A/N: First of all, thank you Christina89, Enigmatic Lotus Leaf, CapriceCC, foolishangel87, xDarexToxDreamx, Kayla Smiley, Cena-holic8, VolcomStoneBabe, Starkittie, , , lightninbug, AntigoneJane, WalkingAllOver, RKO.I.F., gurl42069, xXParieceXx, rkolover2, davis25, CraftyTink529 and last but not least, nikki1335 for reviewing the previous chapter. Just... wow. I asked for twenty reviews, never expecting to get that many really, and you gave me twenty one!
Now, I'd love to be able to carry on with updating so regularly like this, it seems the quicker I update, the more reviews I get... but right now, I really need to work on my other stories.
So, I'm not going to ask for a review count for this chapter. Of course, I still want lots and lots of them :P, but I'm not going to post the next update after a certain amount. I'll post it as soon as I've managed to update some of my others... hopefully it won't be too long!
Sorry to go on and on, just wanted to let you guys know seeing as you've been such great readers :). Here comes chapter seven, enjoy and don't forget to leave feedback!
Chapter 7 – Proposition
As I watched Randy triumphantly making his way from the ring, a small grin of my own grew across my features. He'd barely been wrestling for a year in the WWE, yet already he was doing so well. Not only did this make him happy, but it made me happy too. I was glad to see that after all the hard work he was putting in, he was finally getting somewhere.
My smile disappeared, and a small groan escaped my lips as my phone began to ring, interrupting me from watching the beauty of my best friend during his last few moments of this weeks Raw. I frowned as I switched off the television, picked up my bag and ruffled through it until I found what I was looking for.
"Hello?" I spoke quickly, barely managing to catch the caller before the phone rang off.
"Good afternoon, can I please speak to a Miss. Ella Sheldon?"
"This is her," My eyebrows furrowed together even more as I wondered who could possibly be ringing me at this time.
"I'm sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but we have a bit of an emergency. So I've been told, two weeks today you will be in New York with you're company, am I correct?"
"Yes, that's right; we all fly there Monday morning for our show that afternoon."
"That's fantastic, because I have a proposition for you. Monday lunchtime, the company which I work for is having a fashion show. Unfortunately, our make-up artist has some scheduling conflicts so he will not be able to make the date. I've heard that you've done other work outside of you're everyday job, and that you're one to look out for... so we were wondering if it would be possible for us to borrow you for the day? Of course, by the time you are needed by you're own company, everything will be done and dusted."
I felt my face twist in shock as the man's words sunk in. I'd had plenty of offers like this before, and all which if I was able to, I had accepted... but this was a little late. With only two weeks notice? I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it, not when I'd have to match every facial with the colour of the outfits being used in such a short time.
"Can I ask what company it is you work for?"
"Elle, Miss Sheldon."
My eyes grew impossibly wide at the answer which I was given. Elle wanted me, Ella Sheldon, the normal, boring make-up artist, to work for them? No way, this had to be some joke, or I was hearing things, or I was simply just day dreaming as I continued to watch Randy on the television...
"Elle?"
"Yes, Miss Sheldon, you heard me correctly. I'm sorry to rush you, but obviously I'm going to need an answer now, seeing as if it isn't possible, I'm going to have to get in contact with others."
It barely took me ten seconds to run everything over in my mind. I may not have thought that I was capable of such a huge fashion show, but surely they did. Elle wouldn't ask anybody to work for them. If they wanted me to be their make-up artist for the day, then so be it. I wouldn't miss this for the world.
"I'd love to; thank you so much for the offer."
"That's excellent, Ella, we owe you quite a bit," The man chuckled light heartedly on the opposite side of the phone, "I shall call you tomorrow with details, and I will also ask for an e-mail address so I can send you everything you need to work with."
"That'll be great, thank you again..." Just as I was about to hang up the phone, the door opened up and in walked Randy, his body glistening and his breath short. My own breath caught in my throat, and I struggled to compose myself as I looked his way. He grinned at me, realising I was on the mobile – as he did, a thought came to mind and a smile grew across my own face. I caught the man just before he ended our conversation, "Wait, one moment... would it be possible for you to save a seat in the audience for a friend of mine? That is, of course, if you have any left."
"Hmm, you're in luck. The previous make-up artist we were using had one seat reserved in the front row for a friend, but he will no longer be needing it. It's all yours now, Miss Sheldon. Thank you again, and I will speak to you soon."
"Thank you, bye!"
"What was all that about?" Randy spoke up as I placed my phone back in my bag. I looked up to see him unwrapping the tape off his wrists, his elbow pads and wrestling boots already thrown on the floor.
"Hmm, nothing important, really... I've just got myself another gig," My beaming smile told him otherwise as I hopped up off the comfortable leather sofa and walked over to help him remove the tape that was getting tangled around his fingers.
"You have? That's great, Ella, who with this time?" He asked, grinning as he held out his hands willingly. I rolled my eyes playfully at the mess that he'd managed to get himself into, and as I took a hold of his hand to untangle the tape, I tried to hide yet another blush that was threatening to spread across my cheeks as our skin touched.
"Elle," I tried to keep my voice even, but failed. It came out as more of a squeak than a word.
"Elle?" Randy's eyes grew extremely wide, "Are you serious?"
"Yes!" I giggled, finally managing to free Randy from the tape. I scrunched it up into a sticky ball and kept it in my hands, grateful for the distraction as I still stood within touching distance of my best friend.
"Wow, Ella... wow," He laughed lightly, moving over and pulling me into a bear hug, "That's fantastic, congratulations."
I didn't answer; I barely even heard what he was saying as he held onto me tightly. I wrapped my own arms around him and rested my head against his bare shoulder, taking in his familiar scent. I hated this. I hated being so close to him and not being able to have him.
"When is it?"
"Umm," I stuttered, trying to compose myself as he finally pulled away from the hug, "Two weeks today, in New York."
"Two weeks, ouch, you'll have a lot of work to do," He whistled.
"Tell me about it," I nodded with a small sigh, "I'm gonna be working my ass off."
"Does that mean no movie night tonight?" He asked with a playful pout.
I knew he was joking, but the look on his face nearly shattered my heart into a million pieces... and this was only his fake saddened look.
"Randy, I might be busy, but I'll never be too busy for our movie night," I smiled at him, and I doubted that he really realised how much our day of the week meant to me.
"Good, because neither will I," He grinned, before picking up his things off the floor and shoving them into his bag, "I'm beat, so I'll take a shower back at the hotel. I'll just change into something a little less comfortable," He wiggled his eyebrows, and I giggled rather childishly.
I rolled my eyes silently at myself. I was such a dork when it came to Randy. I was glad that he was comfortable in his tiny little wrestling trunks, because I certainly wasn't comfortable being around him when he had them on.
"By the way," He began, stopping as he reached the door to the small shower room with a bundle of clothes in his arms, "Am I invited to this fabulous Elle show?" He asked, his voice changing to something close to a posh English accent.
"Pfft, why would I invite you?" I snorted, before shaking my head and smiling, "Of course you are, Randy, didn't you hear me ask?"
"Hmm, I did, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a mystery guy you were taking along or something," He smirked, before disappearing into the bathroom.
I sighed to myself, wondering what he really meant by what he had just said. He had always told me that I was better off without a boyfriend, but surely he knew that I hated not having another half. Fortunately for him, though, the only other half I wanted was him.
I sat on the bed, my legs stretched out across its length as I stared at the television screen, not really taking any notice of what was being shown. All I knew was that it was some cooking programme for now, up until Randy had finished in the shower, then we'd watch the film which he had chosen at the nearest rental store we had drove passed on the way back from the arena.
My hands twiddled nervously as I listened to the running water only a few feet away. There was only a wall between myself and a wet, naked Randy... and my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest as I thought of this. Not just because he was the most beautiful person to ever exist, but because it was painful. Painful to know that I'd never get to hold him as anything other than a friend, or run my hands across his chest in any other way apart from oiling him up for his match, or be in that shower with him...
"Cheer up, you look like somebody's just died or something. I thought you'd be happy, seeing as you've just been hired by one of the biggest fashion companies around."
Being deep in my thoughts, I hadn't even heard the water being turned off, or the bathroom door opening up. I looked over and my eyes widened in horror as I took in Randy's appearance. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that he'd been sent here by Satan to torture me. With only a towel wrapped around his waist, his hip bones visible above the fluffy white material, water dripping across his chest, down his gorgeous tattooed arms... well, he might as well have been sent to torture me. That's what he was doing.
"I haven't been hired, I'm only working for them once," I barely even whispered as I forced my eyes back on the television screen, concentrating on the rather uninteresting Spanish omelette that was being made on it.
"Perhaps, but I'm sure as soon as they see how amazing you are they'll want to hire you permanently." Despite the fact that I wasn't looking his way, I could see from the corner of my eye that he was smiling, "Wouldn't that be great, if you got to work for someone as big as Elle? It'd be like you're dream come true," When I felt the opposite side of the bed creak, I looked over to see him taking a place beside me, still clad in only a towel, his long legs somehow managing to dangle over the edge as he took up the same position as my own.
"I, I don't know," I shrugged, frowning slightly as my heartbeat picked up even more. Being dressed like that and being across the room from me was hard enough. Now I had to put up with him being beside me, "I guess I'd love to do it in a way, but it'd be hard work, really hard work... and, well..."
"Well, what?" Randy asked, his eyebrow rising as he looked my way.
"I'd miss my normal job," I sighed, my eyes connecting with his for the first time since he entered the room, "I'd miss working with you. I'd miss all this."
Randy didn't answer, instead his eyes grew wide and he looked at me in confusion. Was he really that oblivious to what was going on around him? Of course he was. He thought that we were best friends, and that was that. He probably thought I was being ridiculous, saying I'd miss our time together, our working together... and I thought I probably was too, but how could I change how I felt? I wish that I could. I wanted to be able to forget that I loved him, and to go work somewhere like Elle, where I could become one of the best make-up artists there was... but instead of that, instead of making a name for myself, I'd rather stay with him. The man who would never even be mine.
I forced myself to look away from him, his penetrating gaze making me feel uncomfortable. I hated when he looked at me like that, it was like he could see straight into my soul... and neither of us would want that.
"Ew, Randy, do you mind, you're dripping all over me," I scrunched up my nose and pushed him away lightly with a fake giggle, trying anything to end the awkward moment, "And can you please put some real clothes on?"
"Can't take my hotness, princess?" He asked, a grin finally growing across his features, "Don't worry, I'll put something on," He winked at me mischievously, and I instantly regretted asking him to change. He stood up, walked over to his bag and without a second thought, dropped the towel from around his waist.
"Randy!" I squealed, covering my eyes with my hands as my face turned beetroot red. I may have only got a good look at his backside, but it was bad enough. I could not allow myself to look at this man wearing nothing... I'd end up hyperventilating, or worse, diving on him and ravaging him right there.
"What?" He chuckled, "You told me to put some real clothes on, I couldn't exactly do that with a towel in the way," His voice grew louder as he spoke, and I knew he was back beside me when the bed lowered on his side, "It's okay, you can look now."
I slowly lowered my hands, but with one eye still closed, I peered at him with the other. I opened my eyes fully when I noticed he finally had something on, although I wasn't much happier about it. The shorts he had on concealed him less that the towel did.
"Please don't do that again, it's gross," I put a fake look of disgust on my face, and Randy laughed lightly at me.
"Please, you're just saying that because you wanna tap it," He rolled his eyes as he yet again stood and walked over to the television.
I gulped as I watched him take the DVD out of its case and place it in the player. He joked about me wanting him all the time, but little did he know how true his sentiments really were.
"Now, you're not going to squeal like a little girl, are you?" He raised an eyebrow as he picked up the remote and walked back over to me.
"Oh, most definitely," I grinned slightly.
He sat down beside me with a small laugh, laying himself out as he did before. Without even realising it, he wrapped his arm over my shoulder casually as he pressed the play button. I momentarily forgot that I was about to endure two hours of terror, all I could think of was the feel of his muscles against my back, and the warmness of his side as he pulled me closer to him.
"Don't worry, Ella, I won't let the bad guys get you," He smiled at me playfully.
I forced myself to smile back, not wanting him to know what affect he was having on me, as he always did. As the movie began, I moved my head to rest against his shoulder, taking in his scent. I knew he thought of this as a friendly gesture as he pulled me in even closer to his side... but it wasn't. The reason I had leant in so close was so I could hide the tears that had begun to fall from my eyes. I didn't usually cry about my situation, but every now and again it all got the better of me, and this was one of those times. This was how close I was ever going to get to him. We were never going to cuddle as a couple, or kiss, or make love, and the thought of that killed me.