EYES WIDE OPEN
Ranger POV
Chapter 10
oOoOo
The following morning … I might regret what I wished for. Seriously, that's not the truth. Who was I kidding? I don't do denial. Maybe I have been stupid holding her at arm's length, but this is just so wonderful, like wishful thinking. Ideally, dreams come true, but I had been reluctant to ponder that possibility. That's just fantasy. Stupidly I kept my heart protected, denying myself getting involved in a relationship. Who was I kidding again? Even Blind Freddie could see we were already in a relationship, more than just a working relationship. It's like the agony and the ecstasy. I never imagined how good this would feel, waking up with her in my bed. Seeing her looking so uninhibited, half sprawled across my body, made me want to puff out my chest and just breathe her in. No beating of my chest since I didn't want to disturb her. This feels like it's meant to be and I don't want to fight it, just savour it. That she still wants to be in my bed is heartening, never considering any other option.
Before Stephanie came into my life, I never brought a woman to my apartment, ever. I never stayed the night when I was in conquest mode, seeking sexual release, always departing well before morning. I never felt the need to stay. Now, since meeting Stephanie, she is not a conquest. That would be disrespectful. I have never felt this sensation before with a woman. Is that what love is? Wanting to be with her, wanting to take care of her, nurture her, be there for her, wanting to spend time with her, just enjoying her company?
Reluctantly, I extracted myself from her warm snuggliness. I mentally groaned at the loss. I shook my head and, with a quick bathroom visit I went down to the gym and did my early morning routine. Back on seven, after a refreshing shower I had the table set for the Ella-made breakfast with the coffee ready to take into the bedroom.
She emerged from the bathroom looking clean and refreshed after a shower, but muttering about her hair. Saying nothing I proffered the coffee with a smile, beckoning for her to sit and enjoy while I did her hair. Madre Dios. The sweet sounds and groans she made went straight to my groin. Braids were preferred. Sitting down together, with another coffee, before she actually uttered an intelligible word made me smile. She's not a morning person, she has always acknowledged that. But here she is, before 0700, eating breakfast with me and onto her second coffee. Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the rim of her mug, with a contented sigh followed by a contemplative expression.
"You know, coffee spelled backwards is eeffoc. I don't give eeffoc until I have had enough coffee." She grinned mischievously. I laughed at her waxing lyrical. She was hysterical with her deadpanned expression. I lost it. She was cute when she was like this.
"Seriously, I feel more human now. Thanks Batman," she sighed.
"Babe."
"Ranger."
She touched her hair as she put the empty coffee mug down.
"Oh. That does feel so much better. My hair feels good, so neat. Perhaps you missed your vocation, Batman. You're good with hair," she chuckled, toasting me with her still empty coffee mug and a cheeky grin. "Coffee too. A girl could get used to this, you know. I feel cherished and cared for. No one has ever done that for me before … yeah … no one. You're the first. Although you did bring me coffee and doughnuts a few times when I was in my apartment." She sighed, thinking about her apartment. "What a disaster that is. Perhaps, you know, maybe the firebombing was a divine intervention which enabled me to finally see what a shithead asshole he really is. All along. And, you know what? I have no regrets."
"Good to know, Babe."
I smiled, nodding my head in agreement, while I enjoyed my bagel with cream cheese and salmon. Ella had added some fresh dill and capers. Delicious. Stephanie was taking hearty bites of her scrambled eggs with bacon on toast. She even ate the mushrooms and baked tomatoes. No doubt about it, she has a healthy appetite.
"No regrets is good, Babe. Your confident assertions are great to hear. Regarding the hair vocation, however, as you know, I had plenty of practice with my sisters, but I assure you that it was never on my radar. I just love your hair. Your wild curls are just so sexy. But I do understand at the present, it is easier to manage in a braid."
She blushed but accepted the compliment. "You think my hair is sexy?"
"Hell yeah. Muy sexy. I just want to run my fingers through it …" I said, my voice a little huskier as I thought about her hair.
She nodded.
"As far as taking care of you … I am enjoying the opportunity. Spending time with you has made me realise how special you are to me, Babe. I love waking up with you in my bed, even when you are sprawled all over me." I grinned. "No need to be sorry for that. It makes a man like me feel worthy. You deserve to be cherished, and I'd like to be the man to show you how precious you are."
Her mouth was a perfect but silent "O". She paused as she contemplated my honest declaration. "I like it, too," she whispered shyly, "a lot. I love waking up in your bed. Not just because your sheets are so luxuriously divine, but because … well, it feels so nice, so good, so right being with you. I'd like that too," she said softly, as she chewed her bottom lip. I stood up and gently brushed my lips across hers, ever so lightly, holding her hand and pulling her into a standing position. One more gentle brush across her lips with mine. I resisted taking it any further. This was challenging my willpower but I didn't want to pressure her too much. She had enough to deal with.
"C'mon, we have time to brush our teeth before the meeting. Let's go."
But she was having none of that. "I have my eyes wide open now, Ranger," she whispered and pulled me in for a deeper kiss. Madre Dios. I couldn't hold back as I deepened the kiss, pulling her close to me. When we came up for air she smiled through her long lashes coyly, "Yes, eyes wide open. You too. I have been yearning to do that. With you so close to me, your Bulgari-Ranger luscious fragrance has been playing havoc with my hormones. I'm ready now," she winked as she pushed off my chest heading for the bathroom. I stood there watching her with a goofy grin on my face. Eyes wide open, yes, both of us. Now that's an invitation I yearned and longed for. I ran to join her, kissed her on the nose and we smiled while brushing our teeth together.
Quickly we cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. Stephanie had attended every 0800 meeting, enjoying being part of the team. She felt she was contributing in a small way and her input was appreciated.
After the meeting I had some calls to make in my office. I thought about our conversation this morning.
Our relationship is progressing well. It seems to be blossoming on its own accord. She is still in my bed. I love going to bed with her, but best of all is waking up with her. Stephanie Plum is a snuggler. Snuggling and spooning was never in my … repertoire, but I crave it with her. It's rare that she is not wrapped around me with one arm or a leg, usually both. Her wild beautiful curls tickle my face but I love it. Her soft warm body nestled into mine is such a delightful sensation and something I yearn to enjoy for the rest of my life. We have been making out on the couch like two horny teenagers or just relishing the moment, sitting close together, always touching.
Having breakfast together is companionable, sometimes with very few words spoken, just enjoying each other's company. Sometimes it is purely and simply until she is caffeinated. That makes me smile thinking about her coffee statement, so appropriate for her. She said it with such a deadpan expression but the mischief in her eyes gave her away. Her sense of humour is something I enjoy, making me smile even over simple things. Hector had sent me a message saying how good it is to see me smile. We both know I owe that to Stephanie.
There's a certain intimacy that we both share and appreciate. Her need to get out and escape the confines of the apartment is apparent, but she admits she appreciates the peace and tranquillity. It's all about balance, the right balance. Being in the company of others helps her cope. She has done some short stints of searches until her eyes felt the strain. Hal is still her partner and brings the new skip files for her to peruse. Occasionally she has donned her sunglasses, but Bobby was insistent that initially she only has a one hour stint, maybe two, on the computer. Plan B, interview Stephanie and see what she knows about any of the skips, especially if they were local or possibly had local connections.
Hal brought in a comfortable armchair for her to sit in while they discussed their skips. He even had a matching footrest. Cal brought a coffee table to place beside her, with enough room for a water bottle, her phone and some coffee. It was a cosy nook by the window in the warm sun. Ella provided a couple of small cushions, so she could relax with some support for her back and her neck. I noticed the indulgent, caring looks on their faces. They appreciated her presence, and like with me, it made them feel worthy. She listened to them and advised as best she could.
I was watching the interaction and intrigued how at ease she felt in their presence. If she was familiar with any of the skips, she would discuss possible places to track them, locate their haunts, or where surveillance would be helpful. Her local knowledge was remarkable. If necessary she would call her Grandma, but only if she promised to keep specifics to herself. Mary Lou was another good source to confirm details.
I watched as she approached the break room. Ella had just placed a crockpot on the table and some crusty bread and was swamped with a hungry horde of black clad muscle. She giggled but nodded while zipping her lips. What's going on here, I wondered? Santos is in the midst of it, but Hal, Vince, Manny and Ram were taking the lead.
I watched Stephanie stand up and stretch in her cubicle, her nose breathing in the delicious aroma of a hearty Ella crockpot. Leaning against my office door jamb I watched Stephanie's approach. Ella, who had a twinkle in her eyes, stood beside me and waited. Was she conspiring with my men? I was intrigued at the dynamics here. That's a first. The body language of the crockpot huddle was suspicious but not in a malicious way. Ella chuckled quietly to herself, smiling up at me.
Stephanie entered the break room, following her nose. None of the men put their heads up but made space for her. "Mm-mm. Chilli! Yum."
"We love chilli," Manny smiled at her. What the fuck!? Tank came to stand beside us, a shit-eating grin on his face. Ella pulled us down to her level and fixed our faces, just like the guys in the break room.
"What?! Oh my God!" Stephanie squealed pointing at their faces.
Stephanie was laughing hysterically, then nearly fell over backward but was caught quickly by Cal. She cracked up when she saw his face. Her melodic laughter was wonderful to hear. The three of us joined the huddle in the break room. She shrieked with laughter when she saw we had joined the masquerade, her hands on her knees, shaking her head. She loved it.
Hal held up a sign, "Raccoons Rule!"
"We didn't want you to feel conspicuous with your black eyes, so, we figured, we'd join you. Junior already has one from a skip so he only needed one eye touched up."
Everyone had black smudges around their eyes, Tank, Ella and myself included. Good old army camouflage face paint. When the rest of the Rangemen in their cubicles stood up, they too showed their raccoon faces. Stephanie giggled especially when Ella said, "Just one thing missing, Stephanie," as she made a black smudge on her nose! She looked too cute.
Laughter all around, some with looks of relief that she took it as a playful joke in the mischievous fun, as it was intended. Hector arrived from the stairwell, raccoon-faced of course, and took group photos as evidence. I kissed her and said, "You are the sexiest raccoon I have ever seen, Babe."
Over lunch, she was chatty and happy, mainly about her progress and improved flexibility. She'd look up and see their raccoon faces and giggle again. The lunch atmosphere was light and entertaining. Lester grabbed an apple.
"Hey, Beautiful? Wanna wash apples with me?" he asked Stephanie with a cheeky chuckle, his eyebrows waggling in invitation. She was quick on the uptake. "Sure. But I am not raiding any trash cans with you. I draw the line there, Lester Santos."
Everybody laughed at their banter. Raccoon stories were shared with many funny recollections.
As part of her recovery Stephanie was spending a lot of time in the gym. Her Merry Men were gentle and caring, like thoughtful big brothers, showing her how to use some of the recommended equipment approved by Bobby. They started slowly with the basics, knowing not to push too hard or expect too much. We didn't want to undo her good recovery. A gentle induction was the instruction from Bobby.
"You know, I can't believe it. Shooting at the gun range was very … cathartic. You were right. Ram was very patient and helpful. To improve my aim, and keep my eyes open, he suggested I imagine Morelli as the target! Funnily enough, my aim was better. But holding the gun, even with both hands, was still putting a strain on my sore hand. Bobby suggested a break.
Hector volunteered to show me some knife throwing techniques. At least I could do that one-handed, with my good hand. It was something different. I need a lot more practice with that! Hector took me to the gym and showed me some relaxation and meditation strategies. I didn't know he could do yoga? And Tai Chi? He's very flexible. I just followed directions by imitating his moves. Tai Chi has to be slow and smooth and fluid. Yoga too, of course. There are lots of names for the different poses and positions. Cal was explaining them to me and the significance. It felt good. I was surprised when I finished that it felt like a work out. Amazing."
"Then, to finish off, we played frisbees! All the guys joined in. It was so much fun. Some throws went wide and wild and they made some spectacular classic catches. But then Hector insisted we reduce the distance, with much smaller frisbees, only flicking the wrist. "Control," he said. When I asked him why the frisbees he just grinned, showing me his blades, the shuriken blades! Oh my God! It was a strategy to perfect my wrist flicking. Tomorrow we'll try it out with the shuriken blades. I'm so excited!"
I smiled at her enthusiasm. It was great to see that sparkle in her eyes again. She was practically bouncing on the spot. She practically skipped out of my office to get to her special armchair, just for a little rest.
Suddenly, Hector came rushing into my office followed by Lester and Bobby. Tank and I were discussing some plans when Stephanie and Hal rushed in, all excited, with Cal in hot pursuit.
"It's done," Hector explained with a shit-eating grin. Tapping a few keys on his laptop he redirected the image onto the big screen. Stephanie squealed in delight and hugged Hector. Once the laughter died down he showed us the captions with the nasty diatribe and vitriolic reactions already on the various social media pages. There, on the screen, was Stephanie's brilliant lingerie line, on display inside his house, before she left.
"How's it hanging for you?"
"Halloween comes early in Slater Street."
"Trophies proudly on display."
"Are you missing some lingerie?"
"OMG. Is he a cross-dresser by night?"
"A well-known Burg misquoted Italian Jackass celebrity is airing his dirty laundry."
The reactions all indicated they knew exactly who the culprit was. No prizes for guessing there. What's more, they didn't hold back. The hateful messages were still pouring in, mostly with the thumbs down and angry face emojis. From "Morelli is a jerk!" to "That's my wife's lingerie! I'll have your balls Morelli! Start running."
Hector cast a wicked glance at Cal and Hal.
"Drum roll!"
Instantly, all of us did a drum roll, waiting expectantly, as Hector paused for suspense before he splashed the next image on screen.
There was Morelli's house, that was unmistakeable. The front porch had more lingerie tied in a line between the poles, and hanging off the porch light. But, the original lingerie line was outside as well! Hanging above the porch in all its original blazing glory.
More laughter accompanied this one. Ram walked in, apparently on cue, grinning as he high-fived Cal.
"Explain!" I retorted with a laugh.
"It seems that Morelli tossed out the evidence. We found it sitting at the top of his garbage bin. While Hal and Hector covered the neighbours' security cameras, and disabled his porch light sensor, Cal and I repositioned the original lingerie line hanging off his balcony. Since then other people have added their own. By morning it looked like this," Ram proudly said indicating the next image, showing two more lingerie lines hanging between the poles.
"Who would have thought your angry, creative, payback decoration would yield so much response?" She beamed at me and shrugged her shoulder, giggling and shaking her head in disbelief.
"Thanks, guys. That was fun. I can't believe the response. The Burg Golden Boy is dirty and now everyone knows. I wonder if he is running, or at least, looking over his shoulder."
"I didn't realise that a woman scorned could create such a hilarious impact. That was brilliant Bomber," Hal said with pride.
Last of all, a slow-mo video scanning each item on the original line, just to make sure the message was delivered with intensity was perfect. The items belonging to Lula caused the greatest stir. Hector had done well.
oOo
Stephanie's recovery and rehabilitation continued to go well over the following weeks. Her bruises faded and her injuries healed well. She was relieved to ditch the sling but had to limit her movements for some time to ensure full range of mobility. While it was only a mild concussion, it was not her first experience with concussion. A neurological test was not required, however, Bobby conducted a series of tests assessing her reflexes, balance and coordination, speech and hearing as well, to be sure. Stephanie had made remarkable progress, once again proving how resilient and determined she is.
Checking her neck flexibility was given the big tick of approval. No more headaches and the strain she felt earlier with the whiplash seems to have settled. She did admit how much she loved the shoulder and neck massages from Bobby. Hm. Now there's a good thought. Stephanie was delighted to lose the cervical collar but still used the cervical pillow for some time when she reclined or rested. Her fatigue was still evident, but that was, in part, due to the extra physical activity. Bobby monitored her recovery and exercise routines closely, checking that none of the exercises was too strenuous or overdoing it. Getting out and amongst it was good motivation for her.
Her recovery enabled her to spend longer on her computer doing research and deep searches. This made her happier, being involved and in the thick of things. Once she got her teeth into something she was investigating, she was tenacious. Her natural curiosity and love of 'snooping', her words, were an added bonus. A win-win for Rangeman. This earned her a lot of respect from her brothers, her Merry Men. The atmosphere in the control room had a distinct and significant change in tone. The atmosphere was light, yet still intense, but with a degree of levity I have not seen before. It was a happy work environment.
Tank agreed with me as I stood back and watched the interaction and focus. "Little Girl has made a difference. She has brought light into our dark lives. She has brought light and laughter and it's damned good to see."
I looked at him and nodded. Yes, she has brought light into our daily lives. She has brought light, and love, into my life. Who would have thought that a white bread girl from the Burg was capable of that?
oOoOo
TBC
