Hiya! Sorry about the cliffhanger on Chapter 7 but I couldn't resist. There's a slight one on this Chapter as well but…well tough. Thanks for all the great reviews, keep 'em coming.


Chapter 8: Stalling, Dinner and Pensioners.


They stood quietly for a second, staring each other down. Jennifer waiting for him to speak and Randy was wondering exactly how to say it. While she had been gone he had sat in her room weighing up his options, in the end his heart was telling him that the only thing to do was tell the truth. Even if his mind disagreed.

"Ok, well, I guess I should just say it," Randy eventually said.

"I guess you should."

"Ok, uh…ok, er, right, you see, the thing is…" Randy's nervousness was evident but he was determined to get this out.

Jenni turned away from him and walked over to the bedside table, she picked up a bottle of water and took a sip. At Randy's raised eyebrow she said, "I drank a little more than I should off tonight but I've got the feeling that this is something I'm gonna wanna remember in the morning."

"It might be better if you didn't," Randy murmured.

Jenni frowned at him slightly but he didn't elaborate. "Alright well, you've stalled enough. Why don't you just tell me now?" she said, "After saying it would be a big confessional it's kinda anti-climactic to have to wait this long."

Randy smiled in spite of his mood.

"You're right. I've been stalling this too long."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're talking about more than just tonight."

"Maybe because I am. In my defence though, it has taken me a little time get here. To work out what it is going on in my head." Randy paced a little in front of Jenni's bed that she had now sat down on. "You and Adam –"

"Oh for fucks sake!" Jenni said jumping up, "You're bringing Adam up again! If this is the part where you tell me what a scum bag he is then quite frankly I'm gonna kick you out right now."

"I'm not." Randy said defensively. "I wasn't going to insult him I was just going to say…well…when I called you…and he was there I…" Randy faltered, looking into Jenni's eyes. They were so cold, not there usual sparkling green, instead they looked icy.

"Get to the point." She barked.

He frowned slightly; he couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her. He was crazy to think that he could, but looking into her hostile face he realised, he had no intention of telling her - it would be too awkward. She very clearly didn't have any kind of feeling like that towards him. Hell, he'd be lucky for her to have any kind of friendly feelings let alone romantic ones.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by her barking at him again, "Are you going to talk again or are you just gonna stand there staring at me?"

"I um…" Randy quickly tried to think, anything that would be passable as his explanation. "…Um…"

"Forget it Randy! Just get out!"

"No! Look Jenni I know I've been an idiot but…you have to forgive me."

"Why?"

Randy's mind was blank once again. "Because we've been friends for too long to let a little thing like this ruin our relationship."

Randy held his breath as she stood in front of him; she looked pensive as though she was thinking.

"Randy," she eventually said. "If it had been anyone else who had said it to me, I could of shook it off. But it wasn't, it was you. The person I trusted more than anyone in the world…and you won't even give me a reason for it."

"Jen, I –" he broke off.

Jenni sat back down on the bed not saying anything. Randy not knowing what else to do, sat down beside her. Trying to avoid the pang of hurt he felt at her not acknowledging him. He was searching desperately for the right words to say but they were momentarily evading him.

A time later, Randy didn't know how long, Jenni abruptly laughed. Randy turned a questioning gaze on her and she explained.

"Sorry, but I just had a flashback from the club. Johnny and Joey drunkenly break dancing – a sight I'm glad to have witnessed."

Randy laughed as well, glad that the tension was lessened, even if it only lasted for a moment.

Jenni turned her head towards him and their eyes met.

"You should go," she said quietly.

"Yeah," he sighed. He was tootired to argue, it had been a long day and the emotional exhaustion was wearing on him, he'd have to give her more time to cool off. As he walked towards the door he could feel her eyes on him.

"Do you really think I'm a slut?" Jennifer asked softly.

Randy whipped around at her silly question. "Of courseI don't," he said trying to ignore the sadness in her eyes.

"But you won't tell me why you said it."

"I said it because –" he paused. "I really don't know why I said it."

She nodded but didn't speak. He knew he had to do something, he couldn't let her slip through his fingers.

"I know you hate me right now," he said. "But let me make it up to you."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"Let me buy you dinner – tomorrow night after the house show." Seeing that she looked sceptical he turned on his infamous charm. "I'll take you somewhere nice, somewhere fancy, I'll take you to an Italian place."

He noticed her eyes light up slightly. "Well I do like Italian," she said.

"So dinner tomorrow?"

She nodded and he tried to surpress his smile.

"Great so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye Randy."

He walked out of the room and felt better than he had in almost a week. She hadn't forgiven him yet but she wasn't shutting him out. Now all he had to do was make sure he didn't mess up tomorrow and everything would be fine. He hoped.


"So you're letting him take you out?" Melina asked while examining a pair of shoes.

"I wasn't going to but he promised me Italian. You know I can't resist it."

"Yes, he knows it as well. He's trying to make you forgive him through food."

"Yeah I know," Jennifer said walking into a dressing room with a handful of clothes. "Anyway I don't know why you're being so weird about it. You're the one that told him my room number."

"Yes but I honestly thought you were going to hit him." Melina shook her head at the first outfit that Jennifer sported. "Hell, I nearly hit him when I saw him in the hallway."

"So why didn't you?"

"He had a promo to do, I didn't think a black eye would appeal to his female fan base."

Jenni laughed. "I dunno, women love a bad boy. He could spin them some story about a bar fight – it was ten of them and he was by himself, but if you think he looks bad you should see the other guys. You can almost hear the women sighing in admiration from here."

"He could make out he was saving some damsel in distress," Mel said laughing.

"Oh I don't know about that," Jenni said. "Chivalry went out of style years ago."

The women laughter was cut off by Jenni's phone ringing inside the dressing room.

"Hi Randy."

"Jenni, how are you today? Not hungover are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Good, I just wanted to know if we're still set for dinner tonight."

"Yeah, what time."

"Reservation for 9. It's a really fancy place. You know the type."

"Really pretentious?"

"That's the one."

"Fine by me, I'll see you tonight."

"Bye babe."

Jenni hung up the phone and changed her outfit again.

"What did Randy want?"

"Just making sure we were still going to dinner tonight. None of this stuffs right for me, let's go to another shop."


Randy adjusted the collar on his white dress shirt as he waited for Jenni to open the hotel door. He was really nervous, on the phone earlier on she had been mostly crisp. He knew he had a lot of making up to do, and taking her out to dinner was the first part of it.

He caught his breath as she opened the door. She looked beautiful. Her well-cut red dress was sexy, classy and sure to get her noticed. Her hair was curled and fell around her face, drawing attention to the eyes that sparkled under her lashes.

"Uh…Randy, are you ok."

"Hmm," He stupidly asked.

"You spaced out there."

"What? Oh yes…I spaced out. That's what it was."

"So," she asked. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes, well I am and you definitely look ready. You look fantastic."

They arrived at the restaurant a little while later.

"I've got a reservation under the name Orton." Randy said to the Maitre De.

"Right this way sir."

They sat down at their table and Randy had noticed a few glances at their way. He wasn't so arrogant to think they were looking at him. Jennifer looked amazing.

"So, what are you thinking of getting? I'm gonna go with the -"

"Lasagne." Randy cut in.

"Am I that predictable?" Jenni laughed, "I bet you can't tell me what starter I'm going for."

Randy consulted his menu briefly, "The grilled chicken and parmesan salad. Light on the Mayo."

Jennifer's mouth open in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"I know you Jenni. Anyway, it probably works both ways. What am I gonna order?"

"The steak," she replied immediately.

"Which one?"

"The biggest."

"Good girl," he said approvingly. "What starter?"

She smiled, "You never have one."

"It's like one mind."

They had an enjoyable meal; they talked about their break, the job, and anything that came into their head. They tended to stay on safe topics so Randy surprised his friend when he abruptly spoke out - causing her to nearly spit out her wine.

"I'm going to break up with Sam."

"Why?" She asked before frowning, "Hang on let me ask a smarter question, Why now?"

He smiled ruefully, "Well, Sam's a great girl and I'm sure she'll make another guy –" he was cut off by Jenni.

"Don't be diplomatic, this is me you're talking to. So really, why now?"

He sighed, "She's driving me mad, she has no kind of respect for herself, she loves how much I earn even more than I do, she's selfish –"

"Randy," Jennifer began, "Again, why now? You may not have noticed but she always has been those things. So why?"

He paused for a second before looking her full in the face. "I don't love her."

"I'm sorry," she said taking his hand from across the table. "It still must hurt, knowing it's really going to be over."

"Actually, I think it's going to be ok. It's something that has to be done."

"When will you do it?" Jenni asked quietly.

"Soon. It needs to happen, sooner rather than later."

"Well, I know I'm not Sam's biggest fan but…be nice about it, yeah?"

"Since it was you that asked. Course I will."

They talked much more relaxed with each other than before. They enjoyed the rest of their meal and where on their way to the car when Jenni stopped suddenly frowning, "Was that why?"

"What?" Randy asked confused.

"Was that why we argued, the stress of everything with you and Sam and then me calling, was that why?"

"No," Randy said firmly turning to her. "I don't know why I lashed out at you," Randy lied rubbing her bare arms with his hands. "But I know that it was nothing that was your fault.

"Ok."

"Jenni, look at me."

She looked up at him and his intense eyes made her words die in her throat.

"I'm an asshole. I know that, but…I really am sorry. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jenni smiled at him, the most natural smile he had seen from her all night.

"Say anything like that to me again, and you'll find out what you'd do without me."

"I'll consider myself warned."

"You better." Jenni leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek and walked over to the passenger seat of the car – oblivious to Randy standing in the same spot, his finger grazing the spot where her lips had kissed him.


"You're joking."

"No seriously. So, picture it; Dave standing there trying not to look uncomfortable while this pensioner tell him that the only way her toy boy lover can get her to happy land is by her picturing 'The Animal'."

Randy laughed at Jenni's recount of the appearance in New York the week earlier.

"I'm gonna torture Dave about that one," Randy said finishing off his breakfast.

"You're not the only one. And what better time to start." Jennifer gestured to something over Randy's shoulder. Dave entering the Catering Room.

"Hey stud, come sit with us." Jenni said loudly.

"Jenni, Randy. How are you two today? Stuffing your faces I see."

"No! Why would you think that?" Randy asked with mock hurt. Dave's only response was casting his eyes over the food laid out in front of them.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Randy and I are greedy, we know. But it could be worse…we could be the object of lust for a spunky old pensioner."

"Oi!" Dave said throwing a packet of bag of something at her. "You promised you weren't gong to tell anyone about that."

"I didn't!" Jenni insisted, "He already knew."

"Oh really, and who told you Randy?" Dave asked, leaning across table slightly so that Randy couldn't look to Jenni for support.

"Uh…Johnny?"

"Johnny wasn't there."

"I meant Joey."

"He wasn't there either."

"Rey?"

"Was at home with his family."

"Uh… I'm afraid to go on. Sorry Jen, you're on your own."

"Oh great," Jenni said. "So much for loyalty."

"Sorry Jen."

"So you went back on you're word huh Jenni?" Dave said with a dis-approving look on his face that made Jenni shrink into her seat. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Dave playfully narrowed his eyes at her before shooting back, "I wouldn't be saying that you weren't the object of lust for spunky pensioners. You get a lot of fan mail from old men. I bet they get their jolly's looking at the online photos of you."

Jenni looked slightly sickened and put down the chocolate bar that she had raised to lips. "I've lost the will to eat."

"Well if you're not going to…" and with that Randy picked up the forgotten bar and promptly ate it.


Randy had two day's off and arrived in St Louis with a fresh determination. He was going to end things with Sam later that day. The more he thought about it the more he couldn't believe that he hadn't done it sooner. In a few hours Sam will just be an ex and he could move on with his life. Move on to other people – he'd be lying if he said he didn't already have someone in mind.

Him and Jenni had been getting on much better, he was sure she hadn't totally forgiven him and he could understand why, (although he was sure that there was something more to that, something she wasn't telling him) he was not going to worry over it. He had decided that for the moment he should wait and see if his feeling develop more before he again considered telling her. He didn't want to risk their friendship over something that could potentially go away shortly.

Although no matter how much he said all that to himself he couldn't convince himself that he wasn't a coward for not telling her.

"Randy," his mother said walking into the room, "How are you son?"

"Great mom." Randy enveloped her in a hug his good mood evident.

"You seem happy."

"I am. But I don't have time to talk right now, I have to go and see Sam."

"Voluntarily?" Elaine said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's been a while since you've done that."

"I know but this is important. I should go, I'll see you later."


"Hey baby."

"Sam, we need to talk."

Randy cut straight to why he was there, not wanting to bother with pleasantries.

"Good, I wanted to talk to you too, do you think we should have 4 bridesmaids or 6?"

"Sam, with what I'm about to say I don't think it'll matter either way."

"What do you mean baby?"

"You might want to sit down," Randy said gesturing towards the couch. "This is pretty big."

Sam obliged to his request and sat down, "What's the matter baby?"

Standing in front of where she was sitting he noticed a pang of guilt hit him for what he was about to do, but he knew it has to be done so he spoke calmly and clearly.

"It's over."

"What?"

"It's over, our engagement, our relationship. All of it. It's finished."


Well that's it for Chapter 8 I'm afraid I think it's my shortest chapter so far (sorry), Chapter 9 should be sometime near the end of the week but don't quote me on it. Let me know what you think of this one and as always all suggestions welcome.

Love Ya! DollFace!