The past six months of paying for rent and groceries seriously ate away the funds in Stephanie's bank account. She barely had enough money to pay rent the following month. Suspecting Stephanie didn't have a job, Frank bought groceries and meals to get her through the tough days. Stephanie appreciated the support, but she wanted a job.
Nobody would hire Stephanie once they read her resume. Working at E E Martin crippled her chances of finding a decent job. Stephanie was overqualified for entry-level positions and underqualified for management. Unfortunately, there was no happy middle ground.
Stephanie applied to a new company opening in the area. She read the job description and wasn't sure if she was qualified. "Military background? Why the hell would they ask that?" Stephanie grumbled. She rolled her eyes and stated she didn't serve in the military. Stephanie read over her resume and attached a copy to the application. "Background check? What the fuck are they looking for in your life? I haven't broken the law unless you count running over Morelli to break his leg. Ha ha ha. That still makes me laugh. The arrogant asshole. Whatever. Beggars can't be choosers. I doubt they'd offer me a job."
Her phone rang while she was in the shower. "Stephanie, it's your mother. Be here for dinner by 6 pm sharp, or the roast will dry out," Helen ordered. Stephanie rolled her eyes when she listened to the message. It was ten until six, barely enough time to arrive in time if she caught every green light. Of course, that was not in the plans.
Stephanie stopped at what had to be the longest red light in the history of red lights. Lenny Gruber was a few cars back. She noticed him following her since she left the parking lot for her apartment. Stephanie put her car in park, then stomped toward Gruber's car. "Are you following me?" Stephanie demanded.
Lenny noticed the way Stephanie's tank top clung to her curves. He stared at her crotch, where her bicycle pants revealed she wasn't wearing panties. Lenny licked his lips before looking into her eyes. "I work for the repo company," Lenny replied. "We could make a trade so you can keep your car."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not doing anything with you," Stephanie snapped. "Since you're not driving the tow truck, do me a favour. I'm going to my Dad's for dinner. Wait until I get home before taking my car, okay? I'll make it easy for you and leave the keys in the ignition."
"Sweet," Lenny replied. A few cars honked when the light turned green. Lenny watched Stephanie's ass as she returned to her car. "Damn, she's fine." Stephanie could feel his eyes burning into her ass. She suppressed a shudder as she climbed into her car.
Stephanie was five minutes late for dinner. She grabbed the hockey jersey to cover her shirt. Helen, Stephanie's mother, would never approve of her attire. Stephanie wore whatever made her feel comfortable.
"You're late!" Helen snarled. "It's your fault the roast is dry."
"The roast is always dry," Frank mumbled, speaking Italian. Stephanie pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing. "Pass the gravy."
Stephanie reached across the table to pass him the gravy boat. He poured half of it over his meat, leaving the potatoes white. Frank cut his roast, then scooped up some potatoes with the beef before shoving it into his mouth. Stephanie shook her head.
She tried to chew on the roast, which was dryer than the desert. It was as flavourful as a mouth full of ashes from the fireplace. The beef was disgusting. Stephanie was too hungry to complain. She poured the remaining gravy over her food. "Mom, do we have more gravy?" Stephanie asked.
Helen pursed her lips. "It's your fault the roast is dry," Helen said. "I told you to be on time."
"Did you leave it in the oven too long?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course not," Helen replied, appalled by Stephanie's suggestion.
"Then you can hardly blame me for it being dry," Stephanie reasoned. Edna cackled across the table. Stephanie smiled at her Grandma.
"Get more gravy," Helen ordered. Stephanie remained silent as she walked past her mother, carrying the gravy boat. "What on earth are you wearing?"
Stephanie waited until she grabbed the gravy off the stove before replying, "Bike shorts and a hockey jersey. I'm comfortable."
"It's not very ladylike," Helen ranted.
"Mom, can I eat before the dry beef gets cold?" Stephanie sweetly asked. She poured the gravy to drown her food and ate the dry, cold food.
Frank mumbled, "Too late. It's disgusting," in Italian. Stephanie snickered.
"What's so funny, young lady?" Helen demanded.
"Daddy's telling jokes."
"Frank, stop speaking Italian. Nobody can understand you."
"Pumpkin can," Frank replied. In Italian, he added, "She's already mad as a hornet, and you've finished your meal. You should strike while the iron is hot."
"Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you," Stephanie said, feeling encouraged by her Dad to talk. "I lost my job at E E Martin six months ago."
"Is that why you moved to Trenton?" Grandma Edna asked.
"Yes," Stephanie replied. "I've worked for a temp agency for a few months, but nobody would offer me a permanent job."
"How did you get yourself fired from E E Martin? Were you incompetent?" Helen asked.
Stephanie stared at her mother in shock. Her rhino mode quickly engaged when Helen looked smug. "Do you honestly think I wasn't good at my job? Have you even considered it wasn't my fault? They laid off my entire department because Baldicott already had employees for the positions. It was not something I did wrong or didn't do right. Most of the original E E Martin employees lost their jobs, Mother," Stephanie yelled.
"Don't you dare yell at me!" Helen shouted as she stood.
"Why not? You're always yelling at me!" Stephanie replied. She stood up and glared at her mother.
"I'm your mother. I can do whatever I want, and you have to listen," Helen shouted.
Frank slammed his fist on the table, making the gravy boat jump. "Both of you sit down and eat. The job discussion can continue after dessert," Frank said. His voice was slightly raised but not loud enough for the neighbours to hear.
Helen huffed and went to the kitchen to grab the cake. She made Stephanie's favourite dessert. Edna grabbed the dishes and followed Helen. "Why do you always have to start shit with Stephanie?" Edna asked.
"Why me?" Helen asked. "Why can't my daughter keep a respectable job?" Edna rolled her eyes and loaded the dishwasher after rinsing the dishes. She helped Helen carry the dessert to the dining room.
Stephanie and Frank conversed quietly in Italian when Helen returned with cake and whipped cream. "Vinnie has an opening for a file clerk," Frank said, speaking English for Helen to hear.
"You should visit him in the morning, Stephanie," Helen said, sounding more pleasant than a few minutes earlier. She set a plate on the table for Stephanie.
"Okay," Stephanie replied before taking a bite of the cake. The sweetness of the pineapples and cherries combined with the moist cake made Stephanie moan. Helen smiled at Stephanie.
"Once you get a respectable job, we can work on finding you a husband," Helen sweetly said. Stephanie watched her mother collect the dishes and enter the kitchen.
"Why do I need a husband?" Stephanie asked her father.
"You don't. Remember our discussion," Frank said, speaking Italian.
Helen returned with a bag filled with leftovers. "I can't have you starve," Helen said as she gave Stephanie the food. "Make sure you keep it upright so the gravy doesn't spill."
"Thanks, Mom," Stephanie said. Frank walked Stephanie to the car.
"Are you seeing Vinnie in the morning about the job?" Frank asked.
"Of course. What happens if the filing position is unavailable?"
"He's a man down for bounty hunting. Blackmail Vinnie into giving you the job. You already know about the duck and Madam Zaretski's whips and chains. Remember to mention the boys," Frank replied.
"That's diabolical, Dad," Stephanie said. "I can't believe you're encouraging this."
"It's playing by Vinnie's rules." Frank tapped the roof of Stephanie's car.
Stephanie started the ignition and drove home. It was her last time driving the car. As she promised Gruber, Stephanie left the keys in the ignition, then locked the door. Gruber couldn't jimmy a car, which gave her great pleasure.
She carried her belongings into the building and took the elevator. "Hi, Mrs. Bestler," Stephanie said.
"Second floor, designer jeans and hockey dreams," Mrs. Bestler replied. Stephanie giggled and rolled her eyes.
After checking over her apartment to ensure no gun-wielding dust bunnies were on the loose, Stephanie looked outside the bedroom window. Her car was gone. It didn't take long for Lenny Gruber to repossess her vehicle. Stephanie would need to buy a used car. She prayed there was enough money in her account.
The following morning was chaotic. Stephanie went to the used car dealership to purchase a Nova. It was shit brown with rust along the bottom of the doors. She had to barter and ended up trading her television and microwave with the salesman.
Stephanie drove the piece of crap off the lot realizing she'd have to eat dinner at her Dad's house for the foreseeable future. The car sputtered and groaned as she drove to the bonds office on Hamilton. She parked behind a black Mercedes with tinted windows too dark to see inside. Stephanie squared her shoulders, then smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt.
Ranger watched the curly-haired women exit the derelict car parked behind him. The sway of her hips was mesmerizing. He returned his focus to the file in his hand. Jesus Rodrigues was 6'2". He got arrested for murder. Ranger shook his head. How do those men get out on bail? Vinnie probably needed the cash to pay for his unhealthy sexual proclivities.
He waited a few minutes for the woman to leave Vinnie's office. When she didn't reappear, Ranger left to research his newest skips. There was no time to spare waiting to see the attractive brunette. Ranger drove to the temporary office building where he had a desk, a chair, an answering machine and a computer. He entered the names into the search engine and let it run.
The answering machine indicated he had three messages waiting. "We got the building, Ranger. I hired a crew to start on the renovations," Tank said. Ranger smiled, then deleted the message.
"Ella and Luis Guzman are on board," Lester said in his message. "They'll coordinate with the design team." Ranger pressed the erase button.
"You have over one hundred applicants," Bobby announced. "Only one is a woman. We can use her for distraction jobs instead of your sister. I researched her. She's gorgeous and smart."
Ranger would have to think about it. His sister, Jeanne Ellen Burrows, worked for Les Sebring's bond office. Jeanne Ellen did the same job as Ranger for capturing skips. Her husband, Jordan, would assist unless he was on tour.
He checked the computer to see if the information Connie gathered was the same as his research. As always, Connie's was missing too many details. She was born and raised in Trenton. It confused Ranger about why Connie didn't tap into the grapevine to Vinnie's advantage. Perhaps Connie didn't understand the value of the minor details.
Ranger groaned when his phone rang several hours later. "Yo," he answered.
"Hi, Ranger. It's Connie Rosolli," she said. "I'm calling in my favour."
"Are we even after this one?" Ranger asked. It wasn't the first time Connie requested his assistance. He wouldn't have met Vinnie Plum, Les Sebring or the police chief, Joe Juniak, without Connie's help.
Connie sighed and replied, "Yes. We're even. I have a new bounty hunter for you to train."
"Like advice or showing him the ropes?" Ranger asked to clarify.
She giggled. Ranger wondered why Connie thought his question was amusing. "I need you to make the BEA into a badass fugitive apprehension agent. You're the best man for the job. The BEA needs a crash course."
"Can't you get Morty Beyers to train him?" Ranger asked.
"Morty's in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy," Connie replied.
Against his better judgment, Ranger said, "Fine. I'll give your agent the crash course. Have him meet me at the cafe around the corner in an hour." Ranger hung up the phone, then contacted Tank about the change in plans.
An hour later, Stephanie entered the downtown cafe. She noticed the attractive man sitting at the counter. His blond spiked hair had perfect peaks. He didn't have an unappealing body, either. Stephanie doubted there was a single inch of fat on him, but he wasn't Ranger, the man she was supposed to meet.
A tingling sensation in her neck distracted her from the man at the bar. Stephanie looked around the cafe for the source. The man sitting in the back was breathtakingly handsome. His dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail by a thin leather tie resembling a shoe lace. She checked her mouth for drool as she approached him. The blond at the counter was attractive, but the man sitting at the table was a freaking god. He fit the description from Connie.
Stephanie sat across from Manoso in the booth at the back. Her body responded to his buffed, carved granite, muscular biceps. She reflectively licked her lips. The man was a sexy Cuban American god. Her panties dampened when he leaned back and grinned. Ranger said, "Sooooo, Connie says I'm supposed to make you into a badass fugitive apprehension agent. She says you need to get the crash course. What's the rush?"
"I'm driving that shit-coloured Nova parked at the curb," Stephanie replied.
"Did you pay extra for the paint job?" Ranger joked. The word pussy was painted on the side facing the cafe window.
Stephanie rolled her eyes and glared at the handsome man across the table. She placed him in his late twenties and assumed he was a few inches taller than her 5'7" frame. "Ha ha ha. Funny guy. How tall are you?" Stephanie asked, letting her curiosity drive her.
Ranger laughed. "I'm 5'10", and I weigh 190 lbs." He leaned forward to whisper, "Would you like other measurements for my size and girth?" Stephanie blushed.
"No, but I bet it's huge," she mumbled. Ranger laughed. "Please, tell me I didn't say that aloud."
"Sorry, Sweet Thing. I can't," Ranger replied. Stephanie wrinkled her nose at the stupid pet name. Ranger reached across the table and touched her hand. Electricity passed between them. Ranger stared into Stephanie's eyes. "Why do you want to be a fugitive apprehension agent besides needing money?"
"Personal reasons," Stephanie replied.
"You're venturing into the dangerous business of bond enforcement. Those personal reasons better be pretty fucking good to risk your life." Stephanie rolled her eyes and asked why he was doing the bond enforcement job. "It's what I do best."
"Great answer," Stephanie replied. "It was more eloquent than mine." Stephanie giggled. "Maybe I'll be good at the job someday. At the moment, my priority is steady employment."
Ranger knew Stephanie was out of her element. It would take time and tenacity to make money from fugitive apprehension. "Who did Vinnie assign for you to capture?" Ranger asked.
"Joseph Morelli."
The sound of Ranger's laughter bounced off the walls of the cafe. "Are you kidding me? You aren't going to catch that dude. Morelli isn't some street punk you're chasing. He's smart and good. Do you know what I'm telling you?"
Stephanie knew firsthand that Joseph Morelli was no street punk. Eddie and Mary Lou said Joe was good at his job. "Connie says you're good," Stephanie replied.
"True," Ranger said. "I can show you the ropes, but you aren't ever going to be as good as me, Babe." Stephanie blushed at the nickname. Ranger filed that knowledge away for later.
"Let me make myself clear," Stephanie said, leaning forward.
Ranger could see the swell of her breasts through the v of her blouse. His eyes focused on the hardening nipples. Stephanie's heavy breath had Ranger reached beneath the table to fix himself as he imagined fucking her on the table. Dios! The woman didn't know she was sexually appealing. He remained focused on her creamy breasts as her breath pushed her chest closer to his face.
"My eyes are up here, Babe," Stephanie mocked. Stephanie growled when the man at the counter chuckled. "I'm out of work. My car got repossessed last night. I have no food in my refrigerator, and if I don't get money soon, I'll get kicked out of my apartment. I have zero energy to waste socializing with you. Are you going to help me?"
"I like your fiery spirit. We're going to have fun. Like Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle Does Trenton," Ranger replied.
What the fuck? Ranger knows My Fair Lady? Swoon. Much to Ranger's disappointment, Stephanie sat back on her chair. "Holy shit. He smells good," Stephanie thought. "What should I call you?" Stephanie asked as she removed the documents from her purse.
"Ranger," he replied.
Stephanie and Ranger sat in the cafe, discussing the case. Ranger ordered dinner since Stephanie's stomach growling was distracting him. He grinned when she ordered a lot of food and wondered why Stephanie wasn't overweight.
"It's the Hungarian metabolism," Stephanie explained after eating the pie. He gave the waitress enough cash to pay for their meals.
Ranger and Stephanie exchanged a few small details about their lives as they discussed the file on Morelli. He wanted to know more about the gorgeous curly-haired brunette with the cerulean blue eyes. Ranger gave Stephanie suggestions on where to look for Morelli.
He mentioned Benito Ramirez was Carmen Sanchez's customer. Stephanie grimaced, knowing she'd have to brave Stark Street to get answers. Ranger took Stephanie to Sunny's gun shop to buy a weapon. "Ramirez is a dangerous man. Be careful, Babe. Call me when you need help," Ranger said, passing her a card with his phone number. "Memorize it."
Ranger showed Stephanie how to shoot - she was a natural. He thought, "Meeting Stephanie Plum was not in the plans."