Evie looked up as someone approached her table in the hotel restaurant. It was Ric. Inwardly she grimaced, but kept her face neutral. She said nothing as he sat down across from her in the booth.
"Good morning Evie," he said quietly.
"I suppose," she responded coolly. "I expect there's a reason why you're at my table."
Ric nodded. "Yes there is." He cleared his throat and looked her in the eye. "I wanted to apologize for what I did to you last night. It was extremely ungentlemanly of me to take advantage of you in that situation."
Evie didn't respond. Instead she took a sip of her orange juice as she thought about whether or not she wanted to accept his apology. Hunter had talked to her earlier this morning about it and had asked her to at least hear Ric out. Whether or not she forgave him was up to her. After a minute or two of deliberation, she carefully set the glass back down.
"I appreciate your apology. And I accept it," she responded slowly.
Ric smiled at her and opened his mouth to say something, but Evie spoke up before he could say anything.
"But, if you ever do that again, I'll make sure I give you more than just a bloody nose," she said as she looked at him pointedly. "Do you understand me?"
Ric closed his mouth and nodded. She didn't look very forgiving, but then again, why would she? He knew that from now on, he'd have to be much more careful with his intentions towards her. What had happened last night was only the beginning. Even though it had only been brief, he still had enjoyed it. And he planned on enjoying more of her. But right now, it was best to be contrite about what he had done, if only to get Hunter off his back.
"Understandable Evie," he said as he stood up. "I'll let you finish your breakfast." Quickly he walked off, leaving Evie alone with her food.
She watched him walk away. There was something not quite right about his apology. She knew Hunter had told him to apologize, but for some reason, underneath the surface, Ric didn't look like he regretted what he had done. She resolved to keep a much closer eye on him from now on. As if Jericho wasn't bad enough, now I have to watch Ric as well. She sighed. Good thing the holiday is coming up. I need to get away from this crap, even if it's only for a couple of days.
***************************
Hunter stood In Evie's room, watching her pack her suitcase. She was getting ready to head home for the Thanksgiving holiday and her family. He had finished packing and had come into her room to resolve a couple of travel issues.
"So everything is taken care of with the flights? We'll be able to meet up in Austin on Sunday night?"
Evie nodded as she folded up a pair of pants. "Everything has been arranged. All you have to do is take a taxi, or whatever, to the hotel and you should be able to check in without any problems."
"Under your name right?" His eyes continued to track her as she moved about. It was the first time in a while that they wouldn't be seeing each other on a daily basis. It made him feel a little strange. He had tried to talk her into coming home with him for the holiday, but she refused. She'd told him she needed to see her family.
"Yeah. I have three rooms reserved. One for you, Ric and myself."
"Adjoining for us and separate for Ric?" he asked with a grin.
Evie chuckled. "Like I'd let Ric anywhere near my room."
Evie had done her best to be cooperative and work with Ric. She tried to interact with him as little as possible, but he had made it difficult. Everywhere she went outside of Hunter's dressing room at the house show Tuesday night, he had offered to help her with her bags, getting coffee, holding doors open for her. Try as she might, he made it almost impossible for her to ignore him.
She had mentioned it to Hunter, who told her that Ric was probably just trying to get back on her good side. Inwardly, Hunter resolved to keep an eye on him anyway. So far, Ric had behaved himself. And if he knows what's good for him, he'll keep behaving, Hunter thought.
"You sure you don't wanna come home with me?" he asked again.
Evie finished zipping up her suitcase. "I'm sure Hunter. I really want to see my family. It's been a while since I got to spend any time with them. Or that you spent any time with yours." She smiled at him. "Besides, I think you and I could do with a break from each other as well."
"Yeah, I suppose," he said.
She bent over to pick the suitcase up off the bed and Hunter moved forward to take it from her. "Here, lemme do that," he said as he grasped the handle.
"You don't have to," she replied.
"It's okay. I don't mind," he said as he heaved the suitcase up and set it on the floor by the door for the porter to pick up. He turned around to face her. "What time is your flight?"
Evie glanced at her watch. "In a couple of hours. I really need to get going," she said as she gathered up her purse and computer bag and placed them next to her suitcase.
As she put her coat on, Hunter called down to the front desk to have a porter come up and fetch Evie's luggage. She thanked him as he hung up. Within minutes, the porter picked up her things and took them downstairs as she checked to make sure nothing had been left behind. Once she was done, Hunter walked her down to the lobby.
She proceeded to check herself out and Hunter walked with her towards the doors. Before they reached them however, Hunter pulled her into a corner so that they were hidden from view. The protest on Evie's lips died unspoken as Hunter immediately pushed her against the wall, leaned down and kissed her. He pushed her lips apart and teased them with his lips and tongue before kissing her deeply. Her knees weakened as she felt his weight pressed against her. When he pulled his lips away from hers, she was breathless.
He glanced down at her. "Now, tell me you can live without that for a few days."
She shook her head as her breathing returned to normal. "You're horrible," she finally said.
"Why am I horrible?" he asked as he stepped back, his hands still grasping her waist.
"Doing that to get me to change my mind. Shame on you Mr. Helmsley." Her eyes sparkled with humour.
A cocky grin appeared on his lips. "Hey, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do." He reached up and smoothed back a few hairs that had fallen across her cheek.
Evie rolled her eyes as she disengaged herself from his hands. "I stand by what I said. You're horrible."
"I'll miss you," he said quietly.
Her eyes met his as her heart pounded in response to his words. "I'll be back on Sunday," she said calmly.
"I know, but I'll still miss you."
She became flustered with excitement. To cover her reaction, she pushed back her coat sleeve to check her watch. "And I'll miss my flight if I don't get going," she responded as she straightened her coat out.
They stepped outside and said their brief goodbyes. Hunter watched until Evie's cab was out of sight and then headed back into the hotel. His thoughts dwelled on how long of a holiday it was going to be without her around and found himself wishing it was Sunday.
****************************
Evie flopped down on her bed with a sigh of relief. Thanksgiving dinner had ended a couple of hours ago, her extended family had gone home and everything had been cleaned up. Now she was in her old room with her sister.
Lauren stretched out across the foot of the double bed. "Man, am I glad that's over with for another year."
Evie chuckled in response. "No kidding. I thought Dana was going to go into labour right then and there."
"I wasn't talking about our poor sister-in-law, all though I think we all thought that. I was talking about Aunt Celia and Aunt Beth. How long has that argument been going on now?
"At least ten years, maybe longer," Evie said as she rolled her eyes. "And every Thanksgiving it's the same." Her voice grew higher as she mocked their Aunt Celia. "You stole my recipe. I know you did. Who else made stuffing that way! No one!"
Lauren laughed as she imitated their Aunt Beth. "And what about my Jello mould? I swear I need to keep my recipes in a safe with you around." She shook her head. "If grandma could hear them, she'd turn over in her grave," she quipped in her normal voice.
"She probably hasn't stopped," Evie said as her shoulders shook in amusement.
Lauren reached out and tweaked Evie's foot when she had stopped laughing.
Evie lifted her head so she could look at her sister. "What?"
"So are you gonna tell me what's up or do I have to guess?"
Evie rolled her eyes and her head fell back on the pillow. Lauren had been after her about Hunter, but ever since Evie had arrived at home, they hadn't been able to talk. Evie had been constantly surrounded by her parents or other family members she hadn't seen in months. "Lauren, why is it so important to you?"
"Because you're my sister and I wanna make sure he's treating you right." She turned over on her back. "Someone needs to watch out for you."
A chuckle escaped Evie. "So not only do I have my big sister looking out for me, but Bradshaw and Shawn." Evie rolled onto her side and propped her head up with her hand so she could look at Lauren. "I guess I should feel flattered."
"You should," responded Lauren. "Especially after what he did to you in Las Vegas."
"Why does everyone keep bringing that up? He apologized. We're back to being friends, so quit bugging me."
Lauren snorted. "Yeah right. Friends. That's why you kept disappearing to check your phone messages isn't it?" She rolled over and looked at her sister thoughtfully. "Hmm?"
Evie lowered her eyes to the comforter and began tracing a pattern with her finger. "Because I thought Bradshaw or Shawn might call, that's why."
Lauren dismissed the excuse with a wave of her hand. "Sure you did Evie. I may be your sister, but I'm not stupid." She continued to watch her sister. "Has he said anything to you at all about how he feels?"
Evie shook her head, her eyes still on the comforter. "I decided to confront him about it and I did try to, but I kept getting interrupted with one thing or another. Or someone kept interrupting." She lifted her gaze to meet her sister's. "Lauren?"
"What?"
"Do you think I'm wasting my time with him?" she asked uncertainly.
Lauren pressed her lips together as she thought about how to answer the question. She fell silent for a minute and then- "It's hard for me to hear the things you tell me sometimes. I mean, I'm sure he's a great guy underneath. Obviously there's something there that you love, but sometimes I wonder why you love him. He wasn't very understanding about your friendship with Bradshaw, or considerate of your feelings for him. But then again, I don't know everything that happened that brought him to that point. I wasn't there."
"That's not what I asked you Lauren," Evie responded quietly.
"I know. It's just that I'm your sister. I care about you; about what happens to you. I don't want to see history repeat itself."
Evie sat up and crossed her legs Indian style. "Hunter's not like that Lauren. Sure we've had our disagreements, but he never laid a hand on me. And I can take care of myself," she said as she lifted her chin in determination. "I'm not that person anymore."
Lauren heaved a sigh. She knew Evie had changed dramatically since she had left Davis. She was more confident, more aggressive, but underneath all that, she was still her little sister and it was instinctive to Lauren to be concerned about her. And protective of her. "Well to answer your question, if you think it's worth pursuing him, then no, I don't think you're wasting your time."
Evie chuckled. "You sound like my psychologist used to. Give a roundabout answer when you don't know exactly what to say," she teased. Her expression changed to a somber one. "I do love him Lauren and I will find out whether or not he loves me. The way he's been over the past few weeks, it seems like he does, but I need confirmation." Her voice dropped. "I need to know..." she trailed off.
"Need to know whether or not to move on?" Lauren supplied.
Evie nodded. "I'm tired of waiting for him to say anything."
"As long as you keep me informed. That way I'll know whether or not to call Shawn and Bradshaw up to help me kick Hunter's ass," Lauren joked.
Evie leaned in and hugged her sister as she laughed. "Thanks for listening Lauren."
"Hey, that's what big sisters are for. Listening and kicking ass."
**************************
The rest of the holiday passed quickly and before Evie knew it, it was Sunday evening and she was in Austin Texas for the next broadcast of RAW tomorrow night. She had arrived before anyone else and took advantage of this to work on her computer. She had unlatched the adjoining door on her side so Hunter could pop in when he arrived.
No less than an hour later there was a knock at the door.
"It's open," she called.
Hunter came through the doorway. "Hey," he said cheerfully.
"Hey yourself," she responded as she looked up from where she was sitting. Her eyes traveled over him, taking him in. It had only been three days since she had seen him, but it felt like longer. He had on a pair of black track pants and a white t-shirt, as opposed to the dressier clothes he normally wore.
He walked over and stood next to her. "How was your holiday?"
She grinned. "Oh the usual. My flight was delayed getting into the gate at O'Hare. Both my aunts were at each other and trying to drag everyone else into it. My two nephews broke my mother's turkey platter. Caught my dad sneaking a cigar out on the back porch and my sister-in-law almost went into labor during dinner. Other than that, it was good. How about yours?"
Hunter chuckled. "Not as exciting as yours. Pretty much the usual. I'm glad to be back at work though."
She tapped a couple keys on her computer and closed out her email. "You would be," she said sarcastically. "What are you doing tonight?"
"I was gonna go work out for a while. I didn't get much of a chance to at home."
"Did you see Ric anywhere on your way up?" Evie asked as she shut down the computer.
He shook his head. "Nah. I haven't seen him since Tuesday night. Why?"
Evie shrugged. "Just wondering."
Hunter smirked. "Yeah, just wondering so you can avoid him."
"Can you blame me?" she asked as she folded up her laptop. "I'll try my best to work with him Hunter, but…"
"Hey, if he tries anything else, both if us will beat the crap outta him, so don't worry."
She smiled. "Tag team action eh?" She stood up and tried to move past him, but he held out an arm. She looked at him. "Excuse me."
He simply smiled as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her up against him. "I missed you," he said softly.
Her eyes turned up to his and her heart took up a rapid beat. "Did you now?"
"Yes," he said, drawing the word out.
She subconsciously held her breath as his lips came down on hers. The kiss was brief and as he pulled his head back, he saw the disappointment in her eyes.
"What?" he asked softly.
She had been hoping the kiss would last a little longer than that. A faint blush crept over her cheeks. "Nothing," she mumbled as she pushed away from him.
He remained where he was, watching her as she packed away the laptop in its bag. He had missed her. More than he liked to admit. It still surprised him how much of a part of his life she had become, even as his employee. His mother had asked him when he was going to settle down again. Hunter had brushed the question aside and when his mother had started naming off her friends daughters, he politely told her to mind her own business. Hunter shook his head at the recollection as he realized Evie had asked him something. He looked at her.
"Did you hear me?" she asked.
"No. What did you say?"
"Sounds like someone is knocking at your door."
Hunter crossed over to his own room and opened the door. Ric Flair stood on the other side. "Hey Ric. Made it I see."
Ric grinned in response. "Yeah, just got in a few minutes ago," he said as he walked into Hunter's room. He glanced quickly towards the adjoining doors, noticing that they were both open wide. "What's goin' on?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Just checkin' in with Evie," Hunter replied.
Ric stepped through the doors and noticed Evie flicking through the television channels. "Hey Evie. How was your holiday?"
"Fine," she replied shortly.
"That's good," Ric said, ignoring the tone of her voice. "Just thought I'd let you know I'm here."
She waved at him to acknowledge his words and continued to scroll through the channels.
Ric turned back to Hunter. "What's up with her?" he asked as he hooked a thumb in Evie's direction.
Hunter shrugged. "Tired from her flight probably."
Ric quickly dismissed Evie and clapped Hunter on the shoulder. "So how 'bout it champ? Wanna go out tonight?"
"I'll pass Ric. I planned on getting into a gym tonight. I didn't get much time over Thanksgiving to work out." He gestured towards his duffle bag. "As a matter of fact, I was getting ready to leave when you knocked."
Ric nodded. "Well then, I think I'm gonna go back to my room and relax." He patted Hunter on the back. "See you tomorrow." He walked out.
"Sure Ric," Hunter said as he closed the door behind the other man. He wandered back into Evie's room to tell her he was heading out to a gym.
*********************
Hunter stormed into Bischoff's office and drew up short at the sight of Bischoff and Chief Morley watching the footage from last weeks match between Shawn Michaels and RVD. As the camera panned to Hunter's interference, Both Bischoff and Morley looked up at him.
"Something I can do for you Triple H?" asked Bischoff.
Hunter didn't waste any time. "Why the hell do I have to face RVD in a number one contenders match tonight? The fact that I have to wrestle him is an insult Bischoff and you know it!"
Bischoff wore a smug look on his face. "I don't care if it's an insult to you Triple H. I want TV ratings and I want great TV. So you're gonna wrestle RVD whether you like it or not."
Chief Morley held up a hand to interrupt. "It looks like this number one contenders match just might get out of hand."
Bischoff turned his attention to Morley. "I believe you're right chief. This match needs a special referee." He glanced back at Hunter. "And you'll just have to wait and find out who it is."
Hunter swore vehemently and left the room. He walked back to his dressing room and shut the door forcefully. "Damn Bischoff," he said as he sat down on the sofa to watch Batista's match against the Hurricane.
Batista promptly attacked the Hurricane at the bottom of the ramp and threw him into the ring. A quick flurry of punches and then Batista gave Hurricane a power bomb and pinned him for the win. As soon as the bell had rung, Batista decided he wasn't through with the smaller man yet. He picked Hurricane up to deliver another power bomb, but Kane came running out from the back and gave Batista a clothesline. While Batista was rolling around on the canvas, Kane gathered up Hurricane and helped him backstage.
The cameras switched to Terri, who was interviewing Shawn Michaels and Hunter's temper shot up even further. Terri asked Shawn why he was in the arena tonight.
"Well Terri, I wanna see who wins tonight between Triple H and RVD. I wanna know who I'll be facing for this title."
RVD appeared next to Shawn. "Yeah, Triple H shows up last week and saves your title Michaels. Now I have to go through him to get a shot at the title? Triple H is an asshole."
Before Shawn could reply, Bischoff showed up alongside Terri. "You know, both of you are right, and tonight, the great HBK will be the special guest referee for that match." He shot Shawn a look that said he meant business. "And you better call that match fair and square or I will strip you of that title right in the middle of that ring tonight."
The picture switched back to the ring, showing J.R. and Jerry Lawler talking about this new turn of events. Hunter growled and tossed his empty water bottle at the screen. Now he was really pissed off. Not only did he have to face RVD for the title shot, now Shawn would be the ref for that match. Somehow, Hunter didn't think Shawn was going to be all that fair. He heard the door to his room open and shut and Evie came into view.
She glanced down at him and noticed the glare he was giving the television screen. "What's wrong with you?"
He thrust a finger at the screen. "Bischoff, RVD and Shawn Michaels. That's what's wrong with me."
"What happened?"
He told her what Bischoff did and who the guest referee was. Evie grimaced. She knew Hunter could handle himself in the ring, but with Shawn as the ref, anything could happen. She sat down next to him. "So what are you planning to do then?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Planning to do? I'm planning on going out there and kicking RVD's ass. As for Michaels, he gets stripped of the title if he doesn't call a fair match. Either way, win or lose, I'll take care of him too." He stood up. "I need to get ready."
Evie perched on the edge of the sofa cushion. "You want me to leave?"
He shook his head. "I'll just change in the bathroom, but I need you to help tape me up," he said as he picked up his bag.
"Fine," she responded as he disappeared into the bathroom. She turned her attention to the monitor and watched Jackie take out Victoria in a non-title match. As soon as Hunter was dressed in his gear, he came out with the tape in his hand. He gave it to Evie and she proceeded to wrap his hands and wrists. "You want your water?" she asked as she finished up.
"Yeah, but be careful," he said as he turned his attention back to the monitor.
Evie rolled her eyes as she opened the door and left. As if she didn't know to be careful. All though she hadn't seen Jericho tonight, that didn't mean he wasn't lurking around somewhere. After making it to catering without being accosted, she grabbed a couple of bottles, stopped to talk to one of the staff for a minute and then headed back to Hunter's locker room. Before she could reach it, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.
She turned around, expecting Jericho, but instead she saw Shawn. "Hey Shawn," she said quietly.
He smiled at her. "Hey doll, guess you heard about the match huh?"
"Yeah. Hunter told me. He's not too pleased about it."
Shawn nodded. "Kinda figured he wouldn't be. What kind of mood is he in?"
Evie shook her head. "Not a good one."
He smiled. "Kinda figured that too." He looked closer at her. "How are things between you two?"
Evie's eyes met his. "Fine, so far. No trouble since you and I talked last." A wry smile appeared on her mouth. "Except with Ric, but we got that all straightened out."
Shawn threw his hands up. "I knew it. I knew he was gonna try something." His face wore a look of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I managed to give Ric a bloody nose though. And he did apologize for his behaviour."
Shawn laughed. "You'll have to fill me in later." He glanced up and down the hallway. "I better get outta here before someone sees us."
"True," Evie responded, knowing who Shawn meant by 'someone'. She shifted the bottles into one hand and waved to him with the other. "Later Shawn."
"Bye doll," he said as he continued down the hall ahead of her.
Evie trailed a short distance behind him and as Shawn drew even with Hunter's locker room door, it opened and Hunter came face to face with Shawn. They stood nose to nose, each trying to stare the other down.
Hunter spoke up first. "You know, I'll finish what I stared with you Shawn, after I take care of RVD. Come Armageddon, you will be flat on your back in that ring and I'll be the champion."
Shawn's face was expressionless. "All you have to do Hunter, is cross the referee one time and it's Game Over." And with that, Shawn walked away.
Hunter glared as he watched Shawn walk off. Evie carefully approached him, still holding the water bottles. Finally he noticed her and motioned her into the locker room. She followed him in, closing the door behind her. He held out a hand and she gave him one of the bottles.
"I want you to stay in here for the rest of the night. I know I can trust you, but with Shawn walking around, anything can happen," he said as he clicked the cap off and took a drink.
Evie nodded in response. She had noticed the look on his face and rather than argue with him, she figured it would make things easier to just agree with him. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to argue with him.
Hunter took another drink and then headed for the door. "I'll be back soon." He turned a smile on her. "And be careful."
Despite the tension, Evie smiled in response and watched as he left the room.
********************************
The first thing Shawn did was eject Ric from ringside. Ric argued with Shawn, but Shawn was adamant and stood his ground. Ric muttered under his breath all the way back to Hunter's dressing room. He walked in to find Evie sitting on the sofa watching the match unfold. She glanced up at him and shrugged her shoulders. He said nothing as he pulled up a folding chair and sat down.
RVD started out with a couple of fast kicks and elbows to Hunter's jaw. RVD managed to drop Hunter to the mat with one of the elbows and quickly pinned him, but was only able to get a two count. Both men climbed to their feet and while Hunter was trying to regain his balance, RVD clothes lined Hunter to the outside of the ring, climbed to the top rope and jumped off, flattening Hunter to the ground. RVD rolled back in the ring and received an earful from Shawn. Hunter got to his feet, but before he could get back in the ring, RVD hit a baseball slide and knocked Hunter back down. RVD set Hunter up on the barrier and hit a leg drop across Hunter's back. RVD then whipped Hunter back into the ring and covered him for another two count.
Hunter quickly recovered and whipped RVD into the ropes and nailed him with a clothesline. Hunter reversed another whip and put RVD in a sleeper hold. RVD reversed the sleeper and wrestled Hunter onto the mat, getting yet another two count as Hunter had managed to get his foot up on the bottom rope. Hunter waited for RVD to stand up before he rolled towards him and gave him a low blow. He quickly reversed a whip to the ropes and RVD climbed up again, this time for a cross body, but accidentally hit Shawn instead.
Hunter rolled out of the ring, picked up a steel chair and got back into the ring to use it on RVD. Before the chair could connect with RVD, Shawn blocked it. RVD went for a spinning heel kick, missed Hunter and nailed Shawn instead. Hunter took advantage of Shawn's inattention to whack RVD in the head with the chair before tossing it out of the ring, Hunter covered RVD and Shawn recovered enough for the three count, giving Hunter the win.
Before Evie could sigh in relief, Hunter and Shawn squared off in the ring. They pummeled each other mercilessly. Several officials came running out of the back to break it up. One of them pulled RVD out of the ring while the others tried to separate Shawn and Hunter to no avail. Shawn got in an elbow shot and knocked Hunter down. He then went to the farthest corner in the ring and began stomping his foot. As soon as Hunter was up and facing him, Shawn gave him some Sweet Chin Music to the jaw. The picture faded as Shawn stood over Hunter and spit on him.
****************************
A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Glad everyone enjoyed the last
chapter. Sorry this is posted so
late. Trying to get as many chapters
written as possible so all I have to do is go over it and rewrite.
Anyway, belated congratulations to Paul and Stephanie on their marriage on the 25th of October. Nice to know that I'll have something in common with them as that's the day my husband and I got married 5 years ago. (Sorry Paul-guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe in our next life. *sigh* Just make sure you have those thighs next time around!)
My condolences and sympathies to Crash Holly's family. We'll miss you.
Karisma: I was gonna have Evie do a little more damage to him, but it would open a whole new can and that's not the main focus right now. Ric will get more than just a bloody nose eventually.
Iccess-america: Yeah it was just plain wrong and that's why I did it. Heh heh heh. Yeah that's one of the reasons Evie is gonna just come out and ask Hunter; more or less to get the pace picked up a bit more than anything else. Don't worry. I didn't think you were complaining. Justin Timberlake? Ummm…. No comment.
Alissa5: Glad you keep coming back to read it. Bradshaw will be showing up again soon.
Erica: Yeah. "EW" is what I said too. Thanks for the compliment. Tension build up… my favourite thing to do to characters. Hee hee! And things should definitely be getting more interesting as they progress.
Princess-Muse: Nope. Ric's not done with her yet. Willpower will shortly be leaving the building. Much like Elvis.
Xtreme-Jewell: Asshole? Slimy? Ric Flair is this. (Sorry, couldn't resist a Yoda-esque comment) Who will walk in on Evie and Hunter? Hmmm… Hadn't thought about that, but now that you mention it that gives me an idea… You'll have to wait and find out who it'll be.
Vronica03: Don't get me wrong. I like Flair, but I can see him doing something like that-his character anyway. He just comes off as creepy to me. Especially around women.
Jessi: Thanks for the compliment! Bradshaw will be showing up again soon, don't worry.
MsLessa: The title… heh heh heh. Couldn't help myself on that one. That and my husband happened to be watching Star Trek: First Contact as I was finishing the chapter up. Ric isn't done with Evie yet. Not by a long shot.
Disco_Inferno1: Thanks! And I live for tension. LOL! And no, Ric's not done yet. Evie won't be the only one beating the crap out of him when he does either.
PsychosLiveOn-WWErox: Thanks for sticking with the story. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I love reviews and don't care if they're cheesy. Hey, you're talking 'bout a chick who LOVES Bruce Campbell here! Cheesy is good! True, Ric IS creepy. Drunk or not.
Bingobaby: Thanks! What I have up my sleeve? BWAHAHAHAHAHA! You'll soon find out! I figured Trips and Evie deserved a bit of a break for a while, but don't look for it to last too much longer.
Paige: Thanks for reading! Hey, I live for tension and there's more to come.