Day 75

It seemed like they'd finally come up for air after two days of getting reacquainted. Oh, hell, who were they kidding, they just couldn't get enough of the sex. They'd gone too long without it, and they were making up for lost time. Stephanie finally had to drag herself out of bed because she had phone calls to make, but Chris did try to reach for her to pull her back into the abyss that was their bed. She evaded his reach and tsk'ed him as she turned around.

"You cannot just stand there naked and do that to me," he told her.

"I didn't have clothes in the bed," she laughed. "I'm sorry, but I have to actually do stuff and tell my boss, my father, that I have to take a few days off then call my staff to let them know. My father is going to eat them alive."

It was well-known that Stephanie acted as a buffer for her father and the creative staff. If you gave her father full reign, creative would be writing the show as it was happening, and they'd have to make the wrestlers wear microphones in their ears just to know what they were saying. That's why Stephanie was always hesitant to not be working, but this was something she couldn't avoid, and didn't want to avoid. This was the start of making changes. Her staff could handle it, and she had her right hand man to be in charge.

"Not if Paul can help it," Chris said, "he's doing a pretty good job at NXT from what I've seen."

"He's actually a natural at this part of the business," Stephanie said, and the surprise was evident in her voice. "I think he's passionate about it, and that's where it comes from, it's his own little pet project."

"It's a good pet project. He'll go toe to toe with your dad if he tries to do anything on Monday, which he will, let's face it, your dad is your dad," Chris said, and they both knew what that meant. Chris had been with her too long not to know the inner-workings of her father's brain (which was crazy).

Stephanie grabbed her robe off the chair and slipped it on, tying it around her waist as she disappeared into the closet. "Yeah, I know, maybe I can start giving Paul a little more responsibility, remember how I used to go to so many of your Fozzy things? Maybe I can start with that again, you know."

"And leave Paul in charge?" he couldn't contain the smile, she was making an effort so he felt he should reciprocate in kind. "I can do the same, I don't need to do everything for the band, Rich is also a cofounder and can do radio shows and what not."

Stephanie emerged from the closet wearing a pair of tight yoga pants that accentuated her legs in such a way that Chris wanted to spread them immediately and a tank top with a loose shirt hanging off her shoulder. "Look at us making steps," she said, coming over and sitting on the bed, grabbing her phone from the nightstand along the way.

"It's the only way to do things," he kissed her bare shoulder. "Who are you calling first?"

"Dad," she tossed out, clicking through her phone to his number. Other than Chris, it was usually the number she dialed the most, and it was definitely the number she received calls from the most, nobody else even came close because of her father's neuroses. "Hey, Dad."

Chris leaned his chin Stephanie's shoulder so he could listen in. "Stephanie, to what do I owe the honor?" Her father could be such a blowhard sometimes, but she adored the old bastard.

"I'm actually letting you know that I'm taking off work for a few days, including Monday. I'm going to let Paul handle the show, but I should be back by Wednesday."

"This is pretty abrupt, can a father ask why his daughter is giving me…oh, I don't know, half a day's notice on this?" Vince asked, and he didn't sound mad, but curious. Usually it would take a natural disaster to get Stephanie away from work. "Is everything okay?" he asked after a beat, and Stephanie almost laughed thinking about how her father first wanted to know why she'd be gone then wondered if she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine, and I'm sorry for the short notice, but um, can I just say it's personal reasons right now," she told him. She felt Chris pull away from her shoulder and she looked at him in question. She just mouthed the word "mom" and he understood instantly (nine years could do that to you), and he knew she wanted to tell her mom first about the two of them since Linda was Stephanie's first and de facto best friend, and she didn't want her father to be the one to tell her (girl talk and all that).

"Personal…" Her father's voice trailed off in concern.

"Dad, it's really not bad, I'm not sick, I would just rather talk to mom first," Stephanie said. "Is that okay?"

"I suppose, but about Monday—"

"As soon as I get off the line with you, I'm going to call Paul. He can handle it, Dad," she said, and she almost choked on the words. She knew, fundamentally, that Paul could handle it. He could more than handle it, but it was giving up that control that was difficult for her and gave her pause. But this new start with Chris was about making compromises.

She could hear Chris chuckle next to her, having caught the catch in her throat, and she elbowed him hard in the rib cage, which shut him up effectively. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Stephanie said, "and again, I'm sorry for the short notice, something important just came up, and it was necessary for me to take the time away, but I will be in the office on Wednesday."

"Okay, well, I will see you then."

"Thanks, Dad," Stephanie said, hanging up the call. "Well, that was easier than I thought, he's going to go tell my mom something's up though, so I will expect her call in no less than thirty, no, make that twenty minutes."

"Guess you better call Paul then," Chris said, getting out of bed. Stephanie tracked his progress around the room, her eyes raking over his naked body as he picked up his clothes. He had more in his suitcase, and she scowled when she looked at the offending item. Chris was not meant to live out of a suitcase while here, the entire pictures was wrong. "With all that leering you're doing, I feel like a piece of meat."

"Aren't you?" she said, watching as he pulled out some clothes but made no move to get dressed. "Now you're just being a distraction."

"Is that what I am? I'm taking a shower, towels still in the same place or have you completely redone the entire house while I was gone?"

"I got rid of everything you've ever touched, sorry," Stephanie shrugged.

"Then why aren't you in the trash?" he teased as she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. He chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom with a, "Give Paul my love."

"Jerk," she muttered before clicking through her phone again to get to Paul's number. She clicked the call button and waited.

"Stephanie McMahon," he said in a genial, warm tone. "What's up, bossy?"

"I'm choosing to believe that extra syllable was you misspeaking," she told him, "but anyways, you shouldn't be so mean because I'm giving you the reins for Monday."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to take a few days off, I'm fine, it's a personal thing, but nothing bad, and I can't make it on Monday, so I'm going to need you to run things for the evening. I know you can, but do you think you can?"

"I feel like I've been born ready for this," he told her, "and I'm taking your word for everything being okay."

"Thank you, I appreciate that, it was more than my father gave me," she told him.

"How are you doing, by the way?" Paul, and everyone else of course, knew about her break up with Chris, but because she worked so closely with Paul on the show, there were a few times where he saw her almost break. There were times when she was working that the overwhelming feeling of loss would press against her, and she'd have to take a moment. Paul acted like he never saw them, but she knew he did by the look of concern. Her friend for almost fifteen years, of course he could read her.

"I'm okay, actually, and please don't say anything to anyone just quite yet, but Chris and I are back together, that's why I'm taking the time off, we're getting his stuff back from the place he was renting."

"Thank God," Paul said, "it's about damn time you two stopped acting like idiots."

"Thank you for your support," Stephanie said, "but I better go because I'm expecting my mom's frantic call shortly since I didn't tell my dad what was up because I wanted to talk to my mom first."

"Ahh, your mom, I know her well. I'll let you go then."

"Monday should be pretty straightforward, we've been working on it for a while, don't let my dad steamroll you, which I know he's going to try to do, but you've never had a problem challenging him."

"That's true," Paul agreed, "have a good time bringing Chris home."

"Thanks," Stephanie said, "see you soon."

"I can't seem to get rid of you."

"And I you."

Chris came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist as she said her goodbyes, "That was fast."

"Didn't want to spend so long away from you," he told her, grabbing his clothes from where he laid them on the bed and getting dressed. "So are we like going to jet to California today or what?"

"Tomorrow," she said, "today, we rest, it's Sunday after all."

"Okay, God."

"Funny, that's what you were calling me last night when I was showing you a little attention," she told him, sticking out her tongue as her phone rang. She looked down and laughed, showing the phone to Chris. "Right on time."

"Should I answer the phone?" Chris asked. Stephanie bit her lip and laughed a little bit, that would be something if Chris just went ahead and answered the phone. "Hey, by the way, was she pissed at me?"

"No, not at all, she was upset because she loves you so much," Stephanie said, "she was almost as upset as I was."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's over," she said, thrusting the still ringing phone at him. "Before she thinks I died or something over here." He grabbed the phone from her, but just as he did, the ringing ended. "Oops, sorry, but I know she'll call back in a minute."

"She will," Stephanie said, "my family doesn't hate you, none of them, even overprotective Shane. I think they were more confused by it than anything else, but I think it's the nine years thing that got to them, it was like, why now? After nine years, are they crazy? That's what—"

The phone rang again and she nodded her head towards it because of course it was her mother again. She was probably worried now. Chris answered the phone, "Hey, this is Stephanie McMahon's phone."

"Chris?"

"Hey, Linda," Chris said as Stephanie stood up and wrapped her arms around Chris's waist. They were pretty much the same height so she simply tucked her head against his neck.

"Chris?" she asked again. "What?"

"Stephanie and I decided the apart thing, not so much fun."

"Well, it's about damn time."