"Laissez les Bons temps Rouler"
Hollie Ciccone
Rating: PG - XXX (Languge & Sex)
Summary: MARDI GRAS FUN

Disclaimer: Theses characters do not belong to me. Many thanks to Janet Evanovich for creating so many wonderful characters. I apologize for ruining any of them. I will promise to return them when I am finished playing.

A/N: This is a repost... For those who missed it last year. Happy Mardi Gras!!

It was mid Feburary. Tank, Lester and Bobby were planning a little get away from Trenton for a few days. They asked me to go. They were going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Ranger didn't want me to go, he didn't want they guys to go either. I think he was jealous he had business meetings to deal with and we were going to have all the fun. I still wasn't sure I wanted to go, I didn't know anything about Mardi Gras. I wanted to know what was it was all about.

"It's the largest party of the year, Bomber!" Bobby said all excited.

I had never been to Mardi Gras. I had seen some stuff on TV about and I looked like fun.

"I've never been to Mardi Gras, whats it all about?" I asked. Tank explained that it is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. A day of debauchery before Lent.

"You party hardy then repent your sins the next day." Lester laughed, "But the start celebrating about a month before Fat Tuesday."

Sounded interesting. So I agreed. I could use a vacation.

We arrived in New Orleans on Friday and the party was going in full force. We stayed in an apartment over a bar on Bourbon Street. Apparently Tank's cousin, Chris, owns the bar and the apartment and the guys stay here every year. Lester held on to me as we waded through the crowd in the bar.

Tank yelled, "Cooter!" Cooter?

We made our way to the back of the bar. I saw Tank hugging a tall slendor black guy. That must be Cooter. Lester and Bobby shook his hand and greeted each other. Cooter is Chris.

"Chris, this is Stephanie, she works with us." Tank introduced us.

Chris smiled, "Nice to meet you, Stephanie."

"This is her first Mardi Gras." Tank told him.

"No Shit?!", Chris responed, "Let's get you guys settled in then we will start this party!"

We put our stuff in the apartment. I went over to the window. The balcony overlooked Bourbon Street. I walked out and looked down at the street. It was full of people. Some dressed in eleborate and outrageous costumes, aome wore funny hats and everyone had shiny necklaces around their necks and drinks in their hands. Lester came out and stood beside me wearing tight blue jeans, black cowboy boots and no shirt. I would have never pegged him to be the body piercing type but he had his left nipple pierced. Cool. He wore a set of shiny multicolored beads about the size of half dollars, in purple, green and gold. I figured those must be the colors of Mardi Gras cause they were everywhere. A group of girls had gathered on the street below the balcony screaming and yelling at Lester to throw them his beads.

Lester, being a seasoned Mardi Gras goer, yelled back at the girls as he removed the necklace from his neck. "You girls know what to do?"

A tall slendor blonde girl in the middle lifted her shirt and shook her boobs and shouted. She had to have double D's. Lester smiled and tossed her the necklace. She put them on and blew him a kiss.

"What the hell was that?" I asked completely stunned.

Lester put his arm around me as we walked back into the apartment. He told me that the girls flash for beads if they want them bad enough.

"It's like a tradition type thing." He said, "They have always done it for as long as I can remember."

This was interesting, anywhere else you'd get arrested for flashing.

"They don't get in trouble?" I asked.

"Hell No!" Tank laughed out, "Most people encourage it." I was shocked.

I changed my clothes, I was still wearing my work clothes. I put on a pair of jeans and a Mardi Gras tank-top Bobby bought me at the airport. It was purple, green and gold tie-dyed and said Mardi Gras, New Orleans 2007. Unfortunately, I couldn't wear a bra because it had spaghetti straps.

We went down stairs to the bar. There were people everywhere, wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder. Someone put a tall drink in my hand, It was red and in a glass shaped like a vase.

"It's called a Hurricane, Steph." Lester took a sip from his identical drink.

I took a sip. YUM. Kinda taste like a spiked fruit punch.

We finally made our way to the street, drinks in hand. There were so many people just having a grand time. Seeing all the couples making out made me miss Ranger. I still can't believe he let me go. I heard some screaming and yelling. I looked up and saw a tiny little red head with huge boobs flashing the crowd. They threw her a ton of beads. The beads are pretty, but I won't flash for them. My boobs aren't big enough to earn a set of beads.

"You never know until you try." Lester whispered in my ear. Shit!

"I said that out loud didn't I?" He nodded and smiled.

I shook my head, "No! I'm not going to show my tits for a few plastic bead necklaces." He laughed.

We drank and mingled. We had a good time. It had been dark for a couple hours so we made our way back to the bar. It was 9pm and everything was lit up and the party was more crazy. When we got back in front of the bar, Tank and Bobby were on the balcony throwing beads to the crowd. Lester and I grabbed a few more drinks and head upstairs. Tank and Bobby had 5 cases of beads ranging in size from pea size to basebald size. Bobby was taunting the crowd with some beads the size of quarters. I grabbed some pea sized beads from a box and joined the guys on the balcony. The crowd erupted into catcalls and chanting "TITS, TITS, TITS!". I started to back up from the balcony, but was grabbed by strong arms. I felt a familiar feeling. It can't be. I looked down at the arms around me. Ranger. He grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it up. I yanked away about the time beads came hurling at me.

I hit him opened palmed to the chest. "You ass!".

He pulled me to him then kissed me, "Hey Babe.", smug grin in place.

"You know you are still an ass, but I missed you." I kissed him back.

Ranger held onto me for most of the night. Around midnight I was feeling no pain. We drank and partied. I was in the balcony holding a set a beads the size of softballs. I taunted the crowd a little, several girls started flashing me and the guys all laughed.

Then I yelled, "You got to do better than that!"

This guy picked up this one girl flipped her over and spread her legs. She wasn't wearing panties.

"That'll work!" Bobby chuckled, and I threw them the purple softballs on a string.

Ranger came up behind me, put his hands on the hem of my shirt.

I smacked his hands away, "I can do it myself, Batman.", I slurred a little. I lifted my shirt and shook what boobs I have and got pelted with beads. "Woohoo!" I screamed.

Ranger was laughing. "You never disapoint, Babe." I giggled.

Ranger laid a bone melting kiss on me. Seeing how my body was already like jello it didn't take much. I wobbled a little when Ranger let me go.

"How much has she had to drink?" He asked.

Lester answered, " Two before you got here, three afterwards."

Ranger locked eyes with me I smiled, "I love you Carlos." My words more slurred.

"I love you, too Babe, but you need to go lay down.", he grabbed my arm gently

"Hell NO!" I shouted. I pulled away from grip. "I'm feeling great!" I walked over to the balcony. I screamed and yelled "WOOHOO!" , flashing my tits for all of Bourbon Street.

Mardi Gras Rocks! Laissez les Bons temps Rouler! Let the Goodtimes Roll!