Chapter 7
Once they were seated in a worn down booth and ordered their meal, Andalyn surveyed her surroundings while trying to figure out what to talk to Steve about besides Rebel. He was the center of her universe and being a mother took precedence over everything else, including her job. Instead of trying to start a conversation, she opted for silence and sipped her beer slowly.
"So, besides drivin' Rebel crazy bein' overprotective, what else do ya do?" Steve asked, not about to let her be quiet and found himself wanting to get to know her better.
"Besides workin' for a little boy in a man's body and bein' a Mom, that's pretty much my life, Steve." Andalyn replied with a straight face.
Downing nearly half of her beer, she leaned back against the booth and tried not to worry about Rebel being alone at the hotel. She had every right to be overprotective of her son and this pompous ass would learn quickly she did what she wanted with her little boy. Andalyn squeezed him out and went through the pain of childbirth, raising him up until now, not Steve, and until he experienced that he would never understand what it was like being a parent.
"You?"
"Apparently offendin' a beautiful woman by puttin' my foot in my mouth." Steve muttered, not meaning to upset her and sighed, taking a sip of his own beer. "Nothin' but my job. I tried actin' briefly; that didn't pan out too well though. Tried singin', didn't work out either." He smiled, trying to ease the tension between them again and offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry if I upset ya, Andy. I wasn't tryin' to."
"You didn't upset me a bit, Steve." Andalyn smiled sweetly, genuinely not offended. She just got defensive when it came to Rebel and being told what to do with her parenting. "I really don't have much of a life except Rebel. I know it sounds pathetic, but bein' a single Mom does that." She saw their food coming and immediately dug in as soon as it was set in front of her. "I'm a borin' person. That's the truth."
Steve studied her thoughtfully, taking his time chewing his food. "No, I don't think yer borin', Andalyn. I think ya devoted yer life to Rebel and put yer own on the backburner. Not that there's anythin' wrong with doin' that. Just sometimes, ya gotta do somethin' for yerself, ya know?"
"I guess." Andalyn averted her gaze to her food, already missing her son and took another bite, hoping her appetite returned. "He is my life. There's no puttin' my life on the backburner. Rebel is my life and my heart. That little boy is the reason I'm on this earth day in and out and I love' em with everythin' inside me." She spoke softly, passionately and shut her eyes when Mark popped into her mind again. "I mean granted, he can be stubborn as a bull, but that's to be expected from a 10-year-old boy."
"I still can't believe he's only 10. He's so damn tall for his age." Steve observed, shaking his head. "He's strong as a bull too. He 'bout twisted my ankle off earlier tonight." He cleared his throat, wishing he hadn't said that. She didn't need any reminders about his mishap with Rebel. "How 'bout you lemme take ya out again sometime, providin' Rebel don't mind? I know he's yer life, but…maybe a little breather every now and again won't hurt."
That surprised her. "Ya wanna take me out again?" She questioned, wanting to make sure she heard him right and could see his blue eyes gleaming back at her. "Okay, torture yerself some more." Andalyn shrugged with a wink and both began laughing, the tension finally breaking.
The rest of dinner went well, mostly with Steve talking about his family back in Victoria, Texas. He lived on a huge ranch on the outskirts of Austin. It was a small town called Tilden – Andalyn had gone there a time or two, loving the city of Austin. Fitting considering that's what Steve's in-ring character was named. He sounded like a true family man, boasting about his brothers and parents, proud of everything they'd accomplished in life. Andalyn found herself drawn more to him as the night progressed, no longer thinking of him as a man child. He was simply a man with a big heart and wanted her to be part of his life. They drove back to the hotel and Steve walked her up to her room like a gentleman, his hand on the small of her back. Turning to look up at him after slipping her keycard in the door slot, Andalyn became lost in his baby blues and suddenly didn't want the date to end yet.
"Thank ya for tonight. I had a great time." Andalyn wasn't lying and hoped they did it again soon.
"Good, I'm glad. Next time, I'll let ya pick what we do, okay?" Steve offered with a smile, his forearm resting on the door though he made no move to kiss her or anything, fairly certain Andalyn would slap him silly.
"Get in here so I can go to bed already! I'm TIRED!" Rebel growled through the door, cranky from having to stay up to wait for his mother.
"Date's over." Steve chuckled, beaming from ear to ear.
"I guess it is." Andalyn leaned up and brushed her lips against his cheek, pulling back once she lingered longer than she should have. "Good night, Steve." Walking into the room, Andalyn quickly guided Rebel into his room and tucked him in, kissing his forehead. He was out like a light in no time. She felt bad he stayed awake to wait up for her, but it also didn't surprise her either. Kicking her shoes off, Andalyn walked into the bathroom to change and groaned when a knock sounded at her door. If whoever it was woke her son up, she would shove her foot straight up their backside.
"For cryin' out…"
"Is Mark here?" Rena Mero demanded, looking close to tears the moment the door opened. She had knocked on every door trying to find him. This floor had been specifically booked for the WWF stars so she knew she had to be close. "Please? I really need to talk to him right now." She sniffled, not realizing this was the same woman who had broken her nose.
This woman seriously needed a beating. "Do ya realize it's nearly midnight and people are probably SLEEPIN'?" Andalyn growled, tempted to shatter the whore's nose further. "Lady, here's my advice for ya, ready? MOVE ON."
Slamming the door in Rena's face, Andalyn scrubbed a hand down her own, not believing the audacity of some people. The whore could find Mark herself! Andalyn was going to bed and could already hear Rebel's snoring; thankful Rena hadn't disturbed his slumber by banging on their door.
"TAKE A FUCKIN' HIKE!" His deep baritone echoed throughout the hallway, not pleased at being woken up and wore nothing except a sheet and frown. "Rena, leave me alone, damn it! We're done."
"Don't you dare say that, I refuse to hear it!" Rena shrieked, not caring who heard them. "I'll tell everyone about you smacking me around!"
"They already know." Mark pushed her back into the hall and slammed the door shut.
Andalyn was 2.5 seconds away from getting up and breaking the whore's neck if she didn't shut the hell up. Didn't she grasp the concept of keeping her personal business QUIET? Apparently not! She smirked when all she heard was silence, letting sleep finally consume her body.
A month had passed since Andalyn and Steve started dating and, surprisingly, it was the happiest she'd ever been in quite a while. Steve was fun, refreshing and downright handsome. She loved the color of his eyes, especially when they lit up with mischievously. Rebel was slowly warming up to him; Andalyn didn't blame him for being skeptical. Though, it didn't help Mark was STILL coming around demanding her for the truth about Rebel being his. Andalyn lost count how many times she'd denied him, saying the same thing every time a confrontation happened. At this point, she felt like a broken record and was on the verge of snapping.
Steve was currently in the gym while Andalyn remained at the hotel with Rebel, pumping iron and trying to get his mind focused on his match that night. It wasn't a big deal considering he was always on his game in the ring, but for some reason Andalyn wouldn't leave his mind. If he wasn't careful, Steve would end up falling in love with her and that wouldn't bode well in his favor considering she was a definite flight risk. Andalyn left his mind as soon as he heard his best friend's voice, but it was the question that caught him off-guard.
"You fuck her yet?"
Steve spewed water all over Dwayne, baby blues nearly popping out of his skull. "Man, you can't be askin' me that shit!" He snapped, wiping water off his chin.
Dwayne grunted, setting down his weights to shake water off his face. "Say it, don't spray it. So did you?"
Mark walked in at that moment, shaking his head. "Yeah Austin, did you?"
"No, of course he didn't." Matt Hardy snorted, ignoring Steve's icy glare while he started squats, working on his thigh and leg muscles. "You know it's been a month already…"
"Boy, some people like to wait and get to know each other before jumpin' into bed…"
"Sex is a HUGE factor in a relationship and you can't deny that." Dwayne pointed out matter-of-factly.
"That's what masturbation is for." Jeff was thrown out of the weight room.
"It's not like that; we're gettin' to know each other first." Steve defended, growling under his breath.
Mark sat a weight bench across from Steve. "Well hell son, sex is part of that process." He drawled, stroking his goatee. "Unless of course, you're afraid ya can't handle her."
Dwayne sniggered, returning to his own workout.
Matt was inclined to agree with the Deadman. "He probably can't handle that hellcat. I don't think anyone can. But damn if I wouldn't like to try…" He smirked, watching Steve's face turn redder by the second. "I wonder if she's tight." He wondered aloud and, a second later, he too was tossed out of the weight room to join his brother.
Thankful Steve had tossed Matt out; Mark had been fixing to cram a dumbbell up the boy's backside. He noticed the uneasy look Steve shot him and just smiled back. A nice big 'I just fucked your mother' grin. He obviously had no idea his history with Andalyn because he could more than handle her in the bedroom. Steve shook his head, deciding it was time to end his workout and go back to the hotel. Mark felt he could afford to be generous to the Rattlesnake because he knew something that idiot didn't. Whistling, he began his workout since it was completely quiet with Steve and Dwayne vacating.
Andalyn sat in Steve's dressing room, where she was stationed ever since starting with WWF and looked over his schedule, knowing he wouldn't be happy. He had to go down to Alabama to have his neck checked out, thanks to pile driver gone wrong before she joined the company. It was an annual checkup for him and, depending on the results; he could be off the road for a while if surgery was required. Vince ordered Andalyn to stay on the road to assist another wrestler when Steve left, so she couldn't go with him. Hell, she wasn't sure if she should feel mad or happy, wondering if space apart was a good idea since they'd just gotten into a relationship.
"Hey honey." Steve greeted as he walked in, dropping his bag by the door and walked over to kiss her softly. "I smell, I know. I need a shower." He apologized, not daring to inhale just in case he passed out.
"Yeah, but I gotta talk to you 'bout somethin' first." Andalyn stood up quickly and stopped him, turning him around to face her. "Vince is sendin' you away to Alabama to have your neck checked out." She cringed when his baby blues widened and held her hands up. "Your plane leaves on Friday and you'll be written out of the storyline. I just received it, I'm sorry, Steve."
Rebel was too busy playing his Game Boy to notice what was going on.
Steve took the paper, reading it and groaned, shaking his head. "Damn it, I told Vince I'd handle it my own way." He growled, sinking down in a metal folding chair and rubbed his bald head in frustration. "Yer comin' with me, right?" There was no point to drag her along, but Steve wouldn't mind the support and couldn't stop himself from asking anyway.
Grey eyes instantly lowered to the floor as Andalyn moved to sit back down in her own chair. "Vince ordered me to assist another wrestler while yer gone." She cringed, seeing he was about ready to explode and did not dare look up at him. She had no idea who she would work with either while he was away, but whoever it was she really hoped Steve didn't find out before he left. "There's nothin' to be done, Steve. I guess Vince thinks yer neck is serious enough that it can't wait any longer." She quietly explained, smoothing out the pink and black skirt she wore that matched her cardigan.
Dressing up really wasn't her style at all.
"Maybe this time they'll paralyze me." Steve grumbled sarcastically, picking up his bag. "I'm not mad at ya, Andy. I just…" What more could he say? "I'm gonna shower now."
Mark was in a pretty good mood when he strolled down the arena corridor, wearing tight black jeans and an open leather vest, his dark red hair pulled back into a loose tail. "Hey Hardy."
"Please don't co-cock me."
Suddenly needing fresh air, Andalyn walked over and tapped Rebel on the shoulder to jolt him away from his game. "I'll be right back. I need to go get somethin' outta the car."
She hastily headed down the hallway, feeling tears burn her eyes. She didn't want Rebel seeing her upset or Steve for that matter. Andalyn had to get outside and inhale the fresh air, feeling overwhelmed with everything going on. What would happen between her and Steve now? Who would Vince assign to her next? Andalyn was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone following her until she was yanked into a dark empty dressing room. The lights were off, but Mark had no trouble seeing in the dark, his eyes adjusted to it.
"Hey Andy." He greeted casually, letting her go and spun her around to face him. "Heard Austin was gettin' shipped off…without ya."
