As she stepped off of the airplane, Jessica decided she hated red-eye flights. Then she heard someone muttering behind her and changed her mind.
She hated red-eye flights with Randy Orton.
"This is fucking ridiculous," he moaned, fumbling with the handle of his rolling carry-on suitcase as they exited the gate. "I deck Cena ONCE and I'm relegated to taking flights in the middle of the night."
Her hazel eyes rolled at her friend's irritation. "I had to take the flight too… and I didn't hit anyone."
"Yeah, you're just a regular ingénue, Jessica," he retorted bitterly. "Let's just go get our damn luggage."
Descending down the escalator with Randy on the step behind her, Jessica caught sight of her reflection for the first time as she started to text on her cell phone.
Her normally smoothed-out blonde tresses were ruffled and out of place, while her eyes were demonstrating exactly why the flight was given its nickname.
"God, I look like hell," she stated tiredly, running a hand through her messy hair.
"If this is what hell looks like, I'm not as upset at the fact that it's where I'm going to be spending eternity anymore," the man behind her deadpanned with a shake of his head. "Speaking of eternity, where the hell is the kid? We've been here for…"
"Five minutes," Jessica interred, stepping off the escalator
Randy's eyes narrowed at her as he followed suit. "Well it seems like more."
Jessica's cell phone began to vibrate in her hand as they approached the luggage carousel.
Look up.
The blonde followed the text message's instructions and locked eyes with the much younger person in front of her. "That's creepy."
"No, if I said 'Hello, Clarisse,' that'd be creepy."
"Via text message?" Randy cocked an eyebrow. "Highly unlikely. Can we just get our luggage and go?"
"Tell you what, Randy. You get BOTH of our suitcases and then we can go," Jessica laughed at him and watched as he sauntered off, mumbling under his breath.
The young man with blue eyes grinned at her sheepishly. "Thanks for that."
"Don't thank me yet… there's a full day of that ahead of you for tomorrow."
"Well, at least there will be about twenty other people around to divide the sarcasm up with," he mused and then stepped forward to hug her. "It's good to see you, Jess."
She smiled, wrapping her arms around his ever-hardening frame. "You too, Cody. What have you gained… another ten pounds of muscle mass since I last saw you?"
"Something like that," he replied bashfully as he released her and then spotted Randy headed back towards them, two suitcases in tow. "Wow, that was fast. Here comes Mr. Sunshine."
"You do know that I can hear you, right?" the older man growled at him, his green eyes darkening almost menacingly.
Jessica, sensing the tension in her friend's voice, tried to quell the uneasiness. "He didn't mean it as anything more than a joke. Calm down."
Randy released the standing luggage from his hand and continued to advance. "The hell he didn't."
The blonde immediately stepped in front of Cody, straightened to her tallest height at five feet, seven inches, and firmly placed a hand on Randy's chest to halt him in his tracks. "It is five 'o clock in the morning and I'm really not in the mood to deal with your macho bullshit right now. Cody was nice enough to come and pick us up so that we didn't have to drive to FCW after such a long flight. And don't try to tell me you're not exhausted because your eyes are as red as a fucking apple. Knock it off."
The Missouri native glared over her shoulder at the rookie and then turned away from both him and his best female friend.
"Granny Smith Apples aren't red," he muttered as he grabbed his bag.
Suddenly, her hand latched onto his arm, causing him to turn around and lock onto her leering gaze. "I mean it."
"Fine," he grit his teeth and turned to Cody. "Lead the way before I change my mind."
Jessica sighed beside Cody as they started walking five full lengths ahead of Randy, "I'm sorry. He's just moody because he's sleep and luxury deprived."
"It's alright," Cody assured her, turning a corner. "I get it. I'm used to being up late these days. You guys are fast asleep by now on the road, I'm sure."
She nodded. "Especially on nights like tonight after Raw. We're all pretty much dead. Once you get there, you'll notice that no one really goes out and parties on Monday nights. It's usually house show nights because quite honestly, the house shows are close together and everyone pretty much comes and goes as they please."
"I'm amazed you can walk right now."
"So am I," she laughed, her hazel eyes glinting in the fluorescent lights of the airport. "But something you said before is starting to bother me a little," the blonde added, her tone turning more serious.
Cody looked at her warily as they made their way through the automatic doors that led to the parking lot. "What is it?"
Jessica took a deep breath and inhaled the warm, Floridian air. Her lungs were clearly enjoying the rush of warmth instead of the bitter chill they received in Massachusetts. It was definitely a welcome change… in more ways than one.
"You said that you're used to being up late… and I want to know why."
His blue eyes fixated the door handle of his used silver Honda Civic as he fumbled to manually unlock the door while avoiding her gaze.
But the outspoken Diva wouldn't back down as she stood on the passenger's side, waiting for him. "Cody."
He winced as the locks clicked, signaling their unlocking. "No, you don't."
She sucked the air in sharply through her teeth. "Oh, Cody. Not him! I told you…"
"I know," he sighed as he opened the door and slid inside, prompting both her and Randy to do the same. "But Shawn's my best friend and my tag team partner."
"Cody, the kid's real name is Ronnie… and he'll only be called Shawn," she pointed out, shutting the door and buckling herself in. "Doesn't that tell you anything?"
"I grew up around wrestlers, Jess, and so did you and Randy. I think that all three of us understand that sometimes, in this business, people are…"
"Characters?" Randy offered from the backseat.
Cody nodded and started the car. "Yes, thank you. Characters. That doesn't make them bad people."
Jessica laughed sarcastically. "You're preaching to a McMahon here. You do realize that, right?"
"It's not funny."
"Yeah, it is, kid," Randy laughed heartily in the backseat as he texted his fiancée on his cell phone. "One thing you need to learn about Jessica is that you can't win. Not because she's stubborn, Cody, but because she's right."
"She's not right this time."
The blonde stared out the window as Cody pulled out of the parking space and shook her head. "I hope so… for your sake."
People Exclusive: Romance Revealed?
At around 3:30am Tuesday morning, Jessica McMahonwas spotted in Tampa International Airport with fellow wrestler, Randy Orton. The weekly WWE program on which both are featured, WWE Raw, aired live from Uncasville, CT last night and there are no house shows (which are live shows that are not aired on TV) scheduled until after Christmas.
So why would Jessica and Randy, who had a well-publicized fight with John Cena last week, be in an airport in Florida before dawn?
McOrton for real?
Has Perez's favorite ass-kicker, Jessica McMahon, really moved on from John Cena?
People Magazine reported this morning that rumored male home-wrecker, Randy Orton, and Jessica were spotted in a Tampa airport at 3:30am this morning.
First of all… this would be a crushing blow to yours truly.
Secondly, um… isn't he engaged?
Number three… she's an heir to the McMahon family fortune. She can afford a private plane… or could use the company jet. So… why the hell is she in an airport at 3:30 in the morning?!?!
Update: McOrton for real?
Okay, so this morning, one of my loyal readers sent me the following email"
"Hey, Perez. I happen to be a huge fan of the WWE and I was on the flight with both Randy Orton and Jessica McMahon. During the flight, in which they were sitting coach, I had the seat across the aisle and struck up a conversation with both of them. They were both VERY nice and Randy mentioned something about a clinic going on at Florida Championship Wrestling, a developmental territory of the WWE. They were both going to be there later that afternoon, around 3pm. That would explain why they caught a red-eye flight out. Both of them took pictures with me and were incredibly kind. So they clearly didn't care about being seen together."
Maybe there's hope for McCena yet!
Update (again!): McOrton for real?
Alright. We've got the story straight now, with the details filled in by a well-placed mole within the WWE LOCKER ROOM.
Here's the story:
The Fight – Randy Orton and John Cena got into a huge fight. As a result, John was given double duty within the company, feuding with another wrestler, as well as a currently undetermined opponent. Randy had all of his top-billing luxuries taken away, such as a solo hotel room (which explains why he's sharing a room with Jessica right now, who has lost her possibly ex-fiancé as a roommate) and first class accommodations. This would also explain why he had to take a red eye flight instead of the corporate jet, with Jessica going along with his punishment.
The Flight – There is a clinic going on at a WWE developmental territory based out of Tampa and both Randy and Jessica are scheduled to be guest teachers, along with four former wrestlers. The only way for them to make the clinic after the Raw taping in CT was to take an immediate flight to Florida. They were even picked up by a developmental talent that Jessica is family friends with in order to recover from exhaustion as soon as possible.
The Verdict – NOT A COUPLE!
Yay!
But this still means that there's another guy out there, somehow in association with the WWE, that is the mystery man.
Hmm….
It was getting to be incredibly rough for me every morning. I'd wake up and find a bazillion emails from friends of mine, telling me that I was being written about on websites like People Magazine, US Weekly, and Perez Hilton.
And then once they started dragging Randy, who had just gotten engaged to his future wife, into the mix, I thought I was at my lowest point.
But my lowest point wouldn't fully be reached… until later that day.
By the time Randy awoke around noon, Jessica had been up for two hours.
From the first time her phone had vibrated on her end table, she'd known it would be bad. Rarely did she receive a call before 11am that wasn't important and everyone within the company knew she had caught a red-eye the previous evening.
So it didn't surprise her that Amy had called with the bad news. She'd always been the one who was already ten steps ahead of her with a plan to fix the damage that had been, or would be, done.
And the first part of the plan involved calling Randy's fiancée.
"I didn't even know anything before she called, Randy," Samantha explained, attempting to calm herself. "The phone has been ringing off the hook with reporters and gossip columnists trying to contact you and me. There are about fifteen photographers currently sitting on our front lawn. I can't even leave the house!"
"Okay, okay," Randy attempted to slow her roll as he sunk down on the bed, rubbing his temple. "I don't want you leaving the house right now. Let things die down a little first. I'm going to take care of it…"
Samantha locked the last of the downstairs windows as she repositioned her cell against her ear. "Do you think I need to lock the upstairs windows too?"
The six foot, four-inch man growled and clenched the phone tighter in his large hand. "This is fucking ridiculous. NO future wife of mine is going to be at the mercy of these fucking animals."
Just as Randy began to launch into his tirade, the door to the hotel room clicked open. Standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of jeans and a black tank top was Jessica McMahon.
His eyes darkened as she walked in, clouded by anger that wasn't necessarily directed at his friend. "Jessica…" his low voice rumbled.
Her face was stone serious as she took two steps towards him. "Is that Sam?"
"Yes," Randy replied through gritted teeth.
"Give me the phone," Jessica stated. It wasn't a request. It was an order.
He continued to eye her. "What are you doing?"
"I am the Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and Media Relations for World Wrestling Entertainment. I am doing my job, Randy," she replied matter-of-factly and extended her right hand towards him. "Now give me the phone."
Wordlessly, he handed her the flip phone.
"Thank you," Jessica nodded once at him and placed the phone at her ear. "Sam?"
"Jessica?" the brunette asked in surprise, her hand pausing on the windowsill.
"Yes," the blonde answered. "Sam, I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"
It was silent for a moment on the other end of the line and then Samantha Speno spoke up, "Okay."
"I just got off of the phone with the St. Louis Police Department. In about five minutes, there will be a knock on your door. It will be Sergeant Macy and he will identify himself to you as such. Macy and his men will be providing you with round-the-clock protection. He'll stay with you for a few hours inside the house and explain the protocol to you. Macy'll also make sure that everything is locked and secure in the house. Then, he'll go on patrol, as well," Jessica explained slowly to her.
Sam was taking a little while to process everything. "How long will they be here for?"
"As long as it takes," the slightly older woman replied. "We're not… I'm not taking any chances. Sergeant Macy has had experience with this type of situation before. After he deems the threat gone, we'll wait another forty-eight hours as a test and re-evaluate the situation then."
"Al-alright," Samantha stammered, still slightly in shock.
"Sam, listen to me," Jessica stated firmly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise. I'm going to give Randy back the phone now, okay?"
She took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay. Thank you, Jessica… for everything."
Without hesitation, Jessica responded, "Please, don't thank me. I'm the one that caused all this… here's Randy."
She handed the phone back to her friend and pulled out her own cell phone, then her laptop and placed both onto the small table in the corner of the room.
As Randy continued to speak with his fiancée, Jessica busied herself at the table, scrawling numbers and information down on a pad. Every so often, she'd stop and type something into her computer, then start back up on the notepad.
Finally, her pen dropped down onto the desk and she stood up, just as Randy ended his phone call.
"Where are you doing?" he asked her curiously, pocketing the cell phone as she grabbed her purse, which now held the cell phone and notepad.
"We have to be at FCW at 4:30," Jessica explained to him, stopping to face him. "I have four hours to do major damage control and that includes getting a few lawsuits filed against some publications, not to mention figuring out how the hell we're getting out of here."
Randy arched an eyebrow at her. "Lawsuits? You're really going to sue people?"
"No, WE are going to merely file lawsuits against some publications for libel… and then they're going to feel threatened and call off the dogs," Jessica informed him. "Including those currently hounding your fiancée."
"We?"
"You, me, and World Wrestling Entertainment… the possibilities are endless," she smirked almost menacingly and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll be back in about two hours. You might want to call your parents in the meantime."
"Yes, yes…" Jessica nodded while tapping her pen on top of the conference table. "All legal documents, including filings should be sealed and private. If I find out that any information on our end has been leaked, you are all fired."
"Yes, m'am. Respondent?"
"The respondent should be listed as Time Inc."
"Ms. McMahon, who is the petitioner?" the man on the other side of the phone asked.
Jessica rolled her eyes. She'd gone over this three times already.
For the better part of the last hour, Jessica McMahon had made use of the Hilton's smallest conference room as her makeshift office.
With her notepad, laptop, cell phone, and pencil all laid out before her, not to mention the conference phone beside her computer, she was corresponding with the brightest minds in her department from their conference room in Stamford.
"For the last time, Gabriel, the petitioners are World Wrestling Entertainment, Incorporated in conjunction with Jessica J. McMahon and Randal K. Orton."
Silence followed for a few moments before a woman spoke up this time. "Ms. McMahon, I don't mean to question you or anything, but… there's a very good chance that this lawsuit won't hold up in court and it'll take years, not to mention tons of money, to see this through."
"That's the whole point."
"So you're trying to waste company money?" another male angrily retorted.
Her jaw locked. "Mr. Mason, I recommend you watch your tone or you will find yourself no longer benefiting from any company money used as your salary. It's called intimidation, ladies and gentlemen, and it's what us McMahons do best. Do you really think that seven different companies really want to go toe to toe with three separate teams of lawyers?"
The silence in the room answered her question.
"I thought so," she gloated with a satisfied smile that they could not see. "Moving on… Theresa?" Jessica called for her secretary at the Stamford headquarters.
"Yes, Ms. McMahon?" the young woman responded quickly.
"I need you to call Steve Keirn over at our FCW territory," she instructed her. "And listen very carefully, Theresa. Write down everything I'm about to tell you. It's imperative that he knows exactly what my plans are…"
Cody pulled up into the horseshoe driveway of the Hilton and studied himself in the rearview mirror of his black Mustang.
In a pair of polarized sunglasses, acid-washed jeans, and a black button down, he did not look like his normal self… but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Certainly not in this case.
He flipped the valet his keys with a pompous smile. "Keep her warm for me. I'll be back in a few."
The young man nodded and hopped into his car, driving around the bend.
The smirk still on his face, Cody strutted cockily into the hotel lobby and headed for the bar. Despite the fact that it was mid-afternoon, there were still plenty of people littering the counter and the tables. This included members of the paparazzi who were allowed to stay on premises by purchasing drink after drink, snack after snack.
After sitting at the bar and ordering and paying for a beer, a young woman approached him on his right and sat down beside him.
"I'll take two shots of your best vodka."
Cody turned in the direction of the woman, pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head, and smirked. "Don't you think it's a bit early for that?"
The dark scarlet-haired woman beside him wore a pair of ripped jeans and black leather tank top that zipped up the front. With a closer examination, he discovered that on each of her wrists rested a black nautical star.
"It's never too early for vodka, um…" she trailed off, failing to know his name.
"Cody," he finished for her. "And you are?"
The bartender returned with her two shots and the woman immediately downed one of them, slamming the glass back onto the table and licking her lips. "Juliette."
"Nice to meet you, Juliette," Cody grinned at her and took a swig out of his beer bottle.
Juliette flashed him a sexy smile of her own, sweeping her bangs back into place. "You too, Cody. I know that for you, it's a little early to be doing shots, but maybe sometime… I could show you the best place to do shots at night. I've come to Tampa a few too many times in recent years."
"I'd like that," he agreed and drank some more of the amber liquid.
"Good," the red-head stated, tracing around the edge of her shot glass with her middle finger.
As she bit her lip ever-so-slightly, Cody's blue eyes sparkled. "You know, it's not good to drink on an empty stomach… and I'm a pretty good cook if I dare so myself."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
Juliette arched an eyebrow as she spoke, "Do you dare say so?"
Cody nodded and finished off his beer. "I do."
"Your place then?" she propped her tanned face onto her hand against the bar.
"A chef does his best cooking in his own kitchen," the Georgia native agreed, pulling down his sunglasses. "I'm ready to go if you are."
"I'm not," Juliette replied with a shake of her head. Then chugged down her remaining shot of vodka and placed a hundred dollar bill down on top of the empty glass. "Now I am."
Juliette walked a step behind Cody and pulled a pair of aviator sunglasses out of her pocketbook, sliding them on over her eyes. After crossing the lobby, they passed through the doors and felt the warm breeze outside.
"Your car, sir?" the valet asked as Cody approached the horseshoe.
He nodded and watched as the man disappeared. Juliette, standing beside him at around 5'10" in her black stiletto heels, applied another coat of lip gloss.
The car pulled up in front of the pair and Cody slid a hundred dollar bill into the man's palm to replace his keyring.
"Thank you, sir," the valet thanked him and moved out of the way.
"A mustang," Juliette nodded, impressed with the 2007 model. "Very nice."
"I try," Cody smirked as she entered the car beside him.
With the press of a button, the top of the convertible began to rise again as they pulled out of the parking lot.
Within a few minutes, the Mustang was gliding down the freeway, camouflaged by a thousand other cars.
"Nice tattoos," Cody remarked, his eyes flickering from the road to her wrists.
She laughed in amusement, pulling a wet nap out of her bag and swabbing them off of her skin. "Mascara and a stencil… Randy, you can sit up now."
A groan emanated from the backseat of the vehicle as Randy Orton rose to a sitting position and began rolling his shoulders. "Fuck, that was uncomfortable."
"Sorry," Cody apologized. "It was the only semi-decent car the rental place had. It was either this or a G6 and I knew you could never fit into the backseat of that one."
"Thanks," Randy replied, cracking his neck as he stretched. "It's the thought that counts, I guess."
"Hey, Randy…" the young woman in the front seat caught his attention and then pulled off her wig, chucking it at him. "Catch."
The wig caught him square in the face and he ripped it away, crinkling his nose in disgust. "Thanks, Jess."
"No problem," she laughed, pulling the sunglasses from her face and stuffing them back into her bag. "You put the suitcases in the trunk?"
He nodded. "Yeah, both of 'em are in there. As is your laptop case."
She turned towards the second-generation superstar at the wheel. "Did you see any paparazzi follow us?"
"No, I didn't," Cody shook his head at her and checked the rear-view mirror. "No one in the bar so much as moved, nor did any of the photographers on the lawn. Steve said there's no one sitting around FCW either, so we're safe."
Jessica sighed in relief, relaxing against the headrest. "Thank you for everything, Cody. I owe you… big time."
It was an incredibly crazy stunt to have pulled and definitely one of my more creative moments in life. I mean, really… Cody Runnels as a filthy rich playboy and Jessica McMahon as "Juliette," the tattooed biker chick? It was an Oscar worthy performance.
I think that deep down, Cody enjoyed playing the part… almost a little too much, if you asked me. But it didn't matter. After all that he'd done for me, I really did owe him. The least I could do was show up to FCW as his prize acquisition for the clinic, along with Randy Orton, another product of the developmental system.
But after what would go on to happen at Florida Championship Wrestling that afternoon, it'd be Cody that owed me… big time.
A/N: Another timely update! This was originally half of a chapter, but it's so long that I had to put some mystery in there and break it up. The next chapter is going to be pretty… chaotic. A lot of pushing and pulling at some points, tender moments at others.
And I know this chapter was supposed to be Rock-centric, but that's the next one. I had to shift the order around a little bit.
Good news is that I know how the last four chapters are going to run AND I think we're back up to a chapter count of around 19-20. So maybe, we'll only miss out on one chapter this time around. It'll work out though.
I've noticed that lately, my review count has gone down. I don't know if this is due to busy schedules, but I know a good portion of you are on vacation now… so I expect big time reviews from you guys, haha!
So… shoutouts:
Dreamin'BIG – Ahhh… gotcha. I understand what you're saying about McCena too. Rock and Jess will have more time in this next chapter, especially after certain events, hint hint.
Sideways anger – Haha. Yeah, Dakota's sitting on my floor right now… and she'd love to meet John! Yes, sequel soon. Let me finish SAR III though. You know you're dying to know what happens.
Goddessofthenite – Welcome back, Julz! And you can call for once, gooseberry!
Mrs Dominic Toretto Aus – Aww, thank you SO much! I'm glad that this story interested you enough to read the other two that preceded it!
AlexiaCalaway – I know. I'm always right.
CamieAnn – Another teary-eyed girl! I just like the idea of John and a puppy.
FrequentlyDazzled – Yes, you did just pull a King. And I've been more focused on the taking off part, in all honesty. I was supposed to go the Raw show the other day, but my friend screwed me over… LONG story. I'm sick of Jericho though. And yes, I know… McCena babies are a wonderful possibility.
Enigmatic Lotus Leaf – Haha… you broke out the F-bomb. Trish wrote letters to both of them… for different reasons. She does have her favorite though… you'll find out who at the actual wedding. Oh, yeah. There will be a wedding… last chapter of the story.
Purplefeather21 – He is in more pain than everyone thought… he just sucks it up cause he doesn't want to show it. Especially, not to her.
iNdy MiLk – Thanks so much!
.Gyrl – Those tabloids are at it again, Nique! But in case you haven't noticed, Perez Hilton is a big fan of McCena and loves her like he loves Victoria Beckham. Which is a lot.
Hotpocketbandit – I keep feeling awful because I keep making everybody cry! Sorry your fish died… but I like Pepper and Dobby for names. My first Beanie Baby was named Dobby.
OneandOnlyHardyGirl – I will not sue you, but clearly… if Jessica J. McMahon threatens to sue you, watch the F out. And I have to youtube it because I was asleep… and had DVR-ed it, but my FATHER decided to clear out the DVR this morning. And not tell me. Idiot. I'm sure this chapter's cliffhanger was pretty cruel too. Sorry.
Westfan – I thought you'd enjoy that line. And you know I love using Cody and Randy for humor. They're very much alike in ways they don't realize… and which Jessica won't realize until SAR IV, hint hint, but you'll see later on. And as for SD, you forgot the extra Kennedy. He'd be pissed about that if he knew. But I'll come see you soon. And you, me, and Sam will have to team up to finally get rid of Liz. I'll bring David into the fold and we'll pretend that he and I are broken up JUST to draw Cena in enough and piss Lizzie off at the same time. Exciting!!!
Sambolina – I really owe all of you girls I made cry tissues.
ThatGirl54 – Remind me after the chapter right before the big reveal to tell you how you gave me the idea. I promise, I will explain. Thanks for thinking that about my Codygirl. She's a handful though… better than she used to be.
Cena-holic8 – And a box of Kleenex will now be sent to you too! But you have to think about it this way… did Dwayne really get a fair chance? Wasn't Vince very protective of her. I mean, he did send her to live with her grandmother and play the role of villain JUST so she could be better off. If Dwayne, at 27, were to put the moves on his boss's innocent 21 year old daughter, what do you think Vince would have done then?
Nic-002001 – You're very welcome! Happy New Year!
So, a Happy New Year to all of you! Here's to a 2009 of good luck, health, and fortune… and John Cena to kiss at midnight for all of you girls out there! (And for you guys… Mickie or Kelly Kelly or Melina!)
Read and review, all!
Danielle