It has been a really, really long time since I've written anything. Work was been crazy the last several months. I was promoted, which meant more work and less free time. I had my first day off after three months of working 60 plus hour Monday thru Sunday work weeks. At the height of it, I had to be available for my employees from around 5am to 11pm (sometimes as late as 1am) daily. As the workload started taking its toll, I started thinking about how what I was experiencing was a good glimpse of Ranger's life at Rangeman. I also noted how the one thing that kept me going was that I knew the crazy season was from Jan to May and it would end after that. But, Ranger doesn't have that kind of work, where the nonstop "Only you can solve this thing" ends in a couple of months. And it got me to thinking about this short story.

I didn't have time to actually attempt to write the beginning of this mini story until now. I apologize in advance for the rusty writing. I'm hoping this story will help me get back to writing FF so I can get back to regular story updates.

Disclaimer: The Plum Universe belongs to JE.

I was halfway through the stack of files on my desk when a quick rap on my office door distracted me. Without tearing my eyes away from the report in my hands, I yelled impatiently so the person on the other side of the door could speedy up their visit. "It's Open." I said simply, annoyed with the effort. I'd never admit it out loud but lately I've been more irritable than usual. Work has been nonstop, more demanding than ever before, and the last time I was offline for a peaceful rest was several months ago.

As soon as the door swung open my senses were invaded all at once. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, as did the rest of my body. I knew it was Babe walking in without having to raise my head, but her scent was wrong. No, not wrong. Different. She can already drive me wild on command, which at this point is no surprise to me anymore, but there was something very different about her.

Scanning Babe from head to toe only made me harder. She was wearing the standard issued Rangeman uniform of Black T-shirt and cargo pants. Babe wasn't even wearing a fitted T-shirt. In fact, the T-shirt was extra loose on her and the color just a hint of faded. It was my shirt she was wearing. Well, it had been mine at some point in the past. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her makeup was minimal to non-existent today. To the normal eye there was nothing different about her, yet I was ready to pounce. The fact that we haven't seen each other much lately could be partly to blame, but there was something about Babe today that made me desperate. I wanted her. BAD.

"Here's the report you requested." Her tone was normal. There was no teasing, no innuendo, no... nothing in her voice. Babe was all business. Or at least she made it seem that way.

Before I could process the real reason for her visit, Babe surprised me by leaning down to press a kiss on my lips just as her fingers graced mine as she handed me the report. To say she caught me off guard was an understatement. Babe likes to keep it strictly business at Rangeman, even though everyone here knows we're involved. The initial surprise faded and was replaced by willingness as my lust intensified. She was driving me insane with need as our kiss intensified, morphing into the kind of kiss we would typically share on our way to getting naked.

And just as suddenly as the kiss started, she ended it. Babe pulled away, leaving me dizzy and engulfed in a cloud of her new scent. Before I could process what was about to happen next, Babe waltz out of my office just as unexpectedly as she had arrived. That barely noticeable skip to her step told me she was up to something.

"Oh Babe." I found myself smiling wide. Whatever she has in mind, I'm game.