Loved all the reviews about Jon needing to man up. Will he finally man up in this chapter and ask Layla out?
Enjoy ;)
Jon, Colby and Joe were all in the gym, talking as they worked out, at the Hell in a Cell PPV that night Jon would be up against Big E while Colby and Joe went up against Cody and Goldust and the Usos.
"Is it ever weird for you going up against Jimmy and Jey, or is it basically just like your childhood again, casually beating up your cousins? Colby asked turning to Joe who was doing squats next to him, Jon doing chin ups on the pull-up bar near them.
Joe grinned, "Nah man, it's like being a kid again. Our dads always had us putting on mini matches when we were younger."
Jon laughed from the pull up bar, "I can picture it now, papa Sika telling you you're not putting enough force into the bodyslam."
Colby shook his head, "I'm kinda disturbed by that. I can just imagine what birthday parties were like at your house." All three of them laughed.
As they continued to work out it wasn't long before Jon got distracted by the sight of Layla entering the gym. It had nearly been a week since Jon's talk with Joe and he still hadn't asked Layla out. He was waiting, he told himself, for the right time. Jon wasn't scared of anything but he didn't want to ruin things with Layla, he didn't want to risk ruining their friendship if she said no. And there was still Nick to think of, they were friends as well. If things didn't go well, that was two friendships ruined, not to mention the awkward position it put Colby and Joe in.
"Seriously dude if you don't ask her out, someone else will. Do you want that?" Colby raised an eyebrow at Jon who had been staring at Layla for five minutes straight now. "I've never seen you act like such a chicken shit over a girl before, she must be real special to you."
Jon gave him the finger, "Shut up man."
Shaking his head at Colby, Joe went to where Jon now stood deciding to take the more serious route with him unlike Colby. "He's an idiot half the time but Colby has a point, Layla's a beautiful woman and I'm sure you're not the only guy whose attention she has caught. Don't miss your chance, you'll regret it."
"He's an idiot three-quarters of the time," Jon smirked at Joe. "She is a beautiful woman and she can do a lot better than me."
"Don't even go there Jon. Yes you didn't have a great childhood but look at how far you've come. Stop trying to find excuses and go for it."
"As I'm a nice person I'm going to let those comments about me being an idiot slide, just came to inform you that you're up, Jon." Seth pointed to Layla standing by the weights looking unsure, "Time to go play her knight once again."
Standing in front of the weights Layla looked unsure, not sure which bar was right for her. Where was Nick when she needed him? Celeste even, she was always lifting weights.
"I'm guessing you don't normally lift weights, you don't want to start with anything too heavy." Layla jumped clutching her chest, spinning around to see Jon stood there. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
Layla smiled at him, god how he loved that smile. "I didn't realise you were there. So which one do you think I should be lifting?"
As she stood there in front of him, Layla couldn't help staring at his bare chest. Damn he looked good in just those black basketball shorts. Where did that come from? I really need to stop listening to AJ and Celeste, Layla thought to herself.
Picking up a bar Jon walked over to the bench, Layla following. "I'll spot you, princess. Do you know what you're doing?"
Layla nodded. "No laughing at me though. Remember I'm not as fit or strong as you." Layla felt at ease with Jon as she got into position on the bench.
"I wouldn't dream of it, princess," Jon grinned at her. "Do five to start with, ok?" As he stood above Layla in the spotting position, his arms readied near the bar, it would be a lie if he said he didn't enjoy the view he had of Layla. All he could think was how good she looked in yoga pants and the white spaghetti strapped vest she was wearing, enjoying the view of her chest rising and falling as she bent her arms bringing the weight down to her chest and then back up. Then there was that look of complete concentration on her face as she did it, Jon thought that look was utterly adorable.
After Layla had completed the five reps, she smiled up at Jon as he took the weight from her hands and placed it back, Layla once again getting that feeling in her stomach as her hand brushed against Jon's when he took the weight from her hands.
Jon returned her smile, "You did good. You want to try again with a heavier bar?"
"Don't you have your own work out to be doing? I don't want to get in your way."
"I was pretty much done with my work out anyway. I don't mind helping you," he winked at her before getting a new weight for her to do more chest presses with.
Returning, Jon once again smiled at her before speaking, "So, same as before, only five. I don't want you overdoing it and hurting yourself." Layla nodded.
Placing her hands on the bar once again, Layla started her second set of reps, feeling the burn in her arms with every rep. Then on the third one, Layla suddenly felt her arms give out, the bar rushing towards her chest. Before, however, it had could connect with her chest Jon's hands shot out and caught it.
Layla remained in the same position, a panicked look on her face as Jon placed the bar back.
"Hey you ok?" Jon looked at her as he squatted down next to her, a worried expression on his face. By this point Joe and Colby who had been watching made their way over.
Layla nodded as she sat up swinging her legs over the edge, "Y-yeah it just caught me off guard." Standing up to sit next to her on the bench, Jon placed a gentle hand on her back. "Good thing you were here to grab it in time, thank you."
Grinning at Layla, Jon said, "I'm always here to protect you princess."
Smirking Colby couldn't help himself, "Yeah, Jon has his occasional uses." This got him a slap up the back of his head from Joe.
"Ignore this idiot. You sure you're alright babygirl?" Joe smiled at Layla, the more he got to know her the more he started to see her as a sister and he wanted to make sure she was ok.
Layla nodded again, "I'm fine. I think I'm done with my work out today though. Do you guys want to get some lunch, if you're not too busy that is?"
All three men nodded and smiled, Colby speaking first. "Sounds good, I'm starving."
As the three made their way to go shower and change before getting some food, Rosa walked in.
A large smile on her face, "Jon, so glad I ran into you, I've been meaning to talk to you."
Layla shared an awkward look with Joe and Colby, "Erm, I guess we'll meet you later Jon."
Layla sat with Nick, Celeste and AJ in catering watching Jon's match on one of the monitors. Jon and Big E were putting on a good match however as the match went on Layla's eyes widened in shock when she saw both of them bleeding. Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest and she couldn't take her eyes of the cut under Jon's chin. Of course she was also concerned about Big E and the cut under his eyes, she, through Nick and the girls, had become friends with him but she was so much closer to Jon and so much more concerned about him.
Nick could see the worry on her face, wrapping an arm around her shoulders he whispered on her ear, "He's fine he's had much worse than this." Nick was of course refereeing to his days on the independent circuit. Layla knew of Jon's independent days but hadn't seen many of his matches. She remembered walking in one time when Jon, Colby, Joe, Nick and Phil were watching the match when Jon had his head cut 'open' by a chainsaw; Layla had known he hadn't actually had his head cut open with the chainsaw but It still freaked her out.
Layla carried on watching, relief coursing through her when the match ended with Jon getting counted out after he refused to get back in the ring. Getting up from her seat she went to tell Nick where she was going but he already knew. Holding up a hand, Nick smiled. "I know, now go."
AJ and Celeste both 'aww'd' at the same time, grins on their faces as Layla ran out of catering.
Turning the corner Layla came to an abrupt stop as she saw a camera man filming Jon and Big E being stitched up, the video would then be going on WWE's website. As the medic finished stitching Jon up and the camera man left, Layla walked over to where Jon now sat on a crate.
"Hey," was all Layla could say. Now feeling like an idiot for rushing to Jon. Unsure why seeing Jon hurt bothered her so much.
Jon looked up at her a smile on his face at her coming to see if he was ok. "Hey princess, how you doing?" he asked.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You worried me. I erm I –I mean you and E, you both had me worried. You need to be more careful."
Jon carried on smiling at her, finding her blushing cute, as well as her worrying about him. "I will be I promise. So are you going to be my nurse and look after me?" Jon's smile was replaced with that smirk of his.
Layla blushed even more, her eyes going to the floor. "I don't think you're injured enough to require a nurse. And anyway, I bet you're a terrible patient."
"I'm sure you would be able to make me behave princess."
Their moment was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Rosa Mendes. Pushing past Layla, she ran her hands up and down Jon's arms. "Oh my god, are you alright Jon? I was so worried."
Jon wasn't even looking at Rosa as he spoke, instead his eyes on Layla who was walking over to where Joe and Colby stood. "Yeah I'm fine. Look I've gotta go."
Rosa didn't move, "You know if you need someone to look after you I could always play nurse."
"NO!" Jon's quick response caught the attention of Layla, Joe and Colby, taking them all by surprise. "I mean, I'll be fine. No need for you to put yourself out. Anyway, I really need to go." Jon walked past Rosa over to where Layla stood with Joe and Colby.
After the PPV ended, Layla, Nick, Jon, Joe, Colby, Celeste, AJ, Phil and Big E headed to a diner to get some food and talk about the matches.
Colby turned to Jon, "Dude you so have a stalker on your hands with Rosa. You might want to let her down gently."
Celeste started laughing, "Yeah I heard all about her offering to play nurse with you."
Layla sat there silently as they all laughed about it. She didn't know why Rosa's appearance earlier that night and obvious flirting with Jon bothered her so much. Jon was single, he could date or sleep with other women if he wanted to.
Nick noticed his sister's silence and the look on her face. "Well I think I'm gonna head off. See you guys tomorrow. Lay, you coming with me or you staying?" He already knew what her answer would be but he wanted to give her the option to stay anyway.
"I'll come with you. I'm getting tired."
Jon's good mood disappeared at Layla's answer. He was hoping she would stay, he wanted to spend more time with her. He had already decided he was definitely going to ask her out before she left on Wednesday. Maybe they could go on a date on their day off.
After saying a quick bye to everyone, Nick and Layla walked to Nick's rental car ready to drive back to the hotel. Not long into the drive back to the hotel, Nick smiled as he saw Layla had curled up in her seat and fallen asleep.
Making sure all her bags were packed and she was ready to go back to Nick's for her two days off; Nick had a bunch of media and signings to do and so wouldn't be with her until Thursday afternoon, Layla jumped when she heard someone knocking on the hotel door, not expecting it. Walking across the hotel room to answer the door, expecting it to be one of the girls, Layla came face to face with the last person she expected to see.
"Hi angel, I missed you too."
Dun Dun Dun...
