Something soft cradled her head and a heavy warmth enveloped her. There was movement, soothing and repetitive, along the curve of her hip. Slowly, Stephanie drifted into awareness. She was lying on her side in Ranger's very comfortable bed. If she wasn't mistaken, the man himself was slowly running his hand down the blanket that covered her, petting her like a cat. She was so relaxed she could almost purr like one. She'd have to settle for a different kind of happy noise and hummed in appreciation.
The hand on her hip curled around her waist as Ranger snugged up behind her. Too bad he was on top of the covers, not under them with her. His breath was warm on her skin as he nuzzled her hair aside and began pressing sweet little kisses on her neck. Then he whispered three words guaranteed to get her heart racing.
"Time for dinner."
"Shit!"
Her eyes popped open in panic. Flinging back the covers, she leapt out of bed as if she'd been spring loaded. There was a flash of white as the cat jumped down then sat in the bedroom doorway. He must have been on the bed with her and been startled by her action, though she could swear he looked like he was sulking. She was sorry for disturbing him, but didn't have time to worry about it. Her mind was already racing, her mouth rattling off her unfiltered thoughts as fast as they came.
"What time is it? How long before we leave? Will my dress be okay for tonight? What are you wearing? Where are my shoes?"
Ranger grinned up at her from the bed, half covered by the blanket she'd tossed back. "It's 7:15. Thirty minutes. Yes. Business casual. In the closet."
Stephanie grabbed her dress, hanger and all, from the closet and dashed into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she hooked the dress onto the towel rack then turned to check herself in the mirror. Not too bad. All she needed was a bit of sprucing up. She changed into the dress first, then combed her hair, clipping it into an updo. Her makeup only needed a touch up, then she dipped into her toiletry bag for the little pouch that had her accessories.
The set wasn't real silver but costume jewelry from one of the high end brands. She clasped the necklace then adjusted the pendant against her skin, a Celtic-inspired shape with clear white stones in the center. The deep v-neck of the dress really set it off, just as her upswept hair showed off the matching earrings. Fastening the bracelet around her wrist, she checked herself in the mirror again. The sapphire blue dress had a high waist with ruching that wrapped around the side. Form-fitting sleeves came to just above her elbow. The skirt flared out, stopping two inches above her knees, letting the fabric swing gracefully with her movements. She loved this dress. It was comfortable, easy to wash, and very flattering.
Leaving the bathroom, she headed straight for the closet, barely noticing as Ranger passed her heading the other way. She heard the bathroom door shut as she put on grey peep-toe slingbacks with three-inch heels. A dove grey cashmere cardigan with a crew-neck and mother of pearl buttons completed the outfit. When she'd first arrived in Chicago, she'd splurged on the sweater. It was roomy and long and, best of all, it had pockets.
She turned to leave the closet when Ranger stepped in. Wow. Wow and hot damn. He was a study in brown. Light brown slacks were paired with dark brown leather dress boots and a dark brown belt. The dark chocolate shade of his button-up shirt matched the color of his eyes. The top two buttons were undone and the cuffs were turned back to mid-forearm, showing off his mocha-latte skin tones. His black hair was brushed back, showing off the touch of silver at his temples that made him look so distinguished.
They spent a moment admiring each other, and Steph was pretty sure the heat in his eyes was reflected in hers. Then a faint sound came from his watch - time to go. He chose a heathered brown sport coat from amongst the hanging clothes. Its color was somewhere between the light brown of the pants and the dark brown of his shirt.
Slipping on the jacket, Ranger asked, "Ready?"
Stephanie grabbed her purse, glad she'd switched to the smaller black one for this trip, and they headed out. Their destination was so close that it took almost as long to get from the apartment to his vehicle in the garage as it did to drive to the restaurant. Remembering that this place was next to what she hoped would be her new office, she paid attention to the route and landmarks. Essentially, it was a straight line from door to door. Excellent.
As they handed the car over to the valet, Steph realized that the rest of the Core Team had been in the dropoff in front of them, and were waiting on the sidewalk. They must have brought a change of clothes to the office because each was in casual clothes and a jacket like Ranger. Scanning them, she could see that their tastes hadn't changed over the years. In fact, their outfits could have been on display in a room somewhere and she'd have known who each was destined for.
Tank had on dark blue jeans, a maroon polo shirt and a dark grey jacket. Bobby had on charcoal grey slacks, a light blue shirt and a navy blazer. Lester was wearing dark olive slacks and a dark beige shirt that made her think of wet sand during low tide at Point Pleasant. A brown leather jacket completed his outfit. Like Ranger, each man wore some style of boot.
If this had been any other large group, individuals would have been trickling in within a few minutes either side of the designated reservation time. But this was a Rangeman event. As Stephanie and Ranger greeted the other three, the rest of the party joined them from the hotel next door so they all arrived precisely on time. The greetings expanded to encompass everyone. All were dressed in the same fashion in varying color combinations. As she'd expected, Stephanie was the only one in a dress and heels.
Ranger took point as the maitre d' led them to the private dining room. Stephanie checked the place out as they walked through the main room to the back. The ambience was subdued with candlelight, rich fabrics, and dark wood. She caught a glimpse of a sizable bar on the other side of the room. Smooth music issued from hidden speakers, but was nearly drowned out by the burble of a roomful of conversations accented by the clink of glassware and cutlery and the occasional surge of laughter.
The private room had a table set for twelve, though it could have accommodated a second table that size. At the far end of the room was a serving table already set with food though Steph couldn't see what was on display. It made her think of a buffet but Ranger hadn't mentioned that, and the set up was far too small to serve a full dinner for twelve. Whatever it held was colorful, though.
The maitre d' ushered them to the table as two servers entered the room after them. Ranger sat at one end of the table, Tank at the other and everyone else picked a place in between them. The others mixed it up a bit, seemingly making an effort not to sit with their everyday co-workers. Stephanie, of course, picked a chair by Ranger. One of the newcomers was their server, Allan, who handed out menus. The other was one of the bartenders, Maria, taking drink orders which turned out to be wine and beer.
While they weren't officially on the clock, this was still a work-related event which must have made hard liquor seem like a bad idea, because she'd certainly seen most of these guys pounding back the hard stuff time and again back in the day. Or maybe it was age. She'd always been a lightweight but as time went by it took even less liquor to knock her for a loop, yet the hangover was more vicious than it used to be. She wondered if the same had happened to the guys.
There was a little bit of chat while the group perused the menu. The Core Team was happy to share favorites and suggestions. By the time the server returned and had taken their orders, Stephanie was getting hungry. One thing that hadn't changed over the years was the Beast that lived in her stomach. She'd eaten lightly because she'd been traveling, then she had napped instead of snacking. She was hoping the Beast wouldn't wake before the food arrived. Having her stomach growl so loudly that anyone in the room would hear it was embarrassing.
Luckily, right before he left, Allan pointed to the table with the tiny buffet which held their appetizer. This announcement caused something that could best be described as a leisurely stampede as they all rose from the table. Oh, they were polite of course, but there was an air of focussed determination as if some objective had been declared and must be obtained. Guess she wasn't the only one who was hungry. Despite trying to hang back and let others go first, Steph ended up at the head of the line. Knowing Ranger's stance on healthy options, she'd been curious about what he'd chosen.
Small plates and forks were stacked on one end of the table. A series of tiered serving bowls held a variety of fresh fruits, cheeses, crackers, and spreads. There were blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Kiwis and red and green apples had been thinly sliced and artfully arranged along with dried apricots. She was glad the cheeses were labeled because she hadn't recognized the manchego and camembert that were with the cheddar and brie. Another cheese, Boursin, was with the spreads along with fig preserves and hummus. She saw at least five types of crackers as well. There was so much to choose from that she nearly missed the little dish of olives and snapped up a few of those before leaving the serving line.
Since she'd spent her day sitting in the airport and on an airplane, she decided to stand in the space between the appetizers and the dinner table. There was more than enough room for all of them to stand if they wished. As Hawk and Bucky, who'd been right behind her in line, came over to stand with her, Allan, Maria, and one other person came in with the drinks which they set at the table. Maria and the other person were out the door as soon as their trays were empty. Allan came over to Ranger who was last in the serving line.
Handing a small dish of something to Ranger, he said, "Your special request, sir," then left.
Ranger walked over to Stephanie. If she didn't know better, she'd think he looked amused. Or was that anticipation? Maybe both?
"Here," he said, offering her the little dish. "I thought you might like some peanut butter to go with those olives."
Oh wow. He really knew how to make her heart go all melty, didn't he? She let her appreciation show in her eyes as she kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Batman."
Hawk's eyebrow raised at the nickname but Bucky was as impassive as usual. Steph wondered if she shouldn't have said that in front of Ranger's newest employees but from his expression, he didn't mind one bit. Ranger returned the cheek kiss and got back in line behind Tank who hadn't quite made it to the table. Bobby had reached the plates and Lester was just starting to make his way through the serving dishes. Ram, Hal, Hector, Zero, and Zip had already finished and were mingling around Steph,
Bobby, plate in one hand and fork in the other, nudged Lester with an elbow then teased, "Hurry up, you're holding up the line."
"Don't worry, man. I'll –" Lester looked up as if thinking, then uttered the next words one at a time, jabbing his fork in the air for emphasis. "Extract. All. Tasty. Morsels. Expeditiously." Grinning at Bobby, he concluded, "Operation EAT-ME is a go."
Bobby rolled his eyes and groaned but grinned back. The other guys did the same except Ranger who slowly shook his head with an air of resignation at his cousin. Steph noted that Bucky, like everyone in the room except her, was able to raise one eyebrow and mused that it was probably required for employment with Rangeman.
From his place in line, Tank drily assured Hawk, who was suppressing a laugh, "You get used to him."
"To know me is to love me," declared Lester. He came over to Steph and asked, "Right?"
Laughing, she replied, "Right," and bumped her shoulder into his, careful not to jostle their plates.
Soon everyone had served themselves and they all nibbled and mingled as much as twelve people could. A few of the guys went back for seconds. The ebb and flow of their small group eventually had them configured so that Hawk, Bucky, Hector, Ranger, and the Core Team were over by the dining table deep in discussion, while Stephanie stood with Hal, Zero, Ram, and Zip. They were trading thoughts on some of the contract workers that had been called up at both branches. Seemed like one guy had a totally different attitude when he was doing his temp work in Boston.
Ever since she'd learned that she'd overlap with the Trenton men, Steph had been trying to decide whether to address their silence. Would it be better to leave it alone? Act like everything was fine? That saying "fake it 'til you make it" implied that strategy could work. But she'd pulled out her old thought journals after she'd run into Ranger and had been flipping through them, trying to remember who she'd been. Trying to remember what she'd been thinking. Mostly she cringed at her old self and was so grateful to have grown since then. In those entries she had included statements and advice from her counselor. That advice did not include ignoring issues, or sweeping them under the carpet.
So, she'd address it. But in what way? She didn't want to go straight at it and come across as combative or aggressive. Approach it too carefully and it would be that awful car ride with Digger all over again, as her hints weren't picked up. She'd thought of a couple of opening statements that might work. Mentally rolling up her sleeves, she prepared to speak and found her chance during a lull in the conversation.
"I'd been hoping to hear from you guys earlier, but I'm really glad we have the chance to meet in person."
Zip and Zero looked at each other then down at their plates. Ram looked at her in silence and Hal quickly popped the last bit of food from his now-empty plate into his mouth, and concentrated on chewing it.
Guess that strawberry was tougher than it looked, she thought. Suddenly all that fresh fruit and cheese sat like a lump in her stomach. Behind them, she saw Ranger glancing her way but she didn't make eye contact. She tried again with the guys in front of her.
"I know there were times that I got into some tough situations," she admitted, "but I was hoping we could get past that."
"Stephanie," said Ram, "you usually created that situation to begin with."
"Trust." Hal must have finished that strawberry, because he spoke up before she could reply. "The first time we met, I tried to be nice to you. In return, you conned me out of my weapon and used it against me. I learned I couldn't trust you one-on-one. Every time we were assigned to guard you, we couldn't trust you to act in your own best interest. And when you were added to any operation, we couldn't trust you to stick to your part of the plan. Like when we had everything all worked out for capturing Zimoff, and you went off on your own tangent and everything got balled up."
Zimoff … Stephanie ran the name through her mind and vaguely recalled a take down where she was supposed to enter the building through one door, but when she got in place, she saw a different way that looked like a quicker route to the skip's apartment and took that door instead. It turned out to be a service entrance that only went to the basement. By the time she figured out that she'd trapped herself and gotten back to the street, the skip was long gone.
Stephanie tried to explain. "Well, sometimes I'd see something and I'd think of a better way to do it."
"Exactly." said Ram. "We tried to be your friends, but you made it difficult. You made everything harder than it had to be."
Steph was trying to follow his train of thought. "Because I had my own opinions?"
"Because you disrespected ours." Ram replied. "Even back then, between our time in the military and at Rangeman, we were seasoned professionals and any one of us had far more years of experience under our belt than you did. But you dismissed us out of hand. Wouldn't listen to anything. You thought that you, brand new to the field, had a better handle on everything than we did. And Hal's right. We could never depend on you to follow a plan, even when it was for your benefit."
"It wasn't just your health and safety that depended on the team working together as planned," said Hal. "It was ours, the rest of the team out there, all supposedly working together. We couldn't trust you to carry out your assignment, which meant that someone would be left hanging and have to scramble. A team only works if everyone does their part. If even one person doesn't do their job, we all fail. And we rarely failed unless you were involved."
Ram nodded in agreement, then said, "It was exhausting. Whether we were trying to work with you, or charged with protecting you, it was three times harder than it had to be. We worried about you when you flounced off but honestly, in some ways it was relief. All the drama stopped and we could breathe again."
Briefly, she wondered if Ram and Hal had practiced their tag-team breakdown of All Things Wrong With Stephanie, because they seemed to have it down pat. Of course, they wouldn't need to do that. These guys had always been self-assured, confident badasses used to dealing with – and sometimes clashing with – other self-assured confident badasses. They'd had 15 years to hone their skills, and do it as the head of operations for an entire city. Part of that persona was being blunt. They would speak plainly and get right to the point. There'd been no heat, no accusation in their tone. Simply a dispassionate recital of the facts as they saw them.
And she couldn't disagree.
Zip and Zero had looked up from their plates the moment Ram had started talking, nodding here and there in agreement.
It took more courage than she'd thought it would, but Stephanie dredged up a neutral tone of her own and asked Zip and Zero, "Is this how you feel as well?"
"They did sum it up pretty well," Zero said. "We're kind of impartial on the subject. Keep in mind that we weren't part of that inner circle, so we didn't interact with you as much."
"That's right," Zip added. "We got assigned, did as we were told, but didn't really know you. Using your new contact info seemed kind of weird."
"Yeah," said Zero. "What do you text to someone you only knew well enough to say hi to as you passed in the hallway and now fifteen years have gone by? We didn't reach out, but we don't hold any grudges, either."
Stephanie sighed. "I guess I didn't think about it that way. I can see why you'd keep to yourselves."
Ram took the lead again. "Now that I've given you my take on how things were back then, I want to make it clear that I don't harbor any ill feelings, either. Like them," he pointed to Zip and Zero, "I don't hold any grudges. A lot of time has passed since then, and people can change. Maybe you have. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and start clean from this moment. I think we all are."
He looked at the other men as if gauging their reaction. Stephanie did too. There were nods all around, and she felt something in her stomach unclench.
"I'm glad to hear it," she said. "And I really am sorry for how I behaved back then. I promise that hasn't been me in a long time."
"It may sound odd," said Zero, "But you put off a different vibe. Something more solid or less flighty." With a glance at Hal, he added, "Trustworthy. The next time the Boss comes to visit Boston, you'd be welcome to come along."
"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."
The sound of the door opening drew everyone's attention. Allan was back with three other servers this time, each laden with a full tray. They all headed back to their seats at the table. Hector and Ranger stood side by side waiting for her, blank faces at the ready. She'd noticed them in the background keeping an eye on her during the discussion with Ram and the others. Stephanie smiled and gave a discreet thumbs up. The blank faces were replaced with ordinary expressions. Hector went to his seat and Ranger escorted her to hers.
Stephanie enjoyed the dinner. The food was incredible and the company was pleasant. Conversation was a combination of business and personal. Stephanie gave a sanitized version of her work history, starting with her time as a workers comp claims investigator in Cincinnati and the switch to her working as an investigator for lawyers. She completely left out her personal life and was glad that no one asked about it. The guys made sincere comments about how well suited they always thought she'd been to that role, which made her feel good.
Almost everyone had finished eating when Lester stepped out, and Stephanie assumed he was going to the restroom. A short time later, he returned with far more energy than when he left, and went straight to Ranger.
"Ryan O'Day and Steve Smithson are at the bar right now," Lester announced. "The papers can be here in minutes if you give the call. How do you want to handle this?"
Ranger, Tank, and Bobby all sat straighter. Stephanie could see them switching over into professional mode. The out of towners watched intently.
Tank said, "Investment fraud is white collar crime, but both these guys are known for carrying concealed and being trigger happy so there's a high probability of weapons. And they've both got priors for assault. They're in their forties but they've stayed in shape. I'd prefer not to approach them on the premises."
"We can apprehend as they exit," suggested Bobby.
"We'd have to take them both at once or we risk losing one," countered Lester. "And the longer they're here, the more alcohol they'll toss back. We all know that drunk skips make bad decisions, like thinking gunfire is a good idea." He looked at Ranger. "How do you want this to go down, primo?"
Ranger drew breath to speak, but Stephanie jumped in before he opened his mouth.
"How about a distraction?" she suggested. "I'm not as young as I used to be, but I can still get a man's attention. Plus, the Cream of the Rangeman Crop is in this room. Do you have equipment needed for communication and containment? Let's see if I can get them out before they reach the stupid stage of drunkenness." There was no response to her suggestion so she added, "Unless you've got someone on call for distractions? That would work, too."
"These guys are tight. They've been best friends, shoulder to shoulder, since high school," Lester told her. His gaze shifted to Ranger then back to her a couple of times before settling on her. "They've been known to pick up one woman for the night and a few years ago, they shared the same girlfriend."
That is so not my cup of tea, she thought before saying, "That ups my chances of getting them both at once."
Ranger took her hand in his. "You sure about this, Babe?"
"Well, I mean, it's been fifteen years but yeah, I think l can still get them to follow me out."
Their eyes met and she saw a lot going on in his. He was in full command mode, assessing her readiness, comparing it to the skips level of experience and probable response, adding in location, personnel, bystanders and calculating probabilities of success. But she could also see a part of him that was concerned for her on a personal level. She tried to project confidence and aptitude, hoping to reassure him that she'd be okay for this. It wasn't long before he pushed his chair back and stood. Decision made. When Ranger stood, so did everyone else except Stephanie.
"This room will be control," said Ranger then he indicated Bobby, Tank, and Lester. "You all drove work vehicles here, correct?" When they nodded he said, "Tank, Lester, give your keys to Bobby. Bobby, take Hector and Zip and pull all communications equipment supplies out of each vehicle. Tank, call for papers and backup. Hawk, what's your experience with distractions?"
Hawk shook his head. "Haven't heard of them." He looked at Bucky but she shook her head too. They both looked intrigued.
"We'll fill you in and have you shadow," said Ranger. "Lester, once everyone's rigged for sound, show them the exits and pair them off. Chicago pairs with Trenton. Make sure you stay out of line of sight. Mel should be in the house tonight. He's one of the owners. I'll fill him in and get permission to operate on premises. Since we run his security, I'm fairly certain of his answer. I'll also have him call in Maria the bartender so we can make sure Steph gets nothing but mocktails."
He was reaching for the door handle when Steph called out, "Wait!" When he looked back at her, she held up the cloth napkin she'd been using. "I need two clean napkins."
For a split second Ranger's eyes went from her face to her cleavage. He gave an almost-smile and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Once Ranger was gone, it was like a switch had been flipped. The rest of the group went from listening to the full plan to executing it. Tank was on the phone to Rangeman Miami. Bobby, Hector, and Zip were on their way to the valet lot, and Lester was explaining distractions to Hawk and Bucky while the other guys chipped in with tips and hints.
Stephanie grabbed her purse and pulled out her makeup and a little mirror she always carried. Holding her mascara in one hand and the mirror in the other she paused. "Hey, Lester?"
He answered immediately, "Yes, Beautiful?"
"Any idea how slutty?"
"I'm trying to remember what the girlfriend looked like." For a second, his eyes rolled up to look at the ceiling as he pondered. Looking at her, he said, "Basic is fine. She didn't wear heavy makeup, and didn't dress flashy though she did like showing off the girls."
"Thanks."
Stephanie went back to her touch-up, and Lester went back to giving a crash course on distractions. She used a light hand with the mascara, only adding enough to replace any that had been rubbed off over the course of the evening. Same with lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. She pulled a few curls loose to frame her face and drape down her neck.
As she put her things back in the purse, Bobby, Hector, and Zip returned. There was another flurry of activity as the table was carefully cleared and the equipment set up. In the middle of all that, there was a knock on the door then two people in Rangeman black walked in. Stephanie recognized the woman called Wraith, but the man with her was new. They went straight to Tank and handed over a folder. Wraith's demeanor was serious, but the man was smiling as if he was having a fun time.
Bobby happened to be passing, so Stephanie tugged on his sleeve to make him stop. Quietly, she asked, "Who is that with Wraith?"
Bobby didn't even have to look before answering. "That's Gator."
"Gator." Steph repeated the name while looking at the man's face, hoping to memorize it more quickly. He gave another broad smile as he looked around the room and it clicked. "Oh yeah. Because he's got the kind of smile that's all teeth."
"Nah, he went to the University of Florida up in Gainesville. Mascot's a gator." This time Bobby did look. "But now I can't unsee those teeth."
Tank caught her eye and gestured her over. As she walked up to him, he held out the folder. She took it and went through the contents, learning as much as she could about the targets before she had to approach.
Ranger returned, announcing, "Permission granted. Carry on." He came over to Stephanie. "Maria will make sure you don't get any alcohol in your drink. She's the only woman bartender tonight, so she'll be easy to spot and she'll make sure that she's your server." He held out his hand. "Here's your napkins. Do you need to go to the restroom?"
Stephanie already had the first napkin folded and handed it back to him. "Hold this and come with me." She went to the far end of the room and faced into a corner. "You stand behind me and block the view."
She got the napkin that she was holding situated in her bra under and to the side of her breast, then put her hand up and tipped it back over her shoulder. Without having to ask, the napkin she'd given him was placed in her palm. She put that in then took a moment to make sure the sides were even. No woman ever wanted lopsided boobs. The napkins were pushing her breasts up and into the center of her chest where the deep v-neck of her dress would show them the most. Plumped up at least a cup size, she had to admit they looked good.
While she was falsifying her cleavage, Ranger had asked Hector to bring an earbud for him and a wire for Steph. But when Ranger went to take them, Hector only gave him the earbud.
"Sorry, Boss," said Hector, not sounding one bit sorry, "but I remember how this used to go. It'll be faster if I do it."
"Faster," agreed Steph, with a teasing grin for Ranger, "but not as much fun."
Ranger preferred a minimum 2 to 1 ratio of Rangemen to wanted criminals for the drive to the handover, so a second Rangeman team had been dropped out front. Those two were waiting in Wraith's vehicle in the valet stand, directly in front of the restaurant. Once the targets were contained, they'd be loaded into the vehicle with Wraith and Gator joining them.
In another few minutes everything was set. Tank, who usually stayed farther back because his size tended to make him stand out instead of blend, was with Zero outside the back entrance. Inside, Zip and Bucky were monitoring the hallway to the restrooms while Hector and Hal were stationed by the door to the kitchen. Ram was loitering by the podium inside the entry foyer. Everyone else had gone out the back then circled around to the front entrance.
It was late enough that while the restaurant was still busy, there were a few empty tables and a couple of seats available at the bar. The foyer was empty but for Ram, who was making a show of checking his watch and pretending to text as if waiting for someone.
Stephanie was outside on the sidewalk, next to Ranger, shivering a little. Unfortunately, her cardigan, even though it was cashmere, was too casual to fit the narrative she was building so she'd left it in the dining room.
"The last team checked in as affirmative," said Ranger as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Go get 'em, tiger."
Stephanie felt the surge of adrenaline that was her usual companion on distractions. Standing tall, shoulders back, and chest out, she put a sway into her walk and entered the building, heading directly for the bar. Luck was on her side because there was an empty seat to the left of the men. Ryan O'Day would be to her immediate right so she'd have to aim her conversation at him. Hopefully Steve Smithson would be able to hear some of it. Each man had a drink in front of him and both forearms resting on the bar. They weren't talking much.
As she went to sit, she pretended to trip, bumping chest-first into O'Day's arm. Putting her hand on his back to steady herself, she pushed off him and sat, letting her hand linger.
Stephanie tossed off a quick, "Sorry," but frowned as she did it.
"No problem," O'Day replied.
In her peripheral vision, Stephanie could see him checking her out, so she kept her back arched and her breasts on display. As promised, Maria came over for her drink order. Steph asked for a gin and tonic, knowing that would be the easiest one to make look real without any alcohol. As she waited for Maria to return, Stephanie huffed and mumbled to herself, at first keeping her comments under her breath and unintelligible. As soon as she had her drink in hand, Stephanie stepped up her game.
Using the straw, she took a long drink then let out a satisfied "Ah!"
Still talking to herself, she upped the volume so that O'Day could hear her, even if Smithson couldn't.
"Sheesh, what a night." Staring at her drink, she put on an aggrieved tone. "Who would have thought Miami would be so uptight. I mean, whatever happened to wanting a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets?"
For that last part, she sat back, and started jamming her straw into the glass, as if stirring the ice but with far more vigor than was called for. Some of the drink splashed out onto the bar. Keeping the straw back with her finger, she picked up the glass and swigged down about two inches of it, then put the glass back down hard on the bar.
"Everything okay?" asked O'Day.
"What?" Stephanie pretended she only just noticed him. "Oh, sorry. I'm just having a bad night. Got left at a restaurant on the first date." She pouted and huffed to make her boobs jiggle.
O'Day didn't look away from her, but she noticed his hand slide across the bar top and tap Smithson's arm to get his attention. Good. She was getting their interest.
"It's hard to imagine anyone walking out on a beautiful woman like you," O'Day said smoothly. "What happened?"
"Well, I just moved here a month ago from the other side of the country so I'm looking to establish a social network, you know?" She sipped her drink. "I put my profile on a couple of those online sites and had a date tonight. When he got there, he looked just like his pictures so I figure it's off to a good start, right?"
Now both men were listening to her. Stephanie waited for them to nod before continuing, letting her Italian side out and using her hands as she spoke.
"Anyway, I figured, why not get right to the point, you know? So I ask him flat out if he already knew a guy we could have a threeway with, or if we'd need to schedule auditions. Guy looked insulted. Said he wasn't into 'sharing women'. He said that like he was offended. I mean, his profile said he was 'adventurous' and a 'team player' so what else was I supposed to think?" She made a derisive noise and rolled her eyes. "He said it means he likes to ocean kayak and play pickleball, whatever the hell that is. I thought it was a euphemism at first. Offered to tickle his pickle and bounce his balls and he left! Just got up and walked out before the waiter even came to take our order."
Stephanie knocked back the last of her drink and slammed the glass down. With every bit of peevish exasperation she could muster, she exclaimed, "Dammit, what's a girl gotta do to get spit-roasted around here?"
O'Day smiled, but it came across as both pleased and predatory and Steph had to fight a shiver.
Tipping his head to indicate Smithson, O'Day said, "My friend and I are well-versed in the fine art of the ménage à trois and would be happy to assist, if you'd like."
Stephanie sat back, looking them over as if considering the offer, then nodded. "Okay. But we'll need to set some ground rules and exchange information and such."
"Oh, of course," agreed O'Day. "Just, not here. Too many pearl-clutchers in earshot. We know a more private location that we can go to now, if you don't mind?"
Steph tried to look eager instead of apprehensive. At least she knew she wouldn't really end up alone with two guys with records for assault.
They settled their tab and paid hers as well, then the three of them headed out. Stephanie tried to get ahead of both of them but ended up between them, with O'Day in the lead. She knew that the team couldn't grab him until Smithson was well clear of the door, so she tried to stay close to O'Day. At least Ram was in the foyer in case something went wrong. Stephanie had to fight the urge to look at him as they passed.
O'Day stepped outside first, then Stephanie. As soon as she heard Smithson's footfall on the concrete she tried to step away to the side so she'd be safely out of the action. Instead, O'Day was taken down and Smithson took Stephanie hostage.
Smithson must have seen or suspected something, because he acted a split second before the team came out of the shadows and snatched O'Day. He had grabbed Stephanie from behind in a chokehold with his left arm around her neck. She felt him pull her back, heard a thud and immediately knew that his back was against the glass door to the restaurant. Their combined weight kept the door closed, trapping Ram in the foyer. Worse, Stephanie could feel his free arm doing something along his side, and thought he was going for a weapon.
Luckily, the hold he used was one that she'd practiced breaking hundreds of times. Hell, she'd even taught the class a time or two, so she was in motion even as she logged his actions. Since he'd grabbed her with his left arm, she stepped forward on her right foot, simultaneously drawing her left foot back between their bodies as she turned toward him, pushing hard against his torso and backing away to the right. In seconds, she popped out of his grip. This lessened the pressure against the door and Ram was able to push it open enough to squeeze through the gap.
Smithson wasn't done being stupid, though, because even as he dodged Ram's lunge, he grabbed Stephanie's wrist. It took two seconds for her to counter it, putting her hand on his and twisting to reverse the hold and force him onto his knees, his arm stretched straight out behind him, hand bent painfully at the wrist. He wouldn't move again until she let go.
Hal had squeezed through the door right after Ram and the two of them secured Smithson as Tank, Bucky and the others from the interior teams came racing outside. She realized that Hal must have come up to help Ram push the door open.
Stephanie watched as Smithson and O'Day were bundled into the waiting vehicle. Tank had notified the local FBI at the beginning of the distraction so they'd be waiting for this special delivery.
When she turned her attention back to the group around her, she realized that everyone was looking at her. Oh, shit. What'd she do?
She must have said that out loud because Ram answered. "Everything perfect, that's what you did."
"That escape was a thing of beauty," said Hal. "Those moves were textbook perfect."
Ranger gave her a hug, keeping her in his arms just long enough to whisper, "I'm really proud of you, Stephanie."
After Ranger let her go, she got high fives, back slaps, and congratulations from Zip, Zero, Bobby, and Tank. Les and Hector also gave her a hug with a bonus cheek kiss from Hector.
Every single one of them, including Hawk and Bucky, looked at her with appreciation and respect and she reveled in it. Stephanie couldn't help thinking that if she had taken her job seriously from the start, she could have been basking in this feeling all along.