This is all JE's Plumworld with a little bit of my Carla.
Chapter 6
I woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than I had in a very long time. I had spent the previous afternoon unpacking and as promised Ella had come for me at 7pm and took me up to her apartment to share dinner with herself and Louis. It was great to see him again and we spend a good few hours reminiscing about my mother and Louis told his usual war stories. We didn't talk about Rangeman at all. They didn't bring up the subject so I didn't push. I figured after working all day they might not feel the need to go over the days business. Not that I was exactly sure what business that was yet.
I remembered the leftover coffee cake Ella had given me last night and decided that would be as good a breakfast as any. I forced myself out of bed and through to the kitchen. I popped on some coffee and cut a slice of cake. I took my breakfast through to the livingroom area and sat down to eat. I looked around the room and wondered on my plans for the day. I didn't have any. I looked at the entertainment system and decided it was too complicated to even try to switch on. I grabbed my bad and dug out my mobile phone. I hadn't switched it on since boarding the plane in Edinburgh. It came alive with a happy little jingle and I cringed at what I saw. Twenty nine missed calls and 42 text messages. I switched the phone off again and popped it back in my bag.
Ella had said last night she would be busy most of the day but would catch up with me in the afternoon. So I had a good few hours to fill before then. It was only 10am and I was dying of boredom. I needed to get out and about.
I showered quickly and made an effort with the hair and makeup. I was getting too many comments on how hellish I looked. I decided I had done the best I could do. I had a bit more colour in my cheeks this morning but I put that down to the couple glasses of red wine I had consumed last night. I dressed in a thigh length denim dress that I had never worn back home. I was always conscious of wearing too short or revealing clothes back home but I didn't know anyone here so felt my inner tart wanting to make an appearance.
I looked out the window to see what kind of shoe day it would be to find it was raining. Great I had brought the weather with me. I raked out my knee high, heeled boots and topped it off with a black leather jacket. There wasn't a full length mirror in the apartment but I think I looked fine. The dress wasn't too short so I didn't think I would distract any MIBs this morning. The boots brought my 5ft 9 inches height up to nearly 6ft so I felt tall enough to deal with anything this morning.
I got a flutter in my stomach thinking about the men downstairs. I could just go straight down to the parking garage and away but I needed some information first on how to get around. I would just have to get over my nervousness around them if I was going to be facing them every day. I couldn't spend all my time in this apartment.
I picked up my fob popped it in my bag and left the apartment. I went over to the elevator and waited on it coming down from the floor above. I wondered if Lester would be up yet but I didn't think that likely after yesterday. I got in and pressed the button for the fourth floor. I took a deep breath and put on my happy I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf face.
I stepped out into the control room and was suprised to see Lester sitting at the front cubicle.
"Hey Carly girl" he said looking up from his computed screen.
I stopped in my tracks. It wasn't that fact I wasn't expecting him to be sitting there, it was what he had just called me.
"Please don't ever call me that again" I said clenching my teeth and trying not to shout. I could see a shaved head pop up from the cubicle across but didn't recognise it.
"Sorry" Lester mumbled and got back to his work.
Well that was a great start to the morning. So much for making a good impression. I walked over to his desk and sat in the seat in front. "Its okay I just hate being called Carly. We all have a name we hate being called don't we?" I smiled at him as I felt bad for snapping at him.
"Sure" Lester replied not looking up from his keyboard. He was quickly hitting away at the keys and reading from a file on his desk.
A few moments passed before he raised his head to look at me. "You needing something?" he asked. Not quite so friendly now.
I needed to lighten the situation and get his cheery face back. "Didn't think you would be out of bed so early this morning" I commented.
"Job last night got cancelled so got back earlier than expected" he explained looking bored.
Okay time to get of here and leave him in peace. "I was just wanting the number for a taxi company. I need to get out for a while" I said.
Just then Ranger appeared from his office door. "Morning Carla" he said "I hear you need some transportation. I could arrange for you to borrow a car for the morning" he added some more files to the pile on Lester's desk.
"No its ok" I smiled. "I don't actually drive" I told him with a smile. Here it comes.
Lester looked up from his work. Now I had his full attention. They both looked at me as if I had just grown horns.
"What do you mean you don't drive" Lester asked incredulously.
"Edinburgh is a small enough city I can get anywhere I need to go by public transport. Parking is a nightmare where I live so I've just never seen the point in getting a car" I answered.
"Well you might not want to bother with public transport in Trenton" Ranger said with a hint of a smile on his face. "I'll get you keys to one of my Mercs".
Mmm a Merc would be nice but there was a problem. "You see when I said I don't drive what I actually meant was I can't drive" I said sheepishly.
Ranger and Lester looked at me if my horns had just sprouted wings. The room went silent as all work seemed to have ceased. You could hear a pin drop in the control room..
"You can't drive?" Lester broke the silence. His full on Lester grin was back now so at least I had resolved that situation. "How can you not drive? he asked again.
I felt slightly embarrassed now as more heads were popping up from behind cubicles. Only the one behind Lester's appeared to be MIB free. "Yeah I can't drive, it can't be that unusual can it" I stated stubbornly.
"Sweetness, Americans are born to drive" Lester stated with pride.
"Yeah well us Scots are born to roam, but we'll take whatever means of transport is available. And for me its just not the car" I said with some pride of my own.
I heard some chuckles coming from around the room. That included Ranger who had headed back to his office.
Lester was sitting back in his seat now looking me up and down as if assessing me. "Taking cabs everywhere is gonna cost you a lot. Where were you planning on going this morning?" he asked.
"It's Saturday so I thought some shopping" I replied "I need some retail therapy" I said justifying my need to spend money.
"Well what you need is a Lula then" Lester laughed.
"What the hell is a Lula" I asked
"Lula's not a what, Lula is a she. Lula is Tank's fiance" he replied.
"Tank is engaged?" I said in disbelief.
Just then I could hear some coughing sounds coming from the cubicle behind Lester's. "Hey Tank" Lester shouted. "Tell Carla the story of how you got engaged to Lula".
Suddenly Tank stood up from the cubicle looking somewhat embarrassed. "I don't wanna" he growled at Lester.
"Aw go on Tank man. If you don't I'll tell Carla here your real name" Lester was teasing now. I wondered how bad his name could be.
Tank gave Lester a death glare then turned to me "Well there was apparently this whole conversation while I was sleeping then I woke and there was this ring and Lula was so happy and then we were engaged". He said this whilst shaking his head as if he too couldn't believe what had happened to him.
"You proposed in your sleep" I laughed.
"I think I musta done, but I can't recall any of it. Damn Tequila shots" he added as a possible explanation.
"So when's the big day?" I asked.
Tank suddenly looked like he was going to keel over. If a black man could go green around the gills then Tank was doing just that. He sat back down hard and disappeared from view.
"Tank doesn't handle the marriage stuff very well" Lester explained. "Best drop the subject for now" he winked. "Hey Tank you gonna call Lula and get her to take Carla on a retail adventure".
Tank growled a reply and I heard him press the buttons of a phone. A minute later he shouted over "Lula will be here in ten minutes. She'll wait out front in her red Firebird".
I didn't know what a Firebird was but I thought it would probably be easy enough to spot. I thanked Tank then got up and headed for the elevator.
"Hey Carla" Lester shouted at me. "I'll give you my cell phone number in case you need us to come bail you out if Lula gets your in trouble".
"Am I likely to get in trouble?" I asked eyebrows raised. Who the hell was this Lula? "Any way I don't have a mobile, I mean a cell phone" I lied. I didn't want to have to switch that thing on.
Lester looked at me in amazement. "You can't drive, you don't have a cell phone. Next you gonna tell me you can't shoot a gun!"
"Of course I can't shoot a gun, what kind of girl do you think I am?" Why would I need to be able to shoot a gun. I just wanted to buy some shoes. "I do have a cell phone but it doesn't seem to work over here" I lied again. "I'll get by without one" I smiled sweetly at Lester and stepped in to the elevator. Lester was shaking his head as the doors closed.
Jeez they probably thought I was a complete simpleton now. Did they really expect me to be carrying a gun out here? I was going to ask this Lula if she had a gun.
Ten minutes later a big red car pulled up and a short but rather large black woman got out. She had blond hair and was wearing green spandex. She looked like she was going to burst the seams of her top if she stretched too far. She looked vaguely familiar. Then I remembered. The taxi driver the other night had called one of the bounty hunter women Lula. Could this be the same Lula?
"Hey you Carla? she shouted.
"Thats me" I answered jogging over to the driver side.
"God your white" she stated. "Another skinny white girl needing the shopping expertise of Lula. Lets get this show on the road" She jumped back into the car and pumped up the stereo system.
"They got a shoe sale on a Macy's so that's as good a place as any to start. Any place else you had in mind?". She asked.
I had always wanted to go to Macy's. A shoe sale sounded an excellent idea. "Sounds good to me" I said. I liked Lula already.
"I have a friend who is also in need for some Lula retail therapy. We'll pick her up on the way. You'll like Stephanie, she's a skinny ass white gal like yourself. This is gonna be fun" she shouted over the beat as we sped off.
Oh my god I said to myself. I'm think I'm going shopping with the bounty hunter from hell and her sidekick Lula!