Any Man Of Mine - sade meeks (top young adult novels txt) 📗

Does the name mean anything to you?" When I shook my head, Ranger continued. "Joe's doing a work up on him now. I've got Silvio doing a full check on him as well."

I pushed up a bit to turn back and look at him. "You don't trust Joe's work?"

"I think Silvio can do better. There are things he can access that Joe couldn't easily get to, Babe." I pondered this for a moment. Ranger was right. I'd worked the computers and search programs available to Rangeman previously. If this Paul Shapiro had any secrets, he wouldn't for long. Satisfied that this wasn't just a display of stupid macho pride, I resumed my previous position. Ranger shifted some, catching the throw blanket with on hand and covered me with it. I snuggled deeper into his embrace and let out a contented sigh. This felt nice. Really nice. Ranger kissed the top of my curls. "Get some sleep." I didn't need to be told twice.
When I stepped into the bathroom to take care of nature and my morning shower, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and almost screamed. I'd forgotten I was still decorated compliments of Marcantel. I made sure to use Ella's cure while in the shower and I think it helped. The pink on my one cheek had faded to just looking as though I'd been a little free with the blusher on that side. The purple and green on my neck looked like bruises in various stages of healing. My only towel wrapped around my hair, I caught myself just before opening the door and walking out of my bathroom into full view of the security camera. I rolled my eyes and reached for the robe on the back of the bathroom door. I paused. I don't keep a robe on my bathroom door. I looked closer and sniffed it. Bulgari. Ranger's. He knows me too well; I hadn't remembered to grab something to get past the cameras with my dignity intact.

Emerging from the bathroom, now fully covered, I heard my cell phone jangling out Turkey in the Straw. The ring associated with my parents' number. I'd taken to screening my calls but I knew I was going to have to speak to my mother before too much longer. Now's as good a time as ever, I guess. I dug in my black bag and pulled out my phone.

"Stephanie, this is your mother."

I rolled my eyes. "I know Mom."

This seemed to confound her for a moment. "You do? How?" Was she for real?

"I recognize your rin…er… your voice."

"Oh." Did my mother seriously not know she sounded the same on the phone as in person? Mind boggling.

Silence.

"Mom?"

"Yes"

"You wanted something?"

"Yes I did young lady," I mentally sighed. No conversation ever started that way that went in my favor. "What is this I hear about you screaming at Joseph? And at his work place too. Really Stephanie. Men want a wife who is better behaved than that. What an embarrassment to him. Men don't marry women who embarrass them. How are you ever going to convince Joseph to marry you if continually do things to embarrass him?"

I tuned her out. It wouldn't do me any good at this point to tell her that Joe and I had broken up again. I waited until I didn't hear her voice anymore before I spoke. "Okay mom. Was there anything else? I need to get to work."

"Working on a Saturday? Honestly Stephanie, you need a decent job. A decent job doesn't require you to work on Saturdays. You could have your evenings and weekends off if you worked at the button factory. I can get you an application on Monday." Saturday? Hot Damn! I'll swing by the office and take my Merry Man de jour on a tour of the mall, maybe with Lula in tow. Thinking of the upcoming shopping spree, my spirits perked up and then fell as I realized my mother was asking me a question. "You are coming to dinner tonight, right? I'm making a roast and chocolate pudding for dessert."

"No, sorry. I have other plans." Not a complete lie. I had plans NOT to be seen by her in my current state of color. Pineapple Upside Down cake might have changed my mind, but chocolate pudding wasn't going to do it.

"Plans? What plans?"

I thought quickly. If I told her I had plans with Joe, she'd get the wrong idea. "Lula and I are getting together tonight. It's…uh…." Think Stephanie Think! "She just broke up with her boyfriend and I told her I'd come over with dinner to get her mind off it."

"She can come with you."

"NO! I mean no thanks. She's really not feeling up to being around people right now."

We wrapped up the conversation after that. I got dressed and ready for a day at the mall. As I headed down to the parking lot, I wondered which Merry Man was on Stephanie Watch today.

Coming to a halt just outside the door to the building, I scanned the parking lot. Shiny black SUV? Check. As yet unidentified Merry Man on watch? Check. My piece of crap car? I searched the lot with my eyes again and then a third time. Nope, my POS car wasn't here. It must still be at Rangeman. No problem, the Merry Man of the day could just take me to the parking garage to get it. I fixed a somewhat annoyed look on my face for effect and headed in the direction of the SUV. The driver's side window slid down as I walked towards the vehicle, giving me a glimpse of the driver as it did. I lost the annoyed look and grinned. Tank. This was going to be fun. I decided against insisting on a ride to get my crapola car. I didn't often get to observe Lula and Tank together so I was going to take advantage of the opportunity. Tank could chauffer us around today.

I gave Tank a finger wave, letting my grin turn positively evil, and headed directly for the passenger side. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I saw Tank pale slightly at my expression. Oh yeah, this was gonna be fun alright. Once I was settled into my seat, I turned and faced him.

"Morning. Up for playing chauffer today?" Tank barely moved his head in a nod. I waited a few beats. Apparently that was all the response I was going to get. "Ooooookay then. First stop is the Bonds office." Without saying a word, Tank started up the SUV and we were on our way.

Lula was at the window looking out at the SUV when I walked into the office. "Which fine piece of man you got with you today? I don't suppose it's my man." When I didn't answer her right away, Lula turned back and pinned me with her gaze. "It is, idin't? That's Tank out there."

I grinned at her. "Up for a trip to the mall?"

"Hell Yeah! I think I'm in need of a trip to Victoria's Secret. A girl needs to feel pretty and her panties are the best place to start. Let's go." Lula had grabbed her purse and swung her orange spandex covered ass out the door before I could answer. I turned to Connie.

"Any more surprises for me?" I asked as I looked around the office for signs of any more flowers, fresh or decaying.

"No. So what's the deal? You got a babysitter until they figure this out or what?" Connie reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a nail file, cuticle stick, cotton balls, polish remover, and a bottle of nail polish as she spoke.

"Pretty much. They managed to get a name from the credit card used to order the flowers. Both Joe and Rangeman are running checks on the guy. Since it's Saturday and Tank's on duty, I thought Lula'd like to spend some time with him too. Heaven only knows how much Ranger might keep him on the job with this situation." We both turned to look out the window. Thankfully, the SUV was not rocking but I still didn't think I should leave them out there alone too long. "Wanna come with us?"

Before Connie could answer, Vinnie's door swung open. "No she's not going with you. She has to work. You should be working. You have open files. What? Do you all think I'm made of money?"

Connie started searching her desk for a listening device, mumbling under her breath about what she'd like to do to his pencil dick. Vinnie glared at her, did a 'Burg girl worthy eye roll in her direction and then swung his gaze to me. Suddenly, he got a stricken look on his face and hurried back into his office, slamming the door behind him. That was strange. Connie was always threatening harm to him for bugging her desk. Why'd he react like that this time? I looked at Connie.

She was looking at me with a puzzled expression on her face. "What'd I miss? What'd you do to him?"

"Me? Nothing, I swear." I was just as in the dark as she was.

Connie looked like she didn't believe me. "What are you humming? It's familiar but I can't place it."

I hadn't even realized I'd been humming. It was that damn Rubber Duck song. Seeing Vinnie must have brought it up from my subconscious. "A children's song. Never mind. See ya later."

I let Lula ride shotgun as Tank drove us to Quakerbridge Mall. After a small discussion, we had decided that was the place to go – they had everything we needed: f.y.e., Victoria's Secret, a pretzel vendor, and, highest on Tank's priority list, the mall security was so used to me being tailed by Rangeman that the rent-a-cops no longer gave us a second thought. Early on, when I would have a Rangeman guard detail with me, the rent-a-cops in the mall would follow us in groups of two like they were expecting the men in black to be terrorists or something. After the third or fourth time of being approached and basically asked to leave the mall, Ranger and I sat down with the head of mall security and explained the situation.

In all honesty, I could have used a new pair of shoes but Lula and I were banned from Macy's until Thanksgiving after our last attempt to capture a skip accidentally wound up taking out all the displays on the second floor. Don't ask. It wasn't my fault. Really.

Apparently The What had a gig at a bar called the Yee-Haw Y'all and Lula was on a mission to find something that the crowd would listen to so the band wouldn't have to resort to Rawhide - like the Blues Brothers. So we hit f.y.e. first. As Lula went over to the listening station, a stack of CDs in her hands, Tank trailed about three steps behind my every move. Every time I'd stop to look at an album, he'd stop and scan the store, standing at attention.

"Dammit Tank! Stop it! At least act like you are having a casual day at the mall with your…" I hesitated, looked over to where Lula was oblivious to our conversation, head phones on, engrossed in finding something country that didn't gross her out, and continued, "uh, girlfriend and her friend." I bit back the laugh that threatened to escape at the look on his face when I referred to Lula as his girlfriend. He