Okay, sorry it took a little while for the update..Here it is! I've got Wednesday off so there should be another one before the day is done, as always Read, Enjoy, & Review!
Chapter 19...
Raquel forced a smile across the table at Victor as he spoke. She was amazed. He had such potential. He was absolutely gorgeous with his chiseled features and piercing eyes. He was just the type she wanted; handsome, successful, and intelligent. And yet he had to be the most boring person she could ever remember spending time with. She poked at her pasta with her fork, trying to remember what he was talking about. All she's heard about since they got into the car to come to the restaurant was work. He'd talked about contracts, figures, and files. Nothing more. She'd tried to pay attention at first. She really had but now she hadn't heard anything he said in about 5 minutes and either he hadn't noticed her disinterest or he didn't care. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
She sighed, looking around the restaurant. Her friends were spread out around a few different tables. She looked for her sisters, spotting them rather quickly. Brianna was sitting at a table with John, Maria, Trish, Shelton, and Randy. Gia was sitting in a booth with Brian, Andrew, and Paul London. Both of them looked like they were having fun. She wished she could say the same for herself. Suddenly, she found herself wondering where Jeff was. She remembered the strange look on his face when he met Victor. It didn't make sense. She and Jeff had gone out of their way to show their dislike for each other for months. So why did he look so…She shook her head a little. Her boredom was making her mind wander to strange places. She hated Jeff, Jeff hated her. That's how things were meant to be. She looked back to Victor, who was still talking, occasionally taking a break to drink some of his water. This definitely wasn't how she expected her night to go.
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"Hey," Matt walked over to his brother, drink in hand. "Raquel's over there. We should go say 'hi'."
Jeff looked up from his own drink, "Why would I want to do that?"
Matt rolled his eyes, "Just come on."
Jeff wasn't in the mood to argue so he followed his brother over to the table where Raquel and her new little boyfriend were sitting. She was absently pushing her pasta around her plate and he seemed to be talking about something that she wasn't terribly interested in. If he was so boring, why was she there with him?
"Hey guys," Matt smiled.
"Hi Matt," Raquel smiled. She looked at Jeff for a second but didn't say anything.
Victor offered a quick wave.
Jeff nodded to Raquel, then to her companion, "Vic."
"Victor," he corrected.
Jeff shrugged, "Whatever."
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Jeff was looking around, wondering why Matt had dragged him over here. Victor was looking up at them as if they'd interrupted something important. Matt's eyes were on Raquel and Raquel was just looking down at her food again.
"So Victor," Matt spoke up. "What did you think of our little Rocky's debut tonight?"
Raquel looked up, smiling.
"Actually I didn't see it," Victor answered.
Raquel's pleased expression turned to a look of surprise.
Victor shrugged, "I wanted to but I had some work to do."
Raquel was obviously displeased and Jeff couldn't help but be amused. She'd chosen to hang out with this guy instead of her friends.
"You know, if you wanna get in her pants, you might wanna get better at sucking up," Jeff suggested. "Raquel likes to know you're paying attention to her every second of every day."
Raquel and Victor both looked offended.
She stared at him, "What is your problem?"
"I don't have one," Jeff answered. "I was just trying to help Vic out."
"Victor," the attorney corrected him again.
Jeff rolled his eyes, "Same thing."
"You know, maybe we should go see how everyone else is doing," Matt suggested.
Jeff shrugged.
Matt turned and walked away from the table and Jeff followed, knowing his older brother was annoyed with him. He didn't see why though. He didn't do anything wrong.
Once they were far enough away, Matt turned to him, annoyed, "Why did you just act like that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jeff insisted. "I acted normal."
Matt shook his head, "Whatever."
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Brianna laughed as Maria told a story about the time Shelton and John pulled a prank on her.
"That's horrible," Brianna laughed, hitting John on the leg.
"At least we can all laugh about it now," Shelton said.
"I never wanna see either of you in my bikinis ever again," Maria pointed.
"I'm not makin' any promises," John laughed.
Maria smirked, noting the body language displayed by John and her newfound friend. They'd all finished eating so they were just sitting around comfortably. John had his right arm over the back of Brianna's chair and she was turned slightly toward him in her seat, her legs touching his. He'd turned the hat he gave her sideways on her head. Occasionally he looked over at her, smiling, obviously amused that she was still covered in his gear. John never looked this relaxed around Paula. He just wasn't himself in general when she was around. He had been at first but for a while now, he usually just seemed tense and annoyed when she was around. Typically, they ended up going back to the hotel earlier than everyone else because of Paula complaining about something.
"So," Maria smiled. "Have you decided what you're gonna do about Brooke's performance yet?"
"Not yet," Brianna admitted.
"Why not?" Shelton asked.
"I have a lot going on right now," she explained. "I mean, I have the show, plus the VMAs are in August and I'm already starting to get calls about performances..I'm not sure I can take more on right now."
Shelton nodded, "Yeah, that's understandable."
Maria lightly kicked Shelton's leg.
"Ouch," he looked over at her, confused.
"You should just tell her you cant do it then," Randy suggested. Maria would have kicked him too but he was too far away. And knowing Randy, he would kick her back.
"I'm thinking about just choreographing the steps and then having my assistant Rob help Brooke with the performance," Brianna said. "I mean, it'd be a good opportunity for him to develop a relationship with a client."
"But Brooke wants you," John said.
Maria nodded in agreement.
"Rob's great," Brianna shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. "And it would be my choreography, just Rob helping her with the execution and all that."
"But I think she really has her heart set on working with you," John said.
"I know," Brianna sighed. "I told her I'd let her know tomorrow so I've got a bit more time to think about it."
"Well I vote you take the job and hang out with us for a few weeks," Maria suggested. "But that's just me."
John smiled at her, "Me too."
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Brianna finished her drink, trying to hide her smile. She was enjoying the way John was looking at her but she didn't want anyone to know. It seemed her every move was being analyzed lately. She looked over at him and his expression had changed. He was staring suspiciously at something over Shelton's shoulder. Brianna sighed when she saw what he was looking at. Brian and Gia.
"Will you stop?" she laughed.
"Look at how they're sitting," John said. "He's obviously hitting on her."
"How is he hitting on her by the way he's sitting?" Brianna asked.
"They're sitting the same way you two are sitting," Shelton pointed out.
"No, this is completely different," John insisted.
"Doesn't look that different to me," Maria smirked.
"It's different," Brianna spoke up.
"See?" John said.
Nobody dared argue with him. He perked up a little when Brian got up from their table, walking in their direction, presumably toward the bathroom, which wasn't far behind them.
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Brian smiled, walking away from the table. He was having a great time getting to know Gia. She was amazing. She was incredibly intelligent but not in a superior, egotistical way. She was funny. And she had the cutest laugh. She'd asked him a lot of questions so it seemed like she was as interested in him as he was in her. The only problem was John. He was a really cool guy but he had warned everyone to stay away from Gia and Brian wasn't sure how he would react to him going against that.
"Hey Brian!"
Speak of the Devil…
John was sitting with Maria, Shelton, Randy, and Brianna. The bigger man smiled, waving him over. Brian didn't really get scared, even when someone bigger posed a threat to him. And he and John were friends. But there was something about this that made him a little nervous.
Brian hesitantly walked over to the table.
"I just wanna talk to you for a second, I wont keep you long," John smiled his easygoing smile.
"Okay," Brian nodded.
"Come here," John motioned for him to lean down. "I wanna make sure you hear this clearly."
Brian leaned down, tentative. With good reason. Just as he got close, John grabbed the front of his shirt, roughly pulling him down further so that they're face to face.
"Listen to me Brian," John said, his tone very serious. "I want you to understand something..If you ever, ever do anything to hurt Gia…I will kill you and bury you where no one will find you…Got it?"
Brian nodded, just wanting John to let him go. He did and Brian stood up quickly.
John smiled, patting him on the back, "You have a good night."
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Brianna stared after poor Brian, then turned to John. He had quite a satisfied little smirk on his face. She reached out, smacking him hard upside his head.
"What the hell?" he looked over at her.
"Didn't I ask you not to try and scare Brian?" she asked.
"I wasn't being scary," John shrugged. "I was just havin' a little fun with him."
"He looked like he was gonna piss his pants," Brianna said, trying not to laugh. It wasn't funny…well, not really funny.
John shrugged, "That's not my fault."
She didn't want to smile but something about the glint in his blue eyes made that impossible, "What am I gonna do with you?"
He smiled in response to her question and Brianna prayed someone started talking soon before she did something reckless.
She heard a wind chime coming from her purse. Not a second later, she heard the first few seconds of Eminem's 'Shake That' coming from Maria's bag.
The two women looked at each other and then pulled out their phones.
Brianna flipped hers open, seeing she had a text from Raquel.
Help Me. Now.
She held up her phone, showing Maria the message.
"I got the same thing," Maria nodded.
Maria sighed, as they both stood up, "Excuse us gentlemen."
"Where you goin'?" John asked.
"I think we have a little search and seizure mission," Brianna said. "We'll be back."
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Raquel could barely suppress a sigh of relief when Brianna, Trish, and Maria walked toward her table.
"Hey there," Trish smiled.
Maria and Brianna both waved.
"We haven't met yet," Brianna extended her hand to Victor. "I'm Raquel's sister Brianna."
"Nice to meet you," he smiled, shaking her hand. "Victor Allen."
"You guys mind if we join you?" Maria asked.
Raquel tried not to seem too eager. She shrugged, "Sure, why not?"
"Wonderful," Trish smiled as each of them pulled up a chair. "So..what's up?"
Later…
Brianna felt herself dozing off as Victor talked. She was resting her chin in her hand not bothering to focus on whatever it was he was talking about. She could see why Raquel had them come over. Hanging out with Victor was about as entertaining as watching paint dry.
At least paint fumes make you a little loopy
They'd all tried to liven things up. Maria, Trish, Brianna, and Raquel had all told entertaining stories, joked and made fun of each other and the entire time, though they tried to pull him into the conversation, Victor was quiet. Then, Brianna made the mistake of encouraging Victor to tell them more about himself. He'd told one story about a prank he and some friends pulled in college that wasn't even remotely funny and now he was talking about work.
Brianna could understand a person loving what they do. She did and most of the people she knew felt the same way but damn, she didn't talk about dance every second of every day. She looked over at Maria who looked just as bored and tired as she did. She was looking down at her nails and then back up at Victor. Then she rolled her eyes, looking down at her nails again. Brianna turned, looking at Trish. At a glance, with the small smile on her face, Trish seemed to be the most interested in Victor's babbling but anyone who was paying attention could see that she'd had the same expression for about 10 minutes and she wasn't really looking at Victor. Her gaze was focused just slightly behind him. She wasn't looking at anything in particular, she was probably just dreaming about being anywhere but there. Raquel was still pushing pasta around her plate. The waitress had asked her at least three times if she wanted a box for it but each time she said no. She probably needed it around to keep herself awake.
"I need to go um..powder my nose," Brianna stood up, stifling a yawn.
"Me too," Maria stood quickly, "Raquel, Trish, you coming?"
Raquel pulled her purse up onto her shoulder, "Sure."
Trish was still staring into space.
"Trish, honey," Brianna said quietly, leaning down next to the blonde.
"Hmm?" Trish snapped out of it.
"Powder room?" Brianna smiled.
"Oh," Trish stood. "Yeah, let's go."
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"So you went over there and acted like a total asshole?" John finished his drink.
"I wasn't an asshole," Jeff said.
"Of course not," John smirked. "'Cause it's never you."
Jeff frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, not every altercation between you and Raquel is her fault," John said.
"Yes it is," Jeff insisted. "She's a crazy little egomaniac."
John laughed, "This is true, but she's not the only one with an ego."
"What?"
"Dude, everyone has an ego to some extent," John said. "Even you."
"It's nothing like hers," Jeff insisted.
"But it's there," John said. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe a part of the problem between you two is your ego?"
Jeff rolled his eyes.
"Seriously," John said. "Yes, Raquel started to hate you because you didn't call her after you two had sex but she's admitted that. She knows it isn't the most rational thing in the world but that's just the way her mind works and she's honest about it."
"Your point?"
"Why don't you admit that a part of you dislikes the fact that she didn't call you?" John questioned.
Jeff didn't answer for a second.
John smiled.
Jeff shook his head, "You're way off."
"I don't think I am," John said. "I mean, come on, you're used to girls falling all over you and she didn't…you cant expect me to believe it doesn't bug you, at least a little, that she wasn't acting like the others."
John could tell from the look on his friend's face that he'd struck a chord but he knew Jeff would never admit it. John smiled, that was okay though, he was fine with the satisfaction of knowing that he was right.
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"Seriously..my grandma is more entertaining than that guy," Maria pointed as the girls entered the bathroom. Trish locked the door behind them.
"Guys, I'm a little concerned," Brianna said, trying not to laugh. "I really don't think he has a life."
"You've got yourself a winner there Raquel," Trish put an arm over Raquel's shoulders.
"I think I fell asleep for a good five minutes before you got there," Raquel sighed. "How can someone that attractive be that…-"
"Depressing?" Maria suggested. "He really brought my whole night down."
"Mine too," Brianna laughed.
"Can we ditch him?" Maria asked.
"No we cant ditch him," Trish laughed.
"We cant?" Raquel laughed.
"Trish is right," Brianna said. "There's gotta be something we can do though..I don't feel right leaving my sister alone with him."
"You better not," Raquel said.
"I vote we just leave him here," Maria said.
Brianna smiled, unlocking the door and holding it open, "I think I have an idea. If this fails, then he truly is the most boring man on Earth."
"Is that really in question?" Raquel laughed, walking out.
Brianna and Trish followed. Everyone made their way back to Victor but Brianna took a quick detour, walking up behind John, putting her hands on his shoulders, leaning down a little, "I need your help Cena."
He looked up, "Help with what?"
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½ Hour Later…
Brianna looked over at John as he parked the car in front of the hotel. He still refused to let her drive, even though she was just supposed to be dropping him off at the hotel.
"I cant believe even you couldn't make that guy tolerable," she laughed as they got out of the car.
Brianna had figured that bringing John and a few other guys over to talk to Victor might make him more comfortable but he ended up just bringing everybody down. Eventually Raquel just sent out a text saying 'I give up, Let's ditch' and they all made some excuse to leave.
"Yeah that was pretty sad," John laughed, gently placing his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the lot in the direction of the side entrance. Brianna was a little surprised at the gesture but she didn't mind. She just enjoyed being close to him. She knew she should really move away but she really didn't have the drive.
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"So," John lightly moved his thumb on her back as they walked. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Kelis' shoot starts tomorrow," Brianna answered. "I've gotta be up bright and early."
"That should be fun," John looked down at his watch, seeing how late it was.
She nodded, "Brooke is supposed to come to the set on Wednesday..You should come too."
He smiled down at her, "You want me to come watch you work?"
"It's only fair," she shrugged. "I came to watch you work tonight."
"You're right," he agreed. "I'll try to get there."
"You better," she nudged him with her shoulder.
"Or what?" He stopped as they reached the door.
She stood in front of him, "Or I'll be forced to mess you up."
"Ooh, I'm scared," he wiggled his fingers in front of her face.
"You should be," she laughed. "I'm vicious."
Before she could say anything else, she yawned, a tiny squeak escaping her.
"Oh yeah," he laughed. "That's vicious."
She smiled sleepily, "I know."
A breeze blew by and she shivered slightly. Instinctively, he reached forward, running his hand up and down her arm. He was having difficulty keeping his distance from her. He couldn't stop touching her. He'd used every excuse he could all day. He told himself to stop but knowing he should stop and actually stopping were two very, very different things.
"You better get on the road before it gets too late," he said. He didn't want her to leave but it was very late and he didn't want her falling asleep on the job the next day.
"You're right," she nodded, looking almost as reluctant to leave as he was to let her go.
"You better call me when you get there so I know you're safe," he ordered.
"John, the hotel's like 15 minutes away," she laughed. "I think I can make it."
"I don't care," John said. "You still better call."
"Fine, fine," she relented. "I'll call the second I park in the lot."
"Thank you," he said, pulling her into a hug.
She wrapped her arms around him and he squeezed her tightly, rubbing her back. After a few seconds, he leaned back, looking down at her. He wished he could just freeze that moment in time. Just to keep her that close to him for as long as he wanted. He leaned back a little, looking down at her. It was hard to maintain his control when he could feel every part of her against him, when he realized that all he had to do was lean down, just a little, and he could take her lips with his. She wasn't pulling away. Maybe a part of her wanted the same thing he did.
Or maybe she's not pulling away because you're holding on to her, Genius
John realized that it was probably time to let her go and he did, taking a small step back, "You should uh..you should get going."
"Yeah," she nodded. "Nick called a few times while we were out. I should call him back before I go to bed."
John felt strangely empty at the mention of her fiancé. Whenever he started to feel like there might actually be something there, Nick came up.
She yawned again and when her hand covered her mouth, her engagement ring caught his eye. It was like a huge red, flashing sign that said 'Move on Loser'. All night, everything he'd taken as flirting, the little touches, the glances, giggles and smiles, that wasn't her being interested in him, that was just Brianna being Brianna. She was an affectionate person. Those things weren't just for him. She was treating him the way she would any other friend. He needed to just accept that she was planning on marrying someone else.
She reached up, giving him a light kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you later."
"Yeah," he nodded, watching as she started to walk away. "See you later."
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Jeff leaned against the wall waiting for the elevator. Someone really needed to talk to the front desk about it. The damn thing seemed to take an hour every time Jeff needed to get from one floor to another. The lobby was empty save for the clerk behind the front desk and the silence was making Jeff even more tired. He pressed the button again, losing his patience. He just wanted to go to his room and go to sleep. He heard heels clicking behind him and felt a sense of dread, knowing who it was without even turning around. Raquel walked around him, pressing the button and then crossing her arms, making a point not to look at him. He sighed, not in the mood. They stood there for a full minute, neither of them saying a word. She would press the button, then he would press it. They went back and forth until finally she turned toward him glaring, "What is your problem?"
"What's your problem?" he replied.
"You know, I'm used to you being an asshole, I get it, that's your thing," she said. "But what the hell was that earlier?"
Jeff shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."
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"Yes you do," Raquel pointed, frustrated. Even though Victor had been one of the worst dates she'd ever had, she still didn't appreciate the way Jeff treated him. It was completely rude and unnecessary.
"It was nothing," he said.
"So nothing made you act like a jackass to a total stranger?" she asked.
"Pretty much," Jeff shrugged again. She hated his nonchalant, unaffected little shrug. It made her want to slap him.
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The elevator opened and Jeff stepped on, turning and leaning against the wall. Raquel didn't move right away. She stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed and Jeff was tempted to leave her there to show her he didn't like her bratty little attitude but he knew she wouldn't get it to come back for quite a while so he reluctantly stepped forward, pushing the Open Door button, "Will you just get on the damn elevator?"
She looked surprised and angry.
"They've been running like molasses all day," he said. "You'll be waiting here forever."
"Why the hell do you care?" she glared.
Jeff rolled his eyes, "I don't."
He let go of the button and she looked shocked for a split second, then she jumped on the elevator before the doors closed. They took opposite corners like boxers ready to strike at the sound of the bell. He could feel that she was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye and the last thing he wanted to do was give her the satisfaction of returning the gesture. It was much better to just ignore her. It drove her crazy.
He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard a loud bang.
She jumped, squeaking as the lights above them flashed. The elevator began a very shaky ride up and Jeff looked over, seeing Raquel holding on to the railing behind her. She had such a tight grasp her knuckles were almost white.
"What the hell is going on?" she looked over at him, her voice wavering.
"How would I know?" he said, growing a little nervous himself.
She was about to respond when the elevator lurched downward then stopped completely, each one of the lights going out.
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Raquel could feel herself beginning to panic.
"What happened?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"I don't know," Jeff said.
Raquel felt like she'd suddenly gone blind. The entire car was pitch black.
"I cant see anything," she said.
"That's because the lights went out," Jeff said dryly.
"Go to hell," she snipped.
"Your eyes will adjust, just give it a minute," he said.
She leaned against the wall, trying to take his advice but it was difficult.
She heard him pick up the emergency phone.
"Hello?…Hello?"
He hung it up roughly, "No one there."
"Oh that's just great," she said, feeling her chest grow tight. "What the hell is the point of an emergency phone if no one responds when you have an emergency?"
Raquel started banging on the nearest wall, "Help! Somebody help us, we're stuck! Help!"
After a few minutes, she realized that she was the only one yelling. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and she turned, seeing Jeff's outline. He was sitting on the floor.
"What are you doing?" she asked angrily.
"It's obvious that no one can hear you," Jeff said. "There's no point in wasting the energy…You might as well take a seat..we're gonna be here for a while."
"I don't want to take a seat," she sneered. " "I wanna get the hell out of here."
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Brianna flopped down on the bed, setting her IPod down beside her as she turned the TV on. When she got back to the bungalow, she changed into a pair of purple shorts and socks and put in her headphones, preparing for the shoot the next day, running through the movements in her head. She looked down, smiling at her John Cena shirt. She laughed, recalling how enthusiastic John had been about her wearing it. He really had the most adorable smile she'd ever seen. She looked over at the clock, wondering what he was doing, if he was sleeping, if he was up like she was..thinking about her the way she was thinking about him. She shook her head, he was probably with Paula. His girlfriend. Try as she might, Brianna couldn't forget about her. He was committed to her. And she was committed to Nick.
"Shit!" She remembered that she needed to call Nick back. She wanted to have this issue resolved before she went to sleep. She didn't want to talk to him after their earlier conversation but she didn't have much of a choice. She picked up her phone, quickly dialing the number.
"Hello?"
"Hi," she said quietly.
"Maya's asleep," Nick said, his voice cold.
"I would assume so," she said.
"Well I just figured that was who you were calling to talk to," Nick said, annoyed. "Since she's the only one here that you care about."
"That is not true," Brianna insisted.
"It's not?" he laughed bitterly. "Since when? I've been calling you all god damn day and you haven't bothered to answer."
"How can you blame me after the way you talked to me earlier?" she asked, growing angry herself.
"Is that why you didn't answer or were you just too busy for me?" he asked.
"Nick you know damn well why I didn't answer," she said. "You hurt me earlier."
"How?" he asked, getting loud. "I was just telling the truth. You were way out of line yelling at me because of what I decided for Maya."
"Are you kidding me?" she said, amazed that he still couldn't see her point. It also amazed her that he could blame all of this on her. He made his being hurtful her fault.
"I was just telling the truth Brianna," he said. "You are not Maya's mother…If that hurts you're feelings, it's not my fault."
Brianna felt tears spring to her eyes. Not because he said she wasn't Maya's mother. She knew that. She was fine with that. But she was the person that had cared for Maya from the day she met her. She did everything for her. She took care of her more than anyone else. She didn't want to be her mother. But the way he talked to her, the tone of voice, the things he said, made her feel like he didn't appreciate a thing that she did. Like she was somehow obligated to provide for her, just because he said so. She knew that Maya appreciated her but it was becoming obvious that Nick didn't and that hurt her. A lot. And he didn't care. He didn't feel the least bit guilty.
She sighed, too tired to fight with him. It was useless. He wasn't going to feel bad and she was just going to feel worse and she had to work.
"Listen, I didn't call to talk about this," she said, wiping her thumb under her eyes.
"Then what did you call for?" he asked.
She took a deep breath and explained Brooke's offer to him and what it would entail. He was quiet while she spoke but once she finished, he took a deep breath then decisively said, "No."
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Raquel heard Jeff hang up the emergency phone and take a deep breath. Her feet were starting to hurt because of her heels and she really needed some good news.
"You might wanna sit down now," Jeff said.
"Why?" she asked, anxious.
"Because it looks like we're stuck until morning."
"What?"
"We're stuck," Jeff said. "The maintenance guy said he cant fix it until morning."
Raquel felt herself begin to shake. She couldn't handle the thought of spending her entire night in an elevator. Her heart beat faster and she was getting short of breath.
"I cant do this," she shook her head, pacing. "I cant handle this. I cant stay in this elevator with you all night. I cant."
"Look," Jeff sighed. "Nobody wants you away from me more than me but you don't have to freak out about it."
"I'm not freaking out because of you," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm freaking out because I'm claustrophobic."
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Jeff felt guilty for what he just said.
Way to go asshole
"I'm sorry," he said, looking at her. "I didn't know."
"I'm aware of that," she snipped, stopping her pacing.
"Sit down," he said gently. "It might help."
"And how would you know? Hmm?" she asked.
"I don't," he said, trying not to get defensive. For once she had a reason to act this way. "But pacing a hole in the floor cant help. I'm just trying to offer you an alternative."
"Well thank you," she said. "But I'd rather stand. The floor in here is probably filthy."
She started pacing again and Jeff tried to think of something to do to help her. He couldn't imagine being a claustrophobic stuck in a dark elevator. She probably felt like she was going to have a heart attack. Sure, he didn't like her very much but he didn't dislike her enough to enjoy watching her go through this. He did the first thing he thought of, pulling his shirt off over his head and laying it on the floor next to him. "You can sit down now."
She seemed reluctant but there was a loud creaking sound and she quickly sat beside him. He could hear that she wasn't breathing normally and though they weren't touching, he could tell she was shaking.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He shrugged, "It's not a big deal."
She leaned against the wall, taking a deep, shaky breath, "We've gotta get out of here soon."
"Don't worry," Jeff said. "It's gonna be okay."
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"No?" Brianna stared. "What do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean no," Nick said. "You cant do it."
Brianna couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Excuse me?" she almost laughed. "I don't remember asking your permission."
"I don't care," nick said. "I am not going to allow you to be on the road with John."
"Why am I not surprised that you would make this about John?" she shook her head.
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked angrily.
"Because I wouldn't be working with John!" Brianna said through clenched teeth, struggling not to completely lose her temper. "And I wouldn't even be on the road every day.""
"That doesn't matter," Nick said. "You're not doing it."
"Nicholas, you seem to forget that I am an adult," she said. "And I can and will do whatever I want."
"And what is it that you want Brianna?" he fumed. "To spend more time with John?"
"What is wrong with you lately?" she asked, fed up with his stupid jealousy issues. "I live with you. I'm engaged to you..Don't you trust me?"
"Not with John!" Nick answered. "That is why you are not taking that job."
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"So.." Jeff sighed, deciding someone needed to start talking. It had been quiet for a few minutes. The only sounds he heard were their breathing and the creaking sounds of the faulty old elevator and they weren't exactly comforting. "Where's your boyfriend?"
"He is not my boyfriend," Raquel answered quickly.
"Well whatever he is," Jeff shrugged. "Why aren't you with him?"
"Why do you care?" she asked.
"I don't care," Jeff insisted. "I'm just making conversation."
"You're lying," she said.
"How would you know?" he asked, not appreciating her accusation.
"I can tell," she said. "I know what this is about."
"Oh really?" he rolled his eyes. "What?"
"You're jealous," she accused. "You don't like seeing me with Victor."
Jeff felt the sympathy that he had for her slowly slipping away, "Your ego is fucking astounding. Why would I care about you and Vic?"
"Victor," she corrected.
"Whatever," Jeff shrugged.
"You care because you want me for yourself," she said. Though he couldn't clearly see her, he knew there had to be a smug smile on her face.
"You couldn't be more off," Jeff shook his head. "I don't want you."
"Yes you do," she said, her voice so calm and even it made him want to shake her..or kiss her, he couldn't quite decide.
"No I don't," he argued, his teeth grinding. He hated that there was just something about her. No matter how much she annoyed him or pissed him off, there was still an attraction. An intense one. Even in the dark, he couldn't see her but he could feel how close she was and somehow the more they argued, the crazier it drove him. She was entirely too confusing.
"Why would I want you?" he asked. He could admit to himself that a part of him wanted her but there was no way in hell he was about to let her know that. She claimed to know but having confirmation would make her completely intolerable.
"Look at me," she giggled.
Jeff sighed, "Look, I get that you expect every member of the male species to fall at your feet but you need to understand that I do not want you…At least not now that I've gotten to know you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her bravado briefly slipping.
"It means you're irritating," Jeff said. "You're a whiny little brat."
"Oh really?" she said. "Well if I'm so irritating, why have you been trying so hard to make me feel better?"
"Because I'm not a complete asshole," he insisted.
She scoffed, "I beg to differ."
"You know, we need to just stop talking," Jeff said, moving a few inches away from her. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if they kept fighting but it was probably something stupid. "Maybe we can fall asleep if we just shut up."
They were quiet for a few minutes and Jeff leaned back, hoping he would grow tired again.
"I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep," Raquel said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Why not?" he sighed.
"Because."
"Because what?"
"Because I'm scared," she admitted.
Jeff was surprised. He was expecting her to try to start a fight again. It was strange to him that she had just gone from egotistical, smug diva to frightened, vulnerable girl. That wasn't a transition he'd never seen her make before.
"What's why I wanted to keep talking. If I keep talking, even if it's fighting with you, I'm not thinking about the walls closing in on me."
Jeff sighed, moving closer to her again, "The walls aren't closing in..You're fine..Everything is fine."
She looked over at him.
"Yes, we're stuck in this thing but we're getting out in the morning and everything will go back to normal," he said. "Now goodnight."
With that, he moved away again, laying down, beginning to feel tired again. He was beginning to fall asleep, his eyelids drooping when he heard a light sniffling sound.
He sat up, knowing that he couldn't go to sleep with her in this condition. He wouldn't feel right, his father would kill him if he sat idly by and let a woman cry.
He got up, walking over to sit next to her, "I'm sorry for what I said Raquel…You're not always irritating."
"Thanks," she said dryly.
"I'm trying, okay?" he laughed a little.
She sniffed again and Jeff put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer to him. To his surprise, she didn't fight him. Instead she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt a tear touch his skin and he held her a little tighter.
"It's gonna be okay," he said, resting his chin atop her head. "I wont let anything happen to you."
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John sat alone in his room, enjoying the peace and quiet. Paula was in Candice's room giving him the silent treatment. She would probably be unhappy to know that he didn't mind it at all. For months, he'd felt like he hadn't had a moment alone. She was always there. And at first he liked it but now he longed for his time away from her. He wasn't sure if it was her fault, or his. If he was growing unhappy with the relationship on his own or if Brianna was acting as an accelerant. He smiled wistfully at the thought of Brianna. Those green eyes were emblazoned in his memory the day he met her and he was convinced that they would always have a hold over him. She would always have a hold over him. He thought back to when he saw her at the arena. He couldn't stand it when he saw her crying. Seeing tears in her eyes made him want to move heaven and earth, whatever it took just to make her feel better. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she would be with someone who could upset her the way Nick seemed to. She deserved someone who made her happy every second of every day. Even when she wasn't upset, she barely ever smiled when she talked about Nick. It was like she was neutral on her own fiancé. He was there but he didn't really make her happy. So why was she marrying him? And why did it matter to him if she married him? Was he falling for her again? Was he just feeling possessive because she was his first?
He rubbed his face, telling himself not to think about it anymore. It was just making his head hurt.
There was a knock at the door and he figured it was Paula. She left her key in the bathroom. He got up, picking up a t-shirt on his way to the door. He opened it, surprised to see who was on the other side. As if his thoughts had conjured her up, Brianna stood in the hallway.
She smiled weakly at him, "Hey."
John was immediately concerned. She looked exhausted, so what was she doing at his door?
"Can I come in?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah," he moved out of her way.
She walked in, running a hand through her hair.
"Where's Paula?" she looked around.
"With one of her friends," he shrugged, not concerned with her whereabouts. "What are you doing here?"
She was looking at him but she didn't answer his question.
"I was startin to get worried," he joked. "You didn't call."
"Hmm?" she looked up at him.
He quickly realized why she wasn't listening. He had forgotten to put his shirt on. He was tempted to leave it off, enjoying the effect it seemed to have on her but she must have had something important to talk to him about if she came back in the middle of the night so it probably wasn't the best time for games. He pulled the black t-shirt on over his head, "So, what's up?"
"I made a decision tonight," she said.
"Okay," he nodded. "What kind of decision?"
"I'm taking the job with Brooke," she answered.
"You are?" he smiled. "Bri, that's great."
"Yeah," she nodded. The corner of her mouth was lifted but she didn't really seem that enthused.
"Hey," he gently touched her arm. "You don't look that excited. What's wrong?"
"I'm happy I just..I'm a little tired," she explained. "Fighting with Nick like that twice in one day is a little draining."
"What did you two fight about now?" he asked.
She shook her head, almost laughing as she looked down at her hands.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"He doesn't like the idea of me being on the road with the company," she shrugged.
"Why?"
"Well," she sighed, still not looking at him. "He doesn't think he can trust me around you."
"Oh," John nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't say he blamed Nick. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself to be around her. But he didn't really think Nick needed to be worried. Nothing had happened and nothing would happen. At least, he didn't think anything would. What she felt was a complete mystery to him.
"And what do you think?" he asked, stepping closer to her.
She finally looked up from her hands, her eyes meeting his, "I don't know if I would trust me around you either."
That definitely wasn't what John was expecting. His surprised was pushed aside by something else though. He reached forward, brushing her hair behind her ear and cupping her chin in his hand. He tilted her face up to his and leaned down. His lips barely brushed hers when she pulled away from him, nervously running a hand through her hair, "I um..I.."
"You..?" John gestured for her to continue.
"I need to get back," she said. "I have to get up really early tomorrow," she started walking toward the door. He followed behind her, "So I'll see you Wednesday?"
"Mmhmm," she nodded. "Yup. See you Wednesday."
"Night Brianna," He smiled.
"G'night," she quickly opened the door and rushed out. John closed it behind her, smiling as he rested his forehead against it. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to kiss her. But the smile remained on his face because now he knew that even though she'd pulled away…she wanted that kiss just as much as he did.
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Brianna walked down the hall, her head spinning. John had almost kissed her. His lips had come this close to hers. And it took every ounce of will in her body to pull away. Not letting him kiss her was the hardest thing she'd done in a very, very long time.
What the hell is wrong with me?
She was engaged. She had a fiancé. Keeping her lips off of another man should have been easy. Not only had she thought about kissing someone else. She was committing herself to spending a great deal of time with that other person against the wishes of her fiancé.
She couldn't help but laugh, "When did my life become a soap opera?"
She heard a door open behind her and hoped that whoever it was hadn't heard her talking to herself.
She turned, spotting two women coming out of one of the rooms a few doors down. One was clad only in a bra and a skirt, her shirt draped over her arm and her shoes in her hand. The other was buttoning her shirt. Then, to Brianna's surprise, she recognized the next person she saw. Randy Orton appeared in the doorway. He was shirtless and his pants were unzipped and unbuttoned. He put his over the shoulders of both smiling women, kissing one quickly, then the other. Brianna could swear she recognized them as well. If memory served, the blonde was a bartender from the restaurant they were at earlier and the brunette had been there with a date.
"Thanks for showing me such a good time…ladies," he smiled, obviously unable to remember their names.
"Shannon," the blonde smiled.
"Tracy," the other one said.
"Right," Randy nodded. "Shannon and Tracy. How could I forget?"
They smiled excitedly.
"Listen I'm gonna give you both a call before I head out," he promised.
"I'm looking forward to it," Shannon trailed a finger down Randy's chest.
"Me too," Tracy said competitively. She kissed Randy's cheek and then the two women began to make their way down the hall, simultaneously giggling about their night and eyeing each other suspiciously. They brushed past Brianna and then she looked over her shoulder, seeing that Randy was still in the doorway, watching them leave. He noticed her standing there and gave her a wink before going back into his room, closing the door.
Well that was interesting.
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Jeff yawned, trying not to move too much. A few minutes earlier he'd heard Raquel's breathing slow down and now he was sure that she had fallen asleep. Her head was on his chest, her arm draped over him. He couldn't believe how quickly things had turned around. They'd gone from fighting to practically cuddling. It was just the circumstances though, this peace was never going to last. He yawned again and decided to try and get a little sleep. Maintenance would have the elevator running in a few hours.
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