Chapter 3: Mystery Man Unveiled

"How do I look?" Stephanie asked her reflection in the mirror of her hotel room.

"You look ravishing," she replied in a high nasal voice.

"Really? What do you think Chris will do when he sees me?"

"Why, he's going to make love to you on top of the table at The Gardens. He's going to absolutely love your dress!"

"You think so?" She spun around in front of the mirror, admiring her black dress, her heels, and overall the way that she looked.

"I know so. Now put on some lip gloss."

"What's the point? Chris will just-"

"Kiss it away, I know. But do it anyway."

"Fine. You're right," she said, grabbing her lip gloss and starting to put some on her lips.

"I'm always right. Remember, I'm you."

"Then why am I talking to myself?" she asked, putting the finishing touches on her lips.

"Hell if I know. Maybe you're just crazy."

She sighed and turned away from the mirror. "As if I didn't already know that," she muttered. She walked over and grabbed her purse from the bed, then rushed back over to the mirror to check her reflection one last time. She wanted to look perfect for Chris, because if he thought she looked perfect then maybe that would cement the fact that they were officially back together.

"Stop worrying, you look great!"

"I can't help but worry," she said, critically eyeing her reflection.

"You look as hot as me, and that's saying' something! Not many people can say they're as hot as me."

"You're my reflection. Therefore, you look as hot as me."

"You're talking to yourself. You know that, right?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at her reflection, then headed for the door. She walked out into the hallway and made her way to the elevator at the end of the hall. Once in the elevator, she leaned against the wall and thought about the conversation she'd just had with her reflection, or more accurately, with herself. She had always talked to her reflection in the mirror before a big date for as long as she could remember. When she was in her teens and she was about to go on a date, her mother had never been there like other mothers were to reassure her and tell her how beautiful she looked. No one was really around to do that for her except for their maid, but she was rarely able to do that because Shane was always busy messing things up just so the maid would have to clean them up. So she had been forced to talk to herself in the mirror, to reassure herself about how good she looked and how much her date would love her. The routine had stuck, and now here she was, 29, still talking to herself in the mirror.

Funny.

The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and she stepped out into the lobby of the hotel. She headed quickly across the lobby as all eyes were instantly riveted on her. The women looked at her with disdain, green with envy, and the guys wore perverted smirks on their faces. It was always like this, wherever she went, and especially if she was looking particularly good. She was used to it by now. But that didn't mean she welcomed it or liked it. Because she didn't, and she hated it.

"Mmmm, look at you," came a familiar voice from behind her.

"Hunter," she said, acknowledging her former husband. She turned around to face him. "Way to ruin a good mood."

"You look good enough to eat," Hunter said, grinning a quite lecherous grin. He stepped closer, inhaling her fresh scent. "Who you lookin' so damn good for? Please say me."

"In your dreams. You had your chance," she reminded him. "And besides, I have a boyfriend, you know?"

"So soon?" he asked, surprised. "You must be hard on the rebound, because word in the locker room says Friday night Jericho dropped your ass like a sack of potatoes."

"For your information," she said, blushing, "Chris and I have a hot date tonight. So there!" She stuck her tongue out at him. How he disgusted her!

"Ooh, a little tongue," he teased. "What do you say you give me a little kiss for old time's sake?"

"You know what you can do for me?" she asked him.

"What's that, Steph?" he asked.

"You can kiss my ass," she told him, then spun on her heel and headed for the door.

She hadn't made it three steps away before he grabbed her from behind, leaned down, and firmly kissed her butt right through her dress in front of everyone. He stood up straight, looking at her. "Like that, Steph?"

She turned around with a sweet smile on her blushing face. "No, Hunter, like this." She raised her right hand, the palm of which immediately came into contact with his left cheek.

It was the slap that could be heard around the world.

She smirked at him as he clutched his cheek, then hurried out of the lobby and to her waiting limousine. She looked at her watch. 7:45 P.M. She hoped The Gardens was nearby, or else she was going to be late...

The Gardens was closer to the hotel than she had expected. She hurried out of the limo and into the restaurant. She told them that she had a reservation under the name of Peter Thomas, and then before she knew it she was being led over to a secluded table in the corner.

She sat down at the table with her back facing the direction she had just came from. She didn't want to look at the people around her. When Chris showed up, she only wanted to focus her attention on him since she had been deprived of seeing his beautiful face for three days. Those three day were three days too long. She sat there and stared at a candle that was sitting on the table burning. Fire... When she was with Chris, she always felt the fire. Their chemistry was just breathtakingly hot, too...

She saw a shadow fall over her, and she smiled. "Why, I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up."

"And miss seeing your beautiful face? No way," came a familiar male voice.

The voice did not belong to Chris.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder and up into the eyes of a fairly good-looking man. No, scratch that. He wasn't just good-looking. He was hot! She could never deny that. But what was he doing here?

"You're not Chris," she said, stating the obvious.

"I know I'm not," he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. He walked around and sat down across from her. "Do I need to tell you who I am?"

"I know who you are," she said. She discreetly pinched herself under the table on her thigh, just to make sure it was real. Yep, it was real. Her leg, her thigh in particular, was stinging like hell! "But maybe you need to tell me anyway."

"I'm The Showstoppa! The Heartbreak Kid! I'm Shawn Michaels!" he said, smirking at her.

"And you know who I am?" she asked. "I'm Stephanie McMahon, the little girl you turned down fourteen long years ago."

"Little girl? Ha!" he scoffed. He leaned back in his chair and gave her a heated look, licking his lips slowly. "You're not a little girl anymore, not even close. I've been noticing that for a while now..." His voice trailed off as his eyes roamed over her, resting on her ample cleavage. "Yep, you're definitely all woman now."

She blushed, cocking her head slightly to the side and looking at him curiously.

Yes, this was going to be a very interesting date...

A/N: I know it's a bit shorter than the first two chapters, but this was a good place to end it. We'll see where it goes from here.