A Fresh Start

Chapter 21

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With the tongs poised over the Danish pastries display, Stephanie's thoughts were pleasantly interrupted by the rich timbre of a deep masculine voice coming from behind her. "I heard it's a popular haunt for cougars, near here. Have you sighted any cougars lately?"

Stephanie chuckled turning around to see Carlos standing right behind her at the breakfast buffet, of her hotel. This was a most unexpected and welcome surprise, realising only then why she had felt that tingling sensation. With his proximity, she inhaled that scintillating fragrance that was Carlos. It was very masculine and alluring.

"I also hear that the mysterious and infamous Phoenix has been seen lurking around here lately, as well," he grinned giving her a nudge as he made his fruit selection to add to his salmon bagel with cream cheese, dill and capers. "I am really curious about her."

"Lurking, eh?"

His 100 watt grin radiated across his visage, causing a lady to drop her plate and another to stumble into one of the potted palms. Stephanie glimpsed around at the women who were entranced by his dazzling smile, but he only had eyes for her. Taking him by the elbow to avoid any other bedazzled fallout, upon arriving at her table, much to her surprise, it was now set for two, a beautiful red rose in the centre. Glancing around, none of the other tables had a rose. "Aww. How sweet," she thought.

He gave her a bow, as he pulled the chair out for her, "Especially chosen for milady," he said in a deep baritone. The waitress sighed sweetly, before pouring their coffees.

"How beautiful. Thank you, Carlos."

She was quite overwhelmed, both by his presence, and the fact that he came with a rose. It was such a romantic gesture and she liked it, a lot. That he was here, in her hotel, having breakfast together flattered her.

She inhaled the aroma of the coffee, momentarily closing her eyes, needing the distraction of caffeine to help centre herself.

In anticipation, Carlos watched as she added sugar and creamer to her coffee before tasting it in the manner he noticed and enjoyed on each of the other mornings. Her eyes closed as she sipped, holding her cup with two hands, and …there it was, that blissful sigh. She opened her eyes to see him watching her intently, warmth in his gorgeous brown eyes.

"What?"

"That's cute the way you do that, with your first sip," he replied, amused. "I didn't want to miss it."

She took another sip, more sedately and smiled at him, trying to hide her blush. He took a sip of his coffee which he held up to her in a toast before he sipped, nodding approvingly at the taste, making her smile.

"Good morning, Carlos. This is a lovely surprise. I wasn't expecting you at all," to which he just grinned, "but it's really nice to see you here."

They both started eating their fruit in companionable silence. Inwardly, Stephanie was delighted to see Carlos. On her early morning walk she was already pining the loss of his company this morning, yet here he was, in the flesh. Why was he here, she wondered?

Carlos smiled, explaining as if he read her mind, or did she vocalise her thoughts out loud?

"You know, I was really enjoying my morning routine, running along the beach and taking a swim. Then coming up to my room, which coincidentally I still have booked, to shower and change, then come down for breakfast. I liked our mornings together, eating breakfast and … just being together, like this. I was hoping you'd still be here, doing much the same. I couldn't resist another opportunity to see you and spend time with you. I hope you don't mind, Stephanie."

"To be honest, on my walk I was already thinking how I would miss your company over breakfast. It has become my favourite part of the day. I'm so glad you decided to come here. I am very flattered. I like it, too."

"I have to confess, while I was doing my gym circuit at Rangeman, I needed to run, not just on the treadmill, but on the sand and then have a refreshing swim. You were foremost in my thoughts. Not wanting to have breakfast alone, I did something spontaneous, and quite out of character. And, voilà!"

His arms went out wide with a grin. Stephanie chewed her bottom lip. "Wow. It really was a wonderful surprise."

They finished their fruit and as Stephanie started on her Maple Pecan, Carlos was arranging the extra capers on his smoked salmon bagel, adding the extra dill where he wanted it. Stephanie watched, amused with his arrangement.

"What?"

"Just amused at how you spread it all around so neatly," she countered.

"Just making sure I get the maximum taste sensation. It's one of my preferred morning indulgences, especially after being, you know, … away."

She knew he implied being on a mission. They both acknowledged the good taste of their indulgent choices. Simultaneously, they signalled the waitress for a top up of their coffee, and they chuckled together. In anticipation, the waitress also brought them some bottled water, as they had requested previously on other mornings.

Yes. They were both enjoying the companionship which neither had truly experienced in such a manner before.

Together they wandered over to the chef station to see what the daily special was. Stephanie requested a cheese, chive and tomato omelette, with some crispy bacon on the side, while Carlos chose the egg white omelette with baby spinach and mushrooms.

While they waited for the omelettes to be served, they grabbed a glass of juice as they slowly returned to their table. Stephanie inhaled the rose, delighting in the genuine fragrance which made her smile, remembering the roses Grandma Mazur used to have in her garden before Grandpa died.

Carlos waited before he asked the question that he'd been dying to know.

Stephanie looked up expectantly, while he was trying to frame his question. He had already rehearsed it a number of times on the drive over, for his run. Hell. He had been rehearsing it, trying to formulate the most diplomatic approach all night.

"So. You are the infamous Phoenix everyone is talking about. After you and Hector left, my men were extolling your strengths as Phoenix. I read the files after lunch and I have to say, I am also impressed. Your profiling skills are superb."

"Thank you. Yes. I am Phoenix, as you now know."

"You made quite an impression on Tank, especially in your interview, as well as the individuals with whom you worked."

Her smile widened as she thought about the men's reaction to being spotted.

"I see that knowing smile. You surprised them, firstly by recognising them, but also by remembering them and their names after only one introduction. They were my shadows. Are you trained in that specifically?"

"No, not really. I seem to have a remarkable memory for faces and names. It's an unusual talent which comes in very handy, especially in surveillance work. But, you know Hector? He was there, in Little Havana too, and I never spotted him! He showed me his photos to prove it. Sneaky sly fox."

Carlos grinned and nodded in agreement. "Hector is like smoke. Each time you mentioned your IT friend, and then let it slip with 'Hector', I kept wondering if he was the same Hector I knew. But, I think you knew that already."

Not giving anything away, Stephanie raised her eyebrows with a smile.

"Going back to Phoenix … that is the tattoo you have on your left hip, right?"

Stephanie laughed. "It's been annoying you, hasn't it? I knew you wanted to have a closer look when we were snorkelling. You couldn't quite figure out what it was."

"Until now. It makes sense. However, it was teasing me, but definitely not annoying," Carlos chuckled. "Yes. Teasing, even taunting me in my dreams with that delicate, stylised design, Babe."

Truth be told, he really wanted a closer look, a longer closer inspection of the finer details. Maybe even kissing and caressing it. He sensed there was a story behind that, knowing the legendary status of the phoenix rising from the ashes. Carlos was curious about the ornate design. Her bikini already was distracting enough, revealing a toned, banging body. Once he sees that tattoo, which he hopes will be someday soon, it will be more obvious. He couldn't help himself, as he explored a number of tattoo websites for women, but he never found anything that appeared similar to what he could glean from his brief observation. Perhaps it was specially designed for her, he wondered. Perhaps she designed it herself.

Stephanie waited while he collected his thoughts. "I think I lost you there, for a bit," she chuckled, blowing one of her curls off her face at his confession, especially with that heated look in his eyes, leaning closer to her. Stephanie knew he was trying to visualise her phoenix tattoo. Was it hot in here, she wondered?

Mentally fanning herself, her mind drifted to her luscious recent recollections. Such vivid visuals.

Visions of him last night with that sexy shirt, displaying his mighty fine pecs, and those muscles, had teased and taunted her throughout the night. Unbuttoning the remaining buttons was a tantalising memory, recalling how she nearly dragged him into the elevator with her. Previously, while snorkelling, when he slowly removed his shirt just before putting on their fins, was a sight she'd never want to forget, ever! It was indelibly imprinted on her brain. A photo would have been nice. That toned and chiselled body was most impressive. Together those luscious visions gave her wonderful evocative dreams.

With her stunning blue eyes captured by his deep dark brown eyes, mentally embracing those luscious visions, they just sat and soaked up their respective memories and desires, completely entranced by the other. They were so in the moment, that the young chefs were reluctant to interrupt them when they arrived simultaneously with the omelettes requested. The waitress arrived with fresh coffee and the spell was broken when they realised they had company.

The waitress smiled indulgently, having witnessed their blossoming connection each morning. She thought it was so romantic how they just drank each other in, saying so much without uttering any words.

Oops. With quiet thank yous, they accepted their omelettes and ate heartily, smiling between mouthfuls. It felt so funny to be caught enraptured as they were.

"You know, I'm glad I came here to have breakfast with you. I can't promise to do this every morning, but part of me didn't want to let go of this special time."

Carlos surprised himself, as a man not known for using so many words, she somehow gave him the cue to open up his feelings, and open his heart. Talking to her somehow didn't feel awkward. As his Abuela Rosa had said, and shown with her photos past and present, they were soul mates. He'd never felt this way with anyone before. It was so profound but he really liked it.

He loved her sense of humour and strength in character. Her enchantingly bright blue eyes which had captured him so subtly at their first encounter, had left him wanting more time with her, even though she was a complete stranger. Without even trying, she had disarmed him with her natural charms.

Stephanie, too, felt a new sensation with this wonderful, generous, very handsome man. He was easy to talk to and she enjoyed their relaxed banter from the outset. She smiled remembering the cougar lurking and hiding, desperately trying to capture his attention, even sending over her hotel room swipe card. That was how this encounter began, just from a simple aside to him. Never before had a man made her feel so inwardly happy, and playful. He was after all, a stranger, a perfect stranger. That he offered to show her some of the sights and experiences that Miami had to offer was most generous. All this while he was recovering from his last mission. Oh.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering, if I sort of interfered with your "recovery" while you were staying here?"

"Stephanie," he smiled warmly at her. "You have no idea how much you have helped me recover, immeasurably. No amount of other planned therapy could have come close to how you made me feel. I feel happy, and worthy, because of you. Without realising it, you pushed me over the cusp to accept the people around me without constantly evaluating possible threats. Your genuine nature helped in my re-peopling quest. My therapist remarked on it instantly, wondering what had reshaped my perspective so positively. I felt I could trust you, a stranger as you were, but a perfect stranger."

Stephanie smiled at his comment.

"It's ironic you just said that. Perfect stranger was how I perceived you with your generosity of time. But, not a stranger anymore. I want to know more about you, aside from our soon to be work context."

"I'd like that very much, Stephanie."

They smiled as they sipped their coffee. Stephanie was making sure not to spill any when she was about to stand up. His hand stilled her motion, his gentle touch sending a lovely zing up her arm at the same time.

"Before I go to work, what are your plans for today? I hope you don't mind me being curious."

"Not at all. I already cancelled the other job interviews. My task list is simple, just two important actions. I need to locate a more permanent residential place, and, secondly, I need personal transport. Finding a secure place to live in a safe neighbourhood is a challenge, since I am not familiar with Miami and its environs. I also need to get a car. Hector has offered to help me with that, so some sleazy car salesman doesn't try to take advantage of me, a single woman. He has some places in mind, one in particular, which he was strongly recommending."

"I support that and know the place Hector is thinking about. Regarding accommodation, would you consider a Rangeman approved building, sort of like a condominium, or an apartment? In fact, we have Rangeman-owned apartments which are available for staff off-site accommodation. It is monitored and gated with underground secure parking. You'd be the only woman. Because of the nature of our work, especially the shifts and considering that we have some on active deployments, it is very secure. People not in our domain would not understand. Safety and security are our priorities. There are a few vacancies, so you would have a choice of apartments, just single or two bedroom."

She pondered that offer and smiled. "Wow, that's quite the sales pitch, Carlos. So, I am not ousting or suddenly evicting someone to obtain one of these apartments?"

He grinned and shook his head. "I assure you, there will be no sudden mysterious evictions or shuffling of living arrangements. I figured that you like to be independent. They are in a safe neighbourhood, close to facilities and what you would call a woman-friendly area. Furthermore, your neighbours would be reliable, as they would be your soon to be work colleagues. The commute to work is not a long one, avoiding the major traffic snarls you might encounter in a different location. No obligation, but it is what I would offer to all new and prospective employees. Something to think about. I would gladly show you around." He finished with a smile.

Stephanie considered these options. It sounded like everything was coming together so neatly for her, all because of this man, Carlos, a chance encounter, over breakfast. She smiled as he looked at her hopefully, raising an eyebrow playfully, giving her a wink. He damn well knew it was an amazing offer. His alarm sounded.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. My fresh start is starting to become a reality. It feels like everything is lining up, gift wrapped in a Rangeman bow. I would like a viewing, if you're free?"

Carlos stood, lifting her gently by the elbow, one of his 100 watt grins on his face. Yes, he realised, this wonderful woman has made a difference in his perspective in such a short time. Ironically, it was a fresh start for him, too.

"Sorry, Babe. As much as I'd like to stay, I have to go. I have an 0800 meeting to convene. How about I meet you at 1700, here in the lobby, then I can give you a private viewing, of the apartments available."

Stephanie flushed at the double entendre. Whoo! A private viewing. Down girl.

Carlos caught her look and nudged her. "We can do dinner afterwards if you like. The guys have organised a taco and tortilla night for afterwards. Are you in for that?"

"Sure. Sounds like a plan. Thanks for surprising me like this." She grabbed the rose then turned to give him a chaste kiss. She was so tempted to take it further, but held on long enough to be more than just a little peck, one hand holding his cheek. Her lips tingled again.

After leaving a tip for their waitress, Carlos escorted Steph to the elevators. This time he left, smiling, all his buttons still intact and done up with another kiss.

She sighed as the doors closed and he disappeared from view.

"Have you jumped his bones yet, honey?"

The two ladies from yesterday chuckled as Stephanie startled. "We've been watching you two. Wowza! You two have some scintillating chemistry! Hot. You have him completely enraptured, while you are just as enraptured with him. A man who goes to so much trouble to bring you a rose so early in the morning for breakfast is special. You're a lucky, deserving girl. Go for it!"

The doors opened on their floor and together they stepped out, smiling at her giving her the thumbs up, making Stephanie smile.

Yes. Things were certainly looking up for Stephanie Plum.

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