Randy Orton tossed and turned in his bed. It was early morning but still dark outside. It had just turned five a.m. and he was hopelessly awake, much to his dismay. He had one more full day in his High Ridge, Missouri home before going back on the road with the WWE. It had been an uneventful trip home. He had arrived by bus Tuesday afternoon where he crashed for most of the day before meeting up with some old buddies at a local bar. They had drank until the wee hours of the morning until one of them had stuffed the drunken Champ safely inside a cab. Hung over and grumpy, he had spent much of Wednesday moping around the house.
The events of the past Monday night had not been lost on him. He'd had another confrontation with Memphis Kramer but it had been unlike any other. Since their night together she had been aloof and distant, angry and in a constant state of denial. Randy had real feelings for her and he knew she had ones for him and only 48 hours before, she had finally admitted that. He wanted her, he wanted to give it an honest try. Even the mere thought of entering another relationship hadn't crossed his mind since the ugly breakup with Sam. Memphis was the first woman who had reawakened those feelings of intimacy and tenderness that lurked deep inside the Viper. She had promised him that she was going to tell Phil the truth about them. She had given him no definite timeframe except for "soon". He rolled his eyes. Who knew what that meant, how long it would take? And he was damned tired of waiting.
Wednesday had continued with a series of messages left on Randy's voicemail by his mother, Elaine, asking him to come home for a family dinner. It had been his best intention to avoid it. He loved his parents, brother, and sister and for the most part, they all got along. But he just didn't feel like being around people. Elaine's calls had persisted and when his younger sister, Becky, had dropped by with her husband and daughter, he knew he had no choice but to show up. The food was good and the mood was light except for Randy's usual sullenness. He had left a little after ten and gone home alone. He had recently gotten into the show Dexter and had popped in the DVD to catch up, though he barely paid attention to the episodes. He had some pot left in his stash and had taken a few hits off a bowl. Eventually he had drifted off but it had been a restless sleep. And now he was wide awake before the crack of dawn. Randy wandered down to the kitchen. Rummaging through the cabinets, he found the powder he used to make his protein shakes. He mixed it with a whole banana and some Almond Milk. He leaned against the counter, the marble cool against the bare skin of his hips. He favored sleeping nude and since he lived alone, he was used to walking around the house naked whenever he pleased. As he gulped down the contents of his drink, he was oblivious to the headlights that belonged to an unfamiliar car that had just pulled into his driveway.
Memphis rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted and unsure that she was at the right place. Seeing the bike and the Escalade in a neighborhood that favored more conservative, luxurious cars made her feel slightly more at ease that she was at the correct address. It wasn't exactly like you could Google the location. As she had been driving around the state of Illinois aimlessly balling her eyes out, her phone had buzzed with a text from her friend, Melina Perez. Memphis had texted back and after a few minutes, had a random request that had puzzled her friend. She had asked Melina to ask her John for John Cena's phone number. It had seemed odd but trying to think nothing of it, Melina had obliged and quickly obtained the number. Seconds later, Memphis had texted him asking for Randy's phone number and address. The two men were close and John could be trusted. Besides he knew. Memphis had known that he knew right away in Canada when he took one look in her eyes and saw that the guilt written all over her face. It had taken less than five minutes of pondering when Cena had responded with the information she wanted, asking if everything was okay. Memphis hadn't bothered to respond, instead she entered the information into the GPS and began the five hour or so ride to Missouri.
She sat in the driveway, her heart pounding. She was here, now what? What would she say? What would he do? What if it had been all a ruse and some random naked woman was in his bed at that very moment? Memphis pulled the thin jacket closer to her small frame. It was surreal. She was exhausted and still reeling and heartbroken from her angry and emotional confrontation with Phil just hours before. Her heart ached for him. Was he okay? She had even dared to try his cell phone once to find out but as expected, it had gone straight to voicemail. Tearfully she had hung up without leaving a message and now once again when she'd found herself with nowhere to go, she had ended up in Randy Orton's driveway.
Randy sighed as he finished the last drop of the shake. He rinsed the glass out and put it in the already crowded dishwasher before turning on his heels to head back upstairs. Frowning, he stopped when he thought he heard a noise outside. He peered out the window and saw nothing at first but then on second glance, he saw what looked like a red car parked in his driveway. Randy cursed to himself. Sometimes fans just took it too goddamned far. It was one thing to be asked for pictures and autographs at work and in public but the line had to be drawn somewhere and a man's home was the perfect starting point. Looking around, he found a throw on the couch, the only ready material that would wrap completely around his chiseled waist. Bunching it at his hips, he looked at the security camera before disarming the alarm and unlocking the front door. On pure adrenaline alone, he stormed outside, wincing when the freezing pavement made contact with his bare feet. He marched right up to the driver's window and pounded on it.
"Hey! This is private fucking property! You've got 30 seconds to get out of here before I beat your ass or call the police or both!"
A startled Memphis jumped as she found herself being yelled at unexpectedly for the second time that night. Once again she had been given 30 seconds to leave someone's house. With shaking hands, she rolled down the window.
"Randy…" her voice quivered.
Randy made a face. Was he still high? Surely his eyes had to be deceiving him.
"Memphis? Is that you?"
She looked up at him and shivered in the cold morning air.
"You don't have any shoes on…or pants," she noticed. "You must be freezing."
"What, what are you doing here?" he asked.
She bit her lip.
"I had nowhere else to go," she sighed.
She looked sad. Sad, scared, and tired. Reaching over, he pulled on the handle and opened the car door. She turned off the engine and he helped her out as they walked silently to the front door. They entered the warm house and he closed and locked the door behind him. She followed him to the living room and they sat on the couch.
"Did you tell him?" Randy looked right at her.
Memphis nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Yes," she whispered.
Randy was quiet for a few seconds.
"And?"
"He, um, he flipped out. He was hurt, obviously and very mad. He, he said a lot of hurtful things and then…then he asked me to leave. So I did."
Randy studied her.
"How do you feel about that?"
She tried not to cry.
"Incredibly sad and overwhelmed. I, I don't know what to feel or think. God, it was so bad. He was so angry, so upset. I've never seen him like that."
"What did you expect?" Randy posed.
Memphis had no answer.
"I don't know. He had a right to everything he felt, everything he said. He really loved me and I know I hurt him. I did him so wrong."
"What now?" Randy asked.
"I have no idea. It's like my whole world has been turned upside down."
"You have regrets?"
"Randy…"
"For whatever reason, the guy meant something to you. I don't get why but I get that he did. You didn't want to hurt him but the bottom line is, you slept with me. You felt something for me. I know you still do. You can't have it both ways, Memphis. You know where I stand. It's either me or him. You had to make a choice and it sounds like you made it. I'm cool with you feeling bad for cheating on him or whatever but I'm not cool with it if you're gonna have doubts about us. I told you that I want you…all of you. That still stands. But I need you to want me too…all of me. If you don't, then I don't know what the hell we're trying to do."
Memphis stared at him. He was gorgeous, intimidating, complex. He'd had an inexplicable hold on her from day one, one that she could neither explain nor escape. Their chemistry was both explosive and undeniable and that scared the hell out of her. Memphis had given up everything for this man and though her heart was hurting for Phil, deep down, she knew she had made the right choice, the only choice.
"I just lost the best friend I ever had and I hurt someone very deeply that I cared a lot about. That's hard to deal with. It's gonna be even harder seeing him all the time, working with him. I do regret that I lied to him and cheated on him but I don't regret you. I, I want you, Randy. And I want to be with you. My heart, my body yearns for you. When I had nowhere else to turn, when I was driving around tonight crying and lost, I ended up here not just because I didn't have anywhere to go, I came here because I wanted to. I wanted to see you and hold you and be with you. I know this isn't over, that it's just the beginning with Phil and his anger and the drama at work but if it means being with you, then it's worth it to me. I have no regrets. I promised you I would end things with Phil and I did. So here I am. I'm single and I'm all yours if you still want me."
Randy looked up at her and couldn't help but smile. It was the sweetest conquest ever. He had wanted her like he had never wanted anything else and now he had had, all of her.
"Come here," he licked his lips as she rose and joined him.
Memphis hovered over him, slowly, wordlessly removing her jacket, her shirt, her jeans, socks and boots. He watched the heavy rise and fall of her chest as she stood in just her bra and panties. Their eyes locked as she reached behind her back and unfastened the snaps, letting it fall. She put her thumbs on both sides of her panties and slid the material down her long legs. Reaching for the ring on her left hand, she removed the piece of jewelry Phil had so lovingly placed on her finger just a few short months ago. Placing it on the table, she reached down and pulled back the throw that exposed his naked god like body. Memphis crawled on top of him, their heated flesh touching for the first time that night. Looking in his beautiful blue eyes, she knew they had all the time in the world to make love. But for the moment, she just wanted his comfort. She wanted him to make it all better. Sensing her need, Randy pulled her closer to him and covered them with the throw. With their arms and legs entwined, he held her tight, lightly stroking her bare back as she buried her head in his smooth, hard chest. Within minutes she had given way to exhaustion and the sheer emotion of the long night. Looking down at her she looked so peaceful, strong but vulnerable in sleep. He tucked a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear and placed a soft kiss on her temple. Finally he had her right where he wanted her, in his arms. He hadn't been that close to a woman since Sam and when it came to matters of the heart, Randy Orton hid behind a stone wall. He had dared open up to Memphis and she had reciprocated. In doing so, both had opened up a can of worms. For Memphis, the reaction at work and wrath of Phil Brooks was on the line. For Randy, he was facing something even more fearsome. He was facing letting his guard down.
