Finally! After nearly two years and two months, here I am with Chapter Two! I'm still dealing with some of the issues I mentioned in the first chapter (travelling to/from work, studying, working, updating websites) as well as some health issues but for now, here goes. Enjoy and feel free to leave any feedback (or even favourite the story)!

As Gabriela walked into the hotel where she was staying, she found herself gravitating towards the hotel bar, despite being laden down with various purchases she had made at the Smackdown taping for family and friends. She told herself that she would only have one drink, perhaps two, before going to bed and making a start on catching up on the sleep she hadn't had over the past few days.

Despite looking at the top shelf of spirits and liqueurs, Gabriela found herself gravitating towards the Corona. As soon as she asked for one, she immediately changed her mind and asked for two, quickly deciding that one wasn't going to be enough. Already, she could feel her cellphone vibrating with text messages and she knew that some family and friends would be wanting to know how Smackdown had went and if there was anything they should be looking out for that week. But no. The text messages could wait. She wanted to relax and a Corona would help her do just that.

Just as she had the first sip – a rather long one at that – Gabriela felt someone sit to her left. She momentarily froze, dreading to think just who was sitting beside her.

"I've finally worked out just where you would like to slap me, Senorita Gabriela."

With those words, Gabriela knew exactly who was sitting beside her. Without even thinking, she pushed the other Corona in Alberto's direction and felt him take it, not before he deliberately made sure his fingers touched hers. She bit her bottom lip a little before she turned around on the bar stool to face the man who'd haunted her dreams for the best part of the past week.

"Took you long enough. You know, I think Ricardo knew before you did."

Alberto chuckled a little, well aware that he hadn't been his normal self that night. He had consumed a fair amount of alcohol, feeling sorry for himself in the process because of what that particular day meant to him. He simply wanted to forget that day had ever existed but when Ricardo managed to persuade him to go to the hotel bar because the other superstars had actually requested the pleasure of his company. Once he'd ordered his drinks, he had been content to simply sit at the bar and drink away but then Gabriela had bumped into him. After a long time of drinking and talking to her, he gave into an impulse and kissed her in front of everyone. He had been rather surprised when she hadn't slapped him because he knew that he had deserved it but when she'd cupped his cheek and told him that she'd rather slap him somewhere else, it took him a while to click as to where.

Now, that was a challenge if ever there was one! One that he most definitely wanted to partake in!

"I think so too. My only excuse for my behaviour towards you that night is that I wasn't myself. Having all those Coronas on top of the whiskey and tequila I'd already had…it was a day I would rather forget even existed. If you would accept my sincere apologies, I would be very grateful."

The look on Alberto's face wasn't one that Gabriela had seen all that often. Surely, he wasn't embarrassed?

"If it'll make you feel better, Alberto, then I accept your apology. After all, you did prevent those guys from hassling me any further that night and I'm forever grateful for that."

Gabriela watched as Alberto took her free hand and raised it to his mouth, gently kissing it before releasing.

"Muchas gracias, Gabriela."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Alberto moved to speak.

"So, what did you think of Wrestlemania?"

Gabriela had another sip of her Corona as she thought about where to start. She had enjoyed the whole show and couldn't pick out a favourite moment.

"I enjoyed it but I would've enjoyed it more if you had made an appearance. As for Raw, it was good to see you there, even if you did end up being Brogue kicked by Sheamus." She muttered something under her breath about Sheamus and Alberto's chuckle told her that he had heard her. She blushed a little before continuing. "As for tonight though, you were definitely channelling your inner Eddie Guerrero with the chair. And if you heard some silly cow go all gaga when you made your way out to the ring, I'm the guilty party."

Alberto laughed. That had been a spur of the moment thing in the ring where once the referee had seen Sheamus with the chair – the chair that Alberto had brought into the ring only to have it leave his grasp as Sheamus clotheslined him - in his grasp, Alberto made out that he had been hit with it and gained the win via disqualification. That meant that he was now the number one contender for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship. As for when the match would take place, he wasn't too sure but he was certain of one thing. Whenever it took place, he would be the one walking out of the ring with the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist!

The Corona that Gabriela gave him was going down well – too well, if Alberto was to be completely honest with himself. Ever since their previous run in a few days before Wrestlemania, he had been hoping to bump into Gabriela again but he didn't want anyone other than Ricardo to know that. He still felt that she was someone that he would like to know better, despite the age gap between them but he didn't care about that.

He looked around to see if there was somewhere private for him and Gabriela to catch up and drink some more. When he found what he deemed to be the perfect spot, he motioned towards the Corona and held up four fingers, indicating to the bar person what he wanted and how many of them.

"Four Coronas, huh?"

"Well, they're not all for me, you see. I was thinking that maybe you'd want to put your purchases in your room and join me over there for a couple of them." Alberto pointed to a booth in the corner. "Just the two of us and the beers. More if we feel we need them. Then you can really tell me what you thought of Wrestlemania, Raw and Smackdown."

Alberto had his answer when Gabriela knocked back her Corona and bent down to pick up all the bags she had come back to the hotel with, standing up to face Alberto with a big grin on her face.

"I'll do it, but only if you promise me to tell me what it was like to induct your uncle into the Hall of Fame."

Alberto grinned and nodded before watching Gabriela take her temporary leave of him. The night was going better than what he thought it would be. Sure, becoming the new number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship was always good but for him to walk past the entrance to the hotel bar and see Gabriela there…well, surely, that could be considered to be the icing on the cake!


Placing the numerous WWE emblazoned bags by her suitcase, Gabriela paused briefly. Was she mad to spend some alone time with Alberto in the hotel bar? Especially since she had a feeling about how the night would end?

No sooner had the last thought entered her mind, it had left. She would go back down to the hotel bar, share a few Coronas with Alberto and talk. If anything else happened, it would happen. She glanced down at her fingernails, suddenly finding herself pleased that they were the length they were. If need be, they could be used as a weapon but she told herself that if she said no to Alberto, he would respect her wishes.

Gabriela quickly ducked into the bathroom to check her appereance. She dug through a plastic bag on the floor for a bottle of perfume before opening it and spraying it on her wrists and neck. Quickly running her fingers through her hair, she determined that she was ready. She left the bathroom to grab her cellphone, purse and keycard before making her way to the elevator. She knew that once she walked into the hotel bar, there would be no going back.

Not that he would admit to be constantly glancing at the entrance to the hotel bar, Alberto found himself grasping one of the four Corona bottles sitting in front of him, tracing the ceramic label on the bottle. He had been rather pleased when he had walked past the entrance to the hotel bar and caught a glimpse of Gabriela sitting there – well, it looked like Gabriela since he was looking at her from the side. He didn't worry about his bags because he had asked Ricardo to take them up to the room they were sharing for him, and it enabled him to step into the hotel bar, each step taking him that little bit closer, a smile making its presence felt when he realised that it was indeed Gabriela sitting there. Trying to think of something to say, he quickly realised just where she would rather slap him and thought that saying something to her about having finally figured out where would be the way to go.

No sooner had he looked up from the Corona, Gabriela walked back into the bar, smiling a little as she slipped her cellphone down her bra, cupping her breast to make sure it wasn't likely to move any time soon unless she pulled it out and saw him sitting at the booth he had spied earlier.

"One of my brothers wanted to know if you would be on Smackdown this week. I replied to his text message with a wink so I hope he can figure that out." Gabriela said as she made her way to the booth and quickly sat down, grabbing one of the Coronas and having a swig of it as she did so. Alberto laughed and waited until Gabriela was comfortable before holding his Corona in front of her, wanting to clink the bottles together. She picked up her bottle and touched Alberto's with it before taking another long swig of the contents. It wasn't long until Alberto moved so he was sitting right beside her but still had a view of the bar, so he could signal for more Coronas if and when he felt it was necessary. By moving as close as he could possibly get to Gabriela, Alberto could smell both the shampoo and perfume she had used. He had no idea what the perfume was but he definitely liked it.

They sat in silence for several moments, Gabriela content to slowly sip away at her Corona.

"So, inducting your uncle. How was it?"

Alberto let out a long sigh before he looked at Gabriela. He looked as if he was trying to think of the right words to use but the smile on his face told her that he had thought of something to say.

"It was amazing. From the moment I found out that they wanted to induct him, I wanted to do it. I wanted to be the one. I didn't have to sit out front with everyone else. I got to talk with him beforehand and he was looking forward to it. I'm privileged to have been the one to induct my uncle."

As Alberto looked at Gabriela, he could see that she was enthralled.

"I needed my beauty sleep for Wrestlemania so I only stayed at the Hall of Fame ceremony long enough to him inducted. I loved him saying that he was able to speak Japanese but to hear him say Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki etc… I'm sorry but watashi wa Nihongo ga hanashimasu!"

Gabriela couldn't help but smile when she saw the look on Alberto's face when she spoke that one line of Japanese. She shrugged her shoulders a little before picking up her bottle of Corona and quickly draining the contents, placing the now empty bottle back on the table and grasping the closest full one to her.

If there was one thing about Gabriela that Alberto was fast learning, it was that she was full of surprises. It might have taken him a while to realise just where she would happily slap him but that was something that she wouldn't want to do in public. And the fact that she could speak at least some Japanese… she obviously knew more than what he did, despite him having a few MMA fights in Japan previously. She was definitely someone he wanted to know better.

"Beauty sleep? You don't need that, Gabriela. I think you're beautiful as you are."

Alberto noted that she was about to take a swig of the Corona she grasped and Gabriela placed the bottle back on the table in front of her, turning around to look at Alberto, not knowing what to say or do. Shit, had he been too forward with her?

The more she looked at Alberto, the more Gabriela thought that he was being sincere. Not that she'd had spent a lot of time with guys previously but perhaps, he was letting his protective side come through somewhat. After all, he had made sure she was fine in that hotel bar after those guys kept harassing her.

The more she thought about it, the more she decided that she would see how the rest of the night would pan out. Alberto did seem to her to be the guy who would stop if someone said no to him…