Chapter 4

PAUL

Alexandria hasn't talked to me in over two weeks ever since she saw me with AJ. I admit, it wasn't the right thing to do to try to get her jealous. She says she doesn't care, but then why did she react the way she did? She looked somewhat angry and tried to play it off as if it didn't bother her at all. I have to get her to talk to me at least.

"Why am I always being called into your office?" she asked as she walked in. "I feel like I'm always being called to the principal's office or something."

I smiled. I knew she wasn't trying to be sarcastic or anything. But it was true. I always have her in my office for something.

"Maybe I just wanted to see you." I replied honestly.

"Because...?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the other day when you saw me with AJ."

"Listen, it's okay. I understand if you like her. Not a problem. It's okay."

"I don't like her like that Alexandria. Please stop and just listen to me for a couple of minutes." I told her.

She took a seat, crossed her legs and tried to listen to what I had to say. "Since your eager to tell me, go ahead."

I stared into her icy blue eyes and wished that it would soften up at least once.

"Honestly, I don't like her like that. I'm being honest with you."

"So you're being honest. What do you want me to do about that?" she asked.

"Give me another chance. Go out to lunch with me." I replied.

"Why should I? So I could see you with another girl and have you make it look as if you like her too?"

"Alexandria. Just please. Give me another chance. Please." I told her hoping that she'd understand. "Let me show you that I really am a good guy."

"Why are you so intent on it?" she asked.

"I...you hate me. I don't want you to hate me."

I looked at her and her face was still stone and her eyes were still cold and icy. She wasn't going to let up on me anytime soon.

"If I go out to lunch with you, then what do I get out of this?"

"If it all goes well, you and I can maybe reach an understanding and maybe you and I could not hate each other. We could respect each other and have a whole new knowledge of each other that will make our relationship a lot more pleasurable."

"We have sort of a love/hate relationship don't you think?"

"Can we change it to just the love part?" I asked quickly. "You really like to see a guy beg don't you?"

She smiled sweetly. The first time that she's ever smiled at me. It's progress. Not a lot. But it's something.

"When are we to do this whole lunch thing?" she asked.

"How about tomorrow? Are you free tomorrow?"

"I'm going to the gym tomorrow. But I'll try to go in the morning so I can have the rest of the day off since I don't have anything else planned for tomorrow."

"Okay then. Tomorrow it is. I'll pick you up?"

"I'll have to tell me brother that I'm going to be with a girlfriend so he won't bother me. Is that okay with you?" she asked in a challenging voice.

"That's fine. But does that mean that I can't actually go to your room and pick you up?"

"I'll think about it." she replied smiling.

"Okay." I told her and I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Don't get so used to me saying 'yes' to you all the time sir."

"Even though I'm the COO?"

"Yes. Even though you are the COO of this company. Doesn't give you all the privileges that you want or think that you could have with running this company."

"I know. But there's things that I am willing to work for something I want. Doesn't matter what my position is in this company." I told her without realizing what I said.

She smiled, and got up to leave."Bye Mr. Levesque. I'll see you around."

"Bye Ms. Orton."

ADRIENNE

I decided to go out to lunch with Paul tomorrow. I want to see what he's really about. I want to see what's behind this whole persona that he has with the WWE. I want to see the real Paul. Not Triple H. Not The Game, not the Cerebral Assassin. Not the 13-time world champion. Not one-half of D-generation-X. Not the COO of this real Paul. The Paul outside of the WWE. I want to get to know him. Which is the complete opposite of what I wanted. I never wanted something like this with any guy in the WWE because I didn't want to fall for a guy in this business. But I can't help it. I want to go out with him for lunch. I really can't wait. I just hope that if Randy finds out about this, that he doesn't freak out. I know how he feels about Paul. He doesn't really like Paul and with him being overprotective of me, I have an idea of how he would react to me hanging out with Paul or any guy for that fact.

0.0

I just came back from the gym and I've been getting more and more excited to meet up with Paul. Randy thinks that I'm just going to go hang out with a girlfriend. When I walked out my room, I went to the elevator and saw Paul come out.

"Hi."

"Hey." he replied. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Paul to me to a restaurant that was near the arena that we were going to be at tonight in Georgia. The weather here at this time of the year is not cold. It's a bit chilly. But a comfortable type of chilly.

"Have you ever been here before?"

"Nope. First time here." I replied. Paul looked pretty cute today. He was wearing a white shirt, with blue jeans and sneakers with a light sweater. It's nice to see him dressed up in regular clothes and not in suits like always.

"Well, you're going to like the food here. It's really good." he told me after we got our order taken."You look pretty today." he said suddenly.

"Uh, thanks." I replied.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just wasn't expecting that from you."

"What? Giving a compliment?"

"Yes. That. You and I are usually arguing. We're always at each others throats. Well, when we talk anyways."

"That's why I wanted to go out to lunch with you. I wanted us to get to know each other and see if there's a median that we can meet at and get along better. A little at least."

"That's all you want?" I asked him curiously.

"I'm sure." he replied smiling causing a crinkle to form at the end of his eyes. "Maybe we can become friends?"

"We'll see."

"You're hard to please."

"I just happen to know what I want. I don't want to settle for anything less."

"I like that in a girl. Someone who knows what they want."

I smiled. "Anything you want me to know about you?" I asked.

We talked throughout the rest of lunch and we actually had a good time. I was surprised at how much of a good time I was having with him.

"So he doesn't know then." said Paul as he walked me back to my room.

"He knows I'm hanging out with someone. He just doesn't know who. I don't want any problems. I know how much he doesn't like you and how you two don't get along. I don't want no trouble."

"I understand. So when's the next time that we get to hang out?" he asked. "Tomorrow maybe? Or the day after that before we go home for a couple of days?"

"I don't know. We'll see."

"Not a 'yes' or 'no'?"

"For now it will be a 'we'll see'." I replied.

"What can I do to make it a 'yes'?" he asked.

I smiled without trying to hide it. "I'll see you later at the arena."

"Alright." he replied smiling.

I went in my room and couldn't stop smiling at all. What has gotten into me?

PAUL

All I could think about right now was the time that I spent with Alexandria today. She really is a nice girl. She's not easy. Better for me because I can handle a challenge. I won't give up. I can't.

"Come in!" I yelled as I heard knocking at the door. It was Stephanie. Suddenly I wished it was Alex. "What's this?" I asked her as she handed me some papers.

"This is your script for tonight."

"I thought I already had tonight's script."

"This just went through. You are going to do a backstage segment with Trinity."

"Why am I being told about this now instead of earlier today?" I asked. "I only have 30 minutes to learn this." I added as I looked at my watch.

"Just study the script and learn it. Time's ticking."

I kept my mouth shut as she left my office. I felt an urge to call Alexandria to my office like I always do. But she's probably with Randy and the rest of Legacy. I don't want any problems with any of them. Doesn't mean that I'm going to stop calling her to my office. If that means that I get to spend time with her, even for a couple of minutes, so be it.

30 Minutes Later

I went to where Trinity and I were supposed to do our segment and saw that she wasn't there yet. I went over my script a couple of more times until I looked up and saw her coming. She was in her black and blue wrestling gear and she had the title with her.

"You two ready?" asked the camera guy.

"Yeah." we both replied. The camera guy signaled to us that we were about to start and started counting down.

"Still using your family name to get to the top are you?"

"I'm not using anything to get to the top. The only thing I'm using is my talent, my hardwork, my drive, my passion and dedication to this business. Just because I'm an Orton, doesn't mean anything. So I come from a wrestling family. What does that have to do with anything? At the end of the day, I have what I need to make it in this business."

"Please. You're just like your brother. Crazy and full of b.s."

"Why are you such an asshole?"

"I'm the asshole? For what? For telling the truth? Honey, I'm just being honest and telling you what others won't."

"You being the COO doesn't mean anything to me. I'll show you and prove you and everyone else wrong. Maybe then, I can get some respect around here."

She turned to walk away like she was supposed to and stopped when she was well off camera.

"Okay guys. Good job."

I could tell it was a bit difficult to do this segment. I know how much she wants to get out of Randy's shadow and prove that she's here because of all the reasons she says she is and not because of her name or her family. She turned around and walked back to me.

"Thanks for earlier today. I had a nice time."

"Glad you had a nice time." I replied. "Now about the next time that we can hang out. I was wondering..."

She laughed. "I already told you. We'll see."

I let out a long, deep breath. "Fine. We'll see." She smiled and walked away in the direction that she came from.