Valentine's Day Challenge
Valentine's Day
Part 4
I had been imagining Ranger's homecoming since the day he left. This wasn't exactly how I had pictured it. I had pictured something more intimate. Something more private. Something, well, more naked.
Ranger stood with his back to the wall. He was dressed in Armani, solid black. His hair was shorter than it had been when he left. He was a little thinner. He looked good enough to eat. Unfortunately, it didn't look like he was going to be on my menu tonight. He stood with his arm around the shoulders of a complication I hadn't seen coming. She was about my height and female. There the similarities ended. She was blond. She was built. She was gorgeous. She was glamorous. She looked like a model. I hated her on sight.
Ranger gave me a small nod, and then turned to the bitch (ok, so I'm not feeling charitable here), spoke something in her ear that made her smile, and turned his eyes back to me.
That's when I noticed. His eyes. I had seen Ranger angry. I had seen him excited, worried, sad, and relieved. Ranger is the master of the blank face, but usually if I really paid attention, I could find something in his eyes. Not tonight. Tonight they were totally blank. Empty. Soulless. It was the scariest thing I'd ever seen.
I was rooted to the spot. I wanted to turn around and get the hell out of dodge, but I couldn't. I was stunned. My knees felt weak. I saw spots dancing in front of my eyes. Holy shit. This was not how this was supposed to happen.
Ranger watched me for a moment, then turned back to his skank, oops, I mean 'guest.' "Deborah Fairbanks, Stephanie Plum. She works for me." Then, looking back at me, "Stephanie Plum, Deborah Fairbanks." His eyes never left mine, and I felt unable to escape their gaze.
"Nice to meet you," I told Deborah Fairbanks. My burg manners came to attention automatically. "Welcome home, Ranger," I managed to get out. I nodded at them both, gave a weak smile, and then turned to leave, hoping I could make it to a table without tripping or further embarrassing myself.
Lester came to my rescue, putting his big arm around me, helping me stay on my feet. He and Lula led me to a small table and got me seated. A margarita appeared as if my magic. I felt my eyes starting to burn, but I couldn't cry here. Oh shit. I wouldn't cry here. I realized Lester was speaking softly in my ear. I tried to listen, but couldn't focus. I tried again, harder this time.
"They just showed up, Bomber. I would have called you to give you a head's up. Nobody knew he'd been with her. We thought he was with you. Shit, Steph. Do you want me to take you home?"
I looked at Lester. Poor guy. He could tell I was a hair's breadth away from a melt down. I downed my Margarita, took a deep breath, and shook my head no. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't leave. I couldn't cry. I forced myself to take a deep breath, and then another. "I'm staying," I finally managed to whisper out.
"You sure, Beautiful?" Lester asked softly.
"Yeah," I replied, looking at Lula for the first time. Oh Shit! Lula was about to go off in full Rhino mode. It wasn't going to be pretty.
"What in the hell does Batman think he's doing, bringin' that skank in here when he knew you were coming? And where's his sexy ass been these last three days when you was dying to see him? Here you be all ready to declare your undying love and all. Where'd he go? Where'd he go? Old Lula's about to give Batman a piece of her mind. And skank-girl, too!"
At her words, I looked around. Lula was right. Ranger was gone, taking skank-girl with him. What's going on here? My first moments of heart break were quickly turning to a much more satisfying fury. I wouldn't mind a word with Batman myself. Or not. What would I say to him? I have no claim on him. As he's told me so many times, he doesn't do relationships, although maybe he only wouldn't do a relationship with me. I was a fool to expect anything else from him. Damn. Damn. Damn.
Lula was still going on, but by then Tank had found us, and was calming her down. I was glad. The last thing I needed was for Lula to make a scene, and bring even more attention my way. I appreciated the thought behind it, but was still relieved.
After my second Margarita I found that breathing was easier. Besides, I realized I was over-reacting. Ranger and I were not in a relationship. Period. No matter what I had fantasized about, the truth is that we were not a couple. I had no right to be upset that he brought a date to his own party. Besides, I was not going to think about this tonight. I was going back to Denial Land, and doing it in a hurry. La-la-la-la-la. Tonight I had a party to attend to, and that's just what I was going to do.
Connie and her date had arrived and joined us, and soon more and more of the Merry Men showed up. The guys were great. After giving me a few minutes to pull myself together, they found their way to our corner of the party. I knew a couple of the girls with them already, and was introduced to the others. We spent the evening eating, laughing, dancing and drinking. I was glad for the diversion. The men of Rangemen all look scary and badass, but they're really a great bunch of guys once you get to know them. We had an awesome time. I felt lucky to consider them my friends, and hey, they're not bad to look at, either!
Eventually the party wound down and it was time to go home. I wasn't looking forward to going home to my empty apartment. Lester seemed to guess this, and asked, "Hey, Bomber, let me catch a ride with you. I can check for Dust Bunnies when I get there."
I was so happy to have company that I have his arm a little squeeze and said, "Thanks, Les." We went downstairs, got in the limo, and the next thing I knew Lester was shaking me awake.
"Honey, we're home," he said in his sexiest voice. Even with the crappy events of the night, that little voice was enough to send a little zing to my doodah. Just what I don't need—another complication. Although, maybe it would be just the thing to get Ranger off my mind. And it's not like Ranger would care. But, there's the whole casual sex thing. Of course, this would be more like Friends with Benefits. Except I would kind of only be using Lester for his body. But it is a really good body. Besides, Lester wouldn't mind. Well, there is the whole awkward-to-see-you-at-work thing to consider. But it is a really hot, sexy body. I really shouldn't drink Tequila.
Lester must have been following my little mental conversation, because he leaned in, kissed my forehead, and said
"Not what you need tonight, Beautiful."
DAMN. Well, that's embarrassing! I sure wish I could catch on to this whole ESP thing. I've worked in the damn building long enough! It's so not fair.
He led me upstairs to my apartment, checked all the likely hiding spots, and even the unlikely ones, like my lingerie drawer, and then plopped his fine ass on my couch. "Come here, little girl," he said with a leer.
I grabbed a couple of water bottles and a pint of Ben and Jerry's and joined him on the couch. "So, how are you really feeling, Steph?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Who knew that Lester could be so sensitive?
I so did not want to leave Denial Land and have this conversation, but I knew that he was only trying to help. Besides, I did think that maybe talking it through could help me figure out why I was feeling so deflated.
"Well, you know, Les, Ranger never ever made me any promises. He told me repeatedly his life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I knew that in my head. But somewhere along the line, my heart forgot. You know I'm crazy about him. Well, I guess I convinced myself that if I loved him enough, I could make him love me and change his mind about the whole relationship thing. I was a fool," I stopped, sniffled, and swiped at the tear that was threatening to slide down my cheek. Then I went on.
"I guess what hurts the most is that here I was, planning on how I was going to declare my "undying love," as Lula put it, and he didn't even care enough to let me know he was home. Worse, he was with someone else. I guess he always meant that he just doesn't do relationships with me." That did it. The tears that I had been valiantly avoiding all night slipped out.
Lester moved forward, wrapping me in his arms, and let me cry. I cried not for what I had lost, but rather for what would never be. After a few minutes I leaned back and wiped my eyes. I managed a small wistful smile. "It's ok, Les. I'm ok. I'm sad, but life will go on. I just hope that Ranger and I can still be friends. I don't think I could stand it if we couldn't be," I added with another little sniffle.
"Steph, I don't know what's going on with Ranger since he's been back. We all know that he's crazy about you. He's not the same man as he was before he met you. Something's up, but I know that this will all work out." He sounded so sincere, and I know he meant what he said, but I just couldn't see how they could come true this time.
"So, what kind of snooty name is Deborah Fairbanks, anyway?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Oh, Deb's ok once you get to know her. She's not how she comes across when you first meet her, at all." Lester gave a little grin when he said it.
"WHAT?!?!?! You KNOW her?" I couldn't keep the shriek from my voice. "How long has this been going on?"