Chapter 9: The Whole Story
"Where is she?" Chris wondered aloud as he nervously paced through his hotel room. It was nearly an hour after he and Stephanie had gone their separate ways back at the arena, and she still hadn't arrived at his hotel room. He wanted to call her cell phone and ask her what was taking her so long, but he didn't know if her dad had called her back into his office. Their whole plan could be blown if Vince saw Chris's name appear on Stephanie's caller ID on her cell phone... So Chris decided to just wait it out, pacing through the hotel room, getting more anxious by the second.
Stephanie crept silently down the hallway on Chris's floor, hoping that none of the other WWE superstars had a room on this floor. She didn't need to be seen by anyone, at least, not now. She made it to his room and knocked lightly. Almost immediately, the door opened, and she was practically dragged inside.
"Damn, baby, you're a little rough tonight," Stephanie commented, rubbing her arm where Chris had pulled her inside the room. She watched him as he closed the door and leaned against it.
"I'm sorry," Chris said as he leaned against the door and looked at her. "I didn't mean to be so rough with you... I'm just so on edge tonight, you know?"
"This must be pretty bad, then," she said, closing the distance between them and putting her arms around him. She looked into his eyes. "Wanna tell me all about it now?"
"Yeah...but just let me kiss you first," he said in a low voice, and then he kissed her. It was a hungry kiss, filled with the passion that he had been forced to keep inside for days, this passion that was just begging to be released. He switched their positions and pushed her against the door as he kissed her, and she was eager to kiss him back, eager because she had that same passion inside of her as well. He broke the kiss and leaned down a little, running his tongue over a sensitive spot on her neck, then sucking lightly on it. He could feel himself losing control, but the feeling was normal. She always made him feel like this when he got her alone...
"Chris...I want you so much," she whispered breathlessly, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Why don't we just talk after we...make up?"
He pulled away almost immediately. "No, we have to talk first," he said, wanting nothing more than to kiss her again, then carry her to the bed. He knew that he would have to tell her this secret he'd been holding before he could do anything else with her, or else he would feel even more guilty, even though he didn't know how that would be possible. He took her hand and led her over to the couch, and he sat down, pleading with his eyes for her to do the same thing.
"Can't it wait? I'm so ready for you, Chris," she said in a low, throaty voice, pushing him back on the couch and straddling his lap. She leaned forward and kissed him again. It had been too long for her, way too long. She could barely go a day without being with him, let alone two. Counting the week she hadn't seen him before they broke up and then the days afterwards... That was almost two whole weeks! She didn't know how she could survive another minute without having him, and she didn't know how he had the restraint to even think about talking...
"Wait, I have to tell you the whole story," he said, breaking the kiss. "Let me tell you the whole story and then we can do this."
"Just tell me the abridged version for now," she murmured against his neck as she ran her hands over his muscular chest and underneath his shirt. How she had missed feeling him this way...
He didn't know where to start, and the way she was touching him and kissing him was distracting him from the story he had to tell. So she wants the abridged version of the story? he thought, closing his eyes. All he wanted to do was give in to her soft caresses, to just take her to the bedroom and... No, now wasn't the time. He had to tell her. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. "A year ago, I slept with Trish Stratus."
"You did what?" She sat up on his lap and looked at him in disbelief. "I don't think I heard you clearly... Run that by me one more time."
"I said, a year ago, I slept with Trish Stratus," he repeated, biting his lip. He didn't know what her reaction would be, as she sat there with a stunned look on her face, but he knew she was going to be pissed. A minute later, he knew she was really pissed when she slapped him across the face as hard as she could.
"How could you?" she asked, tears already in her eyes. "How could you sleep with that tramp?"
"It was your dad," he said meekly, one hand rubbing his already stinging face. "It was a setup, and your dad was behind it all."
"How the hell? Are you going to tell me that he made you fuck that little blonde whore?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest. She was still sitting straddled across his lap, and the tears were still in her eyes, but she was trying her hardest not to let them fall, and he could see that.
"She wasn't blonde that night. She was a brunette," he said, still rubbing his stinging face. "Your dad got me drunk, and Trish was wearing this brown wig, and I thought she was you..."
"What a way to the kill the mood... You thought Trish was me? I'm insulted," she said, finally getting up. She paced back and forth across the room, deep in thought, before turning to him with fire burning in her eyes. "Tell me the whole story right now, Chris, and don't leave one detail out. I want to know everything," she said finally. She sat down next to him. "Tell me."
"This is what happened..."
Flashback: 1 Year Ago
"Chris, glad you could make it," Vince said, looking up as his daughter's boyfriend approached the table. Chris Jericho was one of his best employees, but as his daughter's boyfriend, he was nothing but the proverbial thorn in his side. That was why Vince had devised a completely devious plan so he could gain the upper hand in this war... If things went his way, and he was confident that they would... He was going to own Chris Jericho before the night was over.
"No problem, Mr. McMahon," Chris said, sitting down at the table. He looked around him. "So where's Stephanie?"
"She had some last-minute work to do back at the office," Vince said, smiling. More like some last-minute work that I made sure she had, he added mentally. Piles and piles of paperwork that should keep her busy for the next few days, actually...
"Oh, so she's back at the office?" Chris asked, his spirits dropping a little when the older man nodded. He stood up. "Well I don't think I could have fun knowing that she's stuck in an office up to her elbows in work... I think I'll go and surprise her."
Go and surprise her? That wasn't a part of the damn plan! Vince thought frantically. "Uh, sit back down, Jericho. She'll be here in a little while," he lied. "It's just some last-minute work, so it shouldn't take too long for her to finish."
"Um, ok," Chris said, reluctantly sitting back down. He had the weirdest feeling all of a sudden, and he didn't want to be alone with his boss. Especially not in a place like this, he thought, scanning the room. They were in a club with loud, blaring music, flashing neon lights, and gyrating bodies everywhere. "Why'd you want us to meet here anyway?" he asked his boss curiously. "This doesn't seem like your type of place, Mr. McMahon."
"You've been dating Stephanie for about a year now," Vince said, giving him a wide smile. "I think it's about time you start calling me Vince."
"Ok, Vince," Chris said, trying to read the expression on the older man's face. He was smiling pretty big, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, and that made Chris even more uncomfortable. "You never answered my question before. Why are we meeting here, where you're so obviously out of place?" If he thought about it, it wasn't really his type of place anymore either. Before Stephanie, he had loved places like this, but now that he was in a meaningful relationship with her, he was more content in quaint little coffee shops... Basically, any place where he could be close to his woman... He smiled a little at the thought of her.
Vince observed the younger man sitting across from him and frowned when he saw the smile on his face. What the hell was he smiling about? Probably Stephanie, he thought, smiling to himself. He loves her...but after tonight... We'll see if it lasts. "The reason I wanted to come here is because I knew that a lot of young people would be here. It kind of makes me feel young again, you know?" Yes, I'll play the age card. It's a plausible reason for wanting to come here.
"Yeah, I guess," Chris said with a sigh. He looked over in the direction of the entrance, then down at his watch. "So when's Stephy getting here again?"
As soon as I get you drunk, Vince thought, but he refrained from saying that aloud. "She'll be here soon enough, but we might have to wait for a while." He grinned at the younger man. "How about you order a drink...my treat?"
"A drink? I don't know, Vince," Chris said skeptically. "Once I get started, it's difficult for me to stop, and to be honest, I don't hold alcohol very well."
And I was counting on that, Vince thought with a smile. "Oh, what harm can one drink do?" he asked. "I'd be offended if my daughter's future husband refused a drink from me." He was a very persuasive man, and he knew just the things to say to get the younger man to agree with what he had suggested...
"Your daughter's future husband. That has a nice ring to it, eh?" Chris asked with a smile, looking away. The thought of marrying Stephanie was a very appealing thought to him, because he felt like he'd been loving her forever. Why not make it official? He didn't plan to propose anytime soon, but someday in the future he would. He looked back at his boss. "You're right, future father-in-law," he joked. "What harm can one drink do?"
"I knew you'd see things my way," Vince said in a low voice. He rubbed his hands together gleefully. Phase one of his plan was already in action...
One hour and countless drinks later...
"How are you feeling?" Vince asked, studying the younger man carefully. He seemed drunk, but Vince wasn't sure if he was really drunk or not.
"Like hell. I want my woman," Chris said in a slurred voice, slamming his hand down on the small table. He glared at the older man sitting across from him. "Where in the hell is my baby? You said she'd be here soon and soon was a long ass time ago!"
"She should be here soon," Vince promised again. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to go call her right now and tell her to just wrap it up. She can just finish her work tomorrow."
"Yeah, you go call her, Vance, and tell her sexy ass to hightail it over here," Chris ordered. "Tell her that I want her."
"Oh, you'll get her," Vince promised, pulling out his cell phone as he got to his feet. "I'll be right back."
"Don't keep me waiting, Vance," Chris called after him as he downed another drink. It seemed like every time his cup was empty, a full one appeared. Oh, but he wasn't going to complain. He would just keep drinking.
"It's Vince!" Vince called back.
"Vince, Vance, like it fucking matters," Chris muttered, looking over at the entrance again. He couldn't wait until Stephanie arrived. He needed her...
Trish Stratus sat a block away from away from the club, waiting impatiently in her car. "That old man needs to hurry up and call me!" she said aloud, frustrated. When Vince had approached her and pitched his idea to her the previous week, she had immediately agreed to be a part of it. She had many reasons to go along with it, the main reason being the fact that she was insanely jealous of Stephanie. Stephanie had it all. She had the money and the man, both of which Trish wanted. By going along with this plan, she would be killing two birds with one stone... And really, what sane woman would pass up a night with Chris Jericho, even if he was going to be drunk?
Just then, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the display, and when she saw Vince's number appear on the screen, she hurriedly answered the phone. "Is it time?" she asked excitedly.
"He's completely drunk. Are you ready?" Vince asked.
"I was ready last year," she said with a smirk.
"Remember what I told you. If this goes off as planned, you're going to get paid richly for your services."
"You make me sound like a whore."
"Let's be honest," he said with a laugh. "You're about to have sex with someone else's boyfriend. You are a whore."
"True," she laughed. "But ok, I have to go..."
"Good luck," he said in a serious tone.
"With a body like this, I don't need luck," she said, and she closed her cell phone. She looked in the mirror and adjusted her long brown wig. She checked her makeup and her contacts, then made sure her clothes looked ok. "I look more like Stephanie than she does," she said happily. "Now let the games begin..."
"Vance, you said she'd be here," Chris said, glaring at his boss. At least, he thought it was his boss. All he could really see sitting across from him was a blurry figure that vaguely resembled his boss, so he presumed that was him. He was too drunk to really tell.
"She's on her way," Vince said. "And for the last time, it's Vince."
"I don't fucking care," Chris said, standing up. "I'm going to get my woman."
"Where are you going, baby? I'm right here," Trish said from behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection from behind. She rested her head against his back and breathed in his scent. Oh, he smelled heavenly, well besides the smell of the alcohol he had consumed. But that was no turn-off for her. She still wanted him.
"Stephy... Have you always been this short?" Chris asked suspiciously as he turned around. He knew he was a bit drunk, but he still noticed that she seemed shorter than usual.
"Oh, baby, have you been drinking?" Trish asked, trying her hardest to sound like Stephanie.
"Yeah, I've had a few drinks," Chris admitted. "Uh, a lot of drinks."
"Let's go back to the hotel and..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned up to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"What about your dad?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Daddy won't mind, will you?" she asked, looking behind Chris over at Vince.
"I'm actually about to leave, Princess," Vince said, standing up. "You two lovebirds go have fun."
"Oh, we will," Trish said, winking at Vince. She took Chris's hand and started to lead him out of the hotel. "Come on, baby... Let's get to the hotel."
"Ok," Chris agreed, following Trish out of the club. Something's different about her, he thought, frowning slightly. But I don't know what it is...
That thought stayed with him the entire time as they walked across the street to the hotel. He didn't remember ever checking into this hotel, but he guessed that maybe he was just too drunk to remember. He followed her into the elevator, and as she kissed him, he still felt like something was different. And when they finally made it into the hotel room and she was naked, he knew something was different.
"Um, were your breasts always this big?" Chris asked as he looked at the woman standing before him.
"Yeah, baby," Trish answered right away. "You know I got implants... You made fun of them, remember?"
"I guess, but these look horrible," he said honestly. "I mean, look at them. They look like balloons. Aren't you ever scared that they'll pop or-"
"Shhh," she whispered, blushing. She hoped he didn't noticed how embarrassed she was. She calmed herself down, then leaned up to kiss him. "I need you, Chris..."
"I need you, too, Stephanie," he whispered back, and then he kissed her back...
The Next Morning
"Morning, baby," Trish said, running her hand over Chris's chest. He was lying on his side, and she was lying behind him, leaning on his shoulder. "Did you have fun last night?"
"Let's just say you weren't as great as you usually are," Chris replied, rubbing his forehead. His head was pounding. He felt something kind of hairy against his back, and he reached behind him. "Honey, are you growing chest hair?" he asked, pulling the hair. He was surprised when he found out that it was a brown wig. "What the hell is this? A wig?"
"Ok, now you've figured me out," Trish said with a little laugh.
Chris said up and looked at the woman next to him. The naked woman next to him. This woman wasn't Stephanie. "Trish Stratus? What the fuck are you doing here, and where is Stephanie?"
"Who knows? Who cares?" she asked, shrugging. "You spent the night with me. Wanna see the tape?"
"What tape?" he asked, aghast.
"This one," Vince McMahon said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "Let's watch."
Chris could only sit there with his mouth open wide as he watched this tape. "You set me up!" he yelled at Vince. "What the hell is that all about?"
"I'll tell you at our meeting later on today," Vince said, ejecting the tape. He held the tape out to Chris, grinning. "Want it?"
"Destroy it," Chris ordered.
"Sure, I'll destroy it," Vince said. "But I have more copies, so it won't make a difference."
Chris got up, grabbed his clothes, and went into the bathroom to get dressed. He was in a state of shock. "What the hell was I thinking?" he asked himself aloud. He could remember everything that had happened. How could he have not noticed that the woman he was doing wasn't Stephanie? He shook his head and hurried out of the bathroom, only to be greeted with a horrendous sight: Trish, naked, on top of Vince. "You people are freaks!" he exclaimed, shaking his head as he headed for the door.
"Last night, so were you," Vince said, grinning.
"And we have proof," Trish moaned. "So are you going to watch us, or are you going to join in?"
"Oh God," Chris whispered, practically running out of the room. Once out of the room, he leaned against the closed door and closed his eyes. "Stephanie... She's going to kill me..."
End Flashback
"And that's what happened," he finished, looking at her. He couldn't quite decipher the look on her face, because her face seemed to display a huge array of different emotions. "Stephy... Please believe me when I tell you that I never would've slept with Trish intentionally... I honestly believed she was you."
"So that's the whole story, so to speak," she said in a calm voice, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Yeah, that's it," he answered, waiting for her to explode and slap him again. "And I regret it, I regret it so much... You know how I feel about you, Stephy, and you know I'd never intentionally hurt you..."
"Too bad my dad doesn't share those sentiments," she said in a sad voice. "I can't believe he would set you up like that. Ooh, and that bitch Trish!"
"I didn't know how to tell you before," he said, looking away. "I thought you were going to break up with me... Your dad's been holding that over my head for a whole year now." When she got up and started pacing in front of him again, he didn't know what to say. "Are you going to break up with me now?" he asked quietly, praying that she would say no.
"Stupid son of a bitch!" she exclaimed.
"Stephy, I was drunk," he said in a pleading voice. "Yeah, I guess I was stupid, but-"
"Not you, Chris, my dad!" she said angrily, sitting down next to him again. "I can't believe he did that to you! To us!"
"Oh," he said, surprised. He relaxed a little. "I couldn't believe it, either."
"I'm pissed off now," she said honestly, looking at him. "I'm pissed at my dad, I'm pissed at that little blonde whore, and I'm pissed at you."
"But I didn't even know what was going on," he protested. "How can you blame me for this?"
"Relax, I'm not blaming you for anything. I'm just pissed that you didn't tell me before," she said, taking his hands. "I want us to have an honest relationship. I want you to be able to tell me anything and everything."
"So you're not breaking up with me?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course not," she said, smiling a little at him. "I'd never be able to go on without you, Chris." She leaned over and kissed him. "But you're going to make it up to me, aren't you?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"All night long," he promised, leaning over to kiss her.
She held him back for a moment. "And then tomorrow, you're going to help me plan some revenge?" He nodded, leaning even closer. "Then it's settled," she said, pulling him closer to her, until their lips were a mere inch away.
"I love you, Stephanie," he whispered, kissing her softly. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too," she replied honestly, running her fingers through his hair. "And I wouldn't have it any other way..."
A/N: Long chapter, I know. Hope it wasn't too boring for you guys, but at least now you all know what Vince has been using to blackmail Chris...