From the May 18, 2023 writer's prompt on the JE FF Facebook page. Write a one-shot using the words "asking for a friend". No longer a one-shot.
Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I am not making any money from this. Mistakes are mine.
Asking for a Friend by Debra8652
Chapter 3
My name is Caesar Sanchez. My primary job is designing residential security systems for Rangeman, LLC, in Trenton, NJ, although I also assist in takedowns, bodyguarding, and BEA work. My father is a physician in Guadalajara, Mexico. My mother is from Southern California and is half Mexican and half Native American. My parents met while my mother was on spring break from UCLA in Guadalajara and broke her ankle. My father was her attending physician. They married after she graduated and I was born in Los Angeles, California, a year later. Interesting pedigree, yes?
My father finished an extra year of residency at UCLA while they were waiting for me to be born. We relocated to Guadalajara, where my parents still live, when I was a few months old and my father joined his father's medical practice there. After high school graduation I lived with my maternal grandparents and earned a degree in Architectural Engineering from UCLA. After graduation I joined the US Army and met Carlos Manoso where we were both Army Rangers. He explained his vision for Rangeman and encouraged me to work for him after my service was completed. I have been with Rangeman Trenton for three years and enjoy my work.
My latest assignment was to provide undercover security as a guest at a wedding reception at "The" country club in Trenton. My security partner was Stephanie Plum-Manoso. Only the bride, groom, and their parents know of our assignment. Our backstory is that the groom and I are college friends. The actual wedding was very small but the reception is the social event of the year. Rangeman funds even bought a tuxedo vs renting one for me - I guess this isn't going to be my only formal assignment.
The night of the reception arrived. Steph looked beautiful in a red dress with a low-cut neckline and what's called a high-low skirt - short hem in the front and longer in the back. We mingled with guests - Steph can talk to anybody - and then dinner was served. Per Rangeman rules, we did not have any alcohol.
After dinner, the bride and groom cut their wedding cake and then the guests were served pieces of the larger cake on paper doilies and encouraged to feed the cake to their "plus one". I guess I'm not completely Americanized as I don't have much of a sweet tooth and am really only familiar with Tres Leche cake, which is a very moist cake made by pouring three milks (tres leches) over sponge cake. Now I know that traditional wedding cake is quite light, fluffy, and crumbly, as I found out when I fed Steph a large bite of it and many cake crumbs fell down her cleavage. So, maybe I won't need this tuxedo again after all.
Steph starts to giggle and I had the "deer in the headlights" look going on. I'm not sure what protocol is but I know it's not digging my fingers into her cleavage to retrieve wedding cake. Ranger and Ram are watching the video feed from an SUV in the parking lot. Great. I'm not to leave Steph unattended and one of us needs to be on the floor at all times so I got the attention of Binkie, who is undercover as a busboy and is having quite a few phone numbers stuck in his apron pockets from the young ladies in attendance. I had Binkie escort Steph to the women's room and stand guard outside the door so she could divest herself of the cake crumbs.
Binkie escorts her back to me where she proceeds to feed me wedding cake by cupping her free hand under my chin to catch the crumbs. Who knew? So, how much is the current air fare to Guadalajara and when does the next flight leave? Asking for a friend.
A/N Thank you for your reviews. I am flattered by the reviews that said Gene's encounter at Stiva's reminded them of the early JE books!