Chapter 9
September 21st, 2015
Orlando, Florida
Shaun Morgan was not a tall man. He wasn't muscular or in shape. He wasn't a fighter of any sort. He did, however, harness an "eat shit and die" look that would make most mortals fear for their lives.
Baron was feeling that pressure right now.
The Seether frontman crossed his tattoo-covered forearms over his chest and kept leveling a glare at him that put him on edge.
"Why are you acting so skittish, man?" The South African asked with a cocked head.
"Why are you hard-eyeing me?" Baron shot back.
"You're practically following Lex around humping the air like a mutt in rut." Shaun stepped into Baron's space and narrowed his brown gaze on the big man. "You reek of want for my roommate and I don't like it."
Chris, Sami and Finn clutched their stomachs, laughing hysterically at the stand-off between the two men. It didn't affect Shaun in the slightest but Baron was feeling outnumbered and cagey like he was backed into a corner.
"How do you know that?" The big man shifted; trying to look more imposing but the singer didn't back down.
"Between you and the Irishman, you're the one that is hovering over her with stars in your eyes."
"And so what if I am interested in her? What's it to you?"
"I don't like you. It isn't gonna happen." Shaun shook his head, standing firm on his decision.
"You don't even know me." Baron said in frustration.
"And I don't care to. Get your dick wet somewhere else. It isn't gonna happen and that's final." Shaun turned away from him with a roll of his eyes. "What is your problem?" He asked Chris when he groaned loudly.
"I'm having a hard time dealing with people talking about fucking my sister." He pulled a face and shuddered.
"Your sister is hot, man. A lot of men want to get in her panties. You'd be surprised how many I have to run off so quit whining and be grateful." Shaun shrugged before he disappeared into the kitchen; flashing a smile at his roommate on the way. "You guys thirsty?"
"He is the worst wingman. I can never get laid with Shaun around. Hush up, Christopher. I'm entitled to have sex too, asshole." Lex poked her brother in the side on her way back in. "I don't necessarily miss Texas but I miss my house." She groaned; flopping down beside Finn on the couch. "This house is okay but its so city."
"You're in the city, luv." The Irishman patted her on the head.
"I know and I hate that too."
"Here is a Sprite for you, luv." Shaun handed over a can with a straw to her before placing assorted cans of soft drinks on the coffee table. "I didn't know what you guys wanted. If you want to switch it out the kitchen is back there." He shrugged, dropping down next to Lex on the couch.
"You've got him trained well." Chris grinned; laughing when the South African flipped him off.
"It didn't take long at all. He was easily trainable which is odd given his shitty attitude." Lex grinned at Shaun; laughing when he elbowed her in the side.
"Oh shut up. Hey, Corey is coming into town in a few. He wanted to know if he could crash here." Shaun draped an arm over the back of Lex's shoulders, narrowing his eyes on Baron when he glared at him from the loveseat.
"You never asked before."
"You never had clients you're responsible for 24/7. I'm sure they'll be in and out of here often since they live so close. At least I assume they do since they're here right now." Shaun grumbled; glancing down at his roommate when she poked his side.
"What's with the attitude?" She cocked her head at him; her blue eyes searching his brown.
"No attitude." He shook his head. "We only have four bedrooms; yours, mine, Dave's and the guest room that Chris will be occupying."
"So?" Lex shot back easily with a shrug. "We don't know if Chris will still be here by the time Corey decides to show up."
"So can Corey stay?"
"Of course he can stay. Even when we had a full house did it ever stop us from filling couches and floor space or even doubling up?" She smiled; closing her eyes when Shaun placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Nice to know none of you are above sleeping like you did before you could afford the luxuries of life. Although sacking out on the couch in a four bedroom house isn't much of a hardship but you know what I mean." Sami grinned at the three singers from the floor on the other side of the table.
"It's too close, man. The memory of where we came from and what we went through to get where we are. I know of you through your friend, Jon. He's a good guy, by the way. I know where you two came from, and it isn't far from what every person in the music industry went through." Shaun took a sip of his Coke; reflecting on the past. "We would cram into motel rooms, friends' apartments, and parents' garages for sleep or practice, double-stack in cars to get to a gig. Do you remember that shit, Chris?"
"Fuck, do I ever remember that. Every once in a while I get a flashback sense of claustrophobia and have to lock myself in my studio or the bathroom at home just to get away from the wife and kids." He laughed; his eyes bright and cheerful. "I was such a young punk when I started and after a while my sister wanted to tag along so our parents chipped in to get us our own room. There was no way they'd let their little angel share a room with a bunch of young musicians. I never thanked you for that." He ruffled Lex's hair, hugging her from behind. "If you weren't a pain in the ass I would have been stuck on floors or waking up in the awkwardly uncomfortable small spoon position throughout the early days of my career."
"It was my pleasure being a pain in your ass, big bro." She laughed with a blush. "You were still the small spoon when we shared a room though." She burst out in giggles when he dug his fingers into her sides.
"You were your little sister's small spoon!" Sami burst out laughing; clutching his stomach and flopping back onto the floor.
The others smiled fondly yet again at the siblings' antics; even going so far as laughing when Lex squirmed across Shaun and Finn to escape Chris' tickling fingers.
"Our shelf life in the limelight is just as sketchy as yours." Chris turned his attention back to Sami and the subject at hand. "We can drop off the map if music tastes change yet again, and we don't conform to the new craze. Most of us don't change but we have a firm fanbase and they put up with us. Others aren't quite so lucky. You guys can lose your spot if the crowd doesn't respond to you, or management doesn't see improvement or you suffer an injury. Our industries are very similar. Our hold on our futures is tenuous at best."
"What's wrong with you?" She asked when she noticed the expression on Baron's face. "You look like you did when we met. Did someone set me back on all that hard work I put in getting that constipated look off your face?"
"Nothing's wrong." He shook his head; keeping his eyes focused on hers. "No one did anything either. Don't worry about it." He intentionally kept his eyes from drifting to Shaun's hard glare. If he wanted any chance at Lex's heart, he had a feeling he'd have to go through her hard-ass roommate. "What time do you plan to hit the Performance Center tomorrow?"
"Probably around 7 AM. I want to get a feel for the place before everyone arrives and I have some of my personal equipment I want to set up." She took another sip and propped her feet up on the coffee table, snuggling into Shaun's side. "I don't know what time you guys plan on getting there but if you're up early enough you can ride with me. Either way, make sure you call me when you get there so I can meet you two outside."
"You take this full-time protection seriously, luv." Finn glanced down at her; curiosity shining in his blue eyes. "Do we have cause to be concerned?"
"Paul seems to think so if he wants me on your detail. Relax, Irish." She patted his thigh. "I know it isn't a direct threat that brought me on or I would've told you. You guys are primarily in one place and it makes it easier to follow you, get your habits down, and I believe that is why he deems it necessary. I promise everything is cool. And it isn't quite full-time protection or I'd be picking you up and dropping you off every day. There is a real chance of me doing that or at least following you there and back in the near future. I haven't decided yet but I will be ghosting Baron when he's out and about."
"She doesn't hide anything from her clients, man. Even if she is working for the company, you and the big man over there are her clients, and she won't hold anything back from you. You can trust her." Shaun added nonchalantly, moving his arm from her shoulders to rest his hand on top of her head.
"Aww! My fan club president gives me a glowing endorsement." Lex pinched Shaun's cheek, laughing when he playfully nudged her towards Finn. "Are the cars here?"
"They are. I am not your damn travel agent but of course, I got everything here that you would need or want. They're both in the garage."
"You're just my adorable, grouchy teddy bear." She leaned over and placed a loud, sloppy kiss on his cheek; Shaun pulling a face and trying to push her off, before she stood and turned to the others. "Gentlemen, I hate to be a shitty host but I know we're all tired and the four of us have an early start tomorrow so I should get you home. Come on, let's go." She clapped her hands, waving Dave off when he went to stand. "I got it, man. You've driven enough today so just kick here and I'll be back."
"Thanks, Lex." He nodded; leaning back into his chair with a sigh.
The three wrestlers followed Lex through the kitchen and out into the garage; their mouths dropping open when she hit the opener and the sunlight illuminated the two vehicles parked within.
"That's a Corvette ZR1." Baron mumbled in awe.
"I want ta ride in that." Finn's blue eyes sparkled; drifting over the sleek black vehicle and his accent was more pronounced with his excitement.
"It is a two-seater so it will have to wait until later. Here, I have these for you two." She handed a set of keys to both men. "One is the key to the bus door and the other to my house. You have access to both whenever you see fit. Now unlock your cells and give them to me so I can add mine and Dave's numbers while you grab your bags from the bus."
"Hey Johnston!" She called out once her two clients handed over their phones and started towards the bus. "You know you are always welcomed too." She handed him a set of keys with a smile.
"Thanks, Lex!" He kissed her cheek and ran to get his things with a grin on his face.
September 22nd, 2015
Orlando, FL
Performance Center
"I really didn't expect you to come back for me." Baron smiled, getting into the passenger side of Lex's Escalade.
"All of you left your vehicles at the PC when you boarded the bus for Texas, remember?" She slid her eyes to him; a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I sent Dave to pick up the others a little while ago. Apparently you are the late sleeper amongst the group."
"I barely slept at all." He shook his head with a frown. After spending the last few days in close quarters with her, he found his bed felt extremely empty last night.
"Me either." She said in a subdued tone, pausing for a moment before turning a soft smile towards him. "I guess I got used to my body pillow."
He blushed; grinning like a fool when she returned her attention to traffic.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Baron made a point of finding Lex the moment he exited the locker room which wasn't difficult since she was scaling one of the ropes suspended from the ceiling. He walked up, watching her hand-over-hand ascension with a long bungee cord tied around her waist.
"What are you doing, munchkin?" He called up to her when she continued beyond the top knot.
"Setting up my double-end bag."
"Lex, get down from there! We have a cherry-picker for that!" Paul yelled when she got a grip on the I-beam with one hand and smoothly transitioned over to it. "Goddamn it!" He covered his eyes with both hands, dragging them down his face. "If you drop to your death, I'll never forgive you!" He growled out; his eyes reflecting his concern when she easily traversed the beam by her fingertips.
The woman found her desired spot and coiled her body; lifting her legs to cross over the beam before hanging upside down. Her hands untied the cord from her waist, ran it through one of the existing but unused holes for the facility's equipment, and secured it.
"Your cleavage looks incredible from here! Ow!" Sami rubbed the back of his head when he got a double-slap from Paul and Baron. "It's true. The girls look like they're going to spill out of that sports' bra."
"They really do." Baron nodded his head; glancing up at her breasts while she hung upside down.
"Shut up before I hit both of you." Paul covered his eyes; shaking his head in irritation yet unable to stop the grin tugging at his lips.
"Give it a tug, Sami!" She shouted down to her friend; nodding approvingly when it held. "That is perfect! Now give me some slack!" She pulled a measure of it up and twined it around her forearm before wrapping it a few times around her hand, gripping it in a tight fist. "Now hold on, Johnston!" And then her legs let go of the beam; her body falling from the ceiling.
"Fuck, I hate you!" Paul bellowed at the laughing woman that bounced a few times before settling at a height just above Baron's head; the big man placing his hands on her waist. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He growled into her face when she unwound her arm and allowed Baron to lower her to the ground before him.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Paul. I love you too much." She patted his chest with a small smile and walked off while the man groaned behind her.
"You know I can't stay mad at you when you say shit like that." Paul huffed; hands on his hips.
"I know; that's why I said it." Lex squatted down; digging through her gear bag and pulled out a leather bag about the size of a head that had a metal ring at the top and bottom. "Relax, Paul. That vein in your forehead is pulsing like it has a life of its own." She patted his cheek when she returned and finished her work on setting up her bag.
Once her project was complete, she pulled some tape from her bag and wrapped her hands, wrists, elbows, ankles and feet. "Don't you people have work to do?" She asked without looking; feeling eyes on her while she put in her earbuds, started her music, and moved to work her bag.
The double-end bag was held at a chosen height by the two bungee cords and was used to practice not only the speed of your hands but your ability to dodge a punch on the bag's return swing. Lex was extremely proficient with it; throwing jabs and combos in quick succession and practically dancing or weaving past the returns.
"You make that look so easy." Paul cocked his head; arms crossed over his chest while he watched her workout. "I already told them not to touch your heavy, speed and double-end bags. I figured it best to get ahead of that potential train-wreck." He nodded to himself, knowing she got into a zone while working out.
Oh she heard every word but would only speak if she needed to correct him on something.
"I told the girls you might work in some time to give them some more pointers if they finish up early and Matt would like you to spend some time with Baron." He grinned at her non-committal grunt before she threw a right/left combo and dodged the swift return. "I'm glad you're here, Alexandra." He smiled, walking off to leave her in peace.
Baron ran his drills in a nearby ring but found his attention drawn repeatedly to Lex. She worked her whole body into a sweat before taking a break on the speed bag; just working her arms while her legs and abs got a reprieve. As a former two-time Golden Gloves Champion, he was amazed with her prowess in boxing.
It was when she moved to the heavy bag that her true abilities shined through.
The woman started off with just hard punches before throwing what looked to be a hard right but she carried through, slashing her elbow across the rebounding bag.
"Fuck! That would take someone's jaw clean off." Tyler mumbled; running his hand along his jaw-line.
"You haven't seen anything yet." Sami grinned; watching his friend while he stood on the apron of the ring.
Lex didn't disappoint her audience; moving on to incorporate her kicks into this part of her workout. It all became a deadly dance of art from there with hits with the heel of her hand, a closed fist, elbows cutting across or driven up, knees and kicks that varied from straight on to head height and ended with a beautiful high roundhouse.
She staggered back a few feet; the others thinking she was done, before she ran forward, leapt in the air and kicked with her right and then left foot before landing gracefully in a fighting stance.
"Are you done making my kids feel inadequate?" Paul stepped up and handed her a towel.
"I am definitely done." She pulled out her earbuds, wiped her face and chest before accepting a bottle of water from him. "Thank you." She nodded; taking a long drink while she followed him towards the practice rings.
"Hey, I don't suppose you know any new unknowns that could do another original song for us?" He glanced down at her while she drained her bottle.
"Would you like to ask another stupid question?" She cocked her head; eyebrow lifted while she leveled him with a look.
"Okay, I admit that was a stupid one but we'd need it for this coming Mania."
"At least you're giving me some notice this time but you know I need a feel for the show so I know what to tell the guys to shoot for. Do you even know who will be in any of the matches?" She leaned against the apron behind Baron's legs, keeping her gaze locked on Paul.
"One for sure is Mark versus Shane. Shhh!" He quickly covered her mouth when it dropped open in shock. "Yes, Shane is returning to television and will be around regularly for an indefinite period of time. He said to tell you hello and he misses you and he can't wait to catch up, by the way." He felt her smile behind his hand and her eyes softened.
He knew that would change with his next words.
"The other match that is set barring any injury prior to then is Lesnar versus Ambrose." He took a deep breath when he could feel her jaw clench beneath his palm; the softness left her eyes and they turned positively frosty. "Alexandra, please…" His plea stopped cold when a quick hand grabbed his wrist and held it to the side between them.
"I will speak to him before that happens, Paul." The way she said it left no room for discussion, and he nodded, accepting it as a fact. "If he leaves him in the same shape he left Joe, I will end that motherfucker." Everything about her screamed 'predator' and Paul found himself nodding once again. "Glad we understand each other. Now I'm going to go kick your up-and-comers' asses." She handed him the empty bottle and towel before grasping the rope and vaulting up on to the apron.
"What are we working on, Matt?" She asked; stepping between the ropes.
"Basic hip-tosses and taking that bump convincingly." Matt Bloom chuckled when the woman beamed and practically vibrated with excitement. "Would you like to give my arm a break and take over, Alexandra?" He asked with over exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Let's see, stand here and toss big, bad ass men all over the place or occupy myself until Tom is free?" She glanced up, pretending to think it over before she returned his grin and shooed him out of the ring. "Get out and take advantage of a free trainer." As soon as his feet hit the floor, she turned her gaze to the men lining the edge of the ring. "Divide evenly per turnbuckle; inside the ring along the ropes to the right of your post. We will go clockwise. As soon as you hit the mat, roll out of the ring and go to the end of your line. The next person will not run at me until the one I've just thrown has left the ring. It keeps you from tripping, me from tossing you on someone and it lets us know you aren't hurt from the landing. Got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Finn saluted with a big smile.
"Matt, detach my earbuds and plug this into the stand I brought in." She handed him her phone and turned back, focusing on Baron until the bass drums reverberated through the Center. Tom chuckled when the gritty guitar intro began, and she pivoted to face Enzo. "You're up first." She smirked when Disturbed's Down with the Sickness blasted through the speakers.
"Don't let her get out of hand. The only people I know that can remotely keep up with her intensity are Rollins and Ambrose." Paul spoke to Matt, leaning his elbows on the apron while they watched Enzo whip through the air and land heavily on the mat. "Okay, I take that back. Finn can keep up too. They put on one hell of a match in San Antonio before the show." He added when Fergal easily took the bump and fluidly rolled out of the ring to take his place in the back of his line.
"I caught part of that. I'd liked to have seen the whole thing." Matt cringed when the air in Tye's lungs exploded out of his mouth. "Shake it off, boy! You gonna let that little girl put you down?" He chuckled when the young man rolled out with a groan. "They need a little dose of reality but I'll make sure she doesn't hurt them…too badly." He added with a sly grin.
Creed's What If started up next and most of the men in the ring began to sing along with the lyrics until it was their turn to fly. Lex didn't slow down a beat; singing and hip-tossing men one right after the other.
"Switch it up to powerslams!" Matt shouted over the music; laughing when Lex scowled at him.
"But that will make me sweat." She pouted at Matt; grinning when Paul began to laugh. "Did you not see my workout earlier? It blows away what you have them do all day. You're not going to budge, huh?" She rolled her eyes when he shook his head, and waved Finn on, taking a step to the side when he rushed her. "Sorry for the nut-nudge and ass-grab." She mumbled quickly before placing one hand on his shoulder and scooping him up with an arm between his legs.
"Orton." Sami supplied the answer when Cass opened his mouth.
"If you watch her carefully, you can spot the technique of whoever taught her a particular move-set." Paul walked along the outside of the ring while Finn rolled out, Lex popped up to her feet and Apollo ran in.
"Most of you have watched wrestling long before you decided to come here and try this for a living. The history of our business is just as important as the ring work." Matt carried on; knowing where Paul was taking this lecture.
"Those of you that were in Texas the past couple of days; San Antonio in particular, got to see Finn, Tyler and Lex put on a clinic after she arrived." Paul started along the other side, pausing when Enzo lost his air too before he rolled out of the ring next to where he stood.
"In case you're curious, she's working stiff with those of you that insulted her. She's putting you in check just like any of the men would do if you botched one too many times during a match. Unlike the guys on the main roster, she gets over it after one face-to-face so everything will be normal tomorrow." He smiled and patted the winded Enzo on the shoulder.
"That's good to know." He panted with a jerky nod; taking in Paul's glinting eyes before he hustled back into line.
"Lex doesn't use anyone's move-set that hasn't been an active superstar within the past eight years." Paul continued his story and his trek around the ring. "In other words, if you didn't recognize whose signatures she used then or now then I suggest you spend some time browsing the Network. Most of these guys are still with the company, working every show. I guarantee Randy would tear you a new asshole if he heard someone ask who taught Lex his powerslam."
"If Johnston will keep his mouth shut, maybe we can give all of you a break except Finn and Lex, and quiz you." Matt glanced at Sami who pretended to lock his lips and toss the key before he and the others jumped out of the ring.
"Now you want a match? I need to charge extra for this shit." Lex shook her head; hands on her hips while she caught her breath before waving Finn on. "Come on, gorgeous. Let's show these pups how it's done."
"I'm ready when you are, luv." He smiled in between gulps of water from his bottle, passing it to Lex to satisfy her thirst. "I know this one!" He moved his head to the fast rhythm of the guitar riff.
"I should hope so since its mine." Chris chuckled when Rusty Cage came on; coming up behind Paul and taking the offered hand. "Hey, Paul. I hope you don't mind but Shaun and I figured we'd come check out where our little hellion is working during the day."
"I don't mind at all. Paul Levesque." He held out his hand to his companion.
"Shaun Morgan; the she-beast's roommate." He returned the man's handshake while taking in the place around him.
"And Seether's frontman, I know. It is a pleasure to have you here and I apologize for uprooting you."
"Florida or Texas – they're the same to me." Shaun shrugged; darting his attention to Lex and Finn in the ring. "Why is Lex in there with the Irishman?"
"They're going to pretend to beat the shit out of each other. Don't you watch any of the pay per views that she works?" Chris took in Shaun's shaking head and pulled him towards a chair by the wrestlers.
"Sami. Mutt." Shaun jerked his head in acknowledgement of the two men before he sat next to Chris.
"Sorry about that, Tom. He has no manners." Chris leaned forward, giving a friendly smile to the man that was interested in his sister. "Whoa! So what's going on here?" His eyes widened when his younger sister locked up with Finn.
"A test for the observers." Paul stood beside Shaun; arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his face when random people began to call out a wrestler's name.
The two singers were in awe. They had seen Lex in some amazing brawls over the years but what she was doing in that ring with Finn was phenomenal. The two of them moved seamlessly; like they could read the other's mind, and barely exchanged a word throughout their impromptu match.
They grappled; they flew in and out of the ring, and used power moves like they did this everyday. After each of Lex's moves, voices rang out with right and wrong answers.
"Ambrose!" Cass shouted when Lex rebounded off the ropes with one hell of a clothesline; throwing her body forward with it to land on her front beside Finn.
At one point Lex was on the outside apron and Finn was just getting to his feet when she grabbed the top rope, jumped up to balance on it before using its momentum to springboard high into the air and hit the Irishman across the face with her forearm.
"Finn?" Enzo called out after complete silence, glancing at Sami for an answer.
"I actually don't know that one." Johnston cocked his head in confusion.
"I know whose it is but I can't say, luv." Finn winked at her from the flat of his back while he slapped an armbar on her.
Lex gripped his forearm with both hands; using her thighs behind his to aid her, and hefted him up before slamming him back down on the mat, breaking his hold.
"Reigns!" Baron shot to his feet with his hands on top of his head; in complete amazement of the power move. "Holy shit, munchkin."
They kept going until a song came on that caught Paul's undivided attention. He moved his head to the beat while his eyes remained on the two combatants in the ring; no longer listening to the others' answers. It was short; barely over two minutes long but he loved it.
"That's a wrap, you two!" He called out once it was over. "Hey, Lex?" He rolled into the ring, looking down at the two exhausted wrestlers.
"What, Paul? I'm dying here so what else can I do for you?" The panting woman looked up at him from the flat of her back. "I admit I'm exhausted and will be lucky to move from this spot any time soon so it better not require movement."
"No, you and Finn go ahead and lie there, catch your breath." He waved off her ire before she snapped at him. "That last song that just played…"
"You liked it, huh?" She forced a smile even while she still gasped for air. "It is from this guy I know; Kit, he was hoping you'd be interested in using it for the pay per view it's named after. I take it from your big ass smile that the answer is yes?"
"That is a yes. Tell him we'll buy the rights and use it at next year's No Mercy." He smiled happily before leaving the ring. "Some of you have some homework to do before we have the two of them do this again to quiz you." He told the observers before heading towards the girls' practice ring.
"Do this again?" Lex glanced at Finn beside her, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "We might not survive knowing each other but I'm glad we met."
"Me too, luv. Me too." Finn smiled; chest heaving for breath. "You sure give a fella one hell of a workout."
"Aww, you say the sweetest things. I'm just going to die a little longer."
"Don't do that; it's your turn to cook dinner." Shaun propped his arms on the apron, cocked his head and gave her a fond look. "That was some amazing work, luv."
"I agree. The two of you looked kick ass in there." Chris' face lit up while his blue eyes darted between them.
"Thank you, big bro." Lex sighed; taking a hand from Finn and allowed him to pull her into a seated position.
"Hey, little sister, do you mind if I put another show on your calendar?"
"What is it, Christopher?" She asked warily.
"Our agent called with a gig for Soundgarden in LA. I checked your schedule and I know Hell in a Cell is next month in LA on the 25th so I had him book us on the 24th if that is cool with you."
"Yeah, I can do two nights." She nodded; taking a bottle of water from Baron and passing it to Finn before she opened the second one he handed her. "Thank you, Sas." She gazed up at him through tired eyes while she took a big swig.
"I want you on stage with me, Lex, not doing security." Chris continued when she paused in her drinking. "Do you want to sing with me?" He asked with guarded eyes.
"I'd love to, bro." She answered after a minute of quiet contemplation. "I guess I need to find a bar around here that has an open mic night."
That brought on a chorus on random places being shouted out from the crowd.
"We'll get a list together! Leave it to us!" Sami grinned at her before moving off with a few others, talking over locations.
"If you're off that day, we'll get you all in but she better be ready by next month." Chris called out to the group which quieted them down for a second to absorb that information before they started up their chatter once again.
"And then you can all go see Hell in a Cell the next night." Paul added when he wandered back up with the Divas. "Might as well make a weekend of it." He shrugged his shoulders while grinning at Lex.
"No pressure, Paul. Thanks." She rolled her eyes, holding a hand out to Baron and he pulled her to her feet. "I'm hitting the shower and then we can start on your project." She whispered softly to him, taking in his nod before leaving the ring.
"Did she sleep last night?" Baron knelt by Chris and watched Lex stagger towards the locker room.
"Not a wink." Her brother answered with a worried frown.
0-0-0-0-0-0
The house was dark when Tom let himself in with his recently acquired key. He quietly shut it behind him, making sure to lock it before he crept up the stairs. Glancing between the two rooms, he went to the left when he heard one of the dogs huff behind the door.
Opening it, he peered in to find Lex sitting up in bed, calmly aiming a gun at him. She released a small sigh and replaced it under her pillow when he stripped off his shirt and toed off his shoes.
"You're lucky I'm not an amateur. I have too many people that come and go to be a shoot first, ask questions later kind of girl." She cocked her head at him when he stood beside the bed and dropped his jeans before climbing in next to her. "What are you doing?" She asked when he slipped an arm under her shoulders and rolled her on top of him.
"I need my security blanket and you need your body pillow." He bent his head and kissed her softly on her parted lips before tucking her head under his chin. "Get some sleep, munchkin."
