Chapter 13

Tears welled in her eyes because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Jon. "We will talk later, okay?"

The chemistry between them was off the charts, that much was obvious. It couldn't happen though because Tressa wouldn't be able to be all in with Jon. She wouldn't be able to give herself completely to him. Jon deserved better than a woman using him for sex to try getting over her husband's death.

"Don't apologize either and don't feel bad. Just…we'll talk later." Touching the side of his face briefly, Tressa went back into the arena and stopped in the bathroom, splashing water on her face to keep herself from crying.

Then, she made her way back to her table to resume work.

Slumping back against the wall, Jon groaned and let himself slide down until his denim-clad ass came in contact with the cool pavement. He puffed on his cigarette like a freight train, mentally cursing himself out. Of course, that had been a one-and-done deal and she had probably felt guilty as fuck about it afterward. Like cheating or something, even if Joseph was dead. He would have to cool his jets and apologize again, let her know he wasn't trying to damage their relationship or anything. Unless it was too late for that.

"Fuck. Me."

"Fuck. Me." Tressa groaned under her breath, loud enough for only her to hear, and could not get the kiss out of her head.

What the hell? Her libido was charged up all over again and it was Jon's fault. Scrubbing a hand down her face, Tressa continued working on the costume for Natalya, finally finishing it. She trusted Tressa with her gear and had been with the company as long as her, maybe a little longer. Setting it aside, she turned around and blinked at the sight of a sweaty, heavy-breathing Andrew standing RIGHT in front of her. Obviously, he'd just had his match with Jon and his blue eyes were ignited with intensity. Tentatively, she took a step back to put some kind of space between them and bumped the table, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.

"Your gear isn't done yet. It should be sometime tomorrow. I checked with Tabitha and she's halfway done with it…"

"Who the bloody hell is Tabitha?" He demanded, running a hand down his sweat-soaked face and then flung it to the side, sending droplets everywhere.

Drew had worked damn hard on this fine body of his, not about to stay mediocre. His first 'run' or whatever one wanted to call it had been nothing BUT mediocre. He was fixing that and getting some proper respect, some proper matches. Drew stepped away from her, though a very shark-like grin spread across his tanned face at how this diminutive woman seemed to shrink away from him. He wasn't stupid enough to pull something in the workplace; if he happened to meet her in a bar or somewhere, all bets were possibly off.

Christ, why was this man so damn intimidating? Was it his voice? Was it the size of him? Andrew stood at 6'5, which was only one inch taller than Jon, but…he was 265 pounds of pure muscle, chiseled like a Greek God. The man did have an exceptional body and he looked a lot better than his first run with the company, which she remembered when he was part of the group 3MB. Andrew never had to deal with her, however, until now because Heath Slater had been the one to come to her and the seamstresses with all of their needs.

"Tabitha is one of the seamstresses on the crew and she's handling your tights." Tressa hadn't been intimidated by a man since Mark Calaway and for good reason.

The Undertaker was SCARY, period.

If he would have known that he had just gotten stacked into the Undertaker category on the intimidation thing with Tressa…Drew would've puffed his chest out like the giant ape he was. He just shook his head, hands now planting on his hips and nodded. "All right, I'll check back tomorrow, lass." He squeezed her shoulder as he walked by her, heading to grab a bottle of water. He'd be fine for another night.

"Get the hell off of me, you ox!"

"Come on, buddy," Jon had done a running jump up onto Colby's back, now rubbing his knuckles into his friend's skull. "I need a piggyback ride!"

Joe sidestepped out of the way when the pair went sideways, laughing his ass off when they went head over heels into a bin loaded with what looked like tights to be mended. "Hi, Tres."

Tressa gaped down at the boys with wide grey eyes and looked up at Joe, who just shook his head at his comrades. "What the hell, you guys?!" She squawked, knowing all of those tights would be stretched to hell because of their weight. "Get outta there!" She began smacking them both in the head with a rolled-up newspaper she grabbed off the table.

"I swear, it's like we work in a damn zoo!" Tabitha grouched, shaking her head, though a smile was on her face while she continued working on McIntyre's trunks. "When do these need to be done again? Because it's already going on 10…"

"He said he'd be back tomorrow, so you got time to do them tomorrow."

"Oh, thank you, sweet Jesus!" Tabitha crowed, tossing them to the side, and stood up, ready to head out for a drink or three. "Roman, handle the boys, please."

"Hey! They're not MY boys…" Well, they were, but…Joe was looked at as the Daddy of the Shield while Jon was the black sheep and Seth was the baby brother. Jon was the middle, problem child. "All right, enough you two!"

"Ouch! Hey! Stop it, Tres! Ouch!"

"Get. Out. Of. My. Damn. Bin. NOW!" Each word was a whack to Jon and then Colby, alternating.

Colby tossed a pair of trunks right at her, beginning to cackle like a hyena because he was pretty sure those were sequins.

"Hey! Babe! OUCH!"

Sighing, Joe bent down and grabbed Colby first, hoisting his laughing ass right up and out of the bin. Next, he grabbed Jon, who purposefully went limp, so…dead weight. "You…fat…fricking…cow…" He was trying not to laugh because Tressa was still hitting Jon with that newspaper.

Once clear of the bin, he dropped his friend.

Jon caught the newspaper before it could get him again, looking down into the bin and then back at her. "So…you have sequins in your hair, darlin'."

Colby and Joe both flinched when Jon got it right on the nose.

"Bad dog." Tabitha snorted.

Suzanne had already left for the night, so it was just Tabitha and Tressa left at the seamstress table. "Children, all of you. Besides Joe. Thanks for the help, big dog." Tressa groaned when Jon turned her around bodily to start plucking the sequins out of her hair. "I'm going to kick your ass for this, Ambrose." She groaned, folding her arms in front of her chest, and shook her head to try to get some of them out. "And don't think you're off the hook either, Kingslayer."

"Man, he's the one who-"

"Hopped on your back, wanting a piggyback ride?"

Colby went red, lowered his eyes, and cleared his throat. "You know us too well, Tres."

"I'm aware." She turned once Jon finished and planted her hands on her hips. "So, what do you have to say for yourself making this mess? You ARE picking it all up, both of you."

Joe was snickering as he watched both Colby and Jon, grumbling, pick up the mess they'd made.

"Geez, how do you get the SHIELD boys, of all people, to do your bidding?"

Tressa smirked, shrugging, and felt more like herself than she had in a long time. "Couldn't begin to tell you, girl." She did have them wrapped around her finger, whether she realized it or not. "Thank you, boys, job well done. Don't be horse playing around our area again, please."

"Yes, ma'am." Colby muttered, then pulled Tressa into his arms for a tight embrace. Whatever Jon had done for her during their 2 days off, he hoped the man kept it up because THIS was the Tressa they knew, loved and adopted as their little sister. "Are you all right?"

Tressa smiled, hugging Colby tightly, and nodded. "I'm getting there."

"You don't have to tell us what happened, we're here for you though. Not just the jackass over here."

"I know." She pulled back and cupped his bearded face in her hands in a purely platonic way. "I'm sorry for…cutting you two off while Jon was gone. I just…" Maybe Tressa did owe the truth to them. "A LOT of shit happened and I didn't know how to deal with it or process it."

Joe was next to hug her tightly, lifting her up since she was a shorty compared to him. He was one inch shorter than Jon, but weighed A LOT more, so he looked bigger by comparison. "We all know you and Jon have this bond, it's all good, baby girl. We were just worried about you, that's all. You seem like you're doing okay now, though."

"Why don't we all go out tonight and get some food, since I know you guys are bottomless pits, and have a few drinks? I'll tell you what happened." Tressa was ready, after almost 4 months, which would be next Friday. That would be the four-month anniversary of Joseph's death and she glanced down at her wedding ring, shutting her eyes briefly. "You're my friends, and I honestly need all the support I can get right now."

Pushing people away wasn't the answer, especially those she considered family. Joe and Colby were like brothers to her. Jon was…something else entirely and she still wasn't sure what their bond consisted of. They weren't family, family did NOT do foreplay with each other, or wasn't supposed to anyway.

"Hell yeah!"

"I'm game."

She glanced over at Jon, who remained quiet throughout her reconciliation with Joe and Colby, wondering what was going through his mind. "Go get cleaned up and meet me in the parking lot, then. I'm almost done here."

"You heard the lady," Joe wrapped an arm around each of his friends, shaking them. "Shower time."

"Just not together." Colby shuddered. "Some things are sacred, bro."

"There's my girl." Jon winked at her as the three of them walked away.

That was the Tressa he had known, well… most of her. There were some new bits and pieces, that he knew. He just hoped between now and the parking lot, she didn't change her mind. He had a feeling Colby and Joe would mutiny, kidnap her ass, and hold her hostage until she finally explained things to them. All things considered, they had been really patient…he was impressed.

Tabitha had already left, after the 'bad dog' comment, so that left Tressa alone to take a few minutes to herself. She closed her eyes and blew out a deep breath, knowing she would end up breaking down before the night was out. That hadn't changed, though sleeping in Jon's arms had helped. She wasn't alone and Tressa didn't feel that bitter, crippling loneliness when she was with him. Jon being back was exactly what she needed to try to get back to who she used to be. Rubbing her hands together, Tressa fought back tears and finished cleaning up her area before heading for the exit, pulling out her pack of cigarettes. She would definitely need a nicotine fix before arriving at the restaurant.

When the trio emerged from the building, all of the clean, groomed and in street attire, Colby and Joe gave Jon shit for lighting up.

"You quit! You can't take it back up when you quit!"

"I'm no quitter," Jon smirked, tucking away his lighter. "My mama raised me right."

"Jesus…" Joe rolled his eyes, waving smoke out of his face. "Now you're going to smell like an ashtray."

"I'm not riding with him." Colby laughed, though he was also standing downwind of Jon.

"I can- hey there, darlin'," Jon waved a hand when he spotted Tressa leaning against the rental. There was his ride. "We still doing this?"

"Yeah…yeah, we are. Umm…where do you guys want to eat at? I was thinking maybe a restaurant wouldn't be a suitable place for this conversation." Tressa admitted, rubbing her hands together and feeling Jon take them, watery greys meeting his. "I'm okay." She whispered, taking a few deep breaths and finally looked up at the concerned faces of Colby and Joe.

"We can order a pizza."

"And grab some cold ones on the way to the hotel. We can bunker down together and you can tell us privately what happened." Joe suggested, seeing how nervous she was and stepped up to wrap an arm around her shoulders while Jon still had hold of her hands. "It's all right, Tres. Whatever it is, we'll help you through it."

"I know…" She cracked a sad smile up at him and cleared her throat, deciding it would be a Vodka drinking night. "Liquor store and then we'll order the pizza when we get to the hotel."

"Sounds good, Colby, and I will follow you guys."

"Okay." Tressa handed Jon the keys, not needing to ask him to drive. She couldn't right now.

Jon already knew her 'cold one' would be vodka, she'd have Absolut. "Darlin', a suggestion so you don't freak the guys out…mix it with something."

Because if they saw her shooting that shit straight after this conversation, they were going to make the very logical jump to an alcoholic. Which, she was, but that was neither here nor there. He followed the guys out of the parking lot, hearing her fumbling with her pack of cigarettes, and reached over to place his free hand on her thigh.

"You don't have to do this, Tres." He said softly.

Joe and Colby would probably not understand, but they wouldn't push it either.

"No, no I said I was going to do it and I am. They're my friends and it's not fair to keep them in the dark about this. They are like my brothers and you know that." Even though she was older than all three of them, she considered them 'big' brothers because of their sizes. She puffed on a cigarette, finishing it just as they arrived at the liquor store, and turned her head to look at Jon, frowning at the bruise forming on his jaw. "Jesus, did McIntyre do that to you?"

"Yep," He flipped down the visor to examine it after parking, nodding in satisfaction. "I had it coming, you wouldn't be able to see where I nailed him." House shows were great, so much leeway. Of course, that was a two-way street and Jon knew it. Which was why he was not only prepared to dish it out, but to also take the ass whippings in return, it was all part and parcel to him. "Come on, kitten," He was out of the car and leaning on the roof, waiting patiently for her to gather her thoughts and get out as well. "I know, it makes me less pretty, right?"

"You were always an ugly bastard, Good." Colby snorted, walking over to join them. "Don't kid yourself."

"At least he doesn't have a pig nose like you, Colbs."

"Pig…HEY!" Colby gaped at a smirking Tressa and growled playfully, narrowing his dark chocolate eyes at her. "That was so mean. Do I really have a pig nose?"

"Big ol' pig honker, yup!"

"Are you serious?!" Colby squawked, immediately going to the rental he shared with Joe to look in the visor mirror. He was a vain man when it came to his looks and took care of himself to ensure he made panties drop wherever he went.

Joe shook his head, chuckling. "And let me guess, I look like that cat from Game of Thrones?"

"Yeah, but everybody knows that. And uses it."

"Touché, sis." Joe walked into the liquor store with Jon and Tressa following suit, Colby joining a few minutes later.

Tressa did not care what the boys thought about her drinking issue and bought the bottle of Absolut, with nothing to go with it. She paid for it, had it bagged, put her two packs of smokes in her purse, and waited for them to finish up.