(NoTeS fRoM vAL)
First of all, wow, I am so supremely happy! 8 followers and 3 favorites? Well then, slap my ass and call me cowgirl. You guys are freakin amazing! I wanna thank my 2 reviewers so far, and say that both your inputs have been super duper helpful. The pairing/romance part's still looming ahead, but your input so far has been really invaluable. Until I decide, just gonna keep throwing my original person in with different men (and of course that lovable asshole we all know and love, RANDALL KEITH ORTON! LEMME GET AN RKO RKO RKO! Can we tell I really, really like the guy?) and when the time is right, I'll either hold a poll, or something..
So far, we have 1 vote for randy x oc, and another for wade x oc.. Anybody else?
She grumbled as she rolled over and looked at the time on her phone's clock. She'd been trying for the better part of over 3 hours now to try and get to sleep. She was too wound up for tomorrow, too nervous, really.
"God damn it all, am I ever gonna sleep tonight?" she growled as she launched a pillow across the room and fell back into bed, grumbling as she tried to get comfortable again. Finally, she sat up and then slid out of bed, pulled on an oversized plaid shirt and slid her feet down into her boots that lie near the door where she'd kicked them off earlier.
Grabbing her key card, she opened the door, stepped out into the hallway. The good thing about this hotel was that they had an indoor garden, and it was relaxing and near the pool.
Her intentions were to maybe take a walk through the garden, and then if she still wasn't too tired, maybe hit the hot tub and let the hot water make her drowsy.
She turned the corner and came chest to chest with Randy.
"Couldn't sleep?" Randy asked as he looked down at her, concern in his eyes.
"Nope. Getting in from a booty call?" she quipped as he shook his head and said "Nope.. Getting back from that bowling alley in town.. Went with Cena. Hell of a job on Nikki's eye."
"Aww, sorry I hurt the poor thing.. Not really, but.." Kate said as she looked up at him and then said "I'm going now."
"The indoor garden, right?"
She shrugged and he turned, caught up to her and said quietly, "So you still like wandering at night."
"No, actually, my nerves are shot and I'm just anxious for tomorrow. Plus I've always sort of been nocturnal." at least halfway admitting he was right in his assumption.
"You're gonna do good." he stated calmly as she shrugged and said "Won't matter now either way. If I win I'll never know if it was me and who I am that won the contest, or who my father happens to be. Sort of debating on just not showing up."
"But you don't give up.. Or you didn't before." Randy said as she looked up at him and said quietly, "Something like that."
She turned and was about to walk away, but he caught up to her again and walked with her, mostly just being quiet, looking at her.
Finally he asked her the question he'd been wanting to for a while now, "So, how bad was it? The thing with that jerk?"
"One, it's not your concern and two, I'd rather not talk about it. I'm out." Kate said as she looked up at him and said "Sorry.. About your whole thing ending, I mean. You did some really shitty things to me, but that had to hurt."
He shrugged and said quietly, "It was kind of my fault." as they pushed open the doors to the indoor garden. Kate looked around and said quietly, "I always loved it when hotels had these."
"I know." he admitted as he saw her rubbing her arms, put his hands over her upper arms, rubbing slowly. "Better?"
She stepped away and then said "Stop, okay?" as he looked at her then said quietly, "I'm not gonna."
"You really should."
They sat down on a bench and Kate hugged her knees up to her chin and said casually, "Stars are brighter tonight." as she looked up at the night sky through the skylight in the ceiling. He nodded and said "Remember all the times we used to sit out in the parking lot, look at them?"
She nodded and then said "But bringing up the good stuff isn't gonna change what happened." as she stretched and said "I'm just done now, really. I'm empty, I've got nothing left."
"You do, you just have to get past this."
She shrugged and said "Gonna go soak in the hot tub now, Orton. Go up to your room and sleep."
"Like you, I'm nocturnal.. hard to sleep when I have too much crap on my brain." Randy said as he shrugged and then walked out of the indoor garden area.
He'd really started to realize just how much he did love her then and how much he still loved her now. But the trick was going to be getting her to be okay again, getting close to her again.
And keeping a few of the other bastards on the roster with their eyes on her away.
Kate sank down into the steamy hot water and let out a long sigh, leaned her head back against the edging of the hot tub and shut her eyes.
Male laughter had her peeking through one eye and Roman sat there, looking at her with a raised brow. "You alright?"
She gave him a thumbs up and said "Just trying to make myself sleepy."
"Night owl, huh?" he asked as she nodded and said "Of the worst kind. Meaning that I hardly ever wanna sleep at night and then I want to sleep all day long."
He chuckled and then said "So.. I saw the article."
"Was anybody reading any god damn thing else?" she asked in amusement as he laughed and said "I think I get why you did it the way you did."
"Yeah, it's just too bad that nobody else seems to." Kate muttered as he laughed and said "To hell with the rest of them."
She nodded and then said with a smirk, "Basically, yes. I mean they're not gonna like me, either way, really doesn't matter what I do. " as she turned to look at him and then asked with a raised brow, "Any reason you're not asleep?"
"Hot water takes tension out of muscles." Roman stated as he looked at her and then said with a shrug, "Saw you come in here. Thought I'd talk to you or something. There's really nothing else to do here,sadly.. I mean Ambrose and Rollins are still at the bar, god knows when they'll be back."
"And I've already been to the bar tonight. The hotel bar's kinda nice. Boring, but nice." Kate chuckled as Roman shook his head and said "Not according to Barrett.. Said you got into a brawl earlier?"
She laughed and nodding said "With that mouthy harpy Eva and her two idiot friends. Not much of a brawl, actually."
He nodded and she asked "Any reason you're not out with Ambrose and Rollins?"
"Because, every now and then those two annoy the living shit out of me and I need a break from the insanity and the chaos they tend to get into." Roman said as he looked at her and then asked "So.. What was it like growing up backstage?"
"No different than it would've been anywhere else, I guess.. I mean my dad, when he met Steph, he started sending me back with her, then with my half sisters and her during school.. Only really got to come out on holidays and during the summer." Kate mused as she stretched and then said "What about you? I mean the Rock's your cousin.. What's that like?"
"Actually, one of your friends is too."
"And I asked Tam the same question.. Now I'm askin you? I mean I know what it was like being around the guy for me.."
"He's Dwayne. Loud, stubborn, occasionally perverted." Roman said as Kate laughed and then said "That he is." as she leaned back, looked up at him.
"So.. What'd you think of working with me when you drew my name for the scripting challenge?" he asked casually as he looked at her intently. She shrugged and said with a smirk, "It was fun. I mean I hated that I did that to Randall, but yeah.. Not like he didn't have payback coming."
"Ouch, so you two have a history?" Roman asked as she laughed and said "If you wanna call it that then yeah. I spend 90 percent of my time now ducking his advances.. He doesn't get it, nobody does.. I mean I know my dad and Steph say they do.. But I sugarcoated a lot of what happened to me while I was away for 5 years.. Randy just thinks he's god's gift and he can fix anything broken.. Sometimes you just can't." while twisting a damp strand of hair around her fingertip, looking at Roman intently.
"Maybe you can." Roman said as she shook her head and then said "Doubt it. And even if I could.. Not so sure I wanna dive right back in. I'm sort of just done with it all, being pranced around and displayed like a doll, then told nothing I'll ever do or say, or anything about me is actually good enough. I heard it so much I kinda started believing it and that's one reason I did this.. I wanted to prove myself wrong.."
She laughed sheepishly and shrugged then said "It's stupid, yeah.. But I'm actually just starting to get my own life back, feel comfortable in my own skin again.. I know people just expect me to throw myself back out there, but I just can't."
He shook his head and said quietly, "It makes sense. And I don't blame you. And randy, all the others who think you should just automatically be fine again are wrong." as he looked at her and said "It takes time. I mean I don't know what you went through, but I'm imagining it's pretty bad from the way you look when you talk about it."
"It wasn't anything I didn't get myself into." Kate asserted as she sighed and then said "Thanks.. For listening and not just laughing or fleeing for the nearest exit. I think I needed to get it all out again, for someone who wasn't biased."
Roman chuckled and then said "I never said I wasn't biased." as he looked at her and then said "I thought you looked familiar that day.. I think I might have met you a few times when we were kids."
She looked at him a little while and then said "Actually, I think you're right. Your cousin.. He took you to the fair once with me and Dad, Shawn and his kids.. Right?"
"Yeah.. And you freaked out on the ferris wheel, because it was heights." Roman said with a shrug as she growled and said "That.. Goes to the grave."
"Why?"
"I got a rep to protect, Reigns." Kate said as he said with a shrug "Ambrose is afraid of spiders. Not like being afraid of something is going to end you." which made her laugh and then say "Spiders? But they're... He could just smoosh 'em.."
"And he does.. tends to overkill them, actually."
"thanks.. I needed a laugh.. See you around, Reigns."
"Good luck tomorrow. And for the record, it'll be amusing watching you guys go against the Bellas and Eva." Roman said as he stood and walked out of the area the hot tub was in. She followed suit, going into her own hotel room, falling itno bed, tired.