Happy Tax Day Countdown!
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Typos are my bad.
Stephanie's POV
Oh shit. I thought, downing in one go the flute of who knows what that I snatched from a passing waiter just moments ago.
Watching Leonardo stalking my way was so not an interaction I wanted to have right now. Bracing myself for the inevitable encounter, I hoped the bubbly would take effect and pronto!
The whole everyone knows everyone Burg community vibe does have its major drawbacks…
"Stephanie." Leonardo opened with the most awkward greeting, instinctively standing out of the range of my lethal nutcracker right knee in this dress. He already has firsthand experience of my accurate and precise aim.
"Leonardo." I said curtly, scanning the venue in hopes that Adam was on his way back. Spotting him still at the open bar, I was still in the process of planning my swift exit strategy when Leonardo spoke again.
"I, uh, think we got off on the wrong foot." Sounding sincerely apologetic, he confessed he's not like his portrayal of himself that night and apologized for the way he acted throughout our date. "It's just that Morelli had said…"
Suppressing a mega eye roll made my left eye immediately start throbbing, indication that an eye twitch and headache were in the not so distant horizon. Of course Morelli's out there spreading degrading rumors, the jerk! He really doesn't know what else to do or say to get at me. Pathetic.
"Forget about it." I said to Leonardo, thankful that Adam was on his way back with our drinks.
"Yeah, guess it wasn't meant to be." Leonardo murmured sheepishly, his eyes tracking Adam's impending approach. "Guess you like the muscular type."
Seeing my opening to end this conversation that's leading to nowhere, I took it with open arms. "Yes!" Nodding enthusiastically, I told him that I liked my man with muscles. Lots and lots of them. "The more muscles the merrier." I said, choking down my snort at my pun.
"Oh." Leonardo flicked his eyes behind me before he shoved a small envelope in my free hand, making a speedy escape. One thing about the Cusumanos, their sense of self-preservation is strong. I'll give him that. Survival of the fittest and those keeping a low profile, and shit.
"He's gone with the wind, fabulous!" I muttered to myself, stealing one of Lula's colorful phrases.
"Hey." Adam greeted as he sidled up beside me, watching with confusion as Leonardo scurried off in retreat.
Taking the envelope from my hand and tearing into it, Adam shot me a surprised look as he flashed me the mysterious contents. Looking closer at the flashy tickets, I noted that Leonardo went the extra mile getting the expensive seats. I mean, free tickets to a Rangers game is fantastic, even more when there's no way I'd be able to dish out over four hundred bucks a piece, not counting the to and from travel to Madison Square Garden and the mandatory snacks/beer combo. Damn.
"Thank you." Chugging the mixed drink he brought for me, I instantly felt the beginnings of a full body tingle. There it is!
"Hey, girlfriend, you might wanna slow down there." Adam reminded me that I've barely had little snacks here and there throughout the day. Considering how much of a lightweight I am when it comes to alcohol, downing drink after drink on a semi empty stomach isn't going to bode well for anyone, much less me.
Meh. That's tomorrow, sober me's problem.
"I'll be fine." Chugging half the beer he got for himself, I looked him dead in the eye. "You better watch my six or I swear to God I'll let Joyce get close enough to swipe her claws into you!" Hissing, I quickly filled him in on what Leonardo let slip just as I watched Morelli arrive with his flavor of the week.
"Your six?" Confused, Adam said I was speaking in military lingo he wasn't privy to.
"Oh, I know this one." Racking my already buzzed brain, I revisited the medical terms I've heard Bobby use. "Dorsal… posterior…" And just in case I was way off, I smacked Adam's back so he could be on the same page. His vigorous nod told me he understood. "Perfect! Let's dance!"
"Yes!" Adam said he hasn't had a night out dancing in ages, happy to have a partner that could keep up on the dance floor.
"Let's do this." I said a little more tipsily than five minutes before. "I'm here to dance, and I don't care who's watching my every move." Shrugging, I told Adam that the Burg's gonna talk regardless. "I mean, if they're gonna call me a slut!…"
Beaming down at me, Adam held out his highly insured surgical prodigy hand to lead the way to the dance floor. Grinning back, I took his hand and gave zero fucks about who was watching my every move.
"Come on, Baby." Deepening his voice to max levels, I automatically shook my head.
"No. Eww." Peering up at him, I made sure he never used that weird voice on me again. "I will slap you." I warned, telling him that his wannabe straight macho voice was a big no, no.
S&R
Adam's POV
"But they call me a skank, when you're the one bed hopping, Plum."
Joyce Barnhardt has and will likely always have beef with Stephanie. She's always been jealous of Steph, clearly showing her insecurities for all to see. Honestly, she actually did Stephanie a monumental favor when she got entangled with The Dick. Steph was always too good for that no good, dick wandering douche.
"No one asked you, Joyce!" With a prominent hair flip over her bare shoulder, Steph narrowed her eyes at Barnhoe. "Get over your obsession with me!" With a drunken snicker, Steph let slip that it's been a long running rumor in the Burg that Joyce actually likes Stephanie in a very different way. Joyce doesn't want to be Stephanie. Instead, some of us think she wants to do Stephanie.
"You're insufferable." Joyce rolled her eyes in what she deemed was exactly like Steph's signature quirk, but in actuality was a very bad impersonation. "Even more when you're drunk." Trying to imitate the same hair flip Steph did moments ago, Joyce flashed me a coy smile before sashaying her hips exaggeratedly on her retreat.
"Mmm, you told her, girlfriend." I praised Stephanie as we made our way back to our table. The woman can dance. I need a little break off my feet, and I'm not the one in heels!
"Straight hair me is not the same as curly hair me!" Stephanie declared, sinking onto the empty chair next to Mary Lou with a huff.
"Here. I got you this." Mary Lou handed Steph a glass, giving me a discrete look. We cut Steph off a while ago, especially after she started downing drinks like they were water. Stephanie hasn't balked on the nonalcoholic mocktails we swapped her to, probably because she's snuck a sip of beer here and there before we could stop her.
"You's a real one, Mare." Steph said to my cousin, snaking her arms around Mary Lou's neck to pull her in for a hug. Nearly sliding off her seat, Mare simply nodded as Stephanie had her in a pretty solid variation of a chokehold. "Come dance with me!"
Mary Lou followed Stephanie to the dance floor while Lenny and I sat this one out. I just know Stephanie's feet are going to be achy tomorrow, nevermind the hangover.
Sadly, the Burg's most obsessive asshole thought interrupting Mary Lou and Stephanie's dancing session was a good idea.
"Break time's over." I said to Lenny, cocking my head towards the dance floor.
We both know that Steph may just know how to manually disembowel someone nowadays, so we got a move on it. Intercepting Morelli's staggering path, Lenny bought me a few added seconds. Joining my girls dancing to the upbeat tune, by the time Morelli shifted his focus back to Stephanie, he knew that his opening had come and gone.
Overall, the night was fun. My sister and my newly oficial brother-in-law had a great time, sneaking out to catch their flight to their beachy getaway right on schedule. Stephanie's dad drove a lot of us attendees home, not wanting anyone behind the wheel after all the drinks that went around. On our trip, we dropped off the Stankovics on our way to Steph's apartment.
"That's my BFF right there." Stephanie shared with her father and I as we watched Lenny and Mary Lou make the short walk up their driveway to their front door.
The rustling sounds beside me made me cut my eyes back to Stephanie as her father put the cab in drive. In the dark cab's interior, I couldn't make out what she was tugging on under her dress. I highly doubted she was trying to shimmy out of her underwear, yet I was unsure of what she was trying to get at.
As we neared Stephanie's apartment building, she reached up to rub the back of her neck. I just know she's going to have a massive headache in a few hours.
"He's here." Stephanie told me conspiratorially as I helped her out of the back seat. Assuring Mr. Plum that I'd walk Steph the whole way up to her apartment, he stayed put behind the wheel.
"Who?" I asked as I steadied her as we entered the lobby. She's a little too unbalanced on her heels right now.
"Ranger!" Stephanie huffed, looking at me like I was slow for not putting two and two together automatically. "I know when he's near when it tingles here." Jabbing her thumb against her nape, Steph hung her head down so that her straightened locks could give me a bird's eye view of the back of her neck.
"You only get a tingle there?" I ribbed as we loaded the elevator.
"Ha!" Stephanie laughed, flushing red almost instantly. That told me way more than her slurred words did. Ranger makes her tingle all over.
She was still laughing as we made our way down the hall towards her apartment. I offered to unlock her door, but she waved me off. My eyebrows shot up in surprise when I caught a peek of the contents of her small clutch. Reaching for her keys with shaky fingers, I watched as Steph focused her impaired concentration on unlocking her front door as she was mid-chuckle. The small gun she'd stashed in her clutch didn't go unnoticed by me. Guess she's past her dislike of guns enough to be cautious. Stephanie's had way too many close calls to remain naive forever.
Before I could prevent it, the door slammed against her tiny foyer's wall after Steph nudged it open with her full weight.
"Oops!" Giggling, Steph simply shrugged at the obvious dent the doorknob made on the wall. Guess that's going to be a problem for Hungover Stephanie tomorrow. "Honey, I'm home!"
Her laugh was contagious. "Come on." Nudging her forward, I helped her keep it moving. My girl's gonna crash and pass out pretty soon. She's always been a lightweight.
"Babe." Dear lord, I heard his sexy ass voice before Steph and I even made it into his line of sight. The man is sexy in his fitted slacks and button down shirt. Mmmm. Black really suits him and I can totally see why Steph is obsessed with his tan skin.
Oh, but if looks could kill…
"Ey, Yo!" Immediately, Steph looked over her shoulder at me and remind me that she'd told me he'd be here. She was absolutely right. Guess she really can feel him.
"You okay with him here?" I had to ask, telling her I could toss him out if she wanted me to.
Snorting, Steph gave me an incredulous look. "No! He'll fold you like a pretzel. One hand behind his back and eyes closed." She warned.
"Clearly, you know from experience, babes." I joked, stage whispering so she could hear me. Her giggle and flushed look gave away how true my guess is. He looks like he doesn't leave my girl hanging in the orgasms department, that's for sure.
Except, Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome and Scary, did not find me funny. Not in the least bit.
Oh God.
S&R
Ranger's POV
"S'okay." Babe patted the man's chest as she shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing the dress I had glimpses of through Morelli's drunken videos. The satiny material has nothing on Babe's soft skin, the off shoulder sleeves and high left side slit allowing sinful sneak previews of Babe's curves. With his bigger size, the jacket had dwarfed Stephanie's frame regardless of her high heels helping her bridge their height gap. "He's harmless."
"Babe." I reminded her that I'm not harmless to everyone else but her.
Grimacing, Babe amended her statement. "Well, to me." Giving the man a thumbs up, Babe told him he could go just as a loud honk resounded from the parking lot below.
Years of training were the only reason why I didn't toss this fucker out her living room window. Or better yet, killed him for his audacity. Watching as he hugged Stephanie close to his chest, whispered something in her left ear before kissing the top of her head seriously tested my control.
"Call me if you need anything." Meeting Babe's half lidded eyes, he told her something in Hungarian that I couldn't fully understand.
Babe nodded as she swayed on unsteady legs, replying back with the same familiarity. I know that she's not fully fluent in Hungarian, at least not as much as she is in Italian thanks to Helen's doing, yet I've overheard Babe use informal greetings with Mary Lou in passing before.
"Okay, babes." He gave her one last hug, whispering in her ear before they disengaged. "Call me if you need anything."
I bit my tongue, figuratively of course, as he clearly hasn't realized either that Stephanie doesn't have her phone.
"Bye, Adam!" Babe waved him goodbye after Adam handed her two tickets for the upcoming Rangers game. I could see the nearing date from my vantage point.
As soon as the fucker turned his back, I had to keep myself in check. Adam is way too comfortable in Stephanie's space. Their familiarity could potentially be yet another obstacle between us. He could just be ready to offer Babe everything she deserves, what I can't give her.
"No." Stephanie blurted out before turning around to face me mere seconds after her friend left himself out. "You can't hurt Adam." Clearly, even inebriated Stephanie can read me well. My murderous energy is hard to hide from Babe. She says I can read her so easily, but she discounts how well she can read me.
With a self depreciating huff, Babe made her way towards me. Arching an eyebrow, I let her poke my chest with her manicured hands. I can't remember the last time Babe had acrylics, her electrifying touch making my body come awake. The mental image of Babe swiping her nails across my abs flashed through my mind and left my pants feeling too tight.
"I'm not his type." Stephanie mumbled something I couldn't quite catch before she took an abrupt step back. "…I'm not anyone's type…ah!" Her mumbling tirade was cut short when she finally and fully lost her balance.
"Babe." My reflexes didn't intervene fast enough, my hold on the edge of Babe's dress too fleeting. The smooth fabric slipped from my hold as Stephanie stumbled over the nearest corner of her coffee table. Thankfully, she landed safely on her couch.
Making the mental note to table the whole 'I'm not anyone's type' comment, I took a step closer to check on Stephanie.
"I'm good." Babe promised she was okay, giving me a thumbs up to keep me from swiftly scooping her up to take her to bed. The last time I took her to bed, we did a lot of skin on skin contact and had little to no sleep. "I'll get up in a bit… when the floor stops moving." Covering her eyes with her right forearm, Babe remained still as she caught her breath.
"You're not on the floor, Babe." I pointed out, amused.
Rolling off the side of the couch, Stephanie landed on the sliver of carpeted floor between the couch and the coffee table. "Now I am." Her forced laugh mingled with a groan as she shifted onto her right side and then slowly onto her back. "Como se dice… Off." Raising her left leg in the air, her glassy blue eyes squinted up at me. Shaking her foot for added emphasis, I understood she was asking me to help her take off her shoes.
Cataloging her sprawled form, the first thing that caught my attention was the discrete holster on her right thigh. With the back of her thigh resting against the edge of the coffee table, her dress pooled at her waist, I had a front row seat to Babe's lacy thong and the contents of her holster. I'm positive she's got a gun inside the small clutch still in her hand. Knowing that she was armed for her own protection did not help tamp down my growing hard-on.
Hector modified and designed a thigh holster for Stephanie to use during distraction jobs. Regardless of how skin tight her dress may be, Babe can stash a baby Glock, a knife and any other handy gadgets Hector suggests for the job. Clearly, Stephanie felt she needed added tools in case her safety was compromised tonight. Tamping down the worry that maybe she's picked up another stalker, I was silently proud of Stephanie taking initiative regarding her safety.
"Grrrracias." Babe thanked me, emphasizing her best attempt at rolling her rs, once I freed her feet from the heavy heels.
"Babe." After securing the front door and ensuring her little friend from
the Burg was really gone from the premises, I leaned down to offer Babe a helping hand. The deep blue dress she's wearing matches her eyes, contrasting strikingly with her soft skin in the harsh lighting of her living room. Although the straightened hair gives her a different look, she's still my Babe through and through. I'm thinking we'll have to recreate this exact scenario once she's not drunk and on the verge of passing out on me, preferably once we've had a much needed conversation.
Straight locks not required.
"Can I tell you something?" Babe asked against my ear just as I scooped her into my arms. "I have to pee." The hushed, conspiratorial whisper sent goosebumps scattering across my neck as her hot puff of breath hit my skin.
"Babe." Making a pit stop in the bathroom where I first realized I wanted more than just to be her mentor, I set Babe on her bare feet.
Giving her some privacy, I went into her bedroom to get everything ready. I'm fighting the clock at this point. She's moments away from passing out to sleep off the copious amounts of alcohol in her system. After turning down her covers, I made my way back to the bathroom.
Stephanie was humming an unfamiliar tune, clumsily brushing her teeth with one hand as she wiped off her make up with the other. Thankfully, her fake lashes were partly on their way off. Either Babe already began the process to remove them, or she went easy on the lash glue.
"Never fall asleep with makeup on." She told me, swaying in place as her muscle memory took over.
"I'll keep that in mind, Babe." My lips twitched as I let Babe continue her routine while keeping a close eye on her balance.
Once she was done, Babe leaned heavily into me as I guided her back to her bedroom. Removing her jewelry, I carefully deposited every piece inside the antique jewelry box she keeps inside her vanity drawer. I felt honored that she added the sapphire necklace I gifted her for her birthday last year to her go-tos. Along with the ring her Grandma Mazur gifted her years ago when she was a teenager, Stephanie isn't necessarily attached to jewelry.
Rummaging inside her dresser drawers, I selected her favorite flannel pajama pants and one of my long sleeve Rangeman T-shirts she's snatched from my closet over the years. Getting Babe out of clothes is my specialty, yet getting her back into clothes was quite a mission. Stephanie did not make it easy, squirming in my hold nonstop.
Eventually, she was finally sliding under the covers under my guidance and getting comfortable. Tucking her in, I didn't miss how she threaded her fingers along the edge of her blanket. She unconsciously does that when she's feeling anxious or stressed.
"Sweet dreams, Babe." Kissing her forehead, I told her to get some rest. She'll keep fighting the inevitable otherwise. I can bide my time. As an opportunist, now is not the time to bridge a life changing conversation that is years in the making.
"Ranger…" When she called for me to come closer, I bent at the waist to be face to face with her. My heart raced as her sleepy, frank words told me what her eyes have shouted for so long.
Stephanie confessing that she loves me is not what has my heart beating nearly out of my chest. No, it's her declaration of giving up, bluntly admitting that despite all we've been through, we've never been together, together.
"I guess we're not really meant to be in this lifetime." Her soft shrug and sadness filled stare felt like a stab to my chest. "Maybe in the next life." With that gut-punching candor, Babe turned to face away from me, falling asleep almost instantly.
A bone deep sense of desperation took hold as I realized that Babe's giving up… on us… on me…
"No, Babe." I blurted into the silence before I finally snapped into action. Crawling into bed behind Babe, I held her close as I whispered in her ear that she was wrong. "It's going to be in this life, Stephanie." I vowed, not ready to ever see her walk out my life.
Como se dice = How do you say
