A/N: Woahhhh, thanks for all of your reviews! I'm so glad you all love the chemistry between Roman and Lana just as much as I do.

Enjoy :)

"Lana? There's someone on the line for you."

Lana had been striding purposefully toward her office door, but stopped abruptly with apparent ease. She prided herself on being completely in control of her body at all times, even when wearing four-inch stilettoes.

She arched an interested eyebrow at her assistant, "Oh? Who is it?"

"It's a…Roman Reigns. He says it's important."

A rosy blush suddenly bloomed on her cheeks, in spite of her air-conditioned surroundings. The self-control that she prided herself on was quickly evaporating.

He was the last person she had expected to hear from. What did he want? To tell her to never return to his place of work? To really drive home the fact that he was repulsed by her? As if his very public display last weekend hadn't been enough of a hint.

"Tell him I'm in a meeting," she replied briskly.

They may have been in his domain that night, where he called the shots, but she was back on her turf now. She didn't have to do anything that she didn't want to do. Embarrassment wasn't something that Lana suffered lightly. It sank into her bones and remained there for a long time, she wasn't one to quickly forget personal slights. As far as she was concerned, Roman Reigns could go take a long walk off of a very short cliff.

"Alright…Mr. Reigns? I'm sorry, she's not available right now. She's in a meeting. Can I take a message? You have her phone? I'll be sure to tell her th-"

"What?" Lana burst out. "He has my phone? Transfer him."

She pushed into her office, leaning against the door when it closed behind her.

Well, wasn't this an interesting turn of events? Although the thought of speaking to him made her stomach churn, she desperately needed that phone. She had been without it since that night at the Chippendales show, when Natasha enforced a highly unnecessary technology ban. When Lana had asked for it back the next day, Natasha had sheepishly informed her that it had gone missing…but that its disappearance had nothing to do with the extra shots she had knocked back with Roman and his boys.

Ordinarily, Lana would have dismissed a missing item and replaced it herself. But…this was her phone. It was practically her child. All of her personal and work information was on that iPhone. Even though she had backed it up on the cloud, she missed the reassuring weight of it in her palm.

All of this spurred her to walk over to her desk, settle into her plush leather chair and pick up the receiver.

"Hello?"

Once again, her tone was cool and composed. If she acted civilly, she could have her phone back by that afternoon.

"Hey Lana, it's Roman Reigns here." She could hear his smile, his deep voice relaxed. It wasn't difficult to imagine that beautiful smile.

"Hello, Mr. Reigns."

"You got out of that meeting pretty quick, huh?"

Lana scowled, biting back an acidic retort. He did have her phone, after all. It wouldn't be smart to unload exactly what she thought of this man after his antics on Saturday night.

"You told my assistant you have my phone. I thought it was gone permanently."

"Uh, yeah. The cleaning crew found it on the floor after the performance."

"That was good luck. How did you know it was mine?"

He was silent for a moment, his soft breath the only sound on the other end of the line. "The phone is set to Russian, so I mean, it was pretty easy to figure out…"

Something was off about this. Sensing a weakness, albeit one that she couldn't quite pinpoint, she decided to pursue it anyway.

"And how did you find out where I work?"

"…Google. You may not have been here very long, but you've certainly made a splash. If you type 'Russian Lana Vegas' into a search engine, you get some very interesting results…it was pretty easy to pick you out from the rest."

Lana huffed, unimpressed by his smooth self-assurance. Didn't he ever get riled up? Or have his feathers ruffled? She didn't even want to think about the other results that he had found. Those Lanas were probably in a profession similar to his.

"Well, thank you," she pushed out stiffly, the words unfamiliar in her mouth. "I'll have my assistant send a courier over to you right now. I will cover the expense, of course."

Sensing that the end of the conversation was quickly looming, Roman broke in, "No problem. And you don't need to do that, I'd be happy to deliver it personally. I want to make sure that it gets back to you in one piece. You free to meet up later this evening?"

Lana's mouth dropped open in shock, mouthing a silent protest. She hadn't expected him to propose that. At all. For a man who had purposefully avoided contact with her the other night, he was certainly eager to see her. She couldn't understand his request, turning it over in her mind for almost a full minute until he spoke up again.

"You still there?"

"…Yes."

Memories of their first encounter flooded her mind, bringing back the burning humiliation that had accompanied his rejection. If it were for any other reason, she would promptly make up an excuse and go about her day. But…she really wasn't in a position to say no. That phone was important to her.

Squaring her shoulders, she quickly formed a plan.

"I will be at Lit tonight at 7.55pm. Meet me outside. You can return the phone then."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, his tone playful. "I'll see you later, Lana."

"Goodbye."

She didn't wait for his response, quickly replacing the receiver with a now damp palm.

Lana examined her reflection in the mirror, turning her face this way and that, smoothing her fingertips over her skin. There. Perfect. She hadn't had time to change before leaving the office, but that didn't bother her too much. The fitted red skirt and business jacket would blend right in with the other young professionals that frequented this place.

Her blonde hair was pulled back into a neat bun, not a strand out of place. She checked her lipstick one last time, ensuring that the bright red colour hadn't stained her teeth. Part of her knew that this fussing was merely delaying the inevitable, but she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm for her meeting with Roman Reigns. The man apparently wanted nothing to do with her, and yet had actively sought her out in order to return her phone. Was he just a particularly good Samaritan? Even if he was a rude man otherwise…

Glancing at her watch, she sighed softly and reluctantly made her way to the front entrance. It was a balmy night in mid-October, the bite of winter not having yet descended on the Vegas evenings. Normally, this would be where her phone would come in useful as a social prop. She felt naked without it. Instead, she clasped her purse in both hands and leaned back against a column, keeping her eyes focused on the sky. Strangers were less likely to approach her if she didn't give them an opportunity to make eye contact.

"Lana?"

Her body tensed slightly at the sound of his voice. He was so close. How had a man of his size snuck up on her without her noticing? She slowly turned to her left, finding him standing there in a black dress shirt and matching black slacks. Her eyes zeroed in on his shoes, which looked to be Italian and expensive. The man obviously took pride in his appearance, and with genetics like his, why wouldn't he?

"Hello," she said, using the smile that she reserved for clients with an extremely high net-worth. They were always charmed by that smile. Deciding that this little interlude would go better if she attempted to be polite, she kept the smile and tried to maintain an upbeat tone as she offered him her hand. "Thank you for meeting me tonight."

His gaze flicked down to her hand, accepting it in his larger, much warmer one. He squeezed it gently, holding on for a few seconds longer than necessary.

"It's my pleasure. I know how important phones are these days, people store their whole lives on them. And yours seems to…mean a lot to you."

Lana nodded, discreetly rubbing the palm that he had touched, which was still warm and tingling from his grip. "Yes… Can I have it now please?"

He seemed taken aback, as if he wasn't expecting her to get straight to the point. "Sure. Just one quick thing first, I was wondering if-"

"Lanaaaaaaa! Hey!"

Lana's head spun around, a wave of gratitude washing over her when she spotted Natasha skipping toward her. Yes, literally skipping. That's what brides did the week of their wedding, apparently. She hugged her cousin tightly, happy that she had asked Roman to meet her before their get together. Now she could get her phone back and dismiss him, all in one fell swoop. Perfect.

Natasha turned to Roman, her eyes wide and happy. "It's you!"

Roman smiled and nodded, "It's me."

"What are you doing here?" Natasha asked, looking between the two of them. "Wait – did Lana invite you? Did you invite him, Lana?"

The brunette looked as if she was one second away from giving her a high-five.

"He found my phone, he's returning it," Lana stated quickly, eager not to delay too much longer. "So…."

Taking the hint, Roman pulled the phone from his pocket and handed it over. Lana let out a very un-Lana-like noise of excitement, causing both Natasha and Roman to raise their eyebrows.

She tapped in her passcode, oohing and ahhing over her contacts and notes.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, looking into his beautiful grey eyes, forgetting about his previous dismissal of her for a moment. "Thank you for bringing it back to me."

"Not a problem," he shrugged casually, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Well…goodbye."

"Roman? Is that you, man?"

Lana frowned at the interruption. What now? Who was next to make a cameo in their evening?

Their group turned to find Baron, Natasha's fiancé, approaching them. He caught hold of Roman's hand and pulled him into a one-armed 'bro hug' (Lana was still picking up the uniquely American slang), a huge smile on his face.

"Dude! How ya been?"

"Good, good," Roman grinned. "I heard congratulations are in order."

"Yeah, I finally got my shit together and popped the question," Baron smiled, sliding an arm around Natasha's waist and dropping a lingering kiss on her lips. "Luckily for me, this babe said yes."

"He's right, luckily for him," Natasha said, winking at Lana and Roman.

"So, what brings you here?" Baron continued. "Hold up. You're not here for a repeat performance, are you? Because I was down with Saturday, thanks again for that by the way, but this woman is off the market as of this weekend. You better back off, Reigns."

Roman held up his hands in defence, "Nah, nothing like that…although if your girlfriends ever need a repeat performance Natasha - call me."

Lana couldn't help but notice that the offer hadn't been directed at, or intended to include, her. That fact didn't surprise her, but it still stung.

"Lana misplaced her phone the other night, I was returning it."

"You're just a regular white knight, aren't you?" Baron chuckled. "As if your looks weren't enough, you got that chivalrous thing going for you too."

Roman shrugged modestly, choosing not to answer.

Lana was becoming antsy. She hadn't expected any of this additional making nice, and was eager to get on with her evening. She and Natasha were due to go over last minute details, knowing that everything was in place, but still wanting to go through the motions for the sake of tradition.

"Thank you, Mr. Reigns. Have a good evening."

"Hold up, Lana," Baron quickly broke in. "You got any other plans, man? Why don't you join us? The ladies here are going to pore over seating charts and hors d'ouevres, even though they took care of everything months ago. I could do with some male company. What do you say?"

"I'm sure Mr. Reigns is a very busy man…" Lana insisted.

Roman stared at her evenly as he gave his answer, "I'd love to spend the evening with you."

This was going to be a very long night…

Lit was the perfect mid-week after work spot. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, the sounds of laughter and animated conversation filling the place. Although it catered to young professionals, it was a surprisingly comfortable space, with worn wooden tables and a drinks menu that appealed to their clientele's nostalgia for their college days.

Lana found it to be very…homey. She was confused by the contrast between the sharply dressed customers, and the informal environment in which they were unwinding. This evening wasn't going as she expected. She hadn't pictured herself sitting next to Roman Reigns, the man who had rudely opted out of her lap dance, but who had been happy enough to cater to the fantasies of every other woman there that night. The same man who had then apparently tracked her down in order to return her phone, an unusually kind gesture from a man who didn't have the stomach to get too close to her otherwise. It was all very confusing. And uncomfortable.

"I want to dance," Natasha announced suddenly, depositing her empty wineglass on the table. "Come dance with me. You have to do that now, you're going to be my husband."

Baron shrugged good-naturedly, instantly setting down his tumbler of whiskey. "Your wish is my command. I know how this works. Happy wife, happy life."

They eagerly moved toward the dance floor like a couple of love-struck teenagers, their hands all over each other. They were an extremely tactile couple, Baron always stroking the small of Natasha's back, while she was forever playing with his hair or massaging his shoulders. As per usual, Lana couldn't relate. She didn't like to be touched. Even though he wasn't touching her - not that he would - Roman's close proximity was even too much for her right then. He was so big. He took up so much space.

"I'll be back," she said, picking up her clutch and phone.

"Where are you going?" He asked curiously, turning in his seat to face her.

"To…the bar," she explained, unable to move now that he was staring at her.

Why was he still here? Yes, he and Baron played on the same football team at the weekends, but her iciness all evening couldn't have made this too much of an enjoyable experience for him. She was putting so much effort into working this man out. It was exhausting.

"I'll come with you," he said, easing out of his chair and making his way through the throng of people.

Lana followed him, noticing how the crowd seemed to part especially for him, several pairs of eyes tracking his movement, some displaying envy, others an obvious lust. What was that saying? He was the type of man that other men wanted to be, and the type of man that all women wanted to be with. It summed him up perfectly. Well, with one small exception - herself. She didn't want to be with him, not when he so obviously did not want to be with her.

His bulk allowed him to easily find an opening at the bar, leaning on it casually while he perused the drinks menu.

"What are you having?"

"A red wine."

When the bartender approached, Roman ordered two vodkas.

Lana pointedly looked everywhere but at Roman, wondering why he had inquired about her tipple of choice.

"How was work?"

The question caught her off-guard. She hadn't realised that they would be making nice when Natasha and Baron weren't around to bear witness.

"It was…good. I closed a deal over the weekend, we finalised everything today. I'm happy."

Roman smiled wryly at her. "Are you? You don't seem very happy right now. You seem a little…tense."

Lana's body stiffened further, her hackles rising at his words. She was tense on a good day – but when forced to spend an extended amount of time with a man who had embarrassed her publicly? Well, then she was downright furious.

She slowly turned to face him, dropping the mask of neutral discomfort that she had worn all evening. A small smile curved along her own lips, her eyes narrowing.

"I do? Perhaps it is because a man who humiliated me in front of others is sticking his nose where it does not belong, and will not take the hint and leave. But no, for some reason, he is enjoying this game of his, poking at me, making his opinion of me very clear. I get it, Mr. Reigns. We all do. So, instead of continuing with this charade, why don't you go find some company that you do enjoy keeping?"

Roman stared at her for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open slightly. He had decided on his choice of words, but wasn't given time to articulate them when Natasha and Baron returned, all bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

"What are we drinking, man?"

The bartender reappeared and set out the vodkas.

"We'll take two more," Roman instructed, handing the shot glasses to the couple.

"What are we toasting?" Natasha asked, glancing between Lana and Roman, sensing the atmosphere that had grown in her absence.

"Lana closing a big deal this week," Roman answered, passing a shot to her.

Lana frowned, accepting the drink without a word. He was proposing a toast to her after she unleashed her wrath on him? He probably wanted to keep his nice guy image intact now that they had company once again.

"I'm so proud of you," Natasha said, holding up her glass. "You work insanely hard, never take time off, and get shit done. Thank you for agreeing to be my maid of honour. You've kept me calm and made everything go seamlessly."

Lana's smile was genuine. "It has been my honour. You're the closest thing I have to a sister, and I wish you both nothing but happiness."

"Oh my god, you can't say stuff like that on Saturday, it's going to fuck up my make up," Natasha laughed, wiping at her eyes and pulling Lana in for a hug.

"Is this a preview of what's to come on Saturday?" Baron asked, groaning and palming his face. "I can't deal with all of these emotions. I need to go drink a few beers and build a shelf or something."

"You'll deal with it, and like it," Natasha smiled smugly.

"No, I need more dudes at this thing. We've gotta stick together."

"Then Roman should come," Natasha replied, her eyes lighting up. "Hey Roman, you want to come to the wedding?"

"Uh, sure," Roman answered, clearly surprised. "I mean, if it's not an inconvenience. I'll have to cut out after the ceremony for a little bit, but I could make it back for the later part of the reception. I've got a show that night."

Lana felt the blood drain from her face, impressed that she was still standing and not keeling over in shock. Well. Of course this was happening. Roman Reigns was somehow managing to ingratiate himself into every aspect of her life, without her permission. Why should the wedding be off limits? She gulped down her shot and slapped it down on the bar.

"But what about the seating plan? And guest numbers? They have all been finalised. It would be impossible to make changes at this late stage."

Yes! One last thread of hope to cling to. Lana felt quite proud of herself for her quick thinking. Brides detested last minute changes, anything that could potentially ruin their special day.

"Well…" Natasha dragged out the word, making an awkward face as she looked at her cousin.

"Well….what?" Lana asked, frowning. Was Natasha intentionally trying to make her uncomfortable on a permanent basis all of a sudden? The woman had a heart of gold, but Reigns simply did not need to be there.

"You've got a plus one, Lana," Natasha reminded her gently, her tone softening. "And you haven't invited anyone."

Lana refused to look away. She would only be confronted by a smirking pair of grey eyes if she did. She could feel him watching her, likely having a good laugh at her single status. He would never have the same problem. He wouldn't even have to try to find a date. He could probably point at a random woman in a room, tell her a date and time, and be guaranteed her company at the relevant event.

She was thankful for the dim lighting in the room, hoping that it camouflaged the worst of her burning cheeks.

"He could be your plus one," Natasha finished quietly, trying to cushion the blow.

This was the second humiliation she had suffered in front of Roman Reigns in just a few days. He was a bad omen. A negative influence. An arrogant man who couldn't leave well enough alone.

Regardless of her personal feelings toward him, she had to set them aside. It was the stoic Russian in her. Her emotions were not for public consumption. Her dislike of this man was not a topic to be discussed right now. It was Natasha's wedding, it was her day. Lana had been by her side since the engagement, planning and strategising, supporting her whenever she needed it. This weekend was the fruit of their efforts, a time to be enjoyed. And so it would be.

Nodding stiffly, she forced a smile on to her lips. "Of course. That makes sense. Mr. Reigns will be my plus one."

Knowing that she would have to spend several more hours in close quarters with him on Saturday, she turned to face him. It was time to practice good manners.

"Thank you, Lana," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "We're going to have a lot of fun together."

A/N: Lana and Roman need your reviews! (I do too ;D)