By: Elektra
HOTEL - late Tuesday night
Chris stepped out of his bathroom into the darkened bedroom. He could have sworn he had turned the light on when he had gone to take a shower. He was about to flick the switch, when he heard a sound. It sounded like breathing.
Jericho froze. Had someone snuck in? Chris slowly followed the sound. He could barely make out a shape lying on his bed. He quickly tackled the person and heard a female scream from the body pinned under him. "What the hell?" he jumped up and turned on the lamp. A scared Stephanie stared at him wide eyed. "JEEZ! What are you doing?! How did you get in here?"
Stephanie sheepishly held up a key card, "I told the guy at the desk I wanted to surprise my boyfriend," she started quietly, "He saw us check in together, so he didn't question..." she rubbed her eyes and looked at him in the dim light. He was wearing a pair of spandex shorts and his hair was still wet from the shower. He was obviously ready for bed, "I'm sorry... I'm disturbing you, I'll go--" she started to get up.
"Wait," Chris said.
"No. The faster I go, the faster I'll be out of your hair,"
He furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"
Stephanie took a deep breath, "I... I called Hunter. Told him where I was,"
"You WHAT?!" Chris shouted, "Are you INSANE?!"
"Go on. Yell at me too. I deserve it!" Stephanie replied.
"What you deserve is for me to put you in the Walls for being such an IDIOT!" Jericho snapped, "You WANT a sledgehammer to the head?!"
"Triple H may just want to talk!" Stephanie replied.
"Talk about WHAT? About how he can threaten you into not divorcing him?"
"Maybe he wants to make amends?" Stephanie said hopefully.
"Really? I didn't think attacking your friends was how one went about making amends!" Jericho replied.
"They're YOUR friends," Stephanie pointed out, "Trish hates me. Lita, Matt, and Jeff just barely tolerate me!"
"Uh-huh. Then why were you crying for them if you don't consider them friends?"
Stephanie was surprised, "How did you--"
"You have the 'I just bawled my eyes out' look," he answered.
Stephanie opened her mouth to reply, but realized she had no comeback for that. "You're dripping..." She said instead.
Jericho furrowed his brow, then realized what she was talking about. He quickly tied his damp hair back, "Listen, Steph," He started, "What, exactly, did you tell Trip?"
"I told him I was in room 301 at the Hampton Inn," she replied, "Alone. So you don't have to worry about him coming after you..."
"While I appreciate that," Jericho started, "It doesn't help that he knows exactly where you are!" Chris took a deep breath, "First thing in the morning, you and I will check out."
"No!" Stephanie protested.
"Either you check out tomorrow morning, or I will carry you to the lobby myself and make you!" he narrowed his eyes at her, "Trust me, Steph... you don't want me to make you!" he warned, "We'll take the first plane back to Winnipeg tomorrow afternoon. Until then, you're staying HERE for the night,"
"I am NOT sleeping with you!" Stephanie replied.
Jericho opened his mouth to comment, then closed it and shook his head, "No no... too easy. Waaaaaay too easy..."
"You KNOW that's not what I meant!" Stephanie shouted, then grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Chris quickly caught it, "HEY!" Stephanie grabbed the other pillow, and whapped him in the chest, "OW!" he fell to his knees, holding his ribs.
"Oh geez!" Stephanie gasped, "I'm sorry... I forgot. You didn't have the tape on, and... well, the bruises are almost gone..." she got off the bed and knelt beside him, concern etched on her face, "Are you ok?"
He looked up at her, mischief in his bright blue eyes, then hit her hard with the pillow he was holding, "Much better now, thanks," he replied.
Stephanie was not amused as she rubbed her sore head, "And here I thought I actually HURT you! You JERK!"
"You DID actually hurt me!" he snapped, then lowered his voice as he realized the walls were probably very thin, "But you're right, it's not as bad as it was..."
Stephanie put a gentle hand on his midsection, and he quickly took a sharp breath, "Sorry..." she said, "Did that hurt?"
His eyes never left hers, "No," he replied quietly, "No ... it felt--" he quickly blinked and turned away, "I mean... yeah, it's a little tender," he said quickly, then got to his feet, "Have a good sleep," he replied as he lay on the plush carpet around the other side of the bed.
"Yeah, sleeping on the floor is great for sore ribs," Stephanie commented sarcastically as she sat on the bed.
"Well, either you sleep on the floor, or I do. I figure I'd be a gentleman," Chris replied.
Stephanie let out a harsh laugh, "YOU? A GENTLEMAN? Since when?"
"Since..." he stopped, "Actually, you're right. I'm NOT a gentleman. Get your ass on the floor. I'm taking the bed!"
Stephanie's jaw dropped, "But... I'm a LADY!"
"Lady of the night maybe," Chris muttered, "And weren't you were just commenting about me not being a gentleman? I'm proving your point! Are you backpeddling now? Figures!"
"There is nothing wrong with backpeddling! I LIKE backpeddling!" Stephanie snapped.
Jericho looked at her, "You know, you're making it really hard NOT to pull out the 'trash bag ho' comments tonight!"
Stephanie threw her pillow at him again, "Enjoy the floor! Hope it doesn't hurt your ribs too much!"
"My ribs will be fine as soon as you get off the bed!"
"No!" She snapped.
"YES!" He replied.
"Make me!" She shot back. Jericho stared at her, then burst out laughing, shaking his head, "What?" Stephanie asked, "What's so funny?!"
"How old are we again?" he asked.
"Mentally or physically?" she replied with a smile.
"Oh... mentally we have to be, what, maybe... 10?"
"9? 8?" She replied.
"We sure act like it," he replied, then grew serious, "I don't suppose we could share? We're both immature enough to think the other has cooties, so there won't be any 'copping a feel',"
Stephanie sighed, "Fine..." she said, "But if you suddenly decide to act like a hot-blooded male, I WILL be ready for you..."
"And if YOU suddenly decide to act like a hot-blooded female, I will be ready for YOU," Chis responded.
"Psh... like I'd want to grab anything YOU have!" Stephanie said.
"Really? Well a lot of women on the internet have commented on how grab-able my ass is," he answered.
"Well we all know the internet is full of lies!" she replied.
"You know, you're right. I mean, a lot of men on the internet have commented on how hot YOU are," he pointed out, "And that can't be true,"
Stephanie brightened, "They've said that? I mean... well.. of course! Not EVERYTHING on the internet is a lie,"
"We change our tune quite quickly, don't we, Steph...?" Jericho replied, "Almost as quickly as you---no. No. I won't say it."
Stephanie frowned, "Well, gee... thank you for restraining yourself from making yet another of your witty 'trash bag ho' comments!"
"It was quite the effort, let me tell you!" Jericho replied.
Stephanie fumed as she watched Jericho pick up the
pillow she had thrown earlier. Realizing WHAT she was staring at, she quickly
turned away and ignored the heat rising in her cheeks. So
what if the women on the internet were telling the truth? It meant
nothing! Nothing at all...!
