Chapter 12: A new friend?
Later that night . . .
I stood outside Bradshaw's locker room, too nervous to knock on the door.
"Hey there, sexy."
I turned to see Chris Jericho approaching me.
"Lost again?" He asked, a smirk spreading across his face.
"I seem to run into you quite a bit. Why is that?" I asked wondering if it was more than just coincidence.
"That's easy. My locker room is right next door."
* How stupid do I feel now? * I could feel myself blushing.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay. That was a pretty nasty hit last night."
I was relieved he didn't seem to pick up on my embarrassing assumption.
"Yeah. I meant to thank you for the card." When Bradshaw and I got back to the room from the hospital, there was a giant get well card signed by most of the superstars and crew. "I hear it was all your idea. Thank you. It was incredibly sweet." I stepped forward to hug him gently.
"You're welcome." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I wish I could've been there to stop Xpac. Damn Flair and his no interference, if Xpac or any other member of the NOW tries anything, I'll rush that ring as fast as these two legs will carry me."
There was such strength in his embrace. I didn't step back from him right away. I felt the same sense of security in his arms as I had felt when Bradshaw held me close. * What is going on here? Bradshaw. I'm supposed to be thinking about Bradshaw. He's the reason I'm here. * I was so confused. What could this mean? I was actually forcing myself to focus on Bradshaw. Just a few minutes ago, he was all I could think about. I finally pulled away from Chris.
"You know Samantha, if you ever need anything, protection, an escort, a friend, you can count on me. I'll be there for you." The sincerity in his eyes was overwhelming.
"Thank you, Chris. I appreciate it. I should get going though." I said, motioning to the door.
"Yeah. Good luck tonight." Chris said as he slowly began walking past me.
I turned back to the door, gathered all my courage, and knocked on the door. Before I could take a breath, Bradshaw was standing in the doorway.
"Samantha." Bradshaw acknowledged me with little excitement.
"Can we talk for a minute?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't turn me away again.
"Why not?" He said, walking into the room, leaving me standing in the open doorway.
I closed the door behind me as I stepped into his locker room. "Bradshaw, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I left this morning. I should've told you what was going on myself." I tried to explain.
Bradshaw was fidgety and he wouldn't look at me directly. He lowered himself into an armchair so that his back was to me. "Why didn't you? I know how much the WWE means to you and I would've supported you. I just can't understand why you felt you had to go behind my back." He rested his head against the back of the chair.
I walked around the chair and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him. "After last night I didn't know what I was going to do. All I knew is that I didn't want to leave you."
Bradshaw looked at me as I placed my hands on his knees. "Being a part of the WWE is great, but my focus was that I would still be able to see you. I've had time to think about it and I know I was going about things the wrong way. You were right. We need some time apart. I fully intend to focus on my wrestling, nothing else. I'm sorry I was being so sneaky. I honestly didn't know how you would react. I didn't know if you ever wanted to see me again."
"Sam, telling you to go back home was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I haven't cared for anyone the way I care about you in a long time. I want to be with you, but there's too much at stake. I could lose the best friend I've ever known and you stand to lose a part of your family. I won't let you risk that." Bradshaw said with more seriousness and intensity than I'd seen in anyone. I could tell he truly had my best interests at heart.
* I never thought of it his way. He turned me away for my own sake. He really does care about me, as more than Farooq's niece. * The realization caused tears to fill my eyes. I put my head back and took several deep breaths to prevent the tears from falling down my face.
Bradshaw saw this and leaned forward. He took me in his arms and squeezed me gently to him. At that point, there was no stopping the tears.
Later that night . . .
I stood outside Bradshaw's locker room, too nervous to knock on the door.
"Hey there, sexy."
I turned to see Chris Jericho approaching me.
"Lost again?" He asked, a smirk spreading across his face.
"I seem to run into you quite a bit. Why is that?" I asked wondering if it was more than just coincidence.
"That's easy. My locker room is right next door."
* How stupid do I feel now? * I could feel myself blushing.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay. That was a pretty nasty hit last night."
I was relieved he didn't seem to pick up on my embarrassing assumption.
"Yeah. I meant to thank you for the card." When Bradshaw and I got back to the room from the hospital, there was a giant get well card signed by most of the superstars and crew. "I hear it was all your idea. Thank you. It was incredibly sweet." I stepped forward to hug him gently.
"You're welcome." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I wish I could've been there to stop Xpac. Damn Flair and his no interference, if Xpac or any other member of the NOW tries anything, I'll rush that ring as fast as these two legs will carry me."
There was such strength in his embrace. I didn't step back from him right away. I felt the same sense of security in his arms as I had felt when Bradshaw held me close. * What is going on here? Bradshaw. I'm supposed to be thinking about Bradshaw. He's the reason I'm here. * I was so confused. What could this mean? I was actually forcing myself to focus on Bradshaw. Just a few minutes ago, he was all I could think about. I finally pulled away from Chris.
"You know Samantha, if you ever need anything, protection, an escort, a friend, you can count on me. I'll be there for you." The sincerity in his eyes was overwhelming.
"Thank you, Chris. I appreciate it. I should get going though." I said, motioning to the door.
"Yeah. Good luck tonight." Chris said as he slowly began walking past me.
I turned back to the door, gathered all my courage, and knocked on the door. Before I could take a breath, Bradshaw was standing in the doorway.
"Samantha." Bradshaw acknowledged me with little excitement.
"Can we talk for a minute?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't turn me away again.
"Why not?" He said, walking into the room, leaving me standing in the open doorway.
I closed the door behind me as I stepped into his locker room. "Bradshaw, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I left this morning. I should've told you what was going on myself." I tried to explain.
Bradshaw was fidgety and he wouldn't look at me directly. He lowered himself into an armchair so that his back was to me. "Why didn't you? I know how much the WWE means to you and I would've supported you. I just can't understand why you felt you had to go behind my back." He rested his head against the back of the chair.
I walked around the chair and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him. "After last night I didn't know what I was going to do. All I knew is that I didn't want to leave you."
Bradshaw looked at me as I placed my hands on his knees. "Being a part of the WWE is great, but my focus was that I would still be able to see you. I've had time to think about it and I know I was going about things the wrong way. You were right. We need some time apart. I fully intend to focus on my wrestling, nothing else. I'm sorry I was being so sneaky. I honestly didn't know how you would react. I didn't know if you ever wanted to see me again."
"Sam, telling you to go back home was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I haven't cared for anyone the way I care about you in a long time. I want to be with you, but there's too much at stake. I could lose the best friend I've ever known and you stand to lose a part of your family. I won't let you risk that." Bradshaw said with more seriousness and intensity than I'd seen in anyone. I could tell he truly had my best interests at heart.
* I never thought of it his way. He turned me away for my own sake. He really does care about me, as more than Farooq's niece. * The realization caused tears to fill my eyes. I put my head back and took several deep breaths to prevent the tears from falling down my face.
Bradshaw saw this and leaned forward. He took me in his arms and squeezed me gently to him. At that point, there was no stopping the tears.