Chapter 4 – Hostile Work Environment
By Evilution
Disclaimer: Of course, I disclaim. Thank you to everyone who recently gave me advice on this story…you know who you are. I'm still not sure what I want to do, but y'all (I'm from Montana, remember?) gave me a lot to think about. In this chapter, I introduce a lot of the OVW women. I tried to do as much research as I could to determine who was in OVW at the time that Paris would be there. I know that Beth Phoenix didn't get her WWE tryout until May 2004 and that Melissa Coates wasn't there either, but because I didn't want Jillian Hall to be a heel and I wanted her to be one of Paris' allies, I needed a couple more blonds and I thought Beth and Melissa fit the bill perfectly with Melissa kind of being the nicer one of the group, but she pretends in order to please Nicole Fink (Nikita), who totally disrespects her in the process. I was going to make Synn really, really evil, but I changed my mind and I'm thinking about making her kind of an anti-hero with Paris, someone Paris eventually begins to respect, but someone she can't completely trust either. Anyway, thanks again and enjoy…
Paris woke up the next morning a little later than she had planned. Glancing at the clock, she realized that she only had forty-five minutes to shower, dress, and drop Jeff off at Trax before she had to be at her tattoo appointment. After showering quickly and blow-drying her hair, Paris threw on a pair of gray sweats and a black baby tee that said 'Bitch' on it in silver beads. Grabbing her purse, she rushed downstairs and into the kitchen. Adam was just finishing off a sandwich in his usual shirtless glory.
"Where's Jeff?" Paris asked. "I'm kind of running late."
"He left already," Adam replied between bites. "Tammy stopped by and offered him a lift."
"Oh…well, then, are you ready?"
"I didn't think you'd want me to go after last night."
Paris smiled, somewhat exasperated. "I told you we're OK, OK? Come on…get dressed. I need someone to hold my hand. Last I checked, tattoos hurt like hell."
Adam grinned, finished his sandwich, and brushed past Paris to exit the kitchen.
"Nice shirt," the Canadian commented before sprinting down the hallway to his room.
Ten minutes later, Adam maneuvered the Durango up to a coffee kiosk so that Paris could get her morning caffeine fix before their final destination. As they left, traffic turned out to be horrendous…thus, giving them time to chat.
"So, how's your neck?" Paris asked, making small talk.
"It still hurts quite a bit," he replied honestly. "I'm scheduled to be here until WrestleMania."
"That long? How come Amy's back already?"
"Well, Amy got hurt a lot farther back than I did. I just got hurt at the beginning of this year. She got hurt way back early 2002."
"Oh. That's when I'm supposed to debut…at WrestleMania."
Adam let out a low whistle. "Wow, they're not giving you much time, are they?"
"It's mostly just the diva stuff. Shane said the real wrestling would come later."
"They're throwing me right into an angle with Kane, so I know I'll be protected. Glen's one of the most precise wrestlers on RAW.
"So you're gonna be on RAW when you come back?"
"That's what I hear. Do you know what you're doing yet?"
Paris sipped her latte. "Not a clue. Shane had mentioned maybe putting me with Evolution, but I don't know…what with all the drama."
"You mean with Orton or with Paul?"
"Both."
"So what exactly did Orton do to break your heart?" Adam asked after a moment of silence.
Paris sighed. "He didn't break my heart…I broke his."
"How?"
"By sleeping with Paul…how do you think?" Paris replied, glumly. "Can we not talk about this right now?"
"Sure…I'm sorry."
"No, it's OK. It's just…"
"I understand…really." He paused, trying to think of a new subject to take her mind off of the boys of Evolution. "So, Paris, what makes you think you have what it takes to be a wrestler?" Adam quipped.
"I used to be a gymnast and I have a red belt in karate. You know Rob Van Dam, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, you know that thing he does where he does the splits between two chairs?"
"Yeah?"
"I can do that."
"Bullshit!"
"Wanna bet?"
Adam laughed heartily. "Honey, you'd best not make bets with me. You may not like how you have to pay them off." He grinned lasciviously.
Paris arched her eyebrow, miffed at his lack of confidence in her. "Pretty fucking confident you'll win, aren't you, Copeland?"
"I'm always confident."
"Fine…pick your poison."
"If you can do what RVD does…I'll pay for your tattoo. If not, you have to slow dance with me Friday…and let me kiss you…with tongue."
"Are you coming on to me?" Paris demanded with mock indignation.
Adam snorted. "You wish, Ocean."
Paris turned to issue a sharp retort, but she noticed that the corners of his mouth were bent up in a smile.
"You're on," the diva replied in a conceited tone. "You might as well just get your credit card out right now, ass clown."
"Ass clown?" Adam laughed. "Hang around Jericho much?"
Paris ignored him as he pulled into The Silver Dragon. She jumped out of the Durango and walked up to the door, which Adam held for her. Casey, who was also a tattoo artist was waiting and after Paris apologized for being late, she made an unusual request.
"Do you have two chairs I can use for a second?"
"Sure," Casey replied, looking puzzled. "Can I ask why?"
Paris smiled. "I'm winning a bet."
"Trying to win a bet," Adam corrected.
Casey nodded, intrigued, as he disappeared into the back and returned with two folding chairs. After placing them at exactly the right distance, Paris did a perfect handstand in between them and lowered herself so that each of her ankles rested on a chair. When she had her balance, she removed her hands from the floor and balanced in a perfect straddle between the two chairs. She smirked arrogantly at Adam as he and Casey applauded, clearly impressed. Adam was secretly marveling at how flexible she was, hoping to one day try her talents out in another venue…like his bedroom.
With a self-satisfied smile, Paris lowered her hands back to the floor and lifted herself off the chairs as Adam handed Casey his Platinum Visa with a look of chagrin.
"Whatever the lady wants," the blond wrestler told the tattoo artist.
"Adam, help me," Paris interrupted, attaining Adam's undivided attention once again. "I can't decide."
Adam approached Paris and stood as close to her as possible without invading her personal space. She opened a book and showed him two extremely different tattoos. One was a yin/yang symbol, surrounded by a four- point star and the other was a butterfly, similar to the one on her arm, but larger and it had some black tribal above and below its wings.
"I really like this one, too," she said, showing him a picture of a long chain of twining flowers and vines.
"Where are you thinking of getting these?" he asked, studying the images.
"If I get the butterfly, I want it right here…right above my tribal." She turned and lifting her shirt, showed Adam her back.
She had an intricate but feminine black tribal design across her lower back, intermingled with splashes of purple, blue, and teal green. The middle of the tattoo dipped downward toward the crack of her butt, creating an indenture where another tattoo would sit perfectly.
"And I want the yin/yang up on the back of my neck," she went on.
"I like the butterfly," Adam agreed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But only if you do it the same colors as your lower back. I'm not sure about the yin/yang though. Where are you thinking of getting the flowers?"
"I wanted them to circle my belly button and trail down to…"
"Go on…"
"Well, down there…you know what I mean."
Adam smirked, cocking his eyebrow jauntily. Indeed he did know what she meant.
"So what do you think?" Paris urged.
"Lift your shirt," Adam said, turning her around so that her back was to him once again. Paris shivered slightly as his fingers grazed her back, pulling her shirt up.
Adam studied her back intently, his face breaking into an amused smile. She had a small tattoo on her upper right shoulder blade that for its miniature size was uncannily detailed. It was a blond fairy, who had her head tilted upward, sniffing a slightly larger flower that loomed over her. The fairy was drawn from the side and appeared to be flying, hovering dreamily with one leg bent upward behind her, like a girl daintily kissing a boy. The fairy was smiling and her eyes were closed, thus justifying the small size as a tattoo of a human face could only be as small as to still see the eyes. She was nude and her nipples were pierced. The flower was bent enticingly close to her mouth, its stigma and style resembling a certain male body part. She looked suspiciously like Paris.
"Do you want my honest opinion?" Adam queried.
"Of course."
"I like the butterfly…right here." Paris inhaled sharply as his fingers touched the small of her back, just above her tribal. "But I don't think you should get the yin/yang on your neck. It's gonna be too crowded with that fairy."
"I agree," Casey said, standing next to Adam. "Who did the fairy tattoo?"
"Vance Amador in Vegas," Paris replied. "He did all my work."
"I know Vance," Casey went on. "He's very talented."
"I don't like the flower vine either," Adam declared, grinning slightly. "I have to admit I'm intrigued about their location…but, I don't know…I just don't like it."
"If your heart's set on the yin/yang, I could do that on your stomach," Casey suggested.
"Yeah, he could do the star part around your belly button, like your buddy, Dave Batista has," Adam explained. "Then, maybe he could do a smaller star off to the side with the yin/yang in the middle."
"And if you really want something to trail down to your pubic area, I could do like a little shower of stars or sparkles or something like that," Casey went on.
After much debate, Paris decided on the butterfly on her back and the star on her stomach. Casey had drawn a quick sketch of the star, which was going to surround her belly button and then, off to the side, to the upper right of the star, he did a smaller four-point star with the yin/yang in the middle. He also drew a tiny shower of stars that would trail down to her nether-region, kind of like the one on her belly button was a shooting star that had left a trail as it shot upward. Just when everything was set, Paris began to waver on whether she should spend the money on both tattoos.
"I can't really afford both of them," the diva lamented.
"Umm…did you forget who's picking up the tab?" Adam reminded her. "I lost the bet, remember?"
"I don't expect you to spend that kind of money. The bet was for one tattoo."
"OK, so if I pay for one, you can afford the other one, right?"
Paris thought for a moment. She really couldn't decide and she did want both of them. Finally, she relented and gave in to Adam's coaxing.
"Do you have time to do both?" she asked Casey.
"I know my OVW customers…I blocked the whole morning out."
"Then, that settles it…I want both."
Casey nodded and disappeared into the back room to set up as Adam leafed through a tattoo book and Paris checked out the body jewelry counter. Casey finally emerged and hung up the 'Closed' sign before leading Paris into the back, followed by Adam. He had her remove her shirt and lined the waistband of her pants with tissue so as not to get her clothes dirty. Paris was relieved that she chose to wear a bra. After Casey placed the stencil on her back and Adam confirmed that it was straight, he had Paris lie on her stomach on the table and he quickly got to work. Adam observed the handiwork, occasionally holding Paris' hand and distracting her with conversation whenever Casey hit a particularly sensitive spot on her back.
It only took Casey about an hour to finish the first tattoo. After he cleaned Paris up, took a picture of his work, and bandaged it, he had her flip onto her back and lower her pants, so he could place the star stencil on her stomach. It was a little more difficult to place than the first one and it took him several tries to get it just right to where both he and Paris were satisfied.
"What colors are we doing?" Casey asked, lining up the little inkpots.
"Black and white on the yin/yang and then, purples and blues on the stars," Paris replied. "Maybe a little hot pink or something."
Casey nodded and finished setting up as Paris tried to relax. Her stomach was somewhat muscled and she had to admit that she was a little nervous about the pain factor with this particular tattoo. As Casey began working, Paris relaxed and chatted with Adam, who was trying to focus on conversation rather than how low Paris' pants were and the final destination of Casey's tattoo needle.
The intricate little stars and sparkles ended up taking Casey a little longer than the first tattoo. Unexpectedly, he paused just before he reached her pubic bone.
"Sorry, but I'm gonna need you to lower your pants a little more if you want it to go right to the hood," he stated. "This part might sting a little."
"Do you want me to leave?" Adam asked, hoping she'd say no.
"No," Paris said, chewing on her lower lip. "Just turn your back, K?"
Adam complied and shifted in his chair so that his back was aimed toward Casey and where he was working. Paris grabbed his hand and bit her lip as the needle started again. Casey finished as quickly as possible as Paris squeezed Adam's hand, tears pricking her eyes as this was easily the most painful artwork she had ever endured.
Finally, he was done…everything was cleaned, sterilized, and bandaged, and Paris was once again fully-dressed. Since Casey had some extra time blocked, he touched up each of Paris' tattoos and added some black curlicue tribal to the butterfly on her left arm. During this time, Adam got up to stretch his legs and wandered out into the main part of the salon. Just when Paris thought they were almost done and would finally be able to get out of there, Adam rushed back in and asked Casey if he had time to do a simple black Chinese symbol. Casey agreed and about half an hour later, Adam had the Chinese symbol for 'Edge' on the back of his neck. Casey finished by touching up Adam's sun tattoo on his left arm and bandaging his neck. As Adam was pulling on his shirt, Paris excused herself to use the restroom. While she was gone, Adam followed Casey to the cash register to find out what the damage was.
"What's the final number, my friend?" the Canadian asked.
"Sixty for her back, one hundred and twenty for her stomach, forty for your neck, and twenty for the tribal on her arm. The touch-ups are on the house…so the grand total is two hundred and forty dollars."
"Just run it for three hundred," Adam requested as Paris joined him.
"What do I owe?" the diva questioned.
Adam brushed her off. "I just put it all on my credit card…we'll settle up later."
Paris nodded, deciding from Adam's look not to debate the issue in front of Casey.
"And your change…260, 280, and twenty is three hundred dollars. Thank you, Adam."
Adam shook his head. "That's yours, man," he said, indicating that Casey should keep the sixty dollars as a tip.
"I couldn't accept…"
"Bullshit. You blocked the whole morning for us, you did a bunch of extra shit…and you did an awesome job…so take it."
"Thanks, Adam…I appreciate that. I want both of you to take your bandages off in about an hour or so, wash gently with Dial soap, and then, put some of this ointment on. I gave you several tubes, but a little bit goes a long way. You won't need much on your touch-ups because that's tattooed skin already. Paris, I want you to be really careful with that one on your stomach. Wear loose cotton underwear or none at all if your pants are loose enough. If you absolutely have to wear tight clothing, put a generous, and I mean generous, amount of that ointment on and put a non-stick gauze bandage on the tattoo. If you guys have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call or stop in."
"Thanks, man."
"Thanks, Casey," Paris added as she followed Adam out the door while he pocketed the card and receipt.
"So what do I owe you?" she asked once they were in the car.
"Don't worry about it," Adam scoffed. "Yours was only two hundred."
"What!" Paris exclaimed. "I'm not letting you pay for everything! The deal was for one tattoo…one! You just dropped three hundred dollars in there!"
"Pocket change."
"I'm paying for half…stop at an ATM," Paris ordered, removing her wallet.
"You're not paying for half," Adam argued. "Mine was forty and I'm covering the tip, not to mention the tattoo I owe you."
"Fine, I'm paying for half of mine which is a hundred."
"Nope. I'm paying for the one on your stomach…it was more expensive, so you owe me eighty dollars for your back and your arm. You really don't have to pay me at all, you know." There are other ways to repay a debt besides money, he thought slyly.
"Bullshit…and I'm buying lunch. No Subway or anything either…we're going somewhere nice."
"I can deal with that," Adam replied, glancing at his watch. "But we're gonna have to take a rain check. It's nearly one o'clock and we have to be at the New Davis at three."
"Shit, that's right. How about dinner Friday?"
"It's a date," Adam smiled.
"We've gotta swing through Subway though…I'm starving."
"Me, too," the Canadian agreed as he pulled into the drive-thru at Subway.
They ordered and before Paris could protest, Adam had paid for her sandwich.
"Goddamnit!" she exclaimed jovially as they headed home. "Stop buying stuff for me! When do I get to do something for you?"
Adam grinned. Sooner than you think, sweets, he told himself. "I'm keeping a tally," he said. "I'll collect eventually."
Paris smiled as Adam pulled up to an ATM and she got his eighty dollars for him. Finally, the two friends headed home and after quickly eating, disappeared into their respective bathrooms for a shower. Paris had just finished her hair and make-up when she heard Adam call up the stairs.
"Hey, Paris…"
"Yeah?"
"Can I come up? I need you to put some of this shit on my neck."
"Sure…just a second."
Paris threw a robe on over her bra and panties before beckoning him to come upstairs. He went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of her bathtub as she lifted his hair and smeared the greasy ointment on his new tattoo.
"Need any help with yours?" he offered.
"No, I got all of them, but there is something you can help me with."
"Name it."
"What should I wear? I wanna make a good first impression."
Adam walked into her closet and stroked his chin thoughtfully for several minutes before pulling out a pair of black leather pants.
"I think you should wear these…they're hot."
"I can't wear those!"
"Why not?"
"Because I'll look like a whore. And besides…they're too tight. Remember my tattoo?"
"I'll get you a gauze pad. Plus the lining on these is like silky or whatever…it's better than rough denim."
Paris rolled her eyes. He had a point. "Fine, whatever. What about a shirt?"
Adam perused the rack once again and came up with a crisp white blouse that only had one button at the breasts and was open above and below to expose a generous amount of cleavage and an even more generous amount of midriff.
"This," he said. "With a black bra underneath and those boots." He pointed to a pair of high-heeled black boots.
"I'm going to my first OVW TV taping, not my first hooker convention," Paris told him.
"Shut up…you'll look great. I'll get that gauze pad."
Adam brought her a gauze pad and said he'd wait downstairs with Jeff, but she needed to hurry. Paris carefully put the gauze pad on the lower part of her tattoo, making sure the top didn't show above her low-cut pants. The shirt was very sexy and revealed most of her new tattoo. Paris completed the look with a silver chain belt and some matching jewelry before dousing herself with Dior Poison and dabbing some shimmering gloss on her lips. Grabbing her purse, she rushed downstairs where Adam and Jeff were waiting.
As Paris entered the room, Adam grinned appreciatively, eyeing her up and down, his intent obvious. Even Jeff couldn't help but stare as they headed out the door to the Durango.
"You look good enough to eat," Adam whispered seductively in her ear as he held the car door for her.
He had known that the outfit would look slamming on her and quite obviously, it did. As she climbed into the front seat of the Durango, he couldn't resist copping a quick feel on her ass. After all, it looked no less than perfect in those tight leather pants. Paris didn't seem to mind and if she did, she didn't comment. She simply sat there, smiling slightly and blushing quite becomingly.
As they drove to the New Davis Arena, Paris stared out the window, trying to deny the fact that her body was tingling all over just from Adam's lips brushing her ear and his hand on her butt. It was pretty obvious that the Canadian was attracted to her, most likely only in a physical sense, being that he barely knew her at this point. It was quite clear that Adam wanted her and she wasn't sure if she didn't want the same thing. Naturally, she didn't love him…her heart belonged to only one man, and that was The Legend Killer, Randy Orton…even if that love wasn't reciprocated. Of course, Paris wasn't so naïve that she didn't realize that it probably wasn't love that Adam Copeland was after.
Once they got to the arena, Adam and Jeff made sure that they delivered Paris safely to Tammy before going about their business. Tammy seemed highly stressed and very distracted as she led Paris to the women's locker room, rambling a mile a minute about all the things that had gone wrong already. Stopping outside the door to the locker room, the executive assistant took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Four pretty faces looked up suddenly as they entered—three of them smiling and one skeptical.
"Good evening, ladies," Tammy greeted as they all rose. Paris noticed that three of them were about the same height as her if not a few inches shorter, except the skeptical-looking girl who was much shorter, about Trish's size.
Tammy paused and looked around, her brow furrowing with confusion. "Where're the others?" she asked.
"Heaven only knows," a slim brunette with dark eyes replied, shrugging. Her tone seemed to indicate that she knew exactly who Tammy was talking about.
"Oh, well…who cares?" Tammy went on. "It's not like she's missing anything by not meeting them. Anyway…ladies, this is Paris Ocean…she's the new diva Vince sent down here. She's the one who's gonna be valeting for Edge and Jeff Hardy and her wrestling name is Nikki Midnight. Paris, this is Alexis Laree…one of our top female wrestlers." Tammy indicated the tall brunette who had spoken earlier.
"Welcome aboard, Paris," Alexis replied, shaking her hand. "If you need anything, just let me know."
"This is Jillian Hall," Tammy said, presenting a very pretty girl with long, dark blond hair, blue eyes, a winning smile, and a very infectious laugh. "She used to be a cheerleading competitor."
"Nice to meet you," Paris said, shaking hands. "I used to be a cheerleader."
"Oh, Tammy, she's just the cutest thing," Jillian giggled, a slight Southern accent. "You'll fit in just peachy with me and Lexi here, hun."
"This is Shannon Ward," Tammy went on, presenting another girl with jet black hair, dark eyes, blue lipstick, and dark gothic make-up.
"Don't let her fool you…she's a total sweetheart."
Shannon let out a loud, maniacal laugh, which caused Paris to jump, but had no affect whatsoever on the others. Obviously, they were used to Shannon's eccentricities.
"Nice to meet you, Paris," Shannon giggled, shaking her hand. "I'm very normal…I swear."
"You probably won't see much of Shannon," Tammy explained. "She divides her time between here and Ring of Honor…that's another federation."
"I like your eyebrow accessory," Shannon told Paris, pointing at the tiny ring in her own eyebrow.
"Thanks…I like yours, too."
"And this is Trudi DeNucci," Tammy said, presenting the skeptical-looking one, a pretty girl with long, chestnut-colored hair and dark eyes. "Trudi just started here, so she's kind of observing, just like you, Paris."
"How you doin, Paris?" Trudi greeted, her Brooklyn accent evident.
"I'm good, thanks. It's nice to meet you."
"Ladies, I'm beyond busy," Tammy told them. "I'd like to leave Paris here with you so you can show her around and explain how we do things here. She's been around the WWE locker room for about a month, so she knows her stuff…but Lexi, I'm putting you in charge of keeping her away from…well, you know…the bad elements around here. Introduce her to some of the guys and treat her how you would want to be treated, OK?"
"Not a problem, Stressed Out Boss Lady," Alexis said cheerfully, her sarcasm aimed more at Tammy than Paris. "Come on, Paris…come dish with us."
Tammy watched relieved as Alexis and Jillian linked arms with Paris and led her over to the couch, followed closely by Shannon and Trudi. Even though Trudi was a bit of a flake and Shannon was a little crazy, Tammy knew that Alexis and Jillian were not only nice girls, but they were professionals. Tammy knew she could trust Alexis and Jillian to be nice to Paris, and that Shannon and Trudi would follow suit. Shannon had been around the business a long time and she got along with just about everyone. Trudi tended to be a bit suspicious of newcomers…it was in her Italian nature, but as Tammy left, she could see that even Trudi was warming up to Paris.
"So, Paris, you got a boyfriend up there is big ol' WWE?" Jillian asked, her voice friendly.
Paris was relieved to finally meet some people who obviously didn't know about the whole Triple H drama, and if they did, were too polite to mention it.
"No, not really," the new diva answered. "I was dating Randy Orton for a while, but…"
"But what?" Alexis prompted.
"We just went our separate ways…you know, while I'm here and everything. What about you guys? Any boyfriends?"
"I'm dating Joey Matthews," Alexis stated. "He trained in Omega with Matt and Jeff Hardy and Lita and all the Carolina crew. Jillian here just started seeing Matt Capotelli…you know, one of the Tough Enough 3 winners. Trudi's got a major crush on John Cena and…"
"I do not!" Trudi protested, blushing. "I just like how he raps."
"Whatever," Alexis laughed. "And Shannon…who's the man of the hour this week?"
"Jeez, Lex," Shannon giggled. "Make me sound like some kind of a hooker to the newbie, why don't you? FYI, I'm free and single right now. Know any hot, tattooed guys, Paris?"
"Other than Orton, not really," Paris laughed.
"Sorry, not my type," Shannon lamented. "And that's not tattooed…that's wannabe tattooed. Now, Undertaker…that's tattooed. Raven, Bane, Batista…that's tattooed."
"Well, most of the guys I know are taken…but I've heard John Cena just became single."
Paris could have sworn she saw Trudi's eyes light up, but it was just for a flickering moment as all the OVW divas agreed that they heard the same thing and lamented that their beloved designer, Katie Carlisle, was leaving.
As Paris remained quiet and listened to the OVW divas dish about various people, she was suddenly distracted. The door to the locker room was flung open and four attractive, blond women sauntered in. The leader of the group, who was about Paris' height, scanned the locker room, her eyes settling on the divas in the corner, Paris in particular. Smirking triumphantly, she began to make her way across the room, followed by the others.
"Oh, goody…" Shannon mumbled, watching them approach, as Trudi sighed and rolled her eyes.
Paris' senses were immediately on the defensive as Alexis grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, the others surrounding her protectively.
"Well, well, well," the leader began, her voice like chiming crystal with a supercilious tone. "This must be the new diva. I'm Nicole Fink." She put out her hand.
Tentatively, Paris shook her hand as she smirked at Alexis and Jillian before turning to introduce her friends.
"This is Beth Phoenix," Nicole went on, indicating a pretty blond girl with frosty blue eyes and a slightly turned-up nose. "She valets for The Troubleshooters…Chris Masters and Brent Albright. Brent is Beth's cousin and Chris is her boyfriend."
Nicole smiled toothily, keeping a firm grip on Paris' arm and pulling her slightly away from Alexis and Jillian.
"And this is Passion," Nicole continued, presenting an older blond woman, who was medium height and muscular with dark blue eyes and a condescending look on her face. "She and I team together sometimes. She's known as the Belle of Biloxi."
Passion nodded shortly at Paris, barely acknowledging her.
"Of course, you're Paris Ocean, AKA Nikki Midnight," Nicole stated knowingly. "Now, Paris, there's a few things that…"
Nicole was interrupted by the sound of someone quietly clearing their throat. Nicole looked up, annoyed, as she and Paris discovered that the source of the interruption was a pretty blond woman with bright blue eyes, who was standing behind Beth and Passion. She was about medium height and very muscular, more so than Passion. She was by far the prettiest of the group.
Nicole rolled her eyes and sighed, apparently not appreciating the woman's intrusion into the conversation.
"Paris, this is Melissa," Nicole replied in a bored, overburdened tone. "She's hurt right now, so she's pretty much…"
"I'm Melissa Coates," the woman said, maneuvering her way in between Beth and Passion so she could shake hands with Paris. "I'm into bodybuilding, so if you need any pointers on work outs or nutrition…"
"Well, I'm sure we're just all refreshed to hear that," Nicole interjected rudely, pulling Paris' hand away from Melissa's grasp. "You have to excuse Melissa…she gets a little too talkative sometimes."
Too talkative, Paris thought. The woman barely said three words. She was just trying to be nice, which was more than any of the others had done. Frankly, Melissa appeared to be the only one in the group who was sincerely trying to be nice to Paris. Passion had pretty much ignored her, Beth was too busy looking down her nose, and Nicole was quite obviously trying to walk all over Paris, which didn't set well at all with the new diva. In fact, Nicole's overbearing nature was really starting to grind on Paris' nerves and she was more than a little irritated at the way Nicole had rudely cut off Melissa.
"So you see, Paris, we try to be like a family," Nicole rambled on, oblivious to the fact that Paris had barely heard a word she said. "But like all families, OVW has that one branch that we don't like to talk about…if you know what I mean." She glanced pointedly at Alexis, causing the brunette to snort with derision.
"No, actually, I don't," Paris said with mock innocence. "What do you mean?"
Nicole responded with a light, tittering laugh that reminded Paris of an amused mother dealing with a child that didn't know any better.
"Well, Paris, let's just say that you don't want to get off on the wrong foot here and go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you out there."
She grasped Paris' arm and linked it with hers, but Paris had heard enough. Yanking her arm away from Nicole's talon-like grip, she backed up to stand with the others so she was flanked by Alexis and Jillian.
"Thanks for the offer, Nicole," Paris replied, the low iciness in her voice evident. "But I'm a big girl and I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself…if you know what I mean."
Nicole locked glances with Paris, her eyes like green chips of ice. Not only was this Paris being uncooperative, but she appeared to be challenging her as well. There was only room for one alpha female in the OVW locker room and in Nicole's eyes, she was it. Paris would have to learn the hard way. No wet-behind-the-ears rookie was going to vie for Nicole's throne and make her look like an idiot.
"Suit yourself," Nicole remarked, shrugging. "Just remember there's only one queen around here."
Paris snorted with laugher. She knew it probably wasn't the smartest thing to make enemies so soon, but the woman just plain pissed her off and she wasn't about to put up with it.
"Says who?" she shot back.
"Says me!"
"Well, maybe it's time for a revolution."
"Are you threatening me, newbie?"
"Did I stutter?"
"Maybe you'd like to step in the ring and we'll see if you've got the skills to back that mouth up!"
"You know damn well she's not trained yet, Fink!" Alexis stated, stepping protectively in front of Paris.
Paris gently and in a non-aggressive way, pushed Alexis aside to stand toe to toe with OVW's self-proclaimed queen. "I may not be trained in the ring, but I have more than enough skills to step outside!"
Nicole smiled evilly at her friends before turning her attention back to Paris and issuing the ultimate insult in a voice so sickenly sweet, it would have made Mary Poppins throw up.
"Is that so, Paris?" Nicole taunted. "Because the only skill I've heard that you have is spreading your legs for Triple H!"
Alexis, Jillian, Shannon, and Trudi all gasped, their mouths hanging open in shock. Nicole arched an eyebrow as Beth and Passion both giggled and Melissa looked mildly uncomfortable. Paris' hand itched to reach out and slap Nicole right across her smug face, but the blond diva was so stunned by the older woman's audacity that she couldn't even move. Just when Paris had been relived that Alexis and her friends didn't know her secret, someone had to come along and ruin it. How in hell did Nicole Fink know? Of course…it had to be Sarah. Paris vaguely remembered Sarah saying she had been a travel coordinator in OVW, so naturally, the bitch had contact with the wrestlers and probably had a few friends as well. Paris was about to issue a sharp retort when Nicole suddenly broke the silence.
"What's the matter, Paris? Cat got your little pierced tongue?"
"Is your position so threatened, Fink, that you have to make up lies about people?" Alexis interjected.
Nicole laughed. "Lies? Why would I lie, Lexi?"
"Because you're a vindictive bitch, that's why," Shannon retorted.
"If you don't believe me, just ask her," Nicole went on, ignoring Shannon as if she were an insignificant insect.
"Paris, she's lying, right?" Alexis asked, imploring.
Paris turned and locked gazes with Alexis, the other woman's dark eyes searching hers for answers. As much as she wanted to explain, to tell the truth, she was just too ashamed. Paris sighed, casting her violet eyes downward, her silence speaking volumes. Alexis stepped slowly away from her as if she were a snake about to strike.
Nicole chuckled nastily. "You see, Paris…those kind of…activities don't go over well here in OVW. Most of us, like me and Lexi and Jillian have been waiting for months, even years, to get the call up to WWE. All of the sudden, you show up here to train…because lo and behold, you already have your spot! And all because you played a little 'hide the salami' with Paul Levesque! I heard you dated Randy Orton, too. What were you doing, Paris? Working your way up the Evolutionary ladder?"
"Fuck you, you lying bitch!" Paris shouted, stepping forward. "OK, fine…you got me! I fucked Paul Levesque AKA Triple H…in case any of you didn't hear it the first time! What do you want me to say, huh, Nicole? You want me to say I didn't know what I was doing? You want me to say I didn't like it? You want me to say it wasn't the most fantastic sex I've ever had? Well, I can't do that, OK? I can't take back what I did! I wish I could, but I can't! And whose fault was it? Not Paul Levesque's, not Randy Orton's…it was my fault! I'm responsible for my own actions and I screwed up! But know this…Vince gave me the diva job before any of this ever happened! So, did I fuck Triple H? Yes! Did I do it to become a diva? No! And if you don't believe me…well, I don't give two shits what you believe because I don't like mean people like you and I can't wait until I can get your fat ass in the ring!"
A dead silence fell on the locker room in the wake of Paris' tirade, only to be broken by a tiny giggle as Jillian stepped forward and put an arm on Paris' shoulder.
"You go, girl!" the former cheerleader stated, simply and admiringly, as Paris was once again flanked by Shannon and Trudi.
Nicole rolled her eyes, scoffing with disbelief. "You can't be serious, Jillian! Look at how fucking hard you've worked to get the call and you're just gonna let some little slut who probably sucked every dick in the locker room walk in and steal your thunder…our thunder! And what about you, Lexi? What about…"
"What about me, Fink?" Alexis snarled, stepping in front of Paris to get right in Nicole's face. "Have I worked hard? Yes! Am I disappointed every time I don't get the call? Yes…a thousand times, yes! But am I gonna try to knock someone else down and destroy their dreams with vicious gossip and rumors? No! And you know why? Because I'm not like you, Fink! So she fucked Triple H…big deal! Obviously, Vince saw something in her or she wouldn't be here, would she? Vince isn't stupid. He isn't gonna take a risk on nothing and I hardly think a man like Vince McMahon is gonna let Paul Levesque's dick make his business decisions for him!"
Nicole snorted. "Oh, Lexi, your nobility is so moving…I think I'm gonna…cry!"
Beth, Passion, and Melissa laughed as Nicole mockingly pretended to get choked up.
"And your jealousy is so transparent," Alexis retorted. "What's bothering you more, Fink? That Paris is here or that she fucked Paul Levesque?"
Alexis' dark eyes glittered with excitement as Paris noticed something akin to hurt flicker across Nicole's face.
"That's it, isn't it?" Alexis taunted. "You're still stinging from his rejection, aren't you? You've never quite gotten over finding out that it was Paul Levesque who nixed your call up every time! He was the one who kept shooting down the idea for you to play Vince's illegitimate daughter and steal him away from Stephanie during the McMahon/Helmsley Era! Because he didn't want to work with you! Because you wouldn't stop throwing yourself at him! Right? Right?
"Shut up!" Nicole screamed, putting her hands over her ears. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
The locker room once again fell silent, everyone shocked by Nicole's outburst. So, Paris thought, the bitch had thrown herself at The Game and he had turned her down…repeatedly from the sound of things. Paris smirked inwardly, remembering what Dr. Cerovski had said about Paul…that he was very picky about who he associated with. However she felt about Paul, a tiny part of her was both relieved and glad that he had never been intimate with Nicole Fink. And the fact that he had chosen her over Nicole gave her a slight bit of leverage over the self-appointed queen of OVW.
Trudi suddenly snorted with contempt, breaking the silence. "Look who's the slut now!" the diminutive brunette stated as Shannon smirked knowingly.
"Fuck you, DeNucci!" Nicole spat. "What are you around here? Nothing…that's what! You're just as much of a newbie as she is. And you…"
Paris smirked arrogantly as Nicole's attention was once again focused on her. The blond woman's cold green eyes locked with hers and although Paris would never admit it, there was a tiny flicker of fear in the pit of her stomach. There was something about the look in Nicole's eyes…vacant, feral, emotionless…that bothered her. She almost felt as if maybe the woman had some deep-seeded psychological problems that no one even knew about.
"Know this, Paris," Nicole went on, deadly calm. "I'm in charge around here and I don't like fakes, I don't like wannabes, and I don't like sluts."
Paris noted that when Nicole said 'fakes,' she glared at Alexis and Jillian, and at the mention of 'wannabes,' her gaze changed to Shannon and Trudi. However, when she said 'sluts,' her attention was focused solely on Paris.
"I'm only warning you once…I don't play games, newbie," Nicole stated with finality as she turned to walk away, followed by her fellow blonds. Unexpectedly, she stopped and cast a contemptuous sneer over her shoulder at Paris. "But then, you know all about 'playing the game,' don't you, Paris?" she said before bursting into cold, mocking laughter.
"More than you ever will," Paris shot back maliciously. She noticed with pleasure that Nicole's spine stiffened visibly before she exited the room with her posse.
The five remaining divas were silent, all trying to come to terms with what had just happened. Finally, it was Paris who spoke first.
"Listen, guys, I'm sorry…that I lied…that I didn't say anything…it's just that…"
"Paris, it's alright," Alexis said reassuringly. "Everyone makes mistakes, OK?"
"Besides," Jillian added. "You can hardly call Triple H a mistake. He's not some piece of shit loser, he's only the most powerful guy in the WWE. Any one of us probably would have slept with him, too."
"Speak for yourself," Shannon retorted. "No offense, Paris, but it's not like you're gonna walk up to people and say, 'Hi, I'm Paris and I fucked Triple H.' It was none of our business. You don't owe us anything. We just met…it's not like I'm gonna tell you every guy I've ever banged."
"Yeah, we don't have all night," Alexis quipped.
"Oh, funny," Shannon squeaked, throwing a towel at Alexis as Paris, Trudi, and Jillian giggled.
"But what I don't understand is if you were with RKO, how did you end up with Triple H?" Trudi asked.
Paris sighed. "It's a long story… and a story for another day. Let's just say Randy and I had a fight and Paul was in the right place at the right time."
"So you love Randy?" Alexis questioned.
"Yeah."
"So why aren't you with him?"
"Maybe someday, when I can forgive myself."
Trudi, Shannon, and Jillian all sighed wistfully at a seemingly tragic love story.
"Well, Paris," Trudi assured. "You know what my Pops always used to say…things just have a way of working out."
"I hope you're right, Trudi," Paris said. "I really hope you're right."
"Come on, girls…I'm starved," Alexis announced. "Pissing Nicole off always makes me hungry."
Paris watched as the four divas headed toward the door, not wanting to join them until she had been invited.
"You coming, Paris?" Alexis asked, stopping and turning toward the newest diva.
Paris smiled. "Sure, I'll meet you there…I just wanna freshen up."
The others nodded and began to leave, but Jillian stopped them. "Wait…Paris, I can't help it…I just have to ask…"
"Yeah?"
"How was he? Triple H, I mean."
Paris shrugged. "I don't know…I was a virgin."
She chuckled as Jillian and Trudi's mouths fell open and Shannon let out a loud shriek. Alexis smiled as she grabbed Jillian and Trudi.
"Come on, chicas…another story for another day."
Paris shook her head as she went into the restroom, deciding that other than Nicole's group, she liked the OVW divas and was already starting to feel at home.
Several minutes later, Paris exited the bathroom, feeling pretty damn good about putting Nicole Fink in her place and making some new friends. She jumped slightly as she came face to face with three strange figures that had entered the locker room without her knowledge.
The two men were standing on either side of the couch. One of them was huge…built like Dave. He was dressed all in black, from his steel-tipped boots to his wife beater and jeans. He was bald with a black goatee and heavily tattooed with a permanent scowl on his face. The other man was shorter with red and black hair and just as many tattoos. He was wearing a black singlet covered with flames. His fingernails were painted black, his eyebrow was pierced, and he was playing with his tongue piercing, rolling the ball over his lips. The woman was stretched out on the couch, but she rose languidly as Paris warily entered the room. She was short and stocky, a little on the heavier side, but not really fat. She had long, red hair and equally red lips and nails. She was wearing a black leather cat suit and thigh-high boots with vicious-looking stiletto heels. In her right hand, she held a riding crop and she had a ring through her lower lip. Without even hesitating, Paris knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was Synn and her Disciples.
"Can I help you?" Paris asked, skeptical yet polite.
"Of course, you're Paris," the woman replied, her voice low and sensual. "I'm Synn…this is Bane and Seven." She pointed first to the bald man and then, the shorter one.
"Nice to meet you," Paris lied. Quite frankly, she was nervous as hell and fought the urge to back away as Synn approached her, followed by Bane and Seven.
"Nice, very nice," Synn commented as she circled Paris, taking in every inch of her. "Pretty hair," she said, her fingers lightly brushing the back of Paris' blond locks. "Pretty, pretty."
Paris jumped as she felt the riding crop gently smack her bottom. She was anxious, but for some reason, she didn't feel threatened, like she had with Nicole and her gang. Even though Synn was supposed to be her nemesis, she got the feeling that the woman was simply toying with her for amusement.
Synn was once again facing Paris, flanked by Bane and Seven. She smiled seductively as she ran the riding crop along Paris' jaw line and trailed it down over once of her breasts.
"Very pretty," she went on. "Isn't she pretty, Seven?"
"Not as pretty as you, Mistress Synn," the shorter man said as he gazed adoringly at Synn, not even noticing Paris.
Synn seemed unaffected by Seven's attention and Paris remembered Shane saying she was a dominatrix. Maybe Seven was her submissive. Maybe they both were. Pushing Seven away, Synn turned to Bane.
"Bane, you like?" she asked, pointing to Paris.
Bane looked Paris up and down, but if he indeed liked what he saw, it wasn't evident as his expression never changed. "I like," he replied stoically. "A lot."
Synn smiled wickedly. Apparently, Bane wasn't quite as submissive as Seven because not only did he admit to finding another woman attractive, but he didn't call her 'Mistress,' which she didn't seem to mind. Paris couldn't help but wonder what Dave's relationship with this woman had been like. Then, she recalled Tammy saying that Dave never got caught up in his character like Synn did.
"You worked for Evolution," Synn stated, more a statement of fact than a question. "So you know my Demon?"
"If you mean Dave Batista…yes," Paris replied.
"Impressive, isn't he?"
"Umm…yes, he's very talented."
"He'll be here in a couple weeks, you know."
Dave? Here? Paris thought. He'd never mentioned that to her and neither had Randy or Paul. Synn must have noticed her look of confusion.
"Just some last minute OVW commitments before he returns to WWE TV. He was here for a while after his triceps injury. Of course, the Demon and I aren't exactly on the same page anymore…especially now that he's dating the red-haired devil woman."
"Lita," Bane stated.
"Yes, I know, Bane…thank you!" Synn snapped sharply.
Paris vaguely noticed the corners of Bane's mouth bend in a slight smile.
"I suppose it's time to move on," Synn sighed. "After all, I have my Seven now."
Paris watched as Synn lovingly stroked Seven's face and he reacted like a puppy being scratched behind the ear. She found it hard to believe if Dave had ever been intimate with this woman. She was sure that the infatuation was more of a one-sided scenario.
"And speaking of Evolution," Synn continued. "I hear through the grapevine that their leader has been to Paris and back, hmm? Lucky him is all I have to say." Once again, Synn ran her riding crop down the middle of Paris' chest, right between her breasts.
"Look, Synn," Paris began, sharper than she intended. "I don't know what you've heard, but this song and dance is getting a little old. I already got the same line of shit from Nicole Fink and …"
"Sweetheart, please…" Synn interrupted. "I don't want to be your enemy…not outside the ring anyways. I heard about your run-in with The Blond Ambition tour…if she bothers you again, I wanna know about it. You and I have our own agenda and nobody will mess that up…especially not that glory-hog Nicole Fink. If that means that my minions and I have to look out for you, so be it. As for you and The Cerebral Assassin, I don't know who I'm more jealous of…you or him."
Paris was silent, not sure how to respond to Synn's blatant flirting. She'd never been hit on by another woman and it unnerved her to say the least. Obviously, Synn wasn't a lesbian, the way she acted with Seven or how she was drooling over Dave and Paul. But it was quite apparent that she liked women as well. To each their own, Paris thought. She was no one to judge.
"Well, thank you for the concern, Synn," Paris said, licking her lips anxiously. "But I can handle Nicole Fink, and I have Edge and Jeff to watch my back…"
"Darling, it's not really your choice," Synn stated, taking Paris' chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You can rest assured that we'll be looking out for you. It will be our…pleasure."
With that, she leaned forward and kissed Paris lightly on the lips. Paris didn't react and although it wasn't something she'd ever do again, she had to admit it wasn't all unpleasant.
"What the hell is going on here?" Adam's voice interrupted, causing Paris to jump. She looked up to see her two roommates standing just inside the locker room.
Synn smiled evilly, releasing Paris' chin and making her way toward Jeff and Adam.
"Edge, you sexy beast," she teased, slapping his arm with her riding crop. "I was just doing some harmless flirting with your little diva."
"Save it, Synn," Adam snapped.
"Well…who crapped in your Cheerios, E?" Synn went on. "Someone has to look out for her cute little tush, especially after she challenged the authority of The Mean Girls."
"I think we've got it covered," Jeff put in. He had just arrived, but this definitely wasn't his first encounter with Synn or her Disciples.
"Hmm, Hardy boy," Synn said, giving Jeff a thorough once over and running her nails along his chest. "Good to see you again. How's Matty and…Lita?"
Paris noticed Synn's teeth clench when she said the word 'Lita.'
"What do you care?" Jeff responded sarcastically. "Although I'm sure Lita's doing just peachy…now that she has something you never had."
"If you're referring to the Demon, I could care less…"
"Then why'd you ask?"
Synn chuckled. "Boys, I was only trying to make nice nice with your pretty little Barbie doll. Don't go getting your panties in a bunch…as much as I'd like to see that."
"Paris is my concern…I mean, our concern, not yours," Adam stated pointedly, his gray eyes cold.
"Well, I'm sure we're all relieved to hear that. Try not to wear her out, Edge," Synn purred. "At least, not until I get a chance. We know how tiring it can be for you, walking in the shadows of Orton and H. Those are two jockstraps that you might have a hard time filling. See ya, gorgeous," she added, winking at Paris before beckoning Bane and Seven, who were smirking and snickering, to follow her out of the room.
The door slammed as Adam and Jeff looked questioningly at Paris.
"Are you OK?" Adam asked, rushing to stand next to her as he tried to conceal the angry twitch in his jaw over Synn's comment about Triple H and Orton. As if he couldn't measure up to them…
"I'm fine…why wouldn't I be?"
"Alexis told us about your run-in with Nicole Fink," Adam explained. "She said you were pretty upset."
Paris waved her hand casually. "I'm not afraid of Nicole Fink…"
"And then, we walk in here and you're making out with Synn!" Jeff exclaimed.
"I wasn't making out with her. She kissed me! Trust me, I'm not into women, OK?"
"So what did she want…besides the obvious?" Jeff inquired.
"She wants to protect me from Nicole Fink because she doesn't want Fink to mess with our feud. I guess our feud with the DoS is gonna be OVW's star attraction for a while."
"Listen, Paris," Adam began. "Synn may talk a good game, but she's no different from Fink. They're both threatened by you. Synn's dangerous and she can't be trusted. All she's doing is going by the old adage that you keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
"And I'm the enemy," Paris replied, knowingly. She chewed on her lower lip in consternation at the idea that she had just been played by Synn.
Jeff and Adam both nodded as Adam put a friendly arm around Paris' shoulders.
"Don't sweat it, Paris," Jeff told her loyally. "Like Adam said, you're our concern. We're not gonna let anyone mess with you…not Synn, not Nicole Fink, not Evolution…no one."
"That's right," Adam reinforced. "You belong to us now, got it?"
Paris nodded, grateful that they were backing her up since she had inadvertently made two new enemies that night.
"I got it," she said. "And I appreciate the concern, guys…really, I do."
Both men hugged Paris in a friendly manner before Jeff announced that he was hungry, as usual, and they should go eat. Paris smiled as she followed Jeff and Adam down to catering. When they got there, Alexis immediately got her attention and smiling, beckoned Paris to join her, Jillian, and two good-looking guys, who Paris later learned were Joey Matthews and Matt Capotelli, Alexis and Jillian's boyfriends. Adam and Jeff also sat with Paris and her new friends, Jeff being friendly with Joey from their Omega days. They were also joined by a handsome man with long brown hair and sideburns, twinkling green eyes, and a brilliant smile, who was introduced as John Hennigan, Matt's co-Tough Enough 3 winner. John flirted shamelessly with Paris, until he received several stern glares from Adam and excused himself to go talk to one of the trainers.
After dinner, Paris settled back to watch the show. There were only three matches, being that it was only an hour-long show that would air on Saturday. Afterward, Alexis and Joey invited them to go down to The Blue Bomb, which Paris learned was a karoke/dance club that was the favorite hangout of the OVW wrestlers and divas. Although Paris wanted to go, she'd had a long day and had a very early morning with her first training session, so regretfully, she declined. Adam also chose not to go, opting to accompany Paris home. Jeff, however, went with Joey, Alexis, and the others, only after doing some heavy persuading to get Tammy to go along.
On the drive home, Paris had a hard time keeping her eyes open. Adam noticed her exhaustion and took a shortcut to get them home quicker. At the house, Paris bid Adam goodnight and went upstairs, where she took a quick shower before applying some ointment to her tattoos and putting on an oversize Chris Jericho hockey jersey. Paris opened the window above her bed to get some air circulating in the stifling loft. It was warm for October, even for the South, and the evening air reeked with night-blooming jasmine. Paris stretched out on top of the covers and closed her eyes, breathing in the fragrant air. Just as she was about to doze off, she heard Adam calling her name, asking if he could come upstairs.
"Hey," the blond Canadian greeted as he ascended the stairs and took a seat on Paris' frameless bed. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No," Paris lied. "I was just relaxing." He was wearing only a pair of gray running shorts and his hair was damp from the shower. Paris detected the scent of Cool Water as he sat down.
"Listen, Paris…don't let Synn and Nicole scare you. Synn's a good talker and Nicole, well…she's just a bitch. Neither one of them can touch you."
Paris laughed quietly. "I think Synn wants to do more than just touch me."
Adam chuckled as well. "When I say they can't touch you, I mean neither one of them is as hot or as sexy as you are."
Paris blushed slightly. "Adam, stop…"
"I'm serious. If you only knew what I wanted to do right now…"
"I can just imagine."
"Oh, really? What exactly were you imagining?" He leaned over her so that his arms were on either side of her.
Paris rolled her eyes playfully. "You probably just wanna get in my pants…," she teased, toying with the tiny hairs on his arm.
"And what's wrong with that?" Adam questioned, his gray eyes flashing seductively as he ran his finger along her smooth jaw.
Paris sighed.
"What?" Adam demanded.
"Nothing."
"Hey, at least, I'm honest," the Canadian replied, shrugging. "I want you, Paris, and I don't play games. I'm up-front and direct. I'm not like Paul and I'm definitely not like Orton."
Before Paris could respond, he leaned over and captured her lips, his tongue lightly sweeping her mouth. Paris gasped as she ran her hands along his bare chest, feeling his hard muscles tense at her touch. Just when she thought he was about to join her in her bed, Adam pulled back, running his hands through his hair.
"Why'd you stop?" Paris asked confused.
Adam smirked. He leaned over her again, pinning her wrists over her head. "Why? You want some more?" he whispered, his lips close to her ear.
"Maybe," Paris remarked with mock innocence.
Needing no further urging, Adam climbed on top of her, wedging his knee between her thighs. Releasing her wrists, he pushed her hockey jersey up over her hips, revealing her white lace thong and her new tattoo. Adam traced his finger over her stomach, gently pulling on her navel ring. Paris closed her eyes and moaned softly as he lightly grazed his finger over the cleft in her thong. Adam smiled with satisfaction as she arched her hips, the lacy material between her legs becoming increasingly warmer and damper. Adam knew, as he watched her part her thighs invitingly, that he could take her at that moment. She was more than ready and practically begging for it, but for some reason, he held off. Without warning, he drew back and rolled off of her so he was lying next to her staring at the low ceiling. He didn't know what it was. Maybe it was Synn's stinging barb about Orton and Trips…he didn't know. It wasn't in his character to have a gorgeous woman panting beneath him and not take advantage of the situation.
After several seconds, he heard Paris' breathing return to normal and finally, she spoke.
"Adam, why are you playing with me?"
"I'm not!" he snapped, suddenly defensive. "It's just that…I don't know what it is…it just didn't feel right. When it happens, I want it to be right."
Paris sighed, annoyed. "God, now you sound like Randy."
Adam's jaw twitched with irritation in the darkness as a bolt of anger shot through him over her unfair comparison to Randy Orton. Inhaling sharply, Adam rolled on top of her once again, pinning her beneath his weight.
"Don't ever…EVER…compare me to that worthless punk, Paris!" Adam snarled, his silvery eyes glittering in the dark. "I'm not Randy Orton…do you understand me?"
Paris nodded. She could tell that he was angry, but for some reason, she wasn't afraid. She knew he wanted her and she also knew that he wouldn't hurt her. Something in his eyes told her that he wasn't the type. She knew that Synn's comment had irked him, as it was meant to, and then, she only fanned the fire by comparing him to Randy. It was no wonder he was hurt. She decided to stroke his male ego, not willing to let Synn get under hers or Adam's skin.
"I understand," she said quietly as she ground her hips wantonly against him.
Adam's eyes softened, his mouth breaking into a smirk. He pushed his hips gently against her, making sure she could feel how hard he was.
Paris pouted. "I want more."
Adam grinned, his smile brilliant even in the dark. "Oh, there's more," he said before running his tongue sensually over her lower lip. "More than Orton could ever give you…or Paul for that matter. But only the first one's free. After that, you're gonna have to work for it a little."
"Is that so?"
Adam didn't answer, but instead, covered her mouth with his, his tongue probing insistently, his teeth gently biting her lower lip.
"I'll see you in the morning," the Canadian replied, releasing her lips and rising from the bed.
Without another word or a backward glance, he descended the stairs, leaving Paris lying on the bed, extremely confused and undoubtedly overheated. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the fact that her body was tingling all over and her lips were burning, longing to taste him one more time. Damn him for getting her all worked up and then, leaving. However, her anger was only fleeting. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep, the sound of Adam's shower running the only sound in the dark, quiet house.
Adam closed his eyes as icy rivulets of water coursed over his body, cooling his heated skin, quenching the fire Paris had aroused in him. He rested his head against the tile, his face breaking into that infamous Edge smile. He had her…it was in the bag. And as far as he was concerned, she wouldn't even know who Randy Orton and Paul Levesque were when he got done with her.
Evolution? Adam could definitely see the line in the sand.
Please review. Sorry it's been so long…I've been conflicted as many of you know. Thank you to everyone who gave me all the kind and wise advice. I've decided to go ahead with the story as planned and maybe have Randy's true colors come out during the Diva search. WrestleMania kicked ass! Long live the Animal and the Doctor…May they rule well. Lots a love…
Evilution (is a mystery!)