Chapter 9
Dave Batista sat on his bed listening to his girlfriend yell at him. She had been going on and on for the past 10 minutes about the way he humiliated his daughter in front of his friends. Ultimately tired of listening to her rip him a new one, he got up and went to apologize. He found his daughter packing her bag quietly. She barely looked at him when he spoke to her. "I'm sorry, Princess." Dave walked in the room and stood by her bed. "It's just that you, Maddy and Alli mean the world to me and I want to save you girls from as much pain that I can."
He watched as she rolled back her shoulders and sighed. "I was a teenage boy once. Hell, I was a thirty year old man once. I know how we think." He chuckled, but stopped when he realized that she wasn't finding it amusing. He sat down and reached up to touch her hand, dragging her over and forcing her to look at him. "I'm sorry, Chase. It's just hard for me to accept that you're a grown up and not my sweet little princess anymore. Give me a break, huh? I'm still learning how to be the father of an adult." He thought his heart would break when he looked into her glassy blue eyes.
"I'm still your princess, Daddy. I know how much you love me. But, you gotta let me go sometime. You can't always come to my rescue; you gotta let me make my own mistakes."
He had never known her to stand up for herself like that before and it worried him. She had just met Jeff and she was already defending her actions; she was trying to convince him that she should be allowed to see him. Just how close of a friendship did these two have? The mere thought of it made his pecs flex.
"Still friends?" He asked poking out his bottom lip.
"Still friends." She smiled.
Dave embraced his daughter and rocked her in his arms. "I love you, Princess."
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Britain watched at the door as Dave and Chase made up. She was glad that the two of them were at least speaking to each other again. Breakfast had been really hard. Everyone sat in silence; that is everyone except Randy and John. The two of them argued over who was going to win the Super Bowl this year based off of two pre-season games. They totally missed the fact that neither Dave nor Britain wouldn't look at Hunter, Chase wouldn't look at Dave and poor Ric just sat there trying to nurse his hangover.
"Would you two shut the fuck up?" Ric shot out after the conversation took an ugly turn. "And what's wrong with you? You look like somebody just shot your dog." He said turning to Dave.
Dave shook his head and excused himself from the table.
It's going to be a few hours until Chase gets on that plane. Britain thought closing her eyes.
While Dave and Chase were talking, Britain snuck out of the room. She didn't know exactly what room Jeff was in, but she remembered seeing him in the hall that first night she got there. As she walked down the hall, she saw Kristal.
"Hey feeling better?" Kristal asked smiling at her.
"Much." Britain smiled back. "Kristal? Do you know what room Jeff Hardy's staying in?" Kristal pointed to the room directly across from the elevator. She thanked her and knocked on the door.
She could tell right away that Matt was as surprised as Jeff when she walked in the room. The way that Ashley looked at her made her smile. If she had come to seduce Jeff, she definitely wasn't dressed for it. She wore green cargo Capri's, white flip flops and a white t-shirt; not exactly sexy.
Jeff immediately stood up and walked over to her. "Is Chase ok?" He asked quietly so that Matt couldn't hear. Matt and Ashley were too busy looking at each other and asking silent questions about her visit to actually hear him anyway.
Britain nodded. "Can we talk?" She asked him, hoping that this wouldn't backfire on her. Jeff lead Britain through the adjoining door into Matt and Ashley's room and closed the door behind them. "Look Jeff. I know you don't know me. I'm Dave's girlfriend, Britain." She extended her hand and he shook it, "I'm also a friend of Chase's. I have to ask you…how far did you go with Chase last night?"
Jeff looked at her stunned. "I didn't touch her. We just hung out and went swimmin'. God I feel like my fuckin' parents are here, makin' sure I don't screw up."
Britain felt bad for him. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just… Hunter said some stuff last night and well… he's got Dave thinking that your doing all kinds of sick, perverted shit to his daughter. I just needed to know that I was right when I defended you." She had never felt more juvenile dealing with all of this he said, she said bullshit before.
"I like Chase. She's a nice girl. We're just friends. I just met her, for God's sake. I may be a dick, but I'm not that big of a dick." He said pleading with Britain's eyes. "Do you think he'd let me talk to her?"
Britain heard herself laugh. "Hell no! He's an over protective father. And right now, you're public enemy number one." Did this guy think that Dave would just sleep on it and everything would be ok this morning? He really must not know Dave very well.
"Chase is leavin' today, right?" Jeff asked quietly. Britain nodded. "She wanted to go to the beach today. I thought she would have called by now. I guess it's too much to ask if he would let her out of his sight?" He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
"Leave that to me. He's going to suffocate that girl. I'll keep him busy for a couple hours before y'all have to go to the arena." She said smiling. It's not like she never used sex as a distraction before. "Does she have your number?"
Jeff nodded. "I'll have her call you. And please, don't let Hunter see you." She said before walking out the door.
Jeff walked back into his room smiling. He tried his best to avoid the looks and questions from Matt and Ashley. "She's helpin' me out with a favor." He said digging in his bag for his swim trunks.
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Britain walked back in the room to see Dave heading toward the shower and Chase watching TV in the living room area of the suite. Casually, she sat next to Chase. "Go call Jeff. Have him meet you downstairs. Go to the beach and have fun, but be back here by 1." She said nonchalantly. Chase looked at her confused. Britain motioned her head toward the door.
Did she talk to Jeff? Oh, God. This can't get any worse. "But, what about my dad?" Chase whispered.
"I'll take care of him. It pisses me off the way he's acting." Britain said pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Just go have fun. I'll tell him that Sherry called and you two went to the beach. Just please be back here by one."
Chase didn't know whether to hug Britain or run in her room and change; so she did both. "He's not going to believe you." Chase whispered as Dave exited the bathroom. They watched him go into the room and come back out with his shaving kit.
He looked at them confused and shook his head, before heading back in the bathroom. Both women laughed.
"He's not going to be able to think straight...don't worry about it." She smiled wiggling her eyebrows. Chase stood up and thanked Britain again. "Have fun." Britain said, "I know I'm going to."
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Jeff sped out of the hotel parking lot like a bat out of hell. They couldn't stop laughing about the plan that Britain had come up with, so they could spend a few hours together before she had to leave. Neither of them could believe how cool Britain had been about the whole thing. If nothing else, they at least had one ally in their new found friendship.
To their surprise the beach wasn't that crowded and they quickly found a spot under a large umbrella. Chase removed her t-shirt and shorts, revealing her bikini top and boy shorts swim suit. Jeff stared at her in amazement. She had a perfect body. Judging by the size of her chest, he would guess she was a C cup easily. She had a toned flat stomach and muscular thighs. She wasn't really curvy, but she was still sexy nonetheless. She said she was a cheerleader? Do cheerleaders lift weights now? He wondered looking at how toned she was. But then again, her father was a weight lifter; he wouldn't be surprised if she lifted too.
He froze when she asked him to put sunscreen on her back. He held the bottle in his hands and stared at her from behind. He was mesmerized; he couldn't move if he wanted to.
She turned around to look at him. "I don't bite." She giggled at him.
Yeah, but I might want you to.
Her hair gently tickled his arm, instantly giving him goose bumps. He moved her hair over her shoulder and gulped at the prospect of touching her flesh. Her hair felt like silk, he wanted to dig his hands in her hair and run his fingers through it. He resisted the urge to sniff it as he rubbed her shoulders. Oh God, she has the softest skin. He felt himself closing his eyes as he touched her. Somehow she was intoxicating him by just the feel of her shoulders. He moved his hands lower, lotioning her back. He heard a small gasp from her. He wondered if she was feeling the same thing or was he freaking her out because he was taking so long. It just felt so good to touch her that he didn't want to rush it.
When he reached the small of her back, he let his hands glide across to her hips. He let them stay there longer than they should have. He couldn't force them to let go; not that he tried to anyway.
When Chase turned her head around at him, her were cheeks red from blushing. This was the first time she had ever been touched like that. Even something as innocent as applying sunscreen seemed so pleasurable. Maybe it was because she wasn't supposed to be with him that excited her; or maybe it was just Jeff.
She looked at Jeff's face. It was so beautiful. His blue and blonde hair whipping around in the wind, his green eyes, his perfect nose, his bottom lip, which was tucked in further than the top one, his strong jaw line; everything about him was beautiful. She was interrupted from her observation when she felt his breath on her cheek.
"Can you do mine?" That simple request started an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was kind of like sticking your hand in an electrical socket. She'd never felt anything like that before. Jeff took off his t-shirt and threw it on the blanket. Chase's hands shook as he handed her back the sunscreen.
He had an awesome body. He was muscular, but not ripped like her dad or John. He had lots of lean muscle. He had the type of body that you actually wouldn't mind touching. He didn't bulge any where, but on his pecs and shoulders. She could tell that he had a small waist, by the way his pants never stayed up. He didn't go for that pants hanging off the waist to be sexy thing like John did, his just didn't stay up because he needed a belt. His back was strong and hard. She could imagine what it would feel like moving when he was doing other things. She let her eyes fall to his cute backside. What's wrong with me? It's not like I never put sunscreen on a guy before. She yelled at herself as she approached him. She smiled at the feel of every one of his muscles as she rubbed his back.
She caressed him slowly, making him close his eyes. Her small hands felt like feathers sliding across him.
"You gotta bend down." She said to him reminding him that he was much taller than she was.
He turned around and faced her. He knelt down so she could do his shoulders, staring directly at her exposed stomach. He watched the way the sunscreen had made the flesh glisten and he resisted the urge to take the skin on her stomach into his mouth.
"All done." She said rubbing the excess sun screen on her shoulders.
He knew he had to stand up, but he would have a hard time trying to hide the massive erection he was growing. "You wanna just lay out or do you wanna to get in the water?" He prayed that she would just want to stay in the sun, a least for a couple of minutes so he could get himself together.
"Let's get in." She said running toward the ocean. She definitely needed the cold water to cool her burning flesh.
Jeff jogged behind her. At least this way she couldn't see what he was thinking about.
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Dave stood under the spray of the shower, mentally preparing for his match at the Super Show. He didn't hear the bathroom door open, or Britain step in behind him.
"You're hogging all the water." She said pushing him out of the way.
He turned and smiled. "You still mad at me?" He asked moving her wet hair off her shoulder and smiled when she shook her head. "What are you doing in here?" Normally, he would have to drag her in the shower with him, but with Chase in the next room, he didn't know if it was such a good idea.
"I'm taking a shower. What are you doing?"
He pulled her toward him by her arms until she pressed up against his chest. "Did you lock the door?"
"What for? Chase is gone." She tilted her head up to him. "Sherry called and they went to the beach. She said she'll be back in a few hours." Britain said with her best poker face.
"You sure she went with Sherry?". Chase had never really been one to lie before, that was all Maddy.
"I talked to her myself." Britain smiled." So we got a few hours...whatever will we do with the time?"
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Jeff and Chase laid on the blanket on the beach. They had played around in the water for at least a half hour, before Chase almost lost her top, thanks to Jeff demonstrating how a back body drop really worked. Embarrassed beyond belief, she suggested that they lay out for a while, before she had to get back.
"So? Where do you go next?" She asked Jeff as she applied more sun screen to her legs. He was so busy watching her that she had to ask him again.
"Um, Sacramento. Then, Portland, Seattle and then Vegas." Jeff said rolling onto his back. "I hate traveling this much. Especially since doin' the Supershow, I gotta go with Matt and Ash-ley." He whined her name, the same way she did.
Chase laughed. "You don't like her?"
"She's ok, I guess. She's just annoyin'. She tries too hard. I think she thinks Matt's gonna try to get back with Amy or somethin', 'cause she's always askin' me these stupid questions 'bout them." Jeff said as he mocked some of Ashley's questions. "Somethin' wrong?" He asked shielding his eyes from the sun. He could tell that she was struggling to say something.
"Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, you're not just hanging out with me because you feel sorry for me...are you?" Why couldn't she stop her mouth from saying the wrong thing, every time she talked to him.
He smiled at her. "I got a little crush on you." He said rolling over to face her.
She smiled and turned away so he wouldn't see her mouth the words Oh my God! "My dad thinks your just trying to get in my pants."
Jeff found that to be most amusing. "If that's all I wanted, I'd a done it by now."
Her eyes grew big. "You're awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?" She laughed when he nodded.
"All I'd have to do is put on the Hardy Charm...works every time. I have the girls lined up around the corner." He liked the fact that he could put a smile on her face. "Nah, truth is ... you made a really hard trip easier for me. If anything, I thought you were feelin' sorry for me." He finally made eye contact.
It was something about the way he looked at her, that made her nervous and giddy. She knew she couldn't stop it, she was about to start rambling..."You don't think I'm an idiot do you? I mean talk a lot when I get nervous. Sometimes, I just go on and on and nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about. And I can't seem to keep my focus on one conversation, it's just these topics pop in my head and I have to get them out..." She stopped when she noticed Jeff laughing at her. "...I'm doing it again, aren't I?" Chase said titling her head.
"I don't think you're an idiot. And your ramblin's kinda nice. It's nice to be around somebody that I can just talk to. You'd be surprised how many women I meet that just talk 'bout stuff they think I'd be interested in. I don't get to meet too many real people anymore." He said sitting up. "Why are you nervous?"
There was something about being the one with all of the experience that he liked. She never had a serious boyfriend before, she never really had a guy pursue her before, and everything he did or said made her blush. She made him feel good, desirable, even interesting. He really liked her, no matter what her father thought his intensions were.
"What do you mean?" She asked digging her hand in the sand.
"You said you ramble when you're nervous." He said a smiling. I can't be making her nervous. I'm the one with the sweaty palms. I'm the one trying not to sound like an idiot when I talk.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because my dad flipped out when he found out I was with you, or because Mr. Hunter's ratted me out. Or... maybe it's you." She threw in before throwing the sand at him. She ran for dear life, but he quickly caught up to her and threw her back in the ocean.
They didn't have a care in the world. It was the first time either one of them really had fun in a long time.
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"You should let your hair grow out." Britain said rubbing Dave's damp hair as his head rested on her stomach.
He turned and looked at her. "Why?" He liked his hair this length. He hated it when it was shaved off and when it was longer it was too much work. His hair was the perfect length to just wash it and go.
"Because, I liked it when it was longer; like when you first joined Evolution. It was a good length to run my fingers through." She smiled while playing with his ear.
"You just want it longer so you can grab on to it. I remember the way you would pull it. 'Oh Davey...yeah baby... '" He teased.
"I hate you." She said pushing his head off of her as hard as she could.
"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked putting his head back on her stomach.
"That's for making fun of me." She said popping on the back of his head.
"You don't hate me... you looovvvve me." He smiled. "Take it back...take it back." He demanded, but she was relentless.
She shook her head. She sat there with her arms folded and looked at the clock. It was almost noon Chase and Jeff still had an hour to get back. She had to think of another way to distract him before he got the urge to call her cell phone.
Game on. Dave let his wicked side get the better of him. He and Britain had this strange way of trying to one up each other. It was like they were always in a competition to see who the smartest, strongest, prettiest, whatever "est". It was this playful battle that they had that kept their relationship fun.
"We should have a baby." He said playing with her fingers. He laughed at the sight of face. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. Oh, this is gonna be good, he wickedly laughed inside. "What? You don't want to have a baby with me?"
"You've got three babies already." She said. There's no way in hell you are going to treat any kid of mine like a child for the rest of their life.
"So what? I want a son." He said.
"Well then, you should adopt Randy." She answered.
"You're saying you never want to have kids?"
She thought about it. Kids, now that's a scary concept. She was never in the same place twice it felt like. What in the world would she do with a baby? "Maybe one day, many, many, many years from now. I'd like to wait until after I'm finished with this modeling thing. It's bad enough now going on go-sees competing with 15 year olds. Can you imagine what it would be like with a baby?" She said looking at the ceiling. "Besides, I want to be married before I have kids."
"Then we should get married." He said reaching up to touch her chin. Check and mate, he said to himself. She had no idea that she had fallen right into his trap.
"Are you on crack or something or are you having a mid-life crisis? Why the hell are you talking about kids and marriage?" She asked. She knew that she had told Chase that he wouldn't be able to think straight, but this was bordering on lunacy.
"So now you don't want to marry me either?" He asked pouting. He had to be convincing if he was going to win this battle. It's not that he didn't want those things with her, but he knew right now was not the right time for either of them.
"Of course I want to marry you; but, not for a long time from now. Maybe when you finish wrestling or something." She answered quickly.
"Why wait?" He asked, paying particular attention to the way her eyes darted from side to side when she tried to think of an answer. He tried his best to keep a straight face.
"It's hard enough being your girlfriend and we never get to spend any time together. Can you imagine if we were married? You'd be in one part of the country and I'd be in another? Besides, I can't even get you to take the trash out when you stay at my house. There's no way in hell, I'm going to marry you until I can train you better." She tried to make it sound as sincere as possible. She had noticed the way his eyes were dancing, she knew what he was doing. You think you're slick don't you. No way buddy!
"We'd make it work." He said closing his eyes.
"You know… both my grandparents were married for over fifty years and my parents are coming up on 30 years. I don't want to be like those celebrity couples who get married today and divorce within the year. My marriage is going to last..." She started.
"Our marriage." He interrupted with a smile.
"Besides, I don't see what's wrong with living in sin." He watched her smile and he instantly gave up. Damn her and that smile he thought she beat me again.
He moved when she sat up. She folded her knees behind her and rested on them. She folded her hands together and lowered her head. "Oh, Deacon Batista. I need to confess my sins."
He sat up and tried to stifle his laugh. "And what are your sins, my child?" He asked making his voice deep and putting on a serious face.
She threw in a southern accent for added measure, "Well... I've been having these dreams, Deacon. These wonderfully graphic dreams, about making love to this muscular man with all these tattoos." She looked up at Dave and then back down at her folded hands.
"That doesn't sound so bad, my child." He played along.
"Well if you knew what these dreams were about. All the sinful things that I do to him… with my mouth... you'd think otherwise. Oh, Deacon. Do you think I need to be exorcised?" She said trying not to laugh.
"It depends, I need to hear about these dreams." He said biting his lip.
"Well. It's always the same. We're on a Chaise lounge that sits on a balcony at a hotel, about 5 floors up. And we make love at about..." She looked over at the clock, "...12:15 in the afternoon, on a Sunday no less."
He looked at the clock too. "Well what about the people in rooms next to yours? You're not afraid of them seeing you?" He asked wetting his lips of the prospect of being an exhibitionist.
"Why no. Especially when I know that Reverend Bischoff and Brother Teddy Long, have already gone to the revival." This was great! She couldn't convince him to make love to her after their shower; he just wanted to "cuddle". But now she definitely had him where she wanted him. She would buy Chase a few more minutes after all.
"And what about the people on the street, could they not see you...in your dream."
She shook her head. "We use a bed sheet to cover ourselves. I sit on his lap; no one is ever the wiser."
"And you say you use your mouth?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Oh Deacon. It's too horrible to describe. I'd have to show you." She said getting up from the bed and wrapping the sheet around her.
He closely followed her out onto the balcony and sat down on the Chaise lounge.
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They were at the hotel in no time. Jeff pulled up to the curb across the street so that Chase could get out undetected. He wanted to kiss her, just to feel her lips on his, but it was too soon for that. She turned toward him and looked into his green eyes.
"Thanks for taking me to the beach." Chase said taking off her seatbelt.
He answered turning off the engine. "Thanks for going with me."
He hated the fact that she was leaving; there was still so much he wanted to know about her. He had never believed in love at first sight, lust at first sight maybe; but this was different. In the two and a half days he had spent with her, he really felt like he had made a connection with her. His feelings were a lot stronger than a crush, like he had told her before. He'd be a liar if he said that he hadn't hoped that she felt the same.
"So what time's your flight?" He asked. She told him that she was leaving at four, but she needed to be at the airport by three. So this was it, it would be the last time he would see her. "Here's my email address. Maybe you could write me, if you have time." He said handing her a small piece of paper. "And you've got my cell..." What was he thinking? There is no way in hell this girl would give him a second thought once she got on that plane, but he had to try. He wanted her to know that he wasn't like what Dave thought, that he actually wanted to get to know her.
"Can I call you after your match?" She asked looking paper.
Jeff smiled. Was that a yes? She's gonna call me? It was all he could do not to jump out of his seat.
"I had fun these couple of days." She kissed him quickly on the lips before hopping out of the car. She didn't give him time to respond, nor did she stick around long enough to see his face turn beet red.
He hadn't felt like this since high school, but in actuality it was nice. There was no pressure, no impending need to nail her, he'd actually made a friendship that may have had the possibility of turning into more. He waited until she crossed the street and headed toward the hotel door before he pulled off and into the parking lot. Before she entered she turned around and waved.
He waved back, grinning like an idiot.