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.
Saturday – Hall of Fame Ceremony Day
Hannah stood in the center of the living room of the private villa and just looked around. She could not believe her surroundings. The low ceiling had exposed hardwood beams and it blended beautifully with the stone floor. Everything melded together to form an luxurious, almost exotic hide away. She was in awe of their exquisite surroundings. Once again, she thought that Claire was an extremely lucky woman. Randy had definitely pulled out all the stops. Hell, the man had even ordered them breakfast before he leaving for the production meeting. How much more could a woman asked for? She moved across the room and opened a door that lead out into the private courtyard. She gasped in surprise as she took in the carefully sculpted garden.
"Have you seen this?" Hannah looked over her shoulder at Claire who was unpacking her laptop.
Claire pulled the computer from the bag and set it on the low coffee table. She set her glasses
beside it and slowly crossed the room. She looked over Hannah's shoulder before glancing at her. She would not have expected to find so many flowers in the middle of the desert. The courtyard was bordered by bushes that bloomed with long, yellow flowers. They made Claire think how much they looked like trumpets. The flowers were a bright contrast to the otherwise neutral color scheme. Taking in the luxury of the courtyard, Hannah turned in a slow circle. She paused mid-twirl as her gaze landed on an alcove, tucked into the corner. Hannah glanced back at Claire before going to investigate. Hannah's low whistle drew Claire into the sunshine.
"Is that what I think it is?" Claire asked as she took another long look.
"I think so." Hannah's brow arched as she smiled.
"Are you sure?"
Hannah nodded as she dissolved into a fit of giggles, "I'm pretty sure that's what this is."
Slightly horrified, Claire glared at Hannah, "I don't believe it." Claire thought as she took another look at the outdoor shower. They were not anywhere close to the pool. So what was the point in having an outdoor shower? Who in hell dreamed this up? As realization came to her, Claire felt the blush from her nose to the tips of her toes. All she could think about what was Randy would think when he found their little amenity. She could just imagine the things he would have in mind. A delicious shiver of pleasure pulsed down her spine. Maybe, just maybe, there was a reason she was the one to make the discovery. Maybe she could use it to her advantage. What could possibly be wrong with planning a little seduction of her own? Claire hid a sudden devilish smile behind her hand.
"We better get started. We have a long day ahead of us." Claire cleared her throat and moved back into the villa. The sooner they got to work, the sooner she would be able to begin putting her plan together. With a dramatic sigh, Hannah followed her friend inside. It was such a shame that they were going to be trapped inside when they had such a beautiful day to enjoy. It wasn't like they would make a whole lot of progress, considering they would have to stop in time to get ready for the Hall of Fame Ceremony. She grabbed an orange from the basket of fruit on the table and curled up in a chair. Slowly she began peeling it while Claire waited for her laptop to load.
"Do you really think we're going to get anything done?" Hannah arched a brow as Claire slipped on her glasses.
She looked at Hannah a moment before slipping her glasses off again. Who the hell was she kidding? She couldn't focus long enough to string two thoughts together. All she could think about was the Hall of Fame Ceremony. She wasn't sure why, but she was so excited. Maybe it was the thought of getting all dolled up or maybe it just being able to go out in public on Randy's arm. The fact that they were going to the ceremony together was going to remove all doubt about their relationship. In a way, it was a relief. Now that she had made peace with her feelings for Randy, she was ready to shout it from the rooftops. And she was willing to bet money on the fact that he wanted to do the same thing. Claire laughed softly and draped her arm along the back of the couch. She couldn't make herself pretend that she actually wanted to work. Hannah smiled and set the remains of her orange on the edge of the coffee table, "I thought so. What do you think tonight's going to be like?"
"It's definitely going to be something you'll never forget. It's amazing to see so many people there. Everyone's going to be there, at least all the people who have made this industry what it is. It's humbling to see how the superstars react when they are face to face with their heroes."
Hannah paused,an orange slice halfway to her lips, "You've been before?"
Claire nodded and smiled, "Three years ago. Of course, I was stuck on the production side of things, but I was there."
Hannah blinked slowly and shook her head, "You have to be just about the luckiest woman on the planet."
Claire's laughter made Hannah glare at her, "I hear I'm not the only woman who's lucky."
Hannah looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Don't play coy with me. You're pretty lucky too, having Ted take you to the ceremony."
Hannah's jaw practically hit the floor, "Excuse me?"
"Come on, Hannah, tell me how it happened."
"I'm not going with Ted." Hannah's simple declaration made Claire's jaw click closed.
"What do you mean you're not going with Ted?"
Hannah shook her head slowly, "It was really sweet of Ted to offer to take me. But I had to tell him no. I already have a date."
"With who?" Claire suddenly sat forward as she stared at Hannah. If she wasn't going with Ted and Cody had shot her down, who was the mystery man?
Hannah's answer was cut short by the knocking on the door. Claire gave the door a sharp glance before turning her attention back to Hannah. "Who?"
Hannah looked from Claire to the door and back again, "Are you going to answer that?"
"Hannah? Who is it?"
Hannah laughed and stood, "We're not going to know unless we answer the door." With that Hannah opened the door.
Claire quickly bit back a sharp reply as Randy strode through the door. He nodded at Hannah before moving over to Claire. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head.
"I hope you girls are ready to be treated like royalty." Randy reached for Claire's hand and pulled her to her feet.
"What's going on?" Claire looked from Randy to the door just in time to see a petite blonde woman coming in, quickly followed by a slightly taller brunette.
"I thought you would like a little help getting ready." Randy motioned towards the women.
Claire turned to Randy, "What are you doing?"
Randy leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Starting things off right."
He motioned to the women standing with Hannah in the doorway. The blonde moved into the center of the room as if magnetically drawn to Randy. She held out a perfectly manicured hand to Claire but her eyes never left Randy.
"I'm Arika. This is Alexis." She distractedly motioned toward the other woman.
Randy smiled politely and pulled Claire against his side. "This is Claire." He motioned for Hannah to join them, "This is Hannah."
Arika plastered a smile on her face and she looked between Claire and Hannah. "A pleasure to meet you."
Randy looked over the women circled around him and knew he was about to be knee deep in trouble if he didn't leave. There was just too much feminine power in one little room. And he sure as hell didn't miss the way Arika's eyes were glued to his crotch. What the hell was wrong with the people employed here? They all looked like they wanted to jump his bones. It was a feeling he really didn't like. He was a one woman man now.
Arika motioned to Alexis, "Why don't you go ahead and get them changed?"
Alexis stepped forward and forced a smile. She kept a wary on Randy as she looked between Claire and Hannah, "Ladies." Alexis held out a hand in the direction of the bedroom.
Randy waited until Claire had moved across the room before walking to the door. He paused with his hand on the door and glanced back over his shoulder. As he expected, Arika was right behind him. He had that feeling in the bottom of his stomach that only bad things could come of this. Alexis stopped just a few inches away as she continued to look him over from head to toe. He didn't miss the flicker of appreciation in her eyes.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Her voice was pitched low, her intention clear.
Randy felt the urge to laugh. If she had approached him a few months ago, he would have quickly taken her up on the offer. Now that he had Claire, all he felt was a wave of revulsion.
"Just treat her like a queen."
Arika smiled her best smile as she looked into his eyes, "Mrs. Orton is a very lucky woman."
Randy felt a genuine smile cross his face, "No, I'm the lucky one." He stepped away from the obvious invitation and quietly closed the door as he left.
A few hours later
Hannah stared in the mirror unable to believe the transformation staring back at her. After the full body massage, they had indulged in luxurious mani/pedis. Alexis worked wonders with her hair and make-up. She almost couldn't believe she was the same person. She looked like a million bucks. All she wanted was for her date to approve. Forcing her eyes away from the mirror, Hannah turned to Claire. She was carefully stepping into four inch heels. She had to admire Claire's stunning beauty. Alexis had carefully arranged her hair into an artful knot. Thin wisps of hair fell to frame her face. Hannah's gaze moved from her friend's face over the dress she wore. It was a classy combination of silver and black. The bodice was an intricate design of silver beading that gave way to a wide black band of material. A strip of silver beading sat at the level of her hips before falling into a black silk waterfall to the floor. The overall effect of the gown drew the eye from top to bottom, showing off Claire's hour glass figure. Randy was going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of her and his hands to himself. Claire felt Hannah staring at her. It made her even more nervous to know that someone was looking her over so intently.
"I'm not sure about you but I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Claire said as she returned Hannah's steady gaze.
"You are so beautiful." Hannah said softly as she moved to stand beside Claire.
"You're not looking too bad yourself." Claire winked and reached for her evening bag.
Claire's heart skipped a beat as a knock sounded at the door. Hannah gave her a quick smile before going to answer it. She heard a wolf whistle as she moved into the living room. Randy was standing in the center of the room his arm lightly draped across Hannah's shoulders.
"Isn't he hot? Can we keep him?" Claire's laugh drew Randy's attention. His heart skipped at least four solid beats before picking up a steady, pounding rhythm. He could not believe how gorgeous Claire looked. The simple dress made her more beautiful than he could put into words. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
"Eat your heart out, Hannah, this one's mine." Randy felt his chest swell with pride as Claire slowly crossed the room to stand before him. She tilted her head back slightly to look up at him.
"You are gorgeous." Leaning down, Randy pressed a kiss to her lips. He let himself linger a moment longer than he should have. That one taste of her made him want to tell Hannah to leave so he could take Claire to their bedroom. He forced himself back under control. No sense in rushing head long to where they were going to end up anyway. They might as well get the chance to enjoy what he had in store.
"Not too bad yourself." Claire smiled as Randy pressed a kiss to her cheek. He looked good enough to eat in the simply cut black suit. He wore a silver paisley tie and had a silver handkerchief tucked neatly into the pocket of his coat. She was surprised that he hadn't picked a traditional tuxedo but he definitely had dressed to kill.
The sound of Hannah clearing her throat broke through the seductive haze that had settled between them. "If you're ready, we need to be leaving."
Randy took Claire's hand and lead her out of the villa. They stepped into the cool night air. Claire stopped as for a moment and looked up at the sky. She couldn't count all of the stars hanging in the inky blackness. She felt the peace of the night in the depths of her. She didn't feel small and alone like she usually did when she looked at the sky. For the first time she could remember, she felt at peace. It was something she could learn to get used to. Randy stood in the doorway, watching Claire. She stopped beside the fountain and her head was tipped back, her eyes focused on the sky. Once again, he was struck almost senseless by her. It wasn't just her beauty, and yes, she was quite beautiful. There was something so genuine, so honest about her. It just made him want her even more. He slowly moved toward her, his eyes locked on her face. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close against his chest and nuzzled the curve of her shoulder.
"Did I mention just how beautiful you are?" Randy asked softly as his lips trailed over her bare shoulder.
"Yeah. I believe I heard you say something about that." Claire smiled as Randy kissed his way back up her neck.
Randy slowly laced his fingers through Claire's. She turned slowly to face him. He looked at her as he slid a hand into his jacket pocket, "I just can't think of a way to make this night any better."
"Me either." Claire smiled softly.
"I wish there was a way to make sure we remember this night for the rest of our lives."
Claire arched a brow. What, exactly, was Randy trying to say? She knew he was up to something, she could tell by the look in his eyes.
"Maybe this will help." Randy swallowed hard as he pulled a small black box from his pocket. Hoping she wouldn't notice that his hand trembled, he held the box out to her. Claire suddenly forgot how to breathe as Randy slowly pulled back the lid. Feeling slightly light-headed, Claire stared into the box. Inside the velvet nest sat a princess cut diamond pendant. She reached out with a finger to touch it. She thought it had to be at least two full carats. And if she knew her jewelry, that was definitely a platinum setting.
"What is this?"
Randy smiled as he pulled the pendant from the box. "Remember when you said that if you were a penguin you would want your mate to bring you a rock?" He held the necklace up to the moonlight for her inspection. Claire nodded, unable to find her voice. "Here's your rock, baby."
Claire blinked back the sudden sting of tears. She was amazed that their playful conversation had made such an impression on Randy. He had taken her words to heart, quite literally. The man was almost too perfect to be believed. "Turn around."
Claire turned slowly, giving Randy her back. He deftly fastened the pendant around her slender neck then pulled her against his him, her back against the hard plane of her chest. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath; the whole time praying he would find the right words. "I love you, Claire, more than I have ever loved anyone else. More than I ever thought I could love someone. You mean more to me than my own life."
She wanted to turn to face him but he arm around her waist keep her gently trapped against him. She realized it was easier for him this way. He could say what he needed to, if only he didn't have look her in the eyes. If that was what he needed, then she could let it happen this way. It wasn't so much how he said what he needed to, only that he finally say the words.
"I don't want to be with anyone else. Ever. You're my heart, Claire. I can't live without you."
Fighting back the tears, Claire forced the words past the lump in her throat, "I can't live without you, either."
***A/N – Come back soon for the next installment – And please review ***
