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. Not by a long shot.

Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I am not making any money from this. Mistakes are mine.

Spoilers for canon.

Asking for a Friend by Debra8652

Chapter 9

My name is Santos. Lester Santos. I am a Core Team member at Rangeman Securities. My cousin, Carlos "Ranger" Manoso is the CEO. Our mothers are sisters - their other sister is Ella Guzman. For lack of a better term, Ella is the Dorm Mom at Rangeman Trenton. Other Core Team members are Tank (don't even think of calling me Pierre) and our medic, Bobby Brown.

The first Rangeman office opened in Miami. Carlos, aka Ranger, wanted to branch out to Trenton since we both still had large families in Newark. We'd be close to our families but not too close, if you get my meaning. He visited bonds offices in Trenton - Les Sebring's and Vincent Plum Bail Bonds - to help us get established. Connie Rosolli is Vinnie Plum's Office Manager as well as protecting him from numerous people who want a piece of him for a myriad of reasons, none of them good. Connie helped Ranger and Rangeman by giving us a couple of high bond skips that Vinnie's guy hadn't been able to bring in and who was now on medical leave. Call it an audition or a tryout, but we brought in both skips within two days and made our mark as a security business to be respected.

We were all grateful to Connie for giving us those two files to help us make a name for ourselves. Connie later called in the favor and asked Ranger to mentor a wannabe bounty hunter who was new to the game. Above all else, Ranger is a man of his word and, even though he considered assigning me to mentor the newbie, he ended up going himself. He didn't say much after they met but he never says much anyway. I don't think I even knew the newbie was a woman until she accompanied us on a redecorating job. I don't know why he brought her with us but he never does anything without a good reason.

Fast forward three and a half years. The newbie bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, is a mainstay in the Rangeman Trenton office. Did I mention she is now Stephanie Plum-Manoso, after my cousin finally got his shit together? In retrospect, it's hard to imagine how Rangeman succeeded without her. We'd always made money but, with her skills, we've succeeded beyond all expectations. She is a pro at searches with her inquisitive nature, finding clues that we miss, and her local knowledge and access to gossip. I've lost track of how much money we've earned from the distractions she does to lure skips from a public place to an area where the public is less likely to be injured or disturbed, not to mention avoiding damage to property.

She still does low and medium bond enforcement apprehension and is always accompanied by a Rangeman. The guys enjoy the adrenaline rush and the craziness her skips bring to each situation. Most of the time, our guys are returned physically and mentally unscathed. Some of the time. Occasionally.

She and I often team up on sales calls. Where I can be intimidating to potential customers, Stephanie - I call her Beautiful - makes them feel comfortable, listened to, and respected. Sales are soaring. We've had to hire more people to do installations and patrols.

Is she the most beautiful woman I've ever met? No, not really. Is she an amazing combination of inner and outer beauty, kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding? Absolutely. Do I wish my cousin had followed his initial inclination and assigned me to meet with her and start the mentoring process? Again, absolutely. Would I have tried to initiate a relationship with her? In a New York minute.

So, a hypothetical question on a totally unrelated matter - which of these would look the least suspicious:

1. my primo slips on a banana peel that appears out of nowhere while he is sprinting on the treadmill
2. my primo falls on marbles that mysteriously cover his bathroom floor while he is in the shower

Would either of those completely hypothetical situations result in someone, who is still in love with Beautiful, to be crated and shipped to a 'Stan with only a paper clip, a toothpick, and a piece of chewing gum?

Asking for a friend.

A/N Your reviews are greatly appreciated. Santos needed a turn. My apologies if I messed up the order in which the various Rangeman branches opened.