Chapter 2:

Eve was ecstatic to have me by her side on the bus.

"Great," she exclaimed. "Now I won't have to put up with Jillian's consistent shallow chatter." I had to laugh. "And oh my God if she sings along with one more song I will strangle her."

"You're awful Eve."

The blond headed diva not only sang off key in the ring for the fans, but she alienated her peers as well. It only took a half an hour before I wished I had a pair of ear plugs. To top it off, she thought she had an excellent voice. I really thought it was awful of the writer's to exploit her terribly misguided confidence.

I looked forward to my ride. I would have never imagined that the wrestler would travel in such a manner. I always imagined that they traveled in luxury. I pictured them in limos and private jets, drinking champagne and being waited on hand and foot, but in reality they were down to earth people and off screen they were no different than anyone else going and coming.

"Randy's said his bus will be fixed by next week. The driver's going to catch up with him in Tennessee. I think I'm going to ask to join him." After the sun went down, the bus grew dark and quiet. There wasn't much to do but stare out the window.

A few miles later, the bus pulled into a gas station and we were able to get off and stretch our legs. Most our fellow rider's were asleep, so Eve and I browsed the treats inside alone and then stood outside the bus while the two bus drivers talked over their maps.

"Ugh, they're going to swap. I hate when they drive all night. It really makes me wish I was driving myself."

"Why don't you drive?" I wondered. I knew some chose to use their own vehicles and made their own itineraries, stopping wherever they wanted along the way.

"And put miles on my Humvee. No way," Eve kidded. "Truthfully I hate to travel alone. So I either ride the bus or catch a ride with someone. Usually it's with Randy and his buddies … Speak of the devil."

Randy stepped from the bus, threw his hands over his head and stretched his body.

"We're pulling out, Orton." The bus driver warned him.

"Too bad, I have to hit the head. You'll have to wait." He smoothly sauntered away from the bus, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Eve snickered while my mouth hung open in shock. Randy really didn't hold back and he took his time.

Eve and I were settled in our seats located in the back of the bus by the time he returned. It was chilly and we both had grabbed thin blankets from the backpacks we had stored above our heads. I laid my head back and tried to get comfortable.

"You're not cold Randy?" he was wearing a thin white shirt with no sleeves and he had his arms crossed over his chest and his laid back on the seat.

"A little."

"Why don't go scare the driver into turning on the heat," She joked.

"It won't do any good. Not with all the windows these idiots have down. You don't have another blanket stuffed in that magic bag of yours do you?" Eve just pointed up at her bag. She was always well organized and packed just about everything she might want or need in either her bag or purse.

"Excuse me, sweetheart." And he surprised me by slipping into our space and straddling my legs to retrieve Eve's bag and pull the blanket out of it. I am still embarrassed by the look he must have seen on my face when his gaze fell upon me for his lip curled up in a seductive smile that made me wish I was somebody else and not the nerdy, conservative woman who could never hope of dating a man like Randy.

I couldn't sleep so I pulled out a small book lamp and hooked it to the latest romance novel I was reading. I about how senseless riding the bus was going to be to Vince once Randy's bus was fixed.

"Shoot," I whispered to myself after my book light began to flicker and then finally died. The battery didn't hold up an hour and I was just getting to the good part of my book. I closed my book and laid my head against the seat. Eve was already asleep against the window.

I glanced at Randy in the seat next to me. He had both sides to himself and had turned up the middle arm rest so he could stretch across both seats. He had his head tilted back against the window. I smiled and felt myself blush. He was so cute with his arm dangling by his side and his mouth slightly open.

I managed to close my eyes, but my dreams betrayed me by letting Randy invade them. In my dream I was sitting on his lap, making out with him and his hands roamed beneath my clothes, but I woke up to find him squatted in the aisle beside me cutting up with Kofi who occupied the seat in front of me. Kofi that turned around in his seat and I wished I hadn't read that romance novel before going to sleep. I felt my cheeks grow red as if Randy knew I had dreamed of him in the same situation as the characters from my book.

"Hey Randy," Eve called over me and he turned toward her voice. Oh I wished she hadn't called him because I was sure he could see what I had dreamed written all over my face.

"Ya," he answered and sat his arm on my armrest. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and I felt like melting.

"You think I could hitch a ride with you when you get back on your wheels?"

"You always do." He chuckled.

"Oh, and my girl here too? Do you mind?"

"Not a problem. I like the company." he then shielded his mouth with his hand. "Sure would beat the entertainment on this bus." we all snickered because we knew he meant Jillian who had again began to regale us with her Mariah rendition. "I really wish her iPod would die."

"Ya, but then she would just pull out her laptop," Eve blew him a kiss and I felt even worse about my dream. The two were always with each other and I couldn't believe I had never thought about them being a couple. "You're so lucky." I thought to myself because I could only have someone like him in my dreams and even then he seemed to leave with a super model.

The roads seemed to go on forever and the bus ride didn't seem to have an end. Everyone was getting uncomfortable having to sit in one spot for so long and I made a mental note to suggest to Vince about redoing the bus and maybe buying one more. The set up this bus I believed made his stars even more tired and cranky by the time they got to their destinations.

We stopped for breakfast and I was Eve's tag along. I felt like an outcast sitting at a table with her, Randy, Kofi and John Morrison.

"Damn, he's so hot." My friend exposed a thing for John.

"I thought you and Randy were …"

"No, girl we're just friends, but John… I wouldn't mind getting stuck in a dark room with him." After a breakfast of watching them flirt with each other I had a feeling he felt something for her as well.

"Randy, switch seats with me?" We again were sentenced to the boring vehicle and John moved to the back of the bus, occupying the empty seat next to Randy. Of course, Eve saw an opportunity and winked at me as she asked, sticking me next to the viper. My heart felt like it was going to explode because he was so close.

I went back to my reading hoping my mind would forget about how close he was, but my phone started rang and I ended up spending and hour on the Vince's speaker phone listening in to his business meeting. He would ask my opinion on a storyline or a marketing strategy and I knew everyone's ears were on my conversation especially when I had to mention one of the rider's names.

"I thought you were Vince's little puppet, but I wasn't sure." Randy said after I hung up.

"Excuse me?" I was offended.

"I don't mean any disrespect, but I don't know your name."

"It's Abbi."

"Why are you riding with us, Abbi?"

"Um – to chat with Eve. I find traveling with the suits and talking about business constantly a little boring." It was only a partial lie but I really couldn't tell him I was there to eavesdrop on his life.

"I get that. I used to be stuck with them, but that was when they thought I had talent."

"You are talented Randy." It slipped and he raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know something? Tell me." I just laughed and thankfully he didn't press. I reopened the book, but only had a couple chapters left leaving me nothing to do but wait for our next stop. It was odd for me to have time to finish a book on one trip. I loved the more relaxed ride on the bus. It felt like I was really getting some down time. I didn't feel like I was working all the time.

"Hey Abbi, can you hand me my bag?" Eve asked when the driver announced we would be stopping in a few moments. "I need my make-up."

"You don't need that crap. You are beautiful," John complimented causing Eve to giggle.

I stood up and reached for the bag, standing on my tiptoes and pulling hard because it seemed to be stuck on something. The bus suddenly jerked to the side and I heard everyone gasp. A second lurch of the bus made it hard for me to keep my balance and I found myself falling and then I felt a set of hands grab my waist.

I heard someone scream. The bus swerved into the other lane and then slipped into the ditch. One of the tires had blown out and everything after that had happened so fast that I didn't know if I had falling into his lap or if he had tried to catch me. Either way, I ended up in his lap.

Randy looked as surprised as I did and we were both wet. The blow out had caused him to spill the bottle of cold water he had been drinking. The contents of his cup had landed on me and my white buttons down blouse was soaked, cold and see through.

Randy grinned, his eyes glued to my exposed bra.

"Not bad." I was in a hurry to get out of his arms.

"Hey look at that! Randy finally caught him a girl." Kofi teased us and he pulled me back playfully. I know I turned red but Randy played along by squeezing me tighter.

"Ya I did, and I'm not letting her go, so find your own Kofi." He beamed a smile at me and winked. I knew it was all in fun and it meant nothing. Yet it had meant a lot to me considering the crush I had developed on him. The moment was over and I returned to get Eve her bag and hand it to her.

"Are you alright?" Eve was a good friend and handed me some napkins.

"I'm fine, except I'm wet."

Randy's shirt had gotten a good dose of his drink as well and he tore it off, exposing his beautifully chiseled chest and then dug through his bag for a new shirt. My eyes were glued to his naked chest and I know I memorized every sculpted curve right down to the way his sides curved into what his jeans hid.

"Easy for you Randy, we girls can't get away with changing like that," Eve joked. Randy had his new shirt half way on.

"It wouldn't bother me if you wanted to change your shirt.

"I bet not," Eve tossed threw a waded up empty bag at him.

"Oh you know you love what you see." he kidded, removed his shirt again and began to dance around.

"Put it away Randy. No one wants to see that." she squealed when he spun around as best he could in the small space. "Come on, Abbi, take it off and come dance with me." I knew he was kidding, but it embarrassed me. All I could do was look away. He chuckled, seemingly delighted that his joke had caused me to gasp.

"Okay let's go see what the damage is, "he turned serious and again covered his chest. Then he, John and Kofi headed off the bus to look at the tire.

"You are soaked." Eve laughed. "Here put this on." she handed me a tee shirt from her bag. It fit me tightly and I was a little self conscious about how it clung to my curves.

. My bag was stored in the compartment outside of the bus and I didn't want to leave the bus to retrieve it with my wet blouse. My skirt was a little wet as well and I knew I would have to change it. So I carefully changed my shirt, hoping no one was watching and then Eve and I joined the rest of the travelers on the side of the road.

Randy was messing with the driver about the tire. The driver refused to let them try and change it and kept telling them they had to wait for a road side crew. It was too big a job for one person and the superstars were not allowed to touch it because it might but them at risk for injury. I could tell it frustrated Randy who probably changed many tires on his own vehicles.

I focus my attention on getting my bag. The driver had opened the compartment and many of the riders had already gotten items from their luggage. I grabbed mine and set it on the ground. I grabbed a pair of shorts I normally only wore to bed, that were sitting on top, knowing I could easily slip them under my skirt and then pull off the wet garment without anyone seeing anything. I unzipped my boots and stuck them in my large bag and pulled out a pair of flip flops. It was hot and I had no idea how long we would be stranded on the desert highway.

"What are we doing on this old road anyway?" Eve said after an hour. "Why aren't we on the main highway?"

"I think the next stop is on this road." I told her.

"How far?"

"I'm not sure," I said with a shrug.

"I think we should start walking." she said. "I'm so tired of sitting here. I bet we could get to a restaurant or something that would be cooler than this."

"We're not supposed to leave the bus Eve," Randy joined us, taking a seat between us on the grass. He kicked his feet out in front of him and crossed his ankles.

"Screw that." Eve said. "This isn't a high school field trip. I'm over twenty- one." Eve jumped to her feet and paced, she didn't like to be stuck with no options. "Finally!" After twenty or so minutes of irritated pacing, she pointed out a big wrecker. It pulled off the road.

I dusted off my clothes and watched a pot bellied man examine the tire.

"What's up, Dixie?" My ears perked, but I didn't turn around. I tried to act like I wasn't interested in Randy's conversation, but he apparently didn't want anyone to hear his conversation for he ventured past me with the phone to his ear and disappeared behind the bus, on the side opposite the damage where everyone gathered.

Now, I'm not the type of person who trails after someone just so I can hear what they are talking about, but it just happened to be my job description at the moment, so I went to the front of the bus and tiptoed my away across its grill. I peaked around the corner and strained, hoping good news would flow to my ear so I could put Vince's worries to rest.

"I don't know. I like where I'm at. Yeah, I know I you're offering a title shot on my first appearance."

I inched closer. Soon I was on the same side of the bus and I had no clue how I was going to explain being there. He saw me and it appeared he was suspicious by his angry scowl, so I had to improvise. I walked right up to him.

"Woman, you're giving me a headache." I didn't know if he was talking to me or Dixie. "I said I'll think about it. I got to go." He slipped the phone into his pocket, his glare locked on me.

"I—I" I heard the wrecker beep its back up warning. "I was going to tell you they're about to pull the bus out of the ditch." At least I hoped that was what was going on. The sound of clinking metal collaborated my lie, then a few moments later the bus flinched.

"Oh, you're right; this probably isn't the safest place to be." He led me towards the front of the bus with his hand on the small of my back. I remember how I closed my eyes. His touch was unexpected, but Randy was a gentleman. But just as quickly as the wrecker's engine revved, the bus began rocking harder and in one quick movement I was thrown to the ground.

I had no idea why he was laying on top of me, but I had heard the loud boom. I could smell dirt and I was breathing in dust even though Randy's arms were covering my head, his body was so close I could feel how fast his heart was beating. When he removed himself from me and lent me a hand up, my eyes grew wide in disbelief. The ignorant man had knocked our bus on its side. We were stuck.