"What the hell is your problem?" Shane asked as Jera pushed past him and stomped into her dressing room, slamming her bags down onto the table inside.
Shane walked into the room and looked at Jera. She was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, a look of utter frustration on her face.
"Honey, what in the world is wrong?" Shane asked. "You've been stomping around for two days and quite frankly I'm getting worried, this isn't like you."
When the concern in his voice hit her she dropped her hands to her sides, and the look of angry frustration slipped off her face, an apologetic look replacing it. "I'm sorry Shaney," she said, giving him one of her beautiful smiles. "I've got a lot on my mind and I'm frustrated."
"What's wrong? Maybe I can help."
"A number of things and I doubt you could help."
"Try me," he said, taking a seat in front of the row of lockers that lined one side of the room.
"Shaney, sweetie, it's kind of personal," she said.
Shane frowned, "I thought you said you could tell me anything."
"I did, it's just that...," she sighed and slumped into a chair across from him. "I don't know, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."
"About what?"
"My career, my future, lots of things."
"What are you worried about with your career, because from where I'm sitting it looks pretty damn good. You're one of the most popular and respected people in the business," Shane said, his voice taking on a note of pride. He *WAS* proud of her. She was only 23 but she was one of the most successful managers the business had ever seen. She had managed someone with every belt in the WWF except one, and she had managed the world champion five times.
"My career is great. I'm not worried about it. It's just that, well, I feel like I'm ready to settle down, find the right man. I want kids someday Shaney." Her voiced held a note of longing. Shane looked into her beautiful brown eyes and saw them same longing there.
He leaned over and took one of her hands into his, "Baby, you're only 23. By the time you get ready to have kids you'll probably be ready to retire anyway."
She smiled a little, "Yeah, but I want to be married for a while before I have kids. I want to find Mr. Right."
Shane smiled, "Well, where's the problem there? A beautiful woman like you can have her pick of men."
Jera gave a short laugh, "Yeah, right. Just like they say Shaney, all the good ones are gone."
"Jer, that's not true. There are plenty of guys out there who would fight each other to be with you."
"Yeah, that may be true, but when am I going to have the time to meet someone? I'm with you guys all the time, and all the good ones *ARE* gone here."
Shane gave her one of his mischievous smiles, "All the good ones like who?"
"You for instance," she said with a smile.
"Me? You'd be interested in me?"
"Yes! Why not? You're sweet, you're a great looking guy. If you weren't married you can bet your ass that I'd be after you!"
Shane grinned,"Well, I'm flattered. Who else would be on you list of finalists?"
Jera smiled and leaned back in her chair, "Well, there's Shawn H., Adam, Kip, Brian, Sean M., Sean W. and..." her voiced trailed off and she looked down at the floor.
"And who babe?"
She looked up, her brown eyes locking with his, "And Paul."
When Shane saw the look in her eyes and they wistful note in her voice it hit him. She was in love with Paul. That explained everything. He decided to be blunt with her, since that was usually the only way to get any information out of her.
"You're in love with him aren't you?" he asked, looking her directly in the eye. She broke the gaze and looked down at her hands, studying her nails.
"I'm in love with who?"
He reached over and tipped up her chin so she would look at him, "Don't play dumb with me Jer."
She sighed and stood up, walking over to the table where her bags sat. She started unpacking the clothes she was going to wear on the show. After a few moments of silence she turned around to face Shane. "Yes, I'm in love with him. I've been in love with him since the very first time I laid eyes on him," she stopped and took a deep breath then let it out on a gusty sigh. "There, the cat is out of the bag."
"Why didn't you tell him all of this before he got engaged to Joanie?" Shane asked.
She shrugged, "I didn't think there was any use. He would never be interested in me."
"How do you know that?"
She turned back to her unpacking, "Because he and Shawn both consider me a little sister."
Shane stood and walked over to stand behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the tense muscles there. "You don't know that for sure. You should have given him a chance."
She gave a bitter little laugh, "He only has eyes for Joanie, and besides if I tried to take him away from her she'd beat the hell out of me."
"No she wouldn't, I wouldn't let her."
Jera laughed, "Thanks."
"No problem." He stopped rubbing her shoulders and turned her around to face him. When he looked into her eyes the saddness he saw there tugged at his heart. "You're really head over heels for him." It was a statement rather than a question. She nodded wordlessly.
Shane sighed, "Well, that does explain something."
"What's that?"
Shane stepped back, walked back to the chair, and sat down before he answered. "It explains why you pushed him away after he and Joanie announced their engagement. I noticed that you stopped talking to him and hanging around with him, when he tried to talk to you you'd blow him off. I wondered what was wrong but I figured you guys had a falling out or something."
Jera shook her head, "No, I just couldn't handle being around him. I still can't. I love him so much it hurts Shaney."
Shane could hear the anguish in her voice and it was breaking his heart. "I hate to see you upset like this."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dump all of this on you."
Shane stood and walked over to her, "It's okay, that's what I'm here for," He smiled at her. "Now, can I have a hug? I don't want to go but I have a meeting with dad in a few minutes."
"Okay," she said. He hugged her tight and wish he could do something, he hated seeing her sad. When he released her he held her at arms length for a moment. She really was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen and she had a wonderful personality to go along with her beauty. Any man would be incredibly lucky to have her. When he noticed the puzzled look on her face he only smiled and gave her a quick peak on the cheek. "See you later sweetness."
"See ya. Don;t work your brain too hard in the meeting."
"Trust me, I won't," he said as he walked out the door.
Jera smiled to herself and shook her head. He was a nut but he was one of her best friends and she loved him dearly. She knew he would always be there for her.
Shane walked into the room and looked at Jera. She was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, a look of utter frustration on her face.
"Honey, what in the world is wrong?" Shane asked. "You've been stomping around for two days and quite frankly I'm getting worried, this isn't like you."
When the concern in his voice hit her she dropped her hands to her sides, and the look of angry frustration slipped off her face, an apologetic look replacing it. "I'm sorry Shaney," she said, giving him one of her beautiful smiles. "I've got a lot on my mind and I'm frustrated."
"What's wrong? Maybe I can help."
"A number of things and I doubt you could help."
"Try me," he said, taking a seat in front of the row of lockers that lined one side of the room.
"Shaney, sweetie, it's kind of personal," she said.
Shane frowned, "I thought you said you could tell me anything."
"I did, it's just that...," she sighed and slumped into a chair across from him. "I don't know, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."
"About what?"
"My career, my future, lots of things."
"What are you worried about with your career, because from where I'm sitting it looks pretty damn good. You're one of the most popular and respected people in the business," Shane said, his voice taking on a note of pride. He *WAS* proud of her. She was only 23 but she was one of the most successful managers the business had ever seen. She had managed someone with every belt in the WWF except one, and she had managed the world champion five times.
"My career is great. I'm not worried about it. It's just that, well, I feel like I'm ready to settle down, find the right man. I want kids someday Shaney." Her voiced held a note of longing. Shane looked into her beautiful brown eyes and saw them same longing there.
He leaned over and took one of her hands into his, "Baby, you're only 23. By the time you get ready to have kids you'll probably be ready to retire anyway."
She smiled a little, "Yeah, but I want to be married for a while before I have kids. I want to find Mr. Right."
Shane smiled, "Well, where's the problem there? A beautiful woman like you can have her pick of men."
Jera gave a short laugh, "Yeah, right. Just like they say Shaney, all the good ones are gone."
"Jer, that's not true. There are plenty of guys out there who would fight each other to be with you."
"Yeah, that may be true, but when am I going to have the time to meet someone? I'm with you guys all the time, and all the good ones *ARE* gone here."
Shane gave her one of his mischievous smiles, "All the good ones like who?"
"You for instance," she said with a smile.
"Me? You'd be interested in me?"
"Yes! Why not? You're sweet, you're a great looking guy. If you weren't married you can bet your ass that I'd be after you!"
Shane grinned,"Well, I'm flattered. Who else would be on you list of finalists?"
Jera smiled and leaned back in her chair, "Well, there's Shawn H., Adam, Kip, Brian, Sean M., Sean W. and..." her voiced trailed off and she looked down at the floor.
"And who babe?"
She looked up, her brown eyes locking with his, "And Paul."
When Shane saw the look in her eyes and they wistful note in her voice it hit him. She was in love with Paul. That explained everything. He decided to be blunt with her, since that was usually the only way to get any information out of her.
"You're in love with him aren't you?" he asked, looking her directly in the eye. She broke the gaze and looked down at her hands, studying her nails.
"I'm in love with who?"
He reached over and tipped up her chin so she would look at him, "Don't play dumb with me Jer."
She sighed and stood up, walking over to the table where her bags sat. She started unpacking the clothes she was going to wear on the show. After a few moments of silence she turned around to face Shane. "Yes, I'm in love with him. I've been in love with him since the very first time I laid eyes on him," she stopped and took a deep breath then let it out on a gusty sigh. "There, the cat is out of the bag."
"Why didn't you tell him all of this before he got engaged to Joanie?" Shane asked.
She shrugged, "I didn't think there was any use. He would never be interested in me."
"How do you know that?"
She turned back to her unpacking, "Because he and Shawn both consider me a little sister."
Shane stood and walked over to stand behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the tense muscles there. "You don't know that for sure. You should have given him a chance."
She gave a bitter little laugh, "He only has eyes for Joanie, and besides if I tried to take him away from her she'd beat the hell out of me."
"No she wouldn't, I wouldn't let her."
Jera laughed, "Thanks."
"No problem." He stopped rubbing her shoulders and turned her around to face him. When he looked into her eyes the saddness he saw there tugged at his heart. "You're really head over heels for him." It was a statement rather than a question. She nodded wordlessly.
Shane sighed, "Well, that does explain something."
"What's that?"
Shane stepped back, walked back to the chair, and sat down before he answered. "It explains why you pushed him away after he and Joanie announced their engagement. I noticed that you stopped talking to him and hanging around with him, when he tried to talk to you you'd blow him off. I wondered what was wrong but I figured you guys had a falling out or something."
Jera shook her head, "No, I just couldn't handle being around him. I still can't. I love him so much it hurts Shaney."
Shane could hear the anguish in her voice and it was breaking his heart. "I hate to see you upset like this."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dump all of this on you."
Shane stood and walked over to her, "It's okay, that's what I'm here for," He smiled at her. "Now, can I have a hug? I don't want to go but I have a meeting with dad in a few minutes."
"Okay," she said. He hugged her tight and wish he could do something, he hated seeing her sad. When he released her he held her at arms length for a moment. She really was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen and she had a wonderful personality to go along with her beauty. Any man would be incredibly lucky to have her. When he noticed the puzzled look on her face he only smiled and gave her a quick peak on the cheek. "See you later sweetness."
"See ya. Don;t work your brain too hard in the meeting."
"Trust me, I won't," he said as he walked out the door.
Jera smiled to herself and shook her head. He was a nut but he was one of her best friends and she loved him dearly. She knew he would always be there for her.
