Simple Hearts
Chapter 15
He was smiling silly he knew driving Tank to the rental car office. The expression on the people's faces at the 'Enterprise' office was priceless when they walked in with Tank in that stupid red suit, fedora, and two-tone winged tipped shoes. The smile was still there driving away, it was bigger because he didn't have to see that crazy gangster suit anymore.
He had a mental list of a few things to get besides finding clothes to wear for his impromptu stay in Wilmington. He surely wasn't saying the words 'I love you', though unexpected coming from his mouth, and driving north to Trenton. It was an important day to him. Those words he never said to another woman, not even to his ex-wife the short time they were married, and Ranger wanted to savor the moment into the day and night. Really, into the night.
Near the rental office was Concord Mall; he made a trip into the first store he saw, American Eagle. He chuckled noticing a sign in the window indicating there was a 'SALE', Stephanie's favorite word. After tonight he hoped it was her second.
"Can I help you?" a young clerk asked him noticing the man walking in at a steady pace. The suit jacket and pants were tailor made he knew and probably cost more than he made in one year or more working in the store.
In true Ranger fashion, he said, "Clothes."
"American Eagle is having a sale. What kind of clothes?"
"I need a pair of jeans," Ranger told him going right to a table with a 'Sale' sign.
He found his size.
The clerk followed the man with items stacking in his arms. The jeans, cargo pants, T-shirts, and button down shirt were all marked down. If he had such an expensive suit, why was he shopping the sale racks? Next, he was holding up a dress. "I like this. Kid clothes?" he asked. "Sneakers?"
Rob the Clerk pointed to the opening for the children's area. "Shoes are at the back." He placed all the purchases weighing down his arm at the counter.
"Is this it?" Rob asked scanning all of Ranger's purchases.
He handed over his black credit card from his wallet. "I think." Signing the purchase receipt, Ranger handed it back to Rob. "Thanks for your help."
Not only did the clerk have the signed receipt, but Ranger slipped a $50 bill under it. He hoped 'Carlos Manoso' came back often on the days he worked.
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"Ok, Manoso, what can you find?" he asked himself.
Ranger felt like a school boy standing in the drug store staring at the condoms, but he was in an Armani suit. He didn't know if Stephanie used birth control, but in case this was 'their' night he wanted to be prepared. He picked one box, and then noticed one which advertised 'For Her Pleasure'; he picked that one, too.
The woman at the check-out watched the man in the expensive suit walk up and lay down his purchases. She scanned five boxes of condoms. He has extremely handsome and assumed he was from out-of-town. Maybe there was some type of convention going on in Wilmington and he planned on getting real lucky.
"Busy night?" she asked. The man kept smiling a devastating smile which almost caused her to forget to accept his payment.
Not thinking clearly because to Ranger it had sunk in that Stephanie loved him and he loved her, he let out a hopeful "Yeah" handing her his black credit card. He scribbled on the receipt and took his bag from her. Finally before he turned the key in his Mercedes the cashier's inquiry registered. He covered his face with his hands chuckling behind them. He really did feel like a high school boy and he imagined his mother finding out about his purchases if he was in Newark. Shaking his head, Ranger would never see her again and his mother would never know.
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Stepping into Stephanie's row house, Ranger's hands were loaded with bags.
"Did you buy enough? Wilmington's economy should be on the upswing," she giggled at the number of bags on her lounger.
"This one is for you, Babe," he told her handing the one with the dress and a bouquet of flowers. "One for you." That one was for Reilley.
Walking into the kitchen, he placed a bottle of wine in the refrigerator to chill for the evening.
Stephanie was holding the dress up against her. It was a simple blue T-shirt dress with an embroidered flower design down the front and a tie at the waist. "Thank you. I love it!"
Ranger kissed her. "Good. I love you."
"Mommy, look." Reilley was standing on the lounger trying to hold the T-shirt with a gorilla riding a tricycle and a pair of blue drawstring cargo pants. "Thanks. Power Ranger."
"You're welcome, Blue Power Ranger. We'll go out to dinner later, so I thought you might like to wear that."
He gave the Cuban Man with the arm around his mother a quick hug and ran up the steps with his new clothes.
"I think you had fun!" Stephanie's blue eye twinkled talking to him.
The eyebrow arched with a knowing smile. "I did and you would be proud. The clothes I bought were on sale and I saved over $60."
"Wow, I've changed you into a 'Burg' shopper."
His lips puckered thinking about that. "Maybe, but I know I don't take for granted what I have. My Christmas showed me to appreciate and to open my heart to love."
Her curls shook. "I don't want you to change for me," she told him.
"I think I'm just improving on this model."
She gave him a wicked grin. "It is a very good model."
"Babe."
Neither said another word for awhile being occupied kissing each other.
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Reilley came running into Stephanie's bedroom ready for dinner in his new shirt and pants; his Rangeman ball cap was on his head. His mother was slipping her beige flats on her feet. The dress fit perfect and was casual.
"My little boy is so adorable," she said picking him up rubbing noses.
He laughed. "My Mommy is pretty. Can Woody come with us? He doesn't go many places."
"I think that would be OK with Ranger."
"Power Ranger likes him," he said running out of the room. "Woody got to get ready."
"OK." Her son made her laugh with his antics.
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"How," the hostess began to ask, her eyes came up from her table chart seeing a young mother, a little boy, and a dreamboat personified standing there. "Many?" she asked recovering her composure somewhat.
"Three," Ranger said, "and a half." Reilley had his cowboy doll in his arm.
They followed her to a corner booth under a tiffany lamp hanging above the table. "We are serving a surf and turf special tonight and the soup is corn chowder." She barely got the words out in the general presence of the handsome man holding the hand of the curly haired woman. A waiter brought over two booster seats. One for the child and one for Woody.
The 'Toy Story' star was sitting there with his grin, plaid shirt, and cowhide vest. He was also sporting a very nice black bowtie. Reilley placed a napkin over his legs.
"Woody doesn't get out much," Stephanie giggled watching her boyfriend watch the doll. "He's making the most of it."
Ranger was chuckling going along with it. "Babe." He wondered if the doll was ordering, too.
It was a seafood feast with a calamari appetizer and cheese sticks before the lobster and crab legs. Ranger would get one cracked and Stephanie's son was ready for more.
"Mommy, this is good," tasting the lobster with butter.
She was wiping his face. "I know."
Ranger picked up 'loud' hushed voices with snickering. From the tone it sounded to be older women. He glanced to his left. There were three women laughing with their heads together and their gaze was directed at him. The woman in the middle he recognized, it was the cashier from the drug store. He hung his head shaking it. It was funny and embarrassing to the Cuban Bad-Ass. Of all the restaurants to eat, they were in the same one.
"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked.
He couldn't tell her not in front of Reilley. His eyes came up, but his head was down. "Later."
She couldn't wait to hear this explanation.
They decided on three pieces of New York cheesecake as dessert to go. Each couldn't eat another bite of the delicious seafood. Ranger swore Woody's smile was even bigger going to Stephanie's Baha. He could be imagining that.
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He lit candles that were purchased earlier, the lamp near the lounger was dimmed, the bottle of wine was chilled, and there were two glasses waiting for Stephanie. She was tucking her precious son into bed. He flipped through the cable channels finding a 'love songs' music station.
There was a creak on the stairs, Ranger turned around watching her walk down the stairs. At first all he witnessed were bare legs between the spindles of the banister. He thought at first she was still in her blue dress, but Stephanie had changed. Ranger gulped and his heart quicken seeing her. She was sexy and innocent all in one perfect New Jersey girl package. His white dress shirt came down to her knees and the sleeves were rolled up into thick cuffs. He lost his heart all over again staring into the wide blue eyes.
"God, could you look even more beautiful," Ranger whispered. His fingers slowly traced the outline of face standing before him.
"I didn't have anything remotely considered lingerie."
"There is nothing sexier than a man's woman in his shirt." A long mocha latte finger slid down Stephanie's long neck following the outline of his white shirt against her pale skin. She shivered at his touch. Both of their bodies in unison were swaying with each other and the music faintly filling the living room.
Lips met brushing against the counterpart. Ranger stilled, Stephanie's tongue, only the tip, charted the shape of the warm Cuban lips against hers very slowly.
That was it; he lost the control he always contained. Strong arms lifted Stephanie up so they were face to face, nose to nose, lips to lips. The dark chocolate eyes spoke the same words the sparkling blue eyes were telling him back. Lips formed 'I love you' and the other's heart heard them.
Contentment filled Stephanie and Ranger dancing to the 'Love Songs', her head was on his shoulder. Stephanie's hands were locked around the strong neck and his arms held her tightly against him rocking in place.
"Wait right here," Ranger told her. The candles were blown out. The wine and glasses were left untouched on the coffee table. He was back kissing Stephanie picking her up. The long bare legs went around his waist.
She pulled backed telling him, "Oh God, I'm not on birth control!"
"I think I got that covered, Babe," Ranger chuckled walking up the stairs easily with Stephanie wrapped around him. His hands were full of a panty clad ass he was supporting with no effort.
A long bare leg tapped the bedroom door closed going through and he placed her down gently on her bed. Opening one of his 'American Eagle' bags, there was a smaller one from the drugstore. "I made a stop earlier."
The bag was handed to Stephanie; she peeked in it, and then dumped the contents out on the bed. "Another sale?" she asked with five boxes of condoms scattered on her bed.
"I couldn't make up my mind," he told her. "One of the women watching us in the restaurant was the cashier. I guess she kind of remembered me." He was very sheepish telling Stephanie about his drugstore encounter.
"She probably called the sex maniacs hotline! Do you plan on using all of these tonight?" Her blue eyes were playfully wide with questioning and challenge in them.
An eyebrow was curved up. "Babe, it will be good."
"Hmmmm, I bet we will," she spoke in a hushed tone walking up to him with her long legs and a swing in her hips. Stephanie plastered herself to him nibbling Ranger's ear.
"Playing with fire, Babe."
"Hmmmm, a Cuban one I bet burns hotter and simmers down so you are nice and toasty at the end." Painted nails were unbuttoning the shirt he wore to dinner.
Whether or not if she realized it, Ranger was backing Stephanie up slowly as they were kissing and fingers were exploring the bare skin. His white shirt was on the beige carpeting. Before she backed into her bed, Ranger picked her up again laying her down on the bed and stretching out his full length beside her.
"Dios, eres muy guapo (God, you are so beautiful). Yo no sabía amor podría ser tan bueno. "I did not know love could be so good."
Blue eyes were mesmerized hearing Ranger speak Spanish. "'Dios' means 'God', 'amor' is love, and 'bueno' is good," Stephanie said.
Ranger nodded. "I said 'God, you are beautiful' and 'I did not know love could be so good'. I told you I would speak Spanish to you every night we are together and not."
"I bought a book of Spanish. I would like to maybe understand loosely what you say."
"You did?" Ranger at that instant sank deeper in the depths of love realizing she would do that to share his heritage. "You amaze me, Stephanie." His lips tenderly brushed hers.
The love making was slow give and take. Both explored the other with touch leading to more kissing. She felt every scar whether it was a tiny speck or more pronounced healed by time on the darker skin covering the smooth muscled body. He found a now barely visible blemish on her pale skin from her appendix.
With their bodies connecting, the loneliness and insecurity Stephanie experienced the last few years dissolved as did the darkness that jaded a Cuban heart for so long. Those emotions didn't exist anymore. It was a girl from the 'Burg' and a 'Cuban' man from Newark in love. It felt right in the high place they carried each other together.
Stephanie sighed against Ranger's neck. "That is some Cuban I sampled."
"Babe, there is more to come."