear the smile in the senior Ranger's voice.
"Yeah, something like that," he answered rather sheepishly.
End Chapter 3.
Author's Note: OK, so it took until Chapter 4 to bring on the hurt. Keep reading...