Disclaimer: The characters of the Stephanie Plum series belong to Janet Evanovich and are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Note: This short fic is adapted from a joke I heard.
Pairing: None
Rating: Suitable for all ages
Feedback: Send email to ttsmiscellany@yahoo.com

A Bright Idea
by TT

Everyone in the office was dragging. It was difficult to see, but it was there if you looked.

The first of the spring weather had arrived bringing forth an abundance of flowers, leaves and criminal stupidity.

It was the criminal stupidity that had all Rangeman employees, including contract workers, putting in ten to twelve hour days or more seven days a week.

Things were beginning to slow down, but fatigue was wearing everyone down.

Stephanie had been putting in hours at Rangeman, helping with Ranger’s skips and doing her own for Vinnie’s. What she really needed, she thought as the words on the page began to blur together for the fifth time in three minutes, was a few days off.

A heavy sigh escaped Stephanie.

It was echoed by an equally heavy sigh from Binkie in the cubicle next to her.

Her eyebrows flew toward her hairline as she heard him mutter, “I’m going to do it.”

Setting aside her papers, she stood up and moved to the wall that separated their cubicles. Rising up onto her toes, she peered over the wall. “Do what, Binkie?” she asked softly.

Binkie looked up and just smiled and stood up. “I’m going to get a few days off,” he whispered, leaning forward.

A skeptical look crossed over Stephanie’s face, so she just nodded and returned to work.

She was just beginning to focus on the page in front of her again when a noise nearby and above her startled her. Looking up, she spotted Binkie hanging upside down from the ceiling between their cubicles making a soft humming noise.

It didn’t take long before Ranger and Tank appeared in Stephanie’s cubicle.

“Binkie!” Tank growled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Binkie blinked at Tank and Ranger. Keeping his face perfectly serious, he replied. “I’m a light bulb. I’m doing my job.”

A brief look passed between Ranger and Tank. If Stephanie didn’t know better, she would have sworn that they sighed.

“Take a few days,” Ranger commanded. “Be back here Monday.”

“Yes, sir,” Binkie replied, dropping onto the floor in Stephanie’s office, passing by the two men and heading toward the elevator.

Stephanie quickly set aside her paperwork, opened her drawer and grabbed her purse, cell phone and keys. She slipped between Ranger and Tank and got two steps down the hall, when a tug on her ponytail brought her to a stop. Turning, she looked at the two men. “What?” she asked innocently.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ranger asked, arms now crossed, one eyebrow raised.

Stephanie just looked at him and blinked. “What? You don’t expect me to work in the dark, do you?”

Tank’s shoulders started shaking with suppressed laughter, as he was unable to fight a smile.

Ranger’s mouth curved into a faint smile and his arms dropped to his sides. Ranger just shook his head and murmured, “Babe.”

End

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