Thank you so much for the great reviews!! I'm at home so I don't have your names with me, but I really appreciate it. Thanks for being patient, here's the new chapter and the updates will be much more frequent."
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Nikki and Juliana had ringside seats, and their view was incredible. They loved every action-packed minute. Juliana remembered why she loved house shows more, it was because of how much more interaction the wrestlers could have with the audience and how much more enjoyable that made it.
When John Cena had his match, he winked at Nikki and gave Juliana a high five as he walked by. Nikki smiled, "God that man is hot."
Juliana looked at her, "Gee, why don't you talk to Randy and have him give John your phone number."
Nikki blushed, "Shut up!" The girls giggled and had a good time throughout the show.
Finally it was Randy's turn in the ring. Juliana couldn't help it, she felt herself heat up as his music hit. To watch all of these people go crazy for him, she couldn't help but beam with pride. It was exactly what he had always dreamed of. No matter whether he was a heel or a face, he had a way with the crowd. "And a way with the ladies." She reminded herself. There were tons of signs in the audience wishing him a happy birthday.
"Isn't this great? Watching the fans reaction to him?" Nikki asked Juliana.
"Yeah, I'm really happy for him." Juliana replied. Trying not to let on that deep inside of her, she felt herself thinking about him in ways she shouldn't. Especially when he was doing his poses inside of the ring.
Randy cut a promo and then the match started. Juliana watched as Randy did what he did best. He did a great job, and walked away the winner of the match. Juliana smirked to herself, "Of course they're going to have the hometown boy win."
Nikki turned to her, "Wasn't that great?!?"
Juliana smiled, "Yeah, it has been way too long since I've been to a show."
"I think he still likes you." Nikki said gathering their stuff.
"I think you think too much. Besides, that was the past. He's changed, I've changed, life has changed." Juliana replied. "And I thought I told you that we're not going to talk about it."
After walking out towards the lobby, Juliana excused herself to the bathroom. When she walked out of the bathroom she found Nikki on the phone.
"Yup, we'll be there shortly. Ok, ok, yes I know. Bye." Nikki said hanging up.
"Who were you talking to?" Juliana asked.
"Just making sure our after-show reservations would still be honored since we're running late." Nikki replied non-chalantly. "Let's go."
Juliana shook her head. "Now what are we doing?"
"You'll see." Nikki replied.
The girls arrived in the parking lot of the local bar. "Oh my god, you're not serious are you?" Juliana asked Nikki. "I haven't been here in ages!"
"You'd better believe it! Let's go!" Nikki replied excitedly.
As they walked in the door, Juliana recognized many faces and shook her head. So many memories were from this place.
"Why don't you look and see who I see sitting over there by their lonesome?" Nikki replied.
Juliana looked around, and sure enough there was Randy and John. "I need a really strong drink." Juliana replied.
"Coming right up!" Nikki replied.
"That's right, you owe me!" Juliana shouted as Nikki headed towards the bar. John waved her over to their table and she made her way over there.
"Look, it's the birthday girl and the birthday boy!" John said loudly.
Juliana shook her head trying not to blush. "Hi John."
"I think the birthday pair needs to sing a song!" Nikki said setting down a round of shots for the table and an extra drink for Juliana. "It's karaoke night."
"A toast, to the birthday pair. Here's to the next 25 years of your life!" John said as he raised his glass.
Everybody else raised their glasses, clinked them and drank.
"Ok guys, I think it's time the birthday pair go a little Nikki…" Nikki said setting her glass down. "Randy, John here wants to see the high school days, we want to see Paradise."
Juliana started her second drink hoping no one would notice her. Randy looked over at her, "Well, should we put our names on the list?"
Juliana took a deep breath, she hadn't even allowed herself to listen to this song since her and Randy broke up. It used to be their song. They would sing karaoke to it and act it out just the way the singer did. " Sure, I guess so." And she took another drink with thousands of thoughts running through her head.
Randy got up and walked over to her, "Come with me." And he held out his hand.
She took another drink and took his hand. They walked together over to the sign-up area.
Nikki and John all cheered them on. John sat there watching and trying to catch up on everything. The whole way to the bar, all Randy did was talk about Juliana to John. Randy wanted to make everything right with her, but Juliana seemed to be trying to keep her distance from him. But, John wasn't blind. He could tell that everybody was trying to re-fix them up.
Randy signed them up and looked at Juliana, "Let's go to the rehearsal rooms and talk."
"Randy, I told you, there is nothing to talk about." Juliana protested, but Randy insisted.
"Jules, yeah there is. And damn it you're going to hear me out. Whether you listen or not I can't control, but you're going to at least hear me." Randy replied as he held her hand and walked her to an empty room.
Juliana rolled her eyes, but yet she still found herself holding his hand and walking with him. Part of her was curious as to just what he had to say, but yet the other half of her wanted to run far, far away. Away from him, away from Nikki who was being way too pushy about this "reunion" with Randy.
Randy turned on the light and the two walked in and Randy shut the door behind them. "Now please, hear me out. Jules, I don't think you understand the whole picture of what happened between us."
Juliana shot him an evil look, "You don't think I understand? How could I possibly not understand? You cheated on me, never told me about it. Meanwhile, you completely wanted or should I say needed control of me once you came back from the Marines, then you try to demand me to quit school so I can move with you to Kentucky and when I tell you that I'm late you blew up at me. You finally tell me you cheated on me, you bring up my father and you blame me for the fact that I was late." She lashed out with tears brewing in her eyes. "And yet my best friend blames me for walking out that night."
Randy interrupted her, "Jules stop, let me talk. You're right, I came back totally different. All I cared about was myself. I didn't let you blossom, I didn't let you grow, I sheltered you, I contained you and yes I cheated on you. I should have told you the truth, and I never should have used your father against you. God Jules, I am so sorry. That was a line I never should have crossed. I shouldn't have demanded anything out of you and when you told me you were late, I should have acted like a man but I didn't. And look at what I lost. I lost the best thing I've ever had. Jules, not a day goes by when I don't think about you. When I don't wonder "What if" but I can't change the past. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I can't go back and fix things, all I can do is show you that I've changed."
Juliana interrupted, "What do you mean show me that you've changed?"
"Jules, I want us to be friends again. You used to be my best friend. I miss having you in my life. I want us to be able to be friends again." Randy said holding her hand. "I want you to tell me about everything that I've missed out on in your life, and I'll tell you about mine. Even if there are some things that I'm not proud of. I want us to be friends that are honest with each other."
Juliana had tears falling down her cheeks. Randy leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Please trust me on this one. I want us to be there for each other."
"I needed you to be there for me before, and you couldn't do that. You wouldn't do that." Juliana started to protest, but Randy interrupted her.
"Give me this chance to make it up to you. I can't show you I've changed if we don't talk. Please, I'll come home on my days off, we can hang out and do stuff and you'll see. It'll be great, I promise."
"Randy, you're talking like we're going to get back together. That will not happen." Juliana replied standing up. "I can handle friends, but it's going to be slow. We both have our own lives that we live. But answer me something, why is this just coming out now? Why didn't you ever try to call me if you really wanted something to work out between us?
Randy sighed, "Stupidity, ego, being afraid that you wouldn't pick up the phone. I'm not in town that much and when I am it's over the holidays and I didn't want to barge in on your time with Nana. I'm sorry I haven't tried to contact you. John is the only person that knows anything about you and about us because I was too afraid to say how I was feeling out loud."
Juliana nodded. "Now let's get back out there before Nikki tells John what we used to do before we did this song. "
Randy laughed and gave her a hug. Alright, let's go."
As Randy and Juliana walked back to the table, John was buying another round of shots. She noticed that now there were more wrestlers at the table. "You didn't tell me that you had more friends coming." Juliana said to Randy.
"I didn't know there were more friends coming." Randy replied.
Juliana laughed and found an open chair between John and Randy, "You guys, I can't be out drinking all night, I have somewhere to be in the morning."
"One more shot, then drink soda." Batista replied. "I haven't seen you drinking yet."
"That's not my fault, you should have been here earlier." Juliana replied laughing.
"Watch out, she can be sassy." Nikki said with a smile.
Randy sat down by John, "How're you doing?"
"Fine, I'm having a good time watching these people sing, and I can't wait till I can watch you and Jules go up there." John replied.
"Bottoms up everyone!" Charlie Haas shouted.
Everyone took their shot and John looked over at Randy. "I'm going to ask Nikki to dance." And he got up and walked over to Nikki, "Would you like to dance?"
Nikki smiled and held her hand out, "I would love to."
And the two made their way to the dance floor.
Charlie got up to go hit on some girls, and Dave started talking on his phone, so there sat Randy and Juliana. "Would you like to dance?" Randy asked Juliana.
Juliana smiled, "Sure."
And the two headed out to the dance floor to join their friends. As the two made their way out to the dance floor, the next person doing karaoke was singing a slow song, so Randy took Juliana into his arms, and they began to slow dance. Juliana never let her head rest upon his chest, she just couldn't allow herself to slip that much. She couldn't let herself feel anything for him.
Randy let his head rest gently atop hers. She could feel him breathe, and she could smell his cologne, and it was enough to drive her over the edge. But she stayed strong, she was not going to let the walls down.
"Feels like old times, doesn't it?" Randy said softly.
"Yeah, yeah it does." Juliana replied quietly. She hated to admit it.
Randy nodded. As if he knew what she was thinking. The song ended, they called out Randy and Juliana's name. "Speaking of the past, when was the last time we did this?"
Juliana giggled, "The night before we got into our big fight. We went out to celebrate that you were accepted to OVW and had a few drinks and we sang our song."
As the group headed back to the table to watch, John asked, "What's with this Paradise thing?"
Nikki burst into laughter, "Well, Juliana loves country music, Randy loves heavy metal and doesn't listen to a lot of country music. But, the one artist that they both liked was Meat Loaf. And he has a duet called "Paradise By the Dashboard Light." So, whenever we would do karaoke, that's their song. And they would go to Meat Loaf's concerts, and at the show, Meat Loaf makes out with his back-up singer during the play by play. So Randy and Juliana do that." Nikki explained. "It's a riot!"
Randy did another shot as they walked on stage. He looked at Juliana, "Ready?"
"Yup." Juliana said turning her mike on. She said a silent prayer as she took her position.
Randy cued the karaoke guy to start the music and soon the song started.
John was so glad that he carried his new hand-held camcorder everywhere they went. He was filming the entire thing.
As the song got to the play-by-play, Randy took Juliana into his arms and he whispered to her, "Are you ready?"
Juliana nodded, she looked into his blue eyes, and before she knew it, her eyes closed and the two were kissing. Soon just nice kissing turned into french kissing. Randy began to slide his hand up the front of her shirt and she brushed it away just the way it's done by the real artist. Randy would act like he was trying to go farther and she would push him away, then they would kiss more, and she'd back him off. Finally, the play by play got to the "Holy cow I think he's going to make it!" And Juliana pushed him away with all of her might, "STOP right there….I've gotta know right now. Before we go any further do you love me, will you love me forever, do you need me, will you never leave me, will you make me so happy for the rest of my life, will you take me away and will you make me your wife?" And she wagged her left ring finger at him. She sang it with such emotion it was true as true could be.
Randy sang back, "Let me sleep on it…let me sleep on it, I'll give you an answer in the morning."
The two finished out the song just as great as if it was Meat Loaf singing it himself. The bar went nuts! John was so glad that the he had the whole thing on tape.
Juliana walked over to the table, "Alright, I have to get heading home. Thanks for the wonderful birthday. Nikki," She said giving her a hug. "I'll grab a cab so ya'll can party some more."
"Jules, I can give you a ride home if you'd like." Randy insisted. "That way you don't have to worry about a cab."
"I can take a cab, it's not a big deal. Nikki and I do this all the time." Juliana replied, "It's not a big deal."
"John, are you ok hanging out with Nikki till I get back?" Randy asked John.
"Yeah, I think I can handle that." John replied with a smile.
"Cool, let's go." Randy said helping Juliana with her coat.
Juliana went and gave Nikki a hug, "Have fun on your trip. Be safe." Then she hugged her tighter and whispered in her ear, "Don't have too much fun with John."
Nikki smiled, "I won't do anything you wouldn't do."
"That doesn't make me feel better." Juliana replied. "It was great seeing you all, have a great night." She said as she waved good bye.
Randy walked her out to his car, "Here we go."
"I have to grab some stuff out of Nikki's car, I'll be right back. But nice car." Juliana said walking over to Nikki's car and grabbing her stuff.
"You have keys to her car?" Randy asked.
"I have keys to her house and her car, and she has the keys to my house and my car." Juliana replied. She loaded the stuff into his backseat and climbed in.
Randy climbed in and they began driving. "So, how do I get there?"
Juliana gave him directions and buckled her seat belt. She knew she was in for an interesting ride.
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Well, I want to know what you guys think. Do you like the story, where do you think you see this going? I love the feedback! I'll be working on the next chapter this weekend. Please continue to read and review, and from here on out, the updates will be much more frequent. Thanks for your loyalty and have a great day!