A/N: I own no one but my own original characters and the idea of this story that would not leave my mind. So here it is. Enjoy, and thank you for reading.

His eyes traveled down the length of her leg, ending at the white platform pumps that encased her very well-taken care of feet. In her fingers, a pen was tapping against an obviously well used notebook. Her laughter traveled through the air, and then a very well manicured fingertip found its way to her mouth as she chewed it with what he believed was a nervous habit of hers. Even still, saying she was well put together was an understatement.

And she was completely unavailable.

"Gia!"

Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw the woman calling out for her. Their boss, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque.

"Steph," the golden-bronze-haired woman said with a brilliant smile as she looked up. Motioning to the folder that Stephanie laid down on the table in front of her, those dark bronze brows of hers raising up in question. "What is this?"

Randy couldn't even begin to hide the fact that he was staring at her, nor could he ever deny his attraction to her. He was essentially in love with his best friend, and it pained him in such a dull way. For nearly a decade and a half, it had been an unwritten rule between the two; No sexual contact amongst them. And for years, the dull ache he felt within his chest seemed like a butter knife that someone kept twisting slowly in his chest.

Yet, still, he would gladly take her as a non-sexual friend than to not have her in his life at all. The support and comfort she gave him was unlike anything else he had ever known in his life. It was something that, even in the smallest amount, he never came close to receiving from his ex-wife, Samantha. It was something that made both him and Samantha come to the realization that they were no longer in love with each other. No longer bound by the thought that they had to continue to keep up a charade of being the perfect couple.

"Hey, man," Randy heard the voice of his male best friend. "Stare any harder at her, and we're going to have to pick your eyeballs up from the floor."

Randy looked up at the man, a smirk on his face as he scoffed. "You're just jealous that we're going out tonight."

John Cena had a grin of his own as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest. "Now see, that's where you're wrong," he stated, earning a look of interest from Randy. "Because it will be Nicole and I to join you, Mr. Orton, and Gia tonight."

The smirk dropped from Randy's face. "What?"

John simply grinned more. "She asked me earlier if the two of us would like to join you guys for dinner," he told his friend. "I kindly accepted."

Looking back over to Gia, Randy was greeted with a smile and a wink.

"""""

"What were you thinking?" Randy asked her as they waited for the elevator to take them down to the lobby of the hotel.

"Stop making it out like I offered to drag your dick in the dirt, stringing you to the back of a horse drawn carriage." She all but ignored his hasty sigh, adjusting the front of her dress. "Can you just do this for me? Please? I'd like that girl to know that she really has no legit reason to dislike me."

"I'd say 'hate' was the more suitable word," Randy threw in before glancing her way. "And believe me, she's got every right to not like you."

"She does not," Gia quickly said, knowing that Randy wouldn't miss a beat.

"John wanted to be with you," he claimed, but Gia knew this just as well as he did. "Do you really blame her?"

"No," Gia said thoughtfully as the elevator chimed. With her lips pursed out, her bosom showcased proudly within the confines of the little black dress she wore, she wistfully looked towards Randy. "But I blame you for all that drama."

Before Randy could get another breath out, Gia was already stepping off the elevator, gold clutch held tightly in her hand.

"Me?" Randy huffed out as he followed behind her. "I had nothing to do with that."

"Mhm," she grunted out airily as she came to a stop at the side of the car. "Sure you didn't."

"I didn't, Gia," he declared as he opened the car door for her. "Don't you think if I had anything to do with that, I would have told you from the start?"

Gia smoothed the hem of her dress as she swung her legs into the car, another telling look shooting Randy's way. "No."

"""""

To say that Gia felt awkward sitting across from Nicole was the understatement of the night. As she cleared her throat once more, taking a sip of champagne from her glass, she looked away from the woman. But not before seeing the obvious amusement on John's face. Was this really entertaining to Cena? To see one of his best friends squirm at the prospect of having to dine with his girlfriend. Then again, John's other best friend sat across from him engaged in conversation that he barely realized was one-sided.

"And I told her, if you don't believe me, look outside in front of that gym that sits on the corner all by itself," Randy's deep voice continued on. "You'll see my tour bus. Proof that it's really me."

Gia gave into a nervous habit and bit her bottom lip, hoping that the harder she squeezed it between her teeth, the faster this disaster of a dinner would go. Hearing Randy beside her talking about something she didn't care about, and knowing that the three of them sat in silence was suffocating her. If she bit any harder, she would scream. If she let go, she would scream. Biting down until she couldn't take it anymore, she reluctantly released her lip, feeling it throb as she took another quick sip. She almost slammed the champagne flute down as she began standing.

"Excuse me," she got out before walking over the area where the bathrooms were.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Randy asked, watching her curvy figure walk away.

John shook his head, an innocent smile on his face. "If you can't tell that she's uncomfortable being here, I don't know how you can say she's your best friend."

"Well, what the fuck? She wanted you two to come." Randy exhaled a breath as calm as he could. "It's not like I asked for this to be a double date."

"I wonder what her husband thinks," Nicole blatantly said, eyes still narrowed at the path Gia took.

"Nicole, that's not necessary," John put in but was immediately interrupted.

"Yes it is, John," she whined. "She's married, got Randy at her feet, and wanted you on top of all that. How can you sit here and defend her?"

John took a sip of his drink, clearing his throat before he spoke. "First off," he said in a demeanor too serene for Nicole's liking. "She's going through a divorce. Every last one of us sitting at this table knows exactly what that's like." He looked up to Randy, who simply nodded his head. "Second, if Randy wants to be at her feet like a dog – "

"Hey," Randy interjected.

" – then that's on Randy. And lastly, but certainly not least, there is no relationship between Gia and myself. Never has been, never will be."

It was on the tip of Randy's tongue to say what was on his mind, the truth. To say that it was John, not Gia, who did the asking out on a date. To tell Nicole that she needed to be careful who she started a battle with. To let her know that most of the time, what was said backstage was speculation with a tiny bit of truth twisted in. Although, he highly doubted Gia would even take it as far as she really could, the possibility was always there.

"""""

She stood in front of the mirror, one hand resting on the counter, the other pressed against her abdomen. Gia knew that her good intentions had backfired on her. The younger thirty-something year old had her defenses up, and she was ready for a fight. Looking for one, almost. But she was not looking to fight or argue with the twin. Wanting to enjoy a night out to a nice dinner was too much, Gia supposed. She heard the bathroom door open as she pulled some paper towel from its dispenser and dampened it.

"I'll tell you one more time," the venomous voice started, gaining Gia's full attention. "Stay away from John."

"Excuse me?" Gia questioned, looking at the Bella twin standing off to the side behind her through the mirror. "I've not said two words to John at any point tonight."

"I see the way you look at him backstage," Nicole went on, dismissing the fact that Gia was right. "And I know how you talk to him. You push your breasts up and giggle when you speak to him. Well, I'm here to tell you right now." She pressed her own puffed out chest against Gia, causing the older of the two women to stumble back some. "Stay away from my man."

Gia could see the hurt look in Nicole's eyes. The tell-tale signs of despair that worried her face. She looked away from the fury that was also plastered on Nicole's face, taking a deep breath as she nodded. No argument, no standing up for herself. Just agreeing to the terms delivered to her by her friend's very angry girlfriend.

"""""

"See what happens when you invite John to places?"

She felt Randy's warm body stand beside her, his muscled arms crossed over his equally muscled chest. He leaned with his backside against the table, looking down at her as she glared at him. He knew she was tired, although she would never give way to that fact in her appearance. She looked just as fantastic as she had last night in that tight black dress as she did now in dark blue jeans and a crisp red button-down blouse. Her hair was pinned up high on her head in a messy yet stylishly sophisticated bun, and getting a glance at her feet, she wore her usual neatly kept black boots.

Gia went to ignore him as she sorted through the paperwork strewn out before her. Randy watched as her manicured hands did her work reorganizing certain papers to go into certain folders.

"Oh, come on," he encouraged. "Don't be like that. Wouldn't you say that after we left, we had a good time on our own?"

Exhaling deeply, she paused for a moment, thinking back to the previous night. Sure, Randy had taken it upon himself to follow her out of the restaurant that the four of them were to have dinner in. And sure, he waited patiently for her to tell him what happened after Nicole went into the bathroom after her. And even more, sure, he had driven them to a burger joint, grabbing them every bit of comfort food he could get and then drove them to an abandoned building somewhere overlooking a fantastic view of a beautiful river.

But that still didn't ease the hurt eating away at her. She had never dealt with a friend's significant other quite like Nicole. And it hurt her to know that the younger woman had nothing but disgust when it came to her friendship with John. That would never be known to Nicole at least, and as far as Gia knew, it wouldn't be known to John either.

Looking at Randy again, she grabbed up the folders, bracing them against her body. "I have work to do."

Just then, before Randy could say anything, an assistant came up to them. The short man raised the microphone that was attached to the headset he wore.

"Ms. Chavelle, Mrs. Levesque is waiting for you," he said quickly before pushing the microphone back down and speaking to the person talking in his ear. "Yes, sir."

Gia gave Randy one of the weakest smiles he had ever seen in life. Watching her walk down the corridor, disappearing into room with a door that had a nameplate on it was the most depressing thing he had seen in a long time.

"""""

"Gia," Stephanie's voice welcomed. "How are you feeling today?"

She sighed out as she placed the folders down on the table. Her plump lips carried out another exasperated sigh as she gave Stephanie a blank look.

"So I heard," Stephanie acknowledged. "You would think that she would learn to at least keep quiet on such matters."

"Let me guess," Gia began as she spread out the folders, picking out one with a specific name and pulling it close to her. "She told everyone that would listen that I came onto John again."

Stephanie nod her head. "That would cover the bases."

"If it were true, I wouldn't say shit about it. I don't want to correct her though. I'm so tired of it all."

"Well, if she knew anything about you or your situation with your husband, she would realize that you'd never do that to someone's relationship," Stephanie said, plucking the folder from Gia's grasp. "You don't need this anymore." Momentarily ignoring the look of confusion on Gia's face, she continued on with the topic of the Bella twin. "Especially to someone you are close to and have so much respect for."

Gia exhaled lightly, nodding her head. "I'd hate to let go of my friendship with John, but if it means that it saves his relationship with Nicole, I'd gladly do it. She means more to him. Why don't I need that one anymore? Rotunda came to me with some ideas about a character."

"I know," Stephanie said, tilting her head. "He's told dad about his idea, too. We're going to let him run with it, but however for now, we need you on this." She pushed a rather thin folder Gia's way.

"These are the guys from FCW," Gia stated as she looked over the three simple papers within the folder. One for each of the guys, it outlined their career outlook, and had their past doings summarized in one paragraph. "Group them together?"

"That's what we're thinking." Stephanie sat back in the black leather chair. "So, what do you think? Want to take them on?"

"Sure," she agreed, looking over the papers one more time, noting the name for the group on the inside of the folder at the top left-hand corner. "The Shield."