Okay peeps, I just got back from vacation and hurried to finish and post this because I felt bad that I didn't do it before I left. As usual, thanks for the reviews and the favorites. Please keep them coming, I'd love to hear your ideas for what you'd like to see as well as your opinions on what you have seen. Enjoy!

Chapter 36…

Thursday…

Jordan watched as Jason typed away on his phone and she sipped her mimosa. They were both waiting on Celia who had called them the day before, insisting that they meet her for brunch because she had, in her words, major news.

"Can you get off your phone for like two seconds?" Jordan glared. "You know, pretty soon, I'm not gonna be around as much. You could at least pretend you want to savor the time you get to spend with your best friend."

She'd been trying not to think about it very much but, despite her excitement about the show, she was sad at the idea of not working with Jason and Matt anymore. She knew she would still see them when she was home but she worried things wouldn't be the same.

"I am not gonna miss you nearly as much as you think," Jason looked back up at her. He kept a straight face for a few seconds until she gave him the finger and he cracked, laughing. "You know I'm gonna miss you, stupid. That text was actually about a surprise guest I'm trying to set up for your last show."

"Who?" Jordan asked, intrigued.

"Did you not just hear me say surprise?" he asked.

"Jason, be nice, you know how much she hates surprises."

Jordan stood up, turning when she heard Celia's voice, "About damn time."

"I'm only like 15 minutes late," the blonde smiled, rushing over and pulling her into a hug. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Jordan squeezed her. She hadn't seen her friend in almost 2 months. Their schedules just never seemed to mesh.

"Why am I even here?" Jason said drily.

"Come here Jay," Celia let go of Jordan. "You know I love you too."

Once they all sat down and discussed how long it had been since they'd seen each other, Jason asked the same question Jordan had in mind: "So what are we doing here?"

"Well," Celia smiled from ear to ear. Her left hand had been under the table but she pulled it out, holding it up.

Jordan was nearly blinded by the giant rock on her finger.

"Whaat?" Jason stared.

"Holy hell," Jordan grabbed her friend's hand, inspecting the ring to make sure this wasn't a joke. When she got a closer look it was clear. This was the real deal. The ring was absolutely perfect for Celia. It was what she'd always wanted: huge but somehow not too much.

Celia giggled gleefully, "Isn't it everything?"

"It's like you froze the lake and put it on your finger," Jason stared at it.

"Wait..I'm confused," Jordan shook her head. "The last time I saw you, you were single and claiming you were taking a break from men."

"The last time I saw you, you were dancing on a bar, drunk off your ass. And you definitely didn't have that thing."

"Well, you both know I went to Italy with my parents for a few weeks," Celia explained. "And while I was there, I went out by myself one day and I met Benjamin. He was vacationing alone, incredibly lost, and knew very, very little Italian. He heard me ordering food and asked me for help. I spent the rest of my trip with him."

Jordan listened as Celia recounted the tales of their trip. She was beaming. She'd never seen her friend so happy.

"My parents went home and I stayed an extra week with him," Celia explained. "And then on the last day, we made plans to see each other back in the states. He lives in New York. I didn't want to leave him but I had to get back to work. When I got home from the store on my first day back, he was outside my building with this. He'd even asked my father for my hand."

"That is insane," Jason shook his head.

Jordan smacked him on the arm. She didn't think he was exactly wrong but Celia was obviously over the moon.

"It's okay, he's right," the blonde laughed. "I know it sounds crazy but I never believed in love at first sight until I met him. He's everything I've ever dreamed of."

"So when's the wedding?" Jordan asked. "Next year?"

"Actually," Celia smiled. "It's gonna be at the end of the year. New Year's Eve."

"What?!" Jordan and Jason spoke in unison.

"I know it's fast but we just don't want to wait that long," Celia explained. "And you both know New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday."

"I feel like you're forgetting when New Year's is," Jason said. "You're gonna plan a wedding in less than 3 months? You, the person who took 6 months to pick out a dress for graduation?"

"That was different," Celia waved. She turned to Jordan, grasping her hand, "I want you to be my maid of honor, Jo."

Finally a part of this that didn't surprise her. Jordan had never been the type to imagine what her wedding would be like but Celia had and she made it clear that when she did get married, Jordan would be standing up for her.

"Of course honey, whatever you need," Jordan said. "If you're sure about this."

"I'm positive," Celia insisted. "I've never been happier."

"Or crazier," Jason smirked.

Celia pointed her butterknife at him, "Oh I think you've seen me crazier."

Jason laughed, reaching over to hug her, "You know I'm happy for you."

"I'm so glad you both came today," Celia said. "I couldn't possibly have waited any longer to tell you but I didn't want to do it over the phone."

"You wanted to see our faces when you told us this madness?" Jordan laughed, finishing her mimosa.

"Of course," Celia said. "Now, you know what's going on with my love life. Tell me about yours."

"Yeah Jordan, tell her about yours," Jason smirked.

"Shut up Jay," she pointed. She turned to Celia, "Mine is boring and Jason's is non-existent. And we don't wanna talk about that anyway. We want to hear everything about Benjamin."

Layla absently tapped her foot, looking down at her phone. She'd been debating whether or not to make the call for 5 minutes.

"This is silly," Beth laughed, sitting on the other bed in the room. "Just give me the phone. I'll call him."

They were both appearing on that week's NXT show so they were in Florida for 2 days. She remembered John mentioning that the developmental program was pretty close to where he lived. When they checked into the hotel, she had the idea to call him but since they'd gotten into the room, she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. She'd never actually had to be the one to do the asking.

"I don't need you to call him," she informed her friend.

"Well someone has to," Beth insisted. "The phone isn't gonna dial on its own. I don't know why you're nervous. He said he wanted to go out again."

"Right but then he didn't ask again."

"Probably because he's focused on rehabbing that elbow," Beth said. "Just call him. Rip it off like a band aid."

"Okay, okay," Layla said. "Just be quiet."

"I won't make a sound," Beth assured her.

Before she could think about it any longer, she found John's name and called. He picked up after one ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi," she said, thrown off by how quickly he answered. "It's Layla."

"I know," he chuckled. "My arm is hurt but my eyes are still working pretty well. What's up?"

"I'm in Florida today and tomorrow," she explained. "Beth and I are doing the NXT show tonight. I thought you might want to do dinner or something."

"I can't tomorrow but I can probably do something tonight after the show if you're up for it."

"I am, definitely," she said quickly. "Tonight sounds great."

"Okay then," he said. "I'll come to the show and we can go out after."

"That'll be great," she smiled. "I'll see you then."

"See you later. Bye."

She hung up the phone, tossing it onto the bed.

Beth smiled, "See? I told you."

"You did," Layla nodded. "Now tell me what to wear tonight."

Jordan dropped her purse and keys on the coffee table and then plopped down onto the couch. She had a little while before she had to head to the airport and she wished she could just go back to sleep. A nap wasn't a great idea though, she knew if she fell asleep, there was no way she would get up on time. She kicked off her heels and turned on the TV, figuring she would just clear a little DVR space before she had to leave.

Her phone started ringing and she leaned forward, pulling it out of her purse. She saw John's name and made a mental note to take a silly picture of him to assign for his calls. She had one for the rest of her friends.

"Hello there," she answered, flipping through the channels.

"Hey. What are you up to?"

"Just got home from a very odd brunch," she admitted. "My friend Celia is getting married."

"Why is that odd?" he asked, confused. "You're not one of those girls who get all weird when one of their friends gets engaged, are you?"

"How dare you suggest such a thing?" she laughed. "It's just odd because she's known him for like a minute. And she's notoriously flighty when it comes to relationships but…I don't know. I've never seen her like this. It seems legit."

"Well good for her," John said. "Sometimes people don't need a lot of time. You just meet people and you know they're good for you."

"Are you one of those love at first sight saps?" she teased, putting her feet up on the couch.

"Not exactly," he laughed. "But I think you can have a connection with someone right away. Don't you?"

"Yeah I guess so," she said. She wasn't normally quick to let people in but recently she'd grown close to people faster than she ever had. Arden, John, especially Phil.

"So do you get to be in the wedding and wear an ugly dress?"

"I am in the wedding but there will be no ugly dress," Jordan laughed, pulling a pillow onto her lap. "Celia has impeccable taste. She used to be a department store buyer. Now she owns a boutique."

"Near you?"

"It's not terribly far from my house," she answered. "And she gives me free clothes all the time. My bank account appreciates her greatly. So..how was rehab today?"

"I'm getting better by the minute," he said, his tone positive. She was glad. She knew being unable to work was driving him crazy.

"Can you lift a car with your bad arm yet?" she smirked.

"Not yet but we're working on that tomorrow," he laughed. "Tonight, I have a date."

"You scamp!" she laughed. "Why didn't you start with that?"

He chuckled, "Layla called. She's down here for NXT. We're going to dinner after the show."

"That's awesome," she said. "Try to have a great time. Don't think about any drama."

"I won't," he assured her.

Jordan's phone beeped and she pulled it away from her ear, looking down at the text she received. It was from Phil.

Let me know when you get to NY. Good luck tomorrow.

She raised her eyebrows, rereading the message. They hadn't spoken very much but in the last few days. She pressed the phone back to her ear, "Am I an asshole?"

"What?" he laughed. "I don't think so. Where'd that come from?"

She gave him the full rundown on what happened Monday night.

"So now he's mad at me and I'm mad at him," she finished. "Again."

"You're not an asshole Jordan," he said. "But..You are kind of wrong for being mad at him."

"I knew you were gonna say that," she narrowed her eyes, absently nibbling at her thumbnail.

"He's not wrong to be upset. This is something that means a lot to him and he wants you to be there," he explained. "Just last week he went to your parents' house, most likely endured a lecture from your dad, and put up with your crazy ass ex-boyfriend."

Jordan thought back to the party. Phil had to endure a healthy dose of annoyance thanks to Dex but he didn't complain once. They stayed until the last person left. She and Phil helped Grace clean up while Colt sat with Wes and her father talking about who knows what.

"Okay, now I feel bad," she said. "Thanks for that."

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," he insisted. "And I'm not saying he doesn't have a childish way of expressing his feelings sometimes. But..I think the way he reacted should show you how much you mean to him. If it weren't important for you to be by his side, he would've shrugged it off."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do about it now?" she asked, frustrated.

"I don't know," he laughed. "But I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Arden walked into her bathroom to finish packing up her toiletries before she left for the airport. She had to be ready to go soon. She opened the cabinet door, knowing she needed to start using her new lotion. She'd finished the previous jar the night before. When she looked for the box that contained her favorite lotion, Body Crème by La Mer, she was surprised to find the plastic wrapping around the box gone. She narrowed her eyes, opening the box and pulling out the small, pale blue jar. When she opened it, her fear was confirmed. The jar was almost empty. One jar of that lotion cost over 200 dollars. She knew it was extravagant but she'd used Allison's once and became completely hooked on it. And she worked hard for her money, she didn't feel bad about spending it on herself.

"Arden sweetheart."

Arden all but growled when she turned to face her mother who had waltzed into the bathroom wearing a brightly printed silk kimono and Arden's favorite slippers.

"You're out of wine, love," Odette announced.

"How is that possible?" Arden questioned. "When I left a few days ago the cooler was half full."

"I've been very tense."

Arden rolled her eyes. She couldn't imagine what would make her tense enough to drink 7 bottles of wine in a few days.

"Did you use my lotion?" she held up the jar.

Odette nodded, looking at herself in the mirror, "I took a bath the other night and I realized I was out so I used yours."

"All of it?" Arden stared.

"Yes dear, I have skin like a mummy, it's genetic, you should be worried," Odette shrugged. She grabbed Arden's moisturizer from the counter and undid the top, tossing it haphazardly into the sink before dabbing some around her eyes.

Arden took a deep breath and tried counting to 10 in her head. She only made it to 7, "When are you leaving mom?"

"You know, I'm glad you asked," Odette smiled, turning to her. "I was thinking that I should just stay."

"Stay..here?"

"Isn't that a great idea?" Odette was practically giggling. "You're rarely ever home, someone should really be here to watch the house."

"Watch the house?" Arden put her hands on her hips. "What? In case it goes somewhere?"

"Don't be snide, it reminds me of your father," Odette pointed.

"Why don't you call him? See if you can stay at his house?" Arden suggested, ignoring the jab. He'd always been the more practical of the two.

"You know, I think I understand why you've been so short with me," Odette pointed.

Arden highly doubted that, "Why?"

"Because I interrupted your night with that delectable boyfriend of yours," the blonde smirked.

"Please don't call him delectable," Arden shook her head. "That's really not okay."

"I don't blame you for being upset," Odette continued. "I'm sure you two were planning on making use of that time alone."

"You are grossing me out right now," Arden pointed.

"Sweetheart, there is nothing gross about having sex," Odette insisted. "Especially not with someone so attractive."

"Oh my God," Arden covered her ears, walking out past her mother. "This conversation is not happening."

"He must be fantastic," Odette smiled. "He's so athletic."

"If you love me at all you will stop talking," Arden said, her ears still covered.

"What's wrong?" her mother giggled. "Honey, it's alright for a mother and daughter to talk about these things."

"There's nothing to talk about," Arden said without thinking. "We haven't even had sex."

As soon as she said it, she knew she'd made things even worse.

"Why on Earth not?" Odette looked stunned.

"I am not going to discuss this with you mom."

"Darling," Odette's face took on a grave expression and she walked over, putting her hands on Arden's shoulders. She looked serious and concerned. "Are you a virgin?"

Arden looked around for her phone. She was going to kill her mother soon and she wanted to have the phone handy to call 911.

"No, I am not a virgin," Arden answered.

"Oh good," Odette let go of her shoulders. "You had me scared."

"I'm leaving," Arden grabbed her phone and purse. "I have to leave right now before you start talking again."

She went into her room to get her suitcase and when she sensed her mother opening her mouth to speak she turned to her, "Not another word woman."

Odette pretended to zip her lips, stifling a giggle.

Once she had everything she needed, she walked toward the door. She stopped before leaving, turning around, "I will be back next week. And by then, you need to have a plan that doesn't involve moving into my house forever."

"Safe travels, dear," Odette said cheerfully.

Arden rolled her eyes, putting her sunglasses on, "Thanks mom."

7:30PM

Phil took his seat next to Colt as the lights went down. He'd just finished introducing Best in the World.

"I wonder what's gonna happen," Colt whispered dramatically.

Phil laughed, rolling his eyes. He was having a good time. It had been raining all day but the fan turnout was great. He had friends and family around him. The only damper on his day was the tension that remained between him and Jordan. He still wasn't thrilled that she had to be out of town but he realized that it wasn't her fault. He couldn't exactly expect her to put her work above him. He knew she would never expect that from him. He just reacted the way he did because he didn't quite realize how much he wanted her there until he found out she wouldn't be. Now he felt like a bit of an idiot. He hadn't heard from her all day. He texted her but he didn't get a response. They were going to have to work on their communication. The problem seemed to be that neither of them was good at being the cooler head. One would get mad and then the other did the same. They were too much alike sometimes.

He heard shuffling behind him and assumed his friend Marty, who was sitting in the seat directly behind his, had to get up for something. He looked down at his phone, checking to see if she texted him back. She was probably still mad but he wanted to know that she got there safely. He wasn't sure what time her flight was due in. As he was about to put his phone away, he got a text. From Jordan.

You're supposed to put your phone away during the movie.

He frowned, confused, "What the hell?"

"What's wrong?" Colt asked.

Phil showed Colt his phone and Colt laughed, "No idea."

He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, he felt a kick at the back of his seat. He and Colt both turned and when he saw Jordan sitting behind him, next to Marty, he was actually speechless for a second. There she was, wearing a Daniel Bryan shirt. She winked at him and waved. He smiled, shaking his head.

"Nice shirt," he said.

"Watch your movie," she gestured for him to turn around.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Trying not to be an asshole," she smirked.

"What?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Phil noticed that a few rows behind them, a fan had his phone up and seemed more interested in them than the big screen. Jordan caught on pretty quickly.

She leaned forward, "We'll talk later."

Still surprised, he listened, turning around in his seat.

"Have I mentioned before how much I like her?" Colt whispered to him.

"Yeah you have," Phil nodded, glancing back at her again. She was quietly talking to Marty. "I like her too."

John put his hands in his pockets, walking toward the restaurant. He'd gotten caught up at the gym longer than he intended and he and Layla decided to meet instead of him picking her up.

"Fancy meeting you here."

He turned when he heard Layla's voice. She was just getting out of a car parked a few spaces away from his. She smiled, waving at him.

"I thought you were gonna beat me here," he said.

"I should have," she laughed. "But trying to get pretty in that tiny little locker room is harder than you could ever imagine."

"You look great," he assured her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "You ready to go inside?"

"Of course," he offered her his arm and they headed toward the doors. Once they were seated, John felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled the phone out, seeing a picture message from Jordan.

She was making a silly face and pointing at the back of, presumably, Phil's head. Colt was behind her, pretending to bite the top of her ponytail.

I'm taking your advice. At least I think I am. You were sort of vague.

Within seconds, she sent a follow up message

Have fun tonight! Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

He laughed, beginning to text her back. He was curious to find out how she'd worked things out. Then he heard Layla clear her throat and he looked up, "I'm sorry. Hard to tear myself away from this thing sometimes."

"I understand," she laughed. "Sometimes I think I need to have mine surgically removed from my hand. Why don't we both turn them off for a while?"

He pressed the power button on his phone and put it on the table, "Sounds like a plan."

Jordan felt more relaxed than she had in days, sitting back in her chair, watching Best in the World for the second time. If she remembered correctly, there was about 15 minutes left. Phil kept sneaking glances at her and she couldn't help but giggle. The surprised look on his face when he saw her had been worth all of the trouble.

She noticed him getting up from his seat and she frowned, wondering where he was going. He stopped at the end of her aisle, looking toward the door and then back at her. She should have known he wouldn't make it until the end. She stood, apologizing to Marty as she stepped over him. They walked down a few rows until they found an empty one and then they walked across it so they weren't going directly through the rows of fans. They walked along the side of the theater and out the door into the lobby.

He turned to her and she smiled, waving at him again. He grabbed the sides of her face, pulling her into a kiss. She put her arms around him, enjoying the feel and smell of him. After a few seconds he pulled away, leaving her wanting more.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I changed my flight," she explained. "I have to leave pretty much the moment this is over and I probably won't be able to sleep tonight but..I couldn't miss it."

She wiped her lip gloss away from his lips and he caught her hand, "I'm sorry I acted like such an asshole."

"Me too," she laughed. "I should have figured this out right away. I didn't try as hard as I should have to find a way to get here."

"Was the shirt really necessary?" he tugged at the hem.

"Of course it was," she smiled. "This whole thing is too cutesy if I don't give you a little shit."

"Good point," he said, putting his hands on her waist.

"You two done sucking face yet?"

Jordan laughed, turning to Colt, "There was no face sucking happening."

Colt looked at her like she'd just told him Santa Claus was real.

Phil put his arm around her neck, kissing the side of her head, "She's telling the truth."

"Whatever," Colt rolled his eyes. "I'm going to get the cookies. You should get back in there Brooks. Show's almost over."

Jordan remembered Phil saying he wanted to hand out cookies and milk to the fans a la Andy Kaufman.

"You want some help?" Jordan asked.

"From you? Of course," Colt offered her his elbow.

She reluctantly pulled herself away from Phil, looping her arm through Colt's.

"Seriously?" Phil laughed. "Did you move around your schedule to hang out with Colt?"

"I did it to support you sweet cheeks," she winked at him. "Now go. Let me help."

John signed the check and then handed it back to the smiling waitress. He and Layla had both finished their meals about an hour earlier but they stayed to talk. He was having a nice time. Layla was good company. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop feeling like he was having dinner with his sister. There just wasn't any spark there at all. And he was beginning to think she felt it too. They'd just fallen into this platonic space and he didn't see them getting out of it.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I can finally walk now," Layla laughed, patting her stomach as she stood. They walked outside and he went with her to her car.

Once they reached it, they both stood awkwardly, John with his hands in his pockets and Layla with her arms crossed over her chest.

"So…" he sighed, unsure of what to say next.

"We're probably not going to do this again, are we?"

He was caught off guard and couldn't form a proper response at first, "I uh..well.."

"It's alright," she laughed, touching his arm. "You and I both know this didn't go exactly the way we expected."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed, relieved that he wasn't alone in his feelings. "I'm sorry Layla. I..I think maybe I'm just not ready to do this yet."

"You don't have to apologize," she assured him. "When you are ready just..keep me in mind."

He smiled, "I will."

"You know it is not necessary for you to come with me."

Phil smirked, looking over at her. She was sitting with her back against the car door, eating McDonald's fries. She'd insisted to him several times that he didn't have to accompany her to the airport but he didn't mind at all. Besides, it was an excuse to keep the SUV the company sent to take him to the theater out a little longer. She'd done enough for him that night. He could handle a ride to the airport. After the movie, she and Colt, along with a few other friends, handed out all of the milk and cookies. Then she helped to line up fans during an impromptu question and answer session. He felt bad that he'd thrown a temper tantrum but he couldn't say he wasn't happy with the outcome. It felt good to know that she cared so much.

"I know I didn't have to," he took one of her fries. "I'm only doing this to keep your stubborn ass off the train."

"You need to get over the whole train thing," she laughed. "You take the train sometimes."

"I've told you before, that's different," he pointed.

"You are a million times more famous than me," she reminded him. "It is far more dangerous for you to be riding the train."

"Not a million," he laughed. "And I'm also tougher than you."

She rolled her eyes, "Blah, blah, blah."

He glared at her and she laughed, "So did tonight go the way you wanted?"

"Tonight was awesome," he assured her, pulling her legs over his. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," she said, offering him another fry. "I wanted to be there with you. And you looked pretty cute when you first saw me."

"What did I tell you about calling me cute?" he glared.

"I don't know, something about how you don't like it," she shrugged. "I probably wasn't listening."

He pinched her just above her knee and she nearly jumped through the roof of the car.

"Hey!" she pointed at him. "Not cool."

He grabbed the McDonald's bag in her hand, holding it away from her. She tried to get it back and he managed to pull her so that she was straddling his lap.

"You're a sneaky man," she pointed at him.

"You like it," he smirked, his hands on the small of her back.

"You got me there," she kissed him. "I do like you. Even though I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight."

He smiled up at her happily. It wasn't often that he could say he was genuinely surprised but she certainly kept him on his toes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she smiled, running a finger along his jawline.

"Because I wish you could stay," he admitted. He wanted to have the driver turn around and take them back to his house.

"Well you're out of luck buddy," she laughed. "I can only retool my schedule once for you per day."

Tuesday…

"So that was it?" Randy asked as John finished recounting his dinner with Layla. He was on his way home from an appointment with his doctor.

"That was it," John confirmed. "We went our separate ways."

"You disappoint me," Randy sighed, pulling into his driveway and pressing the garage door opener.

"I apologize for that," John said. His voice sounded clipped and tense, like he was in pain. "Maybe I just have a mental block because the divorce isn't final."

"I suppose that's a possibility," Randy conceded. "How's the arm doing?"

"It's a huge pain in the ass," John admitted. "It's getting better but..it's still making things difficult. You know, Ashley may be crazy as hell but at least she was around last time I was hurt. It was nice to have help."

"Well why don't I come help you?" Randy offered.

"You?" John laughed. "Come help me what?"

"Get around, stupid," Randy laughed. "I'm off for a couple of days, I could come help you out before I have to be back at work."

"Randy Orton coming to play nurse?" John laughed. "I'd love to see that."

"Then you will," Randy laughed. "I'll book the flight tonight. Get a nice room ready for me."

"Aren't you supposed to be trying to help me?" John asked.

"Once I get there," Randy clarified. "Until then, you have to fend for yourself."

"Ladies and gentlemen, Since the first of the month we've been celebrating Punktober in honor of my favorite wrestler and yours. And now, the time has come. Right here in studio I have the man, the myth, the legend: CM Punk."

"Wow," Phil deadpanned after that dramatic introduction. He was recording a podcast with Jake West, a popular host he'd never met before. He was just glad he remembered where he was. It was the release date for his DVD and he felt like every moment of his day was booked.

"Thanks for doing the show, it's great to have you here," Jake said.

"It's great to be here," he smiled. "Today is a good day."

"It's a great day," Jake laughed. "It's finally here, the release of Best in the World."

"Finally," Phil laughed. "It's only been 7 years."

"I hear you had a big hand in the creation of this DVD, is that true?"

"It is," Phil nodded. "I feel like I've birthed a strange, disc shaped baby."

"I got an advanced copy-"

"Who approved that? I didn't okay that," Phil joked.

"It's really fantastic," the host gushed. "I hear you had a big premiere in your home town last week. How was that?"

"That was a great night," Phil said. "It rained cats and dogs all day but the fans were lined up for hours."

"And you ordered pizzas for them, right?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do," Phil nodded. "If I waited all day in the rain, a slice of pizza would seem like a nice gesture of gratitude."

"I'm sure it was much appreciated," Jake said. "Did you have a lot of friends and family there?"

"I did," Phil smiled. "It was awesome. I had a lot of my friends there. People I grew up with. At the end of the night I answered some questions and my best friend and my girlfriend handed out cookies."

The sentence was barely out of Phil's mouth before he realized what he'd said. He'd never actually referred to Jordan as his girlfriend and, of course, it slips out in the middle of a damn interview. Maybe Jake didn't notice. He hoped he didn't notice.

"I'm sorry, did you say girlfriend?"

Damn it.

"What?" Phil played dumb.

"Would you be referring to Jordan Wyatt?" Jake asked. "Because there's a lot of rumors going around about the two of you and there were some fans that reported her being there that night and helping out."

"Uh," Phil scratched his chin, a stupid laugh escaping him. "Jordan was there, yeah."

"So are you confirming that you and Jordan are an item?"

Phil laughed, shrugging, "Jordan is a great girl. That's all I can really say about that right now."

"If I had a chance with that, I'd be shouting it from the roof tops."

"I'm sure you would," Phil laughed. "But you'd also never have a chance."

The rest of the conversation flowed very smoothly from there. But he had a feeling the 'girlfriend' comment was going to come back to bite him.

Beth tapped her foot anxiously, looking around the room. She hated waiting rooms. She was seeing her doctor for a follow up on her knee and she just wanted to get back there so she could get the hell out. Her knee felt fine. Not that it mattered. Eve and Kaitlyn were feuding over the Divas Championship and there was no push in sight for her. She'd heard rumors that the higher ups were worried about her durability thanks to her recent injury. Of course, no one would admit to that. Maybe there was some validity to it. She wasn't going to be able to wrestle forever. But she certainly had a few more years in her. She just needed to convince the company of that.

Maybe she needed to learn to play the game a little better. She always tried to be professional and respectful but she never really kissed anyone's ass. She didn't like the idea of changing that but if she could just get in with the right people, she was sure she could improve her standing. She knew it wasn't healthy to give in to such desperate thinking but she couldn't help it. AJ was getting a huge push as the general manager of Raw. Eve was the only heel diva with any real heat. Beth felt purposeless.

If she could just get Stephanie in her corner, she could be the top diva again. Unfortunately, every time she saw Stephanie lately, Jordan wasn't far behind. And despite Layla's defection to the dark side, Beth was still not a fan. But maybe she didn't have to be. Maybe she just needed to make it look like she was.

Arden watched as Jordan danced around in front of the photographer. They had discovered their mutual love of The Black Keys and their most recent album, El Camino, was blasting loudly through the surround sound. She was trying to get some work done but the music was distracting. She saw her phone light up and picked it up, smiling when she saw a new text from Nick.

Want me to pick you and Jordan up on Wednesday?

-That would be great.

K. Just let me know when you're getting in. How are things with your houseguest?

Arden cringed at the thought of her last conversation with her mother, She thinks you're delectable

Well she's right about that.

She also wants to move in with me, Arden typed back.

Ouch. No sleepovers at your house then

She laughed, Were you planning one?

I think about it all the time.

Arden felt her cheeks getting hot as she read his last message. He was good at getting that reaction out of her.

"Ginge, can you give me my phone?"

Arden looked up. Jordan had come over, drinking from a bottle of water.

"Sure thing foxy lady," Arden laughed, reaching into Jordan's purse and pulling out her phone. She tossed it to her friend who deftly caught it while chugging more of her water. "Have you looked at any of the pictures?"

"I don't want to," Jordan laughed. "I feel like I'm doing well and if I find out I'm wrong I'll be devastated."

"You're doing great," Arden assured her.

Jordan's eyebrows shot up when she looked at her phone.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing just..In the last hour, I've had a massive surge in Twitter followers," Jordan explained. "Usually that means a person did something either very good or very bad."

"What did you do?" Arden playfully narrowed her eyes.

"Got me," Jordan shrugged.

Arden picked up her own phone, "I'll check the google alert."

"You have a google alert on me?" Jordan asked. "You really are the best."

"All part of the job dear," Arden shrugged. She selected the alert and the first few links she saw were all from separate wrestling sites, all with the same headline. She read it out loud for Jordan, "CM Punk confirms girlfriend rumors."

"Say what now?" Jordan stared.

Arden opened one of the links and read, smiling, "CM Punk appeared on Jake West's podcast this morning and a small snippet was released online. In it, he mentioned his girlfriend attending his DVD premiere. According to all fan accounts from the event, that person would be Jordan Wyatt. When asked directly if they were dating, he did not deny that he was referring to her."

Jordan shook her head, rolling her eyes, "That was a misleading headline. He didn't confirm anything."
"Then why are you blushing?" Arden smirked. She could definitely see a flush creeping up Jordan's cheeks.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jordan tried to hide a smile by drinking her water. "I have to get back to work."

12:00AM

Jordan wiped steam away from the mirror, laughing when she got a glimpse of herself. She was in an extremely plush, hotel provided robe. She'd taken a shower but somehow the smoky makeup they'd put around her eyes at the end of the photo shoot had only smudged more instead of coming off. The artist had warned her that most of it was waterproof. There were a few patches where it was lighter than it was before but she was going to have to scrub a lot more if she had any hope of ridding herself of it completely. She walked into the bedroom, realizing she'd accidentally left music playing on her laptop. She picked up her phone, snapping a picture of herself making a coy face that looked ridiculous thanks to the makeup. She texted the picture to Phil, plopping down on the bed as the next song began. It had been such a long day, she just wanted to go to sleep. Well, she would after she polished off half of the box of Cheez-Its that she bought from the store in the lobby.

Pomp and Circumstance blared loudly from her phone and Jordan sighed, picking it up. She couldn't stifle a smile when she saw Phil's picture. She answered quickly.

"Hola."

"You look like a sexy raccoon," Phil laughed.

"Oh yeah," she smirked. "I'm super sexy. I'm eating Cheez-its in bed."

"That sounds sexy," he said. "What are you wearing?"

"A hotel robe that I'm seriously considering stealing," She looked down at herself, toying with the belt. "Either I'm completely exhausted or it is literally the most comfortable thing ever made."

"Photo shoots are not exhausting," he chuckled. "Wimp."

"You don't know what it's like to have to change hair, makeup, and wardrobe about 57 times while constantly being reminded to arch your back and stick out your ass," she argued.

"Oh poor you," he feigned sympathy. "If only you weren't so good looking and people didn't want to take your picture."

"Shut up," she laughed.

"Are you listening to Huey Lewis?"

Jordan had tuned out the music but when she listened, she heard the familiar melody of 'Stuck With You'.

"Yes I am," she agreed. "And if you say one bad word about Huey Lewis and The News and I swear I will hang up on you."

"You have terrible taste," he laughed.

"You are not being very nice to me," she said. "Did you call just to antagonize me?"

She wondered for a moment if he'd called to address the whole 'girlfriend' thing but he hadn't brought it up yet so maybe he didn't want to.

"I am super nice," he insisted, "I can prove it."

"How?" she frowned, turning off the music. She figured she would be going to bed shortly after their phone call.

"Look in the bottom of your suitcase," he instructed.

She raised an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it. "Why?"

"Just do it," he ordered.

"If something jumps out at me, you're dead," she threatened.

"Duly noted," he sighed. "Look in your bag."

She walked over to her suitcase, flipping open the top. She hadn't actually looked in it all day. She'd worn a t-shirt and denim shorts to the photo shoot that she'd found at the very top of the bag.

She dug through the clothes, interest piqued more and more by the moment. When she reached the bottom, she found a black box from Lush, one of her absolute favorite stores.

"What is this?" she asked, pulling off the top.

"You tell me," he said. She could hear the smirk.

Inside, she found her three favorite bath bombs in addition to her favorite body lotion.

She giggled when she saw the DVD he'd so graciously signed for her at the bottom of the box.

"Best in the World?" she smirked. "Really?"

That's in case you miss me," he laughed.

"How did you do this?"

"I have my ways," Phil smirked, walking out onto the balcony of his hotel room.

"Dylan?" she guessed.

She hit the nail on the head. He'd called and placed the order at the store but Dylan had to pick it up and sneak it into her room for him.

"Yeah, he gave me a bit of an assist," Phil admitted.

"How did you know all my favorites?" she asked.

"I'm observant," he answered. There was also the fact that she'd dragged him into the store once because she had to 'pick up one quick thing' and walked out with two huge bags full. He figured that meant she was a pretty big fan. "And I thought you would need some of that stuff after the shoot today."

"I'm glad one of us thought of that," she said, sounding very pleased. "Thank you for this. It's very sweet."

"Yeah well, you were gonna have to see that side of me eventually," he laughed, looking out into the night sky.

"Is that part of the perks of being your girlfriend?" she teased.

He wondered how long it would take her to bring that up. He'd gotten a bunch of fangirl tweets earlier that day thanks to Jake releasing that clip. He knew there was no way that she didn't know about it.

"Girlfriend? Who called you that?" he asked, scratching the top of his head. He was still getting used to his newly shorn hair.

"Some weirdo on a podcast, can't remember his name," she said dryly. "We might as well just embrace it now. Once you're internet official, there's no going back."

He laughed, "You don't have any problem with that?"

"No," she answered. "I actually kinda like it. Do you have a problem with it?"

"I don't know," he smirked. "I may have to mandate as your boyfriend that you have to denounce Bryan as your favorite wrestler."

"Then this relationship is over," she said quickly.

"Ouch," he laughed. "You would leave me that fast?"

"In the immortal words of Meatloaf, I would do anything for love, but I won't do that."

"My girlfriend quotes Meatloaf," Phil smiled. "What am I doing with my life?"

"You love it," she said, a yawn taking over her voice mid-sentence.

"You should probably get to bed," he said. "Don't you have an early flight tomorrow?"

"I always have an early flight," she complained. "I need to remind Dylan that I do not enjoy waking up early. I think I'm gonna go use one of my fancy new bath bombs before I go to bed. Thanks again."

"Enjoy," he said, adding, "Send me a picture."

She laughed, "Goodnight. Perv."

"'Night Meatloaf."

Not the most eventful chapter I know but I promise the next one will have more going on. Just had to get this one out of the way..

In the next chapter...

Jordan makes a new friend during her NXT visit

John begins to question his feelings

Odette has another surprise for Arden..