Chapter 9

Without turning around to see who was talking, Randy grimaced. That voice was unmistakable. Edge also seemed to recognize the voice. He too had a grimace on his face. The other guys, who were facing the doorway, had varying expressions. Cena's face wore a mixture of amusement and distaste. Ted and Cody were frowning slightly, so little that it was barely perceptible. Shawn looked a little annoyed. Mark's face betrayed no emotion at all. His expression was blank.

"Are you just going to sit there Randy?" snapped the voice again, coming through the doorway. "Or are you going to turn around and answer me?"

This time Randy turned, and so did Kat sitting next to him.

"It's nice to see you too," Randy returned, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kat looked at the woman stepping closer to him. She did not look happy. She was an inch or two shorter than herself, but looked taller due to the ridiculously high heels she was wearing. She was wearing navy blue dress pants and a cream colored button down shirt.

Her hair was dark and streaked through with platinum blonde. The blonde was a little too light though, and made her hair look like it was streaked with white. Kat studied her face closely, debating whether it was the lighting of the room, or too much makeup that made her look the way she did. Either way, the effect wasn't very pretty. Her skin looked almost orange.

"Don't give me that sarcasm crap," she snapped again. "Why haven't you been answering my phone calls?"

"You want me to be honest?" Randy asked. "I've had better things to do."

Her face went from annoyance to anger. "Listen to me…" she began.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Edge interjected suddenly. "You can have this conversation later, maybe someplace where the whole restaurant won't hear you," he added with a touch of sarcasm.

It was then the realization seemed to hit the woman that the table was full of other people. She had been so focused in her attack on Randy, that she had not noticed or acknowledged them.

"We'll finish this later," she said giving Randy a look.

She turned and went to pull a chair so she could sit down, and behind her back Randy rolled his eyes.

She pulled her chair to the only available space, which was between Randy and Ted. Neither looked very happy about her sitting there.

She sat, looking around the table and said hello to the guys.

"Ted, Cody, John," she said giving them a half smile.

The three attempted to smile back convincingly.

"Hello Shawn."

Shawn nodded in response and stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Taker," she said looking at him.

"Janice," he said giving her a slight nod. His voice was level, and matched the blank expression on his face.

Her eyes went around the table, and it was then she noticed Kat sitting between Edge and Randy. Was she what Randy had meant when he said he had better things to do?

She turned and looked at Kat. "I don't think we've met," she said, her voice a little colder than necessary. "I'm Janice Redding, Randy's manager. And you are?"

Kat returned the look. So she was Randy's manager. Judging from the look the woman was giving her, it was obvious that she thought there was something going on between her and Randy. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

She didn't, however, let that amusement reach her voice when she answered her. She matched the woman's coldness with indifference.

"Kaitlyn Taylor," she answered. "Randy didn't mention he had a manager," she added, looking at Randy.

Randy could see the mischief Kat was hiding. Janice was shooting darts at him. Knowing Janice the way he did, he knew that she probably thought Kat was some chick he had picked up. And from the way Kat was looking at Janice, Kat looked like she had guessed the same thing he had.

"How do you know each other?" Janice asked Kat, her voice still a bit chilly.

"We met a few days ago," Randy answered for her.

Janice continued on with Kat. "I hate to break this to you honey," she said, her voice clearly showing the opposite, "but Randy doesn't stick with one girl. I'm sure he's told you the opposite. You're not the first," she added. "Especially down in these small southern towns, you girls don't seem to realize when you're being used. Not really too bright. So I'm just telling you, that whatever you think might happen with the two of you, it's not going to."

Kat had to restrain herself to keep from laughing out loud. At her left, it seemed like Edge was doing the same. Cena snickered and disguised it as a cough.

Kat turned to Randy with the same mischief in her eyes. "You…you…used me?" she asked feigning hurt. "How could you?" she asked. "You bastard," she snapped and delivered a slap to his face. She hit him very softly, but she did it in a way that made it sound like she had slapped him full force.

At this, John could no longer keep it in and began laughing. Once he started the rest of the table could no longer hold it in either. They all began to laugh.

Kat looked at Randy again. "Well Mr. Orton?" she asked, her voice full of mischief and laughter. "Haven't you anything to say?"

"Umm…ow?"

Kat laughed and then looked at Janice. "I hate to burst whatever bubble you had there, but there's nothing between me and him. We did meet a few days ago, but I think I've been bruising his ego ever since. And as for me being not too bright and from here, if you'd bothered listening to my accent, you'd have seen that I'm not."

Janice looked stunned. She didn't know what to say. Usually when she said something like that, the girl would get pissed off and leave. She had never seen Randy with a girl that he hadn't gotten with.

A second later the waiter returned with the check. The table had all opted out of having dessert. Now it just remained to go back to the motel.

"Are you coming back with us?" Edge asked her, breaking the silence.

Janice looked up. "I drove in my own car. I'm staying at the motel too. I'll see you there. We still need to talk," she added looking at Randy.

They all headed out into the parking lot, and she hopped into her car and left. Everyone else was standing outside for a moment, trying to decide who was going with who.

They divided up and got into the two trucks. Edge, Randy, and Kat went with Shawn, and the other guys went with Mark.

"I'm with lover boy I see," Kat said with a laugh. Her and Randy were in the backseat, with Shawn and Edge in the front.

Randy grinned. "That was pretty damn funny in there. I gotta say though, when I saw your hand coming at me, I thought you were going to deck me full force."

"I couldn't mess up your pretty face," she said with a grin. "Your fan girls would be pissed off."

"So you think my face is pretty?" he asked teasingly.

"Don't push your luck before I slap you for real," she returned with a wicked smile.

He held up his hands. "I don't think I'm gonna try and use you," he said. "You seem like the abusive lover type. Probably beat my ass on a regular basis."

Kat grinned. "You know it."

"I'd forget worrying about her, and start worrying about Janice. She looked pissed man," Edge said turning from the front.

"She's another story," Randy said shaking his head.

"You two don't get along?" Kat asked.

"It's not that we can't; she's just such a hard ass. And me? I'm more the laid back kinda guy," Randy said.

"So why did you hire her?" Kat asked curiously.

"I didn't. Vince did," he said. "He said he wanted someone that would be able to keep me in line," he added rolling his eyes. "So I got Janice. I can't be gone for a few hours without her calling to ask where I am. It's insane."

"You forgot to mention her less than friendly personality," Shawn added.

A half smile came to Randy's face. "Shawn doesn't like her very much," he said to Kat.

"I don't know what it is," Shawn said, "but there is something about that woman that doesn't click with me."

"How long has she been your manager?" Kat asked Randy.

"Six months," he answered. "And I've been going insane for almost all of it."

"Well I've got a feeling that you're going to be getting it tonight," Edge said with a grin. "She doesn't mess around."

Randy groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Aw cheer up Randy," Kat said. "Just be nice to her, and maybe she'll be nice too."

"Let's hope so."

"Well you're about to find out, cuz here we are," Shawn said pulling into the parking lot.

Taker had just pulled in as well and the other guys were getting out of his truck.

"Well I guess I'm off to deal with her," Randy said to the guys. "Night all." He turned to John. "Don't wait up man. You know what she's like when she gets on a roll."

Cena nodded. "Good luck man. You're gonna need it."

Randy turned and headed toward Janice's room. Cody said his head hurt and he wanted to go lie down, so he left too.

The rest of the group was left standing outside.

"I'm not tired yet. Any of you up for a card game?" John asked.

"I'm game," Ted answered.

"Why not?" Shawn said.

Edge thought for a minute. "Yea I guess I'm in too."

"You playing?" John asked Kat.

"Sure, why not?" she answered.

"I think I'm going to turn in," Taker said. "My back is bothering me a little." He turned to leave, and then stopped and turned back. "Here," he said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a key and gave it to Kat. "One of you walk back with her when your game's over," he said turning to the other guys. "Night all."

Taker turned and headed to his room. He took two aspirin and quickly fell asleep. Meanwhile, Kat and the other guys had gone with John and were trying to decide what card game to play.

"How about gin?" Shawn asked.

"I don't know that one," Cena said. "What about Crazy Eights?"

"Nah," Edge said. "Why don't we just play poker?"

"Fine by me," John said.

"I'm good with that," Shawn said.

"I'll deal," Edge said. "Alright," he said after he had dealt the cards. "Place your bets."

"I don't have anything to bet," Kat said.

"We don't play for keeps," John said. "It's just for fun. Think of something, anything."

"We could play the other way," Edge said.

"What's that?" Kat asked.

"Whoever has the best hand gets to pick what the person with the worst hand has to do or give them. It's a hell of lot funnier."

"Yea," Ted said. "We played once, and I made Randy carry my stuff for a week. It was funny as hell," he said with a grin.

"So are you in?" Edge asked.

She shrugged. "I don't have much to lose. Why not?"

"Hold on there," Shawn said. "Before we start, can we agree not to make any of these requests anything illegal or insanely dangerous?"

"Of course," John said. "Bad experience?" he asked.

"Let's not go there," Shawn said shaking his head. "Let's just play."

When the first hand was over, John had won. "Alright," he said turning to Edge. "You lose, so I've got one for you."

"Bring it on Cena," Edge returned grinning.

John smiled mischievously. "I want you to go to Taker's room, knock on the door, yell "Housekeeping!" and then come back here."

"Are you insane? What if he wakes up? I'll be in pieces!"

"Don't forget, you agreed to play. Go," John said.

"I thought we said nothing dangerous," Edge said. "That's dangerous to my health!"

"You mean if he gets you," Ted said. "If you do it fast enough, he won't know it was you."

Edge groaned. "Alright, I'll do it. But if I get chokeslammed I'm coming for you John."

"How're we gonna know if he did it?" Shawn asked.

"I'll go with him," John said. "To make sure. Let's go."

The two left the room. "I hope he doesn't wake Mark up," Kat said.

"Because Taker'll kill him?" Ted asked.

"That and Mark might hurt his back if he goes after him."

"He might kill Edge, but you're worried about his back?" Shawn asked laughing.

"I'm sure he'd probably be pissed off, but I don't think he'll kill him. Besides, there's no sense in messing up what I already tried to fix," she said shrugging.

Two minutes later, Edge and John came running back into the room, closing the door behind them quickly.

"Did he wake up?" Ted asked.

"I don't think so," Edge said. "But I wasn't gonna stick around to find out."

John laughed. "I've never seen somebody run so fast."

"Your ass ran pretty fast too John, don't even try it," Edge said.

"Only cuz I didn't want to get stuck there. If he did wake up, he'd open the door and see me. I didn't want that to happen."

"Yea yea," Edge said.

Shawn, Ted and Kat were quietly snickering to themselves. "Can we just go back to the game?" Edge asked.

"You four keep playing, I'm going to bed," Shawn said. "I took one of those pills right before we left the restaurant, and I think it's knocking me out. My head feels heavy."

"Alright," John said.

"Night," said Ted and Edge.

"Night Shawn," said Kat.

Shawn left, leaving the other four to continue the game. John dealt another hand, and the game went on. This time Kat won, but Edge still had the worst hand.

"You're setting the deck Cena," he said. "You're fixing it so I lose."

"Don't blame me cuz you suck at poker," John said with a grin.

"Alright," Edge said turning to Kat, "what do you want me to do?"

She thought for a moment, then a wicked smile played across her face. "Come into the bathroom with me," she said mischievously.

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Come," she said getting up.

Edge smirked. "If that's how you want it."

Ted and John looked at each other in disbelief and then at Kat. As she walked past them to the bathroom, she winked. She was up to something again.

The two went into the bathroom together, and a few minutes later the door opened. Kat walked out laughing hysterically.

"Come on out gorgeous," she said laughing.

"Hell no!" Edge answered.

"Come on, you lost fair and square."

"Fine," he mumbled. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this."

He walked out haltingly and Ted and John burst into laughter. She had put his hair in pigtails, tucked her flower behind his ear, and put lip gloss on him. He looked ridiculous.

"Oh my God," Ted said rolling with laughter. "You look hysterical."

Cena could barely get words out. "Oh God, stay right there. I gotta get my phone and take a picture. Randy's gotta see this."

Edge groaned as John took his picture. "Alright, alright. Have you three had enough fun at my expense?" he asked.

They laughed in response. "Okay, you can go take it off," Kat said. "Even though I think you look fabulous."

Ted and John burst out laughing again. Edge shot them a nasty look and went into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, his hair loose, the flower and lip gloss gone.

He sat back down and handed the flower back to Kat, who tucked it back into her hair. Ted and John were still snickering. Kat was smiling at him sweetly, her eyes full of mischief.

"You okay Goldilocks?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice clearly showing the opposite. "I'm never gonna live this one down."

"Aw, it's okay! At least we didn't post it on the internet or something, right?" Kat asked.

"Yea, I guess," he said.

Cena grinned at him. "Of course now I can blackmail you."

Edge groaned again.

"Oh relax man, I'm not going to do anything," John said.

"Can we just get back to the game?" Edge asked.

"I'm gonna go," Ted said. "God forbid I should wake Cody up when I go in. I swear one day I'm gonna smack him. I'll see you guys in the morning."

Ted left, leaving John, Edge and Kat. Cena yawned suddenly. "I think that drink is finally catching up with me," he said with a laugh.

"Why don't you go to bed John?" Kat asked. "We'll go. I don't wanna keep you up if you're tired."

"Yea, I think I'm going to sleep," he said getting up and stretching. "How about you two?"

"I'm not tired," Edge said. He turned to Kat. "You wanna finish the game in my room? I still have to get you back for that lovely makeover."

She grinned. "Bring it on Goldilocks."

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Author's Note: Hope you guys like this chapter & I'll have the next one up soon. Please review! =)