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.
Randy picked up his cellphone on the second ring. He answered it without checking the Caller ID. Cody's voice was almost lost in the static, "We're leaving Tampa. We should be there before 5. You still coming to pick us up?"
Randy sighed. Shit, he'd forgotten Cody and Ted were meeting him in St. Louis. The new itinerary was supposed to be posted tomorrow. They were going to travel together, as usual. The easiest thing for them to do was meet Randy and rent a car. No sense in having everyone start is separate locations. "Yeah, I'll be there."
The line went dead before Randy heard Cody's reply. With a sigh, he tossed his cell onto the counter and glanced at his housekeeper, Monica.
"You should probably go to the market and pick up enough to feed the boys." Randy watched as Monica quickly turned a perfect ham and cheese omelet onto a waiting plate. He had to admire her skill in the kitchen. Very rarely did Monica turn out less than a stellar performance. She placed a fork on the plate and handed it to him.
"Cody and Ted come?" Monica pulled two pieces of toast from the toaster and began slathering on strawberry jam. She smiled as she placed them on Randy's plate.
He nodded as he dug his fork into the fluffy eggs. Taking a big bite, his eyes closed in pleasure. Monica was one hell of a cook.
"They stay long?" Monica poured a glass of orange juice and set it next to his plate. Hell, the woman even knew exactly what he wanted without being asked. That was exactly why he had no problem paying her the salary he did. She was worth every penny.
Randy shrugged in response and bit into the toast. The strawberry flavor exploded on his tongue. Life on the road was nothing compared to the comforts Monica provided him on the rare occasions he spent any amount of time at home. "At least a few days."
Monica smiled happily as she began stacking the dishes in the sink. The more people Monica had to take care of, the happier she was. She loved having the house full of noise and happiness. "Very good!"
Randy looked up at Monica as she pulled off her apron and set it on the counter, "Will you do me a favor while you're in the city?"
Monica reached for her purse then turned to face Randy.
Reaching into his pocket, Randy pulled out his wallet. He handed the American Express card to Monica, "Buy Claire something pretty. And buy yourself a present."
Monica started shaking her head before Randy finished speaking. "No, Señor Randy, no buy for Monica."
Randy stared at the little woman as she lapsed into quickly spoken Spanish. She quickly pulled on her sweater and picked up her purse again. No matter how many times he insisted she buy something for herself, she always refused. One of these days he was just going to bite the bullet and buy her something big and expensive. Probably a car. Not that she'd take it but that wouldn't stop him from buying it. She deserved a reward for having faithfully served him. He watched as she quickly closed the back door, still muttering to herself. With a smile Randy turned back to his breakfast.
He hadn't slept well the night before. He'd lain awake most of the night, trying to decide what he was going to do. His time with Claire would be up in a matter of a few short days. He hated to think of what things would be like once she went back to Stamford and he went back on the road. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was going to be lonely as hell. He'd grown accustomed to waking up with her every morning and sleeping beside her every night. The idea of Claire waking up alone did not sit well with him. They had grown so close in the last few weeks and the thought of separation was nearly unbearable.
Randy only knew two things for certain. The first thing he knew was that he could not imagine his life without Claire. She was as much a part of him as eating and breathing. She was absolutely vital to his life. The second thing he knew was that he would be an absolute fool to let her walk away. Going back to Stamford would change their relationship. There were no guarantees that the changes would be for the better. And quite frankly, that was not a risk he was willing to take.
Glancing at the clock, Randy quickly finished the remains of his juice and toast. He was going into the city and he didn't want to fight rush hour traffic. He grabbed his keys from the table in the living room and walked out into the early morning sunshine. Sliding behind the wheel of his BMW, Randy pulled on his sunglasses. He glanced into the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of his face. He could see the worry there. He knew his decision had not been an easy one, but it was the best one. Never had he considered himself the marrying kind. He'd always assumed he would be the eternal bachelor, going from relationship to relationship as soon as boredom set it. Until Claire had walked into his life, he'd been content to live that way. Since then everything had changed. In his gut he knew he would never meet someone as special as Claire. Each day they spent together was a gift. And he was not the kind of man to take something so precious for granted.
A few hours later outside the Saint Louis Airport
"Come on, Cody, get the lead out, will ya?" Randy leaned against the opened door of his BMW and watched Cody slowly make his way across the parking lot.
Ted glanced over at Randy and bit back a smile. Randy was in one hell of a hurry to get back to the little woman. He never thought he'd see the day that Randy Orton acted like a well trained pooch. Claire had called not ten minutes ago, and suddenly he couldn't wait to get home. After a couple of long minutes, Cody finally stopped at the trunk of the car. He slowly placed his duffel bag inside and moved around to the passenger side of the car. He climbed inside and practically slammed the door closed.
"Seriously man, if you break the hinges, I'll kill you." Randy growled under his breath as he slid behind the wheel. He backed out of the parking space and headed south towards the highway.
"What's going on?" Randy glanced over at Ted in the passenger seat. Ted was smiling a secret sort of smile, as if he knew something he wasn't supposed to.
Ted shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Ask Cody."
Randy looked at Cody in the rear view mirror. "What gives?"
Cody glared at Ted a moment before letting go of a sigh, "Nothing."
Ted's bark of laughter caused Randy to arch a brow. "Would somebody in this car care to fill me in?"
Ted glanced over his shoulder at Cody before speaking, "Cody's been pouting for the last three days."
Randy didn't answer, he waited for somebody to tell him what was going on. Cody continued to glare at Ted as if he was daring him to continue.
"Your boy Cody here is batting a big fat ZERO."
Cody wadded up a McDonald's napkin and tossed it at Ted. "Shut up."
Ted howled in laughter as he wadded the napkin into a tighter ball. He tossed it back at Cody without looking. "Apparently Cody's too much of a gentleman."
Randy arched a brow as he looked at Ted, "Details?"
Ted smiled a smug little smile as he looked out of the window, "Don Juan back there hasn't seen any action since before 'Mania. It's really starting to make him pissy."
Randy quickly glanced in the mirror at Cody, only to see his friend turning a deep shade of pink. Ted was embarrassing the hell out of him. It was nice to know that some things never changed. "I thought you and Barbie were an item." Randy said.
Cody made a noise in the back of his throat as he looked at Ted, "You might as well tell him."
Ted shifted slightly in his seat as he settled in, "It seems dear Barbie just wants to be friends. She wants to "take things slow." That's what she said, isn't it, Code?"
The evil look Cody threw at Ted was cold enough to make hell freeze over, "She's an old-fashioned girl."
"Old-fashioned meaning she won't put out. Poor Cody's got a massive case of blue balls."
Ted dissolved in a fit of near giggles. He wasn't sure why, but the idea of Cody being forced into celibacy was hysterical. It probably didn't speak well of him that he was enjoying his friend's misery so much. But it served him right, considering he'd told Ted to crash somewhere else after the Hall of Fame Ceremony. He'd spent a long night bunking with Santino Marella, who had the most annoying habit of talking in his sleep. The next morning he had been endlessly amused that his sleepless night had not been as bad as Cody's.
"Leave him alone, Ted. He feels bad enough as it is."
Ted's mirth quickly died as he turned to look at Randy. Where the hell did that come from? This was the first time since they had formed their inner circle that Randy had not joined in the fun of tormenting them. Randy was never without a crude comment or snide remark. Since when did he take sides?
"Are you running a fever?" Ted asked.
Randy shook his head as he merged onto the highway that would take them back home, "It's alright, Code. Don't let it get you down. If she's the right one, it'll be worth the wait."
Cody stared at Randy, his mouth gaping. He was sure he hadn't heard Randy correctly. No way in hell he just defended him. That just wasn't in his nature! What the hell happened in the short time they'd been separated? Cody wasn't sure if he liked the sudden change in his friend. If Randy was being nice, it was a bad omen. Sitting back in the seat, Cody kept his eyes locked on Randy.
After several long minutes, Randy finally spoke, "I hope you two are hungry."
"Is Monica at the house?" Cody asked hopefully. He knew if Monica was expecting them, she would be cooking a veritable feast.
Randy laughed softly. "She is so excited to have you stay for a few days. She's cooking your favorite."
Cody couldn't help but smile. He loved Monica's cooking as much as he loved his Mama's. Which was really saying something, a southern boy always thought his Mama's was the best in the world. Looking out of the window, Cody thought that maybe things were finally starting to get better for him. And if they weren't, at least he'd have a few decent meals to look back on while he was on the road.
***A/N – Please review. PRETTY PLEASE go check out the poll on my page and vote for which story you would like to read next! Every vote counts so make your voice heard!***
