Chapter 22

ALEXANDRIA

"Paul" I moaned softly.

He groaned as my hands roamed all over his body.

"Alex" He whispered followed by a throaty groan which was a reward for me.

I woke up to find myself wrapped tightly in a pair of strong arms. I remembered last night and smiled. Paul asked me to marry him last night. I'm engaged to be married now. I couldn't be feeling any happier than what I am right now. I can't even explain how happy I am right now. I looked at the time and realized that I had to get ready to go to my first day of rehab for my back. I was going to get out of bed when I felt Paul tighten his grip. I knew he was awake now. I turned to face him and he gave me a sleepy smile.

"Hi"

"Hey." He replied giving me a light kiss that gave me butterflies. "Did I hurt you last night?" he asked.

"No." And that was the truth. "You were great." He was really gentle with me as if he was afraid that he would hurt me. But there were times when he was rough though. Point is, last night was amazing. "I have to go to rehab today."

"Okay. But we're doing something first."

"What?" I asked.

He got out of bed and picked me up. "Let's go."

When we got out of the shower, we quickly got dressed and ready but we didn't have time to make breakfast. We just had to take a shower together. We decided to get something on the way to the rehabilitation center. Once we got to the parking lot, we ate our food and went inside after we finished.

"I'll come pick you up." Paul told me as we got to where I was supposed to go.

"I want you to stay." I replied.

"I want to stay too. But they won't let me. I'll try to come back as early as I can to see if I can come up."

He reached down and took the hand with the ring. I smiled as he kissed my hand.

"Ring looks good on you." He whispered.

"Thanks." I replied.

PAUL

When I left from dropping Alexandria off at rehab, I went out for a workout at the gym. I've been away from her for just a couple of minutes and I'm already missing her like crazy. I want to be near her and to be able to touch her and feel her. This session better hurry up already. I'm about to lose my mind which is why I will go to the gym. Hopefully that will help me out a bit.

I was already at the gym, about to start my workout and I felt my phone ring. I saw Stephanie's number and didn't want to pick it up. But something told me to pick it up anyways.

"What do you want Stephanie?" I asked without saying hello.

"I just wanted to see how everything was going."

"Everything's fine. Just working out while Alexandria is at rehab." I replied."Everything okay over there?" I asked.

"Everything's fine. Just a bit hectic without you here to do your job."

I let out a long breath. "I'll be back soon."

"How soon?" she asked.

"When it's time for me to go back. That will be in about 2 to 3 weeks."

"You're going to be out for at least 3 more weeks?"

"Yes. Now I don't want to hear any complaints about it. Until then, someone will have to do my duties. If I find out about anything that happened that isn't the way that it's supposed to go, there will be a problem when I come back. Understood?"

There were a few minutes of silence. "Got it."

"Anything important that I should know about from work?" I asked.

Stephanie told me a couple of things before I hung up and started to work out. Thank goodness for being at the gym right now. I have something to help me blow off some steam that Stephanie seems to build up in me whenever we talk.

FOUR WEEKS LATER

I ended up taking an extra week off to be with Alexandria. She's doing really good in her rehab and she's improving more each week. But that doesn't change the fact that she could still be out for at least 5 months before being able to become medically cleared to wrestle again. But I knew that when I got to work, that Stephanie would be down my neck for taking an extra week off. But I don't care.

"Paul, you're back. Finally."

I looked up from what I was doing and it was Shawn.

"How you doing, man?" I asked.

"I'm alright. Just been through hell just like everybody else on this roster for the past couple of weeks." He replied.

"Why?"

"Stephanie and John Laurenitis have been making it a living nightmare for all of us ever since you left. Now that you took that extra week off, Stephanie's been up our asses about everything lately. We want something to be done about it but we don't want to do or say something that could hurt us in the long run."

"I'll see if I can talk to them and see what's going on and see what can be done." I told him.

"How's Alex?" he asked. '

"She's good. She started rehab a couple of weeks ago and they say that she's improving a lot since she started. But she still has to be out for at least 5 months. She'll be able to travel soon. But for now, she just wants to stay put and get a little better than what she is and make sure that it's okay for her to travel."

"Did you ask her yet?"

"I proposed if that's what you mean. She said 'yes'."

"Do I want to know the details about how you two celebrated?" asked Shawn.

"Nope." I replied.

"Got it."

After Shawn and I finished talking, I went to see if I could find Stephanie and John to talk to them. I saw them in his office and I went in without hesitation.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" askekd John in his usual raspy voice.

I ignored him on that question and put my attention on Stephanie who now walked over to me.

"What the hell happened that you had to take an extra week off?"

"We're seriously going to start off with that Stephanie?" I asked. "Well if you must know, I took an extra week off to be with Alexandria. I could've taken more off with the fact that I don't want to leave her. But she insisted that I come back to work and not get into any problelms with anyone for not showing up. So thank her for insisting that I come back as much as I didn't want to."

"You're going to make up for it. It's going to be a while before you're able to have another day off."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to stay here knowing how bad I want to be at home with her."

"Home? Last time I checked, your home was in Conneticut. Not St. Louis."

"Last time I checked, she's my fiancee!" I replied.

Her face dropped when I told her that. "Fiancee?"

"Yes. I proposed to her a couple of weeks ago." I replied. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I've been hearing complaints from someone when I got here and a couple of more on my way to this office about how the two of you have been over recent weeks either of you care to explain what's been going on and why I have to hear complaints about you two on my first day back?" I asked.

"We don't believe that we're doing anything wrong here." Replied Laurenitis. "We're just diong what we're supposed to be doing while you were gone. Obviously they have no respect for us."

"Exactly. I have to agree on that. They have no respsect for us."

"John, at the end of the day, you still answer to me. Stephanie, I would've hoped that you were the one to take complete charge. Now both of you, give me a valuable reason for why people are giving me complaints about you two? And I better get a damn good answer."

We spent about an hour or so in the office talking. Just like I expected, they blamed it on how they don't get any respsect from the Superstars and Divas and whatnot. But Stephanie was pretty quiet ever since I told her that I proposed to Alexandria. Why would she be upset about it?

After I left and got into the comfort of my office, I took my phone anda went through the contacts list. I, without hesitation, called Alex. I wanted to hear her voice.

"Hey you." She said when she answered the phone. I heard the smile in her voice and couldn't help but smile myself.

"Hey Sweetie. How you doing?" I asked.

"I'm good. Just came from rehab not to long ago. I'm going to go grab a bite to eat. What you doing?"

"My office. Just came from talking to Stephanie and Laurenitis." I replied.

"Everything okay?" she asked concerned.

"Everything's fine. Just had some people comaplin about them so I was just talking to them to see what was going on. Nothing to serious."

"Want me to come up there?"

"No it's okay. You just stay until the doctor says it's okay for you to travel again. I'll be home soon."

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. I'll be home soon though. I promise."

"You know what I'll do to you when you come back home?" She asked in a seductive, sultry voice. I groaned at how crazy the sound of her voice made me go.

"I would love to hear about what you're going to do to me when I get home." I replied rather huskily. I wish we were together so I could take her. After she told me what she would do, I couldn't take it anymore.

"You're driving me crazy." I told her in a low voice.

She giggled. "I'm sorry. I'll stop torturing you."

"You sure the doctor hasn't said anything about you being able to travel?" I asked.

"She hasn't said anything yet about that. I'll see if I can get something out of them the next time I go. Baby, when are you coming home?"

"I don't know to be honest with you. I'll try to come home as soon as I can." I replied. "Maybe I can do some things of my own to you."

I heard her giggle again. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too."

One Week Later

I heard a knock on my hotel room door and I went to go open it. I really didn't want to. I just wanted to stay in and eat and call Alex with how much I missed her. I didn't want to deal with anyone right now.

"Stephanie?" I asked annoyed. She was wearing a skirt that was obviously a little too small and tight on her. A shirt that was way to tight on her and her hair was the only thing that was covering her chest. I would have thought this was attractive, but now, I just want to throw up and not look at her.

"Hey Paul." She said seductively. But I wasn't moved by it.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Can I come in?"

I looked at her curiously wondering what she wanted. I stepped aside and let her in.

"I forgot how good you look without your shirt on." She said as I turned around to face her.

I closed my eyes as if that would make her disappear. "Steph, what is it that you want?"

"I want you." She said seductively.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" She asked.

"I'm not in love with you anymore, Stephanie. I'm in love with someone else and we're engaged." I replied. "I'm not doing this."

"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her."

"Stephanie! I'm not going to do anything with you. I told you before that we're done. There is no more 'us' for you and I. Why don't you get that?"

"Because there can be a possibility for something to happen between us to spark something between us again like before."

I tried to keep my temper in check. "No. Get out." I told her in a stern voice.

"Please Paul. I promise you that I can show you how good we can still be together." She said as she ran her hands up and down my stomach and my chest. Usually, I would groan in pleasure but now that's only when Alexandria does it.

"This isn't pleasing me you know."

"This used to."

"I got another woman pleasing me. Now get out." I snapped.

"You're going to regret this." She replied in an upset voice.

"Please. Get out now, before I get someone to take you out. Is that clear?" I asked.