Author's Notes: We'd like to thank cena-holic8, Jewelgirl04, Inday, Takersgurl35 and Laffy.x.Taffy for your reviews for chapter fifteen, we really appreciate your comments and support.
Chapter Sixteen: Just good friends?
Kate paced her bedroom as she waited for the polish on her nails to dry. She was seriously beginning to doubt her decision about going to the music party with Austin. What if he took her accepting the invitation the wrong way and thought she was interested in getting back together? However, it was much too late for second thoughts now. She was already dressed in black Capri pants, rhinestone encrusted sandals and a green tanktop that sported the logo of a bird made from glitter and sequins. She'd applied her make-up and styled her hair with tongs to make it extra curly. Now, she only had twenty minutes before Austin was due to arrive to collect her.
Feeling like she might go mad alone in her room any longer, the brunette ventured downstairs to see what Marissa was doing. All the redhead's duties for the day had been completed when she tucked Maddie into bed half an hour ago. Now, she was lying on the sofa, with a bar of chocolate watching a movie.
"How do I look?" asked Kate, announcing her entrance in the living room.
Marissa turned on the couch and looked over towards where Kate had just walked through the doorway, towards Joseph's recliner.
"You look wonderful, Kate," said the redhead, pausing her movie.
"Are you sure it isn't too much?" asked the brunette, lightly tapping her nail to see if the polish was dry.
"You're going to a party for goodness sake, so, no, it isn't too much," teased Marissa. "When did Austin say he'd be here?"
"Seven-thirty," replied Kate, nervously looking at the clock on the fireplace, which read seven-twenty-five.
"It'll be alright, you know?" said Marissa picking up on her friend's worried tone. "Austin knows this doesn't mean anything and that you're seeing Dave now."
"Yeah, I know. It's not just that though. They'll be so many famous people there. What if I make a fool of myself?" sighed the brunette.
"You won't, you'll be wonderful, and by the end of the night you'll have so many new celebrity friends, that your phonebook will be full," assured the redhead.
"So, have you given any more thought on what you're going to do about John?" asked Kate, changing the subject. She knew talking about her friend's love life would take her mind off Austin's impending arrival and her worries about the party.
"Well, I left him a message telling him I'd still like him to come to the party. I guess now I'll just have to wait until he gets back from the tour," sighed Marissa. Since leaving the message for Cena, the video tech's stomach had been in knots wondering what the wrestler would say.
"And, then what? Are you going to tell him the real reason you ended things? Because, you know, I'm sure he'll tell you what I've been saying all along. He doesn't care that you have Maddie, he still wants to be with you," reassured the brunette.
"Yeah, I'm going to be straight with him about everything. And I think I should apologize to him too. I should have given him the chance to make this decision himself without ending it and not giving a real reason. I just hope he accepts my apology and still wants to be with me. I guess all I can do now is be honest with him and hope for the best," replied the redhead, wondering what Cena's reaction would be when she confessed the real reason she ended their relationship.
"I'm sure everything will work out, Cissa. John thinks the world of you and was devastated when you ended it. I'd be willing to bet, once you've told him how you really feel, there'll be no stopping him," said Kate with a warm smile. She knew from Cena's actions – and constant questions about Marissa – before he went on the tour that the WWE Champion would be more than willing to give things another go with the redhead.
Kate was about to add more when Xerxes' barks alerted her to the fact someone was walking up the drive way and approaching the front door. A second later, the bell rang, and the brunette looked around nervously.
"You'll be fine," encouraged Marissa as Kate went to open the door.
Austin Mitchell entered the room, his usual highlighted hair now growing longer and swept back into a small ponytail. He too was dressed for an evening out in tight stone-washed blue jeans and a deep green shirt.
Even to Marissa – despite her hatred for him – the singer looked good.
The redhead smiled up at him politely as Austin perched on the arm of Joseph's recliner and Kate grabbed her jacket and purse.
"Both of you have a great time," said the redhead as the couple approached the door.
"And you, chick," replied Kate, double checking that she had everything.
"Honey, I have Johnny Depp on DVD and a huge bar of chocolate, I'm gonna be fine," grinned the redhead.
Kate and Austin arrived at the venue of the party, and the sound engineer's jaw almost dropped to the floor.
The front of the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue was swarming with limousines. A red carpet lined the walkway just outside the hotel's entrance and a group of well dressed people were being ushered in by the doormen. Shit, she thought, nervously looking around. What if she ended up as one of those worst dressed celebrity photos online? Her one crack at making the E! Channel and it was because they would be making fun of the singer's date.
Kate shook herself mentally as Austin approached the group entering and the biggest of the security guards stopped them. "Name please?" he asked, in a deep gruff tone.
"Austin Mitchell of Chrome Bumper," the singer replied, flashing the bouncer his invitation to the event. "And my guest, Kate Alistair."
The doorman scanned the list of names and nodded his balding head. "Go right in, Mr. Mitchell."
If Kate had been impressed with the outside of the hotel, that was nothing compared to her reaction as she stepped into the lobby. The sound engineer was used to staying in hotels with the WWE, but none she'd ever stopped in were as astonishing as this. The main lobby was decorated in cream and gold marble with crystal chandeliers running across the ceiling. Fresh plants adorned the spaces next to the enormous marble pillars that lined the room, and to the side were comfortable looking armchairs, upholstered in green velvet. At the far end of the lobby, the group of people who had entered before them were gathered and appeared to be checking their belongings into the cloakroom.
Kate let out a small gasp as Trent Reznor from the rock band Nine Inch Nails broke away from the gathering of people. Nonplussed by the musician's presence, Austin strolled confidently towards him, pulling on Kate's arm to bring her along too. "Trent," the singer greeted, clasping the other man's hand. "Good to see you, buddy."
"Austin," replied Trent, pulling the taller man into a one-armed embrace. "Glad to see you here. And who is your lovely guest?"
Kate stepped forwards slightly as Austin introduced her. A blush crept up the brunette's face as Trent took her hand.
"Wonderful to meet you, Kate. Both of you will have to come and have a drink with me a little later."
"We will do," replied Austin, stepping away from the other singer and joining the line for the cloakroom.
"Oh my God! Trent Reznor touched my hand," Kate sighed as they inched closer to the front of the line.
After depositing their coats, the couple made their way into the grand ballroom, which had been sectioned off from everyday guests for the evening of the party.
The carpet inside was a sumptuous mahogany colour embroidered with roses. Small tables – covered in crisp cream linen and decorated with fresh flowers and tee light candles - with four to six chairs around them, filled the room, in which servers milled about handing out glasses of champagne.
At the far end of the room, was an open bar where most of the guests were currently situated.
Kate and Austin made their way into the ballroom and were soon offered a glass of champagne each. Then the couple roamed the room, looking for people Austin knew. They'd gotten no further than a few steps, when Ana Lynch, more famously known as Ana Matronic, from glam rock group Scissor Sister approached them.
"Hey, Austin, glad you could make it," she said, embracing the singer. "And who is this?"
Again, the singer made the introductions and Ana embraced Kate.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you," said Ana, before embracing Austin again and sauntering off.
Once again, the brunette looked slightly bewildered and a little star struck. It wasn't that she was not used to being around celebrities, heck she worked for the WWE and had been the same when she started there. It was just that now after years of employment to the company, the wrestlers had become her friends.
Noticing Kate perplexed expression, Austin leaned in and whispered, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she replied, "I'm just finding it a little overwhelming at the moment."
The singer chuckled and draped his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, how about we see what's to eat at the buffet table and then grab a seat," he suggested.
After the couple had filled their paper plates sky high with canapés, triangular cut sandwiches and other buffet food, they found available seats around one of the small tables. After a few minutes silence, during which they both ate their food and sipped on a seemingly endless supply of champagne, Austin spoke up.
"You know, Kate, I'm really sorry I acted like such a jerk when we went out for dinner," he said. "I wasn't very fair to you and for that I'm sorry."
"Forget about it, it doesn't matter now," the brunette replied, half in shock, half in gratitude. "I wasn't particularly nice to you either, so I guess we're even."
"Well, whoever was at fault, I hope we can put it behind us. I know we have a lot of history, but I hope we can be friends now," Austin said genuinely.
"Of course we can," answered Kate, with the same sincerity. "I think enough time has gone by, and I've matured enough not to let the past bother me anymore. Being friends would be great."
"That's good, because I'd hate for us to be bitter about the past for the rest of our lives," commented the singer and then changed the topic to something Kate never thought he'd bring up. "So, you and that Dave Batista, then? Is it serious?"
The sound engineer was so taken aback for a moment she didn't reply, but then found her voice. "Kind of, yeah. We've only been seeing each other for a few weeks, but I like him a lot," she admitted, finding it a little odd to be saying that to her former lover.
"Well, damn. I guess that shoots down any hope of you and me giving it another go," the singer said. Although, Kate wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. "Seriously though, I'm pleased for you, you deserve to be with someone who makes you happy."
"Thanks, Austin. Coming from you, that means a lot to me," said Kate, touched by the sentiment of his words. Instead of being suspicious, she chose to take him at his words. Maybe he had changed, just as she had.
"Just remember, if he turns out to be a jerk, my door is always open," he said facetiously.
"Oh yeah, because you haven't got a million other girls lining up to date you," the brunette teased.
"Well, there might be one or two," smirked the singer.
The sound engineer sighed and relaxed back into the chair, the friends falling into a comfortable silence. Kate was pleased that after everything that had gone on between herself and Austin, they could finally be friends and hang out together like this.
After Kate and Austin had both eaten their fill, the singer commented that he was sick of drinking champagne and that they should take advantage of the free bar provided for the party guests. As the couple waited to be served, Trent Reznor approached them again.
The raven-haired front-man on Nine Inch Nails insisted on buying tequila shots and a cocktail each for Kate and Austin. Then, he requested that they join him at the table he was sitting at with his fellow band-mates and Adam Levine, the lead singer from Maroon 5.
After getting over her initial awe at sitting with so many well known musicians, Kate soon fell into happy conversation with the men gathered around the table. As more drinks flowed, they all contently chatted about music, Austin bringing up that Kate played the piano. The guys at the table seemed entranced by the brunette and were treating her like a friend, not just some chick who'd accompanied Austin Mitchell to the party. The sound engineer revelled in the social atmosphere, finding the collection of musicians as easy to get along with as her mates in the WWE.
Finally, after a lot more alcohol was consumed, the night drew to an end. Adam Levine was the first to say good-bye to Kate, attempting to get her phone number but understanding when she explained she was dating someone. The sound engineer still gave her number to the singer, however, promising that if he was ever in town they could meet up as friends.
Then Trent Reznor said good-bye to the brunette. "It was great getting to know you, Kate," said the raven-haired man.
"Likewise, Trent," she replied embracing him.
"Here's my number," he said, handing her a business card. "For if you ever want to get into the industry, or if you feel like getting me backstage passes for Raw the next time I'm in town."
Kate laughed at his facetious comment, promising she'd see what she could do and also giving the singer her own number.
After embracing all the musicians one last time, Austin and Kate collected their coats, left the hotel and headed out to find a cab. They soon arrived at the brunette's house, and the taxi waited a few minutes as they both got out to say good-night.
"Thanks for inviting me along tonight," said Kate warmly. "I've had a really great time."
"Me too, Kate, I'm glad you agreed to come and pleased we can finally be friends."
"Yeah, it's been great," replied the brunette, as she looked for her door keys. "You know, Marissa is having a Halloween party at the weekend, you should come."
"I'd love to," answered the singer.
"Alright, well, I'll give you a call on Friday to let you know all the details. I'll warn you now though, it's a costume party, so come prepared," instructed the sound engineer.
"Oh, I will do," grinned Austin. "I'll let you get inside now. Sleep well and I'll talk to you soon."
"You too, Austin," said Kate, embracing her former flame. As the brunette made her way inside the house, and sunk down onto the couch, she sighed, pleased the night had gone so well and glad she and Austin were friends.
What she didn't know was that – despite his earlier words - the singer was still hoping there was a chance he and his ex could reconcile and was planning on making a move at Marissa's Halloween party. He had spent his whole life being turned down and he wasn't about to let Kate walk away that easily.
The following morning, Kate awoke – surprisingly without a hangover, considering how much she'd drank the previous night – and found Marissa already decorating the house for the Halloween party. The event was the next day and, as typical of the redhead, she wanted everything prepared early.
"Maddie already at school?" the brunette asked, picking up a cardboard cut-out of a ghost and attaching it to the living room door.
"Of course, it's like eleven in the morning for crying out loud," replied the video tech, sounding flustered as she couldn't get a banner of pumpkins to hang correctly.
"And how long have you been doing this?" Kate asked, gesturing around the room to where boxes of decorations and piles of balloons lay scattered haphazardly on the floor.
"Since six this morning, I only stopped to take Maddie to school," shrugged Marissa, still trying to attach the banner.
"Jeez, Cissa, you're a little eager, aren't you?" teased Kate.
"Katherine, I have to get everything perfect! The party is tomorrow;" snapped the video tech. "So, if you're not going to help, can you please just make yourself scarce?"
"Marissa, calm down. You're going to burn yourself out before the party even begins at this rate," warned the brunette. "Why don't we pop out for a few hours and grab a coffee or something? Then I can tell you all about meeting Trent Reznor last night."
The redhead flopped onto the couch and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kate, you're right I'm getting way too worked up about all this, I just want everything to be perfect, especially if everyone from work is coming," she admitted.
"No, you want everything to be perfect because John is coming," corrected the sound engineer. "And it will be. After we've grabbed some coffee, I'll help you get everything ready. It should be easier if we both do it."
"Thanks Kate, and a coffee sounds great," agreed Marissa. "So, tell me, what's all this about you meeting Trent Reznor?"
The two women quickly tided up the living room, then grabbed their purses and headed into town to find a coffee bar. After ordering a Cappuccino each, the friends sat down, and Kate began detailing her night at the party.
"So, after we got there and we're waiting in the line to hang our coats, Austin saw Trent and we went over to him. He was really nice and insisted we have a drink with him later," she explained.
"Wow! He actually invited you to have a drink with him? That is so cool," exclaimed Marissa in awe.
"Yeah, I know, and he's so friendly. Anyway, after an hour or so, we'd finished eating and headed to the bar to get some drinks. Trent was there again and insisted that he pay for our drinks and asked us to join him. It was amazing; his whole band was there, along with Adam Levine."
Marissa gasped at the singer's name – second only to John Cena, Adam Levine was highest on the redhead's crush list.
"Oh, it gets better," announced the brunette. "At the end of the night, Adam asked for my phone number and said he'd like to take me out some time."
"He never?" questioned the video tech in shock. "What did you say?"
"Well, I told him I was dating someone but would still like to hang out as friends the next time he's in town," replied the sound engineer.
"Oh, you've got to invite me, if you ever go," Marissa almost squealed.
"And what about John?" teased Kate.
"Well, I can keep my options open, can't I?" answered the redhead facetiously.
The brunette let out a chuckle. "God, what's gotten into you, Cissa? Although, I have to admit, I love your attitude change."
"Well, after everything that happened with my father and realizing I might still have a chance with John, I decided to make the most of life for once," confessed the video tech.
"Well, I'm very pleased for you. It's about time you started having some fun," encouraged the sound engineer.
"And I sure as heck intend to," laughed Marissa. "So, anyway, you were saying. What happened after Adam left?"
"Then, Trent said good-bye, and we exchanged numbers. He said if I ever wanted to get into the business, I should contact him and also joked that he wanted me to get him backstage passes to Raw," informed Kate.
"I'm sure backstage passes isn't all he wanted," teased the redhead. "It sounds like he was really into you."
"Nah, he was just being friendly was all," the brunette said, brushing off her friend's comment with a shake of her head. "Besides, I'm with Dave now and, after hanging out with Austin last night, it made me realize I really am happy with how life is."
"Why? What happened between you and Austin?" questioned the video tech.
"We hung out and had a really great time," explained the sound engineer. "I told him about seeing Dave, and he said he was really happy for me."
"That's wonderful, Kate. I'm so glad the two of you can put the past behind you and be friends. It sounds like you had a good night all round," gushed Marissa.
"I really did," agreed Kate. "But things are only going to get better. We'll get the house looking perfect, then tomorrow, you can tell John how you really feel and he'll fall into your arms. And I can tell Dave how I feel... and well...you know?"
The redhead howled with laughter, almost knocking her half finished drink over.
"Do you think will have to set some sort of rotation for who will sneak off to the bedroom first," she joked.
"Oh, Cissa! You're terrible!" laughed the brunette.
As the friends paid for their coffees and headed back to Marissa's car, the brunette's cell started ringing and a wide smile spread across her face as she saw who was calling. "It's Dave," she whispered, before answering. "Hey, how have you been?"
"Not too bad, even better now I'm home," replied the wrestler. "How about you?"
"I'm good(,) thanks. So, when did you get back home?" asked the sound engineer.
"My plane landed in the early hours of this morning and then I took a couple of hours to catch up on my sleep," answered Dave. "I was actually wondering if you're free? I'd love to catch up with you before the party tomorrow."
"Well, I did promise I'd help Marissa get the house ready, but I can check if she minds you popping over too. That is if you don't mind helping out?" asked Kate.
"Of course not, I'd love to. It'd be nice to catch up with Marissa too, and I have presents for you, her and Maddie," announced the man on the other end of the phone.
"Let me just check if it's okay," said Kate, placing her cell on her lap and then asking the redhead about Dave coming around and helping out too. When her friend nodded, Kate returned to the call. "She said its fine. What time were you planning on coming over? Because we're just heading back from the coffee house."
"Well, I've just got out of the shower, so give me an hour, say?" queried the wrestler.
"Okay, an hour sounds good," replied Kate. "Have you eaten? Because I can fix you some lunch if you want?"
"Lunch sounds great, thanks, Kate, I'm starving," answered Dave. "Well, I'll see you in an hour."
"Okay, catch you soon," returned the sound engineer, before ringing off. "You don't mind Dave coming over, do you?" she asked the redhead as she popped her cell back in her purse.
"Of course not, you guys haven't seen each other for weeks, and it's an extra pair of hands," answered Marissa with a smile. "Do you think I should ask him about John?"
"I don't see why not, they are pretty close," replied the brunette.
When the friends arrived home, Kate quickly threw together some salad as Marissa put some fish in the oven and then they began decorating the living room.
After forty-five minutes -just as the food was cooked and they'd almost finished decorating the lounge – Dave arrived, carrying a large gift bag.
"Come on in," greeted Kate, her breath catching in throat from seeing the wrestler for the first time in two weeks. His tan was even more pronounced after a fortnight in Europe, something which he'd highlighted by wearing a tight fitting white t-shirt and light blue jeans.
"It's good to see you, Kate," he replied, stepping into the hallway and pulling her into a tight hug before stealing a quick kiss. They entered the kitchen, where Marissa was just serving up lunch.
"Hey, Dave. Did you have a good time on the tour?" she asked.
"Yeah, I did thanks, although I'm glad to be home now," he answered. "How about you? Had a busy two weeks?"
"A little, but nothing ground breaking," replied the video tech. Now that she'd made the decision to come clean about her feelings to Cena and had also started thinking about getting her own place to live, Marissa didn't really feel the need to complain to her friend about everything that had happened whilst he was gone. She was happy with how her life was turning out.
The three friends chatted happily over lunch, mostly about Dave's trip and everything the wrestlers had gotten up to. When they'd finished and Kate had cleared the plates into the dish washer, they headed into the living room.
"It really looks great in here, Marissa," Dave complemented, gazing around the room, which now looked like a Halloween grotto. "What else have you got left to do?"
"Thanks. There are some decorations I wanted to put outside, you know like light up pumpkins and stuff, then there's all the food and drinks to get ready," she replied.
"Alright, well what do you want to do first? Put up the decorations or open the gifts I got you from the tour?" returned the wrestler, directing the question more towards Kate than the redhead.
"Ohhh, presents," exclaimed the brunette, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
Dave and Marissa chuckled as the dark-haired man pulled out a series of carefully wrapped packages from the bag he'd brought with him.
"This is for you, Marissa," he said, handing her a large square package wrapped in handmade red paper and tied with a gold ribbon.
The video tech gasped as she opened the gift, which was a framed print of Botticelli's Madonna and Child with an Angel.
"Oh, Dave, this is beautiful," she exclaimed, gently stroking the frame.
"Well, I remembered you liked Roman art and thought you might like it," he bashfully replied.
"I love it," she said, pulling him into a one armed hug. "Thank you so much."
The wrestler's blush grew deeper and he rummaged in his bag, pulling out a second package. "This is for Maddie," he announced, handing Marissa a second package. "It's a collector's edition Barbie doll, only available in Europe."
"Wow, Dave, this is all too much really," breathed the redhead in shock.
"You're my friends, and I wanted to get you something good from the tour," the wrestler explained. "Just make sure the little pumpkin knows Barbie isn't for playing with. If she keeps it in the box, it will be worth quite a bit in twenty years."
"I'm sure she'll understand. Her grandparents have brought her a few collectors' toys, and she has them in a case in her bedroom," replied the video tech.
As Dave pulled out another gift, Marissa announced she was gong to make them all some coffee. She figured the next present would be for Kate and that maybe Dave wanted to give it her privately.
"These are for you," said the wrestler, as the redhead disappeared into the kitchen, and presented the brunette with a wrapped present that looked like a CD and a small black jewellery box. "Jeff helped me out with the first one."
The sound engineer tore into the gift she assumed was a CD and her guess was correct. However, the cover looked as though it was handmade. She flipped it over and read the track list of songs she'd never heard before.
"When we were in Spain, some of us went to this nightclub that plays music by underground, undiscovered artists," explained Dave. "Jeff suggested to me that you might like a copy of some of the songs they played, so I contacted the nightclub owner and tracked the CD down for you."
"Oh, Dave, this is wonderful," exclaimed Kate. "One of the things I was most disappointed about missing on the tour was all the music."
"I'm pleased you like it," he replied with a broad smile.
After the sound engineer had scanned the CD's track list for a second time, her eyes fell on the small black jewellery box. "And what's this?" she asked, expectantly.
"I found this at a market stall in Greece and instantly thought of you," replied Dave, explaining nothing more about the gift.
The brunette opened the box, to reveal a gold chain with a small square pendant hanging inside. Engraved in the gleaming metal of the pendant was the figure of what appeared to be a Greek deity.
"It's Apollo," explained the wrestler bashfully. "As well as being the Olympian god of the sun, he was also the leader of the Muses and director of their choir, making him the god of music and poetry. I thought it was fitting for you."
Kate could do nothing but beam at the man sitting opposite from her. The CD was good enough on its own, but for him to have found this pendant and choose it because she reminded him of the Greek god of music was heart melting.
"So, do you like it?" the dark-haired man asked, his dark eyes full of hope and anticipation.
"I love it," Kate replied, throwing her arms around him once more and brushing his lips lightly with her own. "It's perfect."
After Kate, Dave, and Marissa had enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake each, the two women took their gifts to their rooms and then they all started with the decorating for the party again. The redhead took a pair of ladders from the garage, and Dave offered to hang some lights around the door and along the ledge of the second story. Then she and Kate began setting the other decorations across the front lawn and on the driveway.
As the wrestler secured the fairy lights just below the redhead's bedroom window, the video tech stood at the foot of the ladder and called up to him. "Hey, Dave, I was just wondering...erm...I mean... did," she mumbled, and thankfully the dark-haired man guessed what was on his friend's mind.
"You're wondering if John mentioned you at all while we were on the tour?" he finished for her, and Marissa nodded. "Yeah, he pretty much talked about you non-stop. I think he's kinda cut up about you calling things off and doesn't really understand why you wanted to end things."
"I guessed as much," sighed the redhead. "Did he tell you he called saying he still wanted to come to the party and that I replied saying I'd love him to come?"
"Yeah, he told me that too. I think he's hoping if he can talk to you face to face, away from work and everything, that you might change your mind, or at least explain to him why you decided to end it," confessed Dave.
"Really?" questioned Marissa, a small bubble of hope forming in her stomach. "Because, well, the thing is, I haven't exactly been honest with him about the reason why I wanted to stop seeing him. Maryse said some things, and then I had a fight with my father, and everything got really messy. I know I should have told him the truth to begin with but after everything that happened, I thought it might be too late."
The wrestler smiled knowingly, having gotten some of the story from Kate and working the rest out for himself. Because he'd known Marissa for so long, he knew about the insecurities she had and how her father's opinion always made them worse.
"Listen, Marissa," he began. "John likes you a lot. Okay, so he was shocked to discover you had a daughter at first, but now he doesn't care about any of that. He's gotten to know you and, understandably, he was crushed when you ended it. He doesn't get this close to the girls he dates. I think if you explain everything that happened, and confess how you were really feeling, he'd love you guys to get back together."
"That's what I was hoping you'd say. Thanks, Dave," beamed the redhead. "I'll talk to him tomorrow at the party."
The wrestler nodded approvingly as Marissa walked back down the driveways and began whispering with Kate.
When they'd all finished decorating the front garden, Marissa announced that she had to collect Maddie from school. Kate and Dave said they weren't sure what they were going to do but would leave a note for her if they decided to go out. As the redhead pulled away in her car, Kate and Dave returned inside the house.
"Thanks again for the gifts," the brunette said, wrapping her arms around the wrestler's waist.
"It's was my pleasure," he replied, planting a light kiss on her lips. "So, what did you get up to while I was on the tour?"
"Nothing much. I sorted out the alcohol for the party and caught up with some old friends," replied the brunette as they settled on the couch in the living room. Xerxes immediately jumped up besides them, and the sound engineer had to push the huge dog back down to the floor to give herself and Dave some space. Between the big ass dog, the big ass wrestler, and, well, just her big ass, there wasn't all that much room on the sofa.
"Did you end up going to that party with Austin?" the wrestler asked, a slight hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Yeah, it was last night actually," she informed him, and Dave raised his eyebrows suspiciously. "We had a good time, and I met a load of celebrities. It was good though, because it helped me realize I don't feel anything for him and more, but we can still get along as friends."
The wrestler nodded, wondering if that's how the singer felt too as the text message he shouldn't have seen came to mind. "I'm pleased you had a good time," he said. "So, tell me, who did you meet?"
The brunette launched into the story of joining Trent Reznor and Adam Levine for drinks to which Dave chuckled, imagining himself in a room full of famous musicians.
"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" he asked when Kate had finished her story. "We could go out if you wanted?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. How about we go and grab some dinner at that restaurant, Lillie's, I think it's called, on New Hampshire Avenue?" Kate suggested.
"Okay," replied Dave. "Do you want to head out soon or should I come and collect you in an hour, say?"
"Erm, we could go now if you wanted?" asked the brunette, not really wanting to leave the wrestler's company, even if it was just for an hour. "Let me just get changed and then we can go."
"Alright," agreed the dark-haired man as Kate rose from the couch and headed upstairs.
Fifteen minutes later, the brunette returned, dressed in a brown flowing skirt, and cream peasant blouse. She'd left her hair down and curly, the pendant Dave had brought her around her neck.
"That looks great on you," said the wrestler, gently fingering the necklace.
"Thanks," she replied, with a warm smile. "I thought it went really well with this outfit."
Dave agreed, and then the couple left a note for Marissa telling her they'd gone out for dinner and that if they didn't see her before she went to bed, they'd see her tomorrow morning before Maddie's party began. After making sure the house was all locked up, Kate and Dave got into his car and drove across town to New Hampshire Avenue.
After the couple had enjoyed a pleasant meal at Lillie's, they went across town to Dave's apartment and hung out for a few hours, mostly just listening to music and watching a film. The wrestler was the perfect gentleman, and didn't push Kate into anything physical. Something the brunette intended changing the following night at the party.
At around midnight, Dave drove Kate home and said that he would give Cena a call in the morning and then both of them would be around for Maddie's party at about lunchtime.
The sound engineer entered the house to find it all locked up for the night, and a note from Marissa reminding her to let Xerxes out to use to toilet before she went to bed.
After walking the St. Bernard around the garden, Kate returned inside, checked the back door was locked and then headed up to bed.
As the brunette snuggled under the covers, a grin spread across her face, as she thought about everything that had happened between herself and Dave that day.