Disclaimers:
"Cry" is by Mandy Moore and is not mine.
The lyric, " ' Thirty-fourth and vine,' " if from the song, "Love potion #9," by the Searchers and is not mine.
WWE and the wrestlers are owned by Vince McMahon and aren't mine either, I only own Cora.
If anyone would like to borrow this story, please ask first, thanks.
Chapter 4: More than a friend?...
Plucking the rose out of Matt's hand, Nora smiled slightly. *Guilt, an apology gift.* "It's okay," Nora responded softly, taking a step away from Matt.
Almost as if reading her thoughts, Matt blurted out, "I know what you're thinking, that it's some sort of apology gift. It's not though." Almost surprising himself, Matt reached out to grasp Nora's forearm. Warmth and surprise flooded through her as his fingers closed around her arm, "Care to hear me out?" Matt asked, grinning uneasily.
Nora shook her head, curls bobbing about her face, "Very much so." With a gracious smile, she looped her arm through his, "Now what brought you here so late? Let me guess, a police officer who had too many donuts?"
"Actually," Matt answered, turning towards her as they walked out of the hotel lobby. Once they reached the car, Matt unlocked and opened the door for Nora. Matt acted as if it were a matter of little importance, but an everyday occurrence instead, but Matt's chivalrous behavior did not go unnoticed by Nora.
"You're kidding me, the cop actually stopped you for speeding, but in actuality got the wrong person?" Nora asked incredulously, as she stepped into the car.
"I'm serious," Matt replied, crossing his hand over his heart, "I passed the cop on the corner of thirty-fourth and vine and the next thing I know, I hear the sirens blaring behind me. I glanced up into the rearview mirror and pulled off to the side.
"So, were you really speeding?" Nora asked slyly.
"Yess," Matt admitted sheepishly, "but, I told him that he had the wrong person.
"Now before you say another word," Matt said with a grin, watching as Nora opened her mouth to speak. "What I told him was the truth. There was some clown ahead of me going at least 20 miles over the speed limit, while weaving in and out of traffic. Besides, I was trying to make it here on time," Matt said slyly.
Nora responded severely, "Trying to win my favor eh, you're going to have to do better than that." Watching Matt's lips curve downward into a deep frown, Nora broke out in a wide smile, a mischievous light gleaming in her eyes, "I'm only kidding! Nora could see Matt's stance relax instantly, as he broke into an easy smile. She so badly wanted to reach out and touch his face, tell him to just be himself, but Nora kept her hands folded tightly in her lap. So, what did the cop do?" Nora asked curiously-anything to distract herself from thoughts of wrapping her arms around him.
Matt buckled his seat belt, "You really want to know?" he asked teasingly.
"Yes!" Nora said, grinning widely, "the suspense is killing me."
Matt turned the key in the ignition. As the car roared to life, Matt turned to her and grinned, "He stepped back into his vehicle, took a bite of his sub, wolfed down his donut, took a swig of his coffee and roared past me, with sirens blaring."
"You're pulling my leg!" Nora exclaimed in disbelief, leaning back into the slightly cramped seat.
"It's legit, scouts honor," Matt proclaimed, holding up two fingers.
"I bet you weren't even a boy scout," Nora huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, but she couldn't keep a slow smile from spreading across her face.
"You have a really nice car," Nora admired, as they pulled out onto the highway.
"Actually, it's Jeff's. He let me borrow it."
Nora felt all giddy inside, *he went to all this trouble-for me?!* "You must have really had to persuade him."
"Nah, he knows how many times I trust him to take my car, even though he drives like a maniac!" Matt said with a laugh. Nora looked over at him, raising her eyebrow.
As Matt pulled into the parking lot, butterflies danced around in Nora's stomach. *What if this date goes horribly?! What if Matt sees someone else he likes better or thinks is prettier?!* Nora closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath, * Shame on you, you are black-balling this date before it even starts. Just breath.*
*For crying out loud, I sound so lame. She must have thought my conversation was trite. Should I reach for her hand? No, my palms are all sweaty. I feel like a teenager on my first date, this is not good. I really should get out more,* Matt berated himself.
"Nervous," Nora teased as they walked towards the restaurant entrance. Matt looked at her, startled. Seeing the spooked look in his eyes, Nora quickly turned away. Uncomfortable silence reigned as Matt opened the door for her.
Nora was surprised and suspicious, as Matt opened the restaurant door. *Most men have no qualms about letting doors practically slam in my face, rather than take a spare moment of their time to hold it open for me,* she thought sarcastically,* but, the least I could have done was thank him,* Nora mentally kicked herself. Matt and Nora sat down at the table they were supposed to meet Spike and Nidia at. Nervously, Nora looked out across the railing, to the dance floor just below them. Dreamily, Nora smiled to herself, imagining her and Matt holding each other close as a slow song began to play. Summoning up a tremendous amount of courage, Nora turned to Matt, "Would you like to..." she trailed off as she noticed Matt staring off blankly onto the dance floor. Following his eyes, Nora's heart plummeted, "Oh," she said softly, watching as Amy and Chris danced to the soft music.
"You're in love with her aren't you?"
i"In places no one would find,
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside),
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes."/i
Shaken out of his reverie, Matt jumped and jerked his face back to hers, "I'm sorry, I.." he trailed off, as he looked into her sympathetic face. "It's that obvious huh?" Searching her face, he was mildly surprised to find that she actually seemed to know, not just think, that he was in love with his best friend.
Her chest burning, Nora asked quietly, "You want to talk about it?"
Matt sighed, "How much time do you have?" he quipped, smiling slightly.
Poking there heads around the hallway leading back to the bathrooms, Nidia asked, her hands touching Spike's shoulders, "What are they doing?"
Spike shrugged, "Looks like they are just talking."
"Just talking!" she exclaimed in dismay. Smiling devilishly, Nidia continued, "Let's give them a few more minutes."
"I think I started falling in love with Amy the day Jeff and I met her. She was attracted to me too, but after she got accepted into ECW, everything changed. We toned down our relationship. It's odd, how we changed-almost automatically, you know?" he said, looking at Nora, but she felt as if he were looking right through her instead. "Once she got accepted into the WWF, I was ecstatic, with the hope of rekindling our relationship, but-then Chris came into the picture."
"Doesn't she even have a remote idea of the possibility that you might still be in love with her?" Nora probed gently.
"Nah, I doubt it. She is too engrossed with Chris," Matt replied sadly, with a shake of his head. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't even be telling you this, since I'm here on a date with you and all," Matt said sheepishly, a twinge of guilt eating at his conscience.
"Nah, don't worry about it," Nora fibbed, "you needed to get that out. Besides, I have a feeling it made you feel at least a teensy bit better," she replied gently, with just a ghost of a smile across her face.
Matt smiled broadly, his dimples showing, "Thanks Nora, you don't know how much that means to me," he said, reaching his hand across the table to grasp hers.
*And you don't know how much this is killing me,* Nora thought to herself, the familiar ache spreading through her chest.
"Cry" is by Mandy Moore and is not mine.
The lyric, " ' Thirty-fourth and vine,' " if from the song, "Love potion #9," by the Searchers and is not mine.
WWE and the wrestlers are owned by Vince McMahon and aren't mine either, I only own Cora.
If anyone would like to borrow this story, please ask first, thanks.
Chapter 4: More than a friend?...
Plucking the rose out of Matt's hand, Nora smiled slightly. *Guilt, an apology gift.* "It's okay," Nora responded softly, taking a step away from Matt.
Almost as if reading her thoughts, Matt blurted out, "I know what you're thinking, that it's some sort of apology gift. It's not though." Almost surprising himself, Matt reached out to grasp Nora's forearm. Warmth and surprise flooded through her as his fingers closed around her arm, "Care to hear me out?" Matt asked, grinning uneasily.
Nora shook her head, curls bobbing about her face, "Very much so." With a gracious smile, she looped her arm through his, "Now what brought you here so late? Let me guess, a police officer who had too many donuts?"
"Actually," Matt answered, turning towards her as they walked out of the hotel lobby. Once they reached the car, Matt unlocked and opened the door for Nora. Matt acted as if it were a matter of little importance, but an everyday occurrence instead, but Matt's chivalrous behavior did not go unnoticed by Nora.
"You're kidding me, the cop actually stopped you for speeding, but in actuality got the wrong person?" Nora asked incredulously, as she stepped into the car.
"I'm serious," Matt replied, crossing his hand over his heart, "I passed the cop on the corner of thirty-fourth and vine and the next thing I know, I hear the sirens blaring behind me. I glanced up into the rearview mirror and pulled off to the side.
"So, were you really speeding?" Nora asked slyly.
"Yess," Matt admitted sheepishly, "but, I told him that he had the wrong person.
"Now before you say another word," Matt said with a grin, watching as Nora opened her mouth to speak. "What I told him was the truth. There was some clown ahead of me going at least 20 miles over the speed limit, while weaving in and out of traffic. Besides, I was trying to make it here on time," Matt said slyly.
Nora responded severely, "Trying to win my favor eh, you're going to have to do better than that." Watching Matt's lips curve downward into a deep frown, Nora broke out in a wide smile, a mischievous light gleaming in her eyes, "I'm only kidding! Nora could see Matt's stance relax instantly, as he broke into an easy smile. She so badly wanted to reach out and touch his face, tell him to just be himself, but Nora kept her hands folded tightly in her lap. So, what did the cop do?" Nora asked curiously-anything to distract herself from thoughts of wrapping her arms around him.
Matt buckled his seat belt, "You really want to know?" he asked teasingly.
"Yes!" Nora said, grinning widely, "the suspense is killing me."
Matt turned the key in the ignition. As the car roared to life, Matt turned to her and grinned, "He stepped back into his vehicle, took a bite of his sub, wolfed down his donut, took a swig of his coffee and roared past me, with sirens blaring."
"You're pulling my leg!" Nora exclaimed in disbelief, leaning back into the slightly cramped seat.
"It's legit, scouts honor," Matt proclaimed, holding up two fingers.
"I bet you weren't even a boy scout," Nora huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, but she couldn't keep a slow smile from spreading across her face.
"You have a really nice car," Nora admired, as they pulled out onto the highway.
"Actually, it's Jeff's. He let me borrow it."
Nora felt all giddy inside, *he went to all this trouble-for me?!* "You must have really had to persuade him."
"Nah, he knows how many times I trust him to take my car, even though he drives like a maniac!" Matt said with a laugh. Nora looked over at him, raising her eyebrow.
As Matt pulled into the parking lot, butterflies danced around in Nora's stomach. *What if this date goes horribly?! What if Matt sees someone else he likes better or thinks is prettier?!* Nora closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath, * Shame on you, you are black-balling this date before it even starts. Just breath.*
*For crying out loud, I sound so lame. She must have thought my conversation was trite. Should I reach for her hand? No, my palms are all sweaty. I feel like a teenager on my first date, this is not good. I really should get out more,* Matt berated himself.
"Nervous," Nora teased as they walked towards the restaurant entrance. Matt looked at her, startled. Seeing the spooked look in his eyes, Nora quickly turned away. Uncomfortable silence reigned as Matt opened the door for her.
Nora was surprised and suspicious, as Matt opened the restaurant door. *Most men have no qualms about letting doors practically slam in my face, rather than take a spare moment of their time to hold it open for me,* she thought sarcastically,* but, the least I could have done was thank him,* Nora mentally kicked herself. Matt and Nora sat down at the table they were supposed to meet Spike and Nidia at. Nervously, Nora looked out across the railing, to the dance floor just below them. Dreamily, Nora smiled to herself, imagining her and Matt holding each other close as a slow song began to play. Summoning up a tremendous amount of courage, Nora turned to Matt, "Would you like to..." she trailed off as she noticed Matt staring off blankly onto the dance floor. Following his eyes, Nora's heart plummeted, "Oh," she said softly, watching as Amy and Chris danced to the soft music.
"You're in love with her aren't you?"
i"In places no one would find,
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside),
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes."/i
Shaken out of his reverie, Matt jumped and jerked his face back to hers, "I'm sorry, I.." he trailed off, as he looked into her sympathetic face. "It's that obvious huh?" Searching her face, he was mildly surprised to find that she actually seemed to know, not just think, that he was in love with his best friend.
Her chest burning, Nora asked quietly, "You want to talk about it?"
Matt sighed, "How much time do you have?" he quipped, smiling slightly.
Poking there heads around the hallway leading back to the bathrooms, Nidia asked, her hands touching Spike's shoulders, "What are they doing?"
Spike shrugged, "Looks like they are just talking."
"Just talking!" she exclaimed in dismay. Smiling devilishly, Nidia continued, "Let's give them a few more minutes."
"I think I started falling in love with Amy the day Jeff and I met her. She was attracted to me too, but after she got accepted into ECW, everything changed. We toned down our relationship. It's odd, how we changed-almost automatically, you know?" he said, looking at Nora, but she felt as if he were looking right through her instead. "Once she got accepted into the WWF, I was ecstatic, with the hope of rekindling our relationship, but-then Chris came into the picture."
"Doesn't she even have a remote idea of the possibility that you might still be in love with her?" Nora probed gently.
"Nah, I doubt it. She is too engrossed with Chris," Matt replied sadly, with a shake of his head. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't even be telling you this, since I'm here on a date with you and all," Matt said sheepishly, a twinge of guilt eating at his conscience.
"Nah, don't worry about it," Nora fibbed, "you needed to get that out. Besides, I have a feeling it made you feel at least a teensy bit better," she replied gently, with just a ghost of a smile across her face.
Matt smiled broadly, his dimples showing, "Thanks Nora, you don't know how much that means to me," he said, reaching his hand across the table to grasp hers.
*And you don't know how much this is killing me,* Nora thought to herself, the familiar ache spreading through her chest.