A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everything, hope you enjoy the chapter! :)
It was so much calmer when they arrived at the hotel. The cacophony the club drummed into his brain was getting tiresome, and the relative quiet of the hotel was a welcome change. He and Stephanie had went out for dessert after the club, and ice cream was the perfect way to cool down after dancing so much. He hadn't danced that much since he was on Dancing with the Stars. He wasn't out of shape, but it felt good to get out of that hot, stuffy club.
"Do you like your ice cream?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks," she told him. This has definitely been the best time I've had in a while. I wish they night didn't have to end. I haven't felt this comfortable around someone in such a long time. It's nice to know there are people out there who still like me for me.
"No problem, you want to try mine?" Chris wondered, holding out the spoon with a little bit of mocha ice cream on it. Stephanie leaned forward and tried it.
"Oh man, that is delicious, I should have gotten that," Stephanie said, closing her eyes as she savored the taste. Chris found himself gulping over that look. She just looked so pleased. Her look distracted him so much that she could have been thinking about the cure for cancer and he wouldn't have heard a damn thought.
"Told you," he joked around with her, "but you like yours."
"Yeah, I do, you can never go wrong with chocolate chip," Stephanie said, taking an extra big spoonful of her ice cream. I feel almost like this is a first date, that's weird, right? I mean, Chris is just getting out of a relationship and I'm married, but it just has all the ear-markings of a first date. Oh come on, Stephanie, like the guy actually would want to date you. He's just a friend…and why are you even thinking about this? You're married, so what if Paul isn't the husband you expected him to be, that doesn't mean you should go thinking about dating other men.. "What is with the look on your face?" Stephanie asked.
Chris couldn't tell her it was because he found her inner thoughts endearing. But it did almost feel like a date, whatever she was feeling about it, he was feeling the same thing. It was kind of odd actually because he kind of wished it was a date. He hadn't just had genuine fun with someone in a long time. His relationship with Jessica had deteriorated so much that they never had fun, and Barbie was merely a walking sex tape waiting to happen. But just having fun and doing sweet things with a woman? That hadn't happened in such a long time, he almost felt like a teenager again.
"Nothing, I just think you're cute with your ice cream," he told her, giving her a wide smile.
I think I love his smile too much. He should do it more often though. The look suits him. "Are you sure I don't have some of it on my face?" she asked, absently wiping around her chin.
"No, I'm sure," he told her, his smile even wider now after hearing how much she liked it. "Come on, let me walk you up to your room."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Stephanie told him, "I know this may come as a surprise, but I've been able to find my hotel room for years now, even if I have had a few drinks in me. Actually, I feel sober, must have sweat out all the alcohol on the dance floor."
"With the way you were moving, it doesn't surprise me."
I probably looked like an idiot out there, but…well, Chris didn't seem to mind. "Oh please, I probably looked stupid."
"Stupider than me?" Chris asked, trying to get that thought of her head. She'd been doing so well while they were dancing and getting ice cream. Her thoughts had been so positive and so sweet. He didn't want her thoughts to drag her down again. "I mean, the only dances I can do are ballroom dances, and considering I was voted off pretty early, I don't even think I was great at that."
"It was the Don't Stop Believin' curse, not you," Stephanie told him.
Chris was impressed, "You…"
"Know how you've been saying that?" Stephanie asked and he nodded. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not that self-absorbed."
"I never thought that about you," he told her honestly as they reached the elevators and he pushed the up button. "If anything, I've been the most self-absorbed person around. I mean…the things I've said to people. I've been pushing everyone away."
"You're getting better now," she reassured him, pressing her hand to his arm. "You took me out tonight, and I had so much fun, you don't even realize how much." He's so sweet, I don't want him to think so negatively of himself.
"I had so much fun too," Chris said, "I want to do this again. Soon."
"I want to as well," Stephanie nodded as they climbed on the conveyance. "It's just nice to step away from life for a while, don't you think?" It can almost make you feel like you're a different person. Sometimes that feels so freeing, to be like a completely different person. Takes you away from all the other crap in your life.
"Absolutely," he told her, "we should do something tomorrow, do you think Paul would mind? I'm not sure if you guys are like, going home or something, but if you aren't, I would love to go out with you again, during the daylight hours even!"
"Shocking!" Stephanie laughed. "I don't think he'd have a problem with that." I don't think he really cares about anything I do as long as it means he gets to stay in my dad's pocket. Anything that still means he gets to whisper all his ideas into my father's ear is good enough for him.
"Good." If Paul had a brain in his head, he would want to be around Stephanie, but he never claimed to know if Paul did have a brain or not. "Here we are."
"Yeah, here we are," Stephanie said as they paused in front of the door Stephanie mentioned as being her own, "can you hold my ice cream while I look for my keycard?"
"No, I don't think I'm capable of holding ice cream," Chris told her as he took the cup from her. Stephanie rolled her eyes and searched through her purse for her keycard. Chris looked over her shoulder as she rummaged through her possessions. Neither one of them noticed the door opening in front of them.
"Stephanie, what are you doing?"
"Dear God, Paul, you scared the crap out of me," Stephanie said, pressing her hand to her heart. He needs to learn to stop doing that, God, sometimes, I swear, he's like a cat.
"I wasn't expecting you back this early," Paul told her. I kind of hoped you would stay out all night, give me a little peace and quiet without your constant yapping. You're worse than a puppy dog, so clingy and needy.
"Well when did you expect her back?" Chris asked, incensed by Paul's thoughts. Unfortunately, he couldn't just punch the man with no provocation. How long had Stephanie been living with a guy who couldn't care less about her whereabouts. At the very least, Paul should care where she is.
"Later," Paul shrugged.
"Chris and I had fun," Stephanie told him brightly.
"Yeah, that's cool," Paul said, but his tone was indifferent. Stephanie's face fell a little bit. He could at least be happy that I'm happy. It's not like I expected him to be a jealous husband or anything, but at the very least, he could feel something.
"Chris wanted to take me out tomorrow," Stephanie said, "I told him that I was going to."
"Great, that's great, you should go out," Paul told her. Finally, someone to take her off my hands. I was getting sick and tired of constantly spending time with her. It'll be so much easier if I don't have to see her as much. Hell, maybe Chris can just take her off my hands all the time. Wait, no, that wouldn't be good. I don't want her falling for him or something. That would ruin everything. I've got Stephanie right where I want her. "Actually, you know what, maybe that's not the best idea. Didn't you want to go home?"
"But that was before Chris invited me out," Stephanie said, "we can always go home tomorrow night. Chris just wanted to spend the day with me, right, Chris?"
Stephanie looked over to Chris, but his jaw was set tightly. She couldn't understand his change in demeanor, but he looked upset. No, he looked more than upset, he looked downright pissed. He hadn't even been this angry when he'd caught Barbie cheating on him. What was making him so angry right now? Does he not want to go out with me anymore? Did I say something wrong? Maybe he's interpreting this as me choosing him over my husband? Oh no, he probably thinks I'm in love with him or something. How can I get out of this?
"Yeah, that's right," Chris said, shooting daggers at Paul with his eyes. He wants to spend time with me!
"See, it's just for the day."
"Well, maybe I want to spend the day with you," Paul told her. If she thinks that I want to spend time with her, then she won't want to hang around with Chris. I can't have him trying to take what's mine. I've already put enough time into this relationship, but I just can't have her going away. Not now, not when everything is so close. Vince is so close to retiring, and when that happens, I've got everything I wanted. I can suffer through one day with her.
"You do?" Stephanie asked. He never wants to spend a day together. What does this mean? Is he jealous of Chris or something? Is he really jealous over me? I didn't know he would ever be jealous over me.
"Yeah, of course I do. You're my wife, and I've just realized we haven't spent nearly enough time with one another. I guess we've been letting the real world get in the way too much, stupid work and what not. I want to take you out."
"That's sweet," Stephanie said, "but Chris asked me first. We can go out when we get home. That's alright, isn't it?"
Son of a bitch! "Um, yeah, sure," he faltered just slightly and Chris scoffed under his breath. He just needed one word, just one spoken word and it would be lights out for Paul. He was already on edge after his earlier thoughts, but the more Paul thought, the more murderous Chris's own thoughts became. Stephanie didn't deserve this. Stephanie deserved better than this. He was sure now, he was so sure that she was the one he had to listen to. The curse had been listening to others, to think of others before himself, and Stephanie was it. Stephanie was the one he was supposed to help.
"We're going to have a great time," Chris said through gritted teeth, "I promise you that, Stephanie. Hey, since Paul thought you were going to stay out later than you were, why don't you come up to my room and we'll watch a movie or something, Paul, you wouldn't mind, you did say you expected her later."
What is his game here? Does he really think he's going to take her from me? Fuck that, it's not going to happen, I'm not going to let that fucking happen. "Well, yeah, I did say that—"
"Great, let's go, Stephanie," Chris grabbed her hand. "I'll have her back later, whenever later may be, if you figure out what you meant, let us know!"
Chris pulled Stephanie down the hallway back towards the elevators. What is he doing! He's crazy, he's absolutely crazy! "Chris, what are we doing?"
"We're having fun, what does it look like we're doing?" he told her with a laugh. Her face was the brightest he'd ever seen it. She looked just happy, just plain happy without pretense or anything hidden underneath. She was just happy.
If the universe was telling him to listen to Stephanie, he was going to listen.
