Lucky No. One: Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The first thing I thought when Joe Morelli opened the door to his house was, Yowsa. The second think I thought of was, damn.

“You must be Ginny.” Joe held out his hand for shake, and I obliged him.

A large golden retriever lunged between us, and Joe grabbed his collar. “No!”

Even I took a step back and the dog flopped backwards, drooling and looking up at his master.

“Sorry about that. He’s got this thing with sticking his nose in inappropriate places… it does it to everyone.” Joe handed me he dogs leash which he had clipped to the dogs collar. “I’ve got a bag of food for you…well, for Bob, my truck. He’s pretty easy to take care of… Just don’t leave him alone for long periods. He’s destroyed all kinds of things…chairs, tables, cars…”

“Right.” I nodded, and took the leash. Bob followed me dolefully down the steps and got into my car without much hassle. Joe tossed the bag of food into my trunk and I was set.

“Thanks.” Joe stuffed his hands into his pocket. “Do you mind if I ask how you know Ranger?”

“We grew up together.” I told him. “Don’t worry, I’m not some lunatic he picked up off of the street to watch your dog.”

“Oh well, I know Ranger has lot of connections… I trust him…for you know, trusting Ranger.”

“I understand. I’ll take good care of your dog, and if anything happens I have a number to reach you.” I gave him a smile. “I just hope your dog likes cats.”

“You have cats?”

“Only one… and he’s a big fan of dogs… In fact just this morning I could tell he was thinking, ‘Gin, when are we gonna get a mutt around this place? Liven things up a bit?’ … My cat is special.”

Joe smiled, and I could tell that he was loosening up. “Alright. I’ll let you leave now. If you have any problems, call me.”

I smiled at him, and got into my car. Bob stuck his nose out of the window for a few minutes before curling up in the back seat, perfectly content to be where ever it was that he was going.


“Griffin!” I called, and made some kissy noises. Bob bounded into the apartment, yanking at his leash wanting to sniff around his newest home-away-from-home. I unclipped his leash and he ran circles around my apartment. Griffin entered the room, took one look at Bob, and scurried back into my bedroom. I had a feeling this was going to be a long week…

I got Bob comfortable on my couch with an episode of Whose Line is it Anyway? and took a quick shower. Then I went into my bedroom and comforted my cat.

“It’s only for a week, Griff, and then Bob will be back with Mr. Morelli, and you can have your couch back. Nothing will be different. Bob will go with me during the day, and you’ll still get your alone time here in the house, okay?”

“Doesn’t look like he believes you, cupcake.” Ranger leaned in my doorway.

“Holy shit!” I fell off my bed and onto the floor in surprise. “How did you get in here?”

“I have my ways.” He grinned and helped me off the floor. “How’s the dog?”

“Fabulous. He’s cute. Griffin isn’t so happy though…”

Ranger gently picked Griffin up, tucking into a ball in his arms. Griffin purred happily, and clung to his shoulder.

“He looks perfectly content to me.”

“Show him the dog…” I said, sitting on my bed. “So, what brings you here?”

Ranger set my cat down on the floor, and Griffin stretched before walking out of the room and into the bathroom where I saw him curl up in the sink. “I just wanted to see you, and I brought you dinner. It’s in the kitchen.”

“What did you bring me? None of that healthy crap you eat, right?”

“No, I brought you artery-clogging fried chicken… although it isn’t as greasy as what you probably like.”

“I hate greasy chicken.” I took Ranger’s hand and let him lead me into the kitchen. Bob was sitting in front of the refrigerator panting. Ranger had stuck the bags out of his reach, and I had a sudden feeling that Ranger knew a lot more about this dog then I did. I was sort of glad.

Ranger tossed Bob a treat and we sat at the nook while Ranger opened cartons of Mac and Cheese, Cole slaw, a tub of barbequed chicken pieces, an 8-piece bag of chicken and a box of raspberry Twinkies.

“You know me so well…” I opened the box of Twinkies and savored the first bite.

“So much for your body being a temple and all that crap, right?” Ranger grinned, and I shoved the second Twinkie into his mouth. He looked at me disgusted for a moment but I know he enjoyed it because he chewed and swallowed.

“Disgusting.” He lied, and gave me a kiss. “But I must admit, it takes pretty good on you, babe.”

“Everything tastes good on me, right?”

“I’d be willing to try it.” Ranger raised an eyebrow at me suggestively, and kicked him softly in the shin.

We ate in silence for a while, tossing Bob and Griffin, who had decided that Bob wasn’t that bad after all, pieces of chicken.

“Do you want to do something tomorrow night?” Ranger asked me while we were cleaning up the kitchen, which mainly consisted of tossing boxes and bags into the trash.

“Like…a date?”

“Yea, like a date.”

“I didn’t know you still went on dates, Ranger…” I grinned.

“Only with women I really like.” Ranger said.

“Sure, I’ll go out with you… but we have to take the dog with us.”

“No problem.” Ranger shrugged and kissed me again, slow this time, savoring it. I still tasted like Twinkies, and Ranger tasted like…well, Ranger. He released me after a moment, his fingers still inching up under my shirt. “I’ll see you tomorrow then at say, seven?”

“Seven would be good.” I nodded.

“I’ll see you at seven then.” He grinned, and then his fingers weren’t searing at my skin anymore, and I was left in my apartment alone with a perverted dog who had a sweet tooth (he’d almost devoured my box of Twinkies), and a stuck-up cat who was now snoozing in my favorite chair. Great… Fucking fabulous.


Tank stopped by the compound the next afternoon after I had dropped off a sheik at the airport. “Hey, Ginny.”

“Hey Tank, what’s up?” I asked, shoving my boots under the passenger seat and shoving on my sneakers. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no problem. Ranger just wanted me to stop by and tell you that he might be a little late tonight. He had to go help Stephanie with an FTA.”

FTA… Bounty hunter talk.

“Alright.”

“So, how’s Jersey treating you?” Tank asked.

“As good as Jersey gets, I suppose.” Bob stuck his head out of the window at Tank.

“Nice dog.”

“Yea, it’s Joe Morelli’s, I’m watching him for the week.”

“Ah.” Tank nodded, and patted Bob on the head. “I’ll tell Ranger you got the message and talk to you later, Ginny. Have a nice afternoon, and don’t get into any trouble, okay?”

“Bye Tank.” I smiled, and pushed Bob’s drool covered nose away from my shoulder. We watched Tank’s SUV drive away, and then I decided I might as well go home and have leftovers for lunch as long as I didn’t have a job to do.


Griffin perked his head up as I opened the door and Bob bounded into the room with me. I flicked the TV on, and sat down on the couch with Griffin in my lap, and Bob beside me. We watched a soap opera with mild interest, and then I decided I might as well actually eat lunch.

I ate the left over barbequed chicken pieces cold, and I warmed up the mac and cheese in the microwave. I dumped a handful of cat food into the dish for Griffin, and two handfuls of dog food in another dish for Bob before I sat down on the couch to watch another agonizing hour of soaps.


Ranger knocked on my door a little after eight.

“Sorry I’m late babe.” He apologized. “I had some problems with a few FTA’s today.”

“That’s alright, although it’s really sort of useless to go out now.” I shrugged, and led him into the living room where Bob was in a chair, and Griffin was sprawled in the middle of the coffee table, his feet twitching a little.

“I have no problem’s staying in, babe.” He wrapped an arm around my waist. “The question really is, is do you really want to be alone in your apartment with me?”

I grinned and fell back onto the couch with him, with groaned under our weight.

“This thing isn’t going to crack in half or anything, is it?” Ranger asked.

“I’m sure it will be fine.” I brought his attention back to me, kissing him and tugging on his bottom lip with my teeth.

We both looked up when there was a sudden growling noise in my ear.

“Looks like Bob doesn’t like the show, Gin.” Ranger said, and Bob barred his teeth.

“C’mon, we can go in the bedroom.” I said, air returning, quite unwanted, back into my lungs, and Ranger took my hand. Bob jumped up onto the couch, watching woefully as I retreated with Ranger into my bedroom, the door partially closed.

Ranger kissed me again, and it wasn’t as hard as it would usually be to pick up were we left off. I could tell it had been awhile for Ranger, who wasn’t one to sleep around, but I doubted if it had been since my sister.

“How long has it been?” He breathed into my ear.

“Since what?” I asked, confused as to what he was asking me. How long since he’d done it? Since I’d done it?

“Since we last fucked each other, Ginny. What did you think I was talking about?” Ranger didn’t care about be crude. His fingers tugged my t-shirt up over my stomach.

“Some where between eight and a half, nine years.”

“Fuck.” Ranger groaned, his mouth pressing against my stomach, and his fingers unclasping my jeans.

In a movie, this would be the part where the camera pans down our withering body, and there would be a lot of exaggerated panting. In movies, they get right to it. Ranger doesn’t do that. He lets his women writhe. He likes that. That feeling of them trying to find him, but losing him just as a ripple effect was about to start. Part of me loves that… loves that he teases, he has a fun side, that he wants to make sure that we both get off. The other part of me hates it, and begs for release. Ranger doesn’t listen to begging though.

“Begging gets you no where in life…” Ranger whispered to me as we lay in my parents house, in my basement bedroom. “Why should it get you anywhere in the bedroom?” The statement didn’t stop my pleads though. Eventually he gave in, unable to contain himself any longer. That’s a sadistic sort of quality in Ranger, but at least he puts out whatever he gives, two-fold on himself.

Right now, Ranger was looming over me, naked. He’d changed a lot since high school, that first time after junior prom, and not so much since the last time after Carrie told him she wanted a divorce with sole custody. His lips found mine in the dark, and I felt him pressing into me, his hands wrapping one of my legs around his hips. He had his quirks, and this was one of them… the leg wrapped around his hips. He was willing to try just about anything, so long as the woman could hold her place in that position. He told me once it made him feel like there was equal power in the relationship that way, and that it got him closer to who he was making love with. At the time, I thought it was crap, but after experiencing a few other men, I decided he was right. Or maybe I just decided that Ranger was right for me in the sexual department.

“Shit.” Ranger hissed into my ear, his shoulder pressing against my throat. My eyes squeezed shut, and I felt him release into me. I groaned, and let him sag down against me. Ranger’s weak spot was sex, especially if it had been awhile. I could ask him for a million dollars and he wouldn’t be able to say no to me.

He rested against me for a few moments before he rolled off of me, and pressed his forehead against my shoulder, his arms pulling me tight against him. We were both hot, and sweaty, but I felt clean as though I had just repented for all of my sins or something –not just committed one.

“You okay, babe?” Ranger asked, his voice was hot, and sticky just like the rest of him.

“Perfect, Ranger.” My own voice sounded a bit throaty, but I suppose it would after that.