All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm just playing.

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Chapter 18 - Rodriguez

The floor is quiet as I step off the elevator for the first time in almost two years. I see a couple new guys on monitors and hear a few voices I recognize coming from the cubical farm. Not wanting to interrupt their work, I take another glance around on my way through. Ranger's door is closed; Tank's door is open, but his office is empty. Les' door is open and he's rubbing his head as he speaks on the phone. Sounds like he's trying to calm an unhappy customer. Just as I'm about to back out of the room, his head comes up and sees me. Eyes wide in surprise, he gives me a wait a minute look as he points to the chair in front of his desk while he tries to extricate himself from the call. After a minute of him trying to break into whatever conversation the person on the other end of line is having with themselves, I point toward the breakroom, and he gives me a smile and a thumbs up. I wasn't sure I'd be here, so I hadn't told anyone I was coming in today. I know he's surprised to see me.

Taking in the small, subtle changes in the office, I make my way to the breakroom. It's empty, save for the lone curly haired woman tucked into a corner, eyes closed and enjoying her coffee. I almost back up, not wanting to interrupt what is a clearly needed break. I've heard many rumors and stories about Stephanie Plum; a lot of good, a few not so good, and many confounding. But I've never actually met the woman that keeps Ranger on his toes.

My shoe makes the slightest noise as I take a step back, alerting her to my presence. Her eyes pop open and focus on me. I can see her taking in my lean frame. Not lean from exercise like it used to be, but sickly. Chemo and radiation will do that to a person. Since my arrival has been noticed, I step more fully into the room and head toward her table. "Ms. Plum, it is a pleasure to meet you."

She jerks a little and does a quick glance around the otherwise empty room. I take a step or two to the left, making sure I'm not blocking her egress from the room. It's not entirely unexpected when she asks, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

I extend my hand, grasping her smaller one when she finally offers it. "Felipe Rodriguez. I guess you could say I'm the one that keeps you buried in searches. I've been out of the office for the last year and a half."

"Oh."

She seems at a loss after that but rallies with a genuine smile. She indicates for me to join her at her table and asks if I'd like some coffee. She seems slightly nervous as she refills her cup and prepares one for me despite my assertations that I could get my own. We make small talk as we drink our coffee, mostly about the guys in the office or a few of the recent files I've sent to her for more research. Her eyes stray to my left hand a few times, taking in my mangled ring and pinkie fingers. It's been years since a small explosive went off before I could defuse it, costing me parts of those fingers and leaving me with some nerve damage in my arm. Not enough to render me useless, but enough to take me out of the field. Ranger's offer of a job at Rangeman came at a time when I was at loose ends. I make a fist before unclenching. Come next week, that ring finger will have a tattoo.

After a couple minutes, our conversation turns toward her matchmaking efforts. Ms. Plum seems surprised that I know of her endeavor but does not ask how I know. I guess knowing that I'm a Rangeman employee is enough of an answer for her. She highlights a few of her successes and glosses over some of the misses. She makes no effort to ask if I'm seeing anyone. Feeling a little puckish, and pleased that I am, I ask, "Should I feel slighted that you aren't trying to introduce me to someone?"

I sit, watching her, amused as she twists her hands together, trying to come up with something to say. She grimaces before blowing out a sigh. "Honestly? I wasn't entirely sure you existed. Files and requests from you just show up in my inbox. Every time I asked about you, the answer was, he's filling a hole in Boston. He's in Miami for a review. He's working remotely. I thought maybe everyone was playing me." She flushes a little, and I understand why all the guys seem to like her. She gives me a small smile. "But now that I know you're real, I could probably come up with someone."

I laugh. "That's ok, Ms. Plum. I'm sure Hector would have something to say about that."

A furrow forms between her brows as her mouth turns down in a slight frown. "Hector? Why would he…oh!" Her blush is endearing, as is the sudden understanding sparkle in her eyes. Her smile is wide when she leans forward to tell me, "I guess that would explain why he was less than cooperative when I tried to set him up with someone!"

Our eyes meet and a laugh escapes from each of us. "That sounds like him. He pretty much does what he wants and only cooperates when he feels like it." I send her a wink. "I understand you two have that in common."

A blush paints her cheeks again and she shrugs. "Doesn't seem to bother you. Or Ranger."

She's got a point there and I dip my head in acquiescence. "The best things always challenge us."

That gets me another smile. She looks at the ceiling and I follow suit. There's nothing to see, but I can tell she's deep in thought. "How long?"

"Ma'am?"

Ms. Plum squints at me a little before asking, "How long have you and Hector been together?"

"Not quite two years, just before I got sick. But we've been friends for a long time."

I can tell she wants to ask more questions but is too polite. I'm generally a private person, so I'm not sure what makes me start talking. "We were co-workers, then we were friends. We were both having a shitty day and… things just happened." I shrug. "And then they just kept happening."

She's biting her lip, trying not to smile. A laugh breaks through. "I totally get that part!"

I nod. I've heard a few stories about her and Ranger. Having met her, I can totally see the appeal now. I give her a small smile. "Then I got sick, and I started ghosting him. I thought I'd shaken him loose, but Hector showed up one day to take me home from an appointment and just never left. Even after I told him to."

"Because you didn't want him to see you weak."

Her observation is spot on. "Pride is both a good and bad thing."

"It is. Makes you say and do stupid things to sabotage yourself and you don't even realize it until you have to look back and wonder how many things in your life could've been different."

And I can see she really gets it. I nod my head. "I never expected to have a partner. Wasn't sure I wanted one. Didn't know if he even knew how to be one. But he ignored me and stayed until one day I stopped pushing him away. That's when I let myself start thinking I might get to have a future, and I realized that I wanted one, wanted him to be a part of it."

We both let that sit there; her digesting my words, me wondering why I just spilled all that to a virtual stranger. Even one who seems to understand. Her voice startles me when she asks, "Are you back at the office now?"

"Yeah, 'Gez, are you back at the office now?"

Lester has two modes: lethally silent and happy, active puppy. He's in the latter, bouncing into the room with a smile on his face and his fist extended for a bump. I return it, happy that he's not making it any bigger of a deal. "Yeah. Got the all clear yesterday."

"Nice!"

Ms. Plum offers a quiet, "Congratulations!" I see her looking to the side and spy mi corazón leaning against the doorframe.

"Hector! You've been holding out on me!" She playfully wags a finger in his direction, and I watch in astonishment as his lip turn up in a partial smile. He comes into the room and heads straight for me. He adds a bit of swagger for my enjoyment but turns gentle when he leans down and places his forehead against mine. I don't need the words to know that he's happy I ventured in today and that he's looking forward to putting cancer in the rearview mirror.

When he steps back, Ms. Plum has a giant smile on her face and Lester looks at us like he's seeing us in a new light. According to Hector, he has settled down and is seriously dating the coffee shop woman, so maybe he is. Love changes the way you look at a lot of things.

Hector, still as private as he's always been, backs away from me when he hears voices heading toward us. He doesn't go too far, though. A few more Rangemen filter into the breakroom, and the ones that know me come over to greet me and ask if I'm coming back. It feels good to say yes. Bobby enters the fray, yelling "'Gez!"

He was my next stop, to turn in my paperwork clearing me to return to the office. Since he's here, I pass him the manilla envelope on the table in front of me. He gives me a smile and offers a fist bump. It will be good to be back. Everyone chats amongst themselves, and I take it in. My energy levels are still uneven, and I hate to admit that I'm still not ready for full shifts. Ranger has always been clear, though, that I'm welcome to work whatever schedule my body will allow me.

Turning to Hector, I ask, in Spanish, what he wants to do for dinner. I'm surprised when he answers, "Anything is fine with me," in English.

Hector catches my questioning look before shrugging. "I have been told that it is rude to hold a conversation in another language in front of someone who does not speak that language."

Ms. Plum huffs. "Well, it is. But if you want a dinner recommendation, we should get a group together and go for tacos."

All the guys are staring at Steph. She shrugs. "What? I can learn things!"

A few of the guys mutter something along the lines of fuck and oh, shit! while Lester laughs and asks, "Hablas Espanol ahora?"

Steph shrugs. Bobby, who's been mostly silent until now, asks, "Does Ranger know?"

A blush paints her cheeks and Lester posits, "Oh yeah, he knows."

The guys around us laugh and even she joins in before stating, "Well, I have to get back to work. I was serious about the tacos, though!"

Brett gives her a smile. "Who's on deck? I think you're starting to run out of single guys to hook up."

Her eyes are rolling as she turns to me. "It was nice to finally meet you, Rodriguez." She turns to Brett. "And suck it. You're just jealous you don't have any fabulous date war stories!"

He shrugs and laughs. He's been with his wife Janine since high school and married almost as long. She and their two girls, who themselves are starting to date, keep him on his toes.

As the guys start to clear out, Hector reaches for my left hand, running his thumb over what's left of my ring finger. He said he wants things clear between us. Next week, we're heading to the courthouse for a simple ceremony, followed by matching tattoos in place of rings. Facing death changed our thinking on a lot of things.

I'm startled out of my musing and the room comes to a standstill as we hear Ms. Plum in the hallway, belting out, "Oh my god!"