To Pique an Interest

Chapter 9: Start of Something New

Author's Note: I do not own any recognizable names from the WWE, sadly…

Lilly's POV

I could hardly believe what had just happened within the last twenty-four hours. It all started with any other casual day in my hometown of Toronto, when I decided to head to the mall to get a new pair of boots. Little did I realize, that single trip to the mall wasn't just any ordinary day of the life of Lilly Hazel.

For a while I'd nearly forgotten about the situation between Adam and I. I'd initially decided to forget about what had happened that night with Adam when I first met him in person, until I ran into him at the mall.

He was the very last person I expected to see in Toronto, momentarily forgetting that he, too, was a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. But shouldn't he have been traveling somewhere with the WWE, anywhere but the same place I was going to be? Chances of running into a WWE Superstar in the streets of Canada were much less than meeting them in public in the United States of America. I was quite sure the WWE was supposed to be somewhere in the Midwest or South, so what was Adam doing all the way up north in Toronto?

Initially the conversation between him and I was awkward. But when he proposed that we stayed friends, the inner fan girl had suddenly been brought back to life, and the next thing I realized, I was trying to restrain myself from jumping into his arms and giving him the biggest hug I could give anyone.

This easily could've been one of the biggest wake-up calls of my life. I was now officially acquainted with one of the most famous professional wrestlers in the business. I was actually friends with a WWE veteran of more than a decade. Had I been some other random fan girl, I would've taken advantage of this friendship and used Adam as my one-way ticket to meeting all the other hunky WWE Superstars. But no, I was Lilly Hazel, and Lilly Hazel does not take advantage of people.

Later, after that encounter at the Hot Topic store, Adam invited me for lunch, and of course I couldn't turn down his invitation; after all, he is one of the most famous people from Toronto. I could feel the stares of passers-by locked on Adam and I as we dined at Gallardo's, the newest Italian café that apparently just opened up a few weeks ago. Many people often stopped in their tracks to take a second look at Adam, some of them instantly recognizing Adam and jumping up and down excitedly, pointing at him. I couldn't help but smile when an eight-year-old wearing a John Cena shirt instantly recognized Edge and stuck out his tongue at him, the mother of the eight-year-old smiling at Adam and I sweetly.

"So Lilly," Adam began after we'd ordered our food, "what brings you to Toronto?"

"I've been so busy with making the finishing touches of my blueprints, models, and drawings for the past five years, and since I was done with my final portfolio for graduation, I decided to give myself a treat and fly back to Toronto," I explained, "oh, and because I haven't been back home for a while?"

"You're Canadian?" Adam was surprised, "I didn't know that."

"Just like you, I'm a Toronto native," I said.

"You support any teams? Blue Jays? Maple Leafs?" Adam named a few sports teams from Toronto.

"Nope, I was too busy being Team WWE," I laughed, "I was the type who preferred watching guys on television getting beat up and driven through tables instead of going to see baseball players hitting home runs at Rogers Center."

"Well it's nice to hear something different from a girl like you, Lilly," said Adam with a smile, "I don't meet too many girls who prefer wrestling over baseball."

"Yeah, I'm far from a girly girl," I admitted, "in case you didn't notice, I was at Hot Topic instead of Victoria's Secret."

"I can still imagine you getting something from Victoria's Secret, babe," Adam joked cheekily, smirking at me and giving me a wink.

"Adam!" I exclaimed, my jaw dropping in shock.

"I'm just kidding!" Adam held his hands up, "you'll have to get used to my jokes, Lilly Pad; they say I'm the one with the most sarcasm in the locker rooms."

"That's not surprising to hear from you, after all, you are Edge," I pointed out.

"But I'm nothing like the character I portray on TV, Lilly," said Adam.

"I know you are, but I can tell you like to slip in some of that Edge cockiness and arrogance into your words," I remarked, "I've watched you for eleven years, Adam. You don't think I know you any better."

"Stalker," joked Adam.

"You could say that," I laughed, just as our food arrived, "I could tell you all about the collection I have of you back in my apartment in Toronto and the giant poster I have on my ceiling in the one I'm staying in in Providence."

"Now I'm scared," Adam pretended to be freaked out.

"Oh, I haven't mentioned the time when I dressed up as you for Halloween in sophomore year," I said, grinning at him cheekily.

"Okay, now you're freaking me out." I was trying not to burst into hysterical giggles at Adam's priceless expression.

"That's what you get for asking some girl who's been a fan of yours for over a decade for lunch," I giggled.

"You mean I'm going to have to deal with you for a week?" Adam pretended to stab himself in the heart and faked his death, while I couldn't stop laughing hysterically to the point where people were now staring at Adam and I.

"People are going to think we're crazy," I choked on my breath.

"They already think you're crazy, Lilly," Adam smirked, "as for me, well they're all used to this."

Our lunch conversation had perhaps been the most entertaining one I've had with anyone in a long time. Adam was funny, sweet, sarcastic, and sometimes witty, something I never expected to see out of the persona he puts on as Edge. What surprised me even more, though, was how comfortable I felt with him, as though he were an old friend of mine and not a famous WWE Superstar. Never had I imagined in my life that I would ever come close to an encounter with Adam Copeland, but today, I could laugh at my fifteen-year-old self for thinking that he was a living god.

He was just an ordinary person just like everyone else. Sure, he was exceptional because of his celebrity status, but other than that, he was human, just like myself and the rest of the non-celebrity population of the world.

Later that day, Adam decided to take me along to the gym. Well, of course he would go to the gym, he's a wrestler after all, but what gave him the idea of taking someone like me along? I honestly wasn't much of an athlete, though I'm proud to announce that I can lift just barely ten pounds. I ended up tagging along with him, but not before canceling on my parents, who were absolutely thrilled that I'd found a date for the first time in years:

"Oh, don't worry, Lillian, go ahead and spend time with that handsome man you met," my mother said happily over the phone, "it's just that you never talk to me about boys and Lauren's occupied with her husband at the moment and doesn't have time to spend with me."

"I don't think this is a good idea, Adam," I said nervously to a grinning Adam, glancing around the massive room filled with bodybuilders of various sizes. Okay, I was definitely out of shape, I thought, observing a man twice as big as Adam lifting 300 pound dumbbells.

"Don't think about it so much, Lilly," Adam assured me, though I could tell he was trying not to laugh at me, "just don't let them bother you."

"I think you'll have an idea of how I feel right now when you're the only female in this entire gym," I pointed out, "besides, I haven't been to the gym in years."

"Just think about how the Divas feel, Lilly."

"Well I'm not very good looking, Adam, there's a difference," I argued.

"You are very good-looking, Lilly, to tell you the truth," he murmured.

"What did you say?" I asked him skeptically.

"Nothing," said Adam quickly, though I continued to eye him with a raised eyebrow.

Adam could hardly believe the jade-eyed redhead when she admitted she hadn't been to the gym in years. When she stepped out of the female changing rooms with a tank top and tight black capris, he practically had to pick his jaw up from the ground. She wasn't toned and muscled like the Divas he hung out with, nor did she have the ideal C-cups Kelly Kelly proudly flaunted, but she had a slim waist, firm thighs, shapely legs and from what he could see through her pants, a nice, round behind.

Lilly walked out of the locker rooms nervously, holding her sports towel, water bottle, and iPhone protectively close to her body. Quickly tying her fiery, flowing locks into a ponytail, she noticed Adam was staring at her and she blushed.

"What?" she asked him, snapping her fellow Canadian out of his thoughts.

"Oh, er, nothing…" Adam was surprised to find his voice croaking slightly. He followed her as she sauntered over towards the vacant treadmills, glaring around jealously at the bodybuilders who had stopped and turned to stare at the beautiful Lilly. Though he had the secret urge to beat the holy hell out of them, even he couldn't see a reason not to check her out.

He accompanied her to the treadmills, helping her get set up before leaving her so he could start his weight training regime. One of the sweat-covered bodybuilders next to him nudged him eagerly, grinning at him.

"Hey dude, the redhead's your girlfriend, eh?" said the man, putting down his 200lb barbells and wiping the sweat off of his body with a towel, all while staring at Lilly, who was jogging on the treadmill and—fortunately—had her headphones on.

"No," replied Adam, "she's not my girlfriend."

"Didn't think so," said the man, taking a quick sip of water, "she looks a little young for you, don't you think?"

"She's a friend of mine," insisted Adam.

"Really?" said the man, raising his eyebrows, "I thought you might've picked her up from a club or something. Must've been some cute girl you decided to charm up."

"Don't go around saying things about her when you don't even know her personally," Adam threatened him, "you talk shit about her and you'll have to deal with me."

"Now you sound like her boyfriend," said the man, holding up his hands, "I'm not causing any trouble, Copeland. (Adam was well aware of his celebrity status in Toronto) I just wanted to say that if she's a fan, she'll most likely go after your celebrity status."

"Lilly isn't like that," said Adam angrily.

"You never know, Adam," the man grinned at him evilly, "women can be extremely deceiving."

Adam was in a rather foul mood as he worked out, pumping his biceps while glaring nastily at the man who decided to take a jab at Lilly. "What's up with you?" Lilly asked curiously when they both stepped out of the gym and headed towards her apartment, "you've been rather moody."

"It's nothing," lied Adam, for he didn't want to hurt Lilly's feelings again by telling her about the man who indirectly called her a hooker.

"Then why the sour face?" Lilly asked again.

"Just didn't get the good workout that I expected. There's a lot on my mind, I guess," said Adam, stopping at a red light.

"I won't disturb you if you'd like," Lilly suggested.

"No, it's fine," Adam insisted, "why don't we hang out for a bit? Like watch a movie or the Blue Jays or something," he suggested, grinning at her. Lilly smiled. She liked this cheerful, relaxed side of Adam.

"I thought you were into hockey," laughed Lilly, "aren't Canadians all into hockey?"

"I don't mind watching a Blue Jays game once in a while, Lilly," said Adam, shrugging, "but whatever you want to do next, it's up to you."

Lilly ended up deciding on inviting Adam over for dinner, ordering takeout and watching rental DVDs at her apartment. That very night, long after Adam had bid her goodnight and drove home, Lilly was lying in bed, reflecting on everything that had happened within more than half of her day. What started off as a typical day by herself in a mall in Toronto ended with watching Fight Club with Adam Copeland and pigging out on takeout pizza in her living room. To be fully honest, Lilly hadn't expected her day to be like this at all, but she learned something from her outing with one of the most famous professional wrestlers on the planet.

Adam Copeland hadn't been looking to have sex with her the night they first met. Albeit rumors of his promiscuity and smooth ways with the ladies, he was really a laidback, overall cool guy with a great personality and a sweet demeanor. He never saw her as just a pretty female fan to begin with. In fact, Lilly was greatly surprised at the way Adam had been so relaxed around her, as though they had been friends for an extremely long time. Something told the stubborn, headstrong redhead that Adam wasn't looking to get laid with her the slightest bit. But the question that remained in Lilly's mind as she snuggled under the covers: was she really more than just a fan to him?