"What in the hell am I doing?" Lilian fretted, pacing the length of the
locker
room where they were waiting for Rob Van Dam to arrive.
"It's okay, Lilian. You'll be great," Stephanie soothed, watching her walk back
and forth.
"What if he hates me?" Lilian asked, drawing her eyes to meet Stephanie.
"Lilian, Rob doesn't hate anyone," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. She
understood that part of Lilian's fear was just jitters from coming back to the
spotlight, and she couldn't help but be sympathetic for that issue. However, the
older woman knew better, that there was something more. Stephanie McMahon knew
that the ex-husband of Lilian Garcia did something to the woman, for she was
very jumpy, more so than before she left five years ago. Stephanie could tell
that it was only a matter of time before the little brunette cracked and told
her the truth, but for now, Stephanie wouldn't press the issue.
Both women jumped as a knock on the door broke both Lilian and Stephanie out of
their thoughts. Stephanie covered up her surprise at the sudden arrival and
smiled encouragingly at Lilian, who looked as if she was about to find somewhere
to hide.
"Come in, Rob," Stephanie called.
"Dude, Steph, they announced just minutes ago the new inductees of the baseball
hall of fame. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted. You so owe me $50," Rob
said, a smile lighting up his face.
"Ah, but Rob, we never shook on it," Stephanie said, winking at the charismatic
man.
"Oh, you got me there," Rob said, looking at Lilian, who was now leaning
against the wall to support her weak knees. "Hey," he said, smiling at her and
turning to talk to Stephanie, only to do a double take. "Am I seeing a ghost?"
he asked, raising an eyebrow at Stephanie.
"No, Rob," Stephanie said with a smile. "You remember Lilian Garcia, don't
you?"
"Yes. yes I do," Rob said, covering the shock on his face quickly. "How are you
doing, Lilian?"
She opened her mouth, blushing when no sound came out. "I. I'm okay. now that
I'm home I'm okay," Lilian stammered, mustering a smile.
"I thought you were from Spain?" Rob asked, confused.
"She means the WWE, idiot," Stephanie said, nudging Rob in the ribs.
"Oh. so you're back?" Rob asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.
Lilian nodded, and Rob smiled, though there was confusion in his face.
"Yes, she is Rob. And she is going to be your manager with the push we promised
you," Stephanie said. "We'll kick off the show tonight with you going out and
saying that you deserve a World Title shot. However, you say that with Team
Angle in his corner the fight isn't fair. That's when Lilian comes out, saying
that she can help you to rise to the World Title hunt," she explained. "You
agree, and tonight Lilian will help you beat Chris Benoit. The rest of the feud
will last for about a month before Rob wins the title. What do you think?"
Rob's eyebrows were high at the end of Stephanie's explanation. "Steph. dude,
that's a great plan. but do you really think that the crowd will accept the
former ring announcer as my manager?" he asked skeptically.
Lilian's face crumpled as she heard Rob's words. "See, I told you he would hate
me," she cried, tearing from the room.
"Aw, shoot," Rob said as he watched her retreating form. "I didn't mean to hurt
her feelings."
"Yeah, I know, Rob. It's not your fault. She's very jumpy," Stephanie said
sadly. "I know her husband did something to her but I am not going to pressure
her."
"I should go look for her," Rob said worriedly.
"We both will," Stephanie replied, patting him on the shoulder.
Lilian, meanwhile, was putting as much distance as she could between Rob Van
Dam and herself as possible. Tears were blinding her vision and it was only a
collision with someone else that stopped the little woman's hasty retreat and
sent the two off balance.
"I am so sorry," she sputtered, not sure of whom she ran into but embarrassed
nonetheless.
"It's okay," a familiar voice said, turning so that they could lock eyes. "We
all need to get away."
Her voice trailed off, and Lilian smiled, even more tears coming to her eyes at
the shocked look of the woman she had just collided with. "Yes it is me,
Torrie," Lilian said, answering the woman's unasked question.
"How. why?" Torrie Wilson-Kidman asked, tears of her own coming to her eyes.
"There's a really long story to that," Lilian said with a sigh, opening her
arms for a hug.
"Oh, Lily, I've missed you so much," Torrie sobbed, all but leaping into
Lilian's arms. The two women clung to each other, their sobs echoing in the
empty halls, for two friends had been reunited.
room where they were waiting for Rob Van Dam to arrive.
"It's okay, Lilian. You'll be great," Stephanie soothed, watching her walk back
and forth.
"What if he hates me?" Lilian asked, drawing her eyes to meet Stephanie.
"Lilian, Rob doesn't hate anyone," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. She
understood that part of Lilian's fear was just jitters from coming back to the
spotlight, and she couldn't help but be sympathetic for that issue. However, the
older woman knew better, that there was something more. Stephanie McMahon knew
that the ex-husband of Lilian Garcia did something to the woman, for she was
very jumpy, more so than before she left five years ago. Stephanie could tell
that it was only a matter of time before the little brunette cracked and told
her the truth, but for now, Stephanie wouldn't press the issue.
Both women jumped as a knock on the door broke both Lilian and Stephanie out of
their thoughts. Stephanie covered up her surprise at the sudden arrival and
smiled encouragingly at Lilian, who looked as if she was about to find somewhere
to hide.
"Come in, Rob," Stephanie called.
"Dude, Steph, they announced just minutes ago the new inductees of the baseball
hall of fame. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted. You so owe me $50," Rob
said, a smile lighting up his face.
"Ah, but Rob, we never shook on it," Stephanie said, winking at the charismatic
man.
"Oh, you got me there," Rob said, looking at Lilian, who was now leaning
against the wall to support her weak knees. "Hey," he said, smiling at her and
turning to talk to Stephanie, only to do a double take. "Am I seeing a ghost?"
he asked, raising an eyebrow at Stephanie.
"No, Rob," Stephanie said with a smile. "You remember Lilian Garcia, don't
you?"
"Yes. yes I do," Rob said, covering the shock on his face quickly. "How are you
doing, Lilian?"
She opened her mouth, blushing when no sound came out. "I. I'm okay. now that
I'm home I'm okay," Lilian stammered, mustering a smile.
"I thought you were from Spain?" Rob asked, confused.
"She means the WWE, idiot," Stephanie said, nudging Rob in the ribs.
"Oh. so you're back?" Rob asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.
Lilian nodded, and Rob smiled, though there was confusion in his face.
"Yes, she is Rob. And she is going to be your manager with the push we promised
you," Stephanie said. "We'll kick off the show tonight with you going out and
saying that you deserve a World Title shot. However, you say that with Team
Angle in his corner the fight isn't fair. That's when Lilian comes out, saying
that she can help you to rise to the World Title hunt," she explained. "You
agree, and tonight Lilian will help you beat Chris Benoit. The rest of the feud
will last for about a month before Rob wins the title. What do you think?"
Rob's eyebrows were high at the end of Stephanie's explanation. "Steph. dude,
that's a great plan. but do you really think that the crowd will accept the
former ring announcer as my manager?" he asked skeptically.
Lilian's face crumpled as she heard Rob's words. "See, I told you he would hate
me," she cried, tearing from the room.
"Aw, shoot," Rob said as he watched her retreating form. "I didn't mean to hurt
her feelings."
"Yeah, I know, Rob. It's not your fault. She's very jumpy," Stephanie said
sadly. "I know her husband did something to her but I am not going to pressure
her."
"I should go look for her," Rob said worriedly.
"We both will," Stephanie replied, patting him on the shoulder.
Lilian, meanwhile, was putting as much distance as she could between Rob Van
Dam and herself as possible. Tears were blinding her vision and it was only a
collision with someone else that stopped the little woman's hasty retreat and
sent the two off balance.
"I am so sorry," she sputtered, not sure of whom she ran into but embarrassed
nonetheless.
"It's okay," a familiar voice said, turning so that they could lock eyes. "We
all need to get away."
Her voice trailed off, and Lilian smiled, even more tears coming to her eyes at
the shocked look of the woman she had just collided with. "Yes it is me,
Torrie," Lilian said, answering the woman's unasked question.
"How. why?" Torrie Wilson-Kidman asked, tears of her own coming to her eyes.
"There's a really long story to that," Lilian said with a sigh, opening her
arms for a hug.
"Oh, Lily, I've missed you so much," Torrie sobbed, all but leaping into
Lilian's arms. The two women clung to each other, their sobs echoing in the
empty halls, for two friends had been reunited.