Disclaimer: I own no one except Nicole
A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter, keep them reviews coming. Enjoy!
Bootsy Collins - I'd Rather Be With You Lyrics
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah, I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You Until I'm Through
Oh Yes I Do
I'd Rather Be With You Until That Day We'll Fly Away
I Just Love That Smiling Face In The Early Sun
If I Can't Have You To Myself, Then Life's No Fun
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah, I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah I'd Rather Be With You
I Wanna Hold You Hand
Oh, If I Can Just Be Your Man
I Wanna Be You Friend
Not Now And Then, But Until The End
I Just Love The Way You Act, And That's A Fact
I Wanna Be Your Number One, So Picture That
Maybe The Next Time
Maybe The Next Time
Maybe The Next Time
Maybe The Next Time
I'd Rather Be With You
Yeah
Yeah, I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You Until I'm Through
Oh, Yes I Do
I'd Rather Be With You Until That Day We'll Fly Away
I Just Love That Smiling Face In The Early Sun
If I Can't Have You To Myself, Then Life's No Fun
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah, I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah
Yeah I'd Rather Be With You
Oh Babe
Well, Uh, You Might Think I'm Trying To Be Funny
But I'm Really Serious This Time, Baby
(I'd Rather Be With You)
Even Though, Uh, It's A Cold World, Baby
But You Know Deep Down Inside That I Do Love Ya
(I'd Rather Be With You)
I Know I Sound Strange, But I Really Mean It
We Gonna Make It This Time Baby
(I'd Rather Be With You)
You're The Only One I Really Love Now
I'm Coming At You With Both Hands Tied Behind My Back, Baby
(I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah)
You Got Me, I'm Coming At You, Get Ready
I'm Gonna Stick My Love In Your Eye, Baby
(I'd Rather Be With You, Yeah)
You Can See Me Coming Baby, Just Coming All Over You
(yeah I'd Rather Be With You)
Chapter 18: So Close
Dave's POV
Dave quickly walked into catering and spotting Hunter and Ric, took a seat at the table.
"Randy has officially lost his fucking mind," he declared, sighing heavily.
"What the hell are you talking about, Dave?"
"He broke up with her, Ric," Dave exploded.
Ric and Hunter began to laugh thinking Dave was just yanking their chain as usual.
"That's hilarious Dave. I have to give it to you, I was not expecting that to come barreling out of your mouth," Hunter commented in between laughs.
"I'm not kidding. He just broke up with her, a few minutes ago."
Ric began to laugh even harder. "You're really killing me over here, Dave."
Seeing that they weren't taking him seriously, he began to stand up and leave when they called him back.
"Oh come on, Dave, we know that this is all a hoax. So don't start trying to walk away now."
Finally having heard enough, Dave exploded. "I'm not joking you guys. Randy Orton and Nicole Austin are history...no more...not together. Why would I even think of joking about something like this?"
Finally their laughter began to die down until there was nothing but silence at the table.
"You're serious aren't you," asked Ric, "He really did break up with her?"
Dave nodded. "Yeah he did, Ric, the little shit head." Then posing as Randy, in the locker room began to mock him. "Well it wasn't just like that Dave, it was a work in progress; something that was inevitable."
Hunter leaned forward in thought. "He really said that to you. Word for word?"
"Word for word," he confirmed, leaning back in his chair. "You don't know how hard it was for me to not strangle him right then and there."
Shaking his head, Hunter leaned forward. "Okay and so, where's Nicole now?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he began to massage his temple. "Man, I don't know at the moment. But what I do know is I came here, because I need some answers from you two."
Hunter and Ric leaned backwards confused. "Answers about what?"
"Like why did Randy break up with Nicole Austin, the best thing to happen to him in a long time."
"I'm sorry, Dave, I don't know anything. I'm just as clueless as you are," said Ric.
Nodding he turned and looked at Hunter. "Although I claim to have all the answers, this is one time, that not even I know why Randy did what he did. Sorry man," Hunter said using an apologetic tone
Great the one time I do need answers you can't give them to me, but any other time, you're just a regular old magic eight ball, dispensing answers left and right. Go figure.
Obviously frustrated, he began to press on his thumb, in attempts of calming himself down.
"Where are you two going now?"
"To see Randy Orton," they echoed, while walking out of catering.
Yeah good luck with that. He's my best friend and I couldn't even get a straight answer from him.
Randy's POV
Randy looked down at the stagehand that bumped into him. "Watch where the hell you're walking, peon."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Orton. I assure you it won't happen again."
Snarling he looked at him. "Next time, I go to your boss. Now since you're here, go get me some dinner...NOW!" Gulping, the stagehand nodded and ran off, as Randy began on his trek down the hallway.
A few feet away stood 'Taker, Chris Benoit, John Cena, and Eddie Guerrero, who saw the entire scene and from what they observed, Randy was acting a little harsher than usual to a stagehand.
"Okay now that was just odd, even for him," Chris Benoit commented.
"What are you talking about; He's always been odd."
"But even you have to admit John, he didn't have to snap at Jake like that."
"I don't know why he's mad any old fucking way...after what he did to Ni--" he said, stopping in mid sentence, at seeing Randy walking back towards him. "Can I help you with something, Orton?"
"Yeah actually you can Cena; you can start by not talking about my personal business."
Grinning, he walked from where he was leaning on the wall. "What personal business are you referring to?"
"Nicole," he answered, looking at John.
I don't know how he knows about the breakup but I'm sure as hell going to find out.
"And...What about her?"
"Don't go around trashing my name just because she liked me more than you."
John snorted in anger. "Sure and look where the hell that got her?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know I oughta beat your ass now, but out of respect for my friend, I'm not."
"That's none of your business, little man."
"The hell it isn't, Orton. You get with her, lead her to believe that you love her, and then just up and dump her, and leave someone else to pick up the pieces?"
"You don't know all of the facts so shut the hell up until you do."
"No, I know plenty here Orton, but you don't. Did you know that I found her in the hallway on the floor crying her heart out?"
"No, I didn't know that, nor do I care," he answered, voice laced with steel.
"You know you really are a heartless bastard?"
Shrugging he slowly began to back away. "Well hey if the shoe fits, wear it, right?"
"No you don't wear it, asshole. You pick it up and throw it away."
"What..."
"Exactly," John said, confusing the other men in the hallway.
"Look, whatever, just stop opening your mouth and telling people about Nicole and me," he said, walking away from the group.
The nerve of the asshole to comment on what he knows nothing about what so ever. I hate that man, I really do.
Deciding to just call it a night, he walked back to the locker room and began to pack up his travel bag. Quickly he shoved his trunks and boots into the bag, along with his IC title belt. Zipping up his bag he stood up and did a quick once over of the room to make sure he packed up everything, when his eyes fell on a photograph lying on the floor.
Placing his bag back on the floor, he bent down and picked it up, while taking a seat back on the couch. He checked the back and found that there were words written on it.
'Randy and I on our first date,' he silently read to himself.
Turning it over he found that it was a picture taken that Tuesday night after her amusing introduction. He meant it when he said, he would of never imagined Nicole to be for a loss of words. He began to smile at remembering the outfit that Nicole wore that night.
A white off-the-shoulder Dolce and Gabbana dress that ended mid thigh; a pair of white Manolo Bhlanik stilettos, and matching clutch. straightened long blond hair that was down.
Damn she looked beautiful that night, too bad I'm never going to get to see her dressed like that for me again," he thought, as Hunter and Ric came bursting through the door.
Spotting him over in the corner, they walked over and stood in front of him. "Randy, I think you have some serious explaining to do."
"About what Hunter," he asked, while running a finger over the picture.
"About what happened between you and Nicole earlier tonight..."
Sighing he kept his eyes on the picture. "So what about her?"
"What's wrong with you? Why would you even think about breaking up with that woman?"
"Simple, I wasn't in love with her." Please don't believe me...
"Bullshit, Randy. I've known you for over two years now, and not once have I ever seen you care for someone as much as you do Nicole," said Ric.
"Well, I guess I'm a really good actor then, because I was never in love with her to begin with."
"If you weren't in love with her, then why have you spent these past two weeks, trying to find a way to give Nicole back her friends?"
"I don't know why I decided to help her okay, I just did..."
Ric threw his hands up in exasperation, while Hunter just stood there watching Randy.
"Randy, do you mind looking at us when we talk to you, or is that picture in your hand more important than this conversation right now," burst Hunter.
After about two minutes of silence, Hunter finally agitated with Randy, snatched the picture out of his hand.
"Oh so this is what you're staring at," Hunter commented, looking at the picture of Randy and Nicole. "First date, huh?"
"Give me that back," he lunged for the picture, watching as Hunter side-stepped him.
"Amazing even then, you two looked like you were in love and it was only the first date," Hunter again commented, further angering Randy.
"That's impossible, Hunter and you know it."
"Why's it impossible, Randy?"
"Because Randy Orton doesn't fall in love..that's why," he spoke, finally succeeding in grabbing the picture from Hunter's grasp.
"Well, you wouldn't know that, by the way you were just staring at that picture five minutes ago."
Hoisting the bag on his shoulder, while walking to the door. "Like I said, I'm a really good actor." Then taking one last look at the picture he placed it in his pocket and walked out of the room.
So close, and yet so far away you guys.