Chapter 9 - My Funny Valentine

TPOV - Mama's Home in Louisiana

The private Jet touched down on the tarmac of the private airtstrip in Lousiana. After the pilots completed their landing checks I gathered up our luggage and took Lula's hand to descend the steps. We exited through the lobby of the small airport and made our way to the Blue truck I rented and asked to have dropped off here. My mama wouldn't be too happy with it since it didn't fit in the neighborhood she lived in but it was hard to find luxury vehicles that fit men my size. We made our way to Greenbriar Estates, one of Lafayette's richest and up and coming neighborhoods.

I didn't actually grow up here as we lived in Miami after my father moved the family when he got a new job when I was 7. My mama moved back here after my father died from a heart attack when I was on my first tour of active duty. It was extremely difficult for me to recover from the loss of my father but Ranger, Lester, and Bobby pulled me through. When I got home I spent time with my mama helping her fix up the home and caring for my grandmother. The house here in Lafayette was purchased by my Great Grandfather after he became one of the country's most prestigious lawyers despite the odds not being in his favor.

The home was a beautiful classic white colonial style home with columns. The inside was rather neutral with lots of wood trimming and wood beams that lined the ceiling of the first floor. The kitchen had a wall for wine bottles which I always added to when I was overseas by shipping a bottle back to my mother whenever I could. There were 5 bedrooms split between the second and third floor, a library style office, several bathrooms, and sat on a half acre of land with a separate garage, large garden, and a pool for the hot summers. I was excited to bring Lulu here to meet my family but I also had important business to see too with my mama.

We pulled up the driveway to see my mama planting some trays of bulbs for her spring flowers. My grandmother was sitting at the patio table under the umbrella reading a book. I helped Lula down from the truck and we made our way to their location in the yard. My mama turned around as we approached and practically launched herself into my arms.

"Pieeeerrreee! Oh my baby is home! Thank you God." I put her down but returned her hug and kissed her check before pulling away to introduce my girl.

"Mama this is Lula, my girlfriend." Mama took Lula into her arms and started walking with her back up to the house.

"Hello Pierre. How nice of you to come and visit us. Come help your Bubba up and we can join them in the house." My grandmother said to me, putting her book down. I gave her a hug and then helped her up. I took her cane in my hand but offered her my arm to lean on instead for the walk back. When we got to the kitchen my Mama had already pulled out cookies and lemonade and her and Lula were laughing over some story one of them had told.

Lula had been extremely nervous for this visit and even had a whole shopping spree with Stephanie to pick up a more modest wardrobe. We would be attending the wedding of one of my cousins while we were here and the event was going to be much more southern belle than anything she would've experienced in Trenton. Although Lula was originally from Atlanta she grew up in the projects so this was definitely bound to be a culture shock for her.

I got my grandmother settled and then returned to the truck to get our luggage and place it in the lilac room. It wasn't actually purple but the wallpaper covering the top half of the wall had lilacs all over it hence the nickname. The other bedrooms in the house were similar; there was one with roses, one with daisies, and one with tulips, the last one was just a sky blue color. I freshened up in the bathroom before returning to the kitchen.

"So Pierre I know that your cousin Shannon's wedding was the reason for your return but I must say I am mighty excited that you have brought this lovely woman home with you." My mama said to me passing me my own plate of cookies.

"Yes mama it was time you met the woman I love and I also had some business to discuss with you while I was here." I knew my mama would understand without me having to say it.

"Yes very well." She responded trying to hold back the tears in her eyes that formed after hearing I had fallen in love.

The wedding was on Friday so most of the week was spent hanging out and relaxing. I showed Lula around town doing all the tourist activities. On Thursday afternoon Lula took my grandmother to get some tea at a local cafe so I was able to have a discussion with my mother. We met up on the screened in porch where there was a table and chairs she used for her book club events. I set the tray of treats down and took the seat opposite of my mama.

"Cuddlebug" I cringed at the name she used to call me when I was younger. If the other guys ever heard it I'd lose all credibility as a badass. "I know why you wanted to talk. So let me just say this. When you left for the army you were a boy who wanted to prove his worth to his father. I know you two never had the best relationship and I also know you never got a chance to resolve those issues. But I also know that you are everything he would've wanted his little boy to grow up to be it's just a shame he couldn't physically be here to see it. That summer when you returned after he'd passed you'd changed/ The light in your eyes and your passion for life was gone. Your honor and duty are what kept you here but you never truly came back to us." She reached out and grabbed my hands so we were holding them over the table. "But the second you stepped back in this house on Saturday I saw my little cudddlebug again. I can see the light in your eyes again and I can see the love you have for Lula. More importantly though I can see the love she has for you." She reached behind her to grab the small box she must have placed when she sat down. She slowly opened the box revealing the diamond and emerald ring that my father bought her for their engagement. "I always told you I'd give you this when I was sure you'd bet the one you're meant to be with the rest of your life. Tankie, Lula she's the one."

I was overwhelmed to say the least but at the end of the day she's my mom and I should've known she would know everything I wanted to talk about. I stood up and embraced her in my arms. "Thank you mama. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I wasn't there for you especially after we lost dad. I'm going to continue making you proud though and I do intend to ask Lula to be my wife with this ring." We talked a little longer before I had to leave to pick up my sister and brother at the airport who flew down from college to come to the wedding after their last class of the day. We would spend the rest of the night of the wedding with lots of family members and then fly to Trenton back on a redeye.

SPOV - The Control Room

It had been two weeks since me and Ranger had our impromptu date at the painting class. He came with me again for three more classes where we learned blending techniques and color theory but missed one because he had to assist on a takedown for the class last Friday. Everything at work was going well too. I was assigned to desk duty due to my injury but had quickly found ways to make myself useful. I was spending four nights a week on seven with Ranger but opted to stay at my apartment on some of nights he worked late so I could get more clothes which then became permanently part of his closet

Currently, I was sitting in the control room covering the monitors for Hal while he went to the bathroom. Normally I didn't cover monitors unless we were short staff or it was a holiday. Ranger and I discussed it and worked out a deal where if I took over Tank's paperwork he wouldn't force me to do monitor duty regularly but he did ask me to be available when any of the guys on duty needed to step away.

I was drumming my fingers on the desk trying to concentrate on the screens when I felt a force come up behind me. Feeling uneasy I slowly turned around to see Fish looking glum with his head hung low looking quite nervous to be speaking to me.

"Speak." I said as I motioned to one of the open chairs that they kept in the area.

"Umm. Well you know I didn't do too well on my last competency exam." I nodded for him to continue intrigued by where he was gonna take this but keeping my blank face in place.

"Well I've been training with Jace and and Tag but I have only been getting worse in my scores. I don't think the methods we've been using for training are that effective for myself being leaner than the other too. Well I was hoping since you did so well in your exam maybe you'd be willing to let me be your training partner." He finished quickly looking back down at his hands rolling them in a circle on his lap.

"Wow Fish. I don't really have much to say but of course you can train with me. Actually I do most of if not all my training with members of the core team so you'll have to be okay with working with them. But that might be to your advantage as they can give you lots of tips I don't have the expertise in." I nudged his leg a little with my foot so he would look at me while I was speaking. "Does that work for you?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Steph or Stephanie never Ma'am or Ms. Plum." I said, smiling at him. "Good then meet me in the gym at noon on Monday." He thanked me before getting up and making his way back to the cubicles. He had been assigned desk duty due to his exam scores and was apparently filling in my old position with Rodriquez and the searches. I definitely didn't envy him.

RPOV - Pet Planet in Trenton

I saw Steph in the control room at the monitors talking to Fish so I went straight for my office to work on finalizing the plans for tomorrow. I set up a spa date for Steph at a salon in Hamilton Township so she could relax while I covered the morning day shift. Then when I got done at 1400 I planned to pick her up for our Valentine's date. I finalized everything including a few contract reviews that needed to be signed and placed them in the file slot by the breakroom to be sent out to the lawyers.

I gathered Stephanie from the control room and we went up to seven for dinner before heading out for painting class. I had found that I really enjoyed the classes and not having to be the best at something. I never realized how much pressure on myself to be the best at everything I do so it was wonderful and relaxing to sit back and let Steph be the star of the class.

The next morning I woke up at 0400 for my workout since I'd be starting work at 0600. After my workout and shower I gently kissed Stephanie goodbye and whispered that I would see her later. I knew she would likely sleep for another few hours given what we got up to last night which is why I scheduled her spa appointment for 10.

The morning went by slowly Saturday mornings were fairly slow most days with most of the eventful stuff happening on friday nights. Then those who don't cause trouble on Friday are typically too hungover to commit more crimes. I also spent some time with Hector going over some of the safety upgrades made to the security software we use and the security plans for one of the new commercial accounts we contracted earlier in the week. By lunch I was craving the time I'd get to spend with my Babe.

I pulled up to the spa 5 minutes to 1400 and got out to meet her at the entrance to walk her back to the car. I had Binkie ride with me and then take her car back to Rangeman. She came out of the building with glowing skin and an even more radiant smile. I helped her into the 911 then ran around to the other side. She moaned a little when I started up the car, making me think about smiling. I drove us to a small farm on the outskirts of Hamilton Township. I turned off the car and turned to face her.

"Babe, You look magnificent and I can't wait to take you home and show you how much you mean to me. But first I got you a gift. I know that you just lost Rex and you think it's too soon but one of our clients' family owns this farm. They sell lots of different animals including hamsters. I thought that this option was more ethical than one of those chain pet stores. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh my gosh this is so exciting!" She practically squealed as she unbuckled her belt and practically tackled me in my seat. Laughing I gave her a kiss before gesturing for her to exit the car. We made our way up to the barn where lots of other families were also here looking at the many animals they had for sale. There were dogs, cats, bunnies, hamsters, guinea pigs, and many different types of birds including chickens. In the back they had horses, cows, and goats that weren't for sale but the visitors could pay to milk the cows, feed the goats, or ride the horses.

We made our way to the corner of the barn that had the rodents for sale. About halfway back a chocolate brown labrador puppy came running up and jumped on Stephanie trying to get her attention. Steph reached down and picked up the puppy cuddling it in her arms as we continued walking back to the hamsters. They only had 4 for sale, two were tan in color, one was white, and the last one had red fur. I wasn't sure what we were looking for so I just let Steph have a moment with each of the animals.

She bent down and attempted to look each one in the eye. None of the animals stopped what they were doing to look at her, causing her to frown. She looked down at the puppy in her arms who had now fallen asleep before looking up at me with the question in her eye.

"Babe get whatever animal you want" I assured her not realizing where this was going.

"Thank you Carlos. These hamsters are cute but none of them could replace Rex. We had a bond and when I first got him it was because he stopped running on his wheel in the store to look at me, I didn't get that connection with any of these little guys. But this puppy, well it's like she chose me. I could see it in her eyes when I first picked her up."

"Whatever you want, Babe." I kissed her forehead and guided her towards the front to talk to the owner about purchasing the dog. "We can have Binkie take her through obedience training. He worked with the canine unit in the Army for a few years."

"Wow really? That's so cool! I can't wait to learn more about that from him." She responded. One of the workers in a green apron with the farm's logo on the front approached us as we got closer. He introduced himself and asked if we found everything we were looking for or needed any help. I told him we would like to purchase the puppy in Steph's arms and he quickly jumped into his sales persona to close the deal. I paid $500 for the dog after we went through all the proper paperwork and he assured us that all the proper dog breeder regulations had been followed.

Before finalizing the everything he pulled out a homemade adoption certificate and asked us if we had a name in mind or if we would like to fill it in ourselves. Stephanie looked at me and smiled before stating that she would like to name the dog Rosie Plum Manoso. The man congratulated us on our new dog and gave us an adoption bag with a blanket that had the scents of Rosie's mom and siblings, a small bag of the dog food they had been feeding her, some toys and some treats. I had not doubt that Ella would be feeding this dog better than she fed everyone else at Rangeman so I knew this dog would love her new home.

We stopped at another pet store and picked out a leash, dog bowls, bed, and other miscellaneous items for Rosie before heading back to Haywood to enjoy the rest of our day at home getting to know Rosie and having a wonderful salmon dinner that Stephanie cooked after learning how to from Ella. Other than cooking dinner Stephanie also got me a new ankle holster for the holiday. After we set up the gated area in the living room for Rosie we retreated to my bedroom and spent the rest of the night making love into the morning.

LPOV - The Cobblestone Bed and Breakfast

I was sitting in the passenger seat as me and Bobby made our way to bed and breakfast he booked us for the week. I was super excited that Ranger added the other guys to the core team. We had discussed it before he left as a contingency plan for if he didn't make it home but agreed that if he did make it back he would implement it when he thought it made sense. I wasn't too sure if Ranger knew what was going on between and Bobby and that was the cause of the timing but I was grateful either way.

I'm so happy my cousin finally got his head out of his ass and claimed the wonderful Stephanie Plum. The woman was the most beautiful woman I knew both inside and out. It's unfortunate she often doubts herself. If my cousin hadn't met her first I would've gone for it in a heartbeat but alas I hadn't and instead I was able to figure out my true feelings for Bobby a few years later. I was the happiest I had ever been in a relationship and I was hopelessly in love with him. While sometimes I reminisced about what it would be like to still be a playboy hooking up with a different woman or couple or man every night I wouldn't trade my current life. I had never told anyone that I didn't always end the night with a woman but it wasn't until Bobby and I had a threesome with a gorgeous girl in Miami on one of our leaves about 6 years ago that we both admitted to playing for both teams.

We haven't told anyone else about our relationship other than Stephanie and I expect Tank and Ranger know as well but we made a resolution that once we hit one year we would tell the rest of the guys and our families which would put us around the Fourth of July. I struggled with what to get Bobby for this day since he was giving me this wonderful week away from the hustle and bustle of our normal lifestyle. I eventually asked Stephanie for help. She told me that I didn't have to necessarily get him anything physical and that even just an act could be a gift if it really meant something to the other person. With that advice I decided I planned for a nice dinner at a seafood place on the shore of the beach and then I would give him my gift.

Bobby pulled up to the front of the small bed and breakfast and told me to wait before getting out of the car. He was ever the gentleman and came over and opened the car door for me before grabbing our luggage from the car. A wooden desk was placed in the doorway for check in. There was an orange cat sitting on the desk wrapped around the bell that I assume you're supposed to ring when you check in. A small older woman walked up to the desk coming out of the room on the right that looked to be a little library.

"Well aren't you two mighty fine. My name is Doris. How might I help you gentlemen?"

"Reservation for Bobby Brown." Bobby said, giving her his most winning smile.

"Ah yes! I have you down for the whole week. We are very excited for your stay. My husband William is in the kitchen preparing for dinner service. Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?"

"Not tonight we have reservations just down the road but we do intend to have the rest of our dinners here. As well as breakfast but not too sure about lunches yet." Bobby replied.

Doris nodded. "Okay then I have you two set up in room 5 for the week. There will be a total of 10 couples who you will see during the week but only three will be staying the whole week like yourselves. This is the daily activity calendar for the nature center down the street as a guest year you can participate for free. You also get free admission to the park and this pass can get you free parking at the public beaches in the area. We hope you enjoy your stay and please let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you Doris will do." Bobby took the keys to the room from her and I carried the bags up the stairs. We found room 5 was the last room at the end of the hall on the second floor. There was a staircase that led up to a third floor where we figured Doris and her husband lived. We got settled in and decided to go for a walk on the beach. The afternoon passed quickly and soon we were getting ready for dinner. I put on a pair of navy blue slacks with a white button down and a navy blue jacket to conceal my shoulder holster. Bobby was wearing similar but he choose a pinstripe black pants and a plain black jacket.

We made our way to the restaurant checking in about 5 minutes before our reservation. They were already packed because it was Valentine's Day. We got drinks from the bar while we waited. A few women who were sitting at the bar looked our way but we were too caught up in eachother to care. The main dining room consisted of many tables with booth seating on the perimeter. The back of the room has a live band with a dance floor with many couples dancing. After sitting at the table we read the menu and the waiter took our orders. I got a lobster pasta dish and bubby got a shrimp, chicken, and pasta dish, no healthy eating tonight.

I took Bobby's hands in mine before speaking. "Care to Dance?" He nodded yes and we made our way to the floor. Since I asked for this dance I took the lead. I positioned my head so I could whisper into his ear as we danced. The band began singing a version of My Funny Valentine.

My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine, You make me smile in my heart

"Bobby thank you for the past several months you have taught me how to not just swoon, or lust in the heart, but to light the fire of passion and love. We've both been through so much in our lives that often times it was difficult to get to the next day but having you as mine has taught me that our love can be more than we ever dreamed of. We can spend our days laughing instead of crying at all life is bound to bring."

Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, Yet you're my favorite work of art

Is your figure less than Greek, Is your mouth a little weak

When you open it to speak, Are you smart?

"Thank you for planning this week. I can't wait to spend these days with you. I just hope the as we look into the future our love continues to grow with each passing day."

But don't change a hair for me, Not if you care for me

Stay, little valentine, stay, Each day is Valentine's Day

"Lester, you are everything I've ever wanted. I was just too afraid to admit it. To you, To myself, and even to our Friends and Family. But that doesn't change who you are to me and how much I love you." Bobby finished his reply and I gently kissed him as we danced to the end of the song. We decided to dance for a few more songs until we saw our waiter approaching our table with the food. It was absolutely delicious and after we paid the bill we made our way back to the hotel. Before we got into anything though I brought Bobby over to the loveseat to talk.

"Bobby, I struggled with what to get you for this special day especially after you proposed this entire week and insisted on paying for everything other than tonight's dinner. Well I talked to Stephanie and she taught me about the different types of gifts that can be given and how they don't always have to be physical items. So with that I want to give you this." I gave him a small box and he opened it to reveal a key.

"I don't understand. I already have a key to your offsite house." BObby asked as he flipped it over in his fingers searching for additional meaning.

"I know but this time I'm asking you to move in with me. We would still keep our separate Rangeman apartments but when we choose not to stay there I want you to live with me at my house."

"Wow this is a big present. I love it but yes absolutely I will move in with you." With that I grabbed his face and crashed his lips onto mine taking him to bed.