Title: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Author: Luna

Feedback: Always appreciated!

Archive: Full Moon Romper Room, WWEATSBTVS, anyone else just ask I'll probably say yes.

Rating: PG-13, for the moment. I, however, reserve the right to up the rating should the need arise!

Type:

Pairings: Lilian?

Disclaimer: Vince McMahon owns the WWE. Nothing is being gained from this, except a need to pass the time.

Summary:

Spoilers: None that I'm aware of.

Anything else: Oh we must thank Paulena for this little bit of fun. (This is in response to the second Lilian challenge.) It was her challenge that made the plot bunnies multiply. I'm still not too sure whom I'm going to be pairing Lilian up with but as soon as I know so will you! LOL. I'm using these characters as I see fit. I'm not going to be going against the nature(s) of those involved. At least I hope I'm not. Any comments are welcome as long as they are constructive.

Author's Notes: All your encouragement has meant the world to me. It gave me courage to go on when I didn't think I had the talent. Thank you to everyone that reviewed. YOU'RE THE BEST!

Chapter Eight

As it turned out they found the perfect dress well before lunch. It was a beautiful strapless red chiffon dress with streamers off the back. The bodice was accented with a row of rhinestones. The dress set off her complexion wonderfully. The guys would never know what hit them when she walked through those doors on Shane's arm.

The girls dropped the dress off back at the hotel. They were currently enjoying lunch. Their laughter and friendship made for a delightful afternoon. One by one the girls drifted off leaving Lilian to her own devices for the remainder of the evening. She walked down the street back to the hotel.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice that someone was in her path until she nearly ran them over. Reaching out instinctively she steadied the person in front of her. Once she realized whom it was that she had saved the announcer almost wished she'd let the other woman fall.

It was none other than Trish Stratus. The artificial blonde sneered at the other woman. "Why don't you watch where you're going!"

"I'm sorry," Lilian replied not really meaning it.

"You should be. You spilled coffee down the front of my favorite blouse," the busty blonde snapped.

Sure enough, there on the front of Trish's pink baby doll tee was a dark stain. Lilian barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was well known through out the company that the Canadian wrestler thought herself above the rest of the women in the WWE.

"I've already apologized. What more do you want me to do," the announcer asked exasperated.

"You're going to replace this shirt," the other woman snapped.

"I don't think so Trish. I'll pay to have it cleaned but I will not replace it," Lilian said calmly.

"What happens if they can't get the stain out?"

"Then I'll think about replacing. You're just as much at fault here as I am. You should have been watching where you were going too," the announcer said.

"You think you're so much better than I am, don't you," Trish hissed.

"What's that supposed to mean," Lilian asked incredulous.

"You've got the friends, the staff, and the guys all panting after you. Well guess what. You're not as special as you think you are," the busty blonde sneered.

Lilian's blue eyes hardened on the Canadian wrestler. "You're making me repeat myself," she said coolly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Trish laughed. "Could it be? Could it really be that the high and mighty Lilian Garcia doesn't know," she taunted the other woman.

A feeling of dread passed over the blonde announcer. "Know what," she asked quietly. All of her previous hatred of the blonde diva was gone in a wave of foreboding.

The Canadian wrestler's eyes widened along with her malicious grin. "It is. It is true," she crowed. "The lovely Lilian doesn't know that the only reason someone asked her to the dinner was because he was dared to."

If it were possible Lilian's heart would have dropped through the floor. It couldn't be true. Trish was just jealous. That had to be it. "You're lying," the announcer accused, though her voice lacked any real conviction.

"Not just a dare, but it was a triple dog dare," Trish ridiculed the other woman. The buxom blonde leaned and dropped her voice as if whisper conspiratorially, "And you know what else," she waited for the announcer to shake her head. "The whole company knows it."

Trish walked away wearing a cat that ate the canary smile. Her work was done. She had knocked that self-righteous blonde down a peg or three. The Canadian diva cast a glance over her shoulder. The blonde announcer was standing stock still in the middle of the bustling lobby. 'Oh yeah,' she thought. 'She'd shown that bimbo just who was boss around here.'

Lilian walked back to her room, her heart thoroughly broken by the news Trish had so gleefully delivered. The blonde announcer should have known better. The guys on the roster never saw her as anything other than the friend. It broke something in her.

She sat down on one of the room's two beds thankful that the others were still out. Her blonde head fell forward into her hands. The tears filled her eyes and coursed down her cheeks. The announcer rolled onto her side and began to sob. Her heart felt like it was quite literally breaking.

The blonde announcer cried out bits of her shattered heart onto the hotel's ugly floral print comforter. She cried until there were no more tears left. Her body was weak and shaky. On wobbly legs she headed toward the bathroom and a nice long hot bath.

Lilian filled the tub with warm water. Next she added her special bubble bath watching with listless eyes as they formed a frothy surface. She shed her clothes and stepped into the water, sinking low in the bathtub. The young woman let the hot water soothe her tired body and achy limbs.

Her eyes closed. In her mind she went over every little thing that he had said and done. It didn't add up. If he hadn't really wanted to ask her why had he? Sure, men could be stupid when their pride was challenged. She just didn't think that Shane was one of those guys that let his ego make decisions for him, even if a dare had been involved.

With a sigh the announcer opened her eyes more confused than when she'd closed them. Lilian couldn't make sense of what she had been told and what she had seen with her own eyes. When Shane had thought someone else had already asked her he'd looked crestfallen. That didn't fit with someone that had only asked her out on a dare.

Sighing, Lilian rose from the now tepid water. She pulled the plug on the tub. Walking over the room's mirror she wiped the fog away. She stared at her reflection for a long moment before making up her mind. She would go out with Shane tomorrow night. They would have dinner and dance together. It would only be one dance though. She decided that's where the "date" would end. She had no desire to know what else had been included on that dare. Her heart couldn't take it.

Lilian's mind was made up. She would do it. With that thought firmly in mind she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. Hopefully, tomorrow would be over with quickly. She didn't know if she could make if the night dragged on endlessly. As she closed her eyes she wondered when guys would finally see her as something more than a coworker, more than a friend. With a final sigh she rolled over and fell asleep.