Chapter 7.

Seth slowly walked down the New York sidewalk that night with his hands in his pockets. He smiled and looked over when Dylan hooked her arm around his. He pulled out his phone to check the time for the millionth time since they left the bar.

"What gives? You waiting on a hot date?" she joked.

He stopped as he slipped his phone back in his pocket. "There," he began. "11:07… it's officially your birthday" he said leaning down to kiss her forehead. She smiled as he pulled back, pulling something out of the pocket of his sportcoat.

She opened the small but familiar blue box he'd given her curiously. She wasn't actually expecting anything from him.

She shook her head in amazement, pulling out the titanium cuff, she'd mentioned weeks before in catering with the girls.

"That's the one, right? The Pablo Picasso one from Tiffany's?" Seth asked frantically. Renee promised when they went shopping this had to be the one Dylan was talking about. The design was so her style.
"Paloma Picasso," she corrected. "It's perfect" she added as he took the small box back from her. He tossed it along with the bag in a nearby garbage can before turning back to her and sliding it on her delicate wrist.
"So you like it?"

Dylan took this chance to answer Seth by pulling him down by the lapels of his coat and dragging his lips down. In a moment one hand tangled in her hair as the other tugged her waist flush against him. Their tongues fought a moment for dominance as Seth came out the victor, pinning her body against his and the wall he pushed her against.

"So you're telling me that after all that, you didn't get laid last night?" Roman said in between chest presses. "Man, what the hell's the matter with you?" He finished his set and slid from under the weight.
"Look where I'm coming from, man. That first night- her first night? Hell, I wasn't thinking… I was impulsive and careless. I needed her so bad at that moment I wasn't thinking about anything else but her."
"And now?"
"Now..." Seth began, a smile forming on her chest. "Well, now I think I might be in love with her. But I know it's not gonna be that simple. We've got a date Saturday, but I know she's not ready for something so soon after Dolph. Hell… after Dolph, who knows how long she's gonna need?" Seth asked himself more than Roman as she spaced out for a second.
"None of that matters though."
"And why is that?" Roman questioned as the two completed their workout.
"She's worth it."

Dean paced outside the hallway in front of Shane's office, nervously waiting for Renee. She'd been in a meeting with both McMahon siblings for nearly an hour before their father showed up; now, another 20 minutes later, every worst-case scenario had gone through Dean's mind before the 4 meeting attendees, left the room, Renee leading.

She stopped a moment to shake all three hands before walking over to Dean. Her face was expressionless right until she was in front of him. He could finally see some sense of either confusion or astonishment on her face; still, she hadn't said a word.

"You're killing me Dollface, what's going on?" he asked as they made their way back to his locker room.
"Well, first of all, they asked me to be on the next season of Total Divas!" she related. Dean turned to look at her then scooped her in a warm hug.
"That's great, sweets. But what's second of all?" His curiosity could barely contain himself. Yeah, Vince was hands-on with all the company's shows, but that long of a meeting just for a reality show?
"Dolph" she stated simply, walking away from Dean.

"Mom…" Dylan began as she sat in her parent's kitchen. She was home on a day off and her mother was making grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone. "Do you think there's a right person out there for everybody?" Her manicured fingers reached across the kitchen island and she grabbed a piece of cheese.

Marissa McMahon flipped a sandwich on the stove expertly before turning to her only daughter. She smiled and shook her head. "Oh, sweetheart… unfortunately, there's no way to know that. But I do know that if you find that person… you just know."
"Is dad your person?" she asked, washing the cheese down with a sip from her water bottle.
"Oh yeah" her mother cooed as she shook her hips and turned back to grilling.
"Ewww, Mom..." Dylan whined trying to keep her mind off her parents… well, you know. She shivered the thought off.
"I just mean, when you're with that person, it's like every part of your body can feel it. Your ears get warm, your stomach gets queasy, your heart races, you can barely breathe, hardly swallow. Then when that person is gone and that feeling is gone, you miss it like crazy. You keep searching until you find it again." Marissa said starry-eyed.

Dylan let her mother's words sink in before asking the question she had to ask.

"So did you guys think Dolph was mine?"
"Did you?"

For the most part, dinner had been going really well. Seth and Dylan had always been attracted to each other, and now that there were and hurdles left to cross, there was basically no tension. After a steamy backseat makeout session, Seth and Dylan decided to meet up with Roman and a few others. The small bar was packed with superstars and a few locals, all singing along near the karaoke stage.

"I don't know if I'm up for this" Seth said wearily as they entered the bar.
"Don't tell me you get nervous?" she asked signaling to the bartender, fake ID in hand. He looked at it then her before nodding.

"Can I get two shots of Jameson and three of whatever IPA you have on tap?" she asked over the horrid rendition of "Broccoli" Dana was belting. Seth was speechless. Not only was this girl sexy as hell in a simple loose black button-down paired with jeans and boots, and she also wasn't one of those 'fruity cocktail' sorts of girls. He noticed the guy next to him checking her ass out as she leaned over the barstool, and his blood began to boil.

"Dude" he finally said aloud, noticing the creep licking his lips.

Dylan turned around innocently and handed Seth his drinks. He accepted both, but his eyes stayed focus until the asshole walked away.

After downing the shots, Dylan and Seth grabbed their beers and joined Roman at a table. Dylan set one of the beers in front of Roman and they all clinked their glasses together. She sat at the table, facing the stage, as the two men talked.

"Dude, this date better be going good. I like her" Roman said taking a swig of beer.
"Me too" Seth responded with a smile, staring at the back of her head.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Seth asked just an hour later. Dylan began feeling sick at the bar, so they grabbed the first cab they could and headed back to the hotel.
"I'm fine" she began, reassuring him. "Just a combo of beer on a full tummy," she said patting her stomach. He smiled wearily as they made it to her door.
"Call me if you need anything, ok? Promise me, even if it's just crackers or ginger ale." His arms gently wrapped around her waist and he pulled her in before kissing her forehead.

She nodded when she pulled back. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"So the crowd's been restless for another Shield run ever since Dean got drafted to Smackdown, so we're thinking about mixing things up."

Roman and Seth looked at each other then back at Stephanie and Paul, standing across from them.

"Okay, so what? The Shield's on Smackdown? Dean's back on Raw?" Roman asked playing out the different scenarios.
"We were actually thinking about taking it in a totally different direction. Since you're each competing for different titles we're not gonna have you go after the tag titles" Stephanie responded excitedly.
"Then what?" Seth asked confused.
"Well it's not out yet but we're going to be implementing a new sort of Mix Match Tag Division."
"A what?" Roman asked.
"Basically an online streaming show highlighting intergender tag teams tournament-style" Paul clarified. "We want to bring in a female member for the Shield and have each of you tag with her every other week."
"And which of us is it gonna be?" Seth questioned.
"That's for you two to decide" Stephanie compromised. "However since she's going to be a part of the Shield she will be traveling with you as well valeting for you."
"The Shield has never needed a val-"
"And time's have changed." Stephanie interrupted, not allowing Seth to argue anymore.
"Well, who is she?" Roman asked, defeated. He knew at this point, they didn't have much of a choice.
"Ahh," Paul said, stepping forward to press a button on the telephone on the desk. It beeped and a second later the door opened. Seth was ready to climb out of his skin as he recognized the wild brunette in an instant.

Liz.