3.
"Why do you get stuck doing this every single week?"
Shay smiled and made a note on the clipboard she was carrying. "Because I don't mind. And I want it done right the first time. Why don't you and Bubs just go on without me?"
Trina shook her head. She was grateful that the makeup department didn't have to go through the trouble of taking an inventory. "We can wait. It's not a big deal."
"No you won't. I don't know how late I'll be. And besides, why would I wanna sit across from you and Bubbles and watch you play suck face while I try to eat? I have my rental. I can grab a burger or something. No big deal."
"I just don't like the idea of you being alone in here," Trina grumbled. "Visions of things being thrown at you and whatnot."
"What. Not." Shay said the words with a pause between them. "Go do Bubba. Good fuckin' grief, whatnot…" she turned back to her clipboard muttering under her breath. Trina grinned but turned to leave.
When she was gone, Shay sighed in relief. Trina and Bubs were cool to hang with, but truly the tonsil hockey did get a little old after a while. All Shay really wanted was to finish up and go to the hotel, where she could burrow into bed and sleep for about fourteen hours.
The show that night had been…well…Shay made a face. Good? Probably in Bischoff's mind, it was. He'd managed to track Kane down finally, and had provoked him into going out on stage. Whatever little mind game he'd been playing had backfired. Kane ended up choke-slamming Eric off the stage and onto some tables. She had been in the med room when Bischoff had been helped in, smirking when the trainers agreed that a trip to the ER was in order. Sometimes life was good.
And here she was a half hour after the show ended. Most of the wrestlers and crew had cleared out already. Some were taking advantage of a rare three days off by going home. Shay would be staying in town until tomorrow night, then heading to her house in Florida. She planned on doing nothing but soaking in the sun. Most likely with her cell phone turned off.
She was almost finished, packing things as she checked off on the printed list of the inventory sheet. Maybe next week she would let one of the other trainers handle this. Much as she enjoyed the job, being the only one with sense enough to count to ten was wearing on her.
Her errant thoughts were interrupted by…what? A very distinct feeling of being stared at. Her shoulders tensed, then she looked over her shoulder.
Kane stood in the doorway, just watching her. He'd changed into street clothes, dark jeans and a black T-shirt. The towel was gone. He looked…different…with no hair. Of course, he looked different without the mask too, but the hair thing…it threw her for a few seconds. His eyes were strange too. One blue, the other hazel. Creepy but compelling. She actually found herself mourning the loss of his beard.
Shaking her head, she met his eyes. "Yes?" Hoping she didn't sound nearly as shook up as she felt.
"You sicced him on me."
His voice was low, deceptively soft. Shay raised an eyebrow. This was familiar.
"Um…right. You've lost me. Who?"
Kane rolled his right shoulder, stretching his neck. Shay watched the play of muscles under the thin cotton of his shirt, then snapped her eyes back to his. Where the hell had that come from?
"Bischoff."
Shay frowned. "You think I sicced him on you?"
Kane shrugged. Shook his head. Nodded slowly. Shay found herself staring at his chest. Damn…could he have possibly worn a tighter shirt?
Trying to reign in her errant, erratic thoughts, she closed her eyes. "I didn't say anything to anybody about where you were. In case you haven't noticed, I don't go out of my way to make conversation with that asshole Bischoff."
Shay opened her eyes and involuntarily jerked backward. He was pretty damn sneaky for such a huge guy. He'd moved silently across the room, so he was now standing barely a foot away. Kane stared down at her, waiting for…what? Shay wondered if he thought she would crumple at his feet in fear. Just the thought almost made her laugh. She'd seen his temper the week before…how much worse could he get?
"Are you trying to intimidate me?" She asked, flippant.
Kane stepped even closer. Bare inches separated them. She realized that she could smell him; the soap he'd used in the shower, some light cologne, and the underlying masculine scent that was just him. A shiver went down her spine.
Kane's lips quirked. Shay caught it, and narrowed her eyes. So…he thought she was afraid of him. And he liked it. Bully for him. She wasn't scared. Of course, she'd never actually shivered from a man's proximity either, but that was neither here nor there.
"I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're waiting for me to say." She said it in a flat voice, totally devoid of emotion. Kane raised an eyebrow.
"You should be." His eyes finally left hers and he looked over her, measuring her.
"Why? Cuz you can throw a bench?" Shay wished he'd stop with the once-over. His eyes seemed to rest on various parts of her body, making her face flush. "You don't scare me. Hell…I have brothers who are more frightening than you are. And I actually lived with them for eighteen years."
His eyes came up, searching hers. Shay wouldn't let herself show this man any fear. She'd done that once already, the week before. That wasn't her style. She wasn't a wrestler, she wasn't particularly tough, but she wasn't going to let some overgrown man send her screaming. Again.
"I do not understand you."
Shay almost laughed. That was an understatement.
"Look…what the hell kind of explanation are you looking for? A reason why I keep trying to reach out to you?"
Another shrug and nod. Shay wondered sarcastically if actually speaking was a problem for him. She caught herself once again watching the muscles of his chest and shoulders working under that damn T-shirt. Good grief, the man was built like a tank.
She eyed him. "Maybe I don't know. Just because? You seemed Ok at the time? I'm a sucker trying to save the world? I think you have a nice ass?" His eyes widened at that one. Shay went on. "I don't know why the hell I keep trying to make nice to you. I just want to. If you want me to stop, I will, all right, fine, no problem."
Kane studied her. "You do not know me. What I am capable of."
Shay rolled her eyes. "What are you capable of? Throwing the Bisch off the stage? Hate to tell ya but I've seen that kinda thing before. Several times. Originality is not looking like a strong point with you. Although I do applaud your choice of people to toss around."
"This has nothing to do with what happened tonight. This is between you…and me."
"You and me? Now I'm the one not understanding," Shay said, puzzled. What had she ever done to him except try to be his friend?
"You will fear me." His voice had taken on the flat, measured tones of someone who was stating a fact.
"I highly doubt that," she broke eye contact with him and scribbled her signature at the bottom of the clipboard. End of discussion, and her way of dismissing him.
To her surprise, he backed away, not taking his eyes from her. Shay tossed the clipboard onto the makeshift desk and crossed her arms, watching him.
"You do not know what I am. But you'll find out." Kane turned and stalked out of the room. Shay found herself staring at his butt until he'd gone through the door and out of sight.
She let out a breath that she hadn't been aware of holding. "Shit…that was…umm…yeah…" she muttered. Kane definitely made her nervous. Nervous but still…aware of him. "I knew-fucking knew-that nobody with a bod like that could be normal." Still talking to herself, she grabbed her things and headed for the door. Hotel. Bed. Coma. Maybe whatever was going on would make sense in the morning.
