Note: I don't own the WWE and its characters. This story is for
entertainment purposes only. Thanks!
DECISIONS & CONSEQUENCES
Three weeks later after that fateful tear-filled morning, Lori had decided that Chris would never know. The twenty-sixth day and night passed and he had not called. Her best friend Kate tried in vain to convince her not to give up on him, but Lori's mind was set. When the baby was born, she would give the child up for adoption. She hoped that her baby could have a normal life with two loving parents in the picture. She knew she wasn't ready to be a mother and that it was the right thing to do.
Meanwhile in a New York hotel room across the country.
"Look I'm sorry." Jericho was apologizing angrily to his latest conquest. "I changed my mind, just leave okay?"
"Whatever!" The buxom dye-job blonde picked up her keys and left, slamming the door hard behind her.
Chris held his head in his hands. 'What's wrong with me?' He wondered in frustration. 'I'm the King of Bling-Bling for crying out loud but I can't do this anymore.' This was the sixth woman that he'd tried to have some fun with since the night he'd met Lori. Every time he slept, he saw her face. Every morning, when he woke up, he'd immediately thought about her. A hint of fragrance, vanilla like she wore would stop him in his tracks and have him look for her. Like a ghost, her memory haunted him but he stubbornly refused to admit that he'd fallen for her. He'd not been able to resume his playboy antics since that day. Every time he tried to be with a woman, he'd see her face and the mood would turn. Till this morning, this morning he was ready to face it. He pulled out his wallet and dug through the contents, searching for that forgotten little white card. Luck was with him, he kept it, and he picked up the phone and dialed.
After a couple of rings-
"Hello? Thanks for calling Lotus Bank, this is Rona speaking. May I help you?" Came a lilting female voice.
"Hi, I was calling for Lori, can I speak with her please?" Chris asked thinking of what he'd say.
"Ah yes, may I tell her who's calling please?"
"Tell her, it's Chris"
"Can you hold please?"
"Yeah sure." Chris sat and waited, trying to think of a good excuse for why he'd missed the deadline for calling her.
"Sir?" Rona's voice was back on the line. "I'm sorry, Lori's gone out to lunch. Can I take your number and have her call you back?"
'Damn' He swore mentally, then answered, "Yeah sure, it's 555-2190 and tell her to call collect, it's long distance." He added.
"Ok, thank you for calling Mr. Irvine." *click-
'Hey wait a minute!' Chris realized hurriedly. 'I never told her my last name! Lori's avoiding me.' He concluded sadly then murmured, "I'm not giving up that easily." He hit the redial button hard.
"Lotus Bank, this is Amy? What can I do you for?" Came a bubbly voice.
"Amy! Don't hang up please, it's Chris." Chris told her pleadingly.
"Uh..hey can you hold on a minute." Amy's voice grew serious.
"No, wait!" Too late Amy had already put him back on hold.
"Thanks for holding.this is Lori?" Came the voice he'd been longing to hear.
'Thank you Amy' Chris drew a sigh of relief then spoke, "Lori, it's Chris. Please don't hang up until you hear me out."
"Chris?" Lori's voice faltered as tears came to her eyes.
"Yeah it's me, look I've been a jerk and I'm sorry." Chris began, "I didn't call when I promised I would. There were ah..circumstances. It's so hard to explain this over the phone."
"Its forgotten Chris." Lori's voice was cold.
"No, it's inexcusable, please let me make it up to you." Chris told her, "Let me see you again. I can be there in two days."
"That won't be necessary. I'm okay, really. Look my boss is glaring at me; I've got to go. Bye Chris." Lori lied and hung up the phone.
Chris just sat there a little while, stunned, bewildered but by no means was he ready to give up. Her behavior certainly had basis but he realized now she possessed his heart without really even trying.
'I've got to find out where she lives.' He thought to himself. 'And I should probably send her some flowers.'
He called the FTD people and ordered a bouquet for her. He paid a lot extra to guarantee it got there the same day. The note he told them was simple, 'Lori- I miss you - Love Chris' Then he tried to fall asleep but was not able.
The next evening..
"Come on Chris. Pick up the tempo!" Rob Van Dam whispered during a tie- up.
"Sorry man." Chris whispered back and tried to adjust.
Rob went for a drop-kick; Chris's timing was off. He knew that his shoulder would be bruised badly by morning. Rob's knee was probably hurting from the unplanned stiff reaction he'd received. He snapped to attention and tried to stay focused for the remainder the match.
After the match in the back, Chris caught up to an irate RVD.
"Look I'm sorry man."
The normally very mellow RVD was curt, "Look man whatever. Get your head straight though before you cripple someone." He glared and then limped away.
Jason Reso a.k.a. Christian approached him.
"Man that match was terrible." Jason started.
"I know, I know." Chris growled. "Just leave it alone OK."
"OK, man but just wanted to tell you Vince is in the arena tonight, so beware." Jason patted his shoulder.
"Gee thanks." Chris's reply was sarcastic.
"Chris, Vince wants you to stop by his office." Said Kevin Kelly as he walked up to him.
"Oh man," Chris muttered. Then he headed for the room Vince was using for an office tonight. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door before entering.
"Chris, come in and take a seat," Vince gestured to a wing chair before the large desk.
Chris sat down and waited for the inevitable tongue-lashing he knew he was going to receive.
"You know me Chris, I don't like to mince words," Vince started gruffly, "Let's cut to the chase here. You're performance tonight was awful and it has been lacking for the last month. I'm pulling your angle."
"I'm sorry Vince," Chris responded glumly. "I've got some personal matters to deal with."
"Well deal with them Chris. I'll give you three weeks off and then I expect you back, without the mental baggage. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Chris nodded hiding the small amount of happiness he felt at receiving a break.
"Good then, thanks for stopping by," Vince nodded and looked back to his paperwork.
A few minutes later in the locker room...
"Three weeks huh?" Benoit scratched his head as he repeated what Jericho had just told him. "So are you going to try and see her again?"
"Yeah, I've just got to." Jericho answered him. "I've got to get her to talk to me again. I know its crazy, since we only met but I can't get her out of my head."
"Yeah, I know." Benoit recalled what it was like when he'd met his wife. "Well, good luck buddy. I've got a feeling about you two."
"Yeah me too, I've just been too stupid to realize it until now." Jericho commented.
"So when are you going to get there?" Benoit asked.
"I'm leaving tonight and I should be there first thing in the morning." Chris answered.
"Boy is she gonna be surprised." Benoit remarked.
"I hope she will be ready to forgive me." Jericho shared his hope with Benoit.
DECISIONS & CONSEQUENCES
Three weeks later after that fateful tear-filled morning, Lori had decided that Chris would never know. The twenty-sixth day and night passed and he had not called. Her best friend Kate tried in vain to convince her not to give up on him, but Lori's mind was set. When the baby was born, she would give the child up for adoption. She hoped that her baby could have a normal life with two loving parents in the picture. She knew she wasn't ready to be a mother and that it was the right thing to do.
Meanwhile in a New York hotel room across the country.
"Look I'm sorry." Jericho was apologizing angrily to his latest conquest. "I changed my mind, just leave okay?"
"Whatever!" The buxom dye-job blonde picked up her keys and left, slamming the door hard behind her.
Chris held his head in his hands. 'What's wrong with me?' He wondered in frustration. 'I'm the King of Bling-Bling for crying out loud but I can't do this anymore.' This was the sixth woman that he'd tried to have some fun with since the night he'd met Lori. Every time he slept, he saw her face. Every morning, when he woke up, he'd immediately thought about her. A hint of fragrance, vanilla like she wore would stop him in his tracks and have him look for her. Like a ghost, her memory haunted him but he stubbornly refused to admit that he'd fallen for her. He'd not been able to resume his playboy antics since that day. Every time he tried to be with a woman, he'd see her face and the mood would turn. Till this morning, this morning he was ready to face it. He pulled out his wallet and dug through the contents, searching for that forgotten little white card. Luck was with him, he kept it, and he picked up the phone and dialed.
After a couple of rings-
"Hello? Thanks for calling Lotus Bank, this is Rona speaking. May I help you?" Came a lilting female voice.
"Hi, I was calling for Lori, can I speak with her please?" Chris asked thinking of what he'd say.
"Ah yes, may I tell her who's calling please?"
"Tell her, it's Chris"
"Can you hold please?"
"Yeah sure." Chris sat and waited, trying to think of a good excuse for why he'd missed the deadline for calling her.
"Sir?" Rona's voice was back on the line. "I'm sorry, Lori's gone out to lunch. Can I take your number and have her call you back?"
'Damn' He swore mentally, then answered, "Yeah sure, it's 555-2190 and tell her to call collect, it's long distance." He added.
"Ok, thank you for calling Mr. Irvine." *click-
'Hey wait a minute!' Chris realized hurriedly. 'I never told her my last name! Lori's avoiding me.' He concluded sadly then murmured, "I'm not giving up that easily." He hit the redial button hard.
"Lotus Bank, this is Amy? What can I do you for?" Came a bubbly voice.
"Amy! Don't hang up please, it's Chris." Chris told her pleadingly.
"Uh..hey can you hold on a minute." Amy's voice grew serious.
"No, wait!" Too late Amy had already put him back on hold.
"Thanks for holding.this is Lori?" Came the voice he'd been longing to hear.
'Thank you Amy' Chris drew a sigh of relief then spoke, "Lori, it's Chris. Please don't hang up until you hear me out."
"Chris?" Lori's voice faltered as tears came to her eyes.
"Yeah it's me, look I've been a jerk and I'm sorry." Chris began, "I didn't call when I promised I would. There were ah..circumstances. It's so hard to explain this over the phone."
"Its forgotten Chris." Lori's voice was cold.
"No, it's inexcusable, please let me make it up to you." Chris told her, "Let me see you again. I can be there in two days."
"That won't be necessary. I'm okay, really. Look my boss is glaring at me; I've got to go. Bye Chris." Lori lied and hung up the phone.
Chris just sat there a little while, stunned, bewildered but by no means was he ready to give up. Her behavior certainly had basis but he realized now she possessed his heart without really even trying.
'I've got to find out where she lives.' He thought to himself. 'And I should probably send her some flowers.'
He called the FTD people and ordered a bouquet for her. He paid a lot extra to guarantee it got there the same day. The note he told them was simple, 'Lori- I miss you - Love Chris' Then he tried to fall asleep but was not able.
The next evening..
"Come on Chris. Pick up the tempo!" Rob Van Dam whispered during a tie- up.
"Sorry man." Chris whispered back and tried to adjust.
Rob went for a drop-kick; Chris's timing was off. He knew that his shoulder would be bruised badly by morning. Rob's knee was probably hurting from the unplanned stiff reaction he'd received. He snapped to attention and tried to stay focused for the remainder the match.
After the match in the back, Chris caught up to an irate RVD.
"Look I'm sorry man."
The normally very mellow RVD was curt, "Look man whatever. Get your head straight though before you cripple someone." He glared and then limped away.
Jason Reso a.k.a. Christian approached him.
"Man that match was terrible." Jason started.
"I know, I know." Chris growled. "Just leave it alone OK."
"OK, man but just wanted to tell you Vince is in the arena tonight, so beware." Jason patted his shoulder.
"Gee thanks." Chris's reply was sarcastic.
"Chris, Vince wants you to stop by his office." Said Kevin Kelly as he walked up to him.
"Oh man," Chris muttered. Then he headed for the room Vince was using for an office tonight. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door before entering.
"Chris, come in and take a seat," Vince gestured to a wing chair before the large desk.
Chris sat down and waited for the inevitable tongue-lashing he knew he was going to receive.
"You know me Chris, I don't like to mince words," Vince started gruffly, "Let's cut to the chase here. You're performance tonight was awful and it has been lacking for the last month. I'm pulling your angle."
"I'm sorry Vince," Chris responded glumly. "I've got some personal matters to deal with."
"Well deal with them Chris. I'll give you three weeks off and then I expect you back, without the mental baggage. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Chris nodded hiding the small amount of happiness he felt at receiving a break.
"Good then, thanks for stopping by," Vince nodded and looked back to his paperwork.
A few minutes later in the locker room...
"Three weeks huh?" Benoit scratched his head as he repeated what Jericho had just told him. "So are you going to try and see her again?"
"Yeah, I've just got to." Jericho answered him. "I've got to get her to talk to me again. I know its crazy, since we only met but I can't get her out of my head."
"Yeah, I know." Benoit recalled what it was like when he'd met his wife. "Well, good luck buddy. I've got a feeling about you two."
"Yeah me too, I've just been too stupid to realize it until now." Jericho commented.
"So when are you going to get there?" Benoit asked.
"I'm leaving tonight and I should be there first thing in the morning." Chris answered.
"Boy is she gonna be surprised." Benoit remarked.
"I hope she will be ready to forgive me." Jericho shared his hope with Benoit.