A/N: Many thanks to Harmne for this story idea. The only thing better than using your idea is if you were the one writing it.

Chapter One - Steph's First Day

I'm going to be late. I can't be late on my first day. "Come on, move it!" I muttered as I clutched my steering wheel. I was stuck behind a delivery truck that seemed to think they had all the time in the world, and maybe they did, but I didn't.

As we drove through the intersection as the world's slowest caravan, I waited for a break in the traffic in the lane next to me. When there was the slightest gap, I quickly indicated and changed lanes, raising my hand in mea culpa when the driver behind me honked their horn. I didn't cut them off exactly; they sped up when they saw my turn signal come on. New Jersey drivers, I tell ya.

After another five minutes of navigating toward the downtown core, I stopped in front of a nondescript seven-story brick building. I cut the engine, checked my hair in the rearview mirror, gave myself a quick pep talk, and stepped out of the car.

Today was my first day as an assistant housekeeper, and while it wasn't glamorous, it was a job. At this point, I couldn't afford to be picky. My savings had dwindled to almost nothing after I'd been laid off from my old job as an assistant lingerie buyer at the now-defunct EE Martin, and even though this was just a temporary job while Ella, the primary housekeeper, recuperated from her broken leg, it paid pretty well. I was hoping it would turn into something more permanent. The benefits were excellent, though I was a little iffy about the requirements they'd mentioned regarding mandatory gym time three times per week and learning to use a gun in their range. Why on Earth would any housekeeper need to learn how to shoot a gun? But I was verging on desperation, and I agreed to it.

I glanced at my watch—one minute early. Well, at least I'm not late.

A small brass plaque was set into the brick beside the double glass doors. It was a small logo made of a simple, black RM in block letters, but there was no explanation as to what type of business it was. I suppose if you needed to know, you'd already know. RM stood for RangeMan, an elite security company with offices in three states. That's pretty much all I knew about them so far. Even the website didn't have much more than a sales pitch for their services. There was no 'About Us' section or anything.

Inside the lobby, there was a long reception desk and, directly across, a small seating area with modern black leather chairs. The floors were highly polished, with ultra-large black tiles and tasteful landscape paintings dotting the cream-coloured walls. A muscular man with close-cropped blond hair and a visible earpiece in his right ear was seated behind the desk, watching me approach.

I approached the desk and greeted the man, whose nametag declared him Hal.

"Good morning," I said. "I'm Stephanie Plum. Today's my first day as the assistant housekeeper."

"Yes, Ella told me to expect you. Please wait a moment, and I'll have someone come down." Hal was soft-spoken but had a deep voice and a fair complexion that looked prone to blushing, as mine was.

I wandered the room, looking at the paintings on the wall while waiting for whoever was coming down to meet me.

A moment later, a huge, bald, black man came out of a doorway next to the elevator and strode toward me. "Miss Plum? I'm Tank." He extended his hand, and I shook it, surprised at how delicate his grip was. He was probably trying not to crush my hand because I had a feeling that would be no problem for this giant colossus of a man.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied.

"Follow me, please." He led me to the elevator and pushed the button for the fifth floor once we were inside. On the fifth floor, he led me to his office and asked me to take a seat in front of the desk before sitting himself. "I have some paperwork for you to fill out, then I'll take you on a tour of the building before taking you up to see Ella." He slid a folder and a pen toward me on the desk. "Please fill these out to the best of your ability. If you have any questions, let me know."

I opened the folder and started reading the forms, initialling and signing them wherever I saw the little flags he'd put on the pages.

"Normally, the health benefits wouldn't kick in for ninety days, but seeing as this is a temporary position, we've waived that requirement for you," he explained as I got to the little benefits booklet. "You can keep that booklet; it explains everything you're entitled to." I tucked the booklet away in my purse, and he continued. "Now, did Ella tell you about our requirements?"

"Yes, but I still don't really understand why a housekeeper needs to learn how to shoot a gun. I hate guns!"

"Even so. You're working for a security company. You need to know how to defend yourself. It won't be so bad—only thirty minutes twice a week. The gym is another matter. You need to spend one hour in there three times per week. You can do any type of workout you want, though I recommend a mix of cardio and weights since this will be a physically demanding job."

I sighed a little but tried to hide it. "Okay. And you don't care when I do it, right? I don't have to come in at the crack of dawn or anything?"

He smiled. "No, you can do it any time during the day as long as you're not needed elsewhere, which brings me to my next point. Would you be able or willing to move into the apartment next door to Ella's?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, I could, but what would I do with my apartment? And what about Rex?"

"Rex? And you don't need to worry about your apartment. You can keep it, and we'll pay the rent for it as long as you work and live here. Sometimes, you may be required during your off hours—in which case, we'd pay you extra—but being on-site would make it easier for everyone, especially while Ella isn't mobile."

"Rex is my hamster. If I can bring him, then I guess I can move in. I don't have a lot of stuff. Is the apartment furnished?"

Tank nodded. "The apartment is furnished. You just need to bring your personal items, and you can bring Rex, too."

I signed the last page Tank had given me and pushed the papers back in his direction. "I'll make copies and get them back to you before you leave. I don't think Ella showed you around before, correct?"

I shook my head.

"Alright. I'll show you your new apartment, then around the building. You can move in at any time. Will you need any assistance? I can get some of the men to help you if you need it."

I shook my head again. "No. I'll just bring my clothes and Rex. I can fit it all in my car."

"Okay, then. Let's go."

He led me to a doorway next to the elevator and opened the door for me. I went ahead, and he said, "Go up one floor."

He led me to a small apartment next to the elevator. It had an efficiency kitchen, a well-appointed bathroom, and a bedroom big enough to fit a queen-sized bed, flanking nightstands and a dresser. The living room had a sofa, matching chair, and a flat-screen TV mounted low on the wall. The furniture was simple and modern, made of dark wood. It was okay, but pretty masculine and not my style at all. Oh well. I suppose it's only temporary. If it becomes permanent, maybe I can ask for a change.

"Is it okay?" Tank asked.

"Sure, it'll do. I can pack my stuff and bring it tomorrow morning," I replied.

"Good. Let me show you the rest of the building. Let's go upstairs first."

"What's upstairs?"

"The boss's apartment. He's out of the country right now, but you'll be responsible for cleaning it whether he's here or not." We walked up the stairs again—Tank was going to have me use the stairs throughout the entire tour, I just knew it—and when we got to the door at the end of the stairwell, there was a security pad. "There's a security fob to enter this floor. Ranger doesn't want any more fobs given out, so Ella will have to let you in to perform your duties."

He showed me around the boss's apartment. The furniture looked similar to what I'd seen in the lobby and the apartment I would live in on the sixth floor, but even more luxurious. It was one bedroom with a separate den, a to-die-for bathroom with the most enormous shower I'd ever seen, and a kitchen that would probably please professional cooks. Since I'm not much of a cook, I could admit it was nice, but it didn't inspire me to become the next Anthony Bourdain or anything. The apartment was a little dusty, which Tank explained was because Ella hadn't been able to clean it since her injury a week ago.

"Just keep things neat and dust-free when Ranger is away. Nothing special needs to be done. Ella can give you the rundown of his preferences when he is away and in residence."

I nodded in understanding, and we left, walking down the stairwell and back to view the rest of the building. He showed me around everywhere, including the massive gym filled with scary equipment that the man next to me expected me to learn how to use. He correctly interpreted my look and smirked but didn't say anything.

After the tour, we returned to the sixth floor, where I was to meet with Ella. She would go over my duties and show me the ropes, including where all the cleaning supplies and foodstuffs were kept.

He knocked once on Ella's door, then pushed the door open. "Ella?" he called.

"In here," Ella called back.

An older lady with softly styled grey hair cut into a bob was sitting on a couch, her casted leg propped up on a pillow on the coffee table in front of her. "Hello, Tank," she greeted cheerfully. "Hi again, Stephanie. Welcome to RangeMan."

"Hi, Ella," I said. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine, dear. It's good to see you again. Has Tank been showing you around?"

I nodded. "I think everything except the sixth floor."

"I can do that. I'm about ready to get up and walk around again. My husband Luis is taking me to the doctor this afternoon, and I'm hopeful he'll consider giving me a walking cast on so I can at least get around."

"Ella, don't rush your recovery," Tank said. "We need you to be healthy and strong so you'll be around a long time."

She patted his arm. "I will be, dear, but thank you. Don't worry about me. He'll make sure I'm ready for that type of cast before he'll change it." She turned to me. "Stephanie, did Tank ask you about moving into the empty apartment next door?"

"Yes. He said I could bring my pet hamster, Rex, so I'll move in tomorrow morning when I come to work."

"That's wonderful, dear. Tank, would you ensure Stephanie's key fob works for the entire sixth floor?"

"It already does, Ella. She has access to all but the seventh floor."

She nodded approvingly. "Tank, would you please bring those crutches over here?" Tank grabbed Ella's crutches and brought them over to her, then helped her stand and get the crutches situated. "Thank you, Tank. If you can get the door for us, I'll let you get back to work."

Tank led us out of the apartment, and I took up the rear. I wasn't sure how steady Ella was on the crutches, but I wanted to make sure she would be okay.

We went to the large industrial kitchen situated between Ella's apartment and my new apartment. It had miles of countertop and a large stainless steel portable island There were two of each large appliance, and everything was stainless steel and spotless. "Wow," I said.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Ella asked.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a big kitchen. How many people work here?"

"At last count, there are fifty-three employees, including you. Ranger treats his employees well, and basic meals are available for everyone at breakfast, lunch, and dinner times."

"So, will most of my time be spent cooking?" I asked. Ella knew cooking was not my forte, and I was a little worried now.

She smiled. "Not at all. We're not a restaurant, and no one expects us to be. In the cooler weather, as we have now, I will typically make a large batch of soup or chilli. Something warm, and then toss a salad or arrange trays of veggies along with some bread. I set it up in the break room in chafing dishes and the men can grab some whenever they'd like. In warmer weather, I might make trays of sandwiches or wraps. Not everyone eats the meals, but typically, there aren't many leftovers. The only one who gets individual meals when he requests them is Ranger. He's not in town right now, so that's not an issue."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think he has a timeline when he's called away like this."

I nodded. I could handle making trays of sandwiches and cutting up veggies. "And you'll help with the soup and stuff like that?"

Ella smiled. "Of course, dear."

"Okay, good."

Ella hobbled with the crutches to a room across the hall, and I followed. Inside were two industrial washing machines and two dryers. "The laundry is pretty simple. We are responsible for washing all the linens from the gym, the infirmary, and Ranger's laundry when he's here. The employees are responsible for their own laundry, including bed linens and towels. We leave the room available for the employees from Thursday evening until Monday morning, and this room is completely soundproofed, so there are no restrictions on when they can run the machines during that time. This also means that Mondays are typically heavy laundry days since none of the men take days off from the gym over the weekend."

"Alright."

"I have a routine I'll share with you that'll help you keep organized if you like," she added.

"I'd love that. Thanks, Ella," I replied.

We spent another fifteen minutes going over my duties and the expanded nature of them until she was back on her feet. She confided that she hoped my position would become permanent, as she was starting to find the workload too much for one person. "When Ranger returns, it'll be one of our first discussions," she said.

Next, we went up to Ranger's apartment to clean it. Ella said she hadn't been up there in about a week and knew it needed to be dusted and refreshed, especially since she didn't know when he was due back. She showed me the products she liked since he wasn't fond of cleaning chemical smells and preferred unscented products. She had a closet in the laundry room reserved only for items for his apartment, including four sets of the most fabulous sheets I'd ever felt, several bottles of fancy shower gel and other toiletry items he liked, and stacks of replacement uniforms in case something happened to his. While we (mostly I) worked, she told me about the types of food he preferred.

Though there were no photos of him anywhere, not even on the company website, I began to form a clearer picture of who he must be based on each bit of information I learned about him. To be so successful, he must be an older man. There's no way a younger guy would have so much money, right? I imagined a distinguished gentleman with slicked-back hair, maybe with a touch of grey at the temples, and possibly even a mustache. Based on the twigs and bark diet Ella told me he liked and the gym requirements he made the entire company adhere to, he must be in good shape. His closet was filled with uniforms and designer suits, all in black.

After his apartment was spick-and-span, with fresh sheets and flowers in a fancy vase near his front door, we returned to the sixth-floor laundry room.

"Since today's Monday, it's laundry day. I'm going to take a short break from the crutches," Ella said. "Can you start a couple of loads of gym towels? Use hot water, and add bleach to the cycle. Once you have those started, come find me in my apartment, and we'll start lunch in the kitchen."

"Sure, Ella. No problem. I'll see you in a little bit." I turned to the machines and studied them for a moment. Even though they were commercial machines, they seemed easy to use. I loaded up the first washer with the white towels from the hamper, filled the designated compartments with detergent and bleach, and turned it on. I repeated the action with the second machine, then turned off the light and went to Ella's apartment.

A/N: As one of the readers who always takes the time to leave a thoughtful review, this chapter is for Melyons. Happy birthday, and thank you so much, Babe!