Title: Bolero
Chapter 6: Day 5 (Tuesday)
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANY of the CHARACTERS

Characters in this Chapter: Randy, Maryse, Trish, Chris, Stacy, Matt and Jeff

Summary: It is an Alternative Universe Story that takes place in modern day, and centers around the lives of four main characters

THANKS TO:

Undertaker1465: for finding time to read and review every chapter.

Maryeemeeh: I really love reading your review.. it makes me happy that you like how the story is flowing.. i know u are waiting for Jeff/Trish moment.. it will come.. and I promise you will love it.. and I just want to tell u that im waiting for your fic to be update.. ;) thanks again for supporting this fic..

TrishOrton: Im sooo happy that u like that I made Trish and Randy best friends in this fic.. and im so happy that I gave justice to it.. and thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting this fic..

wwe0chick5: hi! Thanks for adding my story to ur favorite list.. and for having time to read and review..

~xoxo~

AN: Hello! Sorry for not updating.. so many things to do at work.. toxic week! Sorry for blabbing again.. so Dave really is a BAD news.. but I like him actually.. I just need his character for this fic.. lolz! Ok.. in this chapter.. One relationship will finally start.. its about damn time.. hahaha! Please don't be mad at me about Trish and Jeff.. I really need to put all things first before that epic moment.. like all people say.. SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST.. ;) and this story will only have 3 days (chapters) left.. so hold on to ur seats.. every chapter relationships will bloom.. I talk to much.. On to the story.. as always.. Read and Review.

~x~o~x~o~

The previous night, Randy had safely tucked Trish into her bed. He then immediately cleaned up the place, making sure to remove or fix anything that looked like it had been displaced from the… incident. A string of profanities would always leave his mouth as he thought of that bastard. If Randy ever saw him…
That morning, he had cooked Trish a simple, light breakfast. He made sure the other ate every bite, because his friend might not eat again for the rest of the day in this state. After assuring Trish that she was safe, and if she had any worries to call him immediately, he left for work.

By the time Randy got there, it was already mid-morning. He was very late, but he didn't care about that. His priority now became Trish's mentality and overall well-being.

Maryse stood up, deciding she needed a cup of tea. Randy hadn't arrived yet, and she was positive that he didn't have any meetings scheduled. She needed her daily dose of the CEO. As she began to walk to the snack room, a figure moved from the corner of her eye. She glimpsed over and saw Randy, just turning the corner towards his office. Why had he been late? Maryse's curiosity crackled like a campfire, and she forgot all about any tea.

Randy walked directly to his office, settled himself at his desk and began to view his tasks for the day. Although, as he stared at the list, he had to read the first line over and over as he kept wondering what Trish was doing now. Randy encouraged her to do whatever she needed, whether it was stay at home or go to work, or even to see a movie. He looked at the tasks again, but this time, it was a firm knock on his door that distracted him. The camera showed him that it was… Maryse.

Hoping it was just business matters, he buzzed her in. When Maryse stepped in, she closed the door, keeping her gaze intent on the very attractive man at his desk. "Randy… is everything okay? You were late."

Randy sighed a bit. He wasn't going to share what happened. "I'm fine. Just running late for no reason." His eyebrows furrowed just the tiniest bit as he watched Maryse gracefully approach the front of his desk. As he looked up, he met Maryse's gaze which of course focused on him.

"That's good, nothing is wrong. I was worried." Now Randy was barely listening to what Maryse was saying, centering more on how the other's fingertips slid along the smooth surface of his desk.

Soon Maryse was beside him, and Randy looked down at his thick planning book, pretending to be immersed in its content. "You shouldn't worry about me. I'm a big boy."

Now Randy felt pressure on his shoulder before a warm hand slid up towards his neck. "I know you can take care of yourself… but sometimes I wonder if you're tending to otherneeds that a man must have."

Randy knew exactly what Maryse blatantly hinted. And right now, actually not ever, did he need this from the Event Schedulist; especially when there were more pressing thoughts of concern in him. He reached up to remove Maryse's hand. "Maryse, I'm busy."

"Soon you will be," a soft giggle now floated out by Randy's ear, and there were two hands massaging his shoulders. "Randy… you always turn me away. I try and I try… but you just keep running. I think it's time you stop trying to get away, and look at what I can offer you. There's no one else that's good enough for you."

And now Randy really had enough. He was sick of it all. The little smiles, sneaky touches-he did not like it one bit. "Maryse! I don't want this!" he shrugged off Maryse's hand from him and stood up from his chair turning on her. "I don't want any type of intimate relationship with you! It's not that I don't see what you can offer me, I just don't wantanything from you." He wasn't yelling or shouting at the other. He was merely raising his voice enough to be firmly heard and understood.

Maryse's insides were lodged in her throat as she didn't know what to say to that. What could you say to that. Sorry? My bad? She shook her head though, and pursed her lips. "You're missing out, boss," she seethed, and with a huff she quickly walked off, ignoring the annoying frown pulling at her lips.

Randy deeply sighed and fell back into his chair, the wheels on it rolling for a second. Today was quite a crazy day. What was going to happen next? An earthquake?

~x~o~x~o~

After convincing Randy that she'd be fine and that there was no reason for her to miss work, Trish looked around her apartment for anything that might remind her of what happened last night. Randy must have cleaned things up, and Trish made a note to herself to thank the him. Still just seeing the wall that she had been pushed against brought back harsh memories, and Trish turned quickly, retreating to the bathroom.

She got into the shower and turned it on scalding hot and scrubbed every inch of her body, then scrubbed it again, trying to get off any residue that that horrible man might have left behind. She scrubbed her skin raw, trying to get at dirt that wasn't there.

Finally, when the water was running cold, she got out of the shower, shivering, and wrapped herself in a plush towel, then went to her closet room, hoping to cheer herself up. Maybe she'd go shopping later. One could never have enough clothes. Without hesitation, she selected an old, worn hoodie and jeans that she never seemed to get to wear anymore and slid them onto her slim body. These clothes were ones she wore regularly before she'd become rich.

Then she returned to the bathroom to fix her hair, deciding to go out.

Even though she kept assuring herself, just as Randy had assured her several times before he left, that Dave would not return, there was a nagging voice in her head telling her that she was too vulnerable alone in the empty apartment, so she gathered her things and walked out the door, eyes searching in the shadows outside her door for any sign of that horrible man.

She just started walking, with no destination in mind, but she eventually found her way to the park, and she continued to walk deep into the center of the park, towards that bench where she'd been sitting a few days ago, a few days ago before all of this had happened, and she was happy, and she'd first seen… Jeff.

It seemed a little bit silly now, all of the things she'd thought about when she'd seen the random painter. About how that was the sort of face that Trish would like to see when she woke up in the morning… the sort of man that would make her life really worth living. And after that, her fantasies that she had about what she'd do if she found love… the anonymous person in those dreams suddenly had a face.

But it was stupid, she told herself, as she walked over to the place where Jeff had been painting, because Trish wasn't meant for happiness. Not that sort. She knew this in her mind, but it was harder to convince her heart. She sat down in the grass, right where Jeff had been, and tried not to cry, as she lay back and watched the clouds.

~x~o~x~o~

Chris was once again outside, bundled up against the cold, looking for a place to sing, a place where someone might hear him. He finally settled on an area in the park near their home. He set down his bag, stretched a little, and then opened his mouth, letting the beautiful tones of his voice fill the sky.

Trish had practically fallen asleep when she heard someone in the distance begin to sing. The voice was deep, beautiful, and she slowly rose off the ground, brushing grass off of her shivering body, and looked around. Not seeing the person that the voice belonged to, she quickly began walking towards where she thought the voice was coming from, curious.

Finally she found the young man, who was standing by the sidewalk with a hat containing some random handfuls of change lying in front of him. He appeared to be lost in the song he was singing, something slow and sad, and Trish stood there, politely listening, and soon was swept up in the beautiful song as well.

When the song was over, the man immediately launched into a new song, and Trish dug a $100 bill out of her wallet and dropped it into the hat.

Chris's eyes drifted downwards to his hat, and saw the large bill sticking out of it. His song faltered, caught off guard, and he looked up to see who had given him the large sum of money, just as the clouds shifted and a bright beam of light illuminated Trish. Chris stared, mouth dropping open, and Trish, blinked, surprised that the other had stopped mid song.

"Trish?" He asked, stepping forward. Because she was in magazines and things, she did get occasionally recognized, so Trish nodded; only slightly surprised. Chris grinned widely, stepping forward. "My friend is in love with you."

"Oh," Trish said with a smile, "Would you like me to autograph something for them?" Her occasional fame embarrassed her, but that was what happened.

"No," Chris said, "I mean… my friend met you in the park the other day, sort of, and you're all he talks about now."

Trish's smile faltered. The only person she'd met in the park, 'sort of' was… "Jeff…" she breathed.

"Well, most people call him that, but…" Chris nodded, his grin only growing. "Yes, him. Can I get your number or something, so he can call you? I'm sure he'd be thrilled if he could talk with you."

"That's… that's very nice," Trish replied, feeling her heart race at the thought of talking with the artist, "…But…" but Trish had decided, during the walk, that she should just stay single, and avoid hurting anyone. She wasn't meant for relationships. Not anymore. "he wouldn't want me. Once we really met, he'd change his mind. I'm too… broken."

Chris didn't understand what she meant. "Of course he would, you're all he talks about, it-"

But Trish shook her head more insistently. "Thank you for your song, and… I… I have to go." Then she turned around and walked quickly off, towards home, blinking as tears fell silently down her cheeks.

~x~o~x~o~

Randy was ruffled from that encounter with Maryse. But more prominently his mind had been wired with Trish and how she was doing. She hadn't called him yet, but the thoughts were still there. Work had ended nearly an hour ago though, so he quickly packed his briefcase and left. On the bottom floor, he headed out the revolving glass door, noticing a few people still idly stayed. Outside he began to walk to the lot when he saw a familiar tall figure.

Stacy wandered outside after work and sat down on a bench, catching the last bit of sunlight before it set behind the trees. She stretched slowly, trying not to think about the one thing he wanted to- that Randy had never met her for lunch.

And that's when it snapped back to him. He had completely forgotten about lunch! How could he/? Well… he had had other things occupying his mind, but it wasn't too late, right? He stepped over and smoothly sat on the bench beside Stacy. He stared out at the falling light in the sky as well. "Today… I'm sorry about canceling… without even telling you."

"Oh," Stacy replied, flushing in surprise at Randy's sudden appearance, "It's okay, I mean… you're really busy…"

"Not right now. I'm off of work." He smiled a bit at Stacy, feeling really bad about missing today. There was still the night, though. "Are you hungry?"

Stacy nodded, "a little." The other seemed a little bit… less happy than usual, so Stacy smiled, hoping to make Randy feel at least slightly better.

Randy glanced at his watch knowing it wouldn't take that long to go to dinner. When he returned his attention back to Stacy, he noticed that smile and forgot for a moment about anything else. "Then let's go. I still want to know how you're adjusting." He stood up with his bag and gave Stacy a small grin of reassurance, then began to go towards the parking lot once more.

Stacy stood up and followed after Randy. "Okay…"

At his car, this time a smoky gray Ferrari, he pressed the button to unlock it, and then got into the driver's side.

Stacy gaped slightly at the car, but then, if Randy had connections with JLo and Beyonce, should she really be surprised? She hesitantly opened the door, then slipped inside.

The engine purred to life and Randy began to drive. The radio was on, playing the most popular of current hits. "How was your day then? Adams's treating you nicely, right?" He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat.

"Oh, Adam is very nice," Stacy replied, looking around in thinly veiled awe at the magnificent car.

Randy was pleased at that. He found most the workers for him were tight-asses and didn't appreciate Adam's humor and exuberance. "Good." The next song that came on the radio was by Maroon 5... When he was alone he usually sang to himself, and now he didn't realize he was singing along under his breath.

Stacy's gaze turned to Randy as the other began to sing under his breath. She could feel her cheeks start to heat up as the older man sang the lyrics.

He made a right turn, snagging a glance at Stacy, but then noticed that it wasn't just Adam Lavine's voice he was hearing... it was his own! "I'll ea-hehe..." he blinked, clearing his throat. "It must be because I'm hungry… just the song and…" That explanation was failing. "...Alright I usually sing... when alone."

Stacy giggled, noticing how cute Randy was when he was embarrassed. "You have a nice voice," she said shyly.

Randy almost missed the turn into the nearby parking for the restaurant, and had to hit a little bit harder on the brakes than he would have liked. "Ah.. thank you.." his voice sounded close to normal but within his heard had practically shot out of the car roof. Hoping that it was just the car blowing out warm air and not his cheeks burning on their own, he pulled into a parking space. "Alright.. here."

Stacy gripped tightly to the handle on the door of the car as Randy had to slam the breaks, and breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived safely in a parking space. She didn't know what to say, so she just got out of the car and waited for Randy to do the same.

Randy gathered himself, reminding his mind (mainly heart) that this was a business meal. Nothing more. Once he got that through his mind, he stepped out of his car, shutting the door and beeping it locked. He smoothed down the front of his shirt and straightened his jacket before heading to the entrance. It was a small place that was actually pretty rundown and not upscale at all. It stood alone by itself, small and shabby between two larger buildings. As they neared the entrance, loud noise could be heard from within.

Randy loved this place.

Stacy looked over at the small restaurant in complete surprise. It didn't seem at all the sort of place where someone like Randy would go. It wasn't at all what she'd been expecting.

Inside, random Christmas lights were draped along the ceiling accompanied by many other random lamps on the tables and walls in different colors. The greeter shouted out a nice welcome, and Randy grinned widely, holding up two of his fingers. "Oh, company?" the person was surprised as he usually came by himself, but he just chuckled. They were lead over to a table and menus were immediately thrust into their hands.

Stacy took the menu, nodding her thanks, then glanced at it, and then around at the restaurant again. "This wasn't what I was expecting at all," she finally confessed, sure that Randy had noticed the way she was acting.

There was an actual small stage in the corner with a small group of people banging on some drums and hitting some cymbals, singing whatever came to mind. Randy expected Stacy's remark, but by bringing Stacy here... he really wanted to show his real self. "Well now you can get a glimpse at the real Randy. And... the food's really good here. All of it," he informed Stacy with an extra excitement. Most of it was fried goodness, but who could complain about that.

There were certainly various delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Stacy's nose twitched in anticipation, and she smiled, giving the menu a better look.

The server came over, shoving large glasses of water in front of them. "Well cutie~ what can I get for you? A different drink? Our chef special? Wanna hop straight to dessert?" Randy just watched in amusement as he was talking directly to Stacy.

She couldn't help but giggle at the server, flashing him a wide smile, trying to hide her surprise, "Um, I..." she glanced at the menu again, hesitating, remember how Randy had made fun of her before for her appetite, "I'll just... have a... salad?"

Randy was actually on the edge of his seat (not really but within he was) in anticipation for how much Stacy would order. He wanted her to order a lot, which is why he took her here... so when that small, plain, boring word came from her mouth, he frowned and gave the other a concerned look. "Are you not feeling good?"

"Wh...what do you mean?" Stacy flushed, toying with her menu, "Lettuce is... very filling... and nutritious…" she trailed off as her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Well if she wants a salad... what would you like Randy?" The waiter turned to him and Randy frowned a bit, but looked at his menu. "Alright I'll take the double stacker, the fried rolls, and the sampler platter with sausage..." and the list went on for a bit more, seeming to order half the menu. With every item that Randy ordered, Stacy's eyes seemed to grow wider. She couldn't believe that Randy would eat that much. Was he making fun of her?

"Okay! It'll be out for you soon so don't go eating the table~" the waiter flashed the two a wide smile before walking off.

Randy was merely planning ahead... he knew once Stacy saw all that food, she'd want to eat it. And Randy was not about to let his dat- employeego home hungry... "So I know it's only been a couple of days, but are you settling in good enough?"

"I think so," Stacy replied, sipping her water, "I... I'm still not sure what I was hired to do exactly... to be honest." Sometimes it seemed like Adam was having too much fun telling jokes to actually tell Stacy what to do. And it had been too easy, so far. The job was pretty prestigious and hard to get, so there had to be somethingchallenging to come.

Randy was sure this question would come up, and since he created the job for Adam... "Well for now, I would say it seems like not much because we already have most of the details for the Bolero opening set. But..." Now Randy hesitated in saying this as Stacy would be the first person for him to tell. He hadn't even told Adam. "…eventually I want to move you to the Programming Director, and Adam to a higher position." Now as he said this, he laid his eyes on Stacy wanting to know how she was going to react. In fact Randy wasn't sure about this move, until he actually said it...

"Oh...oh," Stacy answered, looking completely surprised. It was the last thing that she'd thought she'd hear, that Randy had planned a promotion for her before she'd even had a chance to prove her worth. "But..." he started, then shook his head slightly, regretting his words, "Well, then."

"Don't worry.. I'll make sure you're better trained. I just think.. more of the timing was off. Truthfully I wasn't expecting you'd be hired so soon," he chuckled, but it trailed off as he cursed at himself. To help with the heat annoyingly rising in him, he rolled his shoulders and slid his jacket off, taking it and folding it beside him in the booth. He then rolled up the sleeves to his baby blue button up shirt.

Stacy tried to keep her eyes where they belonged but they kept drifting over Randy's body, at least, the parts she could see. "Ah, I'm... sorry?" She didn't learn how to have conversations like this in school. Yes. She could blame her awkwardness on that.

Randy laughed again and took a drink of his water, his slightly open collar showing how his Adams apple bobbed. Before he set the drink down the waiter returned, balancing seven plates. "Here's your food~!" He began to set it all on the table.

"Wow..." Stacy breathed, looking over the vast array of food, all of it smelling incredible. She couldn't keep her stomach from growling again, and she looked down as the pitiful looking salad was placed in front of her with a small frown. She never thought she'd be trying to impress a guy by starving herself.

Randy frowned himself, maybe too obviously. "Wow, this sure is a lot.. I don't know where to begin.. or how I'm going to finish it all.." he sighed, and picked up his large metal spoon, dipping into the nicely cooked rice with a fried egg on the top. There wasn't even space on the table to put a napkin.

Stacy watched Randy take the first bite of rice, and she licks her lips, leaning forward slightly, feeling the emptiness in her stomach more and more as the other chewed, obviously enjoying his meal. She frowned, grabbed her fork, and dug into her salad with more vigor than she was really feeling. "Delicious!"

Now Randy just couldn't hold back the hilarity of it all. "You can't be that serious. I said all their food was amazing... but..." he pushed the plate with a stuffed wrap over, cheese and other goodness oozing out of it.. "C'mon, Stacy… look at this… just eat it. It's calling for you." Randy nodded slowly, coaxing the other to just dig in.

"I..." Stacy looked up at the wrap, and at all the food on the table. It all looked so good, and it really wasridiculous, she could certainly eat a little bit without... She nodded, picking up her chopsticks, and helped herself to a bite of the cheesy goodness. "Oh..." it was so indescribably delicious; she couldn't help herself from snagging a second bite. And a third.

Now Randy was verypleased, and he went back to try a different dish, glancing at Stacy to make sure she was eating.

Once she'd tasted one dish, she couldn't help having at least one, or two, or three bites of everything else on the table. Eating happily, Stacy completely forgot that she was supposed to be hiding her voracious appetite from Randy.

Randy didn't want to break Stacy away from her little food adventure, but in a joking manner, he piped up the question, "Do you have a boyfriend Stacy? Because if you do I'm sure he loves cooking for you." It seemed like she'd eat anything, and Randy enjoyed that immensely.

That was the last question Stacy had been expecting, and she struggled immensely to swallow her food and not look completely embarrassed. "Um, I. No. No, I don't."

Even though it started as his own playful question, Randy's expression dropped to one of faint surprise. For some reason, it really struck him that hey... Stacy was single... on the market... free for the taking. "Ahem... well... if you... ever get one... uhh... he..." he didn't even know the end to this sentence, but words still stumbled out… "...I like to cook." What did that have to do with anything?

What was Stacy supposed to say to that? Of course, her mind was twisting what her boss was saying all around, and making her think that he was hitting on her. "Cooking... that's a nice... hobby?"

Hobby... now she sounded like some grandma. "I guess.." he stared down back the food, and noticed there was plate in the corner that Stacy hadn't touched yet. "Oh! This is really good too. Try it." He motioned to the plate and immediately went to eating something else. How could he have said that... and what was he expecting… even if it was a mild hint, of course Stacy wouldn't think anything

Stacy had the sudden urge to tell Randy that she like him. It came out of nowhere and made absolutely no sense. First of all, why was that something her boss needed to know? Still, as she took a bite of the food Randy was offering, she couldn't help but wonder how Randy would react to the news.

There was an awkwardness hanging above them, and he tried to break it... "Met anyone.. at the office? Besides Adam?" he finally dared to look at the other across from him, now the odd lights in the restaurant seeming to create an effect on the other that just.. made Randy lose his senses for a split second. No it wasn't the lights, not of this place... it was just Stacy..

"A... a few people," Stacy tried to even remember who. It was hard to think these days when her mind was filled with thoughts of Randy. "Maryse?"

Randy's spoon clinked against a plate as he faltered his hand. "Oh... her..." he had nothing to say to that. What would he say? Oh yeah Maryse... she's always coming onto me, but I just keep blowing her off. Maybe I should actually tell her I'm not interested… in fact tell her that I much prefer someone else... No. That wasn't going to fall out of Randy's mouth.

"She... she certainly seems to like you," Stacy couldn't help saying, not knowing what else tosay. After all, their boss was the only thing that she'd ever heard Maryse talk about.

The older man's eyes widened for a moment at the younger and he shook his head. "I know... but I don't like her," this sentence was flat and simple.

Stacy nodded. "I assumed... I mean... ..." She inwardly cursed herself for bringing up Maryse in the first place. Obviously, it wasn't something Randy would want to discuss.

"It's not because she's Maryse," Randy quickly corrected. And now as his thoughts formulated, he knew he couldn't use his excuse of 'I'm not interested on dating' anymore; because he wasn't. Not with Stacy entering his life. "Definitely not that.. she's just not my type..." his gaze kept flickering to the side and back to the younger one.

That statement made Stacy's heart skip a beat. Did Randy just say that? There was no way. It was stupid even to hope that maybe... "O...oh..." she said softly, "th...then you-"

"OH YOU FINISHED MOST OF IT!" Randy jumped in his seat, exhaling deeply as the waiter clapped his hands in pure joy. "You two are little eating machines..." He began to clear away the plates.

Stacy also jumped at the sound of the waiter's loud voice, and hastily drank some water, trying to hide behind the glass. This had to be the most embarrassing meal of her life. She supposed she should be relieved that it was almost over, but... that meant back to reality. A reality where she didn't see Randy nearly enough.

Randy watched the waiter leave and decided it would probably be best to leave now before anything else came out. "Ready to leave? Unless you wanted dessert." He was in the middle of gathering his jacket but still wanted the other to leave fully satisfied.

"Oh no, I'm... full..." Stacy stood up, partly disappointed that she hadn't been able to find out what Randy has to say, and partly relieved because she didn't want her stupid mouth to get in trouble.

~x~o~x~o~

Randy generously paid as they left to a chorus of cheers and goodbyes. Getting into his car he wanted a diversion from any dangerous topics. "So what'd you think?"

"The food?" Stacy asked, moving towards the car, "It was really delicious."

Randy was glad about that, of course, but it was an obvious answer. "Alright," he started his car, "Where do you live?"

"Wh..." Stacy flushed briefly, imagining Randy driving her home, Randy coming up for coffee... Randy sleeping over. "Uh..."

"Oh! Do you have a car back at the office?" How could he have assumed the other didn't.

"Oh, no, I don't!" Stacy exclaimed, embarrassed beyond words. "I live..." she quickly gave the other directions. It wasn't too far.

Randy nodded and headed off. This time he had the music on low but that only made him more aware of Stacy.

Stacy sat there quietly, watching the city fly past outside her window. She was afraid to speak anymore.

And before much time passed, Randy pulled his car to a curb nearby. He shut the vehicle off so now the quiet purr had even left them. A long moment ticked by when suddenly Randy spoke. "Can I walk you up?"

Part of Stacy wanted to run away, but a stronger part just wanted to sit there forever, so she did, until Randy asked to walk her up. She opened her mouth to decline politely, but the words "Yes Please," left her mouth instead. She got out of the car, just barely remembering to grab her bag.

Randy just wanted to redeem himself somehow so it wouldn't be awkward next time he saw the other. He stepped and walked alongside Stacy, briefly noting how their long strides were even.

Stacy fumbled in her pocket for her card key as they approached the door. She'd never been so glad that she'd finally move into her own place. How embarrassing would it have been if she still lived with her parents?

Randy glanced around the area nonchalantly. His heart began to ask for attention in his chest as it beat faster. He followed Stacy inside, wondering if he should just left at the main entrance.

"Um..." Stacy hesitated, honestly, trying to think of a reason to invite Randy up... "W...would you like some... coffee or something?"

Randy blinked at Stacy's invitation. He took a glance at his phone just in case he somehow missed a call. "Maybe a small cup," he smiled a little.

The other's reaction made it obvious that Stacy's invitation was weird, but she couldn't take it back, so she led the other up, just thankful that she was keeping her place neat. "Um… It's… I haven't lived here long, so it's a little.. Sparse?" She unlocked the door and stepped inside.

When the lights were switched on a smile immediately swept along his lips. He loved the simplicity of it. It just had the essentials. He slipped his coat off but wasn't quite sure where to put it.

Stay removed her coat and laid it over a chair, then took Randy's and put it down as well. "I'll go make the coffee…" She escaped to the kitchen, fumbling for her phone, and called Matt.

Randy peered around before settling down on the couch, an arm draping along the back.

Matt was enjoying a drink, standing outside on his small balcony when his phone began to vibrate. He looked at his phone raising an eyebrow at what Stacy might want. What if Amy had talked to her… he hesitated before finally answering it. "Hey what's up?"

"He's here. He's in my house," Stacy whispered, trying to hold the phone with her shoulder as she made coffee, "I don't know what to do!"

Matt stood up straight and took the glass from his mouth, For an instant he thought Stacy really was referring to Amy, but the panic in her voice and the last line thankfully rested his worries. "He's there?! Well what are you doing right now? Where is he?"

"He's in the living room, I'm in the kitchen making coffee… I shouldn't have brought him up, I just… I didn't want to say goodbye…"

Matt chuckled at his friend's infatuation. "Well just keep calm and try not to spill the coffee on him unless you want to wipe his pants… or get him out of his clothes quicker," he snickered.

"Quick…er…" Stacy's heart was beating so fast, and she felt like she couldn't breathe, "Who said anything about getting him n-naked?"

Matt burst out laughing. "Well don't keep talking to me. You're keeping him waiting."

"I hate you," Stacy replied bitterly, not appreciating the laughter or the lack of help. "Maybe I'll call Amy next time." The coffee was ready, so she poured two cups. "Bye Matt."

Matt wavered at the mention of Amy, but hung up knowing that Stacy would be calling him again.

Stacy pocketed her phone and walked out holding the cups, trying not to tremble with nervousness. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Randy sat up, removing his arm from the back of the couch. "Oh don't worry…" He couldn't think of any time where he'd been at someone else's home... this late... drinking coffee...

Stacy handed one mug to Randy, taking the other to sit as far as she could at the other end of the couch, which really wasn't that far due to the couch's small size, and blew on her coffee, trying to cool it off. Now was really when she could have used some decentadvice from Matt.

Randy inhaled the scent a bit.. "Columbian?" …Okay, that was a really lame way to converse, but.. he had to say something.. to ignore how intimate this was. At least to him. It was certainly more intimate than his usual business settings.

Nodding, Stacy kept her attention on her coffee, trying to hide the fact that she had no clue. She sipped on her coffee, and then let out a soft cry of pain as it burnt her tongue.

Hearing that noise, Randy quickly set his mug down and automatically found himself closer to the other, reaching a gentle hand to tenderly touch Stacy's cheek as he tried to see if there was any damage. "You alright?"

Stacy jerked away from Randy's fingers on her cheek, looking at the other, afraid, before quickly masking the fear in her eyes with a smile. "Oh, I'm fine, totally fine. It's just a little hot." She immediately set down her mug, figuring that they would be safer with the hot liquid far away from her.

Randy found the blood within him pounding harder as his heart thumped in his chest. He didn't scoot back to his original position, and merely looked off to the side. "Stacy..."

Stacy was having trouble breathing at Randy's close proximity. "Y..yes?" She managed to gasp out. And Randy was unsure of what surged in him, to have no restraints, but the next moment he found his long fingers sliding to the back of the other's neck. Randy lowered his lashes, and said in a soft voice, "I'm going to kiss you." Warm lips engulfed the younger ones in a firm perfect mold. Randy had felt his heart stop for an instant, before it raced heavily.

~x~o~x~o~

He pulled back suddenly, wide eyed, and wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, cheeks bright red.

Randy grimaced only a bit, as reality had come back. Now the other would just... return to his senses and realize how wrong this was. He wasn't going to say sorry, because he wasn't. But he should leave. Yes leave... "It's late. I need to go." He stood up from the couch. "I guess I'll... see you... at the office." He finally looked down at Stacy, and she looked… confused, and embarrassed. Without a second thought, Randy hurried to the door, not wanting to see the Stacy's face when it changed to horror, or even worse. He quickly left, not noticing that he'd left his jacket.

Stacy wanted to chase after the other man, ask him why they'd kissed, ask him.. if it meant anything, but by the time the shock had worn off, Randy was halfway out the door, and Stacy winced as the door slammed.

When she could finally breathe again, Stacy scrambled for her phone. No matter what she'd said earlier, she hadto call Matt. She quickly dialed the number and waited for the other to answer, tapping her fingers on her knee impatiently.

Matt was in the middle of pouring himself a cup of coffee; after hearing Stacy talk about the coffee she was preparing, he had a craving for some himself. He heard the phone ring, and smiled slightly as he knew who it was already. He picked up the phone, leaning against the counter. "At your service..." he took a sip of his coffee.

"Matt!" Stacy exclaimed, "Matt! He… he… Randy, he…"

Matt shook his head at what Stacy was saying. "He what Stace?"

Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart, Stacy finally got it out. "He... he... he kissed me."

Matt had taken another sip of his coffee and immediately turned to spray it out on the counter, coughing on the liquid. He hacked and beat his chest... that was the last thing on his mind, seriously. "He..." Matt coughed again, "He kissed youuuu? Like... on the...lips?!" he was by the sink now, splashing some water in his mouth to help.

"Yes..." Stacy replied, pulling her knees up to her chest. 'And then he ran away."

Matt had swallowed some water, and spit that out too. He cursed, not at Stacy, nor Randy, but at... "Well I'm sure he ran because... he was afraid of what youthought." His throat was clear, and he began to walk over to his dining room table, sitting down in one of the seats.

"He probably ran because he realized it was a mistake..." Stacy groaned, rubbing her face, "Or because I'm the world's worst kisser."

Matt bit his lower lip, and sighed. "Yah... trust me. He kissed you in the first place because he likes you. And... I'm sure tomorrow... if he's a good guy... he'll confront you about it and not leave you guessing." Matt still hadn't seen... herfor a couple days now.

"I don't know..." Stacy said, "He really ran fast. He even forgot his jacket. ...What if... my breath smelled bad or..."

Matt chuckled at hearing his friend's worries. "His jacket... maybe he did that on purpose, hoping that you would have to return it." He sank further down in the dining room chair, glancing towards his left wrist where the skin was slightly lighter where his watch used to be.

"I don't know..." Stacy sighed, "I really feel like I messed up. Big time. ...And... why did he kiss me anyway? I'm nobody, how could someone like that want to kiss someone like me?" Then she paused in her whining, because Matt was being so much quieter than he'd expected. "Are… you okay?"

"Nnn.. just haven't seen Amy for a while..." A while for them was anything more than five hours. "…But don't worry. I'm sure she's been busy, and… I've been really busy too... but enough about me," He tried to steer attention back to what was more important. "You called because of this Randy guy. I say you go to sleep, having good dreams, fantasizing about the kiss, and wake up tomorrow prepared to see him."

"Oh...kay..." Stacy could tell that there was a lot more that Matt wasn't telling her, but it was probably best not to press things. It'd be easier to get it out of Amy, anyway. And... she had her own problems. But… wait. Stacy would have to see Randy at work! "I can't seehim tomorrow, Matt!"

"And why not?" Matt chuckled softly, "I'm sure he's going to go home too feeling just as whacked up as you. He'll wantto see you..."

"...If you're right." Matt sounded so much more confident that Stacy felt.

Matt smiled a bit. "Two hours ago you probably wouldn't have ever thought he'd kiss you."

...Well his friend was right about that anyway. "It was... amazing..."

Matt leaned forward in his chair, his mind having its own recollections about his own recent night... "Wasn't it?" But he caught himself (maybe too late), "I mean, it had to have been."

"It... what?" Stacy was very confused.

"Nothing... nevermind.. Well I gotta go, but... glad you got your ever after kiss, Stace.." Matt made a smooch noise to the receiver before hanging up. He exhaled in relief, cradling his head in his arms on the table. Man... maybe he and this Randy guy were alike in some ways... That thought made him laugh.

Stacy put her phone on a side table, then stretched out on the couch and thought about why Matt might have been acting so strangely. At least she knew it had something to do with Amy. Stacy would definitely have to call her tomorrow.

…It was so much easier to worry about her friend's problems than her own.

~x~o~x~o~

Jeff had missed the art show. He had been painting and realized the sun had set already. He rushed over to the gallery (as fast as one can on public transport) but it already closed. Now he was trudging into the apartment, head hanging in disappointment.

Chris was waiting for Jeff, anticipating his arrival at any moment. He already had dinner ready. He'd splurged a bit with the money Trish had given him and bought meat for a change. When he heard the door open, he scrambled for his headphones, not wanting Jeff to know that he'd been waiting for him.

After putting his things in his room down he went to Chris, needing immediate comfort. "Chris..." the other was attached to his headphones as always.

Chris turned around, rising off the couch and removing his headphones, a small smirk on his face. "Hmm?" His smirk lessened, seeing Jeff's pained expression. "What's wrong?"

"I missed the art show." It wasn't that big of a deal but it was something he was looking forward to after all that Trish stuff-Trish who he would never see again.

Chris look at Jeff. "Jeff, don't worry about it. There will be other art shows... and... I have the perfect way to cheer you up."

Jeff tilted his head up to look at Chris. "And what's that? A new paint brush?" His was old.

"If you want." Chris pressed about $40 into Jeff's hand. "But I have something better than that. I was at the park today, and... I met her."

First Jeff was wondering where he had gotten so much money from. He glanced down to his hand but quickly snapped back up to stare widely at the other. "Her? You mean..." his voice was becoming quieter.

Chris nodded. "I was singing and someone gave me $100. I looked up to see who it was, and... it was her. Your Trish."

"My Trish?" he gasped and nearly couldn't believe it. "Did... you get a number?!"

"Well... No," Chris frowned slightly. "But... I saw her.. And talked to her.."

It was disappointing to not have a number, but he could blame that on himself. "What did she say then?" Jeff asked, still searching for something. Even though he had had no hope that Trish would ever go for him since he had first seen her... he still wanted to know how the other felt.

After hesitating a moment, Chris responded. "What she said wasn't important. But I saw her! I bet she goes to the park all the time."

Jeff frowned slightly, as really... the only breakthrough was the park. What was he to do? Anchor himself out there all day? "Hmmm..." a smile slowly spread though along his lips. "I just... wonder if something... really couldever happen... between her and I..." Tomorrow Jeff was supposed to receive his check from that guy John too.

"I think you should try," Chris said, oddly enthusiastic. "She... I think she needs someone like you." The way Trish had been talking, she needed something. And... not that it was any of Chris's business. But if it made Jeff happy, why not.

Jeff nodded a bit. Right now he was feeling the vigor to want to find Trish. Only because as he was wallowing today in missing the art show, he realized how thinking of Trish and hearing of her lifted Jeff out of his little hole. "Someone like me..." he didn't know what that meant, but there was this urge in him... that he wanted to give Trish everything he could (even if it wasn't much).

Chris put his hand to Jeff's shoulder. "So now that you're smiling, let's eat dinner." He grinned widely. "I bought meat!"

Right about then, food sounded perfect.