Stephanie walked back up to Randy's hotel room. This time she was hoping to avoid an ugly confrontation with Hunter. She knew that she shouldn't let him get to her, and for the most part, he was out of her life, but sometimes…well, sometimes he just got to her. She knew that Chris knew this without her telling him, but she wondered what he really thought about her relationship, former relationship rather, with Hunter.

But she didn't have time to think about that as she came upon Randy's door. She thought a moment about what she doing, but she knew it was right. When she had told him that she loved him, it didn't feel right. And if it didn't feel right now, it probably never would. In the long run, it was probably better to let him go earlier rather that later. She couldn't let this get too serious when she knew it probably wasn't going somewhere.

She knocked on the door, and jumped from foot to foot trying to pass the time between her knocking and him opening the door. She hated making people feel bad, and she knew that she was going to do that to Randy. The only positive thing to come out of her relationship with Hunter was the fact that she hadn't cared she was dumping him because he had turned out to be a royal asshole.

"Steph?"

Stephanie ceased her jumping and smiled softly. "Hey Randy, can we talk?"

"And that is never the way that you want to start a conversation," Randy said, opening the door to her. "Come on inside."

Stephanie looked grateful as she walked into the room, taking one glance back outside before entering fully. Stephanie sat down on the couch, curling one of her legs underneath her butt. Randy came down and sat right across from her, taking his hand in hers. She wanted to pull it away, but didn't have the heart to.

"You look really beautiful, you have a glow or something," Randy said softly, using his free hand to brush some of the hair out of her face.

"It's probably the light that I'm sitting behind. It's like that Seinfeld where Elaine goes to visit the priest and she had a beam of light behind her and it made her look like an angel or something," Stephanie babbled.

Randy laughed, "Yeah, I guess it might be the light. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, Chris and I made up," she told him.

"Great," Randy said. "How did that happen?"

"Fortunately, Chris was able to sense my suffering from miles away, like a dog almost, you know like those St. Bernard's that save people in like the Alps and stuff. He sensed it and we made up because we just can't stay away from each other."

"Good, I was worried about you," Randy told her. "You definitely weren't being yourself and I was worried that you wouldn't be you without Chris."

"Well, no need to worry," Stephanie said. "I'm as good as new, no scratches or dents or anything, you can rent me out with no problems, not that you would want to rent me out or anything."

"I don't think I'd let anyone else get their hands on you," Randy said. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Stephanie chickened out. She was such a chicken. If Chris were here, he would be rolling his eyes at her. Stephanie was too nice sometimes. Sure, she had an edge that was seriously scary and she could hold her own in a fight, but she didn't like to do that most of the time. So she just smiled and squeezed his hand companionably.

"I just wanted to say…thanks for putting up with me tonight," Stephanie said with a smile. "I was definitely at my worst, and you had to see that, so it must have almost been traumatizing for you, and I was probably being a bad date, and that is never my intention because I don't want my stock as a good date to go down, so I wanted to come here and tell you that I was sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I totally understand," Randy said. "Besides, you weren't THAT bad a date."

"Now you're just being nice to spare my fragile ego," Stephanie joked.

"Stay the night," Randy said, gesturing towards the bedroom. "Then you can really show me how much you want to keep your reputation as a good date."

"Nah, I think I'm just going to spend the night with Chris…in the most platonic sense of course. It's not like I'm going to spend the night naked with him or anything. That would be really awkward actually, but yeah, I just feel so bad for what I said to him, and it wasn't fair of me and so I think I should just stay with him tonight."

That was a partial truth, but Randy certainly didn't need to hear that she just didn't want to spend the night with him at all. "Well, if that's the way you feel, but the offer is still on the table."

"Randy, are you trying to buy me off here or something? I'm not a whore that you can just pay off by leaving money on the nightstand and then bolting in the middle of the night once your lusty fantasies are fulfilled."

"Well damn, there goes my idea," Randy said, winking at her.

"Well, I better get back," Stephanie said, starting to feel uncomfortable. It was like the walls were closing in, like in some medieval torture device. Chris was going to be so disappointed in her. "You never know when Chris is going to go through my purse, steal all my money and spend it all on candy."

"I doubt he'd steal from you."

"As I like to say, there's a first time for everything, that's how I ended up on a barge in the middle of France with no idea how I or Chris got there."

"I've never heard that story."

"Neither have I, I never did figure out what happened there," Stephanie said. "I figure it had to do with a lot of alcohol, and then Chris and I paying way too much money for a trip that we hadn't planned to take in the first place."

"Crazy."

"So says everyone I know, but I've come to deal with that, nothing I can do now."

"I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast?" Randy asked expectantly.

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, you can see me tomorrow for breakfast."

"Great," he told her, leaning over to kiss her. Stephanie let him do it for a moment before she pulled away, trying to make it seem like she didn't want to end the kiss. "I love you."

"Ditto," she said with a smile. She knew she was putting up a brave front.

Randy walked her to the door and gave her those moony eyes, like he just couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She walked away, not looking back, sucking at her teeth a little. The elevator ride was too short, because she didn't want to face Chris. He would know immediately and she didn't know how he would react. Maybe he'd laugh at her, or maybe he'd just sigh and dive into a story that somehow explained his feelings on the situation.

She opened the door slowly, hoping that Chris had somehow come down from a big sugar high and had fallen asleep. That way she could avoid him tonight and then leave early enough tomorrow to meet with Randy that Chris would never know. And then she could avoid him for the next, oh, fifty or sixty years and then she would never have to explain herself.

"Stephers, is that you?"

"No, it's the tooth fairy, I had heard there was a kid with a tooth, I just came to check out the merchandise, maybe bring in an appraiser and compensate the owner."

"Oh, well you have the wrong room then."

"Thanks, I'll go look elsewhere…do you have any teeth that you're not using?"

"Nope, but I was in the need for someone to warm the spot next to me on this bed, so if you're available and not busy you know, flying around putting money under kid's pillows, I'd like the company."

Stephanie walked into the doorway and saw Chris there. He smiled at her, and his smile was so sweet sometimes. At moments, she wished that she had just gotten with Chris and then her life would somehow and magically not be complicate anymore. She didn't see how that would be possible, but it would have to be better than going through break-ups and everything trying to find the "one."

"You didn't do it did you?" Chris asked.

"You know me too well, you want to tell me what my liver looks like?"

"I know what your liver looks like and I know you well enough that you are too nice, so I knew you weren't going to do it. I thought about taking a bet on the fact that you would, but you just don't go against a sure bet when you can."

"I chickened out. You should have seen the way that he looked at me when I was talking. I mean, it was like Cinderella looking at Prince Charming. I'm his Prince Charming, or something to that affect, and you don't go against the happily ever after, that's why they have the happily ever after in the first place!"

"Yeah, but also in the original Cinderella story, the two evil stepsisters cut off parts of their feet so the shoe would fit on their feet. So do you REALLY want to equate the two of them?"

"Yes, the cutting off the foot parts are perfect, I can relate that to my ill-fated relationship with Hunter."

"Don't bring Asshole up," Chris said, making a face. "Don't ruin the good thing we have going here."

Stephanie jumped on the bed, laying on her stomach as she looked up at Chris. "Snooks?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we just get together and then tell Randy that we've been together all along and that we hate to break his heart, but we're in love and we're going to get married and all of that?"

"What about Trish?"

"Well, the blonde bombshell was just a cover-up," Stephanie said. "I just can't bear to break his heart. He's so young, he's just a boy, not yet a man, and I'm going to crush him like a bug, like a cockroach in a bad restaurant. I can't do that, marry me!"

"Ok, when do you want to get married?"

"Now."

"Ok, I think I have some free time right now. Now are we going to write our own vows, cause then I'm going to need like ten minutes."

"Oh, think of how many good things you have to say about me Snooks…there's just so many to think of."

"Yes, like how you're messy, and you like to eat lots of candy, to the point where any normal human being would throw up, but not my Stephers, oh no, she can eat candy like a World Champion. You know, that's a good idea. I wonder if your dad would commission a belt for you as the champion candy eater. You could accompany me to my matches with the belt."

"Sounds like a good idea, except you know that my father would never allow that. It's not a serious belt, and you know how my dad likes to be serious."

"Ok, then I'll get you a special belt Stephers."

"You're so sweet Snooks."

Stephanie scooted herself over to Chris laying her head against his leg. She closed her eyes a moment, not trying to sleep, but just get over the night. She could never say that her life was dull. Maybe that's why she had turned out this way. Maybe she hadn't wanted her life to ever be dull and so she had this personality on her. Lord knows her childhood was dull and this was her way of rebelling.

She felt Chris's hand rest on her head and she was going to make a comment that he was using her as an armrest, but then he started running his fingers through her hair. He was trying to comfort her, and she appreciated that. She just got lost in his touch as she laid there on his leg.

"You know Stephers, it'll all work out. At some point, you'll find the courage, even if it means we have to follow the Yellow Brick Road and see the Wizard. While we're there, I can get a brain."

"I know, it always does work out. As long as in the end I have you Snooks, I guess I can do anything."

"I know that for a fact. I've seen you stand up to your parents, and that's probably number one on the lists of things that make you the strongest person in the world. You'll get through this just like you've gotten through everything else."

"That was the best advice you've ever given me Snooks."

"Better than the time that I told you that bangs were not the way to go? Because I thought that was invaluable information. Of course, you went ahead and got them anyways, and then you realized just how right I was, instead of listening to me like any smart person would do, but I can't account for what goes on in that brain of yours."

"Now that makes me not want to marry you, I hope that you know that."

"Or was that part of my master plan all along?" Chris asked.

"Brilliant Snooks, brilliant."

"We're above marriage Stephers, we're so far beyond it, we've transcended the entire institution of marriage. We've reached relationship nirvana and there is nothing above that. I think we should be commended."

"A banquet perhaps."

"Perhaps."

"I really don't want to break his heart you know."

"I know, and that's what makes you my Stephers, your unending need to make sure that people don't hate you. I think you're doing a fine job of that. I did hear though that there is a man in Iowa who doesn't like you. But I figured that you would pencil him in next week, work your charms and your name would be absolved once again."

"Well this is news! I didn't know of this man, now I've got to go to work," she said, starting to get up like she was going to go. Chris pulled her back down.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going to think of you my love," Stephanie said, clasping her hands over her heart. "For without you, I simply cannot function."

"So when should I move in?"

"Tomorrow. You know, I do wonder why we never moved in together Snooks. I mean, we spend every single weekend together. Either I'm at your house, your at my house, we're at your parent's house, we're avoiding MY parent's house."

"Now you've planted the seed in my mind. Now it's going to be watered and it's going to grow wildly until I really do move in with you. Or you move in with me…or we move in with my parents."

"That's probably why we don't, because we could never decide where to live."

"True, true…it would just be so simple to be with each other, and probably easier."

"Yeah, but what's the fun in that?"

"I don't know Snooks, I don't know."