A/N: I know it's been three months. But I am almost certain that could be the speed of updates for this story. I still have no real dirrection - though a few ideas - and I still don't really now about where this will go. SOmehow I find the idea of her turning him onto her side somewhat interesting, but... it is one of my ideas that all somehow sound fascinating but probably won't pan out. Thanks to anyone who is still reading and patiently waiting for updates and who actually likes the story...
I was the owner of several very successful restaurants and despite that fact you could often enough find me eating out at places there were not owned by me. It wasn't anything related to checking out the competition, especially since I knew there were galaxies between my brand and what everyone else offered. It wasn't an arrogant statement, but simply the truth which was reinforced by several food blogs, columns and awards constantly. Not that I really cared for any of it to be honest. But as long as they helped maintaining my image and didn't bother me too often, I was on board.
One of the disadvantages of eating out elsewhere that there was a rather high probability of me running into people I really didn't want to run into. And today was no exception. I had just finished my salad and was about to pay when my view was blocked by the one person I really didn't need to see. Morelli.
"How dare you stepping in here," he more or less yelled for everyone around is to hear. There wasn't even a hello. Or the pretend of some small talk.
"I wasn't aware I was persona non grata anywhere," I replied and saw him just stare at me. "Also, last time I checked you didn't own this establishment. Has anything changed and you have switched careers?"
"I am almost certain you aren't welcome anywhere outside your fancy places."
"Well, if that's the case I'm afraid people forgot to inform me and so far, they have waited on me and seem to also take my money," I said, when the waiter came back with my card.
"Do you know who she is? Who you are feeding?" Morelli asked the poor kid that was tasked with my table. The kid, who looked barely eighteen shock his head and placed the card back on my table. "She's a drug lord. So, congratulations on helping to establish this as some form of assistance."
Instead of replying I just rolled my eyes at his nonsense, but saw the kid looking slightly freaked at me. "Don't listen to him, he hasn't taken his medication today and in experiencing hallucinations. I'm no such thing and you certainly didn't assist in anything. Other than serving me excellent food." I finished my remark with a smile and saw him literally letting out a long and slow breath, as if relaxing significantly. He left quickly after that and it wasn't like I could blame him. Morelli at his best could make you hate human mankind and him in particular.
"I really don't understand what went wrong, Cupcake. You used to be the posterchild and then turned out to be …this," he more or less spat and I rolled my eyes once more. Technically this wasn't news to me or something I hadn't heard before.
"Correction, the posterchild was always Valerie. I had always been the one with the crazy curls and wild ideas, wanting to fly but eventually bowing down to peer pressure from family, friends and the Burg in general. I wouldn't say anything went wrong particularly. I just realized that what everyone wanted me to be was something I didn't want to become. I'm sorry I didn't turn out as perfect as you all wanted me to be and maybe things could have been different, but guess what… I actually, truly like who I am. A person with principles and a certain moral code."
"Principals and moral code?" I asked, laughing sarcastically. "Sure, you just sell yourself out to whoever offers the biggest stack of money and your moral code only points in one direction: where the money is. But if that helps you sleep at night, call it what you like. But a person like you doesn't have principles or a moral code, hell, you don't even have a conscience."
I let out a soft sigh, wondering whether I really wanted the headache that this conversation was. I spotted a few familiar faces around us, listening in on whatever it was we had to say to each other and also pretending to mind their own business. Thing was, nothing in this town ever was your own business. Everyone always was somehow involved in your life and business and took pleasure in taking your business into the world and Burg, making sure everyone knew what you were currently up to or what drama you managed to create for yourself once more.
"The problem with you, Morelli, has always been the same. You only hear and see what you want to hear and see. You don't really care for anyone else than you and what makes you look best. I could stand here, in front of a grand jury and swear up and down that whatever you think is true couldn't be further from the truth, but you still only would believe what you want to believe."
"I could have you arrested, Plum," he said next, not acknowledging my previous statement.
"For what exactly?" I asked, almost sounding amused. "If you could have me arrested, you already would have done so the moment you found the tiniest of discrepancies on whatever you think I do."
"This has nothing to do with thinking, but knowing. And I also know that sooner or later, I'll get you for your criminal activities. There's only so long for you to hide behind that society lady persona."
"Society lady? Seriously? I'm a business woman, and a damn good one at that. Maybe instead of running after me, trying to pin something on me that you can't make stick anyway you should try cleaning up your own life. Very interesting things I hear about your brothers and cousins, I have to say," I went on, technically lying. I hadn't heard anything about anyone in Morelli's life or family, but the thing was that it didn't matter. There was always something going on in his family. Out of all the Morelli men he was actually the most decent and normal one. But he obviously didn't need to know that.
"You stay out of my family," Morelli more or less threatened and I knew my work here was done.
"Then stay out of my life," I retaliated and left a moment later. This conversation had long come to an end. As a matter of fact, it hadn't even been something that I needed to begin with. On my way I out I looked occasionally at the people around me and wasn't surprised to find I knew every single one of them. What surprised me however was one face I hadn't expected. Carlos Manoso. He looked curious at me, almost seeming like he wondered what the deal between me and Morelli was. Not that he probably needed to wonder since I was almost certain he knew all about the history between us.
I told the valet to get my car and tipped him a generous 100 dollars to make it appear quicker. The last thing I needed was Morelli next to me, staring off on round two and for me with no real way to escape. I had a meeting in about half an hour and walking certainly was not going to work. Neither was a cab.
I heard the door behind me open and was already taking a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever nonsense Morelli was about to spun.
"And here I thought owning several high-end restaurants would save you from eating elsewhere," I heard an amused voice behind me which caught me by surprise. Not who I had expected.
"Mr. Manoso, it's been a while," I replied. "What brings you here?" I asked, surprised to see him at a place we both had been eating. It wasn't a bad place, just something a little more upscale than what I would have pecked him for. He seemed more like a guy who could do with a lot less upscale.
"Client meeting. Something I assume didn't apply to you, seeing as you chose to eat by yourself."
"Keeping tabs on me?" I asked curious and saw him smile for a second.
"Hardly. But that little exchange between you and Detective Morelli was hard to ignore. You have a way of capturing everyone's attention in a way, Stephanie Plum."
"It certainly isn't my intention; I can guarantee you that. And how come you know Detective Morelli?" I asked, odd that he knew Joe's name without anyone actually mentioning it. But Carlos Manoso was in a way law enforcement as well, so I guess their paths crossed occasionally. Or all the time. I saw him about to answer when we were joined by the man himself.
"Of course, you two know each other," Morelli more or less spat before he even made it completely through the door. "One criminal to another. No surprise there."
I rolled my eyes once more, Carlos Manoso looked like he was thinking about copying me, but remained in the end with his stoic face. "Swapping tips and way to get around legal issues?"
"I honestly do not know what the hell you are talking about, Morelli," I said and for once I really didn't. What was it with him and Manoso now? Weren't they both on the same side of the law?
"While you run the drug cartel, he runs a company of thugs and criminals, robbing innocent people of Trenton out of their pensions and hard-earned money."
"Again, with the hallucinations, start taking your medication," I replied and saw Manoso almost – almost – smile.
"I really want to know what happened to you Stephanie. You used to be such a good person and things were so great once."
"You mean when I was naïve enough to let you take my virginity behind the Tasty Pastry counter and leave five minutes later? Yeah, so much better times back then. I was sixteen and impressionable and you more or less used that to your advantage."
"Is that why you became who you are today? For revenge and to show me?"
"No, I became who I am today because I got tired of people telling me what I could or should do, what I was supposedly good at and what was expected of me. The world is bigger than being a wife, mother and nothing else. You just mourn the person you think I was and got lost along the way when as a matter of fact, I actually only learned what was possible and how to really fly thanks to assholes like you. Always trying to hold me back and telling me how bad I was at everything I did, you can't just get your head around the fact that finally I found something that I exceed at and get ahead with."
"How can you take as much pride in what you do? You are a criminal, just like your friend Manoso here."
"I would hardly call us friends and maybe more acquaintances at best. And before you start with even crazier hallucinations, we are also not sleeping with each other," I said, seeing Carlos raise an eyebrow at my comment. I knew Morelli, apparently every guy in my life was for him a potential bed partner of mine. Some days I wondered whether he was simply jealous and couldn't cope with it or what in general was up with that.
"In my experience, if you feel the need to point something out as not being the case, it usually is happening. Especially if no one brought it up."
"The only reason I actually pointed it out is because I know you. The moment you see anyone remotely male in my life you start accusing them as being my partner, lover and God knows what. You hardly ever change and I find your interest in my life peculiar. Just let it go, Morelli. Move on."
"I can guarantee you Stephanie Plum and me are not involved that way," Manoso next to me explained to Morelli, who seemed to believe it as much as he did with me. "But if we were, I can also guarantee you, she'd be worth more than a quickie behind the counter of some pastry shop. Don't you have any kind of style, Morelli?"
I tried hard suppressing the smile that was threatening to escape but was almost certain I failed miserably. Usually, I found myself all alone fending off Morelli or arguing his nonsense. But for once, I had someone partially in my corner. And that Manoso managed to also subtly insult Joe's manliness was priceless. As was Joe's face. Shame Manoso and me were in different sides, otherwise he'd make a probably excellent partner in crime and most likely an even better partner in bed. There was something about him that left me no doubt about his abilities and style.
"You slept with my girlfriend, so don't tell me anything about style, Manoso. You are just a thug and someone who thinks he's God's gift to women."
"Here I always thought that was you, the God's gift anyway. At least, according to how you behave and seem to chase everyone and everything with a skirt," I remarked, seeing Joe look at me like he wanted to kill me and Manoso, like he actually enjoyed this a little. Who knew we would have something so trivial in common?
Before anyone could say anything more, the valet finally arrived with my white Porsche, getting out a second later and presenting me with the keys. Perfect timing really.
"As much fun as this exchange has been, I have to go," I said to both men, walking around to my car a moment later. "Until we meet again, Mr. Manoso," I went on, leaving Morelli deliberately out of it.
I was just getting in my car, when I saw Carlos Manoso half-heartedly jog around to my side and stopping me effectively from closing the door of my car. He held a business card towards me.
"I know it's a long shot, but...you know, in case you ever want to come clean to someone who isn't Detective Clueless."
Instead of a reply, I just laughed at him. Did he really think I was that easy? However, I took the card out of courtesy. "Don't hold your breath that it will happen anytime soon."
"I could get you a really good deal," he tried and I wasn't sure whether he was desperate or just trying to stall.
"I have lawyers for that... Ridiculously expensive ones who would probably tell me right now that whatever deal you are offering me, isn't worth the trouble."
He just shrugged at my comment. "You don't know the details yet about what I could offer you."
"Let me be clear here. I have had a lot of guys like you chasing me and all of them ended up with more or less the same deal as the guys before them. I am almost certain I have seen the best that anyone can offer and it isn't worth my effort, time or even consideration. So, unless you yourself are part of the deal, I have seen it all and am not interested."
I managed to close the door of my car after that and sped of a second later, seeing a slightly amused expression on his by all means strikingly handsome face.
Indeed, until we meet again. And I had no doubt on my mind that we would meet again. Question was, under what circumstances.