Chapter 2 – Losing This Battle
MacKenzie felt like she had been steam rolled. Her first two weeks on the job were stressful and tiring. She got little to no sleep and the jetlag kicked her big round butt. Charisma tried helping her as much as she could but between televised shows, live events and traveling it was just something MacKenzie was going to have to get used to.
She loved traveling with Charisma and Jimmy; that was nothing but hours of entertainment. Every once in a while Roman and Dean would join them in a huge Ford Expedition and somehow Kenzie got stuck sitting next to Roman; he talked with her a little, but she was still pretty shy around him. He was such a gorgeous man and his laugh could have her melting into a puddle at his feet. His grey eyes, his smile – hell even his body. She'd been fortunate enough to be in the hotel gym the same time he was a couple of times and the power that lay within his big body was amazing.
She just had to keep telling herself over and over that he was just simply being nice because she worked there now. He probably had a girlfriend or a wife – who the hell wouldn't want to be with him?
She sat in the hotel restaurant stirring her coffee as she ate her breakfast burrito. Her phone chirped a few times and she giggled as she read text messages from Charisma and Jenaya.
Why did he always find himself in this place?
Roman shook his head as he continued to attempt to not lose his concentration while working out! MacKenzie was on his ever loving mind again with no end in sight. He'd caught himself in the gym with her a few times ad couldn't help but stare at the way her corkscrew curls bounced when she would jog on the treadmill. She would pull her ravenous hair back in a ponytail and run the treadmill like it was a marathon. He could tell whatever her ex had put her though was coming out when she would run. Her tan skin would glow and shimmer with the sweat and whatever music she was listening to it only fueled the fire inside of her.
Roman stared at the ceiling of the gym as he continued to pump his biceps and force them into submission. The 400lbs of weights he was lifting over his head would be awfully messy if he let it slip because his concentration kept going south to his groin every time he thought about MacKenzie. After an hour and a half of trying to work on his chest and biceps he finally conceded to his thoughts and racked the bar before he sat up and huffed out.
He didn't know what was so special about this girl whether it was her beauty, her intelligence or maybe her past; whatever the case may be he wanted to get closer to her. He wanted to get to know her; know everything about her. He wanted to know about scars or tattoos, than he wanted to take a weekend and explore her body on an intimate level.
By the time he got back to his hotel room and stepped under the showers his erection was standing proud and tall against his stomach; had he bent over for any ready he would've speared his gut with his own dick. This would've been fitting considering he speared his opponents in half in the ring almost on a nightly basis.
He groaned deeply as he wrapped his hand around the head as it oozed pre-cum. He shook his head and cut the hot water and yelped as the cold water came rushing out and hitting his body like cold little needles and instantly felt his dick deflate. If he was going to cum her in mind; than it was going to be with her screaming his name.
Roman sighed heavily as he stepped out of the shower finally and wrapped a towel around his waist before he moved into the bedroom and dried off before quickly dressing in jeans and royal blue polo. He combed his hair out before wrapping it into a loose bun at the nape of his neck.
He grabbed his cell and wallet then grabbed his rolling suitcase and headed out to check out of the hotel. He would stop in the hotel restaurant for a little breakfast and lots of coffee.
For the life of him he couldn't get MacKenzie out of his head. She was still super skittish with him and Dean. Jimmy she got more used to because of all the traveling she'd done with him and Charisma. She had been right MacKenzie's insecurities unnerved him.
He'd never met a woman so beautiful yet be so insecure at the same time. He wanted to ask her out on a date, but he was sure she would shoot him down. He knew it had only been a couple of weeks since she'd been on the road and she was still adapting to it. The first month was honestly the roughest because your sleep pattern changed and flying screwed up your equilibrium and jetlag was a bitch all the time.
He was going to have to let her know he was interested in her on all levels. He needed to figure out a way to let her know he was interested without scaring the shit out of her. She was already skittish enough and if he made a move too soon he was sure to freak her out and feel like a prick for jumping the gun.
Roman was pulled from his thoughts as he entered the hotel restaurant as he looked over and saw MacKenzie sitting over by herself. He walked over and stood next to her. "May I join you?" He asked.
MacKenzie's head snapped up and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She was not expecting Roman to show up. She covered her mouth with her napkin as she finished chewing the bite she had in her mouth before she smiled softly. "Yes, please." She answered as she watched him sit his giant body down in the seat across from her.
The waitress came over and took his order before she took off and came back with his coffee he ordered then scurried to the kitchen to place his order.
"Are you getting used to the traveling yet?" Roman asked as he prepared his cup of coffee the way he enjoyed it; his eyes locking with hers. Those blue eyes could bend steel if given half a chance. He could already feel the effects of her perfume. Every time he inhaled he could smell her scent it was a perfume she wore a lot. It was light and airy and she wore it so much it was imbedded into her clothing, skin and hair. It was the type of scent that when she passed him in lingered in their air for 15 to 20 minutes. It was a nice perfume and didn't make him sneeze or get a headache.
"It's all very overwhelming. Char said it usually takes a few weeks." MacKenzie stated softly as she sipped her coffee.
Roman nodded his head as he sipped the hot java. "Yea it took me a good month to get acclimated to everything. Once you do though everything will become second nature to you. You're body will be on auto pilot and you'll just do it without actually having to think too hard about it."
MacKenzie could sit there all day and stare at this man; his strong square jaw, his mustache and goatee that framed his beautiful red lips. His intense grey eyes always seemed to be staring into her soul. She felt like he could see every part of her even the unexposed parts; which albeit made her feel wary about him. His smooth tenor voice was so deep; it was foreign to hear him chuckle and laugh with Jimmy, Jey and Dean. The twins were constantly cracking up and Dean's laugh was loud and unruly, kind of like his dishwater blonde curls on top of his head.
"Are you riding with us today for Raw?" Roman's question pulled her out of her thoughts.
MacKenzie sipped her coffee before she nodded. "Yes, I can't believe it's already been two weeks; feels like only a couple of days." Her attention was pulled from Roman as her Blackberry beeped at her. "Excuse me one second…"
Roman watched as she pulled her black rimmed glasses from the top of her head where they always seemed to be perched and slipped them on and read the text message that had come through. He watched as she frowned. "Something wrong?" He asked curiously.
MacKenzie shook her head in disgust. "Did you ever just get so fed up with everything because you can't get rid of someone from your past?" She asked softly.
Roman noticed a change in her as he watched her intently. "What's going on MacKenzie?"
"It's just my ex; who won't stop haunting me." She stated in a soft voice as she continued to look at her Blackberry with a frown in place on her face.
"I know that look…" A familiar voice stated.
MacKenzie's head snapped up as she saw Charisma and Jimmy approaching the table. Char gripped MacKenzie's shoulder. "Kenz, what's wrong?"
MacKenzie's frown deepened. "Jeff is at it again…He just sent me these. Char can I borrow your phone?" She watched as Char's eyes widened at the photo's her ex had sent her…from inside MacKenzie's house.
Roman watched as MacKenzie excused herself and walked away as she made a phone call. "What the hell is with this guy Char?"
Charisma sighed heavily. "He doesn't want to be with her but yet he doesn't want her to move on with her life. She packed up and found a new house and apparently he's figured out where because he was in her new house." Charisma turned the cell phone around and showed Roman the pictures.
Roman growled lowly. "Who the hell is this mother fucker?" He snapped.
Charisma shook her head. "It's not my place to…" The words died on her lips at the look Roman and Jimmy gave her. She rolled her eyes as she sat down. "Jeff is a lawyer from another law firm that did a merger with the law firm she works for a few years ago, which was how they met and started dating. I was suspicious of physical abuse after she told me about the verbal and mental abuse he threw at her on a daily basis for 3 years. Last year around this time he – he beat the shit out of her so bad that she had multiple broken ribs, a severe concussion, both of her retina's detached and had to be reattached, but it messed up her ability to see words properly, which is what the glasses are for; without them the words are blurry on the page."
Roman clenched his hands into fists on the table. "And what did they think she went on vacation so she could heal?"
Charisma shook her head. "No then the law firms got involved. Her legal rep put a restraining order against him and he was arrested for assault and battery. Because he had good standing in the community and no priors they gave him a slap on the wrist and made him do 72 hours of community service and he had to take an anger management class. The restraining order stayed in place, but clearly he can get around it when she's not even in her home."
Roman shook his head. "Un-fuckin-believable. This guy is allowed to just walk away after he beat the crap out of her…" Roman was officially disgusted.
"Look at you Superman, getting ready to leap the table to punch out a dude you don't even know for a girl who barely talks to you." Charisma teased and winked at Roman when he growled at her.
MacKenzie got off the phone with the detective she had been working with since Jeff had put her in the hospital a year ago as she just tried to stay calm and think about anything but that.
MacKenzie's blue eyes looked over at the table with the two giant Samoan men and Charisma. She watched as Char laughed when Jimmy poked her in the side. Charisma's mocha complexion always had a nice glow to it. Her beautiful eyes were dark brown; almost black – like to black inky pools. Her long black hair stopped beneath her breasts and she could wear it curly or straight; she usually wore it curly when it was too hot outside. Her 5'7 frame was athletic; she got her physique from playing volleyball. She was skinny but had a shapely behind. She didn't have big breasts but they matched her shape all the way around.
MacKenzie was completely envious of the relationship Charisma had with Jimmy. She could just tell that they love between them would never change. Charisma was a WWE Diva and had met Jimmy when they were down in developmental. She craved what they had. She just wanted to have someone invest into her the way she invested into them. She was almost 25 and could feel her biological clock ticking for babies. But right now she had to feel safe and right now…she didn't. She sighed softly and walked back over to join everyone.
Charisma stood from the chair and wrapped her arm around her skittish friend. "So what did Detective Freckles say?"
"Detective Freckles?" Roman questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"The Detective who has been helping her has naturally red hair and freckles he's adorable and extremely invested into protecting her. So out with it; what did he say?" She asked once more.
MacKenzie shook her head. "I'm supposed to forward the messages and pictures to him and he's going to go over to my house now and call me back when he sees what's going on."
"Well I'm not going to let you get on a plane alone and go back home for our days off. You're going to come with us, we have a spare room." Charisma insisted.
Jimmy chuckled. "Uh babe, we're staying in Pensacola with Roman for the next four weeks while the building gets all new electrical, plus heating and a/c and new water and sewer pipes." He smiled. "The new landlord that purchased the building is renovating everything essential."
Char groaned as she face palmed. "Fine then I am staying in Stamford with Kenz. I'm not letting you stay there alone."
Jimmy nodded. "I'll come with you girls are so wimpy I'll protect you." Jimmy flexed his pectoral muscles and grinned.
Char clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth before she tugged on his ponytail. "I'll show you wimpy!"
"It's really not necessary Char. I can handle myself." MacKenzie tried to reason. "I don't want to be putting people out."
Roman shook his head. "No, MacKenzie, you are more than welcome. My house is big enough for all of us. I have several spare rooms. You've got at least a week's worth of clothing, whatever you need we can go out and get. Plus I'm sure Char here has a whole closet packed. You're not going back to that house or state alone."
MacKenzie was chewing her bottom lip as her eyes grew wide at Roman's insistence; she could already tell between Char and Roman she was already losing this battle.