January 22nd, 2013
The WWE was in town for a house show in Minnesota. Of course it was cold and snowy like Minnesota tends to be in January, and CJ wasn't enjoying the snow as she made her way into the hotel. She couldn't help but grumble to herself as she dragged her suitcase to the front desk. The man waiting for something beside her was getting more and more aggravated as he spoke with somebody on the phone, and she couldn't help but admire the guy's hair color. It was then that she recognized him to be Seth Rollins of The Shield and bit her tongue as she accepted her room key.
"If you need anything at all, Miss Jericho, don't hesitate to ask." The man behind the front desk reminded with a smile that was too friendly for her tastes, but she still smiled and nodded before making her way over to the elevator where a group was waiting for the elevator. She stayed behind the group, not at all interested in getting involved in whatever riff raff normal people could cause.
"Are you piling in with the group?" Seth murmured in her ear, only having to lean down a bit to get close to her ear thanks to her high heeled boots.
"Fuck that shit. Are you?"
"Hell no. Ive never properly introduced myself, I'm Seth Rollins."
"CJ Jericho. It's nice to meet you." She spoke with a smile, since Seth was really hot, as she shook his hand. "Your hand is really warm."
"Yours is a little ice block. Holy shit."
"I guess you'll have to warm it up then, won't you?" CJ asked, seductive smirk officially settled on her features. She wanted Seth, and she wanted him badly. She only hoped that he got the message.
"I'm sure I can think of some way to warm you up." Sure enough, his eyes had definitely darkened with what she knew was lust. That warm chocolate brown color had darkened a shade she could only see as an obsidian, and she was definitely intrigued.
"Maybe we can get some soup together?" CJ suggested, trying to playfully play down the fact that he had definitely agreed to have sex with her.
"My room or yours, babe?" Seth asked once the large group in front of them piled into the elevator and she bit her lip as she thought about it. "My teammates won't be in for another couple hours."
"Definitely mine. I don't room with anybody."
"How'd you get so lucky?"
"The last name has its perks." CJ stated simply, giving her shoulders a slight shrug and she smiling up at Seth. She really wanted to touch him, but had to wait until they were in private to do so. The last thing she wanted was to get a lecture from her father on how to carry herself in public to not further disgrace his name. She'd heard the speech hundreds of times and they all went along the lines of 'that's my name, keep it clean or change it', and she didn't want to hear it because she squeezed Seth's impressive biceps in view of the public eye. Besides, she knew that she'd have plenty of time for that once she got him to her room.
Looking back on that time, CJ wished she could go back and make that day happen differently. Seth had always told her that the connection was clear to him when she suggested eating soup as code for having sex that afternoon. Maybe if she hadn't been easier than a first grade math test that day, she'd be in a different romantic situation. Maybe Seth wouldn't be in love with her, or maybe they would have just tried dating like other couples and not having "no strings" sex for over a year, if Seth had realized that she had issues that needed to be worked through and properly understood before she could even consider a serious relationship. Maybe, just maybe, the Wyatts wouldn't be after her for an unknown reason, her knee wouldn't have gotten hurt, she'd still be champion, and would have a really hard decision that would affect the rest of her life.
But that wasn't how things happened, and she was paying for it. She had mentally exhausted herself while sitting in the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse for close to two and a half hours. She was leaning against the side of her car; right leg laying flat on the rocky pavement while her left knee was bent, her foot planted firmly on the ground while her left arm rest on her knee, phone held loosely in her left hand. It was on silent, but she knew that Beth had called seven times and Adam had called twice. She had gotten a picture message from Dean, and opened it to see a picture he took while holding Lyric. He wasn't asking where she was, and she knew then that Beth hadn't told him that she was and hour late. That was good, since she didn't want to worry Dean and get a lecture from him.
CJ stepped in the elevator behind Seth, and like a gentleman he held the doors for her until she was inside. Seth watched as she unbuttoned her grey peacoat and shimmied out of it, he had to assume it was out of habit because that's something he did with heavy coats too, then draped it over the handle of her suitcase as she pressed the button for the tenth floor. He couldn't grip but admire the way her white long-sleeved sweater fit her torso, stretching across her average sized chest. She was probably a 36D, and he was anxious to see if he was right. He hadn't even gotten to the way her jeans fit when the elevator stuttered, lights flickered, and eventually everything stopped and went dark.
"Perfect." CJ groaned, and he heard her hands smack against her jeans.
"Afraid of the dark?" Seth asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket.
"No, I just never pictured myself getting stuck in an elevator today."
"I'm going to call the front desk and see what's up."
"That's a good idea." CJ spoke with a nod, trying to step closer to him inconspicuously since the light from his phone screen gave away his positioning. "How big is this thing?"
Of course, in her attempts to not be obvious in stepping towards him, she tripped over his foot. But he caught her, smiled, and kept his arm around her waist as he put the phone against to his ear. The close proximity made her mind completely tune out what he was saying and instead focus on the feel of his arm around her. He had perfect arms in her opinion.
"...we have a show tonight and schedules to uphold. We don't have two hours at the least." Seth was arguing with the front desk and judging by the way he squeezed her a bit, he was losing the battle and it pissed him off. "Alright... Thank you."
"Two hours?" CJ asked, looking up at him in curiosity.
"Could be longer, since their repair guy is out of town and has to make traffic in the snow."
"Well then. I guess we should call in and let the suits know that we're trapped in an elevator and might miss the show." She suggested, placing her palm on his chest because she wanted to. She'd wanted to touch him for so long and she wasn't giving up the opportunity.
"I only wonder how we're going to pass the time." Seth whispered in her ear, gently nibbling on her earlobe.
"I think I can come up with an idea." CJ purred, sliding her hand down his chest to his belt. "It involves a little work on both ends, but it definitely pays off."
"I thought we needed to call the suits?" Seth asked as she undid his belt and she smirked as she unbuttoned his jeans, moving to stand in front of him before pecking his lips.
"You can. I'll be down there, though." CJ stated, slowly lowering herself onto her knees, unzipping his jeans, and wiggling his pants down while he went through his contacts for Mark with Talent and Relations. He tried his hardest to pay no attention to the way her hands worked his quickly hardening length while his phone called Mark's.
"Hey, Seth. What can I do for you?"
"Hi, Mark. I'm with CJ Jericho and we're stuck in an elevator for at least two hours. We're probably not going to make the show."
"What about the rest of your team?" Mark asked and due to being caught off guard by the way CJ twisted her hand at the base of his shaft, Seth had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning. "Seth?"
"They're- ugh- not with us."
"We'll make this work. Thanks for the call. You sound under the weather so I'd suggest you take care of that."
"Will do. Thanks, Mark." Seth quickly hung up and looked down at CJ's smirking face. "You minx."
"All you had to say was stop."
"God, you're sexy." Seth commented, looking down at her while she lightly blew on his head, tip oozing with precum already. "I really want to fuck you."
The slamming of a car door snapped CJ from her memory, forcing her to look up from the ground between her feet. She wasn't any more certain about how she felt now that she was thinking about when she first met Seth and when they first had sex. The fact that she remembered everything so vividly, down to how badly she wanted to touch him, concerned her. How could she explore whatever possibilities of a future with Dean if she couldn't let go of what she once had with Seth? This whole thing was just stupid and she hated herself for getting herself into this situation. She just wanted to go to sleep, and wake up in a normal situation.
"Out of all places, you pick an abandoned parking lot?" Beth asked, sitting down beside CJ and leaning against the car.
"I'm not too original, Beth. We've gone over this."
"I know you're grown and completely capable of protecting yourself, but if you could warn a bitch before you disappear for a couple hours, I'd appreciate it."
"I'll do that next time. Dean is pissed at me, huh?"
"He doesn't know you're late. I basically dumped Lyric on him and told him that I was going to the store." Beth admitted with a laugh. "Call your dad later and let him know that you're not in a ditch."
"I will do that. Why do I have to make things so complicated?"
"Because you're a Copeland at heart. You'll figure it all out eventually, kiddo. Dean isn't going anywhere."
"You think so?" CJ asked, looking up at Beth for the first time. The warm smile on the older blonde's face told the twenty-eight year old everything she needed to know.
"I know so. He wants to be with you, but he's not pushing you on it because he's afraid that you'll push him away."
"I can't let go of Seth. I can't have a relationship with Dean if I'm still holding onto my past with Seth."
"Talk to Seth and get some closure then." Beth suggested, standing up and helping CJ to your feet. "In person. But first, go to the house and kiss that man."
Due to the chapters being posted so close together, I'm putting the acknowledgements for this one and the last one at the end of the next chapter. But I do appreciate you guys who are reviewing.