Heaven Beside You

Chapter 4: What to Wear?

Christina slipped the hotel key into the door and quickly pushed it open. Noelani ran inside laughing as she went straight to the huge windows in the room. "Look mamma, you can see the city from here!" Lani squeaked pointing out the window. "Wow, it's beautiful just like you my sweet girl." she said lightly pinching her daughters cheek. Noelani smiled up at her mother and hugged her leg. "Mamma…" Lani started. "What's up sweetie?" "How long have you known Mr. Reigns?" she peered up at Tina. She scooped Noelani up into a hug, "Well, I've known him for several years. Since before you were born. Why do you ask, pumpkin?" she replied smiling at Lani. "Cause I think he likes you." she blushed hiding her face behind her hands. "Oh really, you think he likes me?" Christina chuckled. Noelani shook her head with a big grin on her face. "How would you feel if we got to eat dinner with him tonight? Plus you can get your picture that you wanted." Tina mused. …*gasp*…Really mamma? We can have dinner with Roman Reigns from the Shield tonight!" Lani said nearly jumping from her mother's arms. "Yes…yes we are having dinner with him tonight." she smiled at Lani's excitement. Christina put Noelani back down on her feet and placed a hand on her tiny shoulder, "We have something we would like to tell you at dinner tonight." she said in a low voice. "Ok" Lani nodded. "What are we going to wear to dinner, mommy? It's not every day you have dinner with a WWE Superstar!" she gleamed at her mother. Christina stalled at her daughter's question, finally letting the fact that they were indeed going to dinner with Roman Reigns sink in. "Uh…well you can wear your little blue summer dress if you want sweetie!" Tina said with a coy smile. "What the hell am I gonna wear is the question?" she thought nervously to herself.

"So have you found a spot to take your lovely ladies for dinner yet?" Dean chuckled. "Nah not yet. I don't know what buttercup likes so I wouldn't want to pick something that sucks, you know?" Roman shrugged. "Dude, why don't just call her and find out?" Seth said with a confused look on his face. "Totally didn't think about that…" Roman sighed. "Yeah that's cause you were still thinking about that kiss you planted on Christina. Your brain's all hazy." Dean mocked. "Shut up fool… I'm gonna call her right now." Roman grinned. "Aw, look at him he's actually blushing while dialing her number!" Seth teased. "Will you idiots get out of here!?" Roman laughed as he shoved his friends out the door. He went and sat down on the edge of his hotel bed and ran a hand through his hair before hitting the call button on his phone screen. "Alright don't say anything stupid, don't be nervous! You used to talk to her on the phone all the time, nothing to be all jittery about." he thought to himself. "Hello!" a soft, sultry voice answered on the other end. "Hi Chrissie!" Roman said slightly high pitched. "Real smooth, jackass!" he muttered internally shaking his head. "Hey Roman, what's up?" Christina smiled as she looked in the mirror at the outfit in her hand. "Um, I was just curious to know what kind of food does buttercup like to eat?" he gave an awkward chuckle. "She eats a little bit of everything, but here I'll let her tell you." Tina smiled handing her cell phone to Noelani. "Here pumpkin, it's Roman. He wants to see what kind of food you like." "Hello!" Lani said with a grin. Roman's heart melted at the sweet sound of his little girls voice on the other end of the phone. "Hey buttercup! What's going on?" he laughed. "Nothing…mommy doesn't know what to wear to dinner tonight. I've seen her change clothes 4 times already." Lani giggled. "Hey little girl, you're supposed to be telling him what kind of food you like to eat, not about the wardrobe crisis I'm having!" Tina snickered.

Noelani sat in the big plush chair watching cartoons as her mother continued to shift through her clothing options. Sighing, Tina picked up her phone and called her sister. "Hey sis, how's the trip going?" Brenna said sounding excited to talk to her sister. "Hey Brenna, the trip is going very well actually. Um, so as it turns out I don't have to reach out to Lani's father seeing as how he's a WWE Superstar." Tina said. "What!? Roman's in the WWE? So I wasn't crazy, that was him I saw on TV the other day with the Shield!" Brenna shouted through the phone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You saw him on TV and didn't think to give me a heads up? What the hell B? Thanks for the warning!" Tina sneered. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it was him but I wasn't sure…" Brenna chuckled. "What's going on anyway?" "Roman is taking Noelani and I to dinner tonight and we're going to tell her who he really is to her." After saying those words to her sister, she felt the butterflies swarm in her stomach. "Sis, that's a big deal. How did he take the news when he found out he was Lani's father? Is he single? Do you guys still have chemistry? What are you wearing to dinner tonight?" Brenna started firing off questions. "Bren, slow down jeez you're killing me." Christina laughed. "He took the news quite well, seeing as how you can look at Noelani and tell who her father is. He was a little upset that I didn't tell him earlier, but we got through all that and he's fine now. He calls her buttercup, by the way!" she said flashing a huge smile. "Aw, oh my God that is so cute! I already know he's wrapped around her little finger." Brenna grinned. "To answer your other questions, I don't know if he's single. He did kiss me, which after six years still takes my breath away. Uh…oh and I have no idea what to wear tonight." she shrugged. "Hold the fucking phone! He kissed you?! Tina, don't be so blind girl…it's been six years and that man kissed you! There's no way he's taken. Put on the little black dress I packed with the nude pumps and there you go. Knock him out of the park tonight!" Brenna said filled with enthusiasm. "Brenna I don't know if…" "I don't wanna hear it! You're putting on that dress and those heels and you're gonna get your man back! It's been too long and I want to see my sister happy again." "Thanks sis. We'll talk later ok." Tina blushed thinking about tonight's possibilities. "Love you girl, kiss Lani for me. Oh and remember to breathe."

Roman stood quietly outside of Christina's hotel door. "Knock already! Why am I just standing here? I can't be nervous… Hell, I'm Roman Reigns I don't get nervous. Fuck, I am nervous!" he thought to himself. He cleared his throat and straightened his stance before finally knocking on the door. "Mamma, someone's at the door." Noelani called to her mother. Roman smiled at the sound of her little voice again. "Ok sweetie, thank you!" Tina said as she walked out of the bathroom. As she started to open the door, Roman heard Noelani's voice again "Wow mommy, you look beautiful." "Thank you pumpkin!" she gleamed as she turned to face the person standing at her door. "Whoa…" Roman said in a low groan as he scanned Christina's body from head to toe. "You…um, you look absolutely stunning." he smiled. "Thanks! You're quite handsome yourself, big man." she replied with a smile of her own. They stared at each other for a good bit before Noelani popped up between them. "Hi!" she smiled up at Roman, breaking his focus away from Christina. "Hey there buttercup!" he grinned leaning down to pick her up. "My, my, don't you look pretty this evening!" he said giving her a soft hug. "Thank you! But I think my mommy is really pretty tonight too! Don't you think so, Mr. Reigns?" she giggled poking one of his dimples with her little finger. Roman looked at Noelani and chuckled, "Of course I think she's pretty. In fact she's breathtaking…" he trailed off. "You hear that mamma, you're breathtaking… whatever that means." she shrugged her shoulders. Christina glanced at Roman and smiled raising an eyebrow. "Let's go eat. I'm starving and I know this little mastermind schemer is too." she grinned. "Excellent, the place we're heading to is walking distance from here and it's in a great location of the downtown area." Christina pulled the door shut behind her as the three of them headed down the hallway towards the elevator. Noelani was in front as her mother followed closely behind. As they stood waiting for the elevator to come to the 11th floor, Roman found himself admiring the way Christina looked in her dress.

"Damn her ass looks amazing. Hell she looks amazing, the things I would do to her right now…" he thought as his eyes trailed the perfect curves of her ass up to the little dip in the small of her back. Her hips protruded outward creating the perfect start to her hourglass figure. He smiled at her somewhat lean waistline and couldn't help but grin at her pleasantly large breasts. "She's thick and I can't help but love it!" he smirked. The elevator finally made it to their floor and snapped him out of his thoughts as Noelani sighed "Finally…slow elevator, doesn't this thing know we're hungry?" she huffed. Lani walked between Roman and her mom, holding both their hands as they made their way through town. "Ah, here we are ladies!" Roman gestured towards the restaurant. "Tokyo Grill?" Christina asked. "Yep, buttercup wanted Sushi which was pretty surprising to me." he said with a smug grin looking at Tina. She shook her head at him and gave a little smirk as they walked into the restaurant. An hour had gone by while the three of them laughed and talked. Christina learned a lot about wrestling and all the other wrestlers she was oblivious to. Roman learned why he was Noelani's favorite Shield member and Noelani learned a lot about what goes into producing a televised show. Christina and Roman locked eyes with each other as they sensed now was as good a time as any to tell Noelani the news. "Lani sweetheart…" Tina began, "Roman and I need to tell you something very important. If you get upset, we will understand ok." Noelani nodded as she looked back and forth between her mom and Roman. …*sigh*…Sweetie do you remember all those times you asked me about who your father was?" she said taking Lani's hand into hers. "Yes…I remember mommy." "Good, that's good. Well sweetie the reason you didn't know your father growing up is because he and I lost touch a few months before you were born." "Lost touch… does that mean you stopped speaking to each other?" Noelani said with a puzzled expression. For a six year old, Lani was as smart they came. "Yes, it does." Tina nodded her head. "Why did you stop talking to each other mamma?" "Because your daddy was a stubborn moron who was too ashamed to put his pride and ego aside…" Roman added, his voice was low.

Lani's head snapped in his direction, her grey eyes fixed on his face. "You knew my daddy, Mr. Reigns?" she asked as her eyes grew wide. Roman swallowed the lump in his throat before he could speak again. Christina grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze as he continued, "Lani, sweetheart I don't just know who your father is." He took a deep breath with Noelani staring at him intently, "Buttercup… I am your father." Silence fell over their table for a brief moment as Noelani looked back and forth at Roman then to her mother. "Did you not want me, daddy?" she whispered as her big steely grey eyes began to water. At that moment, Roman and Christina both felt their hearts shatter in their chests at Lani's question. "Oh buttercup no, it wasn't that! Don't ever think that I didn't want you sweetheart! Daddy didn't know about you, that's all." he pleaded holding his tears back. "I'm so sorry that I've missed so much of your life sweetie, but I promise if you'll have me, I'm gonna make up for the first 6 years that I wasn't there!" he said pulling Noelani into a hug. Lani wrapped her arms around her father's neck as she nestled her little face into his collarbone. "Are we going to be a family again daddy? Me, you and mommy, just the three of us?" she sighed. Roman looked up Christina finally letting a few tears trek down his cheeks, "Of course we will baby girl. Chrissie and I just need to fix a few personal issues." he said squeezing Tina's hand. Noelani smiled and mumbled, "I love you daddy and I'm glad you came back to us…" before drifting off to sleep. Roman gave Tina a soft smile then kissed Noelani on top of her head, "Daddy loves you too buttercup and it damn sure feels good to be here…"