A/N: I don't own any characters except for Jade McMahon.
The night air was cool, as it usually was in late September. Eric stepped out of the limo, instructing the driver to take his things to the hotel where the roster was booked. Taking a deep breath and straightening both his jacket and his hair, he walked into the smoky club entrance, wondering how on earth he could ever find Jade in the mess of mass people. But he didn't have to worry for long. He was in the door no more than three minutes before he heard a familiar voice call, "Mr. Bischoff! Over here!" He glanced in the general direction of Jade's voice before noticing a very obviously drunken Jade seated at a table in the corner of the room. He made his way over to her, composing himself to his television character. The cool-as-a-cucumber Eric Bischoff sauntered up to Jade.
"You wanted to meet me here for what reason?" he asked, trying to still his fluttering heart. Until then, he had only heard about moments like this. Jade was wearing a very tight tank top that showed a clear shot down the front of her top. She was practically leaning on top of the table, trying to make herself heard over the noise of the bar and the country jukebox that played loud music. Her long, waist length auburn hair was pulled up neatly into a ponytail and her hazel eyes sparkled with delight as she pointed to the seat across from her.
"Why don't you have a seat?" she cried, waving a bottle of alcohol in the air. "And have a drink or ten.it's on me." With that, she slammed the bottle down on the table and attempted to mix another drink in the bottle.
"Whoa!" Eric cried and he snatched the bottle away from her. "I see you've already had a little bit too much to drink. I'll do this for you." She nodded in appreciation. Eric continued to pour the drink and struggled to find the words his brain wouldn't provide. "So, why did you want to meet me?"
Jade's joyous face turned sombre and sober as she contemplated her response. She sat for a moment, holding on tightly to the bottle that Eric had replaced in her iron-like grip. "Eric, I want you to understand why I treat you the way that I do," she said, thinking deeply. "Wrestling is my life. This company has been my life. I never want anything bad to happen to it. I can't even begin to describe the way I felt when Dad announced that he had hired you. I felt as if he had betrayed my entire family and me. I thought that he had lost his mind and we would have to lock him up before the men in the white coats came. It bothered me to no end, thinking that the man who tried to ruin us just a few short years ago would be helping to run one of our most popular shows. I was afraid that you were going to run us into the ground."
Eric kept nodding, not knowing exactly what to say. He hoped that she had more to say, because she had never opened up like this to him before. In fact, she had never said anything short of a suggestion about him leaving the company-fast.
"Ever since I was very young, I've lived this wrestling dream," she continued. "Wrestling is in my blood. It's natural that I want to protect the company. I'm sure as an owner, you can understand that and relate to it." She nodded at Eric and continued talking. "The only time I ever doubted this company was when Owen died. I felt that the entire company had betrayed me by stealing my best friend from me. I can't believe that the company, this company that I've put my trust in for so many years, could make me hurt so bad." Tears sprung to her eyes, and Eric felt a lump in his throat. He, too, could recall the pain that was felt by the wrestling community when Owen Hart was killed. "So, I hope you can understand why I have been treating you the way that I have been," Jade continued. "It's nothing personal. I just don't want my life to be plummeted into the ground."
Eric felt his heart wrench for the girl who sat in front of him, nearly sobbing. She seemed so violent and vengeful on television, but away from the scripts and on-screen action, she was really just a beautiful girl, trying to make it in an everyday world. He couldn't stop himself and before he knew it, he was patting her arm, actually comforting the woman who had made his life so horrible the past few months.
"Jade, I want you to know that I have no intentions on running anything into the ground. I'm here to work hard and give it my best. I guess in a way you were right; I am a washed-up wannabe. I just want to be in the wrestling business again. Nothing more than that."
Jade looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Do you actually mean that?" she asked hopefully. All Eric could do was nod. Gleefully, and full of alcohol, she threw her arms around his neck before realizing her actions. Quickly she sat back down, staring at her hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"No, no, no. It's quite all right. There's no need to apologize."
Quizzically, Jade stared at him. "You know, Eric, this is something new for me. It never occurred to me before. I wonder if it could actually be true."
"What?"
"That you are a human being and you can have feelings."
Eric smiled and playfully punched her arm. She smiled a soft smile and spoke quietly. "That, and I'm wondering if the two of us are actually sitting here, talking and laughing like old friends, instead of hating each other and throwing verbal insults back and forth."
Eric just nodded, for he suddenly had a revelation. A terrible, yet extremely exciting revelation. Something that never really occurred to him before. He knew that he felt butterflies in his stomach whenever he saw Jade, and that she could melt his ruthless attitude to nothing, but this was far more serious than a little crush. Yes, he was sure of it: he was in love with Jade McMahon.
The night air was cool, as it usually was in late September. Eric stepped out of the limo, instructing the driver to take his things to the hotel where the roster was booked. Taking a deep breath and straightening both his jacket and his hair, he walked into the smoky club entrance, wondering how on earth he could ever find Jade in the mess of mass people. But he didn't have to worry for long. He was in the door no more than three minutes before he heard a familiar voice call, "Mr. Bischoff! Over here!" He glanced in the general direction of Jade's voice before noticing a very obviously drunken Jade seated at a table in the corner of the room. He made his way over to her, composing himself to his television character. The cool-as-a-cucumber Eric Bischoff sauntered up to Jade.
"You wanted to meet me here for what reason?" he asked, trying to still his fluttering heart. Until then, he had only heard about moments like this. Jade was wearing a very tight tank top that showed a clear shot down the front of her top. She was practically leaning on top of the table, trying to make herself heard over the noise of the bar and the country jukebox that played loud music. Her long, waist length auburn hair was pulled up neatly into a ponytail and her hazel eyes sparkled with delight as she pointed to the seat across from her.
"Why don't you have a seat?" she cried, waving a bottle of alcohol in the air. "And have a drink or ten.it's on me." With that, she slammed the bottle down on the table and attempted to mix another drink in the bottle.
"Whoa!" Eric cried and he snatched the bottle away from her. "I see you've already had a little bit too much to drink. I'll do this for you." She nodded in appreciation. Eric continued to pour the drink and struggled to find the words his brain wouldn't provide. "So, why did you want to meet me?"
Jade's joyous face turned sombre and sober as she contemplated her response. She sat for a moment, holding on tightly to the bottle that Eric had replaced in her iron-like grip. "Eric, I want you to understand why I treat you the way that I do," she said, thinking deeply. "Wrestling is my life. This company has been my life. I never want anything bad to happen to it. I can't even begin to describe the way I felt when Dad announced that he had hired you. I felt as if he had betrayed my entire family and me. I thought that he had lost his mind and we would have to lock him up before the men in the white coats came. It bothered me to no end, thinking that the man who tried to ruin us just a few short years ago would be helping to run one of our most popular shows. I was afraid that you were going to run us into the ground."
Eric kept nodding, not knowing exactly what to say. He hoped that she had more to say, because she had never opened up like this to him before. In fact, she had never said anything short of a suggestion about him leaving the company-fast.
"Ever since I was very young, I've lived this wrestling dream," she continued. "Wrestling is in my blood. It's natural that I want to protect the company. I'm sure as an owner, you can understand that and relate to it." She nodded at Eric and continued talking. "The only time I ever doubted this company was when Owen died. I felt that the entire company had betrayed me by stealing my best friend from me. I can't believe that the company, this company that I've put my trust in for so many years, could make me hurt so bad." Tears sprung to her eyes, and Eric felt a lump in his throat. He, too, could recall the pain that was felt by the wrestling community when Owen Hart was killed. "So, I hope you can understand why I have been treating you the way that I have been," Jade continued. "It's nothing personal. I just don't want my life to be plummeted into the ground."
Eric felt his heart wrench for the girl who sat in front of him, nearly sobbing. She seemed so violent and vengeful on television, but away from the scripts and on-screen action, she was really just a beautiful girl, trying to make it in an everyday world. He couldn't stop himself and before he knew it, he was patting her arm, actually comforting the woman who had made his life so horrible the past few months.
"Jade, I want you to know that I have no intentions on running anything into the ground. I'm here to work hard and give it my best. I guess in a way you were right; I am a washed-up wannabe. I just want to be in the wrestling business again. Nothing more than that."
Jade looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Do you actually mean that?" she asked hopefully. All Eric could do was nod. Gleefully, and full of alcohol, she threw her arms around his neck before realizing her actions. Quickly she sat back down, staring at her hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"No, no, no. It's quite all right. There's no need to apologize."
Quizzically, Jade stared at him. "You know, Eric, this is something new for me. It never occurred to me before. I wonder if it could actually be true."
"What?"
"That you are a human being and you can have feelings."
Eric smiled and playfully punched her arm. She smiled a soft smile and spoke quietly. "That, and I'm wondering if the two of us are actually sitting here, talking and laughing like old friends, instead of hating each other and throwing verbal insults back and forth."
Eric just nodded, for he suddenly had a revelation. A terrible, yet extremely exciting revelation. Something that never really occurred to him before. He knew that he felt butterflies in his stomach whenever he saw Jade, and that she could melt his ruthless attitude to nothing, but this was far more serious than a little crush. Yes, he was sure of it: he was in love with Jade McMahon.