AN: Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter :) I'm not very happy with the way this turned out, but I would appreciate any feedback, good or bad.
**********
Sasha was less than pleased when she spotted Bridget sitting in the passenger seat when Shane came to pick her up that evening. "Hi Bridget. Are you riding with us to the airport?"
Bridget plastered an obviously fake smile on her face. "Of course. I always see Shane off when he leaves town. Is your boyfriend coming along also?" she asked, pointing to Jayce.
"Jayce? He's my brother, not my boyfriend. And no, he isn't coming with us."
"Oh." Sasha stood next to the car uncomfortably for a few moments until the two guys walked over. After loading her bag into the trunk, Jayce enveloped her in a hug. You call me as soon as you land, no matter what time."
"I will Jayce. Bye." She released him and slid into the backseat. The group made small talk the entire way to the airport, and other than Bridget making a small scene at the gate they made it into the air with no problems.
**********
Sasha was near the front of the jet getting to know the other members of the McMahon family when she heard Shane's voice behind her. "Sasha, can I steal you away for a second?"
"Of course." She excused herself and followed Shane back to his seat. "What's up?"
"Sorry to pull you away, but I wanted to let you know what was on tap for tomorrow. We're taping a Confidential segment at eleven, a production meeting at two, the show at seven, and a post show meeting around eleven-thirty. That one shouldn't last that long though, so you should b eback at the hotel by midnight."
"Sounds good. I have a question though. I'm rooming with Stephanie since Paul isn't here, and she mentioned something about sight-seeing?"
Shane nodded. "There should be some time in Paris on Saturday."
"Paris? I thought all of the shows were in England."
"Well, I was going to ask you tomorrow, but there's this dinner thing in Saturday night that the family was invited to, and I was hoping you would be my date."
Sasha smiled excitedly. "That sounds great. Thank you Shane."
Shane's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Sasha's face. 'What a beautiful smile,' he thought, before mentally slapping himself. 'Bridget, remember?'
"Shane, are you okay? You look a million miles away."
He shook his head. "I never left the plane." 'Just a sane state of mind.'
**********
"Torrie, what do you think of this one?" Sasha asked later that afternoon. They had already shot Torrie's Confidential piece, and were dress shopping at Harrod's before heading back to the arena.
"It's beautiful, Sasha. The red really stands out against your skin."
Sasha smiled. "Aren't you just a sweetheart."
Torrie batted her eyelashes. "I do try." They both laughed, and Sasha went back in the dressing room to change her clothes.
"All I need is shoes and I should be all set."
"I can't believe Shane didn't give you any warning so you could have packed something."
"Yeah Torrie, because I keep formal gowns in my closet just in case."
"Well, you would have been prepared at least."
"Maybe." She left the room and they walked over to the sales desk. "I wonder how bored they are," she said, referring to Shane and Torrie's husband Pete who were sitting outside of the store. They had sent the camera crew on to the arena, and agreed to wait with the girls while they shopped.
"Insanely, I'm sure. What size shoe do you wear?"
"Eight."
"Perfect. I have a pair that I bet would look amazing with the dress."
"That would be great, thanks."
"No prob chick." Torrie pointed over to Pete and Shane. "Let's go make their day and tell them we're finished."
"Make their day? Try their year."
**********
(next afternoon, hotel in Paris, France)
"Steph?" Sasha's voice sounded from deep inside a closet. "Where are you?"
"Bathroom," came the reply. "What do you need?"
"I can't find the shoes Torrie lent me." She walked back into the bedroom and started digging through her bags. "Do you have any clue where they are?"
"The red strappy ones with the three inch heel?"
"Yeah."
Stephanie leaned her towel-covered head around the corner."I've never seen them. Hey!" she yelled and ducked as a pillow came hurtling towards her.
"You want something harder next time?" Sasha asked, trying to look stern.
"There are so many ways I could respond to that," she replied with a giggle, which caused Sasha to start laughing herself.
"I'm learning just how insane you are. Go finish getting ready, I'll find them."
"Try under one of the beds, everything always seems to wind up under there somehow."
"Alright, thanks." Sasha started looking under the bed, but didn't get too far before she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to reveal someone she certainly hadn't expected to see for awhile.
"Um, hi, is Stephanie here?" He asked, looking nervous.
"That depends. Are you a psycho stalker freak or her husband?"
Sasha could see the nervousness leave him with that comment. "Depends on the day of the week. You must be Sasha."
"And you must be Paul. Come on in. I'l assume you're here to surprise Steph?"
He nodded. "Only Vince and Kurt knew about it. His wife Karen flew over so they could have a little vacation, so it worked out for everyone."
"That's really sweet, she's going to be thrilled. Let me grab my things and I'll go down to Shane's room so you guys can have some privacy." She quickly threw her stuff into her bags, locating the shoes in the process. "Hey Steph, I'm going downstairs, I'll see you in the lobby."
"You are not even ready yet!"
"No, I'm not, but you've got company. Some weird fan I found lurking in the hallway. See ya!"
"Wait Sasha-" Stephanie walked out of the bathroom and stopped in her tracks when she saw Paul. Sasha took this as her cue and slipped out, leaving the twosome alone. She walked down the hall to Shane's room, and right through the already open doorway.
"Expecting me?" She asked Shane, who was in the process of tying his tie.
"Yep. Paul stopped here first, and I assumed you would come here before anywhere else."
"Well, you assumed right." She dropped her things on a table and batted Shane's hands away from his pathetic tie attempt. "You are the last person I would expect to not know how to tie a tie."
"I do...sort of. It seems like sometimes I can, sometimes I can't."
"Weak excuse."
"So sue me."
She grabbed her makeup bag and dress and walked into the bathroom. "Haven't you been sued enough?"
"Definitely. How long are you going to be?" he asked, sounding whiny.
Sasha laughed. "I'm not that much of a girlie girl Shane, I promise. Give me fifteen minutes."
Shane sighed. "You had better not be messing with me."
"I'm not. Time me." Shane sat down on his bed, fully prepared to wait an hour. True to her word though, Sasha emerged from the bathroom completely ready fifteen minutes later. "wow, you look fantastic."
Sasha blushed. "Thank you. I know I didn't say anything before, but you're looking quite handsome yourself."
"Well thank you milady." He offered her his arm. "Shall we proceed?"
Sasha put her hand through his arm and flashed a big smile. "We shall."
**********
OK, I can admit that this one kind of sucked, but I needed to stop there because I am actually in the middle of the next chapter, and I just wanted to get this one out of the way. Please R&R!
Lisa
**********
Sasha was less than pleased when she spotted Bridget sitting in the passenger seat when Shane came to pick her up that evening. "Hi Bridget. Are you riding with us to the airport?"
Bridget plastered an obviously fake smile on her face. "Of course. I always see Shane off when he leaves town. Is your boyfriend coming along also?" she asked, pointing to Jayce.
"Jayce? He's my brother, not my boyfriend. And no, he isn't coming with us."
"Oh." Sasha stood next to the car uncomfortably for a few moments until the two guys walked over. After loading her bag into the trunk, Jayce enveloped her in a hug. You call me as soon as you land, no matter what time."
"I will Jayce. Bye." She released him and slid into the backseat. The group made small talk the entire way to the airport, and other than Bridget making a small scene at the gate they made it into the air with no problems.
**********
Sasha was near the front of the jet getting to know the other members of the McMahon family when she heard Shane's voice behind her. "Sasha, can I steal you away for a second?"
"Of course." She excused herself and followed Shane back to his seat. "What's up?"
"Sorry to pull you away, but I wanted to let you know what was on tap for tomorrow. We're taping a Confidential segment at eleven, a production meeting at two, the show at seven, and a post show meeting around eleven-thirty. That one shouldn't last that long though, so you should b eback at the hotel by midnight."
"Sounds good. I have a question though. I'm rooming with Stephanie since Paul isn't here, and she mentioned something about sight-seeing?"
Shane nodded. "There should be some time in Paris on Saturday."
"Paris? I thought all of the shows were in England."
"Well, I was going to ask you tomorrow, but there's this dinner thing in Saturday night that the family was invited to, and I was hoping you would be my date."
Sasha smiled excitedly. "That sounds great. Thank you Shane."
Shane's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Sasha's face. 'What a beautiful smile,' he thought, before mentally slapping himself. 'Bridget, remember?'
"Shane, are you okay? You look a million miles away."
He shook his head. "I never left the plane." 'Just a sane state of mind.'
**********
"Torrie, what do you think of this one?" Sasha asked later that afternoon. They had already shot Torrie's Confidential piece, and were dress shopping at Harrod's before heading back to the arena.
"It's beautiful, Sasha. The red really stands out against your skin."
Sasha smiled. "Aren't you just a sweetheart."
Torrie batted her eyelashes. "I do try." They both laughed, and Sasha went back in the dressing room to change her clothes.
"All I need is shoes and I should be all set."
"I can't believe Shane didn't give you any warning so you could have packed something."
"Yeah Torrie, because I keep formal gowns in my closet just in case."
"Well, you would have been prepared at least."
"Maybe." She left the room and they walked over to the sales desk. "I wonder how bored they are," she said, referring to Shane and Torrie's husband Pete who were sitting outside of the store. They had sent the camera crew on to the arena, and agreed to wait with the girls while they shopped.
"Insanely, I'm sure. What size shoe do you wear?"
"Eight."
"Perfect. I have a pair that I bet would look amazing with the dress."
"That would be great, thanks."
"No prob chick." Torrie pointed over to Pete and Shane. "Let's go make their day and tell them we're finished."
"Make their day? Try their year."
**********
(next afternoon, hotel in Paris, France)
"Steph?" Sasha's voice sounded from deep inside a closet. "Where are you?"
"Bathroom," came the reply. "What do you need?"
"I can't find the shoes Torrie lent me." She walked back into the bedroom and started digging through her bags. "Do you have any clue where they are?"
"The red strappy ones with the three inch heel?"
"Yeah."
Stephanie leaned her towel-covered head around the corner."I've never seen them. Hey!" she yelled and ducked as a pillow came hurtling towards her.
"You want something harder next time?" Sasha asked, trying to look stern.
"There are so many ways I could respond to that," she replied with a giggle, which caused Sasha to start laughing herself.
"I'm learning just how insane you are. Go finish getting ready, I'll find them."
"Try under one of the beds, everything always seems to wind up under there somehow."
"Alright, thanks." Sasha started looking under the bed, but didn't get too far before she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to reveal someone she certainly hadn't expected to see for awhile.
"Um, hi, is Stephanie here?" He asked, looking nervous.
"That depends. Are you a psycho stalker freak or her husband?"
Sasha could see the nervousness leave him with that comment. "Depends on the day of the week. You must be Sasha."
"And you must be Paul. Come on in. I'l assume you're here to surprise Steph?"
He nodded. "Only Vince and Kurt knew about it. His wife Karen flew over so they could have a little vacation, so it worked out for everyone."
"That's really sweet, she's going to be thrilled. Let me grab my things and I'll go down to Shane's room so you guys can have some privacy." She quickly threw her stuff into her bags, locating the shoes in the process. "Hey Steph, I'm going downstairs, I'll see you in the lobby."
"You are not even ready yet!"
"No, I'm not, but you've got company. Some weird fan I found lurking in the hallway. See ya!"
"Wait Sasha-" Stephanie walked out of the bathroom and stopped in her tracks when she saw Paul. Sasha took this as her cue and slipped out, leaving the twosome alone. She walked down the hall to Shane's room, and right through the already open doorway.
"Expecting me?" She asked Shane, who was in the process of tying his tie.
"Yep. Paul stopped here first, and I assumed you would come here before anywhere else."
"Well, you assumed right." She dropped her things on a table and batted Shane's hands away from his pathetic tie attempt. "You are the last person I would expect to not know how to tie a tie."
"I do...sort of. It seems like sometimes I can, sometimes I can't."
"Weak excuse."
"So sue me."
She grabbed her makeup bag and dress and walked into the bathroom. "Haven't you been sued enough?"
"Definitely. How long are you going to be?" he asked, sounding whiny.
Sasha laughed. "I'm not that much of a girlie girl Shane, I promise. Give me fifteen minutes."
Shane sighed. "You had better not be messing with me."
"I'm not. Time me." Shane sat down on his bed, fully prepared to wait an hour. True to her word though, Sasha emerged from the bathroom completely ready fifteen minutes later. "wow, you look fantastic."
Sasha blushed. "Thank you. I know I didn't say anything before, but you're looking quite handsome yourself."
"Well thank you milady." He offered her his arm. "Shall we proceed?"
Sasha put her hand through his arm and flashed a big smile. "We shall."
**********
OK, I can admit that this one kind of sucked, but I needed to stop there because I am actually in the middle of the next chapter, and I just wanted to get this one out of the way. Please R&R!
Lisa