All Stephanie Plum characters are the brainchild of Janet Evanovich. I write for fun.
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Scent of a Woman
Chapter 11
When Stephanie stepped out of the shower, Ranger was just finishing up a phone call.
"Tank, Bobby, and Hector are on their way here. We need to scout out the floor plans and exits of the restaurant and club. Because of his contact with Sullivan on Thursday evening, Santos, for now, will be limited to surveillance and communication. He and Hal will be with you today." He walked up behind her and kissed her on the neck while she messed with her hair. "Tank is bringing Lula up for the afternoon, too."
"Lula is coming here? That's a little different for Tank isn't it, bringing Lula on a job?" She moaned when his kisses became more passionate. "Don't start with me now," she warned him playfully, "or I'll never get dressed."
"And that would be bad because?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and started to untie her robe. She stopped his hands and skirted away from him. He sighed, grabbed her arm and pulled her back planting one last kiss on her lips in resignation. "He says she's become impossible to live with. Thinks she's one of the team now, since she helped out the other night. He thought you two could go out shopping together; maybe take her off his hands for a little while." Ranger had a slight grin going.
Stephanie couldn't hold back her smile. "Lula is just like that. Takes hold of an idea and runs with it. She is probably in full rhino mode with Tank. The biggest guy I know has the softest heart when it comes to women. He just doesn't quite know how to say no to Lula yet." Stephanie grabbed a lace bra and underwear set out of her drawer and walked over to the closet to find something to wear. "No shopping, but maybe a movie would be good. How long will you guys be busy?"
"Just a couple of hours. We don't anticipate any problems. We just don't want any surprises. We should be back here by 1400 hours. We can all have a late lunch together."
A few minutes later, Stephanie came out wearing a pair of designer jeans that fit her every curve perfectly. She completed the outfit with a lightweight ivory cashmere sweater. She had already put in the green contact lenses for the day. "What should I wear this evening? I checked out the website for the restaurant. It's very nice. I don't want to look too sexy, but I don't want to be boring either."
Ranger walked towards the closet. "Babe, no one would ever describe you as boring, but save sexy for me." He walked into the closet and came out with a beautiful embroidered plum colored dress. It had a strapless scalloped neckline, a hemline that fell just above the knee, and a detachable sheer organza tank overlay that belted at the waist. The skirt was full. Perfect for dancing. It was very sophisticated and tasteful. "I like this one." He said, holding it up.
"I do too, that's why I bought it. It's a Stella McCartney original; you have excellent taste, Batman. I think it will be perfect for this evening." Stephanie sighed wistfully. "I've never had so many nice clothes. You've ruined me for most stores in the mall, you know. I'll be totally unbearable to shop with anymore. Just like you did with those 10,000 thread count sheets on the bed. I won't be able to go back."
"Maybe that was my grand plan; to make it so you won't want to leave my bed." He ran his fingers up her arm.
"The sheets are nice…, but you being in the bed is more than enough reason for me not to want to leave." She leaned in and grazed her lips over his. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and pulled her close into his arms. He deepened the kiss and begged entrance into her mouth. She granted it with a moan. His cell phone rang. Ranger stepped back and answered.
"Yo. Park in the garage." He snapped it closed. "They're here, but I won't forget where we were just now. We'll finish this later."
"Promise?"
He pointed to his head and flashed his trademark wolf grin. "Steel trap." He turned and left the room.
Stephanie finished dressing and headed downstairs. Lester and Hal were standing by the front door. They nodded at her and smiled. Bobby, Hector, and Ranger were standing in the living room looking over some files. They looked up as she came into the room. Both Bobby and Hector greeted her. Stephanie gave Hector a hug and thanked him again for helping her yesterday.
"Girlfriend, this house is somethin'." Lula was sitting on the couch cozied up close to Tank. "A girl could get used to this. I think your kitchen is bigger than my whole apartment. You sure could have some parties in this place."
"Well, it's not really my house, Lula. It's all part of the cover. I'm here temporarily. I'm glad you're here, though, I could use your help again."
"Whatever it is, you just say the word. Ol' Lula's got your back. What do you need?"
"I was hoping you could help me with another distraction." Lula was practically vibrating with anticipation and excitement at her request. Tank's eyes got big and if looks could kill, he was holding an AK-47 at Stephanie's temple with the trigger pulled. Steph just winked at him.
"Damn skippy, lay it on me. I'm ready, it's about time you all realized my potential. This stuff is fun." Tank looked absolutely nauseated.
"Good, I'm glad you want to help, because what I need is for you to distract me for the afternoon. Grab your bag, Lula, we're going to the movies." Stephanie tugged on Lula's arm to lift her off the couch. Tank looked relieved and helped push Lula to her feet. "Later, guys." She grabbed her own purse, swung by Ranger, gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and headed thru the kitchen to the garage door with Lula in tow.
Once they were in the car, Lula, who until now had been rendered speechless by the turn of events, spoke up.
"Girl, that was not funny. You got me all excited to do some job and now we're going to the movies?"
"Yes, and RangeMan is paying. Just think, on RangeMan's dime, you can have popcorn, candy, soda, and even nachos if you want. Just keep in mind that we're having lunch with the guys when we get back."
"Well, alright then. I guess I could help you out. Everybody knows you can't go to the movies by yourself. What are we goin' to see anyway?"
"I don't know. This GPS will take us to the nearest movie theater, and we'll see what's playing when we get there."
"I hope that new Denzel movie is playing. He is a fine man, that Denzel. I could handle gettin' me a piece of that. You know what I'm sayin'. Course he's no Tank, but hell; he'll do in a pinch. Did I see you kiss Batman in front of his men? What was that all about? You been gettin' some of that?"
"Things with Ranger have…heated up." Stephanie felt the blush creep up her neck and take over her face. She couldn't stop smiling.
"Heated up? Huh. If you get much more heated, you goin' to combust right here in the damn car. Maybe I should be drivin'."
The Denzel movie was playing at the theater. The girls settled in, and Les and Hal sat directly behind them. Occasionally, during the movie, Lester would playfully throw popcorn over Stephanie's head and into her lap. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. He just grinned back. At one point during the movie he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
"How's it going with the Boss Man?" Stephanie turned to look over her shoulder and found she was staring directly into Lester's smiling eyes.
It was a good thing it was dark, because she was blushing again, but her smile was all he needed to see. "Things are much improved. We've been… talking."
"Listen, Beautiful, maybe this is where things went wrong with Morelli. You do know that talking is not going to cut it with a guy."
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "But we've been talking a lot. In fact, we were getting ready to talk some more when you guys showed up today."
The light bulb went on in Lester's head. "Oh, you mean talking! Yeah, talking is very good. More talking is what you both need." He sat back into his seat and looked at a very confused Hal. "They're talking!" He smiled.
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It was closing in on 7:00 pm. Stephanie was dressed and ready for her date with Andrew. She completed the outfit Ranger had chosen earlier with a pair of black heels, her locket, earrings, light make-up, and the Black Orchid perfume. Everyone had left the house except Ranger. He had just finished taping the wire in place under her dress.
"Are you ready?" He smiled at Stephanie and tugged on one of her curls.
"Yes, dad! Do you want to interrogate my date before we leave?" she said playfully.
"He won't even know I'm here."
"But I will."
"Worried?"
"No! I feel safe with you here."
"I'll be close the whole night."
"I know. I always know when you're near."
Ranger leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. "Mi amada. You are so beautiful."
The doorbell rang.
Stephanie stepped away from their embrace. "Guess this is it." She gave Ranger a quick kiss, grabbed her clutch purse with her gun, pepper spray and tracker, headed downstairs, and opened the door.
"Andrew," she smiled warmly. "Come in, I'm almost ready."
Andrew entered the foyer, gave Stephanie a chaste kiss on the cheek, and handed her a bouquet of beautiful pink roses. He was dressed in a strikingly tailored gray suit and tie, and he smelled wonderful.
"Thank you, these are beautiful. Come with me to the kitchen, and I'll find a vase or something to put them in. I don't know if I have any vases left. I had a lot of them after Ric's funeral, but I threw them all away. I couldn't stand using them for anything else. No one has brought me flowers in a very long time."
"That's a shame. A beautiful woman like you should receive flowers on a regular basis. You look absolutely stunning this evening by the way."
Stephanie stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him with a smile. "Thank you." She couldn't find a vase in any of the cabinets, so she settled on a glass pitcher. She added water and placed the flowers on the breakfast bar. "Pink roses are my favorite. How did you know?"
"Just a lucky guess. I saw them, and I knew they had been grown just for you." Andrew took in the surroundings. "Is your son here? I would love to meet him."
"I'm sorry, Andrew, he is staying with his grandmother this weekend. I dropped him off this morning. They have big plans to go to the zoo tomorrow. I never showed you his picture the other night. Here." She reached for her neck, lifted the locket and opened it.
"He's a good looking boy." He smiled warmly at Stephanie. "I'm sure he'll have a wonderful time at the zoo. It was one of my daughter's favorite places, too." Andrew absently traced one of the pictures on the refrigerator with his fingers as memories flooded his mind. He finally looked back at Stephanie. "Is he with your mother?"
"No, my brother Lester is the only family I have left. Both my parents are gone."
"I'm sorry, Maria," He ran his fingers along her cheek. "You are so young to have had such tragedy in your life."
"I think it's why Lester and I are so close. We've been through a lot together." She closed the locket back up. "This grandmother is Ric's mother. She doesn't live far. She offers to keep Carlos for me a lot. It's good for her to have him so close. She misses Ric. It left a big hole in her heart when he died."
"I'm sure he's the reason why you are doing so well, too. Sharing your life with a child is the best reason to go on living." He smiled painfully and then quickly changed the subject. "Our reservations are for 7:30. Are you ready?"
Stephanie felt the awkwardness of his statement and decided to let it go. "Yes, just let me grab my purse and wrap. I think it might get a little chilly this evening. I love autumn, don't you?"
The restaurant was very nice. The tables were set with white linens and the table settings were formal. Stephanie was glad she had not underdressed. As the hostess escorted them through the room, Stephanie took a quick scan of her surroundings. Bobby and Hector were seated at a table near the back. She had to take a second look because they were both dressed in suits and looked very hot. It was going to be fun watching the waitresses trip past their table all evening. The hostess handed them their menus and informed them that their waiter, Mark, would be with them shortly. She smiled warmly at Andrew and left the table. Yeesh! What is it with women and her men!
Stephanie perused the menu. "Andrew, you said you've eaten here before?"
"Yes, although it's been a while…, before Marissa died."
"Marissa. Was that your wife's name?"
"Yes, and my daughter's name was Madison." Andrew's face softened, and his eyes were focused somewhere in the distance.
Stephanie reached across the table and took his hand. "We don't have to stay if you are uncomfortable here. We could leave and go somewhere else, or we could take something back to my house and eat there if you would prefer."
"Nonsense, I'm fine. I wanted to bring you here. You will love the food. Their specialty is the seafood. Do you like seafood?"
"Yes, I do. What do you recommend?"
"I've always been partial to the Lemon & Herb Salmon, but the Shrimp Fettuccini is also delicious."
"I'll tell you what, why don't you order for both of us. Just surprise me. I'm not very picky. I love food."
Andrew smiled and agreed. Mark approached their table, and Andrew ordered wine and an appetizer, as well as the entrees. While they waited for their food to arrive, the conversation continued.
"Andrew, you know a lot about me already. What about you? What do you do for a living?"
"I am an independent financial investment analyst. Meaning, I don't work for a company. I have a solid base of clients who pay me quite well to give them advice on their money. I also manage their portfolios when needed."
"Really? That must be fascinating work. Do you have any famous clients?"
"My client list is kept confidential, Maria. You probably wouldn't recognize any of their names anyway, but they insist on keeping their identities protected. Some of them are quite wealthy."
"Do you work from home?"
"I have an office downtown in the Harrison building. It's easier to meet with clients there, but I work from home on occasion."
"When Ric died, I was inundated with paperwork. I think I told you he had investments." Andrew nodded. "His lawyer tried to educate me on what everything meant, but I was totally lost, and I wasn't in the best state of mind. Financial interests are not my specialty. I really have to trust the accountant to make all the decisions with my money. I've always been uncomfortable with that, and I would like to be more proactive in the management of the investments. I want to make sure it is safe for Carlos, so that he will always be taken care of. I know that's what Ric would have wanted."
"Maria, if you would like, and if you're comfortable with it, I would be glad to look over your portfolio and give you a second opinion as to what's going on. You're right; you really should be more involved. I know it can be overwhelming, but completely trusting your money decisions to someone else can be dangerous. I always spend a great deal of time with my clients making sure they understand the risks of my recommendations."
"I would like that, Andrew, thanks. Should I make an appointment with your office?"
"No." He looked up at her with a look of inspiration. "Since your son will still be away tomorrow, why don't you come to my house, bring your paperwork, and we can go over it together. Would that work for you?"
"But tomorrow is Sunday; I would hate to intrude on your weekend time for business."
"We won't think of it as business then. It will just be two friends having lunch and giving each other advice."
"Okay, but what advice will I be giving you in return? I'm not sure I have anything of value to offer."
"That's where you're wrong, my dear. You have already given me so much in just these few short days we have known each other. The way you have faced the loss of your husband has given me hope that someday I may be able to cope better with my own loss."
"That's very sweet of you to say. Most days I still don't think I handle it very well." Stephanie leaned forward. "I'll agree on meeting with you tomorrow with one condition."
"What's that?"
"You let me bring lunch."
"Maria, you don't….."
"This is a deal breaker, Andrew. I insist."
"Okay," he smiled, "you bring lunch."
"Thanks."
Shortly after their conversation ended their appetizer arrived followed by their salads and entrees.
"Oh my god, Andrew, you were right," Stephanie moaned. "This shrimp is so good."
Andrew chuckled. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, but I think you might be making some of the other patrons a bit jealous. I think they want what you're having."
Stephanie looked around the room. Several people were staring at her. She even noticed Bobby and Hector snickering. "Oops, I'm sorry, but I warned you. I love food! I'll try to behave myself."
"Don't apologize, it feels good to laugh again. If you react that way to dinner, I can't wait until you have dessert. Let me guess… I bet you're a chocolate lover or…no, maybe the tiramisu?"
"Tiramisu would be wonderful. My grandmother used to say, "Life is short, eat dessert first." When I was in college I lived by that motto. Now that I'm a mother, I have to show a little more restraint and set a better example."
"I'd say your grandmother was a smart lady."
"Yeah, she really loved life. We were a lot alike."
They finished their meal, and fortunately, Stephanie spared the restaurant anymore moaning reactions to the food. Andrew paid the bill, and they left for the club.
La Habana was a Cuban dance club located near downtown Philly. The clientele were 30-somethings with middle and upper incomes. The atmosphere was electric and vibrant. The live band played all Latin American dance music, both slow and fast.
"This club is fantastic. Have you been here before?" Stephanie was leaning towards Andrew's ear. The music was loud.
"No, a friend recommended it to me. She knows I used to dance and thought I would like it. Let's take this table over here. Do you know some of the South American dances?"
"A few, my mother made me take dance lessons in high school. It's been a while. We didn't dance to this in college. Can you do that?" she said pointing to a couple on the dance floor. "They're quite good…and flexible!"
"I don't think I'm quite that limber anymore, but I can dance the Salsa, the Merengue and the Rhumba."
They settled at a table and ordered drinks. Bobby and Hector were nowhere to be seen, but Stephanie knew they were close. She hadn't seen Ranger at the restaurant but she spotted him now at the bar. She wondered if he would dance. The music made her think of him. He probably grew up listening and dancing to this music. It made her tingle just thinking about the way he might dance with her. She thought back to all the distractions that she had worked and realized that several of the Merry Men had danced with her at the different bars and clubs, but never once did Ranger participate. He always stayed in the shadows watching, protecting her from danger.
Andrew was a good dancer and a perfect gentleman. He never touched her inappropriately or suggestively. They spent the next two hours watching and dancing. Some of the couples were so good it was obvious they were trained, or they spent a hell of a lot of time on the dance floor. By midnight, Stephanie was exhausted.
"You look tired. Would you like to go home?"
"Oh, I've had such a good time, Andrew, but yes, I am tired. Would you mind?"
"No, Maria, I don't mind at all. Let's go."
The drive home was quiet as they both reflected on the evening. As they neared the safe house, Stephanie began to get nervous. She'd had a wonderful time with Andrew and the expectation at the end of this date would surely, at a minimum, be a good night kiss. She was wired, and the guys would be listening. Ranger would be listening. They hadn't discussed this, and she didn't know how far to let things go.
"Andrew, what time should I come by tomorrow?"
"Anytime that would be convenient for you, is fine."
"How about noon?"
"Yeah, that works. Are you sure you don't want me to have lunch ready?"
"Positive. I'll bring lunch, but I need your address."
"Here." He reached into his suit pocket and handed her a small gray card. "This is one of my business cards. I've written my home address on the back."
Andrew parked the car in the driveway and walked around to open Stephanie's door. He took her hand to assist her out of the car and did not let go. Stephanie felt like a teenager on a first date with her parents looking out the window. As they approached the front door, Stephanie pulled her keys from her purse. Andrew took them and unlocked the door. She thought immediately of the way Ranger or one of his men would make her wait, while they cleared her apartment for safe entry. She smiled when Andrew handed her keys back to her.
"I had a great time tonight, Andrew. Thank you."
Andrew put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He gently placed a kiss on her lips and whispered, "You were wonderful." He kissed her again with a little more passion. "Goodnight, Maria. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight." Stephanie turned entered the house and locked the door.
She stood leaning against the door in the dark for a few seconds. She knew she wasn't alone. "Ranger?" Before she even finished saying his name, he was there. He pressed his entire body up against hers. His mouth claimed her lips without a word. He was passionate and demanding. Stephanie dropped her purse and tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but he gripped both her wrists in one hand and anchored them above her head. She broke from the kiss and tried to speak. He put one finger to her lips, then slowly reached down the front of her dress and removed the wire.
"We're good here, Tank. Call it a night. Send everyone home." He turned off the wire, removed his earpiece and dropped them both to the floor. Stephanie was confused by the intense look on Ranger's face as he held her captive. His lips revisited her face and slowly traveled down the side of her neck. His one free hand caressed her knee and seductively trailed up her thigh, lifting her dress as it progressed. Stephanie moaned with pleasure. "Don't speak, amada." His hand reached her upper thigh, and he slipped his fingers under her panties. "Dios, esta tan humeda!" (God, you are so wet.) Stephanie was so lost in sensation that she could barely stand. He let go of her wrists and lifted her thighs around his waist. She held onto his shoulders, her head thrown back against the door. Ranger reached in between them, opened his belt and zipper, and took her right there; the only sounds being their heavy breathing, grunts of pleasure and shouts of release.
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