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Part Eleven
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"Hey Tor!"
At the sound o the young man's voice, she whirled round, a huge smiled on her face. "Hey Jeff,"
Despite the frantic feelings inside, Jeff couldn't help but smile back. There was just something in Torrie's beaming smile that made you happy. "Hey,"
"What's wrong?" she asked, instantly sensing his unease.
"Have you seen, Li?"
She frowned. "No, I thought she was rooming with you,"
Jeff sighed. "She is. But I waited up for her last night and she didn't come in. I must've fallen asleep waiting and when I woke up this morning, she wasn't there and her bed hadn't been slept in. I mean what if Matt found her or what if-"
"Jeff!" He jerked his head up to look at her and she smiled softly. "Now, I think we both know that if Lita had run into Matt then he'd end up worse off than her. She's let herself see the real Matt and she's not afraid of him, she can handle Matt herself, she may be a woman, but that doesn't mean she always needs a knight in shining armour to come rescue her. She's a big girl and she knows how to hit Matt where it hurts."
Jeff snorted. "Yeah, I know. I was there on Thursday, too." He sighed. "I just, you know. I know you doesn't need me, but-"
"Jeff she needs you. But that doesn't mean she needs you to rescue her by beating someone up. She needs you to listen, like you always do. She needs a friend. We could all do with a friend like you."
Jeff smiled at her and she blushed profusely. "Well, you know you have one." He said and she smiled, noting that there was a pinkish tinge to his cheeks as well.
"Where was she last, that you know of?"
"In the bar,"
"Then lets go find out if they know where she went."
Jeff frowned a little as Torrie linked arms with him, but he was still smiling. "I thought Lita was a big girl who could handle herself."
"She is," Torrie said with a firm nod of her head. "I'm just worried about her,"
Jeff smiled and stopped walking as they reached the entrance to the bar. "Thank you," he said softly, leaning over to kiss her forehead. Without further explanation, he entered the bar, re-linking arms with her and taking her with him.
As they entered the brightly lit room, Jeff smiled. "You know you'd think they'd be a little more considerate."
"What?"
"Well, think about it. The people who tend to frequent hotel bars aren't very likely to be in a fit state to put up with this strong a light in the morning."
Torrie smiled. "Maybe that's the idea. HAA. Hotels Against Alcoholism. Shining a light onto the problem."
Jeff groaned. "Man, even Edge's jokes aren't that lame."
Torrie giggled then pouted. "And I thought you only loved me for my jokes!"
Jeff looked at her, and Torrie's breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. "No, there's much more to it than that." he said softly.
After a moment, Jeff seemed to realise what he had just said and blushed, turning and walking away from her, but after a pause, reached out his arm and she smiled, walking with him. He approached the bar, nodding back to the man seated to their left as he smiled in their direction and indicated to the bartender to approach.
"Hi, I'm looking for a young woman who would have been in here last night. I was just wondering if you could help me."
The girl smiled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hardy, but I wasn't working last night." She nodded to the man that had smiled at them a few moments earlier. "Keif had the late shift, he might be able to help you, sir."
Jeff smiled. "Do I know you, or something?" When the girl shook her head, Jeff laughed a little. "Sorry, but I haven't been called Mr. Hardy since I was at school."
The girl laughed a little. "No, I'm just a fan. Only I'm paid not to run up to you screaming for your autograph." Jeff blushed and Torrie couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face. "Can I get you or Miss. Wilson anything?"
Torrie smiled. "It's Torrie, and no, thanks we're okay."
"Then, I'd best get back to work." The girl smiled and walked down to the other end of the bar where an elderly, greying man was thumping his empty shot glass on the bar in order to catch the bartender's attention.
"Charming," Torrie said sarcastically. "I guess my theory about the sunshine doesn't hold."
"Guess so. Come on."
They walked a few paces towards the man and Jeff opened his mouth to speak, but didn't get any further as the man stretched out his hand and smiled, saying, "Keif. I'm guessing you're looking for a certain lovely, yet rather drunk redhead that I had the pleasure of serving last night."
Jeff groaned. "How drunk?"
Keif smiled. "Oh, I'd have to say very."
"Oh, God, I don't even want to know what she said." Torrie couldn't help but giggle. Her own memories of a drunken Lita surfacing. Jeff smiled at her before turning back to Keif. "You wouldn't happen to know where I'd find her this morning?"
"Well, considering the state she was in-" at the look on Jeff's face he smiled. "Don't worry, she was well taken care of."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Jeff almost growled, his eyes darkening.
"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Michaels was looking after her and last I saw, when he was helping her out of here, he was trying to get her room number out of her. Although, from what I say, he'd have to be a miracle worker to succeed. She's a very stubborn woman."
"You have no idea,"
Keif laughed. "Well, my guess is that Mr. Michaels was introduced to his couch last night. I'd say you'll find her in his bed."
Torrie frowned. "You seem so sure that he'll be the perfect gentlemen,"
Keif smiled. "I don't doubt it for a second. The way that man looks at her, he wouldn't take advantage of her no matter how drunk he was himself."
"It's nice to know that there are people out there like you that won't jump to conclusions."
"What can I say, I'm a dying breed,"
Torrie giggled. "More's the pity."
Jeff frowned at the way Torrie was interacting so easily with Keif, but quickly shook his head. "Well, thanks for your help. Is there anything I can do in return?"
Keif shook his head. "Don't worry- actually, you could do one thing for me." Jeff followed the man's gaze to the other end of the bar and smiled at the indulgent look on Keif's face as he watched the young bartender. "You could give Carla your autographs, that'd about make her day."
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End of Part Eleven
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Part Eleven
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"Hey Tor!"
At the sound o the young man's voice, she whirled round, a huge smiled on her face. "Hey Jeff,"
Despite the frantic feelings inside, Jeff couldn't help but smile back. There was just something in Torrie's beaming smile that made you happy. "Hey,"
"What's wrong?" she asked, instantly sensing his unease.
"Have you seen, Li?"
She frowned. "No, I thought she was rooming with you,"
Jeff sighed. "She is. But I waited up for her last night and she didn't come in. I must've fallen asleep waiting and when I woke up this morning, she wasn't there and her bed hadn't been slept in. I mean what if Matt found her or what if-"
"Jeff!" He jerked his head up to look at her and she smiled softly. "Now, I think we both know that if Lita had run into Matt then he'd end up worse off than her. She's let herself see the real Matt and she's not afraid of him, she can handle Matt herself, she may be a woman, but that doesn't mean she always needs a knight in shining armour to come rescue her. She's a big girl and she knows how to hit Matt where it hurts."
Jeff snorted. "Yeah, I know. I was there on Thursday, too." He sighed. "I just, you know. I know you doesn't need me, but-"
"Jeff she needs you. But that doesn't mean she needs you to rescue her by beating someone up. She needs you to listen, like you always do. She needs a friend. We could all do with a friend like you."
Jeff smiled at her and she blushed profusely. "Well, you know you have one." He said and she smiled, noting that there was a pinkish tinge to his cheeks as well.
"Where was she last, that you know of?"
"In the bar,"
"Then lets go find out if they know where she went."
Jeff frowned a little as Torrie linked arms with him, but he was still smiling. "I thought Lita was a big girl who could handle herself."
"She is," Torrie said with a firm nod of her head. "I'm just worried about her,"
Jeff smiled and stopped walking as they reached the entrance to the bar. "Thank you," he said softly, leaning over to kiss her forehead. Without further explanation, he entered the bar, re-linking arms with her and taking her with him.
As they entered the brightly lit room, Jeff smiled. "You know you'd think they'd be a little more considerate."
"What?"
"Well, think about it. The people who tend to frequent hotel bars aren't very likely to be in a fit state to put up with this strong a light in the morning."
Torrie smiled. "Maybe that's the idea. HAA. Hotels Against Alcoholism. Shining a light onto the problem."
Jeff groaned. "Man, even Edge's jokes aren't that lame."
Torrie giggled then pouted. "And I thought you only loved me for my jokes!"
Jeff looked at her, and Torrie's breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. "No, there's much more to it than that." he said softly.
After a moment, Jeff seemed to realise what he had just said and blushed, turning and walking away from her, but after a pause, reached out his arm and she smiled, walking with him. He approached the bar, nodding back to the man seated to their left as he smiled in their direction and indicated to the bartender to approach.
"Hi, I'm looking for a young woman who would have been in here last night. I was just wondering if you could help me."
The girl smiled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hardy, but I wasn't working last night." She nodded to the man that had smiled at them a few moments earlier. "Keif had the late shift, he might be able to help you, sir."
Jeff smiled. "Do I know you, or something?" When the girl shook her head, Jeff laughed a little. "Sorry, but I haven't been called Mr. Hardy since I was at school."
The girl laughed a little. "No, I'm just a fan. Only I'm paid not to run up to you screaming for your autograph." Jeff blushed and Torrie couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face. "Can I get you or Miss. Wilson anything?"
Torrie smiled. "It's Torrie, and no, thanks we're okay."
"Then, I'd best get back to work." The girl smiled and walked down to the other end of the bar where an elderly, greying man was thumping his empty shot glass on the bar in order to catch the bartender's attention.
"Charming," Torrie said sarcastically. "I guess my theory about the sunshine doesn't hold."
"Guess so. Come on."
They walked a few paces towards the man and Jeff opened his mouth to speak, but didn't get any further as the man stretched out his hand and smiled, saying, "Keif. I'm guessing you're looking for a certain lovely, yet rather drunk redhead that I had the pleasure of serving last night."
Jeff groaned. "How drunk?"
Keif smiled. "Oh, I'd have to say very."
"Oh, God, I don't even want to know what she said." Torrie couldn't help but giggle. Her own memories of a drunken Lita surfacing. Jeff smiled at her before turning back to Keif. "You wouldn't happen to know where I'd find her this morning?"
"Well, considering the state she was in-" at the look on Jeff's face he smiled. "Don't worry, she was well taken care of."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Jeff almost growled, his eyes darkening.
"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Michaels was looking after her and last I saw, when he was helping her out of here, he was trying to get her room number out of her. Although, from what I say, he'd have to be a miracle worker to succeed. She's a very stubborn woman."
"You have no idea,"
Keif laughed. "Well, my guess is that Mr. Michaels was introduced to his couch last night. I'd say you'll find her in his bed."
Torrie frowned. "You seem so sure that he'll be the perfect gentlemen,"
Keif smiled. "I don't doubt it for a second. The way that man looks at her, he wouldn't take advantage of her no matter how drunk he was himself."
"It's nice to know that there are people out there like you that won't jump to conclusions."
"What can I say, I'm a dying breed,"
Torrie giggled. "More's the pity."
Jeff frowned at the way Torrie was interacting so easily with Keif, but quickly shook his head. "Well, thanks for your help. Is there anything I can do in return?"
Keif shook his head. "Don't worry- actually, you could do one thing for me." Jeff followed the man's gaze to the other end of the bar and smiled at the indulgent look on Keif's face as he watched the young bartender. "You could give Carla your autographs, that'd about make her day."
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End of Part Eleven
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