A/N: I want to thank everyone for the reviews, I'm really glad you enjoyed this ;)
Don't Speak
Stephanie slammed down the telephone of her improvised office with so much impetus that for a second she was sure that she broke it. After some observation she deduced that it wasn't even damaged and she lamented it because the insipid black unit hasn't stopped ringing since the moment she got there, it was starting to make her annoyed.
Annoyance wasn't an atribute that suited her well so if the damn thing dared to emit again any kind of sound she was going to break it.
She stared at it, a silent challenge for it to ring it's last ring, half expecting it to do so at any moment. It didn't, and for the first time in the entire evening nothing moved and nothing ringed, there was finally peace.
She took that moment to draw in a deep breath while she rested her head against the back of the chair. Her eyes remained on the phone, she kind of wanted it to ring because in all honesty she wanted to break it…
"So here you are, I've looking for you all over the place"
Just when she was about to resume her work the door to her office opened and in came none other than her husband. He walked in, uninvited and took the chair right in front of her desk to sit down.
Stephanie leaned forward, resting her elbows on top of the wodden desk as her fingers massaged her temples. She wasn't in the mood for Paul right now and she could feel the beginning of a headache menacing to take over her. "Try the office next time, you'd be surprised how easy it is to find me"
Paul shrugged, he didn't look as if he has been looking for her all over the place but Stephanie didn't push it. As far as she was concerned the longer he took getting to her the better.
"Trust me, I thought you moved your office into the men's locker room and that's where I looked first; I figured you would be in you element around the guys… if you know what I mean"
"Oh I get it, I would be in my element there because I'm a slut and my working hours consist on getting gang banged…" She rolled her eyes and went back to rest her back against the chair. She has been expecting all kind of cutting comments after he found out about her and Chris but they did nothing on her, if anything it made her wonder if he actually thought himself to be clever. "Cut the crap and tell me what you want"
He laughed. "That's my Stephy, staight to the ponit. Anyway, you told me you were going to make it up to me for keeping myself from getting Irvine fired so I came to collect, what are you affering"
That she has been expecting too, she has been waiting for him to come to her ages ago. "What do you want?" She asked raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to shot.
"I want to be inducted in the Hall of Fame and I want the girls for Christmast"
A raspy laugh was teared from deep within her and she had to throw her head back as her body rocked with her amusement. Was he taking too many chair shots to the head? It seemed so… When her laughter subsided she wiped at her eyes and stared at him.
"Funny uh, lets see if your dad will laugh when I tell him his precious little daughter is not only having an affair with one of the boys but she also set him to attack me"
Steph rolled her eyes, Paul was so annoying.
"I'll tell you what, I'll give you another reign as champion and the girls for New Year's Eve"
"I've been champion before, I want something more, something new… that and Christmas with the girls, take it or leave it"
Stephanie shook her head and smiled. "What about a leading movie role and New Year's Eve, that's my last offer"
"Deal"
She knew that would get him and she has been ready to make the offer since last week. What Paul didn't know was that Vince was going to produce another movie and he had Batista in mind for the role, the thing was that everybody knew Dave's contract was expiring and he wasn't going to renew. That only meant that they needed someone to take over and Vince had suggested Paul… she has been given the task to tell her husband and here she was, telling him…
She nodded. "Alright, now if you'll excuse me I have more important things to do than seeing your ugly mug" She motioned a dismissal with her hand. "I'll let you know about the movie when I'm in the mood for you"
Paul got to his feet with a content expression on his face, it lasted for a moment and when he was about to leave he turned to her. "The girls, they are my girls right?"
Stephanie ran her tongue across her lips and sighed. She should be bothered that he asked such a question because it wasn't as if she was some slut that spread her legs to anyone that happened to get in her way; Chris has been after Murphy was born so there was no doubt in her mind about who was the dad.
"They are both yours" She said and Paul nodded, the smile creeping back to his face. After he was reassured he was gone.
Stephanie looked down to the desk and took between her fingers a pen that has been lying there, she swirled it around as her blue eyes took in the image of it, she seemed transfixed by it…
Now that she could sit and look back to everything, the conclusion came to her mind that Murphy has been the push she had needed to fall into Chris' arms because that has been the time her marriage started to crumble. Before that there had been some innocent flirting and she had always thought Chris to be easy on the eyes… but as far as acting on it no, it was all after Murphy. Before it was just something that has been brewing on since the days they worked together, it brewed and it brewed until it boiled into the passionate encounters that came after.
She shook her head and dropped the pen, she needed to go back to work and if she started to think about Chris she would leave everything unfinished.
Before she could start on anything a knock came on the door and she snorted. Would she be able to get some work done? "What is it now?" She exclaimed in annoyance as the door opened.
"Can I come in?"
Stephanie looked up to the door and saw Chris there; all dressed up in a suit and ready for another Monday night Raw to begin. She took a quick glance at him and then lowered her eyes to some papers, she didn't know what they were about but it was something to look at other than him. "Come in, but be quick about it because I have a lot of work to do"
That came out cold and unattached, just like she meant it to sound. It wasn't any different from the tone she used whenever she addressed him in public but this time it felt different, it felt different because she knew that when the show was over and everybody would be gone he was not going to sneak into her office… she knew those days when they talked in whispers and comunicated with intimate touches were over.
Out of the corner of her eyes she saw him walk in and sit down in front of the desk, in the same place Paul has been sitting before.
"I'm sorry" He said, plain and simple.
She lifted her head and looked at him right in the eye. He hadn't changed one bit and why would he, even if it felt like an eternity it has been only a week since the last time she saw him. He still had the same mesmerizing blue eyes and they still had the same effect on her, she was unable to look away
"Pardon me?" She asked, using her business persona.
He shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for whatever you are mad at me; I mean I know why you are mad, I snapped the other day and I have no excuse, I just…" He ran his fingers through his lightly stubbled jaw and sighed. "I shouldn't have done any of the things I did and I'm sorry"
Stephanie stared at him for a few more seconds before shaking herself out of her trance. "Sure, I mean no hard feelings. Is there anything else I can do for you… I, I'm behind on everything and I want to finish tonight"
This time it was Chris the one staring and she had to look back to the papers in front of her. She organized them, put them inside a folder and then took a new bunch of papers out; then, when nothing but silence surrounded her she looked up again to him.
He was still staring and she had to fight the urge to look elsewhere. He was looking at her the same way he did when he would find her walking around the arena, it was a stare full of raw need. "Can we talk after the show?"
She swallowed hard and took the pen back between her fingers. "Chris… I don't think it would be a good idea for us to keep seeing each other, I mean you have a wife and I don't want to be in your way"
Chris snorted. "So what now, you want to end this because I have a wife? Steph…" He took in a deep breath. "That has never been a problem so why now?"
"Because…" She chuckled bitterly. "Just because Chris" She brought a hand up to her temple and closed her eyes. There was a headache coming soon, she could feel it…
What else could she say? That she suddenly grew a conscience? That she didn't want to be the cause his marriage could end? She didn't want that, he was happy with his family.
"What if I don't want to end this just because?"
"Don't do this Chris…" Before she could go on he got to his feet and walked to her, she just stared at him and when he grabbed her by the waist to make her stand up she protested. "Chris, what the hell are you doing?"
"Just because isn't a reason to end a relationship"
"This is not a relationship Chris, sneaking around to fuck is hardly considered a relationship" She said, back again to that same cold tone she used on him before.
He glared at her in a mix of anger and stupefaction, tightening his grip as she gasped. "Is that what you think this is?"
"It's not what I think it is, it's what we are" She whispered while he held to her.
"I don't believe you" He said shaking his head.
Stephanie closed her eyes because his eyes on her were delving too deep. A fling, it wasn't what she wanted them to be but because it was all she could get from him she couldn't keep on. Not now because now wasn't before… "Believe it Chris, because what kind of relationship we can have when every single time you have to go back to her?"
He took his chin in his hand and forced her face to him, but she still wouldn't open her eyes. "Is this all because of her? God Steph, if you want me to leave her I'll do it, is that what you want?" He said and she thought there was desperation in his voice.
Stephanie drew in a shaky breath. "No…" A lie, but who was she to break up a marriage? Even when she had the reputation she was not a complete heartless bitch. Besides he was saying that now because he wanted to cling to them, because he wasn't ready to give what they had yet, as wicked as it was.
"Then tell me what you want because you are driving me crazy here"
Before she could respond there was another knock at the door and Chris let go of her. She ran her hand over her eyes and cleared her troath.
"Look, let's just talk after the show okay, can you at least give me that?" He asked and now she was sure there was desperation in his voice.
The knock came again. "Come in" She said and as the door got opened and a member of her writing crew came into the office she sat down on the chair. She looked at the papers, she had made a mess of them…
"That would be all for now Chris, we'll talk after the show"
