Disclaimer: See the first chapter for details of disclaimer.
"Here you are." Vince said, approaching Giuliana's side and placing his palm on her lower back. "Well, it's good to see you two interacting and taking a liking to each other. I'm glad. What is the topic of conversation among the two?"
"Just life-in general." Giuliana wrapped her arms around Vince's waist, closing the gap between them.
"Oh, a very broad subject, branching out to every spectrum possible." Vince brought up his right hand to adjust his red Armani tie, coordinating exceptionally well with his jet-black, one of a kind tuxedo made by the one-and-only, Giuliana Giordano. He looked handsome, everyone agreed.
"Do you honestly believe their relationship to be genuine?" Stephanie heard Randy's mother, -a close family friend, whispering to . , obviously not a close family friend unlike , but an invitational guest to the dinner party by association.
"I don't know them all to well, but, from an outsiders perspective as is what I am, I have to say it doesn't indeed. I don't believe their relationship to be all that genuine. They look so mismatched with one another. I don't know, maybe it's just that directs me to these thoughts. There is just something about her that I can't quite place my finger on just yet." Ms. Crawford answered back, lowly.
Stephanie stiffened, feeling herself becoming rigid, trying hard to tune out the recurring gossip about her father and his latest fling, Giuliana Giordano. She despised for her father to be at the tip of every culprits tongue. At least, every venomous-tongue culprit happened to be in synch with Stephanie's exact feelings towards Giuliana and that alone brought a smile to her beautiful features.
"I know exactly what you mean." nodded. "What about you, Patty?"
"I'm not sure what to think." She takes a wine glass from Brad's wine platter, "I suppose your theories may hold some truth to them, still, we shouldn't assume." brought the crystal glass to meet her thin lips, making sure to savor every last bit of the liquid to occupy herself momentarily from answering any further prying questions. She feared that if Vince McMahon caught them talking ill of his companion, he'd be greatly disappointed in them. Especially in her, the mother of his daughter's boyfriend. Sure, enjoyed gossip as much as the next person but not at the expense of other peoples' feelings, thoughts, and lives. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt and Giuliana was no exception.
Insolence! Stephanie would have said had she been able to hear any of 's inner thoughts. Sanctimonious deceiver! Every person, every last one of them in this room lives on sickening rumored deny it when everyone knows the truth? Might as well have fun with it if you take pleasure in diversifying the whispered lies or truths behind closed doors.
Just as Stephanie was about to reach Paul, she captured sight of what could perhaps be the most repulsive image in her life thus far. Having plenty of times shared and been a part of her father's wrestling storyline quarrels with other members of the company-she had plenty of scenarios to categorize this particular snapshot of her father sharing a disgustingly, passionate kiss with Giuliana in plain view of all her friends and family, but all others failed in comparison to this all-time low.
Stephanie having felt humiliated and betrayed by her father's actions turned to a different direction from her previous route to hide from the shame she felt her father tainting to the McMahon name.
"Hey, where are you going?" Paul caught her arm before she could completely flee the scene of the crime.
"Anywhere but here." Stephanie removed her arm from his grasp angrily. "Don't even think about following me because I just want to be alone right now."
Before Paul could reply back, she was escaping from his view, making a hasty exit with a shot of whiskey in hand.
"Where are you headed towards-alone?" Randy peered from the corner Stephanie had been ready to precede to next. "Trouble in paradise?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes, finishing the rest of her drink and shoving pass Randy. "I'm not in the mood for your snarky comments, Randy." She replied, voice fading into the hallways with every step she took.
Randy followed in trail behind her. "Let me guess, Giuliana Giordano."
"No." She lied, eyeing the room she had been looking for.
She reached her destination and proceeded to opening the French doors.
"Stephanie!" Called Paul.
Randy and Stephanie both stilled in place for a second when they heard the blare of Paul's voice. "Ah, it's not Giuliana today, it's Paul. I wonder what it is you did this time?" Randy couldn't help but smirk.
"This time?" She raised her right eyebrow. "What lies have you been hearing, Randy? Or, better yet, from whom?"
"Lies?" He chuckled. "Lies, are the ones that roll of your tongue, my dear, Stephanie. You know as well as I do that I only speak the truth, I have no reason to lie."
"Uh-huh, whatever you say, Randy." Scowled Stephanie, rolling her eyes, and shutting the doors behind her.
"Hey, did she mention anything to you?" Paul asked Randy, who was leaning against the wall with a cigarette in hand and a drink on the other.
Randy puffed out a cloud of smoke before pointing to the French doors across them. "She's upset, yours for the taking in that vulnerable state." He added, sneering at him suggestively.
Paul ignored him and resumed to opening the doors before him.
"Here's to you, Paul and Steph." He called from the hallway, raising his glass to them before the door was completely shutting him out of view.
"Not now, Paul, please." She begged, staring dejectedly out the window.
"If not now, then when? It's never the right time for you." He stopped pacing the room, standing next to her now, and taking her glass from her to set on the marble table. "We have to talk."
Stephanie turned to look into his honey-hazel eyes for the first time that day and she felt herself getting extensively lost in them. Her heart cringed when she thought about how long it had been since they had both shared a moment like this, both of them together-alone, in proximity of each other, and just gazing into each others eyes-longingly.
She lifted her arm to his cheek, caressing softly. "I'm sorry...about everything. I know I've been so distant lately, but, I just...I don't know how else-"
"Shhhh," he whispered, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, bringing her closer. "It's okay. Let's just stay like this for now." He offered, noticing her quickly fading into distress in her halting delivery in a matter seconds.
"I've missed this-us" She said, tilting her head to see him. "I don't know how I have just taken what we have for granted, letting it slip through the cracks, but, I am so sorry. Honestly that I am, Paul." She hugged him tighter, pressing her body closer to his.
He raised one hand to cup her chin."I'm sorry too." He confessed, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead, and then letting his forehead rest against hers.
Stephanie brought up her hands from in between their pressed bodies, running them slowly up his chest, slithering her left arm around his neck and tracing his lips with her right index finger.
"No one should look so tempting, it's not fair." He murmured.
The tingling thrill that Paul's lips caused against Stephanie's finger with his cool breath made her heart shudder in rapid beats and slow steady ones at the same time. "Tempting, how?" She voiced, innocently.
He smiled, enjoying the angelic, childlike, silly quality that Stephanie possessed. No matter the amount of years that went by or her bold, defiant nature, that trait of personality in her never seemed to have abandoned her. "You're absurd." He chuckled. "Would you like me to make a list of all the reasons of which I find you tempting?" He stated, evidently a rhetorical question.
"How about you just show me instead?" She proposed, writhing her right arm around his neck as well.
Paul leaned in forward to capture Stephanie's lips with his. Their kiss started off slow and tender, but Paul became eager, rapidly turning the kiss into a more heated and rough one as his tongue searched for entrance. Stephanie, of course-obliged, parting her lips open, allowing him entry. Paul lifted Stephanie's slender form in his strong embrace, and she quickly wrapped her long legs around his waist while Paul led them over to the marble-topped wet bar, setting her over it.
Soon enough, both stopped in the midst of one of their passionate kisses, to come up for air. Stephanie took one more look into Paul's deep hazel eyes and she couldn't help feeling like a lovestruck, capricious teenage girl, remembering all the reasons why she has always loved Paul.
"I love you." She whispered, pecking him on the lips with soft kisses as she unbuttoned his shirt masterfully.
Just as Paul was about to respond back to Stephanie's statement, the blaring, intelligible voice of an enthusiastic Vince echoed through the hallway.
"Trish Stratus! What an unexpected surprise!"
Paul released his hold on Stephanie, straightening himself up, removing her hands off of him so he could button his shirt back again. Stephanie sat still on the countertop, gripping the edges of the cool marble top, her long-slim fingers aching from the tight clutch and knuckles sore from the added pressure.
She allowed herself to face Paul to take in his expression.
But Paul did not waste any time in returning the gesture, he moved rapidly, heading for the French doors and out the room to account for himself that what he was hearing was actually in fact true. Had Trish Stratus really returned?
The picture perfect portrait of Stephanie's life had taken a tremendous twist for the worst. Stephanie clawed at the marble top subconsciously, wishing that she had escaped out this dinner party instead like she had first planned.
