Chapter 3
A/N: You know the drill. Read and review if you like. ^^ Would be much appreciated, yep.
He straightened his shirt on himself, standing a couple feet from the stairs of where he was told to meet her. Instantly he squeezed his hands tightly into balls, trying to stop his hands from shaking. And then he realized the action would make them clammy, so he stopped doing so, allowing them to tremble again. Cool, confident…yeah, that went out the window. After a moment's pause, he finally ascended the stairs and entered the dimly lit café. Inside were various couples and a few people alone at the tables, while loud jazz-type music blared from the musicians in the foreground of the area, where the only light shone besides the small ones on each table; candles. A single spotlight lit the stage where they were playing, and most eyes were drawn to them.
But Rob wasn't. His eyes fell upon Lita, who looked more stunning then usual. She had changed into a black shirt that, upon closer inspection, actually was see-through to the point where any part of her upper area that wasn't covered by the spaghetti strap blood red shirt she had under it shone almost as the normal cream-colored hue. Her pants were equally black, fitted yet not to the extreme sense of bordering on slutty. Her hair seemed to flow down her shoulders like a crimson wave. He was glad he went for the more clean-cut look, because if he had just worn normal clothes he would have been terribly underdressed. Her head was turned away from him, and he knew she was listening to the slow beats of the music filling the ears of all occupants in the room as she was bobbing her head slowly to the melody. He almost didn't want to disturb her, because damn, she looked beautiful.
He was past that though. Past just staring. He had finally gotten his chance, his chance to make his move…and he was treating it like it wasn't anything special when it was once-in-a-lifetime. If he screwed it up now, she would never want to speak to him again. So he walked up to her, took a breath, and then finally cleared his throat. She was instantly taken out of her trance, and she glanced over to him with very little expression. Was she trying not to show too much with him?
"Can I sit?" he asked quietly, so as not to disturb the others. She nodded once in confirmation, and he slipped into the seat across from her. She turned to look toward him, her face basically glowed because of the faint flickering light between them, making her even more stunning looking.
"So you came." She spoke, raising a brow.
"Yes." He responded, sounding calm when he wasn't at all near that sort of descriptive word. "Thank you for coming."
"I ordered us coffee. Figured it was something that one should do in a café." She explained, shrugging.
They didn't speak for a moment, and Rob just knew that this was the type of thing he had to be aggressive with. "So, how have you been? It's been a long time."
"A lot has changed." She said vaguely.
"Couple years will do that." He agreed. "It's just that you left so abruptly, you know? Didn't even tell me you were gone, and we…saw each other the last day you were seen."
She glanced up into his eyes, almost as if she was searching him out. He had purposely left out any mention of the kiss to see how she would react. She bit her lip slightly, which he figured was her nervous action, and sighed. "…I know. It's just that…that night? I didn't know myself. The morning after I got a better offering and Paul just said I could leave."
"But why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends!" He inquired, sounding more hurt then he wanted to sound. He knew his level of abandonment feelings was high with her, but he didn't want to act like it was a huge blow to his ego.
"I didn't…know." She answered helplessly. "I figured you were just…helping me out of pity. And I didn't even think you wanted to talk to me when I…"
So she did remember. She actually thought he hated it? Was she nuts? It took a lot of him to not jump up and pull her into some sort of embrace. He kept reminding himself that it wasn't like that anymore. "I wasn't angry about that at all." He insisted quickly. "And I told you, you were never a pity case. It kind of stings that you'd think I would just be nice for that reason."
"Things are different, regardless." She reminded. "And I don't know why you're risking all this. Just to tell me off for standing you up? Consider me told. I can only give you an apology. I can't turn back time."
"I don't want to tell you off." He shook his head. "I just…wanted to talk to you again. I've wanted to talk to you since I came to this company. I wasn't going to, though, because I never wanted to complicate your life. But you came to me, and I knew that it was a sign to at least try to talk to you one more time. I apologize if this is a bother to you, but I didn't force you here. So why are YOU here?"
She quieted at the point. He knew he had got her there. The answer was even more lengthened by the arrival of their drinks. "…Did you ever have those really good memories in life that seemed to be cut too short?"
Rob raised a brow. "Perhaps, why?"
"Because that's why I came here. I mean, honestly, I didn't know WHY you wanted me here…which is why Jericho has been watching us all night to make sure you weren't going to hurt me…but…you really aren't up to anything, are you?"
Rob glanced up, seeing the blonde haired man out of the corner of his eye. He was almost invisible in the darkness. Rob wasn't entirely surprised. "No, I'm not." He replied for her previous inquiry.
"I guess this whole war of superiority has really jaded my concept of you." She admitted, a bit softly. "I'm…sorry. I should have trusted you from the beginning."
If he didn't have good control of himself at that moment, he would have burst into a huge smile. He knew at that moment he had finally won her over.
"So what does that mean?"
Lita glanced past him toward Chris, who didn't seem to notice he was being looked at, as he was too busy drowning himself in some form of liquor at the little bar that was lit by blue lights. Rob couldn't help but notice how fancy the place really was. Whatever Chris was drinking was aqua blue in color and in a cocktail glass. The color, though, could have been wrong from Rob's vantage point – it could have just been the lights. Either way, he knew what she was thinking – they couldn't continue it at that moment, not while Jericho was there.
"Meet me tomorrow. I heard the next hotel room we're going to has an all night workout gym." She finally said. "But maybe we should…"
"Pretend that it didn't work out?" he guessed. She nodded her head lightly.
"Kind of dangerous having anyone know we're doing this." Lita pointed out. Rob decided not to mention the fact Tommy knew everything, and he had no intention of stopping that fact. Tommy could be trusted, he knew.
"True." He agreed, calmly. "…So, we just fight?"
"I'm going to slap you, right now. That okay?"
"Sure thing." He agreed with a small shrug. Within seconds his face was stinging when her hand connected. She didn't seem to like pulling many punches. He held his face as she got up angrily and stalked out.
He watched her go, and then watched Chris look at him sharply before following. People seemed to have glanced his way as instead of reacting with some sort of angry look, he sat back, looking quite satisfied. After a second more of listening to the light jazz music playing, he finished the last of his coffee and walked out through the exit. That had gone well, even though in anyone else's view he had just gotten dissed.
He made it back to the hotel after a couple minutes of walking. It was pretty deserted. He had no problem getting to his room. He opened the door, entering with a stretch and a yawn. It had been a long night. A low snore reminded him that Tommy was still in his room, apparently sleeping. He noticed in the faint light that he had taken the time to clean up the mess he had made searching for the perfect thing to wear. He would thank him the next morning. He changed as quietly as mortally possible, glad he had put aside something he could wear to bed in the bathroom.
When he went toward the bed, he suddenly noticed Tommy had sat up. He turned the light on and the room instantly brightened. Though half asleep, Tommy didn't even wince at the light, and instead squinted right at Rob.
"So?"
"I thought you were asleep." Rob spoke, amused. Tommy shrugged.
"Well you were wrong." He smirked proudly. "How'd it go?"
"She slapped me." He said, a big smile appearing on his face. Tommy just blinked.
"…Uh, yay for you?"
"Yes."
"…Okay." Tommy scratched his head. "Er…I hate to destroy your good mood…but the last time I checked, getting slapped isn't a very good thing."
"Nono." He shook his head. "I guess I should explain. She and I decided that we keep this stuff under wraps."
"So she slapped you."
"Yes."
"…Okay." Tommy spoke slowly. "So let me get this straight. You hit it off."
"Yes."
"You decide to keep it all under wraps."
"You got it."
"Now here's where I'm not getting it. Why did she slap you, then?"
"Because Jericho was there."
"…Ooh." Tommy nodded. "Alright then."
"Do you KNOW what this means?" Rob asked, excitedly.
"…She likes you?"
"She'll love me! Just you wait and see." He laughed. "Matt is so out of there."
"Isn't it kind of mean…to do that? Kind of asshole-like?" Tommy questioned, a bit nervously. Rob raised a brow.
"What do you mean?"
"You're obviously out to break up the relationship."
"So?"
"…Well, usually that's not very nice to do, intentionally putting a rift in the middle of two people."
Rob shrugged. "It's for a better cause."
Tommy sighed. He wasn't going to get through to Rob, so he didn't bother keeping it up.
~~
Lita slipped in without much trouble. Matt was sleeping, and that in itself was a good sign. She moved into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a light 'click'. Her sleeping clothes were still in the exact spot she left them. He hadn't woken up. She was clear. Pulling off her shirt first, she inspected the two large bruises on her stomach, just above the area her shirt usually covered. She grazed a hand over one of them, her stomach muscles contracting as pain shot up at contact. They were going away, at least. He promised he'd never do that again.
And she believed him. Still, seeing Rob might have been a mistake…she didn't want him to get angry. Matt had a temper that matched Essa she had remembered so long ago…though he was a little less physical; it was still there. Jeff didn't know. Chris didn't know. She only did, and the proof was hidden, never to be seen. It was going to be okay this time. It was going to be okay and she was pushing her luck with Rob. For what? To feel that again? To ultimately have to say goodbye again? To feel the pain of having to leave without saying goodbye?
But god, she had missed him…not a day had gone by that she didn't remember that one perfect year. She was poor and lacked her common necessities, but it didn't matter because he was there. He never asked for any payment for buying her food, letting her sleep in his room when she didn't have enough to rent a room so she didn't have to stay with the girls that hated her, hell, she still had a sweatshirt he had given her when she was near frozen in her usual attire. That was what possessed her to actually accept the offer. All the fond memories she had with him…when she had to leave, it killed her so much that she couldn't face him. Much more then she could express orally.
She sighed, her head pressed against the cool glass mirror in front of her. The whole thing was a mistake. It was painfully obvious. Matt would get so…mad that she was talking to him. Thoughts of ditching Rob quickly flooded into her head, but she brushed them away. She refused to do what she did again. If anything, she would tell him straight out the next night. And he would have to accept it.
Even if she really, in her heart, wanted him to make it too hard for her to say goodbye again.