Chapter 3

RPOV

After doing my research, I did find out that Stephanie is married to Joe Morelli. They have been married for 5 years, no kids. I was hoping that she was just a distant cousin or something like that, not married to that jackass. I may not know Stephanie very well, but I just can't see her as someone who would agree to an open marriage. Also, I don't see how anyone who is married to her could possibly want someone else. Whoa, Manoso calm yourself down, she is a married woman even if she is married to a jackass. I'm pulled out of my musings by Lester over the intercom saying Stephanie is on her way in.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, it took me forever to get out of the office. This lawyer I work for has a serious case of shiny ball syndrome." Stephanie says as she sits down across the desk from me.

"What is shiny ball syndrome? I don't think I've ever heard of that Babe." Damnit! I can't give an employee a pet name, stop thinking about her like that.

Steph holds her right hand up to the side and acts like she's shaking a ball to the side of her face and says "Look at the shiny ball. Look at the shiny ball."

I bark out a laugh and say "Well, I don't think I've ever heard it put quite like that."

"My boss has ADD so bad that I started saying that she's distracted by anything. Kind of like an animal being attracted to a shiny object. Then I just started calling it shiny ball syndrome." Stephanie says with a giggle.

"Very clever. Now lets get down to business. Here are the contracts outlining your job description, pay, medical, dental, and 401K benefits. Before you begin you will have to have a full physical including blood work, which will be preformed here on site by our company medic Bobby Brown. Read over it carefully and let me know if you have any questions." I said.

"Everything looks good." Stephanie takes the pen and signs. "I don't understand why my husband was worried, everything here looks very legitimate."

"Who is your husband Babe?" I ask.

"Joe Morelli, detective over at the TPD. He was not crazy about me taking this job, but it's not his decision it's mine. I'm not crazy about him going undercover at times, but I live with it." Steph says chewing on her bottom lip.

"If this is going to cause problems with your marriage then don't accept the job. I don't want this to be a daily issue in your life." I say hoping she doesn't walk away.

"No, I want this job. Joe and I have argued about my job before. It's never a productive conversation, he realizes I'm going to do what I want and finally lets go. This will be no different. Now lets go and get this physical and blood work done." Stephanie says as I get up from my chair to take her down to 3.

"Here is your key fob, it will get you anywhere in the building and open the outside gate as well. The only place it will not get you to is the 7th floor of the building. That is my personal apartment and only members of the core team have that access. I will call Ella our company housekeeper to order you some uniforms while you're getting your exam done." As I finish talking we exit the elevator to the 3rd floor and head towards Bobby's office.

"Bobby, this is Stephanie Morelli our new Office Manager. You need to do a full work up on her including blood test. Send me all the results for her personal file after you finish." I turn to Stephanie after I finish with Bobby, "I have a meeting for the rest of the day but I will call you Babe once everything is finished up and give you a start date. I will make it at least 2 weeks from now so you can tell your present employer."

"Have a good day Ranger, thank you again for everything."

What the hell have I gotten myself into? I actually could see myself falling for someone like Stephanie. I mean hell I've even given her a pet name, and I don't give pet names to any women. Shit I think I'm in trouble!

JPOV

Of all the places in Trenton for Cupcake to find a job, how the hell did she end up with one at Rangeman? Not only could that blow some of my cover that my "undercover assignments" have given me, but they all run in the same circles as me. It won't be long before Cupcake gets wind of one of the other women I've been with. Not that I don't love Stephanie, because I do but what guy doesn't like a little variety in life?

For me Stephanie was the one that you marry to bring home to Mom, have babies with, and to take care of you whenever you get old. All I can hope is that Stephanie did not take that job. Ranger and his crew are bad news.

RPOV

"Boss" Bobby says as he knocks on my door jam.

"Yeah Bobby" I say as I rub my temples, that meeting gave me a horrible headache.

"Here is the bottle of Advil and Stephanie Morelli's full physical results, you might want to take a look at the blood work." Bobby said as he handed me the stuff and headed out the door.

What in the world would be in the blood work that I would need to see, it's just a precaution that we take to make sure someone doesn't have a deadly virus. It's not like anything ever comes up on it. I turn to page 3 and see that Stephanie tested positive for Chlamydia. Fuck! How in the world am I going to tell her? Do I tell her the other stuff like him saying they have an open marriage? I have to tell her so she can receive medical treatment. I've got to go to the gym and work out some of this aggression. If not I'm going to end up making a trip down to the TPD and killing Morelli.