After their shower together, Stu offered to take Rhonda to a later breakfast before they went back to the hotel. Neither one of them was looking forward to saying goodbye, but they were both putting up a front. He drove them to IHOP and it was all she could do to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl. She could honestly say she had never had a man that was more of a gentleman than Stu was. He opened her door, pulled out her chair, even kissed her hand. He made her heart quiver and she knew no matter what happened between them, from this moment forward, every man she would be comparing to him.

After their breakfast, he drove them back to the hotel. He parked next to her car, not really wanting this to be how he said goodbye, but he didn't want to cause problems for her. He stood outside the car and put his arms around her. "Okay love, I am going to head in so I can check out. I had a wonderful few days with you. I will call you later, I promise." She looked up at him and smiled, and he quickly pecked her lips.

"I look forward to hearing from you Stu. Be safe." She swiftly climbed into her car, before he saw the tears starting to creep up. She waved goodbye and drove off. He shook his head and walked into the hotel. He made his way up to his room, catching Stephen in the hallway.

"Hey mate, yeh just getting back?"

"Yeah."

"What's the matter with…aye, you just said yer farewell to that lass didn't yeh?"

"Yeah, she just headed back home."

"Yeh certainly have it bad for her don't ya? Look fella, yeh will see her again. Chin up yeah?"

"You're right. I suppose I do. I never expected to meet a woman like her out of the blue like that. I have never been that brash before, and I can't believe how well it turned out. I knew there was something about her the moment I met her."

Stephen started laughing "you definitely surprise me mate. Good on ya."

"Not really. She told me last night that she wasn't the jealous type and that she had no claim to me. She knows I am on the road a lot and I guess she doesn't want to make any kind of commitment to me, not as if I can blame her. I can't really ask her to wait around for me."

"Do yeh not just think she was saying that to make ya feel better?"

"I don't know Ste. I know she likes me, but maybe she doesn't trust me. Or she doesn't want to be tied down to a man who is always gone."

Stu went up to his room and got his things together and checked out. He met up with Stephen and Drew in the lobby so they could catch their flight to Chicago together.

Early that afternoon, Rhonda received a call from her manager asking her to come in early for a meeting. She hoped that she wasn't in trouble but she had a bad feeling about it. She got dressed and headed back downtown to the Q. She walked into the office and the manager was waiting for her. "Have a seat please Ms. Landry."

Rhonda sat down and waited for the bad news she felt was coming. "The reason that we asked you to come in is we've had some disturbing information brought to our attention."

"And what would that be, sir?"

"Please don't be coy with me, Ms. Landry. Maybe the security footage will refresh your memory."

Rhonda started to panic. She didn't realize they had installed new security cameras. She was aware that they have them up outside and in the lobby, but not in the hallways. They rolled in the TV with the VCR and started to play the tape. Rhonda watched in shock as it clearly showed her getting off the elevator and entering Stu's room. They time lapsed the footage showed her leaving his room, several hours later. They then showed her the next two days of her returning to his room. Rhonda was left speechless.

"So what you have to say for yourself?"

Rhonda really didn't know what to say. She decided that she should just tell the truth. As she had told herself before, there are other jobs, but there is only one Stu Bennett. "Well, Mr. Namburi, I can't deny what is right there on the screen. I know I shouldn't have been fraternizing with a guest. But things are not as simple as they seem. It wasn't just a one-time thing, and he and I became really good friends. I care about him a great deal, and even though it wasn't professional of me, I wouldn't change it."

"Whatever the case may be, you knew what the consequences would be if you got caught. And you did it anyway. You know that we have a zero tolerance policy. This is a hotel, not a brothel. We can't have our employees whoring themselves out to our guests. So you leave me no choice..."

Rhonda had decided long ago, before he fired her, she would quit. She was determined that he would not get the satisfaction of firing her. She was now pissed off at him insinuating that she was a whore. She quickly stood up and was going to give him a piece of her mind before she left. She interrupted him "you listen to me you third world 7-11 reject, I am not a whore. I don't sleep around and this is the only time something like this ever happened. I really have feelings for this man but I wouldn't expect a ugly, bald headed, crooked teeth mother fucker like you that probably ain't gotten laid since 1985 to understand that anyway. You can take this whole backwards operation and shove it straight up your wahwah ass. Fuck you and your fucking curry breath. I quit." He stood there in stunned silence as she went to leave. She opened the door, but then she turned "oh and by the way BLALALA to you too. Asshole." She walked out and slammed the door, going to the break room to clean out her locker. She packed her things and headed out the front door for the last time.

Rhonda was fuming when she got into her car and sped off. She was cursing under her breath the whole time and so mad that she was shaking. She wanted to call Stu right then, but decided that she would wait until she calmed down, figuring he was still traveling anyway. She called her sister on the way, needing to vent. She still couldn't believe that she just quit her job. If she was thinking more clearly, she might have been worried, but for now, she was still to angry.

She made it home and called a couple of her friends, feeling the need to tell them what had went down. She called and left Stu a voice mail telling him she needed to talk to him. A couple of hours later, she got a text from Stu that he had landed and he would call as soon as he could. He was worried so Stephen said he would drive. Drew was concerned for her as well.

"What is going on with Rhonda mate?" Drew asked him.

"I don't know but she said she needed to talk to me. In her voice mail she sounded upset."

"Ah wonder what is wrong?"

"Me too. I hate hearing the distress in her voice."

They climbed in the car and Stu dialed her number. She was waiting for his call. "Hello love. What is the matter?"

"I had to quit my job."

Stu was taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Apparently they installed new security cameras that I didn't know about, and they caught all the times I came to see you on tape. He was going to fire me but I wasn't giving him the pleasure of terminating me. So I quit. Besides, it will look better when I apply for another job."

"Rhonda, love, I am so sorry. It is all my fault. I didn't mean to get you into trouble. Please forgive me." Stephen glanced over at him and shook his head.

"Tell the lass Ah am sorry as well for my part." Drew sat there quietly, accepting some of the blame on his shoulders as well.

"Stu, please don't apologize. I don't regret it and I wouldn't change it." She wanted to tell him he meant more to her than that job ever had, but she refrained.

He felt his cheeks beginning to flush. He was proud that she wasn't upset with him, but even more so that she didn't regret meeting him and making love. "Neither would I. So what are you going to do now?" Stephen looked at his friend and smiled. He couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but he could gather what Rhonda was saying from watching Stu.

"Well, I can get a job anywhere really. I have enough experience, so it shouldn't be a problem. Just pissed me off the way he talked to me, like I was prostituting myself out to all the men that came in the hotel."

"I can understand why you quit sweetheart. He shouldn't have spoken to you like that and had I been there, he would be sipping his dinner through a straw for a while for disrespecting you."

Rhonda was a little surprised and more than a little turned on by Stu's confession. She had to admit, a man being so protective of her aroused something deep inside. "That is sweet of you Stu. Thank you."

"I hate to cut this short, but we are here and we need to get unloaded so we can head to the arena. I enjoyed every moment I spent with you, but it did make me cut it kind of close. I will call you after the show love. "

"Okay Stu, good luck tonight. I hope you win. I will be watching."

"Thanks. I will try. Talk to you later. Bye."

They took their bags up to their room and headed to the arena for the Royal Rumble. They already knew who was supposed to win, but they didn't share that with Rhonda. They wanted her to be surprised. She decided that since she suddenly had all this free time on her hands, she would try and get tickets to RAW for the next day. She saw they were going to be in Milwaukee and thought of no better way to spend some of her savings than on a plane ticket to see her man. Her heart ached when she thought of him leaving and fluttered at the thought of seeing him again. She booked her flight and purchased her tickets. She ordered some pizza and posted up on her couch to watch him in action.

She watched all the matches, but when Stu came down the ramp, her eyes were glued to only him. She wanted so much for him to win, for him to get the championship shot he deserved, so she was praying that he would be the one victorious. As the match went on, she watched intently, disappointed when he was throw over the top rope and eliminated. She was excited for Stephen but felt like Stu had been short changed.

When he called later, she told him to congratulate Ste for her, and she told him she wished he had won. "I know love, one day soon my time will come. I just know it."

They stayed up late talking until Rhonda starting yawning. Stu was a chronic insomniac, but he told her to get some rest. "We can talk more tomorrow love."

"Um, where are you headed?" She wanted to make sure he was going to be at the RAW show.

"Oh, we are flying out to Milwaukee in a few hours."

"Sounds fun. Okay, you be careful and I will talk to you later." She smiled cheekily to herself 'Yeah, we will do more than talk I hope.'

"I will love. You get some rest. Dream of me" he told her with a laugh.

"You know I will" she chuckled back. "Goodnight Stu."

She hung up the phone and packed her bag. She set her alarm and giggled to herself. 'In a few hours, you won't just be in my dreams Stuart.'

After she hung up, Stu went and knocked on Stephen's door. "What's the matter mate? It's late. Come in."

"I am not sure I can do this Ste."

"What?"

"Act like we are just friends. She was telling me about one of her ex-coworkers inviting her out to the club to cheer her up. I want her to have a good time but I can't stomach the thought of another man kissing her, making love to her. I am a selfish asshole. I want her to open up to me and feel she can tell me anything, but I swear, I am not sure I could keep myself from beating some bloke to death if he was making out with my girl. Damn it, she isn't even my girl. I'm going mental here" he said with a frustrated sigh.

"Then yeh are gonna have to grow a pair and tell the lass."

"I can't mate. What if she gets angry at me and thinks I am some jealous, possessive jackass?"

"Aren't ya?" Stephen asked laughing.

Stu scowled at him, then thought about it "No. I'm not a jackass."

A/N I know the Royal Rumble wasn't in Chicago, but I am taking creative license!