The otters had done the trick. As they watched the playful creatures, Stephanie had felt the tension melt away. She could see it had done the same for Ranger. His shoulders weren't as stiff, and the muscles in his jaw had loosened. Now, feeling relaxed and surprisingly peaceful, at least on her part, Stephanie and Ranger headed toward the exit. Or was it better to call it the entrance? After all, it was the door they'd come through when they'd arrived. At the time, she hadn't even noticed the gift shop next to it. Now, after one glance, she veered straight into it.
"Oh my gosh!"
The store had a mix of merchandise from apparel to bags to mugs to stuffed toys and more, and all of it depicting a variety of water-based animals or the Shedd logo. She pushed past a rack of penguin print pajamas and another of tote bags, making a beeline for a display full of plushies and plucked up the sea otter that had caught her eye.
"Isn't this adorable?" Stephanie showed it to Ranger who didn't seem as enamored.
"Babe." Ranger flicked his eyes to hers in a sidelong glance, then returned to studying the plush toy. "I don't recall seeing a cotton candy pink otter in the tank downstairs."
"Oh shush. And look at the shiny silver clam he's holding!" She held it out to him again as if he couldn't already see every detail from two feet away.
"It's head to toe pink. Shouldn't it be a girl?"
Stephanie made a rude noise. "His name is Ollie Ollie Otter-Free and he doesn't give a flip about your social norms," she said archly. Making a snap decision, she said, "I'm getting him. Otters all the way!"
As she marched over to the register, Ranger lingered at the display then grabbed another of the same pink otter and followed her to the register. She raised her eyebrows at him in inquiry.
He gave a half-shrug. "A souvenir for Julie. I can tell you now that hers will be a girl. All of her stuffed animals have always been girls."
Stephanie wanted to ask about Julie, all grown up and about to start a family of her own. But they had already had their talk for this meeting. Or session. Or date. Or whatever this was. She didn't want to bring up a new subject that might be difficult for him as they were literally walking out the door to go their separate ways. Sure, if all of his interactions with Julie had been positive after Stephanie left, then it would be okay to ask and the answer would be short and sweet. But what if they hadn't? What if there was some turmoil there for Ranger to relive? There wouldn't be time to go through the story. Besides, any drama that came up now would be a waste of otter-induced endorphins.
Ranger had offered to purchase Ollie for her but she turned him down. She'd turned down his offer to pay for her lunch today as well. He'd paid the entry fees for both of them for the aquarium, and for the museum, for which she'd thanked him. Any more and she might feel like she was taking advantage of his wallet.
They bundled up and stepped outside. He insisted on walking her to her car, which she didn't mind since it gave them a few more minutes together. Not that they spoke of anything consequential. Mostly they walked in companionable silence. She could tell his recon skills and recall were still top notch, because as they neared her parking spot, he saw her car before she did. He'd only seen it twice, and one of those times had been at night during a snow flurry. When they stopped by the door of her car, awkwardness crept in but it wasn't as strong as it had been. They were getting more comfortable with each other.
"Well," Stephanie said, "I hope this didn't take you too far out of your way."
"Not at all." Ranger shook his head then pointed over one row and down a few cars. "I'm right there. We're practically neighbors."
She looked at the vehicle, looked at him, then back to the SUV. She'd never had recon and recall skills, and couldn't tell the make and model of this vehicle, or the one she'd seen when they'd first run into each other but she had a feeling they didn't match.
Puzzled, she asked, "Wait. Are you sure that's your rental? Because I swear that's not the one I saw on Christmas Eve."
"Good catch," he said and he sounded sincere. "Hawk had a fleet car available, so I returned the rental and switched."
"Oh. Well, that's the whole point of fleet cars. Saves on rental cost, right?" She pushed a stray curl back under her knit cap. "When do you go back to Trenton?"
"Babe."
Not just one but both of his eyebrows went up. She must have said something very surprising. Or stupid. Or both. She waited for a minute, but that was all he said.
"Didn't we just have a talk about this? Babe is–," she began
Looking sheepish, Ranger finished with, "–not a sentence. Right. Sorry."
"So the translation for this particular Babe?" she prodded.
"Babe, I don't live in Trenton."
Holy cow! Startled, she blurted out all the questions that crowded into her head. "What? When? Why? Did you close the office? What happened?"
Not once had that possibility occurred to her. In all her years away, Stephanie had never considered that anyone else might leave Trenton too. In her head, it was full of all the same people she'd left behind, all living their lives now exactly as they had then. The women shopped at Giovichinni's and the Italian People's Bakery and put dinner on the table at exactly 6:00 p.m. The men headed off to the lodge, or the VFW to hang out with their friends. The older folks went to bingo, and treated funeral viewings like the opening of a Broadway show. In her mind, it was like a video clip playing on a loop, where nothing ever changed and no one ever aged.
"I moved to Miami about ten years ago. The man in charge of that office needed to step back for personal reasons. His wife was diagnosed with a progressive nerve disease. He quit so that they could travel the world as long as she could manage it. Since his leaving was going to mean shuffling staff around with promotions and position changes regardless of who ended up there, I took the opportunity to move to Miami."
Stephanie had so many more questions but before she could ask them, Ranger's phone chirped. Face in neutral, he pulled it from his pocket and read a text. Couldn't be bad since he didn't put on his blank face.
"I'm sorry," he said, gesturing with the phone. "I have to go. Before I do, I wanted to ask. The Chicago branch is having a private party tomorrow for New Years. Would you like to come as my guest?"
Still reeling from the unexpected news about his change in location, it took Stephanie's mind a minute to change gears. It was on the tip of her tongue to say 'Hell yes!' when reality intruded.
"I would love to but I've already got plans. My friends and I have reservations for a fancy party at one of the more exclusive restaurants in Chicago. The tickets are hard to get and I'm one of the designated drivers. I'm sorry. I really wish I could."
Ranger looked disappointed but resigned. "I thought that might be the case, but figured I'd ask."
"I'd ask you to join me," she said, "but the tickets sold out weeks ago. And you really need to make an appearance at your party, what with the change in ownership, right?"
"Yes, I do." The words came out almost as a sigh. He slid the phone back into his pocket. "I fly home on January second. Maybe we can wedge another outing in the schedule before then. I'll call or text you"
"And I'll call or text you," Stephanie promised.
She laid the palm of her hand along the side of his face and felt him lean into it. They shared a gentle kiss, a soft press of his lips to hers that lingered, before he strode away, leaving Stephanie more full of questions than ever before.
The entire drive home, her mind was swirling, needing more information than the basic updates he'd given her on Christmas Eve. He'd told her about most of the guys, but never mentioned location for any of them. Was Ranger the only one who'd left Trenton? Tank, Lester, and Bobby had been the other core members, not only of the Trenton office but of Rangeman itself. Every time she tried to picture Ranger in Miami without the rest of the Trenton team, she came up blank.
And what about his family in Newark? Were they all still there, far from him? He seemed to be getting along well with his daughter Julie, but hadn't told Stephanie much beyond that she was married and pregnant with her first child. How did Rachel and Ron fit into his new life, not to mention Julie's half-siblings?
It was finally dawning on her how very out of touch she was with all things Jersey. Funny how entire years could slip by without notice. Somehow it had always seemed as if she'd been gone a handful of years. When Ranger had first run into her in the store, she'd been astonished when she'd done the math and come up with fifteen.
Then again, she kept forgetting how old she was. Outside, she showed all 48 of her years, but inside she always felt at least ten years younger. She remembered Grandma Mazur talking about that disconnect, about how she'd look in the mirror and be surprised at the old lady looking back at her. At the time, Stephanie had thought it hyperbole, but she was beginning to understand the phenomena better every day.
Stephanie sighed. Grandma had been the only person she'd kept in touch with, albeit sporadically. Her passing was one of the reasons that she was so very out of the loop.
Once back at home, Stephanie dropped her purse on the table by the door then hung her coat, scarf, and hat in the hall closet. Ollie went on the sofa and the shopping bag went into the trash. She made a mug of cinnamon tea, took it into the living room and plopped down next to Ollie. Each meeting had left her emotionally exhausted, but lighter in spirit.
When Stephanie was a little girl, Grandma and Grandpa Mazur lived one block over and two blocks up. It seemed like she spent more time at their house than at her own. Whenever she was down or upset, Grandpa would politely yet persistently inquire as to the cause, often over cookies and milk provided by Grandma.
"Remember, Cicám," he would always say, "a joy shared is doubled but a sorrow shared is cut in half. Which do we have today?"
Somehow her sorrow, once shared, was gone altogether, and they'd move on to happy thoughts and finding joy in the smallest of places.
"There is always something to smile about," Grandpa would say, "if you think hard enough. Let's see how many things we can think of right now."
A pretty flower by the sidewalk as she walked to school. A cloud shaped like a bunny when he went to check the mail. Being first in line for recess. Not having to stop for a single traffic light on the way to the store. They'd compile the list together then she'd head home, skipping happily, filled with cookies and bits of joy.
Sighing, she blew on the hot tea in her mug. She missed her grandparents so much. She took a careful sip of the tea then picked up Ollie. Holding him in front of her, she looked into his shiny little eyes.
"So, what do you think?" she asked. "Think me and Batman really have a shot at this?" She paused as if waiting for an answer, the way she used to with her hamsters. "Well, you didn't say no, so that's good enough for me."
Nestling him into the arm holding her mug, she slouched down and put her feet on the coffee table. With her free hand she dug around in her pocket, squirming a little to get access, and pulled out her phone. With her thumb, she entered her passcode, pulled up the camera, and took a selfie, making sure that Ollie and her mug showed clearly.
Okay. Now what to say? A couple of false starts later, she had typed "Things that made me smile today: otters, those neon purple & yellow fish, Ollie. Things that make me smile everyday: you. I've never felt for anyone what I have always felt for you. Thank you for not giving up on me. I know this won't be easy, but I promise I'm committed."
One more tap of her thumb and the picture and message were sent. She set the phone in her lap while she relaxed with her tea and occasionally petted Ollie.
Knowing that Ranger had gone straight into something business related, Stephanie had expected any response, assuming there was one, to be delayed by hours. Instead, her phone vibrated within minutes.
"Nothing worth having comes easily, querida, but the effort makes reaching the goal that much sweeter, I promise."
Smiling, she responded with a heart emoji, and snuggled Ollie. Five more minutes, then she'd head down the hall into her home office and get some work done.
Stephanie shut down her laptop and stretched. One of the benefits of working remotely was the ability to adjust her schedule at will. As long as her work was done well, and on time, the boss left her alone. She'd spent the rest of yesterday making up for the time she'd been out and about, or sitting and thinking, this week and then spent the morning getting ahead.
What she really wanted to do was call Ranger and find out more about Miami. Why make that change? Who, if anyone, went with him? Wait. Didn't he say he got the cat from Tank and Julie? Did that mean that Tank was down in Miami? Or did Julie move to New Jersey, to be closer to Ranger's family? If she knew when they'd given him the cat, she'd have a better idea of where it happened, and in turn know if Tank was in Miami or not.
While her curiosity was demanding that she call or text Ranger immediately, she had to balance that with courtesy. Yes, they'd agreed they should contact each other, but she didn't want to abuse the privilege and end up pestering him. The man was working, after all. Plus she didn't want to make it seem like she cared more about gossip than about fixing what she'd broken. Well, she amended, fixing the two of them. She'd broken a lot more than that.
While it hadn't been her intention, Stephanie had turned her back on her family, the Burg, and all her friends at Rangeman. She wondered if Hector and Lester would even give her time of day if they saw her again. She'd been closer to them than anyone else at Rangeman, with the exception of Ranger himself, and she'd left without a word. That was one of those questions that she had no intention of asking yet, too afraid the answer would be even worse than she imagined, and she'd imagined some pretty severe reactions.
Okay, so she wouldn't bug him for detailed information on everyone she'd ever met. But since she'd been thinking about texting him, she did kind of want to reach out.
Picking up her phone, she typed "I'm about to get ready for dinner and the party at L'Atelier Unique. What are you up to?"
No, there wasn't much point to the text but that was the point. Stephanie wanted Ranger to get used to a communication that's sole purpose was to touch base, the digital equivalent of a nod and a "hey" as you passed someone in a hallway. He'd already improved by fleshing out the texts he'd sent so far, but each was, at heart, an information exchange.
Ranger's reply popped right up. "Responding to a general alarm at a commercial client. Depending on how it goes, I might be late to my party."
Old Ranger would have left her text on read, waiting until he saw her later to tell her what he'd been doing when the text came in. The Ranger of a few days ago would have waited until he was back at the office before replying, and stopped after the first sentence. New and improving Ranger replied as soon as he could (because in no circumstances would any version of Ranger ever jeopardize himself or others to read or reply), gave a sit-rep, and added info to it. Very excellent.
Stephanie: You're the Ultimate Boss. You get to show up when you like.
Ranger: I'd rather lead by example.
Stephanie: You are. The example is that work comes first, even if it means being late to a corporate party.
Ranger: Good point.
Stephanie: Don't get shot
Ranger: Don't go crazy
Stephanie sent a smiley face, a heart, and a hug and set her phone aside.
She'd showered this morning, and wrangled her hair, so all she had to do now was put it up into a pretty clip. She had three fancy dresses in her closet that no one at the office had seen, so she hadn't bothered to buy a new one. They were all classic styles, so they didn't look as old as they were. Her outfits weren't quite as eye popping as they had been in her youth – hems were lower, necklines higher, and the heels were closer to three inches than five – but she could still make a man's head turn.
Hanging all three in the doorway to her closet, Stephanie stepped back, looking them over with a critical eye. Which one to wear? She ended up trying each one on before deciding on the deep blue with the silver trim and the silver peep-toe slingback shoes with the three and a half inch heels. It took longer than expected, but Stephanie found the matching clutch and the silver pashmina wrap that she'd bought four years ago, when she'd worn the outfit to a co-worker's wedding.
She double checked that Alice's address was in the map application on her phone, then texted that she was on her way. The phone, her wallet, and keys were tucked into the bag. The pashmina was wrapped around her shoulders and she carefully pulled her peacoat over it, smoothing the pashmina down so it wouldn't wrinkle.
Lori, Steph's other passenger for the evening, was staying overnight with Alice which made this designated driver thing easier. Only one stop to worry about. Soon, she was on Alice's street, driving almost at idle speed as she searched for house numbers in the dark. Then movement on the sidewalk caught her eye as Alice and Lori flagged her down. The ladies hopped in the car, chattering excitedly.
Alice was a grey haired, blue eyed, administrative assistant at GNR who Stephanie worked with frequently. Her age was somewhere north of sixty and she liked to match her glasses to her outfit. Shorter and heavier than Stephanie, she was also perpetually upbeat. Lori, who always gave her age as "thirty-six and holding", was about Steph's height with thick black hair and naturally tan skin. She was a paralegal who worked for the same lawyer as Alice. Her tastes ran to slacks and cynicism. Both ladies were fluent in sarcasm, and great fun to be with.
"I am so glad The Todds talked us into this," said Alice.
"Me, too," admitted Lori. "I've never done anything this fancy for New Year's."
Todd Langston and Todd Singh were both paralegals at GNR. They'd ended up in adjoining cubicles near Alice's office and had become friends. At work, they were referred to by their first name and last initial, as in Todd L. and Todd S. Together, they were referred to as The Todds. It had been their idea to get enough coworkers to fill a table for the full VIP New Year's Eve experience at L'Atelier Unique, a very exclusive high-end restaurant.
The ladies arrived in plenty of time, especially as Stephanie was able to leave parking to the valet. Despite that, they were the last of their party to arrive. As the host led them to their table, Stephanie could see The Todds, another administrative assistant named Shay who was friends with Alice, and two men that looked familiar but whose names she didn't know. There were three chairs together and Stephanie ended up between Alice and Lori.
Dinner was a set menu with the entree chosen in advance. Service started promptly at 8:00 p.m. and included two glasses of wine per guest. Stephanie declined both of hers. A string quartet played sprightly tunes from a small dais at the back of the room, against a backdrop of a floor to ceiling gold curtain. Some of what they played was classical, but she heard a few pop tunes in there too. The tables had been moved into a configuration that allowed a temporary dance floor, though it had few takers.
At 10:00 p.m, the quartet bowed out and a DJ came in, exchanging classical for throbbing dance beats. The gold curtain was pulled aside revealing a party light set up, and a large screen television that pulsed a light show in time to the music. A full cash bar appeared in the corner. A buffet with heavy hors d'oeuvres appeared opposite the bar. The folks who had purchased the less expensive Standing Room Only tickets started flooding in. They surrounded the bar and buffet and crowded the dance floor. Stephanie and her friends stayed at their table, chatting.
At five minutes until midnight, the DJ stopped the music and shut off the lights. The giant screen behind him began displaying the local broadcast from the Navy Pier. One minute until midnight and all eyes were on the giant screen as the sixty-second countdown to the celebratory fireworks began. It took five of those seconds for Stephanie to realize that her phone was buzzing in her purse. Pulling it out, she saw an incoming video call and connected.
Ranger's handsome face filled the screen. His hair was brushed back, showing off the silver at his temples and the diamond stud in each ear. The white shirt, black bowtie, and black jacket told her he was likely wearing his tux.
Lori peeked over her left shoulder. "Holy shit! That guy is so hot he's sizzling! Do your panties combust just looking at him? 'Cuz, DAMN! I think mine did."
Alice, her eyes wide as she adjusted her glasses, chimed in from the right with, "Yowza! What a hottie! I wouldn't mind tearing me off a piece of THAT."
"Oh, God. Tell me your new employees didn't hear that!" Stephanie blushed, embarrassed by and for her friends the way alcohol had loosened their tongues.
"Bluetooth," said Ranger as he turned his head just enough for her to see the earbud.
Comments like that were normally kept among the three of them. They'd never say such things straight to someone's face and she knew they'd regret it in the morning. Judging by the amused 200-watt smile on his face, Ranger didn't seem to mind.
The crowd around her had been counting down from ten. The others at her table joined in at five. At one, Stephanie picked up her champagne and tapped the rim of her glass to her phone. On the screen, Ranger did the same.
"Happy New Year, Ranger."
"Happy New Year, Babe."
The sound from his end of the video call got louder. Speaking to someone off screen, he said, "I'll be right there," then turned back to Stephanie. "Time to address the troops."
"CEO Manoso is a busy guy," she said with a sigh.
They exchanged goodbyes and she shut off the call.
END NOTES
To check out the Otter Plushie online (which you totally should because it is freakin' adorable) either go to the Shedd Aquarium site, check out the store by animal and select otter. OR do a quick search for Shedd Sea Otter Pink Plush.
Translation: Cicám = my little kitten
I did a LOT of searching for Hungarian terms of endearment, specifically for what a grandfather might call a beloved granddaughter. I found several and went with this one.