Chapter Eight *
They were dead to the world. Matt and Kirsten had occupied themselves
with some extracurricular activity, a little loudly, which in turn kept up
Jeff and Amy. Jeff was determined that when Beth got here, Matt wasn't
going to like the payback. For some reason though, Kirsten and Amy had
risen before any of the men. They were trying to put together plans for
what was left of the day. Amy wanted to go shopping and suggested that they
take Moni along. She mentioned that Adam seemed a little on edge the night
before and surmised that maybe he wanted to be alone. Kirsten nodded. Jay
would be gone to pick up Jennifer at the airport, so if they took Moni with
them, Adam wouldn't feel like he had to play guardian. That left Matt and
Jeff to their own devices for the day. Stealthily making their way to the
elevator, the girls took it up to the next floor. Suspicious looking as a
couple of thieves, they stopped outside Adam and Jay's room. Knocking
lightly, they patiently waited for someone to answer.
Monica was beginning to stir when she heard the faintest rap on the door. Her senses picked up on little things like that, specifically when she was in unfamiliar surroundings. Quietly sliding out of bed, she inched her way past Jason on the cot on the floor and peeked out the peephole of the door. She couldn't make out the faces. They were hunched on the floor-what the? She pulled open the door leaving the chain latched. Looking down she saw Amy and Kirsten on their knees like a couple of pranksters. Smiling at the sight she joined them at their level. "Good morning?" Whispering they took turns talking. "We wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with us." "Yeah they have this huge mall here, the Mall of America." "We're gonna go create some damage in Matt's credit card." "I'll accompany you, but I won't partake in fleecing any wrestler!" They just laughed and agreed to meet up in a 45 minutes. Moni shut the door gently and low crawled past Jason to her gear. She located her khaki cargo pants and a white t-shirt. It took her some time to find a clean pair of skivvies and her sandals. She stooped to grab her bra from the pile on the floor and slinking past Jason for the third time, retreated into the bathroom. In the shower, she realized her head was pounding. 'Should've taken some aspirin before hitting the rack last night.' That's when she remembered WHY- Adam was about to kiss her before Jay walked in with his cot. 'Oh lord, maybe it's a good thing the girls came to me this morning.' She didn't want to face Adam right now. 20 minutes later she was done. Dressed, makeup on, hair pulled back in a barrette, and shoes on, she had managed to keep from waking the guys. Grabbing her id's, cash and a room key, she left to meet up with Kirsten and Amy.
Later: Adam was wakened by the shrill ringing of the phone. Groaning as he rolled over to answer it, he momentarily forgot that someone else had been with them. "Hello?" "Hey, it's Matt. You up?" "I am now, why?" "Well, have you seen the girls?" "No," curious he glanced back over at the other bed, then in haste sat up and looked around the room. All was in order but Moni was gone. "As a matter of fact, Monica isn't here either." "Really? Did she leave you a note or wake you up before she left?" Adam looked around the room and seeing nothing resembling a note he gave Matt the negative answer. "Let me ask Jay if she woke him up. I'll call you back." Adam sprawled to the end of the bed. Reaching Jason he shook him, calling his name. Jason rubbed his eyes and growled. "What???????" "Moni's gone. Matt just called and the other girls are gone too-did she wake you before she left?" "No, not that I can remember." Adam called Matt back and relayed Jason's answer. He suggested that Matt call Kirsten's cell and Matt said that he had, but was getting the voicemail. Adam could hear Jeff in the background-"I'm sure they are fine. As long as we're up, let's go get something to eat." Adam and Jay accepted the offer and they said they'd meet them downstairs in 30.
Unaware of the concern over their absence, the girls were living it up at the mall. Moni couldn't believe the size of the place. It was never ending. She was grateful they had asked her to come along. "Thanks you two for inviting me." "You're welcome." "Yeah we had a blast last night and thought you'd enjoy this too." "You're right. This is good to go." The conversation turned to Moni's plans if she didn't get the call from Allen. The girls didn't want to bring it up, knowing it was a sore spot, but Moni understood. She did need to think ahead. 'Why don't you just stay and go to the shows with us?" "You'd have fun there too." "Jay did suggest I go, but I don't want to put him and Adam out." "Can you stay? I mean, when do you have to go back?" "I have a week of leave. Not sure why I asked for it. I was only originally going to be spending this weekend with Allen. I guess I was going to go home and cry on my mom's shoulder after he dumped me." "How do you know that's what was going to happen?" "I just felt it for some reason. Obviously it was on track-I mean look at how I ended up with you guys anyway." "I don't think Adam would be put out. But if he is, then we'll just throw all the guys in one room and we'll take over the other." "Won't Matt be upset Kirsten?" At that Kirsten blushed. "I sure as hell won't" Amy interrupted before Kirsten could answer. "Did you hear the two of them last night too?" Kirsten was still blushing, getting redder by the minute. "Can we change the subject please?" Moni saved her. "I really don't want to intrude on Adam and Jay." "Jay's not going to care once Jennifer gets here." "Not that he seemed to mind in the first place." "But for Adam, my being in tow cramps his style." "What?" "While I'm around he feels responsible for me, he shouldn't. If he wants to hook up with someone he ought to just go ahead and give me a heads up. I'm a Marine for crying out loud, but he's got it in his head that he has to baby sit me." 'Maybe he doesn't see it as babysitting." Kirsten said with a grin. "I don't know Kirsten. I'm not stupid enough to think Adam is attracted to me." Kirsten couldn't believe someone who exuded such confidence elsewhere in her mannerisms had very little when it came to her outward appearance.
Kirsten wanted a new outfit to surprise Matt for RAW on Monday night. That excursion turned into Amy persuading Moni to get 'done up' for the show too. They had pretty much talked her into staying. For the next couple hours Moni tried on every piece of clothing they tossed her over the dressing room door. Settling on a pair of black leather pants, red sleeveless stretch turtleneck, and a zebra print jacket at the two women's persistence. Moni did not believe, under any circumstances, that she actually looked good in that ensemble. "Shit" Kirsten muttered. "I forgot I had the cell phone off. Matt's probably pissed." "We didn't leave them a note either." Amy added. Sure enough, Kirsten had 3 messages in her voice mail from Matt. He wasn't happy. "Better get this over with, or he'll pout when we get back." Kirsten dialed Matt's cell and walked to a secluded corner to let him vent.
Matt, seeing it was Kirsten who was calling, excused himself from the table. He had a few choice words for her. Adam was anxiously awaiting Matt's return. He wanted to know if Moni was with them. He was wondering if she was mad at or upset with him. Jeff was watching the expressions change like the seasons on Adam's face. Something was up. "Penny for your thoughts." Jeff said. Carefully, Adam laid out everything for Jeff to consider. "Did you ask her to stay, if she doesn't hear from you know who?" "Technically, no. Jay said something to her, I don't know how serious she took it though." "Adam," "What?" "Just talk to her." 'I would but I don't know where she is." Matt, finished berating his beloved, arrived with the answer to that one. Apparently Kirsten had won him over. He explained where the girls were and what they had been doing. Jeff couldn't stifle a laugh. "It figures." Adam felt some measure of relief. "When do they expect to come back?" "Here's the bad news. We have the night to ourselves. They're at Applebee's, then they're going to the movies." "So what's on the agenda for us then?" "I need to hit the gym." Matt replied. "Ok, so if we join you, what then?" "Well, let's see if we can score some tickets to the game." "Sounds good to me."
Monica was beginning to stir when she heard the faintest rap on the door. Her senses picked up on little things like that, specifically when she was in unfamiliar surroundings. Quietly sliding out of bed, she inched her way past Jason on the cot on the floor and peeked out the peephole of the door. She couldn't make out the faces. They were hunched on the floor-what the? She pulled open the door leaving the chain latched. Looking down she saw Amy and Kirsten on their knees like a couple of pranksters. Smiling at the sight she joined them at their level. "Good morning?" Whispering they took turns talking. "We wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with us." "Yeah they have this huge mall here, the Mall of America." "We're gonna go create some damage in Matt's credit card." "I'll accompany you, but I won't partake in fleecing any wrestler!" They just laughed and agreed to meet up in a 45 minutes. Moni shut the door gently and low crawled past Jason to her gear. She located her khaki cargo pants and a white t-shirt. It took her some time to find a clean pair of skivvies and her sandals. She stooped to grab her bra from the pile on the floor and slinking past Jason for the third time, retreated into the bathroom. In the shower, she realized her head was pounding. 'Should've taken some aspirin before hitting the rack last night.' That's when she remembered WHY- Adam was about to kiss her before Jay walked in with his cot. 'Oh lord, maybe it's a good thing the girls came to me this morning.' She didn't want to face Adam right now. 20 minutes later she was done. Dressed, makeup on, hair pulled back in a barrette, and shoes on, she had managed to keep from waking the guys. Grabbing her id's, cash and a room key, she left to meet up with Kirsten and Amy.
Later: Adam was wakened by the shrill ringing of the phone. Groaning as he rolled over to answer it, he momentarily forgot that someone else had been with them. "Hello?" "Hey, it's Matt. You up?" "I am now, why?" "Well, have you seen the girls?" "No," curious he glanced back over at the other bed, then in haste sat up and looked around the room. All was in order but Moni was gone. "As a matter of fact, Monica isn't here either." "Really? Did she leave you a note or wake you up before she left?" Adam looked around the room and seeing nothing resembling a note he gave Matt the negative answer. "Let me ask Jay if she woke him up. I'll call you back." Adam sprawled to the end of the bed. Reaching Jason he shook him, calling his name. Jason rubbed his eyes and growled. "What???????" "Moni's gone. Matt just called and the other girls are gone too-did she wake you before she left?" "No, not that I can remember." Adam called Matt back and relayed Jason's answer. He suggested that Matt call Kirsten's cell and Matt said that he had, but was getting the voicemail. Adam could hear Jeff in the background-"I'm sure they are fine. As long as we're up, let's go get something to eat." Adam and Jay accepted the offer and they said they'd meet them downstairs in 30.
Unaware of the concern over their absence, the girls were living it up at the mall. Moni couldn't believe the size of the place. It was never ending. She was grateful they had asked her to come along. "Thanks you two for inviting me." "You're welcome." "Yeah we had a blast last night and thought you'd enjoy this too." "You're right. This is good to go." The conversation turned to Moni's plans if she didn't get the call from Allen. The girls didn't want to bring it up, knowing it was a sore spot, but Moni understood. She did need to think ahead. 'Why don't you just stay and go to the shows with us?" "You'd have fun there too." "Jay did suggest I go, but I don't want to put him and Adam out." "Can you stay? I mean, when do you have to go back?" "I have a week of leave. Not sure why I asked for it. I was only originally going to be spending this weekend with Allen. I guess I was going to go home and cry on my mom's shoulder after he dumped me." "How do you know that's what was going to happen?" "I just felt it for some reason. Obviously it was on track-I mean look at how I ended up with you guys anyway." "I don't think Adam would be put out. But if he is, then we'll just throw all the guys in one room and we'll take over the other." "Won't Matt be upset Kirsten?" At that Kirsten blushed. "I sure as hell won't" Amy interrupted before Kirsten could answer. "Did you hear the two of them last night too?" Kirsten was still blushing, getting redder by the minute. "Can we change the subject please?" Moni saved her. "I really don't want to intrude on Adam and Jay." "Jay's not going to care once Jennifer gets here." "Not that he seemed to mind in the first place." "But for Adam, my being in tow cramps his style." "What?" "While I'm around he feels responsible for me, he shouldn't. If he wants to hook up with someone he ought to just go ahead and give me a heads up. I'm a Marine for crying out loud, but he's got it in his head that he has to baby sit me." 'Maybe he doesn't see it as babysitting." Kirsten said with a grin. "I don't know Kirsten. I'm not stupid enough to think Adam is attracted to me." Kirsten couldn't believe someone who exuded such confidence elsewhere in her mannerisms had very little when it came to her outward appearance.
Kirsten wanted a new outfit to surprise Matt for RAW on Monday night. That excursion turned into Amy persuading Moni to get 'done up' for the show too. They had pretty much talked her into staying. For the next couple hours Moni tried on every piece of clothing they tossed her over the dressing room door. Settling on a pair of black leather pants, red sleeveless stretch turtleneck, and a zebra print jacket at the two women's persistence. Moni did not believe, under any circumstances, that she actually looked good in that ensemble. "Shit" Kirsten muttered. "I forgot I had the cell phone off. Matt's probably pissed." "We didn't leave them a note either." Amy added. Sure enough, Kirsten had 3 messages in her voice mail from Matt. He wasn't happy. "Better get this over with, or he'll pout when we get back." Kirsten dialed Matt's cell and walked to a secluded corner to let him vent.
Matt, seeing it was Kirsten who was calling, excused himself from the table. He had a few choice words for her. Adam was anxiously awaiting Matt's return. He wanted to know if Moni was with them. He was wondering if she was mad at or upset with him. Jeff was watching the expressions change like the seasons on Adam's face. Something was up. "Penny for your thoughts." Jeff said. Carefully, Adam laid out everything for Jeff to consider. "Did you ask her to stay, if she doesn't hear from you know who?" "Technically, no. Jay said something to her, I don't know how serious she took it though." "Adam," "What?" "Just talk to her." 'I would but I don't know where she is." Matt, finished berating his beloved, arrived with the answer to that one. Apparently Kirsten had won him over. He explained where the girls were and what they had been doing. Jeff couldn't stifle a laugh. "It figures." Adam felt some measure of relief. "When do they expect to come back?" "Here's the bad news. We have the night to ourselves. They're at Applebee's, then they're going to the movies." "So what's on the agenda for us then?" "I need to hit the gym." Matt replied. "Ok, so if we join you, what then?" "Well, let's see if we can score some tickets to the game." "Sounds good to me."