Prologue
The blonde walking ahead of him must have known he was watching. She added a little sway to her hips, her barely-there skirt flipping with each step. Yes, he thought with a smile when he caught a glimpse of red lace panties.
His eyes roved to the brunette speaking with Randy. He had no clue who she was but figured she worked for the venue. The deep V-neck of her blouse showed off her cleavage and he was grateful for baggy shorts when he saw legs that went on for miles. Definite yes, he decided, blonde forgotten as he turned to introduce himself.
Randy glowered at the interruption, but introduced her when it became obvious his friend wasn't going anywhere. The brunette with the cleavage and killer legs was named Amber. When he brought her hand to his lips for a debonair kiss, he saw the diamond solitaire. Still a yes, he thought when her fingers squeezed his. Her husband or fiancé was long forgotten now.
He laid on the charm. Women in the big cities were suckers for a Southern boy and when she commented on his accent, he purposefully thickened it. Amber flirted back, toying with the cross that hung from a dainty golden chain around her neck. It drew his eyes directly to her breasts, which seemed to be her intention. Well aware of Randy's presence, he upped the charm until she was nearly drooling. It was time to go in for the kill.
"I need to get to the locker room and get a shower before the show," he told her, letting a tinge of resignation show in his voice. Her eyes softened; she must be flattered that it pained him so much to be leaving her side. "But I hope to see you again tonight." He took her hand again, letting his thumb trace her knuckles before his lips brushed them. Making sure to meet her eyes, he murmured, "If you need me, you know where to find me."
He left her, her cheeks flushed and a silly smile on her face, grinning to himself as Randy fell into step next to him.
"That," he announced as they entered the locker room, "is how you score prime meat, my friend."
"No," Randy said slowly, shaking his head even as he grinned. "That's how you get a jealous husband to come after you with a loaded gun."
"She's not worried about him, why should I be?"
"You'll learn one day." Randy dropped his bags on a bench. "You don't try to score married chicks. It bites you in the ass."
"You were trying to score," he reminded. "Or were you just trying to find out if she has a hot sister?"
"She's an only child. I know this because I hit that the last time we came through here." Randy grinned as he peeled off his shirt. "She wasn't even engaged then. Said he swept her off her feet."
"I did too." His smirk widened as he began to unpack what he would need for the afternoon. "Hurry up and get the hell outta here, man."
Randy snorted. "She's not coming."
He grinned in triumph when he heard the soft tapping at the door. Leaning around to see who it was, he beckoned her in. "You were just leaving, right, Randy?"
His longtime friend pulled on the shirt he had just removed. "Right. See you later, Amanda."
The door closed behind him. Cody Rhodes motioned to Amanda as he moved towards the showers. It occurred to him that she followed willingly. A little too willingly, in his opinion.
When had his game gotten boring?
He looked down at the card Amber had given him with her number. Still damp from their shower, he sat on the bench, running a hand through his hair. The door had barely shut behind her when it opened again. Looking up, he gave Randy a nod before tossing the card into the nearby trashcan.
"Not calling her later?" Randy asked, once more removing his t-shirt. He flung it in the general direction of his bag before heading for the showers. Stopping in the doorway, he made a face. "Which one did you use?"
"Corner shower and no, I'm not." Pushing himself to his feet, Cody began to dress for the show.
"That bad?" Randy called from the shower.
Cody sighed. Of all people, he expected Randy to understand. "How do you do it?" he asked, venturing into the shower room to shave. "How do you keep it interesting? Not the sex itself, but... The hunt."
Randy chuckled. "Are you still playing the game?"
"In my own little way, yeah. It's lost something though."
"Dude." Randy laughed, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. "You have to go after harder women."
"Harder how?" Cody asked with a groan. "That chick was married!"
"Married or not, she was easy. Go after a woman you know you don't have a chance with."
Cody regarded his reflection in the mirror. "Like that's even possible," he muttered.
"It's possible. Trust me, there are women out there that won't fall for your charm as soon as you smile."
Cody continued to stare at himself, jarred from his admiration when Randy's face appeared in the mirror. "Find one," he dared. "Find one woman that won't fall for me immediately."
Randy rolled his eyes. "So I can listen to you bitch about being shot down?"
"No." He ducked his head to rinse the remnants of shaving cream from his face. When he straightened, he dabbed the water away and smiled. "So I can show you that eventually, all women fall for me."
