DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.
***This is Part 1 of 2.***
Erin finished her glass of milk and wiped away the remnants of a mustache. Her cell phone sat on the table next to her now empty plate. The temptation to call Stephen was strong. The only thing that stopped her from calling was the fact that it was barely 7 A.M. However, what she could not do was stop thinking about their date. Stephen had been a perfect gentleman. Even the way he kissed her had been an extension of his caring nature. He'd been cautious, allowing her the opportunity to stop him if she wanted to. That was the strangest part of it all. She hadn't wanted him to stop. In fact, she had wanted more, much more. She wanted more than just a carefully controlled kiss. His self-control had been monumental. But Erin sensed a dark, hungry need lurking inside Stephen. She was dying to know what it would take to push him into the abyss of uncontrollable desire. She wanted to see him wild and untamed. She wanted to see a passionate fire in his eyes and know she was the one to bring those fires to life.
Reaching for her glass, Erin frowned. How had she forgotten that it was empty? Damn, she needed something to cool her off. Just how early in the day could she order a huge bowl of ice cream? If drinking before 5 P.M. means you're a lush, did craving ice cream so early in the day mean she was horny? Probably so. The last serious relationship had been with Randy. That had ended in a horrible blaze of glory. Since then her dating life had been fairly uneventful. No man made it past a handful of dates. Either they weren't Mr. Right or they only wanted to be Mr. Right Now. Meeting Stephen was beginning to look like divine providence. She could definitely see herself having a long-term relationship with him. He was absolutely Mr. Right material. Instinct told her that he could be a good match.
Erin's thoughts were interrupted as Nattie sat down in the chair across from her. She was dressed casually in dark jeans and a neon pink T-shirt. A white ball cap covered her easily recognizable hair. "Well, how was it?"
"How was what?" Erin blinked slowly as she looked over at Nattie. It was amazing that she could look so good so early in the morning.
"Your date. How was it? I've been dying to talk to you!"
A smile tugged at the corners of Erin's mouth, "It was amazing. Stephen is just wonderful."
Nattie arched a brow as she studied Erin. The blush staining her friend's cheeks told her everything Erin wasn't. Apparently their date had gone very well indeed. "That good, huh? Girl, you are so lucky! Did he kiss you?"
Erin looked away. She couldn't look anyone in the eyes as the memory of their kiss played in her head. Nattie squealed in delight, drawing the sharp glares of the elderly couple sitting next to them. Lowering her voice only slightly, Nattie asked, "When are you going out again?"
Erin shrugged in response, "He wants me to call him when I want to go out."
"What, exactly, are you waiting for?"
Again Erin shrugged in response.
"Do you want me to call him?" Nattie threatened.
Taking a deep breath, Erin shook her head. She was going to call him, she just had to wait until she had some privacy. "I'll call him."
Nattie reached for Erin's phone. She punched in a series of numbers then placed the phone precisely where it had been. "Text me after you call him. I want to know everything."
Erin didn't miss the way Nattie pull a great deal of emphasis on the "everything" part. She looked up at Nattie and nodded. She was once again grateful that they had become fast friends. Maybe things would be easier this time around if she had someone she could talk to. Someone that would understand why her situation was unique and why the past could not repeat itself at any cost. After Erin paid the waitress they made their way upstairs. Nattie got off the elevator on the fourth floor. She turned back to Erin and said, "Text me."
The elevator doors slid closed before Erin could nod.
The sound of the shower was loud in the otherwise silent room. From the amount of noise coming from the bathroom, she knew John had only recently gone in. The man loved a good shower. At times Erin accused him of being part flamingo. John loved nothing more than standing around in ankle deep water. And he was absolutely meticulous with his manscaping. Most days John used no less than a solid hour making himself squeaky clean. Erin figured she had at least thirty solid minutes before John emerged from his morning toilette. Curling up at the foot of the bed, Erin pulled her phone out. She scrolled through the address book until she found Stephen's number. She hit the call button and waited. One ring. Two rings. Erin forced herself to take a calming breath. Three rings. Just as she was preparing herself to leave a voice mail the call connected.
" 'Allo?"
The sound of his voice made Erin forget what she was about to say. She heard a loud clattering noise in the background along with a variety of mostly male voices. Erin swallowed hard. Her throat was suddenly parched.
" 'Allo? Anybody there?"
"Stephen? It's Erin." she winced when she realized how unnaturally high-pitched her voice sounded.
"Erin, love, how are yah?" The smile in his voice filtered through to her. At least he sounds happy that I'm calling Erin thought.
"I'm good." Again Erin heard the loud metallic sound. It sounded like two heavy objects were being banged together. "Is this a bad time?"
She heard a muffled noise then the background noise receded. "Not at all, love. Ah'm glad yah called. "
An awkward silence filled the line. After a long moment Erin finally spoke.
"I wanted to say thank you. I had a great time."
The soft laugh coming across the line made her smile. "Ah did too, love. When can we go again?"
Erin nervously chewed on her lip. If she said tonight she would seem too eager. If she said another time she wouldn't seem eager enough. So what was the right answer?
"Maybe Ah could see yah tonight. If yah don' have anything to do."
Erin sighed in relief. Now he had no reason to think the worst of her. "I'd love to."
" Ah'll find yah after the show."
Erin nodded even though he couldn't see it. "Sure. No problem." She smacked her forehead with her palm. What an incredibly stupid thing to say Erin thought.
"Ah'll see yah tonight, love."
Erin gripped her phone tighter. "See you tonight."
"An' Erin? Ah can't wait to see yah."
Erin held onto her phone long after the line had gone dead. Ah can't wait to see yah. The words echoed in her brain. It was a relief to know that she was not the only one that was intrigued by their new found relationship.
"Who were you talking to?" Erin bolted from the bed, her phone clutched to her chest. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She reminded John of a fish.
"Nattie." Erin prayed that she wasn't about to be struck by lightening. The lie stung but it was infinitely easier than speaking the truth.
"What'd she want?" John reached into his suitcase and pulled out a clean shirt. He pulled it over his head in a smooth motion.
"She wants to go out. After the show." Erin winced as the words left her lips. God, she hated lying.
"Yeah? That's a good idea. You need to have some fun." John smiled as he looked at his sister. He was glad that Erin was making friends. He wouldn't worry about her as much if he knew she wasn't alone all the time. Erin was not the kind of girl that would do well by herself.
"Where ya going?"
"We don't know yet. We'll decide after the show." at least that part wasn't a lie.
"Cool. Call me later." John grabbed his room key and cell phone. He smiled at Erin as he left.
Erin sat down hard on the edge of the bed. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to jump out of her chest. With a shaking hand she pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. God, her nerves were shot to hell. Panic gripped grip. What was she going to do? She'd just trapped both herself and her friend in a lie. What if John found out? What would she tell him? What would she tell Nattie? The ways this could go horribly wrong were countless. No matter how bad the situation could be, she still had a more pressing problem. What was she going to wear?
Much later that day
Erin was too keyed up to stay in one place for more than a minute. She paced the length of the Diva's locker room. She was wearing a path in the carpet. Glancing at the time again, Erin felt her heart drop. The hands on the clock were not moving fast enough. Time was creeping by at a snail's pace. Before long she was going to start climbing the walls. The only thing that was keeping her sane was Nattie's support. Nattie was proving herself to be a worthwhile friend. She had listened intently while Erin spilled the whole story. After all of the details had been told, she merely looked at Erin and smiled. She was more than willing to cover to the love birds. As Nattie had explained, it was the very least she could do. The opening of the door paused Erin in her trek across the room. Eve Torres bounded into the room. Her smile was a thousand watt sparkler. She radiated sheer happiness. Erin envied her just a little. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. Resuming her pacing, Erin tried to focus on the drab brown carpet.
Nattie came back into the room and stopped short when she saw Erin. Her brow was scrunched low over her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Nattie crossed the room and sat down in a metal chair. She watched Erin make another trip across the room.
Erin flicked a glance at Nattie but kept walking.
"Fine. You don't have to tell me." Nattie said gently. She watched Erin's route grow larger. Now she was making a trip around the folding table before crossing the room.
"Can you fix me?" Erin stopped on the far side of the table and looked at Nattie.
Natalie's brow rose in question. "I didn't know you need to be fixed."
"Like you did last time?" Erin said as she eyed Nattie.
"What's wrong with what you have on?" Nattie looked Erin over carefully. Erin was wearing a blue plaid shirt and a short denim skirt. The shirt needed to go but the skirt was awesome. It showed off Erin's killer legs.
"Come on, Nattie, I look like crap."
Nattie burst into gales of laughter at Erin's ultra serious expression. "Crap would not be the word I used."
Erin sighed impatiently as Nattie pulled out her bag and dug through it. She pulled out a light blue camisole and tossed it to her. "Try this."
Just changing shirts made all the difference in the world. Erin looked in the mirror and smiled with approval. The lacy detail brought just the right amount of attention. Nattie reached into her bag and pulled out a matching blue jacket. It took a small amount of contortion to finally pull the jacket over the cast. But in the end it was worth it. She turned slightly, looking at herself from every possible angle.
"One more thing." Nattie said as she crossed the room. Reaching out she plucked at the skirt, making it at least two inches shorter. "Micro minis are so in right now."
Holy shit. Micro was right. Erin couldn't believe how incredibly short her skirt was now. She also couldn't believe how the overall effect changed. She was pretty damn hot. She was hopeful that Stephen would approve. Not that she had any fear that he wouldn't, but still, she wanted to look her best.
"Come see this." Nattie glanced over at Erin as she peeked out of the door.
Erin quickly tugged the shirt down and moved to stand beside Nattie. Her eyes were drawn to the tall figure moving towards them. Erin would know those broad shoulders anywhere. Stephen was coming closer. Erin felt her heart flutter against her ribs as he turned his head, his eyes instantly locked on her. His pace slowed almost imperceptibly as he looked at her. Erin's held her breath as he approached. He winked at her but kept walking. As soon as he was out of earshot Nattie squealed in happiness.
"Did you see that? Oh my God! Erin, did you see that?" Nattie sounded as breathless as Erin felt.
Hell yeah she had seen that. She had seen the almost predatory look in his eyes. Although the contact had been quick, Erin was affected by it in ways she didn't understand. She suddenly felt unbearably flushed. Shaking her head slowly Erin stepped back into the room. She collapsed into the nearest chair and sucked in a deep breath. There was something about seeing Stephen in those tiny black briefs that did something to her.
"Are you okay?" Nattie dropped into the chair next to her.
"Why is it so hot in here?"
Nattie dissolved in a fit of giggles. "Somebody's been bitten by the love bug."
Erin could only look at her friend. She didn't have the heart to admit that Nattie was 110% correct. Less than an hour later her cellphone vibrated. She pulled it out of the tight pocket of her skirt and check the Caller ID. 1 New Message was displayed on the screen. Meet me outside in 20. Nattie leaned over her shoulder and read the message. "Looks like we better get moving."
Erin nodded and shoved the phone in her pocket. She stood and waited for Nattie to grab her stuff. It took a great deal of self control to walk slowly down the hall. She wanted to hurry but she kept reminding herself that she was a lady. Finally, the exit was in sight. Erin stepped into the cool night air and held the door open for Nattie.
"Text me when you get in and let me know what we did." Nattie smiled like a Cheshire cat.
"And don't let me eat anything fattening. I gotta watch those calories."
Erin laughed softly. She could not ask for a better friend. "I swear, no dessert."
"Good girl." Nattie stopped abruptly as the door opened again. Stephen stepped into the parking lot. He smiled the instant his gaze found on her. "Let me know how much fun we have." With a wink Nattie was gone.
Stephen slowly strolled across the parking lot. He watched as Nattie hugged Erin then darted towards the building. He smiled at the sight of Nattie slipping back into the building.
He leaned down and kissed Erin's cheek."Ah don' even have to say it."
Stephen took a step back and silently admired Erin. She looked delicious yet again. His green eyes moved over her and stopped when he realized exactly how short her skirt was. He couldn't stop staring at her legs. They were stunning. His gaze went lower and stopped. He stared at her ankle for a long moment. He hadn't expected her to be the kind of girl that had a tattoo. A dark green vine curved around her ankle. Small flowers, in varying shades of blue and purple, were spaced about every half inch along the vine. At the top of the vine a delicate butterfly perched on a leaf. He'd never really been a fan of the way American women felt the need to permanently decorate their bodies. But seeing the ink on Erin made him think he'd been a little too hasty in his judgment.
"What don't you have to say?"
Stephen blinked hard as he drug his eyes away from the little butterfly, "Yah look amazin'."
Erin laughed softly and linked her arm through his. "But you did say it."
The look her gave her was one of pure amusement.
"Where are we going?"
Stephen shook his head as he unlocked the SUV. He held open the door for her and waited as climbed inside. "It's a surprise."
Erin looked at Stephen but didn't say a word. The last time he'd said the very same thing, Randy had appeared out of nowhere. Not wanting to tempt fate again, Erin looked around the parking lot, which thankfully, was empty. Stephen pulled out of the parking lot and headed east on the highway. She was very surprised when Stephen pulled into the parking lot of the Central Alabama Fairgrounds. Staring out of the windshield Erin didn't know what to think. In her entire life she'd never thought she would live to see a county fair. In Alabama. Something about it just didn't seem right. She looked over at Stephen, the question unspoken between them.
"Ah heard the fellas talking in the locker room. Ah thought it would be different."
With that Stephen took the key out of the ignition and got out. He came around to Erin's door opened it for her. Different was so not the word she would use. Insane was more like it. What kind of man thought the county fair was a good place for a date?
"It's very … different." Erin finished softly.
Stephen wrapped his arm around her waist as he looked down at her, "Surprised ye'd be to find out just how alone ye can be in a crowd."
The meaning of Stephen's words dawned on her slowly. She blinked hard as she realized what he was telling her. He had brought her to one of the most crowded places in the great state of Alabama to be alone with her. Nobody else knew where they were. And certainly nobody would really believe a WWE superstar would be strolling through the fairgrounds. A little too late Erin realized the genius of his thinking. The man was absolutely brilliant. With a smile Erin slipped her hand in his and lead him toward the brightly lit Midway.
***A/N – County fairs are a wonderful part of southern life. No where else can you get enormous funnel cakes covered in mountains of powdered sugar! Stephen and Erin are going to find more to sink their teeth into than sugary sweets. Please review and check back soon for Part 2! ***
