Author's Notes: I just want to say thanks to Fozzy-Floozy, Inday, jada951, WWESupernatural102292, Rheya-Goddess and Westfan for your awesome review for chapter nine! Seriously, your comments mean the world to me guys!
Chapter Ten: I wanna hold your hand.
That morning, when she woke up, Charlotte was feeling in a much more positive mood than she had been for the past few days.
Going out with her friends the night before had been just what the blonde had needed; listening to Maria gush about her relationship with Josh, and Paulo talk about his feeling for Jeff had really warmed the make up artist's heart.
Additionally, Charlotte was still contemplating her feelings for Jericho – which wasn't a bad thing. The blonde had just never thought of the wrestler in that way. They got on well, but still hardly knew each other. Maybe when they did know each the better, she might consider something more, she mused to herself. However, for now, Charlotte was just happy being friends with the Canadian.
After showering, dressing, and packing the last few things into her suitcase, Charlotte headed down to meet Paulo for breakfast. The two beauty employees always had their first meal of the day together, and then rode in the Latino's rental car to the airport. As Maria, Candice and Kelly were all due in a meeting that morning, they were scheduled on a different flight from the crew members, and therefore, the blonde didn't expect to see her friends until lunch time.
After a quick breakfast, Charlotte and Paulo made their way to the airport, checked in and waited for their flight to be called. On that morning, the weather had finally started to do what it had been threatening to do for weeks — become colder. As summer turned to fall, and the leaves changed to various shades of red, orange, yellow and gold, a chill could be felt in the air.
"God, I'm glad I brought that new winter coat," commented the blonde, as she and the Latino waited for their plane. "I'm already freezing, and we're not even into winter yet."
"Tell me about it.. Before we know it, it'll be Thanksgiving, and then Christmas," agreed Paulo. "Have you got any plans for the holidays yet?"
"Just the usual, spending time with my family. Oh, and the New Year's Eve party Orton and Cena are throwing. You're coming, right?" returned Charlotte.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world," grinned Paulo. "Do you remember last year's, when Melina and John Morrison had that big fight in front of everyone?"
"Oh God, yeah. And Mel called him every name under the sun, because she thought John was cheating on her, but it turns out she'd mistaken him for someone from the sound department," laughed Charlotte, remembering the drama from last New Year.
"Yeah, and I had to spend the whole night trying to get them back together," sighed Paulo with a roll of his eyes. "This year, I'm keeping clear of any tension. I just want to have a laugh with my friends."
"Well, avoiding drama won't be easy at a WWE party, especially one thrown by Cena and Orton. I swear trouble follows those two around. Remember the year before last, when they got into a fight about some girl?" commented Charlotte.
"And it turned out she had a twin sister all along," reminisced Paulo, with a laugh. "God, they bragged about that conquest for days."
"I can imagine," giggled Charlotte, with a shake of her head. "Hopefully this year, no one will mistake their lover's identity or hook up with the girl their best mate had just been hitting on. Although, if Jeff is interested in you, it would be the perfect opportunity for you to make your move on him. You know, with everyone in high spirits and alcohol flowing."
"Let's just see what you, Candice, Kelly and Maria find out first. I don't want to be the one causing all the drama by making a fool of myself," insisted Paulo.
"Good point," agreed Charlotte. "I'll have a word with him today if you want?"
"Sure, but keep it discreet," warned Paulo.
"I'll be the perfect model of subtly," promised Charlotte with a grin.
After Charlotte had headed to the restroom, their flight was called, and she and Paulo got onto the plane. The two friends passed the journey chatting more about their plans for the fast approaching holidays; the Latino confessing he'd probably be stopping on his own for Thanksgiving, as he could only afford to fly home to Puerto Rico for Christmas.
"Oh, you can't be all alone over the holiday," insisted Charlotte. "Let me clear it with Mama and see if you can stop with us."
"I couldn't impose on you and your family like that," protested Paulo.
"Rubbish, you're my friend, and it would be no trouble at all," said Charlotte firmly.
Knowing it was no use arguing with her any more, the Latino gratefully agreed, promising to help out with the cooking.
The reminder of the flight passed peacefully, and thankfully luggage collection was quick and hassle free.
Paulo collected his new rental car, and then he and Charlotte rode to the hotel. When they arrived, the blonde's cell began to ring, and she stayed in the parking lot to answer it.
"I'll take this out here, because I doubt I'll find anywhere quiet enough inside to hear the other person speaking, especially if Ashley is in our room," she said, stopping on a bench, and fishing her cell out of her purse. "I'll meet you and the girls in the hotel restaurant for lunch later."
"Ok, see you in a bit," Paulo called back over his shoulder, as he dragged his suitcase behind him.
Charlotte answered her phone, and was surprised to hear her brother on the other end.
"CJ, what are you calling me in the middle of the day about?" she asked, suddenly concerned something had happened to one of their family members or Jeanie.
"I'm on a break, and thought it would be nice to catch up," replied CJ, putting his sister's fears to rest. "Ellie mentioned what happened between you and that Ryan guy, and I just wanted to check you're ok."
"I'm fine," assured Charlotte. "But thanks for the concern. I went out with some friends last night, had a really good time and now I'm feeling much better."
"That's a relief," sighed CJ. "When Ellie told me how drunk you got the last time you were home, I was worried about you."
"I was still wallowing in self-pity then, and handled the situation badly. However, I promise, I'm ok now," insisted Charlotte again. "So you can quit fretting, and tell me how things with you and Jeanie are. Y'all are ok, right? You're still thinking of moving in together?"
"Yeah, we are. We've been saving for a few months, and have viewed a couple of prospective places. However, Mama and Pops still don't know, so don't say anything, ok?" checked CJ.
"Of course I wouldn't," promised Charlotte. "Just make sure you let them know before you get engaged or anything like that, because you know Mama will have kittens if you don't."
The older brother chuckled and assured his sister he wouldn't leave their parents out of his and Jeanie's marriage arrangements.
"Right, I best be getting back to work. Look after yourself, Charlie, and don't be a stranger so much. You know I miss my baby sister."
Charlotte laughed and replied, "I'd hardly say I'm a baby at twenty-nine, CJ, but I promise I'll keep in touch more."
"You better," teased CJ. "I'll see you soon, hopefully, and remember, I love you, squirt."
"Love you too CJ," Charlotte answered, before ringing off, and slipping her cell back into her purse.
As the blonde grabbed her case and began wheeling it in the direction of the hotel, a car horn beeped, and she jumped almost a mile into the air.
Whipping around, the make up artist saw Jericho climbing into his rental car.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Charlie," he said with a laugh.
"It's ok; I was away with the faeries anyway. My brother just called, and was being all soppy on me. It always freaks me out when CJ is sensitive, he just isn't that type of guy," giggled Charlotte, slowing down so the Canadian could catch up with her.
"Evan is the same. He called me on my birthday and said 'I really love you, man'. I had to ask if he was drunk or something, because we haven't said we love each other since we were kids," informed Jericho with a grin of his own, as he grabbed the handle of Charlotte's suitcase and began carrying it for her.
"Guys," giggled Charlotte with a roll of her eyes. "Why do you always have trouble expressing your emotions? Oh, and thanks for grabbing my case for me."
"Hey, I may not express my feelings as much as I should, but I know how to be a gentleman," he insisted with a wink.
"Well, I really appreciate it. With the change in weather, my hands are freezing, and carrying that case was killing them," confessed Charlotte, blowing on her fingers that were slowly turning blue.
"You need some gloves," suggested Jericho, stopping to see if Charlotte was ok, as she'd slowed down a little.
"I do have some, but I didn't think I'd need them yet and left them at home," sighed Charlotte, now flexing her fingers to stop them tensing up.
"Come here," said Jericho, and when the blonde approached him, he dropped the cases and grabbed her icy hands.
The wrestler took Charlotte's numb fingers and started rubbing them until the circulation had returned.
"Any better?" he asked.
"Yes thanks," she replied with a blush, as she shoved her hands in her pockets. The simple act of the Canadian warming her fingers for her, had caused butterflies to form in Charlotte's stomach, and she wondered what had suddenly come over her.
"So, did you do anything interesting last night?" asked Jericho.
"Yeah, I went out for dinner with Maria, Candice, Kelly and Paulo. It was a lot of fun, and great to catch up with them all properly, in stead of just going to a night club," she answered. "How about you? What did you do with your night?"
"Nothing much really. I chatted to Abby on the phone for a couple of hours, then had a few beers from the mini-bar and watched some hockey on TV," replied Jericho.
"Sounds good," said Charlotte, with a grin. "How is Abby? You still want me to watch her on Saturday?"
"Please," her replied, with a warm smile. "And she's really good, thanks for asking. When I told her you and the divas would be watching her at the weekend, she got really excited."
"Aww, bless her heart," said Charlotte with a giggle. "I'm actually really looking forwards to seeing her too."
The couple reached the hotel, checked in, and then Jericho carried both of their cases to the elevator, as Charlotte pressed the call button.
"What floor are you on?" he asked, as they stepped inside.
"Third. You?" she returned, as the doors shut.
"Fourth, but I'll get out with you, so I can carry your case to the door," insisted Jericho.
"You don't have to do that, Chris," protested Charlotte.
"No, I don't, but I want to. Carrying your suitcase is the least I can do to thank you for watching Abby again," he reasoned.
"Well, if you put it like that, who am I to argue," she teased.
When they reached the third floor, the couple stepped out of the elevator, Jericho still pulling Charlotte's case and his own behind him.
They reached the blonde's hotel room, and she slipped her key card into the lock.
After noticing Ashley wasn't around, Charlotte turned to Jericho and asked, "Fancy coming in for a coffee?"
"Yeah, ok then," her agreed, with a grin.
As the blonde kicked off her pumps and slipped them under her bed, Jericho set the suitcases down by the wardrobe and then sat down on Charlotte's bed.
"How do you take you coffee?" Charlotte asked, switching on the kettle and locating two mugs.
"White, with two sugars please," Jericho replied, taking off his own trainers and slipping them under the bed.
The blonde set the steaming bugs of coffee down on the night stand, and then hopped onto the bed besides Jericho.
"You know, you don't have to sit there in silence, you can put the TV on," she teased.
"Nah, I'm good thanks," he replied, with a mischievous grin. "Besides, you invited me in for coffee, so it's your job to keep me amused."
"And how pray tell do you suggest I do that?" Charlotte asked facetiously.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe by showing me one of your high school cheer-leading routines," he joked in response.
"Ok, you sing one of Fozzy's songs for me, and you've got yourself a deal," she returned with a wink.
Jericho blushed, and then said, "No, I'll sound terrible without any music or the band."
"Spoilt sport," said Charlotte with a fake pout. "Well, no cheer-leading for you then."
"Oh, come on, you owe me for carrying your case all the way from the parking lot," insisted Jericho, pretending to sulk.
"Nah-ah, buster. As I remember, you offered, and then said it was in thanks for me watching Abby again," she teased.
"Fine," he pouted. "But I will get you to show me your cheer-leading routines one day."
"And I'll get you to sing for me," returned Charlotte facetiously.
That afternoon, before she was due to travel to the arena, Charlotte met Paulo, Kelly, Candice and Maria for lunch in the hotel restaurant.
The three divas and hairstylist were already waiting for the blonde when she arrived, five glasses and a jug of orange juice on the table in front of them.
"We thought you weren't coming; you've been that long," commented Candice as the make up artist sat down.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Ashley was hogging the shower," Charlotte half-lied in reply. While it was true the blonde's room-mate had taken an extraordinary amount of time to freshen up, the make up artist could have used the washroom first, if she hadn't spent half the morning chatting to Jericho. "So, what did y'all do with your morning?"
"Nothing much, just took a nap and watched a bit of TV," replied Kelly with a shrug.
The other three responded that they'd done pretty much the same, and then the ECW diva asked, "How about you? Paulo mentioned you got a phone call just as you arrived at the hotel, was it anyone interesting?"
"Oh, it was just CJ, calling to see if I was ok. Ellie told him about me getting drunk the other night, and he was a bit concerned," replied Charlotte, almost forgetting she'd spoken to her brother, as she was still reminiscing about the time she and Jericho had just spent together.
"Oh, that's sweet of him," commented Maria. "So, did you do anything else, apart from fighting for the shower with Ashley?"
The blonde instantly blushed deep red, a dead give away to her friends that her morning had consisted of more than just napping and watching TV. Then, as if to add more proof to the situation, Jericho entered the restaurant and made his way over to the make up artist and her friends.
"Hey, thanks again for the coffee and that chat," he said, as he rested his arms on the back of Charlotte's chair. "And sorry I made you late for lunch."
Maria, Kelly, Candice and Paulo exchanged scandalized looks, as the blonde buried her head in the menu and the Canadian looked perplexed that his simple statement had caused such a reaction.
"Ah-ha, so that's why you were held up?" exclaimed Kelly with a maniacal grin.
Charlotte continued to say nothing, and tried to slide underneath the table, where her friends wouldn't be able to see her.
The Canadian laughed. "Of course that's what held her up. I'm so gorgeous you just couldn't stop looking at me, could you, Charlie?" he asked facetiously.
Jericho making light of the fact that her friends obviously thought there was something going on between them, brought the blonde out of her embarrassment.
"Naturally," she giggled in reply. "I spent the whole morning fantasizing about ripping your clothes off actually."
"Baby," he said, with a huge grin, as he leaned down close to her. "You don't need to fantasize, just ask and I'll be happy to oblige."
Charlotte bust out laughing, as the divas and Paulo now took their turn to look utterly confused at what was going on before them.
"As tempting as that offer is, honey, I think I'll pass. After all, I don't want to have to be bleaching my eyes afterwards," the make up artist teased.
"Oh damn, and here was I thinking no woman could resist my charms," returned Jericho with a fake pout. "Well, in that case, I'll go somewhere I'm actually appreciated."
"Chris, what have I told you about looking in mirrors? You know your reflection doesn't count as a real relationship," the blonde joked.
The wrestler stuck out his bottom lip, and gave Charlotte a look of pure 'puppy dog' longing, before ruffling her hair and walking off.
"Fine, just don't come crying to me when you've missed your chance," he called back over his shoulder, with a heart melting wink.
The make up artist giggled again, and then turned back to her friends, all of whom were wearing expressions of utter shock.
"What? Didn't I tell you Chris is my secret sex partner?" she asked facetiously, as the divas and hairstylist gave her another bewildered looked. Charlotte felt sure this would put an end to their crazy theories about herself and the wrestler, and happily began browsing the menu for something to eat.
The remainder of lunched passed cheerfully, Maria, Candice, Charlotte, Kelly and Paulo discussing their plans for their time off, and talking about what would happen when Maria introduced them all to Josh.
"You've gotta promise not to give him the Spanish inquisition though," pleaded the petite diva.
"What, us hassle a guy you're dating? Never," returned Candice with mock innocence.
"We only do it because we care and don't want you to get hurt," insisted Charlotte. "You don't want a repeat performance of what happened with Ryan and I."
"And besides, you'd do the same for us," added Kelly, with a smirk.
"Even if we don't ask you to," continued Paulo with a cheeky grin.
"Ok, ok. You can make sure he meets your standards," sighed Maria resignedly. "Just don't scare him off, ok?"
"Well, if he isn't good enough to meet our approval and gets scared off, he isn't worth it in the first place," reasoned Charlotte, to which the others nodded in agreement.
That evening at work passed uneventfully for Charlotte. Thankfully the gossip about herself and Ryan had now stopped; the blonde assumed it was due to the fact the WWE had just released the results of their latest "Wellness testing', revealing a few top stars to have been taking illegal drugs.
In addition, since their last fight, Beth Phoenix hadn't spoken to the make up artist. Charlotte hoped the matter would now be dropped, but had a horrible feeling of foreboding concerning the 'Glamazon'. It wasn't like the diva to back a way from a fight, and the blonde feared there would be ramifications to the altercation they'd have a few days before.
However, as Charlotte mused about the week to come - and meeting Josh - Beth Phoenix was the last thing on her mind.
What the blonde was really wondering about, was how the dynamics of her friendships would change should Maria and Josh settle down, and then if the others coupled off too.
Paulo was interested in Jeff – and there was a high hope the wrestler would return the hairstylist's feelings. Additionally, Candice and Kelly were never short of male admirers, so it would only be a matter of time before they started dating someone too.
The make up artist sighed, and flopped back onto her stool, feeling as though she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life. In the four years since she'd broken up with Dylan and started dating again, she hadn't met one single guy she might actually be able to settle down and have a future with. However, the blonde thought to herself that she'd rather be alone, than in an unhappy relationship like Ryan and his wife obviously were. And maybe she could forgo having someone to cuddle up to at night, if it meant keeping her independence and being able to hang out with her friends whenever she wanted.
Charlotte suddenly realized what she had to do was discover who she was as a person, without guys and dating always at the forefront of her mind. She needed to reaffirm her sense of self worth, and remember that being with a guy didn't justify her existence.
However, that epiphany didn't stop the make up artist feeling a little alone, especially when she thought of how happy Maria and Josh seemed together.
Suddenly the sound of a man's voice shook Charlotte from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Jeff Hardy grinning at her.
"Hey, Charlie, is Paulo around?" the wrestler asked. "I was hoping he'd braid my hair again for me."
"Sorry, but he had to rush off to a hair emergency in the women's lockerroom," replied the blonde, trying to stifle a giggle. "Apparently Melina's hair extensions have started to come unstuck."
"Oh, right," laughed Jeff, imagining the Latina with fake hair falling off her head. "Any idea when he'll be back? Because my match is next."
"Sorry, Jeff, I think he could be some time," returned Charlotte with a shrug. "But I can braid your hair if you want? I took a minor in hair-dressing at college, and doing braids isn't too difficult."
"Are you sure you don't mind?" asked Jeff. "Because if it'll get in the way of your work, I don't wanna cause any trouble."
"It's fine, it's quiet around here, and I could use something to do actually," grinned Charlotte, hopping off the stool to allow the wrestler to get on.
As the make up artist plaited his multi-colored hair, she was struck by a sudden source of inspiration, and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to ask Jeff about his feeling towards Paulo.
"So, are you going to the New Year's Eve party?" she inquired casually.
"Of course. When would I ever turn down a night out?" returned Jeff. "Are you?"
"Yeah, you know me, where there's a party, I'll be there," joked Charlotte. "So, are you thinking of taking anyone?"
"I haven't given it much consideration to be honest," he shrugged in reply. "I mean, there's no one I'm really into at the minute, so maybe I'll just hook up on the night, who knows."
Jeff's reply caused Charlotte to wonder if he wasn't interested in Paulo at all, or if the thought of dating him had just never crossed Jeff's mind. However, without making it totally obvious that the hairstylist had feelings for the wrestler, she couldn't really ask.
Additionally, the blonde couldn't really question Jeff's sexuality for clues on his feeling towards the Latino; aside from it been just plain rude, it would again make it apparent she was fishing on Paulo's behalf.
In the end, all the make up artist could ask was, "So, you haven't got your eye on anyone at the moment?"
Thankfully, Jeff took Charlotte's question as nothing more than friendly curiosity, and replied, "Kind of, but things are complex. I don't want to say anything, only for him to reject me."
The blonde grinned to herself, at least she knew now that the wrestler was interested in men and women.
"Well, couldn't you subtly ask around, to see if he feels the same way, before acting on your feelings?" she inquired.
"Yeah, I guess," shrugged Jeff. "But I'm shy, and was kind of hoping, if the guy is interested, he'd ask me."
"But what if he's shy too?" insisted Charlotte. "Y'all could spend forever pussy-footing around each other, and never actually end up together."
"Or, I could admit the truth, have him turn me down and feel like a total loser," reasoned Jeff. "After what happened with Casey from the photography department, I'm not up for that type of rejection again."
A sad look crossed the wrestler's face, and it made the make up artist wish she could sort out all his romantic problems for him. Hopefully, Paulo was indeed the guy Jeff had feelings for, and somehow, she could get the two of them together.
With his hair now fully braided, Jeff jumped down from the stool, and headed off along the corridor to his match.
"Thanks for doing my hair for me, Charlie," he called over his shoulder. "And say 'hi' to Paulo for me."
"Will do, and have a good match," Charlotte shouted back. "Catch you later, Jeff."
Once the wrestler had departed, Charlotte looked at her watch, and noticing the show was almost over, began packing her own and Paulo's kit away. The hairstylist finally returned as the blonde was just beginning to sweep the floor, and in gratitude for the make up artist holding the fort all night, the Latino took over the last of the cleaning duties.
Finally, the two beauty employees were finished for the night, and rode back to the hotel in Paulo's rental car. Once there, they showered, changed and then met up with their friends in the hotel lobby for a night out at a local bar.