(Characters: Sean O'Haire, Toni and NBT as well as other visitors.)
Standard Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction which contains character names of wrestlers owned by WWFE that I have borrowed simply for your reading pleasure. There is no copyright infringement intended and the author is not making any money from the publication of this story. Toni, which is myself, is the only character that I own - enjoy!
I now stood before a room full of people as my fiancée Mike and my so-called best friend Tonya, two people who I would have given my life for, just told me something that would have turned the blood of the most warm hearted person...... cold.
And to top it off, they did it at what was supposed to be the happiest occasion of my life - my engagement party.
I've always heard that once you're at your happiest point in life, the lord has a way of knocking you back down a few pegs to remind you that the life you lead is on his borrowed time. I didn't really believe that until this fateful day when I was dealt the following card which changed my life forever...........
"You are too full of yourself to think that I never would have found out about all of this. The love that I gave you was nothing but a joke" I said to my fiancée.
I stood there feeling as though I would burst.............
"And to think that the two of you waited until this very moment, on this very day and at this very time to tell me in front of all of these people - that's the ultimate insult to top all insults" I said as I was in total shock.
Now, to this room full of my family and friends, I must really seem sorry.......
"You two people who call yourselves my "friend" and "fiancée" let this go on for so long leading me to believe that life was great and that I was about to be happily married. I can't believe this nasty turn of events" I continued.......
Never once did I ever feel that anything was wrong........
Now the very two people who I've spilled my heart out to, who I confided in and who I cherished with all of my heart and soul just informed me that they were having an affair.
My total, complete trust in these people is what led me to this heartbreak.
As I look at the faces in this room, I started to wonder who else knew and were now laughing in my face.
Outside of my family, who was now looking utterly shocked and devastated, all I saw were self-centered, sinister, underhanded, no-good phonies and nothing more......
But the most devastating of all, was the person who I considered my "best friend" - Tonya.
It now seems that she wanted him from the very beginning.
Regardless, I could never forgive......... nor would I ever forget........
"Neither of you even know the meaning of the words honor, trust, respect and most of all "friendship". Though I have to admit, I am too trusting and was completely blind and foolish in what I believed was something that would last a lifetime. I should have known that it was all too good to be true" I explained while trying to maintain my composure.
"Toni, we wanted to tell you. We tried, but there was just no easy way of doing it. Everytime I thought the time was right to let you know what was going on, you always seemed so happy and I just couldn't go through with it and break your heart" Tonya said while looking sickeningly sad.
"You no good, sleazy bitch" I screamed then spat in her face after that load of crap she just laid on me and pushed her hard then watched as she fell into a couple of chairs and landed hard on the floor.
If I had a gun, I would have........ I would have..................
I stood there looking at her - this "so called" friend of mine that I grew up with since from my girlhood days.
"And you think that by you two telling me here in front of all these people today that it should make me feel better and ease the pain? Give me a break already" I said as I stood there not know what to do next.
"I wanted to tell you for so long but felt that it wasn't my place" she cried as she sat there on the floor covering her face.
"It wasn't your place? What the hell......?? My god, you're having an affair with my fiancée and you have the gaul to tell me that you didn't think that it was your place to tell me" I screamed at her.
If she weren't already on the floor, I would have kicked her ass............
"Tonya, you were supposed to be my best friend. Didn't you know that I'd find out sooner or later? My god, how could you have let this go on for so long? Damn, and here I am thinking that I'm the dumb one. Maybe you should have just kept you damn mouth shut as I would have been better off not knowing but you're not winning any brownie points or anything with me because you no longer exist as far as I'm concerned" I expressed feeling heartbroken and torn.
I then turned to my "used-to-be" fiancée next.......
"And you, Mike Hanson, how could you do this to me? How could you lead me on like this after all we've been through. I put my life on hold to be there for you and you repay me by spitting in my face. Damn, how dumb I must really seem right now" I said as tears started running down my face.
Absentmindedly, I wiped at my face with the back of my hand.
"Toni, I know that it hurts but if its any consolation, I still love you but this thing with Tonya and myself just happened. I can't explain why but it did and there's nothing that can be done to resolve it or us" he said to me looking as if arrogant.
"And you stand here looking smug thinking that I'd even consider wanting you after what you've done to me. You arrogant bastard" I screamed.
I couldn't take it anymore as I reared back and slapped him hard.........
"Did that hurt? How in the hell would you know about hurt anyway? You're such an asshole. It hurts more now today than if you'd told me yesterday. How could you - How could both of you do this to me?" I screamed as I blindly backed out of the room while feeling very embarrassed.
I saw my family starting to move toward me looking sad and consoling - yet I had to get out of there........
Suddenly I turned, grabbed my bag then hurried out the door to my car.
I kept going as I heard the voices calling out after me........... I planned to disappear................ well, for a little while anyway..................
FRIDAY (7:00pm)
That was the scene running over and over in my head from two days ago.
I now sat in the front dining car of the passenger/sleeping berth train on Amtrak that I was taking to Hales Corners, GA - this was a 1-day trip.
As it stands, I was now working on my third glass of wine and I wanted to continue to forget the events that were finally starting to disappear from my thoughts for as long as I possibly could...... that is, until I become sober again..... tomorrow.
Regardless, tomorrow is a new day and I would then let the healing process take its course over my senses when I'd be more ready to let it happen.
yet right now..... the wine tasted sweet and I wasn't about to let anyone or anything disturb my mood.
At that time, I looked around and noticed that I was pretty much alone.
As I sat there, I realized that walking out was the best decision that I'd made in my life though I really had no other choice.
I hated what had happened that day and as much as it hurts now, I'm glad that it's finally over.
"Men! What assholes" I said out loud as I was about to get up from my seat and head back to my private room since I'd just finished off my drink.
"Hey, I resent that" I heard a voice say from behind me.
I looked around because I hadn't noticed that anyone else was in my immediate area and couldn't fathom where it came from.
I soon realized that there was a guy there in the booth directly behind me having dinner.
Obviously he was talking to me because no one else was around.
"Damn, I must have really been out of it not to have noticed him", I thought to myself.
"Excuse me, you resent what?" I asked as I turned fully around to speak to him.
"I resent that comment because not all guys are assholes" he said with a semi-smile.
I quickly looked him over and noticed that he was a fine looking man.
Fine or not, he's still a man and that revelation made my semi-dark demeanor grow darker.
"Well sir, I'm sorry to inform you but that comment was just a vocal opinion which wasn't meant for anyone else but myself, thank you very much" I said then stood.
Suddenly, I felt the effects of the wine in my head and stopped where I was for a second.
Obviously, he noticed and spoke......
"Are you ok?" he asked with somewhat concern.
"I'm fine" I said as I held onto the back of the booth while I stood there looking at him.
"You don't look fine" he said then put his fork down.
"I said that I'm fine" I responded with a raised voice.
"I'm sorry. There's no need to be upset" he said.
I tried to lighten the mood by rephrasing the comment but regardless, it did nothing to settle my mood.
"Look, I'm sorry that my vocal comment reached your ears and didn't sit too well with you but obviously I have my reasons for saying what I did. So if it's ok with you, I'll leave you to enjoy your dinner in peace and take my troubled thoughts back to my room in private, ok?" I said without much concern then turned to leave.
"You weren't bothering me" he said as he watched after me.
"Whatever man" I said as I continued my trek toward the rear of the car leading to my room.
Even though I was somewhat out of it, I could feel his eyes burning holes into the back of my jacket.
The last thing I remember after going through the rear door was falling into my bed after locking the door of my private berth.
Sean noticed that the only other passenger in the dining car was a woman.
Sean's attention was drawn to her because she seemed to be mulling over something because her pretty face took on a distorted look every now and then which overall overshadowed her natural beauty.
Regardless, he sat down in the booth behind her and placed his dinner order.
Soon after his dinner arrived when he started eating, he realized that she had spoken.
She spoke in what was more of a comment and though she didn't seem to be speaking out to anyone in particular, it was a comment that didn't sit too well with him so he responded.
"Hey, I resent that" he said out loud.
When she turned and responded, he felt out of place because he knew that she wasn't speaking directly to him but of something that was bothering her.
Now, he was embarrassed because of the way she was looking at him.......
"I resent that comment only because not all guys are assholes" he said with a semi-smile trying to lighten the mood.
He noticed that she gave him the once over as if eating him alive.
Sean watched how she looked at him when next she spoke - it was a look that seemed to make her somewhat dark mood grow darker.
"Well sir, I'm sorry to inform you about this but my comment was just a vocal opinion of which wasn't meant for anyone else but myself, thank you very much" she had said then stood.
When she did, Sean noticed that the effects of what she was drinking had obviously hit her because she stopped for a few seconds then he spoke.
"Are you ok?" he asked with somewhat concern.
"I'm fine" she said as she was holding onto the back of the booth while looking at him.
"You don't look fine" he said as he put his fork down.
He knew that there was obviously something wrong because she next raised her voice and he told her that she shouldn't be upset.
"How about this. If it'll make you feel any better, let me rephrase my comment. Most men are assholes. Is that better?" she asked him without much concern.
"Well, I, uh..... " Sean started.
"Look, I'm sorry if my vocal comment reached your ears and didn't sit to well with you but obviously I have my reasons for saying what I did. So if it's ok with you, I'll leave you to enjoy your dinner in peace and take my troubled thoughts back to my room and mull over them in private, ok?" she seemed to say to him without much concern before turning to leave.
He knew that she hadn't bothered him. As a matter of fact, it was he who had disturbed her mood, which only seemed to make her more upset than she already was. He probably should not have said anything and just let it be but he was concerned nonetheless.
Honestly, as he watched her recede to the rear of the car leading to the sleeping area, he felt that she was probably in need of a friend but didn't think much more about it as he continued his dinner. He thought about getting into Hales Corners, GA within the next few days for his guest appearance at the Rhodes Arena for an autograph signing where Palumbo, Stasiak, Jindrak, Sanders and Reno would be as well.
He was going to be departing in Atlanta where he would go home and take care of some business prior to his drive into HC.
It would be great to be back with his buddies from his days of the Natural Born Thrillers and he couldn't wait to see them.
SATURDAY (4:30am)
I had gotten up to use my private facilities and thanked god that I didn't have to leave my quarters.
Strangely enough, my mind vaguely wondered back to last evening's events in the dining car as I was sulking over my breakup with Mike and........ Tonya.
Never again will we have a friendship or any kind of relationship.
I lay back in my bed and let my semi-groggy thoughts also wonder back to the guy who I didn't notice earlier in the dining car until I had spoken out.
I remembered how cute he was and how he looked at me as I spoke through my haggard vision of enubriasm.
From what I saw in his sitting position, he had to be roughly around 6'4" or so and looked pretty well built. I wondered if he were in construction or something because he had that kind of build about him.
He had short brown hair and the most outstanding feature that I remembered were his eyes, which looked either gray or baby blue.
The goatee that donned his chin gave him that kind of Greek God look and his eyebrows were pretty bushy - I always loved that on a man.
I thought of all of this but I also remembered that he was still a man regardless and.........
"Men are Assholes!" I said out loud in the quiet of my room then smiled.
"Men may be assholes but this one was a "cutie" regardless", I thought to myself as I lay there in my upper berth then drifted back off to sleep.........
6:30am
I finally woke refreshed but with a slight pain gnawing at my temples........
"A slight hangover - it figures", I said out loud.
Regardless, I was ready for an early breakfast.....
After my shower, I went to the dining car and ordered coffee with Torani Irish Cream Syrup before I placed my breakfast order.
Torani is supposed to be at it's best as a Latte or with Cappuccino but I preferred mine with plain old black coffee, as I never could see the difference anyway.
I had to drink at least 3 cups before the pain in my head finally went away.
All the while I sat there, I thought of how I wouldn't let Mike, Tonya nor anyone else keep my head wondering what, when, how or why all of this happened to me. I'll take it all in stride because there was just no other way to go but "up" from here.
I smiled after that revelation.
When I finally reached a section in the Ebony Magazine I was reading which was speaking of past, present and future marriages and what they meant to us, I suddenly had to use the facilities.
I was on my fifth cup at that time then informed the waiter that I would return shortly.
I then excused myself to my room.
Sean had showered and dressed then went to the dining car for breakfast.
Working for the WWF always had him traveling here or there.
Since the train was going to stopover in Atlanta, GA, he was glad to be able to get home and check on things then he'd repack and take the remainder of the trip by truck through Millante prior to finally getting into Hales Corners.
When he arrived in the dining car, he realized that the booth that he ate at last night was available so he took it and ordered coffee then his breakfast.
By strange chance, he looked over the divider at the booth that was occupied by the female passenger that he bumped heads with last night.
He thought about that for a moment and realized that aside from her dark demeanor, she seemed nice enough but obviously had some issues that she was working out.
He also noticed that there was a pot of coffee and a magazine, which was standing open to the ceremony of a couple getting married. He didn't think anything strange about it but wondered to himself if she were having breakfast at that particular time.
"Wouldn't it be funny if it belonged to her?", he asked himself.
It was a longshot though it wouldn't have struck him strange because she was kind of out of it last night and coffee would have been just what the doctor ordered first thing in the morning.
When I returned, I noticed that the car was no longer empty as there was at least 10-15 others there as well.
I returned to my table, which of course was the same one from last evening, and finally placed my order and this time I added orange and tomato juices.
While I waited for breakfast, I continued to read my magazine and definitely bypassed the marriage section, as I didn't want to think about it for a while.
This is not to say that I never wanted to get married but as I mentioned before, I wasn't going to mull over it anymore nor would I let anyone of them rule my brain over something that was definitely over.
Just as I was looking up, I noticed that someone had stopped at my table....
Sean was just starting his second cup of coffee when he saw her.
She walked directly past him and he realized that she didn't see him as she sat down at the very booth that she was in last night.
He smiled to himself as he realized that his assumption of her sitting there was correct.
He didn't want to bother her but he didn't want to ignore her either so he got up from his seat and approached her booth. She looked up just then......
"Good Morning. Excuse me but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for last night. I'm not usually into interrupting someone else's thoughts or comments but I guess that maybe I must have also had a lot on my mind at the time as well" Sean said as he stood by her table.
She looked at him while he spoke but he continued......
"I think that we may have started out on the wrong foot and I just want to correct your first impression of me. Hi my name is Sean O'Haire and I hope that I'm not disturbing you" he said then held his hand out.
She didn't hesitate but reached out and took his hand in hers.....
"Good Morning, I'm Toni Barnhart, would you care to join me?" she asked him.....
I was shocked to see the same guy from last night standing in front of me and realized that the night did nothing for how beautifully handsome the morning brought out his striking features.
Regardless, I amazed myself at my boldness upon asking him to join me.
As he stood there explaining how sorry he was for disturbing my solitude last night, I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted or was after.
Anyway, he introduced himself and I invited him to sit and have breakfast with me just as the waiter brought my breakfast.
"I would love to join you" he said after I introduced myself.
He took the seat across from me just as the waiter brought over his breakfast.
"Excuse me, but Mr. O'Haire will be joining me for breakfast" I informed our waiter.
With that, he went to Sean's booth and brought over his coffee as well.
"I guess I wasn't the only one who needed coffee this morning, huh?" I asked as I watched him.
"Yeah, you're right. I had a pretty rough night sleeping, as I'm not used to the berths on these trains. By the way, I see that you were reading a section on marriages" he said with a smile.
Just then I slowly closed the magazine and put it to the side.
"Not really. I was mearly flipping past the section when I had to make a run. I used to think that marriage was what it was all about but finally came to my senses and realized that it's only just for the birds" I said in response.
"Wow! You sure are down on marriage" he said while we were eating.
"Not really but once upon a time I used to think that marriage was everything. Regardless, its good to know that there's still the last possible chance for a person to get out before being on the verge of making a complete fool of themselves prior to taking the ultimate plunge" I said in a glazed over state.
"Ummm, Toni, are you ok?" Sean asked with concern.
I immediately snapped out of it and answered him.
"Sure I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I asked.
"Well, because you......... never mind. Anyway, is there something that you'd like to get off your chest? I'm a good listener" he said.
"No, nothing really. I'm just glad to be on my way to Hales Corners where I plan to start a new life while leaving my old one behind in Chicago, IL" I updated.
"Oh, so you're from Chicago. That's a fine town - I love visiting there" he said.
"Yeah, my entire family is there. They are the only ones who I'll really miss there. I left a few days ago and though I had this planned for my future anyway, I had hoped that things would be more prospective but my other plans fell through" I said as I sat there forking over my half-eaten meal.
Sean suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that she had her heart broken but he wasn't going to dwell any further into her personal life.
"So what's happening for you in Hales Corners, Toni?" Sean asked.
"It's a new move for me career wise. I'm going to work for Chevrolet Corporation in their marketing department. I'm their new head of Marketing Production" I said with the most enthusiasm that I could muster up.
"That sounds wonderful. I'm happy for you if you're happy" Sean said.
"Happy? For sure that's a definite" I responded.
"What about your friends and maybe your boyfriend? Is there someone special who you're leaving behind?" Sean inquired but he realized too late that he wasn't going to pry.
I sat there for a moment contemplating what to say next and thought that I'd held strong...... but obviously my self control wasn't quick enough to hold back the tears that had suddenly welled up in my eyes.
"Uh, Sean, will you please excuse me? I'll be right back" I suddenly said then quickly left the booth and the dining car before he had a chance to see my face clearly.
Sean just sat there looking after her. He suddenly felt bad because he'd obviously touched on a subject that definitely wasn't ready to be talked about.
He hoped that she would be ok but felt that it would be a long time for her pain to heal because he'd seen the tears that seemed to come so easily to her - that was the sign which told him that it was still a pretty freshly open wound.
Sean just hung his head and contemplated whether he'd go to find her or not.........
I went to my room and.......... cried. I didn't know that it would hurt like this but I'd obviously had a lot tightly wound up inside of my head....... and heart and when Sean asked about friends and a boyfriend back in Chicago, that must have pushed the right button because no one had vocally asked me about it until now.
Regardless, I didn't return to the dining car because I was too embarrassed.
This seemed to go on for an eternity until suddenly, there was a knock at my door.........
I quickly composed myself.
"Just a minute please" I called out toward the door.
I quickly went into the bathroom to splash some water on my face then toweled it dry.
Lastly, I checked my eyes to make sure that they weren't bloodshot then finally went to the door and opened it.........
Sean figured that she wouldn't be returning so he paid for their breakfast, retrieved her magazine and left the car.
He stopped the conductor in the hall and after some fast-talking, he was able to persuade him to direct him to the room of his friend Toni Barnhart which was berth room #405.
"Mr. O'Haire, we don't usually do things like this as it's against our policy. Our guests' like us to keep things private as I'm sure that you know but once and only once will I do this for you" he informed Sean.
"Thank you. Here take this for your trouble" Sean said as he handed the conductor $50 of which he quietly accepted and walked away.
"Hello there" Sean said when the door opened.
"Hi Sean. Please come in. How did you know where to find me?" I asked.
"Please don't be mad but I convinced the conductor to tell me where your room was" he responded as he came in and closed the door.
"I'm not mad. Please have a seat" I said while pointing to the couch.
I had already folded my bed up and out of the way before he came in so I just sat down across from him.
"I came to find you because you left this in the dining car" he said as he produced my magazine.
"Oh No! Sean I'm so sorry about breakfast" I said as I just realized what I'd done.
"Don't worry, I took care of everything" he explained.
"How much do I owe you for breakfast?" I asked while feeling embarrassed.
"Toni, don't worry about it. It was my treat" he explained.
"You must think that I'm awful for running out on you like that" I said.
"On the contrary. You're fine though I wanted to say that I was sorry for asking you about your friends and boyfriend back home" he said.
Just then, my eyes teared slightly. I turned my head but he noticed anyway........
"Look Toni, I'm sorry as I don't mean to cause you further pain but if you want me to go, I'll go" he said then stood up.
"Sean, please don't go - stay" I said as I grabbed his wrist then sniffled.
He sat back down and watched me as I retrieved a box of kleenex.
"Please tell me what's wrong. I have a great sturdy shoulder to cry on if you're interested and I'm a hell of a good listener" he explained.
"This is the first time that I've talked about it since it happened......" I started as I watched him.
Slowly, I went into my explanation of what happened only a few short days ago.......
While I talked, I had to stop a few times to wipe my eyes and Sean held my hand to assure me that he was by my side.
An hour later, I was finally finished and realized that I had gone through the entire box of kleenex.
Sean sat back and took a deep breath then spoke......
"Toni, I'm sorry that this has happened to you and I wish I knew some soothing words to help comfort you in your sorrow but the only thing I can try to offer is, and though you may not want to hear this word, friendship. I'm offering you my friendship and a shoulder to lean on for as long as you need it because I know that you're hurting badly. But if the road to recovery doesn't begin soon, you'll definitely implode and self destruct" he explained as he leaned forward and held my hand once again.
"I know Sean and I'm praying that things will get better for me down the line. The best thing that I have going for me right now is my new job and a very prospective future" I updated.
With that, I leaned forward and rubbed his hand then thanked him for being there to comfort me.
"So what do you have planned once we stopover in Atlanta?" I asked.
"Well, believe it or not, I actually live in Atlanta so I'll be getting off there as I have to get home and check on things before continuing on to Hales Corners. So I really lucked up there" Sean explained.
I was a little sad when he said that because I'd now be alone on the remainder of this trip.
"I take it that you travel for your business" I said.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that and I make a pretty good living at what I do" he explained.
"That's wonderful. It's always nice when one loves what they do in life to make a living. Nothing like being bored to death in a dead-end job" I said.
"That's for sure. What do you have planned?" he asked.
"Well, I'm going to probably go sightseeing or maybe take a nap" I explained.
"Take a nap? Get real. There's too much living to do to just stay on the train and take a nap" he said.
"Oh, I don't know. I don't usually ride sleeper trains, as this is my first trip like this. I'll probably go shopping or read or whatever" I said.
"Why don't you come with me?" he asked.
"Who? Me? Thanks for the invite but I don't want to interfere if you have things to do before you get on to Hales Corners" I explained.
"No, it's ok and I'll have you back in enough time to continue on to HC" Sean said.
I thought about it for a minute and realized that although he was nice enough, I didn't really know Sean and my trust factor was pretty low these days.
He was watching me as I contemplated my next steps.......
"I can understand your hesitation Toni but I assure you that I'm not a mass murderer" he explained with a smile.
"I'm sure you're not Sean but if it's ok with you, I'll pass. Maybe you can show me around some other time when we run into each other again, ok?" I asked.
"Sure, why not" he said then we continued talking.
7:45pm
"Ladies and Gentlemen - we are now arriving in Atlanta, GA. For those of you who are exiting the train, please bring your belongings to the exit stations and your luggage will be unloaded upon your departure. For those of you departing for the hour, please remember to return prior to our departure at 9:00pm" the announcement blared.
Sean and I were sitting in the Coach car at the time of that announcement and of course we knew that he finally had to be leaving.
"So this is where I get off" Sean said as he got up from his seat. He was watching me.
"Thank you for cheering me up Sean I really enjoyed your company" I said as I stood also.
"I'll tell you what, I'm meeting up with some friends in HC tomorrow night so I'll be in town for a while. Maybe we can get together sometime once you're settled in your new surroundings. How does that sound to you?" Sean asked.
"That would be nice but I'll probably be pretty busy with getting into the swing of things on the job. Anyway, how will I get in touch with you in the meantime?" I asked.
Just then, he reached into his carryon and pulled out a pen and pad then proceeded to write down his phone number.
"Wow, I am honored" I said after he handed me the piece of paper of which I gave the once over.
Not only had he given me his cell number but his home number as well.
"No need to be honored as I hold no secrets and live alone so there's no reason not to give you my home phone number as well" he said then smiled.
"Thanks again for your kindness Sean. It was very nice of you to keep me company. Not too many people are sensitive like that these days" I said.
"You're quite welcome" he said then turned and gave me a hug.
I looked up at him and smiled.
"Take care of yourself Sean" I said.
"You do the same Toni and be good to yourself because no one else will be as true to you as you are to yourself. Remember that, ok?" he asked.
"That's a definite" I responded as I watched him exit the train with some others.
I returned to the Coach car and was able to watch him as a cabby loaded his things in the trunk. Since the glass was tinted, I knew that he couldn't see me.
He was just getting into the cab when he turned back to the train and waved.
I knew that he didn't see me but I also knew that he was waving to me.
Without thinking about it, I waved back.
"Bye Sean, I know that you're not an asshole", I said to myself as I started smiling while watching his cab pull off.
I didn't depart the train but just read for a while until the train pulled off at 9:00pm.......
10:30pm
I was sitting in the Sightseeing Car when we finally reached the end of the line, as I wanted to get a view of my entrance into HC.
"Ladies and Gentleman we are now arriving at our final destination - Hales Corners, GA. Please enjoy your stay" the announcement rang out.
"Welcome to good old Hales Corners, GA" I said out loud as I was walking down the hall to the exit doors of the train.
I had a lot to do before I started first thing Monday morning. I have to get to the new place and check it out as well as unpack and all.
When I departed, I noticed that my baggage was being unloaded.
"Hi there, those are mine. Can you hail me a cab please?" I said to a baggage handler.
"Sure thing Miss" he responded.
While I waited, I thought again about how nice Sean really seemed.
Regardless of him being a man, I'm sure that there are still some nice guys in this world and though I wasn't sure if I was interested in finding out if he was truly one of the "good guys" or not, I found myself thinking about him anyway.
The handler I followed hailed me a cab.
"Where to miss?" the driver asked when he exited the cab to help load my luggage.
"I'm going to Claire Vista Apartments. Do you know where that is?" I asked as he slammed the trunk.
"Yes, ma'am, I sure do" he said then we both got in and he drove off.
As I rode in silence, I realized that not once had I thought about my troubles from days ago.
"Most men are such assholes" I said aloud then looked at the cabby through the rearview mirror.
I was wondering just then if he'd make a comment as Sean had that evening but he refocused on the road ahead of him.
"That was a nice train trip into GA. I'll miss it", I thought to myself as I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride into town and smiled.
Sean thought of his conversations with Toni since they rode into Atlanta together and realized that he never once informed her of what he did for a living especially since he was a famous Professional Wrestler.
It became obvious to him that she knew nothing about him or she would have been all over him.
Regardless, he just let it ride and didn't let on because she was already overwhelmed with what she'd just gone through so he didn't want to add to it by telling her all about him and the hype that comes with what he did for a living.
After he gave her his cell and home phone numbers, they parted ways.
Before he entered the cab, he turned back toward the train and waved - he did this only because of her and he knew that she was watching.
Anyway, the ride home would be roughly around 30 minutes.
My company hooked me up with a 2-bedroom apartment with option for an upgrade within a month if I wasn't satisfied. I also received great benefits as well.
The company car, which I found in the parking lot of the complex, was a 2002 Chevy Malibu.
The package of options, the car and apartment keys and the orientation manual were mailed to me a week before I left so I pretty much knew what I was doing prior to arriving in town.
With all that was coming my way, there was no way in the world that I was going to pass up this chance of a lifetime.
All I would have to do is wait for my things to be delivered within the week to finally make my apartment a place to call home. I'd made the delivery arrangements prior to leaving Chicago and was now sitting on cloud nine.
As I look at everything, I realized how blessed I truly am.
I now had a more prosperous career ahead of me, a new car, a wonderful place to live and of all things a new friend as well - male friend no doubt.
A friend of whom I'd just thought about at that particular moment and decided to call to let him know that I'd made it safe and sound and was doing well.
After four rings, the answering machine kicked in.........
"Hello, this is Sean O'Haire. Obviously, I'm not at home at this time. Feel free to leave a message at the tone and when I'm back in town, I'll return your call. That is, unless I'm sitting here checking my caller id or listening to this message and screening my calls in which I don't want to talk to you (there was laughter). Anyway have a pleasant day........ "beep"........"
I laughed when I heard his message but left one of my own...........
"Hi Sean, this is Toni. Remember me?(laughter). I just called to let you know that I've made it to my new place and that everything's fine. Yeah, that's right - I have a working phone also. Anyway, again I really enjoyed your company and I hope to speak with you soon. I'm going to spend my day tomorrow getting to know HC's surroundings since I start work on Monday which I'm hoping will be very prospective - so keep your fingers crossed for me that everything will be fine from here on out. Since you have caller id, I won't need to leave the number. Call me when you have a second. bye"
I finished the message then hung up...........
"As I've said, I have a working phone - I did mention that my company hooked me up, right?", I thought out loud.
"Anyway, get busy girl", I said to the empty room then did just that.
9:00pm
Sean had just got in when he heard the answering machine clicking off.
"I'll call them back later", he thought as he tipped the cab driver on his way back out the door.
"Thanks Mr. O'Haire. You have a great place here. Have a wonderful evening" the cabby said then walked out.
"Thank you and you do the same" Sean responded as he closed the door.
When he went to take a shower, he decided that he'd make the trek to HC in the morning instead of tonight.
It was close to 2:00am when I finished unpacking and putting everything away.
I hit the bed, which would be a rollaway cot for a while.
SUNDAY (10:00am)
Sean had finally repacked and decided to check his messages before he left.
He also thanked god that he'd gassed up the truck before he left town on his last trip out to Chicago.
While listening to the first few messages, he thought about Toni and smiled.
He wondered if things were going well for her. All of a sudden he heard her voice.
"Hi Sean, this is Toni. Remember me?(she laughed). I just called to let you know that I've made it to my new place and that everything's fine. Yeah, that's right - I have a working phone also. Anyway, again I really enjoyed your company and I hope to speak with you soon. I'm going to spend my day tomorrow getting to know HC's surroundings since I start work on Monday which I'm hoping will be very prospective - so keep your fingers crossed for me that everything will be fine from here on out. Since you have caller id, I won't need to leave the number. Call me when you have a second. bye" she hung up.
"She must have left this last night", he thought out loud.
Since she was his second to last message, he immediately checked the caller id.
He knew he had to be going but he retrieved her number and called..............
He let the phone ring about six times before he realized that she was probably still sleeping or out.
Regardless, he had to get out of there and on the road because he was meeting up with the guys tonight in HC so he grabbed his bags and left.
On the way, he added her phone number to his cell phone log.............
I woke around 11:00am and decided to take myself out to breakfast since I couldn't wait to try that new car of mine.
I took a quick shower and with a smile on my face, I left the apartment complex and skipped all the way to the parking lot.
When I hit the remote button for the car alarm, I watched as the lights flashed on my car.
"Fringe benefits, yeah", I said as I got inside and started the engine.
"Wow, this car sure does drive nice", I said out loud as I pulled into the parking lot of the Hollywood Star Restaurant.
3:30pm
Sean had finally gotten into HC as he'd taken the scenic route and hadn't rushed to get there.
He checked himself into the HC Inn downtown after making a few stops where he unpacked and called the fellas who were supposed to be there as well.
Stasiak and Reno were coming in sometime tomorrow so in the meantime, Sean, Chuck, Mark and Mike would be hanging out tonight.
He called Chuck's cell phone and he answered on the second ring.....
"Hello?" Chuck said.
"Chuck, it's Sean" Sean said.
"Hey man, where are you?" Chuck asked.
"I'm at the hotel in HC. Where are you?" Sean asked.
"I'm here also - in room #445" Chuck answered.
"What luck, I'm just down the hall in #425. Are the guys with you?" he asked.
"Yeah, they got here 10 minutes ago and they're rearing to go as they want to go out drinking and chasing women or something. You up for that?" Chuck asked.
Sean wasn't really interested in chasing after women as he'd done so much of that in the past.
He just wanted to hang out with the fellas and have a good time reminiscing of their NBT days.
Women that hung around them were mainly always trouble especially if they never wanted to leave but Chuck and the rest of them were all for it - they loved the attention.
He'd just thought about Toni at that particular moment and thanked god that she didn't know anything about him being famous or she would have possibly been scared off - he definitely would not have liked that at all.
Just then, he decided to call her to see if she was at home this time......
The phone rang a few times but there was no answer.
Regardless, he left his hotel room and went to meet up with the fellas......
2:30pm
I had just gotten back when I realized that I'd be best to program my phone's built in answering machine. As I started doing so, I noticed that the ringer was in the "off" position.
"Wow, if Sean had tried to call me even earlier, he wouldn't have been able to get through because I wouldn't have known", I said to the empty room.
Anyway, I switched it to the "on" position then proceeded to record a message.
"Hello, this is Toni Barnhart. I am currently unavailable but your call is important to me. Of course it is or you wouldn't be calling, right? Anyway, leave me your name and number and I promise to get back to you. Girlscouts' honor. Have a blessed day......." I said then ended the recording.
That was the funniest line that I could think up though I wasn't really as humorous like Sean had been.
"Great I got it on the first try", I said out loud then went back out to the grocery store.
7:00pm
Sean thought that he'd try again one last time before he'd get busy getting drunk.
This time there was a recording..........
"Hello, this is Toni Barnhart. I am currently unavailable but your call is important to me. Of course it is or you wouldn't be calling, right? Anyway, leave me your name and number and I promise to get back to you. Girlscouts honor. Have a blessed day......." her message stated.
Sean smiled then left his message.........
"Hello Ms. Barnhart, Sean O'Haire here. I got your message and I'm glad to know that you made it safely last night. I called this morning but you weren't there and I didn't get a chance to leave you a message. I hope that all is well and I wanted to let you know that I'm officially in HC as of 3:30pm today. I'm going to be meeting up with some friends here as we'll be hanging out tonight. I'll try to call you again later tonight if it doesn't get too late but knowing my friends, it'll be really late before we get back. Anyway, have yourself a great 1st day at work tomorrow and I wish you luck. bye" he finished then hung up.
"Now, on to some serious drinking......", he thought.
7:30pm
I finally got back home for the second time this evening and put my groceries away, which took an additional 20 minutes.
I also found a few stores and did some window shopping as well.
It was finally time for me to relax so I changed my clothes and read in bed for a while.
Prior to that I checked to see if anyone had called - if not Sean then possibly my boss or something.
This time when I checked my phone, there was a message waiting for me......
"Hello Ms. Barnhart, Sean O'Haire here. I got your message and I'm glad to know that you made it safely last night. I called this morning but you weren't there and I didn't get a chance to leave you a message. I hope that all is well and I wanted to let you know that I'm officially in HC as of 3:30pm today. I'm going to be meeting up with some friends here as we'll be hanging out tonight. I'll try to call you again later tonight if it doesn't get too late but knowing my friends, it'll be really late before we get back. Anyway, have yourself a great 1st day at work tomorrow and I wish you luck. bye" he finished then hung up.
I smiled and thanked god that Sean had finally gotten through.
I was also happy to know that he had called earlier but because the ringer was off and my recording was not setup, he was unable to leave a message.
"I hope that we get a chance to get together while he's in town", I said out loud.
Anyway, I prepared for bed early enough tonight so that I could get an even earlier start tomorrow and possibly be able to get out of there at a descent time.
MONDAY (9:00am)
Sean woke with quite a hangover but other than that he was fine.
The guys were pretty rowdy last night especially with the women and because of that he decided to get drunk rather than get into any female trouble.
Though he wasn't the designated driver, he got as toasty as he possibly could to forget that those women who had surrounded him and his friends were sleazy.
He had told the guys about a certain female that he'd met on the train into town this past weekend and though they laughed because he was pretty infatuated with her, they also tried to make him forget her by constantly pushing women in his direction all night.
The more they did that, the more he drank.
Today was introduction, meet and greet as well as tour of the facilities day.
I hated to admit it but this company sure has some fine looking men.
1:45pm
Chuck, Mike, Sean and Mark were waiting at the Amtrak station for Shawn and Reno when Mike turned to him and got started on his behavior last night.........
"What's gotten into you man? You were acting like a pussy last night. You were so weak that some guy could have walked up to you and punched your lights out and you wouldn't have even noticed" Mike said.
"Give it a rest man" Sean said as he put his hands in his jeans pockets.
"You know what man? It was bad enough with that shit going on last night but now you're starting to make me wonder if you're pussy whipped or something" Mike added.
"Yeah, it's not like you to act this way but that woman obviously did something to you because you're acting as though you're not into what we do anymore" Chuck chimed in.
They were referring to his behavior as well as him telling them about meeting a certain someone on the train when he was on his way home to Atlanta this past weekend.
"It used to be fun once upon a time but as I've said before, I'm through with that shit. Hell, when are you guys going to grow up?" Sean asked all of them.
"I got your back man. Even if times are a-changing, you don't have to be an ass like us anymore if you don't want to be" Mark said while smiling.
"Hey, I resent that remark Mark" Chuck said.
"Yeah, so do I" Mike added.
"Hey, but the guy does have a choice on what he wants to do with his life even if he is signing himself off to all the rest of the women in the world and will just have eyes for "Toni" from here on out" Chuck said while putting emphasis on her name.
"Leave me the hell alone Chuck. It's not like its your life or something. Give me a break, damn" Sean had said to his friend while they continued to wait.
"Toni, oh my lovergirl, Toni, Toni, Toni, Muah! Muah! Muah" Mike started chanting and making kissy sounds then went over to mug Sean with a bear hug. Mark and Chuck joined in.
"Toni, Toni, Toni, Toni, Toni, Toni" they all started chanting.
"Let me go man" Sean shouted but they just kept at it until Shawn and Reno showed up.
Eventually, the guys looked around and saw Shawn and Reno standing on the platform watching them and smiling.
7:30pm
I had an outstanding first day on the job and was given my first assignment after orientation.
"A piece of cake", I said to myself in referring to the assignment that lay ahead of me which I would begin tomorrow.
I headed home around 6:00pm with a million ideas running through my head.
I planned for a simple dinner and couldn't wait until my things arrived in a few days as I wanted to get the house in order for real because as it stands there was barely any furniture outside of my roll-away bed, stove, refrigerator and a few lamps.
"Damn, I miss my furniture", I said out loud.
Just then, I decided that the time had come for me to call home.........
"Hello?" my mother asked into the receiver.
"Hi mom" I answered.
"Toni??? Baby, is that you?" my mother asked.
"Yes, mother. It's me" I responded as my eyes started watering.
"Oh baby, we miss you so much. Are you ok?" she asked.
"I'm fine - everything is ok. I miss you guys very much" I said as my tears spilled.
"Sweetheart, where are you?" she asked.
"Mom, please don't let anyone know where I am - just tell them that you've spoken with me and that everything is fine and that I love them, the family I mean. I'm in Hales Corners, GA and I'm doing fine. I started my new job today and my furniture should be here in a few days or so" I answered.
"Toni, we all miss you here. I don't want to dwell on what's happened but I just have to let you know that after you left, those two moved in together" my mother said.
I paused for a moment and thought about what she'd just said.
"Toni, are you there???" my mother asked.
"Yes Mom, I'm here. Just taking in what you've said. I'm ok with that but I'm going through a healing process right now and I'll be too busy to dwell on what happened as working for Chevy is going to be a blast. I've spilled enough tears as I've broken down a few times but as I've said before, I'm ok now" I explained.
"Baby, you were always a strong woman but what happened was so devastating and you know that neither one of them are ever welcome in this home as well as our lives ever again but deep down somewhere, I don't think that either really cares" she explained.
"I'm sure that I'll probably have a few more crying spells but they won't be so bad and I'm looking forward to them so I can get on with the rest of my life" I explained further.
"I love you baby and take care of yourself" she said.
"Mom, I know that you have caller id but I also know that you can't possibly have this number because I used the 67 block prior to calling. With that, I'll be calling you off and on to let you know how I'm doing but once I'm ready to talk to everyone else there, I'll finally give my number out. I'm unlisted so no one will be able to track me here as well as you're the only one who I want to speak with in the meantime, ok?" I said.
"I understand sweetheart" she said.
"Can you just tell everyone that I'm ok and that I love them?" I asked her.
"I'll do that and remember that I love you - we all love you" she said.
"I love you too mom" I said.
"Goodbye baby" she said.
"Goodbye mother" I said then hung up.
I sat there and stared at the phone for a moment then started smiling.
"That wasn't so bad after all", I said out loud then realized that my tears had dried on their own.
"Damn man, how can you be whipped already? You've just met her" Shawn asked after the guys explained everything especially Sean's behavior last night.
"I don't know but I wouldn't really call it "whipped" but I guess god just works in mysterious ways" Sean answered.
Sean looked over and saw Mike and Chuck smiling like the cat who just ate the canary.
He smirked and turned back toward Reno who was looking at him strangely.
"Are you going to get started with me also?" Sean asked while glaring back at him.
"Naw man, I'm just looking at the person I want to be like when I grow up" Reno answered.
There was laughter all around.
"What did I say wrong?" Reno asked but waved them off instead of waiting for a response.
They rode back to the hotel laughing all the way.
8:00pm
I had just checked the messages after speaking with my mother when the phone rang.........
After Reno and Shawn checked into the hotel, they all went out for a late lunch then decided to see a movie.
It was roughly 7:30pm when they got back to the hotel and spoke of their plans for the evening............
"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Mike asked as they walked through the lobby and had signed quite a few autographs for fans.
Sean just looked at him strangely while waiting for his answer.
"Hey man look, if you don't want to hang out and get with the ladies tonight, that's your choice" Mike said.
"You're a bad influence on this man Mike. Can't you see that he's in love or something?" Reno said.
Sean turned and looked at Reno querily.
"He's right you know. I've been around you the longest and I know love when I see it" Mark said.
"Whatever man. You guys think what you want" Sean said as they got in the elevator.
"Yeah, he's in love all right" Chuck said while smiling.
"Look, I'm willing to go but don't expect me to be the life of the party or anything like that" Sean said.
Just then, Sean decided to call Toni, as it was now 8:00pm...........
"Hello?" I answered.
"Hello Toni, this is Sean" he said with a smile once he'd finally heard her voice.
"Hi Sean. How are you?" I asked with a smile.
"I'm fine. It's good to hear your voice again" he said.
"Same here. I got your message last night after you left I'm sure" I said.
"I'm glad to hear that. I really tied one over too. I also tried to call you yesterday morning but I guess you were still sleep" he said.
"Yeah, I got up at 11:00am" I answered.
"The guys and I really had ourselves quite a time last night" he updated.
"Yeah, right you did" Mike said in the background.
"Who was that?" I asked.
"Oh, that was just one of the guys being funny" he explained while feeling embarrassed.
"Oh. Well anyway, I was wondering how your trip into town was?" I asked.
"It was a little tiring but I'm glad to be here no matter what. I've been wanting to get with these guys for quite some time now because we have a lot of reminiscing and catching to do" he explained.
"So how long are you in town?" I asked.
"Well, I'm not scheduled to leave until Friday night around 8:00pm. Maybe we can get together tomorrow or so if you're available. I'd like to take you out to dinner" he said.
"I'd love that as I'd like to show you where I live and how Chevy really set me up here. Also, maybe you can show me around or something because other than a few stores, work and a few other places I don't know my way around here yet" I said.
"That sounds like a plan since I pretty much know my way around because I usually visit here quite often" he explained.
"Oh really now. That's interesting" I said.
"It's for business reasons, that's all" he said.
"Great. Then maybe we'll see each other often" I said.
"That's what I'm hoping also" Sean said.
"I told you that he was in love" Reno said.
"Tell lovergirl that we said "hi" and that maybe we'll all see her later" Chuck said from behind him.
"Well, I guess you better be going. It sounds like they're pretty antsy" I said while smiling.
"Yeah, boys will be boys" Sean said in strange tone.
"Take care Sean. I'll talk to you later" I said.
"You take care too sweetheart. Goodbye" he said then hung up.
"Bye" I said then hung up.
Afterwards, I sat there wondering why his friend said the word "lovergirl"?
It soon appeared to me that maybe Mr. O'Haire has been talking about me to his friends.
I hadn't really thought of Sean much more than getting to know him better friend wise but maybe he has other things on his mind.
I'm not sure what much to think these days but I know that I'll definitely take my time the next time around with whomever I start dating. Engagement and marriage will most definitely be out of the question for a while.
"Whatever", I thought then prepared for a bath.
"Mike, you and Chuck can be real assholes sometimes" Sean said after his call.
"Muah! Muah! Muah!. But you love us anyway regardless" Chuck said after making kissy sounds.
"Yeah and you called her sweetheart, ouuuuuuu!" Shawn said.
They laughed but as Sean thought about it, he laughed right along with them.
Around 10:00pm, they were prepared to go out for the evening.
Sean decided that he'd be the designated driver this time and wouldn't drink too much because he knew that he didn't need to be drunk to be able to fend off women that he knew only wanted him either for his body, his status or his money.
TUESDAY (8:15am)
My second day of the job had me working on a production program that the company was planning to traffic TV and Radio. I didn't see this as much of a challenge because I had done it so many times in the past.
What I found very interesting about it was the new graphics system that they were using to print up posters, flyers and billboards as well as how the actors were being utilized to create the commercial itself.
That's where two people at the company came into play who ended up becoming close acquaintances of mine.
First there was Munchie, who is the Assistant General Manager at the connecting Chevy Studio and then there was Pepper, who is the Technical Manager of Graphics & Design.
I would be working directly with them on the project as this would give me additional training in the overall functions of the business end of Chevy.
My overall duties on this one was to come up with the promotional campaign to market our all new 2003 Chevy Eidos SUV.
My boss, Paul Dithers, Executive General Manager of Operations, had found my credentials utmost promising and had contacted my company in Chicago to let them know that he wanted me.
I was a little skeptical at first since was I getting engaged but now felt that I'd made the correct decision, as there was no reason to stay any longer and could leave without worry.
"I'm glad that I made the right decision", I said out loud as I sat back and remembered accepting the job when it was offered to me.
What shocked me was how Mike initially reacted overall.
He seemed happy enough but when I told him that I had to relocate to Hales Corner, GA, he didn't seem too happy about the move.....
"Baby, I don't want to leave Chicago" he'd said to me the night before the big announcement at my apartment.
"But Mike, what's the problem? This is a chance of a lifetime for me and I thought that you'd be happy" I said.
"I'm happy but I need you here with me in Chicago" he said while pouting.
"Mike, it sounds to me like you don't want me to move forward. I love what I do but I've worked hard to get where I am. Remember, I put my future plans on hold before when you wanted to finish college and work at the same time, remember that?" I asked.
"Yes, but......." he started.
"Yes, but what? Isn't it time for me now?" I asked.
"You're right. I'm sorry and I just don't want to lose you" he'd said that night.
Now that I think about it, I know that he probably couldn't wait for me to leave because he and Tonya would then have all the time they needed to be together and I wouldn't have been the wiser.
That is, unless one of my family members caught on to what they were doing and informed me.
I now see that they waited until the party to spring it on me because my mind was made up about leaving town and they couldn't stand my not knowing any further as they wanted to make it official that they were seeing each other.
"Though what a blow it dealt to my pride overall", I thought as I sat there wondering what I'd have for dinner tonight.
This time when Sean woke around noon, he didn't have a hangover.
He got up and used the facilities then decided that he would get down to the restaurant for a late breakfast if possible.
He figured that Toni would probably be having lunch and was possibly working late tonight so he'd give her a chance to really get used to her new surroundings before he would take her out.
He also decided that he would finally tell her all about him and what he did for a living - once and for all.
In the meantime, he was going to prepare for the autograph session tonight as he would be traveling with the guys around 4:00pm today over to the Rhodes Arena as the session was scheduled to begin at 6:00pm tonight.
1:10pm (Lunchtime...... Finally)
Today, I was having lunch with Pepper and Munchie since we were getting to know each other.
It would be well worth it since we were going to be working together as a team on other projects besides this one.
"So Toni, you're originally from Chicago?" Pepper asked as we sat down to lunch.
"Yes I am. I got to town a few days ago as I'm starting over here because the final straw came when I had to get out of Chi-town asap and this move was right on time" I admitted.
"So, are you in trouble with the law or something?" she asked further then smiled.
"No, but put it like this, if I would have stayed in a certain room with two certain deceiving people one minute longer, you probably would have been reading about me in the HC Daily Times by now as I would have committed murder or something" I inferred.
"Ok, I get it now. You had one of those "of all the things in the world, why did this have to happen to me" things going on, right?" Munchie asked.
"Yeah, you can put it like that" I said then we started laughing.
It's good to know that I still remembered how to laugh", I thought to myself then smiled.
5:30pm"Hey you two, it's good that we're getting to know each other. Two days ago when I got here, I didn't know anyone and now look at me - I already have two new friends" I said as we were getting ready to leave for the day.
"That's good to know that you consider us becoming friends because people can be so deceiving" Pepper said.
"Tell me about it. I once had a friend who slept with my boyfriend. Can you believe it? And she actually had the gaul to get all up in my face and tell me about it. Some people can be so cruel" Munchie said.
"I have to agree on that one" I said as I thought about what initially happened to me.
"By the way Toni, Munchie and I are going to an autograph signing at the Rhodes Arena tonight. Would you like to come with us?" Pepper asked out of no where.
"An autograph signing? So who's going to be there - any famous stars?" I asked as Munchie just joined us.
"Stars? Yeah, they'll be a lot of stars all right and they're all very buff, well-built and fine as hell" Pepper said then gave Munchie a hi-5.
"I don't get it. Who are they?" I asked seemingly dumbfounded.
"Girl, they are all professional wrestlers" Munchie chimed in.
"You mean that you ladies go gaga over those grunts? Give me a break already" I said sarcastically.
"Come on Toni, why don't you come with us unless you have other plans tonight" Munchie said.
"Hell, why not. It's not like I have a hot date - anyway, this may be a fun evening" I said without much interest.
With that, we checked out of our departments and said goodnight to those who were still working then left.
Sean met up with the guys around 4:00pm and they decided to take two vehicles out since they first needed to meet with WWF management who had put this session together.
Sean, Chuck and Mark were in Sean's truck and Mike, Shawn and Reno were in Mark's car.
"So Mr. Lover Man, when are you going to get together with Toni?" Chuck asked.
"Don't start again man. I'm looking forward to this session tonight and I don't want to talk about it. Especially if you're going to continue to crack jokes like you've done for the last few nights" Sean said.
"Come on Chuck, give it a rest already. It's getting tired. You guys bummed me out with all of the jokes and all last night too" Mark updated.
"Thanks man. At least I'm not the only one getting tired of all this noise" Sean said.
"I don't mean to add to anything but you two haven't gotten together yet.... have you?" Mark asked.
"No, not yet. I'm hoping to get with her to talk and stuff before I leave on Friday. After tonight, I'm going to invite her to dinner and I know that she wants me to come and see her new place because she just moved here" Sean updated.
"Just moved here. So she knows what you do for a living then, right?" Chuck asked.
"No she doesn't. I haven't told her about that yet because I just haven't really thought about it" Sean added.
"You never know. She just may show up at the arena tonight" Mark said.
"Naw, I don't think so. I really don't think that she's into the big, burly wrestler types like we are" Sean said as he just pulled into the parking lot of the Rhodes Arena.
"Well then you might have a problem when she finds out about you guy" Mark said.
"Why haven't you told her what you do for a living man?" Chuck asked.
"Well, honestly, I guess deep down besides discussing her problems at the time, I wanted her to like me for me and not for what I do for a living" he informed.
"Wow, that's a first. Can you imagine Sean running into a woman who doesn't know who he is? That's like the Prince and the Pauper story in a way" Chuck said.
Sean and Mark just looked at each other then laughed.
"Whatever, man!" Sean said then departed the truck as the other guys pulled up next to them.
They were whooping and hollering as Mike, Reno and Shawn just stared at them and shook their heads then they all went inside.
Since I had my car, I followed Munchie and Pepper over to the Rhodes Arena.
It was about 20 minutes from downtown to the place and I followed closely so that I wouldn't lose sight of them.
When I finally saw it, I breathed a sigh of relief as I guided my car into the parking space beside them.
"Damn, people are everywhere", I thought to myself then exited the car.
I walked over to them as they were exiting also.
"Well, this is the place" Munchie said as I approached.
"Yeah, it sure is" I responded.
"Well then ladies, let's get on over to those muscular, fine men and get our autographs" Pepper said.
All I could do was to smirk as I followed them inside and to the end of a very long line.
After checking in, they were directed to the area where they would be signing autographs and handing out photos of themselves.
There were sets of pics of them from their NBT days and individual ones of them to sign and hand out as well.
The order that they were seated from left to right was: Sean, Mike, Reno, Mark, Shawn and Chuck.
6:15pm
I was talking to Munchie and Pepper who were behind me waiting in line for autographs.
"Adding to what I was saying earlier, I left Chicago to start over here and on the way, I met this cute guy on the train and we talked until he got off in Atlanta on Sunday" I said.
"That sounds great. You haven't even been here but two days and already you've met someone" Pepper said.
"Yeah, I have. I don't know a lot about him but I do know that he travels in what he does for a living" I said as we moved up in line.
"Did you get his number or anything?" Munchie asked.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I did. I finally got to speak to him last night because all we've been doing was exchanging messages since Sunday. Also he's in town now so maybe we'll get the chance to go out or something when he's finished with hanging out with his friends" I added.
"He probably can't wait to get with you since you've finally spoken with him. Especially now that he's in town" Pepper added.
"I know but you know how guys are and all. His friends are probably keeping him busy and hanging out with the ladies and all" I said with a smirk.
"Why would you say something like that? If he's too busy for you then why would he give you his number let alone call you in the first place?" Pepper continued.
"I don't know but I'm looking forward to running into him regardless" I said.
"What's his name, if you don't mind my asking?" Munchie asked.
"It's Sean O'Haire. I think that's Irish" I said.
Just then, as Pepper, Munchie and I finally got our turn in line, I suddenly thought it strange that instead of them focusing on what was going on in front of them, they were now looking at me with strange looks on their faces.
As well, the guy sitting at the table whose nameplate read that he was Chuck Palumbo was doing the same.
He was cute enough and beefy looking but I couldn't imagine what all of the hype was all about.
Also, it was pretty strange that he was staring at me just as hard as the girls were.
"Whatever", I thought.
"Toni, did you just say that it was Sean O'Haire that you were on the train with?" Munchie asked.
"Yes I did but why do you ask?" I asked.
"It's because you couldn't possibly have met Sean O'Haire without knowing it" Pepper asked.
"Yeah. I don't believe that you did either" Pepper said then looked around.
"What is the problem with the two of you. You act as if you know him or something" I said.
I turned back around and really didn't pay any more attention to them as I was now facing this famous Mr. Chuck Palumbo who was staring and smiling at me himself.
"Hello Mr. Palumbo, can you make my autograph out to "Toni Barnhart" I said as I spelled my last name for him while I held my hand out.
After he shook my hand, it got really strange because instead of him giving me his autograph, he just sat there and started smiling harder than before but he still didn't sign or anything.
"Excuse me but I said you could make that out to...." I started to repeat then stopped because of what he said next.
"I'm sorry I heard what you said but I was wondering about what you said prior to that. Did you just say that you met Sean O'Haire on a train and that your name is Toni Barnhart?" Chuck asked.
I suddenly felt foolish as I realized that what I said reached his ears but I answered anyway while the girls kept watching.
"Yes, that's what I said. I got into town two days ago from Chicago and we met on the train. Do you know him or something?" I asked in response.
Just then, he turned and pointed down the line toward his right........ As I followed the direction to where he was pointing, I immediately saw whom he was pointing at.
"You mean THAT Sean O'Haire on the end?" he asked as he pointed to the exact person of whom I was speaking.
All of a sudden, I couldn't move as I looked at Munchie, Pepper and Chuck and couldn't say a word because I was embarrassed.
All I did was nod because I realized that Sean was sitting there looking at me as he'd heard the entire conversation while watching with a smile on his face.
I also realized that the other guys at the table were looking back and forth between the two of us as well and that Munchie and Pepper were looking questioningly shocked.
Sean couldn't believe that Toni was standing at the far end of the table and was now looking at him because she'd followed the direction that Chuck was now pointing - which was directly at him.
All of a sudden, she looked embarrassed because she was being put on the spot as Chuck, her two friends and the other guys at the table were just looking at her waiting for a response in reference to whether or not she knew him.
Though he saw her shake her head, he spoke anyway........
"Hi Toni, it's good to see you again" Sean said down to her to try to ease the tension in the air.
"Hi Sean" she responded then continued on while the guys gave her and her friends their autographs all the while her friends were looking shocked and disbelieving.
The guys were smiling - broadly.
I couldn't believe it. There he was in the flesh. I didn't understand why he was here with these guys but suddenly it hit me. He too was a professional wrestler and a famous one at that - now I understand.
"No wonder he looked so strong and sturdily built and no wonder Pepper and Munchie didn't believe that I knew him personally. How could I have been in the presence of someone famous without knowing it?", I asked myself.
As I continued looking at him I couldn't imagine why I'd never once picked up on his being famous or why he never told me but I guess he had his reasons.
"Hey Sean, it looks like your dream girl has found you instead of the other way around" Chuck said.
The other guys at the table started whooping it up and all.
Talk about embarrassed. I was way beyond that now but nothing compared to when I realized how embarrassed Sean looked after Chuck's comment.
"Yeah most definitely, someone has been talking about me to his friends", I thought to myself and smiled.
I decided to wait until I got to the end of the line before I spoke with him more privately.
Munchie and Pepper got started.......
"Oh my god Toni, I can't believe that you actually know Sean O'Haire. Aaaaahhhhhh!" Munchie screamed.
Pepper just stood appearing as if she'd faint dead away.
I still couldn't figure out much of what was going on because since getting to know Sean, he never once let on that he was famous or anything. As well, I couldn't imagine why they were screaming at all.
All I knew was that he was Sean O'Haire from Atlanta, GA and that he traveled in what he did for a living........ which of course is wrestling.
"Duh!!!", I thought to myself then smiled.
After receiving the autographs from the other guys at the table, who seemed overly enthusiastic to give me their handshake, signature and photo, it was finally time to speak with Mr. O'Haire himself.
Sean was happy to see her and glad that his friends were ready, willing and able to give her and her friends their photos and autographs.
He first wondered why she was there in the first place but soon realized that her friends were fans and probably asked her along for the fun of it.
What she would do with their information was beyond him, as he really didn't care one way or the other because he knew her personally and that's all that really mattered.
When she approached him, his smile grew wider though he noticed that the look on her face was one of pure shock instead of excitement.
"Hi Sean. So this is the secret that you've kept from me on the train, huh?" I asked questioningly.
He motioned to the security guard beside him to let me pass then stood and gave me a hug.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. It's so good to see you again" he said but didn't let me go as he continued to hold and squeeze me.
"So you're a Professional Wrestler, huh? Who would have ever guessed?" I said as he finally let me go.
All of a sudden, my friends and his started whooping it up again.
"Come on you guys, you're embarrassing me" he said when he turned to face them.
I looked over and noticed that Munchie and Pepper were really excited and that his friends were looking at them and smiling quite a lot as they continued to sign autographs.
Munchie and Pepper came over to me and the security guard let them in also.
"Oh my god, Sean its so good to meet you. My name is Pepper Henry and I'm a good friend of Toni's" Pepper said as Sean shook her hand and signed an autograph for her.
"It's nice to meet you too" Sean said.
"Hi Sean, my name is Munchie Stewart and I'm a good friend of Toni's too" she said then they shook hands as well.
"That's an interesting name Ms. Stewart" Sean said as he signed a photo for her also.
"Tell me about it. I'm sure that my parents knew that I would go through some kind of complex in the early years but I grew into it" she said then smiled.
They stood by my side until the end.
The session continued on for another hour.
There were still quite a few fans left but there was also a time limit as to when this affair would end.
Of course there was also the usual hangers-on that of course come with any kind of fame.
When it was finally over, Sean made formal introductions between our friends and we talked a while.
The way that the ladies were giving the guys the eyes while we talked, I could tell that Munchie was hot for Reno and Pepper was hot for Mark.
"So what are you ladies up to this evening? Care to join us for a drink?" Chuck asked.
Munchie and Pepper looked at each other then at me. I just hunched my shoulders.
"That sounds fine but Munchie and I rode together and Toni came over by herself so I guess we can all just follow you guys to wherever we decide to go" Pepper said with excitement.
With that, we waited while they checked out then escorted us to our vehicles much to the interest of their adoring fans. We proceeded to follow them back downtown to the Sapphire Room then valeted our cars.
10:15pm
Sean and I spent quite a bit of time together tonight and pretty much watched everyone else as they got acquainted.
We also watched as Chuck, Shawn and Mike went after the ladies and Sean nudged me a few times to let me know that they were the true ladies men in the group.
I smiled when he told me that.
It was getting late and I finally had to be going.........
"Well, I guess I'd better get going because I have some things to do before I get to bed tonight" I said.
"Oh Toni, you don't really have to go do you?" Munchie asked.
"Believe it or not I do. Anyway you two have fun and I'll see you tomorrow morning" I said.
I stood then and said goodnight to everyone else as well........
"Chuck, Shawn, Mike, Reno and Mark - it was so nice to meet all of you. Again, please excuse my ignorance in not knowing anything about wrestling and all but I now know that by my knowing Sean, I'll be filled in on all of the details in no time" I explained.
"Goodnight lady" Pepper said.
"It was good to finally meet you too Toni" Mark said.
"Same here" Chuck said.
"We hope to see you again" Reno said.
The rest agreed as well.
"I'm going to see Toni home so don't expect me back tonight. Ladies it was of course nice to meet the both of you" Sean said to Munchie and Pepper.
"Likewise here Sean" Munchie said.
"It was nice to meet you too. Take care of my friend Sean" Pepper said then shook his hand.
Sean shook the guys' hands then walked me out.........