The D.J. had just stopped spinning his set before Stephanie hit the floor to pick up her tips. I watched her sprint off the stage and toward the dressing room.

"That one there is a handful," Martinez sighed as he spun around to face the plate of food the waitress had just brought him.

I nodded coolly as I continued to watch the door to the dressing room. It took Stephanie less than five minutes to rush out the back door alone into the night. A drunk customer noticed her leaving and slowly trailed behind her. She seemed unaware of the man following her.

"What is she doing ?"I said out loud. "Still hasn't learned to be aware of her surrounding,"I complained.

"Huh, what, you still talking to me man" Martinez replied?

I left him talking to himself as I followed Steph out the back door to the parking lot. As I scanned the dark parking lot I could not find Stephanie. I knew she had not had enough time to leave. I continue to patrol the area looking for Babe. As I strolled around the corner to the side of the club I encountered something that had me instantly vexed. The customer who had followed Stephanie out of the club had her pinned up against the wall with his fist in mid swing ,aimed at her head. She would have been knocked out cold by a blow that. The worst part was that she was not even trying to fight back. Stephanie had her eyes closed as she cowered against the wall. At a full on run, I charged the assailant. The guy was knocked to the ground so hard he lost his breath. Even though I knew he was too incapacitated to stand I pressed my foot painfully in his neck.

"I don't think the lady is interested!" I snarled.

Stephanie was still huddled against the wall ,emotion oozing out of every pore of her body. Fear and shock reflected in her eyes and she tried to stop shaking. Seeing her this way pushed my self-control to the limit. I viciously began to kick the man on the ground when he attempted to get up.

That is when Stephanie took off running again. My Babe was running from me. I could not believe it. I left the man to go chase Stephanie. Before she could open her car door I was there with my palm pressed solidly against it. I stood staring at her racking my brain for what could have possibly led her to want to get up take her clothes off for dollars. We had a few words and she left me standing alone in the parking lot with more questions than answers.

My mind drifted back to the last night she had ever spoken to me in Trenton.

"Great Job with that distraction Babe."

She smiled as we entered her apartment and I watched her blue eyes sparkle.

Babe stopped as my hand I went to undo her zipper.

"Ranger what are we, tell me exactly what is it the two of us have been doing? It has been eight months since me and Joe broke up, and this thing that is going on here… I need to it be more than just friends with benefits.

"Babe you know I love you but…"

"But what Ranger, because I am in love with you with all my heart".

"Come on Babe, we have been through this. Relationships and my line of work don't mix. I can't offer you a commitment at least not right now."

"You're a real piece of work Manoso," she hissed.

You are not being fair Babe, I never lied to you, or pretend this was something more than it was. You know I have love for you but …..

"But what, It comes with a condom not a ring. Manoso are an ass. How long were you just going to keep stringing me along, until the sex got old?"

"Come on Babe, sex with you will never get old," I joked, hoping to lighten the mood and calm her. That's when she slapped me so hard my ears rang,

"Is that all I am to you, a joke?"

"Tell me her dizzy headed shelf did not just run out here damn near naked and alone," Martinez shouted as he interrupted my thoughts? He jogged towards to the panting man on the ground.

I walked over and stood next to Marcus and watched the customer get to his feet then limp away.

"What happened to him," Marcus asked?

"He happened to her and I was not having that, I growled.

"Thanks, man!" Martinez exhaled with relief.

"Glad to help."

"You don't know how much you just helped. If they get hurt out here alone, it is on me. The dancers are not allowed to leave the club unescorted. She knows that! The chick just does whatever she wants to." Martinez said with a frustrated grunt."I have tried to explain this to her. But, she don't listen to nobody. I guess it's too much to ask for her not to get me fired. She is a messed up combination of crazy and stubborn. And she hates men. Somebody must have done a real number on her heart! I seen her be as sweet sugar cane to the other dancers, but men that's another story. Last time a guy followed her out here, she pulled a nine on him. The boss told her she could not bring that on the property no more. Still, she comes out her by herself again. I'm reporting her this time!" Martinez ranted.

"What happens then,"I asked?

"She gets fined a C-note. Boss won't feel bad about hitting her pocket cause she refuses to do lap dances. Can't believe he lets her get away with that, cause the club get a piece of that money."

"How did she get around that one "I asked?

"She don't drink so, she pays the bartender to fill her shot glass with water. The customers pay for Vodka and she drinks water. The club is making a huge profit! She sells a crap load of liquor, cause men will pay just to sit and talk to her," Martinez explained.

"Wow."

"Look at me, out here bending your ear. Sorry man. I know you got better things to do. You seem cool, not like some stuffed-shirt corporate clown. How bout you give me your contact information and we talk about that job." Martinez said.

On the way back to my penthouse I thought about Stephanie. She was right, I had led her on. We weren't just having a roll in the hay. My actions had silently invited her into a deeper part of my life. She had begun to spend more and more time with me. Instead of rushing Babe out the door when my mom called to say she was in town and on her way over, I took them both out to dinner. My many road trips had become less lonely with Steph sitting in the passenger seat beside me. She had gone to Boston with me countless times. Stephanie had even done some work up there on an extended stay. Babe had flown out to Miami with me to see Julie's ballet recital. I had granted her access to parts of my life that no other woman had been privy to before.

Stephanie had told me not to track her and not to follow her. Somehow she had forgotten to tell me, not love her, or to forget all about her. It was a good thing she hadn't asked me to do either. Because those were the two request I just not could figure out how to make happen. Once I had relocated to Miami, I expected to be able to get Babe out of my system, my mind and maybe even my heart. What I did not know then, was that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. For the past few years, I had been hoping Babe would somehow find her way back in my life. Especially l after I'd heard she had divorced Morelli. Now she had drifted back into my world. And in true Stephanie fashion, she needed to be rescued. I needed to find out why my Babe was on the pole. What had brought her to this point in her life? Up until now, I had honored her request. But after what I had seen last night, all bets were off. I was going to track her, then I was going to follow her, but first I need to do a search on Babe.