DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.

*** A/N – This chapter and the following two chapters actually take place at the same time. To prevent too much confusion, I have written them as separate pieces. ***

Claire spent a sleepless night pacing her room She jumped at every noise, her nerves stretched taut. She was tired of being trapped in her room. Her nerves were shot, the silence made it seem as if the walls were starting to close in. Maybe she should get dressed and go for a run. Yeah, a run sounded like a good idea. Claire made her way down to the weight room, hoping it was still to early to run into anybody. Claire stood beside the treadmill, looking out on the city. The first pink fingers of sunrise were starting to streak across the sky. Please let today be a better day Claire thought. She stepped onto the treadmill and set her pace.

Cody stopped dead in his tracks. He had gotten up early, hoping to get his workout done before Randy and Ted got up. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with either of them. He was still pissed at Randy. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation. He certainly didn't expect to find Claire hitting the treadmill. He watched in appreciation; the short, black running shorts left the long length of her legs tantalizingly bare. The neon-pink tank top made her skin glow. He couldn't make himself stop staring. She looked absolutely amazing. Cody felt suddenly shy. He was going to have a few minutes alone with Claire, while he got a chance to show off his build. How awesome is that? He moved to the weight bench and started adding weights. He sat down on the bench, once again looking over at Claire. Hot. The word floated thru Cody's head as he leaned back, hands reaching for the bar. He forced himself to concentrate as he lifted the bar. With a deep breath, he brought the bar to his chest and pushed. One. Two. Three. Cody forced himself to keep count.

Claire slowed her pace to a walk. Her muscles screamed it protest and Claire was glad. The ache gave her something else to concentrate on. She continued walking until most of the screaming ache in her muscles had eased. She stepped from the treadmill and turned to grab a towel. She paused a moment, realizing she wasn't alone. Claire took out her earphones and smiled. Not Randy. Thank God. Claire moved to stand behind Cody's bench and looked down at him.

"Aren't you supposed to have a spotter?

Cody suddenly lost count as he looked up into Claire's eyes. "Looks like I just found one." Cody swallowed hard and lifted the bar again.

"Didn't expect to see you here." Claire watched as Cody pushed the weight up and down, up and down.

"Me either." Cody pushed one last time then placed the bar back on the rack. "How do you feel?"

Claire groaned inwardly. Not that again. Couldn't he just let it go?

"Right as rain." Claire forced a smile and handed Cody her towel. He accepted it with a smile.

"Good. I'm glad." Cody reached for his water bottle.

Claire moved to sit on the bench across from him. She watched as he slowly wiped the sweat from his arms. She had to admit it, Cody was in fine shape. He wasn't overly ripped, like a lot of guys on the roster, but he was nicely cut in all the right places.

"You're not on the card tonight." Claire said.

"Nope."

"Got any plans?"

Cody shook his head, curious as to what Claire was getting at. Surely she wasn't about to ask him out.

"Wanna have dinner? With me?" HOT DAMN! Cody had to fight down the urge to leap from the bench and shout for joy.

"Dinner?"

Claire laughed as she reached over and grabbed her towel back. She wound it tightly then snapped it at Cody. "Yeah. Dinner. It's that thing that comes after lunch but before breakfast? I thought maybe I we could try playing 20 questions again."

Cody sighed, disappointed. She was asking him out because she wanted to pump him for info about Randy. Didn't it just figure? Be then again, any time he got to spend with Claire was worth it. "Sounds great. I'll pick you up at six."

Claire smiled. "Six it is."

* * * * * *

Cody arrived promptly at six. He had dressed carefully, dark slacks and a navy blue pin-stripe shirt. He made sure he looked polished but still accessible. He wanted Claire to know he was ready for whatever the night should bring. Cody nervously ran a hand thru his dark hair before knocking on her door. This morning he had thought Claire was amazing. Now, seeing her framed in the doorway, she was stunning. Claire wore a form-fitting black dress, which fell to just above her knees. The square neckline drew his attention to the garnet necklace she wore. SO HOT. Cody thought as Claire stepped into the hall. She turned to close the door behind her, giving Cody a look at her shapely rear-end. It's gonna be a long night Cody thought as he let Claire proceed him into the elevator.

"You look nice." Claire smiled as she toyed with the thin strap of her purse.

"Thanks. You too." Cody winced at how lame he sounded. "You look very nice."

Claire laughed softly and linked her arm thru his. "Where are you taking me?"

Anywhere you want to go. Cody bit his tongue to keep the words to himself. "You'll see."

"A secret, huh? I love a man that can keep a secret." Claire smiled as Cody opened the car door for her.

"Just wait." Cody said under his breath as he reached into the back seat. He glanced at Claire as he pulled out a silver box. The box was tied with a black ribbon. He gently placed the box in her lap. "This is for you."

Claire looked at Cody in surprise. She pulled the ribbon from the box and dropped it into her lap. Inside the creamy tissue paper was a hand-blown glass rose. "Cody, it's beautiful!"

"I wanted to get the real deal but it's not very practical. I figured this would be the next best thing."

Claire smiled. Cody was such a sweetheart. So thoughtful, so kind. Cody returned her smile as he slid into the driver's seat. "I hope you're hungry. I made reservations for dinner at Cicada's."

Claire's arched a brow at that. If she remembered correctly, Cicada was a highly recommended Italian restaurant. She'd read it in the hotel's Top 10 Restaurant list. Impressive. Cody had great tastes. Claire was even more impressed when they walked into the restaurant. The minute they walked into the door, the hostess moved them to the back of the restaurant. Cody smiled as he looked around the place. The atmosphere was perfect. Soft music played in the background, the lighting was set to a romantic glow. The dark wood had been polished to a gleaming shine. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect place. He was hoping to distract Claire enough that she would forget all about questioning him about Randy.

Cody motioned to their waiter, "A bottle of Stefano Farina Barolo, please."

Claire groaned on the inside. She wasn't sure what the hell Cody just ordered but it brought back memories of a killer hangover. She would have to sip it and make sure she didn't let herself drink any more than necessary. Cody watched Claire as she once again looked around the room. He could tell she liked it. He couldn't help but feel a little flash of pride.

"What are you thinking?" Cody leaned forward, moving his water glass out of the way.

"This is too much. You've really pulled out all the stops."

Cody's hopes fell. Had he taken things too far? He hoped not, if this was too much, the rest of the evening was shot to hell and back. "You don't like?"

Claire realized she sounded as if she was complaining. She reached across the table and placed her hand over Cody's. "I love it. I just didn't expect something so . . . amazing." Claire was proud she stopped herself from saying "expensive."

"Only the best for you, Claire." Cody smiled as he turned his hand over, lacing his fingers thru Claire's.

Claire could feel the blush from her head to her toes. Mark had been right. Cody really was a man on a mission. He was just too sweet for words. He obviously wanted to impress her. And he's succeeded. In spades. Suddenly, Claire was overcome by nervousness. She didn't want to admit it, but this was a real-for-real date. From flowers to expensive wine, this had all the classic markers. She hadn't expected to suddenly be filled with the butterfly sensation in her stomach.

Cody enjoyed Claire's company much more than the food, which was excellent. She was intelligent and witty. Claire made him feel like he was the only man in the room, which suited him just fine. He even ordered the Chocolate Molten Cake for dessert, which totally broke the no sweets rule. Making Claire so happy was worth the few extra calories. After dinner, Cody drove them back to the hotel. He didn't want the night to end but he also didn't want to share Claire with anyone. He parked at the back of the hotel and brought her around to the pool. The underwater lights glowed softly, giving them just enough light to see. He pulled a wrought iron chair out from beneath one of the tables and motioned for her to sit. Cody pulled up another chair and sat facing her.

Nervously, Claire tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I had a great time." Smooth move Claire thought.

"Me too." Cody reached over to Claire and took her hand in his. "A really great time."

Claire smiled and tried to gently extract her fingers from Cody's. He didn't release his grip. With a sigh Claire let herself relax. Claire looked out at the pool, watching the gentle shimmer of the water as the pump turned on.

"We were supposed to play twenty-questions tonight." Claire murmured to herself.

Cody laugh and squeezed Claire's hand. "Okay. We can play. I get to ask the first question."

Claire arched a brow and turned her gaze to Cody. "Fair enough."

"I really like you."

Claire laughed. "That's not a question."

Cody smile and nodded. "Fair enough. Can I kiss you?" No way in hell was Cody going to let Randy's name even be uttered. He was not going to let Randy's presence, however metaphorical, ruin the moment. Sometimes the best defense was a good offense. Cody watched as Claire bit the soft flesh of her bottom lip. He could tell she was torn. He waited for her answer.

Claire was shocked. She'd never had a man ask permission to kiss her. What did she say? Unable to find her voice, she nodded. Cody wanted to howl with relief when Claire nodded. He leaned forward in his chair. Be strong. Be confident. Cody gave himself the pep-talk as he pulled Claire toward him. He gave her enough time to change her mind before he leaned close. His gaze stayed focused on her as his lips lowered. Cody shivered at the contact of her lips under his. She was so soft, so warm. This was the moment he had been waiting for since she had joined up with them. Cody sighed softly as Claire's lips parted for him. His tongue slowly traced the line of her lip before delving inside.

Claire was surprised by the amount of desire she felt in Cody's kiss. She was slightly impressed by how confident he seemed as he kissed her. This Cody was so different than the worried one of the day before. What had changed? Claire jumped slightly in surprise when she felt Cody's hand against her knee. His touch was warm and light as he slowly caressed her skin. Maybe he's a little to confident Claire thought as she covered his hand with her own.

Cody groaned in disappointment as Claire stopped his hand's progress. He couldn't help but touch her. She called to him like a beacon. Reluctantly, Cody broke the kiss.

Claire laughed nervously and toyed with a strand of hair, "Wow."

Cody smiled and looked up at Claire from beneath his lashes. "Yeah. Wow."

Claire didn't miss the heat in Cody's eyes. And honestly, it scared her. She wasn't into casual flings. She didn't do the love-em-and-leave thing at all. Her self-preservation bells rang in warning. Claire stood slowly and looked down at Cody. She hated to leave him but she didn't want to hate herself in the morning either. "I really should go inside."

Cody swallowed hard and nodded. Claire had a point. If she stayed down here with him, there was no telling what was going to happen. He sure as hell didn't want to push her. Claire would come to him in her own time.

"Goodnight." Letting her go was the hardest thing he ever did.

Claire saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. Before she could stop herself, she leaned down to press her lips to his once again. Claire kept the pressure light and pulled away quickly. She forced herself to walk quickly into the building. She didn't let herself look back.

*** A/N – Check back soon for Parts 2 and 3. They'll be up soon! Keep reading and keep reviewing ***