Part Three
Dave tucked himself into the wall, hiding behind an equipment crate, which was not an easy feat considering his size. He poked his head out just an inch or two, catching a glimpse of Trish, who had since stopped walking and was leaning against the wall. His curiosity towards the blonde woman overpowered his discomfort, and he crouched a little lower, watching her closely.
Trish glanced around for a moment and then closed her eyes, obviously unaware of his presence. A loud sigh escaped her and her body went limp, the wall serving as a support beam to keep her from slipping to the floor.
His brow furrowed as he watched a painful look cross her face, almost like she was going to cry. He frowned... this was the second time in very recent memory he had seen her looking so distraught. All of a sudden, Dave grabbed at his chest, a pang of sympathy striking him. He couldn't understand why, but he felt bad for her. Part of him wanted to get up and talk to her, not only to feed his curiosity, but to see if she was okay. Still, he remained in his spot, grimacing as he adjusted his position a little. He was not meant to be crunched into this type of position.
When he finally managed to get comfortable - well, as comfortable as he could get - Dave looked at Trish again. His heart broke as he watched a tear slip from her eye and trickle down her cheek. He couldn't figure out why he felt so terrible. Sure, he was a sucker for any woman who shed a tear, but he was feeling even more sympathetic than normal.
Deciding that he could take it no longer, he stood, grimacing as his constricted muscles were given the chance to stretch out. He stepped up to her, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder.
"Trish, are you okay?" he asked her.
She jumped, either at the touch of his or the sound of his deep voice. He glanced into her brown eyes, which seemed surprised to see him. Her jaw slipped open a bit like she was going to speak, but the blonde diva held her tongue. Shaking her head furiously, Trish blinked her tears away.
"What do you want?" she shot venomously, glaring at him with a most unwelcoming stare.
Cautiously removing his hand from her shoulder, Dave took a step back.
"I saw you crying, and I couldn't help myself," he explained. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."
"Oh," she replied with a bit of a snort, "I wasn't aware that you liked to play knight in shining armor. You're going to have to find a new damsel in distress, because I don't need you."
"Trish, I just..."
"Really, Batista, why are you here? Trying ot recruit a new member for Evolution?" she quipped, a smirk grazing her lips.
It was Dave's turn to snort. He wouldn't drag anyone into that mess of a group. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head... she wasn't the easiest to talk to.
"Hey, I saw you and you looked upset. As far as I'm concerned, this company is family, and when I see a member of that family upset, I get worried. Which is what happened here, and which is why I decided to ask," he defended himself.
"Some family," Trish said dryly. Then, after a long pause, she finished with, "Shouldn't you be off beating people up for their lunch money or something like that?"
Shaking his head, Batista sighed.
"I give up," he resigned, throwing his hands up in retreat. He started to walk away, and then he turned back to call over his shoulder. "I know it's cliche, but you really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, Trish."
As he left her standing there, Trish looked on after him. His statement stayed fresh in her mind, and she found herself even more intrigued by that man that ever before.
-
"I don't like this idea, Randy," Stacy said, staring up at her boyfriend with a look of deep concern.
From where he was seated next to her, Randy Orton threw an arm around her, shaking his head. He wished she wouldn't worry so much.
"Come on, Stace, we've had this discussion a million times before. You know this match is a huge opportunity for me. If I beat Batista tonight, I get a shot at the World Title. You know how much that means to me," he said, gazing over at Stacy.
"I know that," she said uneasily, "I just wish you didn't have to fight Dave to get there."
Randy shook his head.
"Babe, no matter how much you try and repair this, Dave and I aren't best friends anymore," he told her.
Stacy frowned. If there was one thing about Randy that she disliked, it was his inability to forgive those who had wronged him in the past. She agreed that what Dave and the others did when they booted him from Evolution was inexcusable. But just like with Trish, she had a hunch that Dave really was a good man. He was just stuck with those pathetic excuses for men, Ric Flair and Triple H.
"He's not like them," she said, following a pause. "You can see it in his eyes that he's not happy. He wants to break away..."
"Yeah, and that's just it, Stacy... he doesn't break away. He's had the opportunity, not to mention the motivation, for weeks now, and yet he's still a member of Evolution. And as far as I'm concerned, that makes him one of my biggest enemies," Randy replied.
He knew how much Stacy wanted him to forgive Dave, and part of him thought he could, if Dave could just admit that he was wrong. But he certainly wasn't going to try beating an apology out of him, either. His main focus, his only focus for the the evening was becoming the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.
He guessed by Stacy's silence that his comment had begun to sink in on her. He tilted his head toward her, observing a very thoughtful look on her pretty face. He sighed... she thought about these things way too much.
"I'm worried about you," Stacy voiced, turning her head to lock eyes with him.
Randy smiled, laughing softly as he pressed a tiny kiss to her cheek.
"You always worry about me," he reminded her. "Actually, when you make that concerned face, it's kinda cute."
Stacy smiled, but then shook her head.
"Randy..." she warned, letting him know that she was not kidding around. This was a very serious matter.
"Okay, okay..." he began, grabbing her hand, "I promise I'll be careful."
Not convinced by his statement, Stacy protested, "I wish you would let me go out there with you. I'd feel a lot better if I was by your side."
"Absolutely not," Randy said immediately, shaking his head firmly. "No way in hell, Stace. I don't want you at ringside for any of my matches, especially not if I win tonight."
"I won't get involved at all," Stacy insisted, her brown eyes pleading with him. "I won't be a distraction. You won't even know I'm there."
Sighing again, Randy shook his head, momentarily covering his eyes with his hands.
"It's not about me, Stacy," he assured her. "I might not know you're there, but they will. Somehow, Hunter and Ric don't know about us... and I want it to stay that way for now. If they find out we're together, they'll be gunning for you. I will not let them use you to get to me."
Stacy's expression grew solemn. Triple H and Flair were opportunists, and there was no doubt in her mind that they would use her relationship with Randy to their fullest advantage. With a shrug, she tucked herself into Randy's arms, sighing against his chest.
"You're right," she gave in, closing her eyes.
