[an] two of my favorites :D
[disclaimer] I own nothing that you recognize. [not everything in the story might be accurate - for the sake of the plot.]
The Third Time's a Charm
He tugged at the collar of his shirt and let out a heavy sigh. His green eyes fell on the blonde across the room. He watched her as she talked to the Diva's Champion AJ Lee. She was smiling and laughing while she talked to her friend. She was happy and completely unaware. She had no idea how her smile, her laugh, the sound of her voice, practically drove him insane. It was obvious why her name meant passion…
Stu crossed the room and joined the two divas. AJ looked up at him, a smile curving her lips. It was like her wide brown eyes were burning through him. She already knew of his feelings for the blonde. He had shared them openly, hoping she would help him find a way to make his feelings known.
"Hey Stu," She adjusted the butterfly belt on her shoulder and shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Did you want to talk to me or Tenille?"
"I was actually wondering if Tenille had a minute to talk. I have a question to ask her." Stu shifted his gaze toward the blonde who shrugged her slender shoulders.
"Sure."
"Well then, I'll just go get ready for my match." AJ trotted off in the direction of her locker room, leaving Stu alone with the blonde. He attempted to ignore the pounding of his heart as he pulled the tickets out of his shirt pocket.
"Okay, what's up?" She questioned, leaning against the door of the diva's locker-room.
"Well, you see. I bought these tickets to the basketball game Saturday night, but Stephen backed out on me. Says he has some sort of press thing… I was wondering if you knew anyone who might want to go." Stu did not like basketball; however, he knew that Tenille was a fan. He watched her as she pondered the question.
"You know, I think Heath is a really big basketball fan. Maybe you should ask him. I'm sure he would love to go along." She said with an innocent smile.
Stu nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "Thanks. I'll ask him if he'd like to go." Stu forced a smile and turned to walk away.
"Hey Stu, wait a minute."
Stu glanced back at her, hopeful.
"Good luck in your match tonight. I bet you're going to be amazing."
"Oh, thanks." He made his way to the men's locker room as quickly as possible.
-x-
A week went by before Stu decided to try his luck again. Stu found the blonde outside the arena, leaning against the brick wall. She was typing on her phone, mostly likely responding to fans on twitter. He approached her, tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "Hey Tenille, how are you?"
She looked up from her phone and smiled, "Hey, I'm doing great. How are you?"
"Oh. I'm doing well. Actually, I had a question for you."
"Sure thing, what's up?" She tucked her phone into the pocket of her hoodie and tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Well, you see. Heath was supposed to ride to the next city with me, but his wife called. His daughter is sick and he had to go straight home. I was just wondering if you knew anyone who was looking for a travel buddy." Stu knew that AJ had not asked Tenille to ride with her on Punk's old bus because he planned on asking her to ride with him.
"You know. I think that Alberto needs someone to travel with since Stephen is in Ireland." The blonde shrugged. "And maybe Justin because I think TJ and Nattie are working NXT this week."
"Oh. Okay. Well – I guess I'll go ask them if they need a lift. Thanks Tenille. I appreciate it."
"No problem. It's a long car ride all by yourself." The blonde replied absently, as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket again. He took this as his cue to let her be and come up with another plan.
-x-
He probably should have given up. Referring him to other people was probably her way of letting him down gently. But he was a stubborn man and he had to try one more time.
So three weeks later Stu approached the blonde after the Smackdown taping. He leaned against the concrete wall of the arena. "Hey Tenille, you got a minute?"
"Sure," the blonde shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder and leaned against the concrete wall as well. "I'm all ears, Bennett."
"Well you see, my sister's birthday is coming up and she really likes music. So I went and bought her these concert tickets for a band she really likes, but it turns out her boyfriend already bought her tickets to the same show. So I was wondering if you knew anyone who liked the band and might want to go?" He showed her the backstage passes. He had checked with AJ and she had assured him that it was Tenille's favorite band.
Tenille looked at the backstage passes momentarily, her blue eyes contemplating, and for a split second he thought that he might have succeeded.
"No, sorry. I hope you find somebody." The blonde gave him an apologetic smile before turning and walking out the arena.
Stu tucked the ticket's into his pocket and raked his fingers through his hair. Maybe it was time for him to come to terms with the fact that he was not going to win her over.
-x-
"You have got to be kidding me." AJ flopped back on her bed, her brunette hair fanning out around her .
"I know right… I don't know why he keeps coming to me with all of these questions. I mean – I would have loved those tickets, but there is no way I could afford to buy them off of him."
AJ sighed, exasperated. "What are you, clueless?"
The blonde looked at her, abashed. "Of course not? Why would you say something like that."
The brunette sat up, her legs tucked underneath her and rolled her eyes, "Well it's obvious. He isn't asking you if you know anybody who wants to go to these events…"
"Uh, yea AJ, he kind of is." She interrupted her friend.
"No, he's not. He is asking you to go to them, with him." AJ replied, like it was the simplest concept in the world.
"No, he's not."
"Yes he is. He likes you."
"If he wanted to ask me to go with him, he would just ask, not ask me if I knew anybody who wanted to go."
"He was being subtle… He is probably nervous. You should tell him you'd like to go to the concert. I guarantee he wants to go with you."
"I don't know April."
"Trust me."
-x-
The next night, Tenille approached Stu at the house show. He was sitting alone, in the back of catering, a new biography open on the table in front of him. "Hey Stu," She pulled up a chair from the nearest table and sat beside him.
He nodded and closed his book, turning his gaze toward her. "Yea?"
"I was just wondering if you got rid of those tickets yet?"
"No, I still have them."
"Awesome. I was hoping you did. You see, I'd really love to go. Maybe I could tag along with you and we could meet up with your sister and her boyfriend at the show. I only have enough to pay you for one of the tickets."
Stu watched her intently for a moment, then smiled, "You don't have to pay me for the ticket. I'll be happy to have the company. How about we have dinner afterwards?"
Was he really trying to ask her out? Could AJ have been right? Maybe he was just trying to be nice? "Sure Stu, that sounds like a lot of fun."
"Fantastic. We can leave the hotel around seven?"
"Sounds perfect. I'll see you then Stu."
She made her way back to the Diva's locker room, a smile on her face.
-x-
It wasn't his taste in music, but he didn't care. He stood beside the blonde as the club began to fill with rowdy teenagers and young adults. The duo made their way to the front of the crowd, standing in front of the barrier at the center of the stage.
"Where is your sister? Do you think she will be able to find us up here?"
Stu hadn't decided how he was going to tell her that they would not be meeting his sister there. He figured he would just roll with it and see what happened.
He hadn't expected her to ask about his sister so soon.
"Well, we don't really have to worry about that."
"Oh, is she not coming?"
"No, uhm. She doesn't exist." Stu smiled sheepishly.
He expected the blonde to storm out, or yell, or at least be somewhat angry that he had lied to her.
He had not expected her to laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Why would you lie about having a sister?"
"I couldn't think of a better way to ask about the tickets."
"So why did you buy the tickets then?" The blonde questioned, leaning against the barricade.
"April told me they were your favorite band," Stu admitted, shrugging his shoulders.
"So you bought the tickets for me? Why didn't you say so?"
"Well, none of my other attempts to get you alone have worked… and I was nervous, I s'pose."
"So all of those times - you were trying to ask me out?"
"Well, yea." Stu admitted. "When you said no about the tickets, I just assumed you weren't interested."
"It would have been easier just to ask me out, you know?" The blonde smiled.
"Yea. I know…"
"But, It was pretty cute." She smiled before turning her back to him, just as the opening act came out on stage.
Stu stood behind her, resting both hands on the barricade, "So does this mean we're still on for dinner after the show?" He called over the loud guitar riffs.
The blonde looked over her shoulder and nodded, "You bet."