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.
Spoilers for my story, Even the Pup is an Unmentionable.
Asking for a Friend by Debra8652
Chapter 6
So, there's this guy, who is definitely not me, but he served his country to the best of his abilities and made a lot of money doing Special Ops/Black Ops for the government and various other alphabet agencies. He had a vision to use the money to create an elite security company to protect citizens and communities from people who were a danger to them. He enlisted the aid of three of his fellow soldiers to create this company. He hired ex-military personnel, ex-cons, and gangbangers to fulfill his vision for this company. It has offices in three states and is a resounding success, both financially and in how it is viewed by the communities where they are located.
This guy concentrated solely on his government missions and building his company to the exclusion of any sort of personal life. That's until a curly-haired, blue-eyed tornado entered his life. She, we'll call her SMP, was out of work and, as a last resort, got a job as a bounty hunter by blackmailing her sleazy cousin. This same guy (not me) was impressed by her grit, determination, intuition, and resiliency and couldn't get her out of his mind while still feeling that he wasn't able to give her what he thought she needed due to other demands on his time and energy, and the enemies he had made.
He gave her jobs she was suited for as well as using her local knowledge to do background searches for his company. She quickly became a favorite of all his employees - she gave them her friendship, trust and loyalty and they returned it ten-fold. He kept his head firmly lodged in a place where the sun didn't shine, even when his cousin/business partner told him that his men would be lined up around the block to get a chance to date her, his own cousin included.
When he was finally able to enter into a relationship with her, he realized that she was exactly what he needed, and she felt the same way about him. His daughter and family loved her, probably more than they loved him, truth be told. In spite of their fiercely independent streaks, their lives blended easily. They compromised on areas where they didn't agree.
She moved into his penthouse and they were married shortly thereafter. He became a stepfather to Rex, a hamster of extraordinary longevity, who became the darling of the fifth floor breakroom and often watched monitors while on the shoulders of his employees who were on monitor duty. Rex now had a multi-level condo with various wheels and tubes.
This guy also accepted the unexpected presence of her fellow bounty hunter, an Unmentionable named Diesel, who would breach every security feature of his building just to spend time with her or when they had apprehensions that overlapped. On one of his visits, Diesel even brought an Unmentionable Border Collie pup with him. While SMP-M's Unmentionable skills were much less than Diesel's, he knew that she would understand the pup and welcome him to the company with open arms. He was given the name Remington Diesel Plum-Manoso and goes by Remy.
Remy gathers intel from many sources - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch - as well as pulling intel directly out of people's thoughts while also getting them to do his bidding. After he overheard a breakroom conversation between Hal and Binkie, Remy learned that it was now popular for pets to get a pet of their own. While he and SMP-M were at a park, Remy commandeered a small turtle, who now shares the breakroom with Rex. SMP-M informed us that Remy named the turtle Freddy. Freddy has a kid-sized swimming pool in the building's backyard. Remy can access the first and fifth floors of the building via the elevator plus the back door, thanks to a chip on his collar made by the resident electronics expert. Freddy can be carried to and from his pool by means of a plastic pail, which Remy carries in his mouth.
This guy, who still isn't me, has mellowed considerably over the past few months and is truly enjoying life. He called his men to the mats less often and even allowed sweets in the building on occasion. He knew that if there was a coup between SMP-M and him over control of the company, his men would follow her to the ends of the earth and never look back.
So, is there any chance of this guy getting his man card back? Asking for a friend.
A/N I appreciate your reviews. Thanks to Redickave for suggesting the Mighty Manoso needed a turn.