Joe checked his appearance in his mirror once more. He thought about shaving again, but the slight scruff from the morning looked good on him. That five o'clock shadow never did him wrong. He ran the comb through his hair. He knew he needed a cut, but damn, he liked it on the longer side. The dark green button-down shirt paired with the grey pants looked good. He had the top three buttons open, which allowed some of his chest hair to show. With a dab of his cologne, Joe was ready to go. He put his wallet in his front pocket, the weapon tucked into his pants at his back, and put the gray sports jacket on. He picked up his keys off the table near the door and left his house, locking it up.
Joe got into his three-year-old black Jeep Grand Cherokee and drove toward Rangeman. He resented Rangeman opening up in Trenton. Their presence made it appear as though the cops couldn't do their jobs and allowed crime to run rampant in the city. That couldn't be further from the truth. The TPD was a robust department that kept law and order in check. Yes, there were some issues on Stark, but what can you expect from the gangbangers. He respected those men who worked for Rangeman; they were veterans, as was he, but that didn't mean he had to like them. Maybe Steph could give him some insight into that company.
When he arrived at the gate, he opened his window. "Detective Morelli," he said into the box.
"You are cleared to enter."
The gates began to open, and Joe drove through, surprised to see Stephanie standing by the garage entrance. Her dress looked phenomenal on her and showed off her toned body. The blonde wig on her head was jarring, but he was expecting it. He knew that Stephanie being out and about in Trenton could be problematic if the wrong people found out. As Joe put the car in park, Stephanie opened the passenger door. She quickly slid into the car and fastened her seatbelt.
"Hi, Joe; thank you for picking me up. You look good." Stephanie wasn't lying. Joe Morelli was still as sexy today as he was when they were in high school. She loved the pop of color on him and thought it was cute how his hair was always a little messy.
Joe got a good look at Stephanie when she got into the vehicle. She was different from the girl he knew sixteen years ago. She was a late bloomer, now filling out nicely with what he guessed was a B or C cup. He saw her eyes and immediately missed the blueness hidden under the color contacts. Once she settled in her seat, he drove out of the Rangeman garage and towards Philly.
"You look good. FBI treating you well?"
"Yes, it is. I love my job. While I enjoy being a field agent, I prefer working behind the scenes. I never enjoyed carrying my weapon and going directly after the bad guys. I like working behind my monitors and screens, giving other agents the tools they need to find the bad guys."
"Do you often travel?"
"Not really. Typically, I work solely out of Quantico but go when needed in the field. I usually travel with a team of agents, but sometimes solo to other field offices if they need my assistance. This is my first time contracting with an outside agency."
"How is it going? Are they treating you well?"
"It's going well. I enjoy working with the men. They are so nice and sweet to me. They treat me like I'm one of them, but also with respect. I can't tell you how many times one of the men will get up to give me their seat if there aren't enough. The only annoying thing was breaking them out of the habit of calling me "ma'am" every five seconds. It made me feel old."
"How's Santos?"
Stephanie debated how much to tell Joe. While she trusted him, she didn't want to talk about Lester to him. So, she decided less is more. "It's improved a bit. I don't think we will ever be friends; we can work together. He is good at running searches and working on tracking. He would do very well as a technical analyst."
"I'm glad things are improving. How's Ranger, the man of mystery?"
"He's so great. He is very supportive and always has my back. He runs a tight ship, but all of the men respect him. Some even revere Ranger. I can understand why he has their loyalty. He is fair and takes no nonsense. I feel as though he is a brother I never had."
Joe had to contemplate what Steph told him. Joe only worked with Ranger a few times and could never get a read on him. He keeps his feelings closed, and he has the best poker face. "I've worked with him a few times. We have a decent working relationship, but not much more."
"He does keep his feelings and thoughts hidden. However, I can read him well. I don't think he realizes that I can. He has subtle shifts in his body language, an inflection of his voice, and a look in his eyes. When I observe him, I can pick up on his feelings and emotions."
Stephanie could always read other people, a skill she developed as a child. She always knew when her mom was agitated, her father tired, or Valerie stressed. Steph would adjust her behavior to suit the feelings of others, always trying to be the "good" one. Stephanie knew her parents were stressed and worried about something in the weeks leading up to their death, but she chalked it up to Valerie starting college. How was she supposed to know they would be murdered? Stephanie had to push those thoughts from her head. She wasn't even an adult at the time. How could she understand her parents' worries when she was still in high school?
Joe and Stephanie continued their idle conversation about Burg's gossip as they drove towards Philly. For the first time in a long time, Stephanie felt her heartache for the dreams she had as a teenager, for the life she didn't get to live. Yes, she loved her job and the people she worked with, but she never intended to be a career woman, at least not in the FBI. For a while, Stephanie thought about becoming a teacher or a nurse or following in her mom Burg's footsteps to be a full-time mom, but that all changed after her parent's death.
Soon enough, they were pulling up in front of a nondescript building with an awning over the entrance. "Robert's Steakhouse" was written in fancy script letters on the awning. Two college kids were working as valets, waiting to park the vehicles. Joe handed the keys over to the young kid, then walked around to help Stephanie out and got his first glimpse of the woman Stephanie became.
"Beautiful," Joe whispered in Stephanie's ear as he gave her a sweet and gentle kiss on her cheek. Stephanie couldn't help but smile, even though his lips had no spark. As they entered, the maƮtre d' approached them.
"Good evening, Sir and Mademoiselle. I'm Jean Luc. How may I assist you," he stated in a posh voice, with hints of French and British accents.
"Good evening. I have a reservation for two for 7:45, under the name Joe Morelli."
"Yes, Sir, I have you here. You are a few minutes early, and we are preparing your table. Perhaps you'd like to wait at the bar."
"That's fine. Thank you."
Jean Luc escorted Joe and Stephanie to the bar and held out the bar chair as Stephanie sat. "I'll escort you to your table once it is ready."
Jean Luc signaled to the bartender, who promptly stood before the couple. "How may I help you?"
"I'll have a glass of Chianti," Joe paused and looked at Stephanie. She nodded, "and make that two." Joe finished ordering.
With a nod, the bartender retrieved two goblets and poured their wine, handing it to them. Joe left a generous tip as he paid for the beverages.
"I was surprised when I saw you there. You were the last person I expected to see working with those men."
"Why's that?"
"I've never seen them work with women before. No, I'm lying. They've worked with this woman, Jeanne Ellen, as a distraction, but other than her, they are men only. It's a bigger boys club than TPD is."
"Well, they are mostly ex-military and can be rough around the edges. I guess it's hard to find many women who fit the bill. To be honest, most women would be intimidated to work with all those alpha males."
"But not you," Joe said, smiling.
"No," Stephanie said, with a smile of her own, "Not me. You know, I was always more comfortable around the guys than I ever was around girls. Not to mention, FBI special agents are much more likely to be male than female, though those numbers are rising for us women. Most of the women I work with are part of the professional staff, admins, support, and secretaries."
"It couldn't have been easy, doing it all by yourself."
"There were challenges, but my life hasn't been easy for a while."
"How did you get through it all, Stephanie?"
"First, I found a good therapist. Then, I made friends with the people I went through the academy with, worked with, and met along the way. They became my family. Now that I'm a technical analyst based in Quantico, I have a group of men and women I work with who are a lot like me, and we are each other's support. We each handle different types of work and cases, and some deal with much darker cases. We give each other the space and the ear to help get through the tough aspects of our jobs. That's what Rangeman is like. The men there are a family more than colleagues. They understand each other like others can't. I know that some of them carry deep scars from their service, and I can tell when they are troubled by them. In that building, no one judges another; they accept and support each other. That's why I feel comfortable there. The owners know my story and history, and they help me deal with being back in Trenton."
"Sir, your table is ready," Jean Luc said.
Joe helped Stephanie stand as they followed Jean Luc, wine in hand, to their table.
The Whale couldn't believe his luck. There she was, Stephanie Plum. She's been a thorn in their side for too long. She knows more than she realizes, and any moment now could expose everything they have tried to hide for the last 16 years. He wasn't sure at first, especially with the wig and colored contacts, but he knew her voice. Once Detective Morelli called her by her name, he knew his suspicions were correct.
He took out his phone and quickly dialed his boss.
On
"This better be good."
"Oh, it is, boss, terrific."
"Well, I'm waiting. I haven't got all evening."
"I found her, that bitch who almost ruined everything."
"Stephanie Plum?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, boss. She's here with Detective Morelli, you know, her boyfriend."
"In Philly? Do you know where she's staying?"
"In Trenton, not Philly. I'm unsure where she lives, but I can try to follow them."
"No, Morelli may make your tail. You're one of the best, but he is a cop and will be on high alert with her accompanying him. Do you have one of those Apple tags?"
"Yeah. I'll take care of it."
"If this leads to us getting rid of her, you are in line for a nice bonus."
"Knowing that she's out of the picture will be bonus enough."
"Be smart."
The phone went dead, and the Whale finished his drink. Soon, he was outside, placing his apple tag on the detective's car. Now, he'll see where that bitch is staying.
Almost four hours later, Joe was pulling into the Rangeman garage. "Are you sure, Steph?"
"Yeah, Joe, I'm sure. You are one of the most important people in my life, but there is no us anymore. We are two different people who want different things. I know you want a more traditional life than me. While I know you don't want your mom, you do want someone who will be home every night with dinner at six. You want a woman who wants children and wants to raise them. That's not me. I'll never be that woman to put dinner on the table every night, nor do I want to have children right now. I don't know if I ever want them. What we had was right for the time, but not now."
Joe sighed and hit the steering wheel. "Why did everything get so fucked up? I went into the Navy to give you more than we would have in the Burg. I hoped to make the Navy my career, where we could travel around the country and live outside of Trenton. Then, your parents died, and everything else, and you were gone."
"I know, Joe. I wish things could have been different. The Stephanie that existed before the accident would have loved that life. But the woman who I became would feel smothered."
"I get it. I don't like it."
"I did enjoy spending time with you. Maybe we can go out again?"
"Sure, Cupcake."
Stephanie smiled at Joe's term of endearment. He started to call her 'cupcake' when she was ten. Every day, without fail, she would have a cupcake with her lunch. Seeing Stephanie without a cupcake was a rarity then. The nickname reminded her of her innocence and youth.
"Good night, Joe; I had a great time."
Stephanie leaned over, kissed Joe on the cheek, and hugged him. As she exited the car, she looked back at him and smiled. Steph walked into the lobby and waited for the elevator after thanking Junior for holding it for her. She took her wig off in the elevator but suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. Feeling wired, she hit the button for five and decided she needed to work to distract her mind.
