Chapter 2

Mike watched her train in the ring. She was everything that he had heard she was and better than that. Everything she did was with such ease it was like she became one with the wrestling ring. Cody had never told him that there had been something between the two of them, he had never even hinted at it. When he told him that he was going to try and find her all he said was good luck no one has heard from her in almost two years. That Rhodes lied to him and there was no reason for that. Mike knew he was a douche but Cody pretty much proved that he might be more of a douche than anyone he knew.

He watched her grab a towel from a table off to the side and wiped herself down. There was something different about this gi-woman. He had to remember that this wasn't a girl that was in front of him. She was a beautiful specimen of a woman. Shaking his head he told himself to regain his composure, he was The Miz after all and he could get any woman that he wanted and he knew that he could have her. Except for the first time he didn't want to pursue this woman with just the satisfaction that in the end they would have sex. He wanted to pursue her for the fact that he wanted this woman in his arms and by his side. That was something that Mike Mizanin had never wanted before.

"What did you think?" she said breaking him out of his thoughts.

"It was amazing," he said jumping to his feet like he was guilty of something.

She laughed at him and he felt his heart do a flip. It was the most perfect laugh he had ever heard. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, nah its cool I was just thinking that is all."

"I am going to run inside to shower cause I have to head over to the bar. Feel free to make yourself at home and get in the ring."

"Thanks," he said looking from her to the ring and back to her.

"Did you need anything in town?" she asked him.

"Maybe I should get my car," he said watching a trickle of sweat run from her forehead down to her cheek and felt jealous of it. He wanted to be that sweat.

She smiled at him, "Sure. You are welcome to come back and spend the night tonight if you'd like unless you have to leave of course."

"I'd like that," he said smiling back, "I don't have to be anywhere until Saturday."

"Okay, I'll be about a half hour or so," she said turning and heading off towards the house.

He watched her leave and watched her friends follow her out as they yelled bye to him and waved them on. Sitting back down he tried to talk himself down, so to speak. "Mike, pull yourself together. It is just another woman. She isn't really as great as you are making her out to be." But she was and no matter how many times he tried to tell himself there would be no convincing him otherwise.

Sometimes you just know when you meet someone perfect and Mike knew that this girl was nothing but perfect even with all her imperfections. He didn't care about her past all that he cared about was her future and he wanted to be apart of it. Just when you start to doubt that you will ever meet your soul mate in they walk into your life and she did. He found her and he knew it. Now he just had to convince her that he was her soul mate as well.

Later that day…

Juli knew that Mike was interested in her even if he most of the time he tried to play it cool like he wasn't. It amused her but that was about as far as she would let it go. She hadn't been with anyone since Cody had broken her heart and she wanted to keep it that way. After all she was perfectly fine being by herself, in the middle of no where, where everyone knew her name. As much as wrestling was her life she didn't want to be apart of the wrestling business anymore because it would just lead to more heartache and she knew that. Inheriting the bar was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She was in the kitchen preparing dinner and Mike was in the living room watching television. He suddenly walked in behind her and he sat down at the table. "What's up?" she asked him turning around, folding her arms and leaning back on the counter.

"Nothing," he said she could see he was nervous, "do you need any help."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks for offering though." He just sat there and stared. "You know I'm going to start getting a complex if you keep staring at me so much."

"Am I?" he said all excited and stood up quickly knocking the chair off.

She laughed at him. He was pretty good looking she couldn't deny that but she knew of Mike's endeavors with women and it certainly wasn't a turn on. "Listen," she said as he picked the chair up and placed it back in its spot, "dinner is almost ready. I'll call you when it is done. Okay?"

"Okay." He said turning and walking back into the living room.

Shaking her head she turned around and went back to preparing her dinner.

That night…

He had finally talked himself into being calm around her and had convinced himself that she was no different than anyone else he knew. It helped and soon he was talking to her like they were old friends. Mike had told her all about how he had gotten onto 'The Real World' and how once he was there he realized that it was the first step in the direction he wanted to go to. Than once he made it to 'Tough Enough' he knew he had it in the bag.

They laughed for hours when finally she looked at the clock and it was already 9:30. Stretching she yawned and laid her head back on the couch. When she looked up Mike was sitting closer to her. His arm moved around her shoulders and he pulled her close to him. "I don't know if this is a good idea," she said to him.

"Why? Don't you enjoy my company?"

"I do. It isn't that."

"Don't you find me attractive?"

"That is a stupid question, Mike. Even you know you are attractive."

He smirked, "Of course I do but than I don't know why you wouldn't want this to happen. We're clicking aren't we?"

"We are but that doesn't mean that I will let it go anywhere."

"Juli, I'm right here in front of you. I won't hurt you."

"I wish I could believe you but I know about your track record with women and I don't want to be just another notch in your belt."

He removed his arm from her shoulders. "Okay, I deserve that but this is different. You're different and you make me different." Mike said as he looked into her eyes.

"How do I make you different?" she asked him confused.

"I've never met anyone like you. You are one in a million."

She couldn't help but blush. "I don't think I am any different from anyone but thank you."

Mike took her hands into his and still hadn't lost his connection with her eyes. "Let's take things slow. I want to prove to you that this will be different. For both of us."

"You want to change? For me?"

"I'd do anything for you."

"That might just be one of the sweetest things that anyone has ever said to me."

He smirked he knew he was winning. "Just say you will try for me."

She looked down at their hands and back up into his eyes. "I will."

Mike than kissed her and it was everything he wanted to me if not more. He felt more in their kiss than he ever felt with anyone else and when they pulled away the look on her face told him that she felt the same way and he pulled her into his arms. Happy that he would get this chance as he stroked her hair and began to memorize her sweet smell.

"Mike?"

"Yeah?" he wondered what she would ask.

"Is it true that you had chlamydia while you were on 'The Real World'?" she asked as she sat up to look at him.

He was shocked. "How did you know that?"

Juli shrugged, "I have my ways of finding things out."

Mike took a deep breath. "Yes, but I swear to you. I have been clean ever since and I have only ever used condoms since than."

"As long as you swear," she said.

"I do. As God is my witness," he really looked at her. "Why do you know something like that about me?"

"Always kept my eyes on the guys that were going places even their indiscretions."

He laughed, "Makes wonder what kind of stuff you really know about the guys and gals for that matter."

She giggled, "I'll never tell." He said pulling her back to him and holding her tightly to him. A bit later Juli turned the television on to a news channel and they lay down together on the couch. He held her tightly and they slept there on the couch all night long in each others arms.