Sorry it's taking me so long to get this chapter out! We have had bad storms around my neighborhood that's knocked out both cable and internet.. I've had to be creative in how to get this chapter to you all! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8- Up Close and Personal
Randy
I woke up to an empty bed. I had fallen asleep in an empty bed. I don't know when it happened. One minute I had the blonde in the arms, and the next, I was walking away from her. She wasn't happy. It was obvious that she knew who I was, that she was trying to add me as a knotch in her belt. But something felt wrong, and I couldn't do it. I groaned and rolled out of bed, heading for the shower.
I wanted to check on Lora. After I had ditched the blonde last night, I hunted down Casie and John, and John told me that Lora had gone home. Casie was oddly quiet around me, and wouldn't even look at me, and that got me worried about Lora. I threw some clothes on, and went to Lora's hotel room.
I knocked on the door. "Lora?" No answer. I knocked harder. Yet, still no answer.
"She's not in there," John said, coming from around the corner. I snapped my head up to meet his eye. He seemed awfully cheerful for this time of the morning.
"Where is she?" I asked, trying to make it sound less like a demand.
"She spent the night with Casie." Oh. I would just go to Casie's room then. I turned on my heel and headed off, but John called me back.
"They are still asleep. Want to come with me to work out?" I didn't really want too. I wanted to make sure Lora felt better. I didn't like that she had just left by herself last night. Something was up with her, and I wanted to help. But there was nothing I could do while she was asleep, I reasoned with myself. I turned back to John, following him to the gym.
oo
I didn't get to see her all day. John worked me like a mule in the gym; which I guess I needed, because I hadn't really had a good session in over four days. I never let myself go that long, especially when a big pay-per-view was coming up, like Extreme Rules this Sunday. And my Championship match with Swagger. I still hated the oaf, but now that Lora and Jake didn't hang out all the time, I didn't go into blind rages when I thought about him.
And again, we had to take rental cars to the next event, the pay-per-view, in Baltimore. It was going to be about a three and a half hour drive, and all four of us, Casie, John, Lora and I, were riding together. We didn't have any non-televised shows this week, so we could train and practice for Extreme Rules. John and I were on our way for a short meeting with Vince before we starting packing up for the car ride. We strolled in to the office and saw Dave and Jake were already there. I had to bite back the groan that was building up when I saw Jake. Then he sneered at me. And I was close enough that I swung my arm back, aiming a punch right for his temple. But John was there, grabbing me up under my arms, dragging me backwards. All of this happening in less than a minute.
"Easy boys," Vince chuckled. "Save it for Sunday. You'll get your chance to beat the hell out of each other."
I yanked myself from John's grasp and glared at Vince, willing him with my stare to hurry up, so that I could get out of here. God, I don't know why he infuriates me that way he does. When he first got to the WWE, he sucked up to me, tried to impress me, and now he was trying to beat the hell out of me and date Lora, when she deserved so much better.
"I just wanted to make sure that you all knew everything that is going to happen on Sunday, and if you have any questions, now would be the time to ask them," Vince addressed us.
"Well, I have a question," Swagger said. "But it's not about this Sunday."
"Well?" Vince asked, turning in his expensive leather desk chair to face Jake.
"I was attacked, by a new employee, the other day. I was wondering what was going to happen to them?"
I let out a growl. I knew exactly what he was talking about. When Lora hit him with a chair. To get him off me. I felt John's large arm cross my chest, and I hadn't realized that I was crossing the room. If he tried to damage her career, I would end his. But a sound met my ears that didn't fit the atmosphere in the room. Laughter. I turned incredulous eyes to Vince to see that he was laughing.
"I know what you're talking about Mr. Hager. You are referring to our new Head of Musical Sound check hitting you, in complete WWE fashion, with a steel chair, are you not?" And Vince waited for Jake to contradict him, but being called out in front of three of the biggest stars in the WWE for trying to get a girl fired for hitting you with a steel chair wasn't what Jake had wanted. Not that that takes anything away from what Lora had done. It's just that some guys, like Swagger, didn't know how to appreciate women like Lora.
"Well, let's see, I could fire her," Vince said, but I spun around and faced him, slamming a fist on his table.
"No. Do not fire her. She did nothing wrong. If the ass would have let go of me when she had asked him too, she wouldn't have had to hit him!"
"So, you're going to let a girl fight your battles, Orton?" Swagger sneered.
"It looked like Lora was holding her own with you, and that it was between you and her, not you and Randy," John retorted. For which I was thankful. I was so enraged that I had no words.
"Let me finish Randy," Vince said, holding up both hands. "I'm not going to fire one of the best Heads of staff I have ever seen." And I felt a rush of pride for Lora. One of the best. I made a mental note to tell her he had said that about her. "And a girl in this business has to be tough like that. So no, Jake, I'm not firing her. And if you want anything done about it, just take it out on Randy on Sunday."
Normally, I would have been annoyed with someone offering someone else a chance to take it out on me, but this time, I looked to Swagger and smirked. I was going to enjoy the beating I was going to give him.
"But I must know," Vince said, looking back at me, "why did she hit Hager with the chair? Did she not hate you?"
"We're friends," I said, saying nothing else. But John had to open his mouth.
"Not then you weren't. You only started being friends around three days ago." I threw John a Shut the hell up look. This wasn't anything that I wanted to dicuss with my boss. Vince raised his eyebrow at us.
"Friends huh? Yeah, I've heard that before, and now I have Triple H as a son-in-law."
I rolled my eyes at the room, not really deciding who it was meant for. "Are we done here?"
Vince nodded, laughing openly at me, which annoyed me, and I shot from the room, leaving John trying to catch up. I had long legs on my side, and I was good three hallways away before John managed to get to my side.
"What's up man?" John asked, looking at me. I could hear the undertone of concern in his voice. I sighed and shook my head. "I know you hate Swagger, have for a while, but here lately, it's just gotten out of control."
"I don't know. It's just like, everytime I see him, my blood boils, and I have to have my hands on him, to hurt him." I didn't mention the part where before my blood starts to boil, that I see Swagger and Lora walking, talking, laughing… together. But, John being who he is, seemed to know what I was thinking.
"What's going on between you and Lora?" I had to struggle to keep my cool, so that I wouldn't completely lose it, and just blurt out what I was really thinking. "And don't tell me nothing. I know you Randy, and I know when something is not right with you."
I pinched the bridge of my nose between my index and middle fingers. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. But, just in a nut shell, I knew Lora before she started working here, and she had every right to be angry with me. But now that we're friends, it's like, I don't know. I get these feelings around her, man. I can't even make myself get with anyone else, if you know what I mean."
John laughed, and I regretted telling him anything. "Man, do you know what that sounds like to me?"
"What?" I rolled my eyes.
"Randy Orton, the infamous Lady Killer, has fallen in lo--"
"Do not say the "L" word!" I cringed. There was no way! "You don't have all the facts. I am not, in… what you were about to say. I mean, Lora is great. She's gorgeous and funny and I love being around her. But, you're wrong John."
"Okay, Randy," John smiled and walked away, leaving me to gape behind him.
oo
The car ride to Balitmore was nothing less than miserable. Instead of getting the time with Lora, as I had hoped, I was forced to ride in the front with John, while Casie and Lora were in the back. However, I didn't fail to notice her attire. Even with the simplest of baggy pants and old tank top, she was simply stunning. I wasn't able to see her deep green eyes; she was hiding them with black sunglasses. I could hear her and Casie having small conversation, but their voices were so soft, all I caught was whispers of words. Nothing to string together to determine the subject.
I tried to strike up conversation with her on several occasions, but her voice was so soft and her short-worded answers left me feeling awkward that I soon gave up. I ignored the annoying tug in my stomach when she wouldn't look me in the eye, or I couldn't tell if she was; damn sunglasses. There was something upsetting her. Soon, I assumed she tired of all small talk, from the rest of us, becaused she fished out her iPod and placed her earphones in. She had the music turned up so loud that all three of could hear what she was listening too. I sighed in frustration and stared out of the window, watching the road disappear under the car.
"Man, what did you do?" John whispered. My head snapped to meet his sideways glances.
"Why does it have to be my fault?" John raised an eyebrow at me. Yeah, it usually was my fault when Lora was upset; well, just here lately.
Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to me. She knew. She must have figured out the one thing I was keeping from her. Oh shit. I groaned, and slid further into my seat. How was I ever going to get myself out of this mess? It explained everything. Why else would she basically refuse to talk to me, when just yesterday we were fine? She must hate me, for good, this time.
What was I going to do to make it right?
oo
It was, finally, the night of Extreme Rules. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought of any way to make things better between Lora and I. In fact, I had only seen her twice since we arrived at the hotel on Wednesday. I tried to give her some time before I talked to her; because I knew I was going to have to talk to her. I missed her. I was man enough to admit that I missed my friend. She put me in my place when I needed it. John did the same thing, but its different coming from someone with a different set of reproductive organs; I listened to her.
I was ready for my match an hour before it was scheduled. Needless to say, I was ready to get my hands on Swagger. I walked around backstage, with my laced up boots, trunks and my new "RKO" shirt on, watching the action. I decided it was better now, while I had the nerve building up for my up coming match, to go and talk to Lora. So I headed to the Titantron room. I looked through the window in the door.
There was Lora, sitting in a chair, flipping switches and loading music. This was her first pay-per-view; she must be so nervous. She wore a white quarter length button up top, with a black vest over it, and matching black pants. Her dark red hair was pulled half back and her side bangs seem to be getting in her face. I smiled to myself, thinking that she looked beautiful in simple clothes like this, just as much as she did flashy club clothes. I knocked on the door and pushed it out of my way.
"Hello," I said, noticing that when she looked up at me, a look of hurt crossed her face. I actually took a step back in shock. But she seemed to compose herself, and turned her head back to her work.
"Hi."
I was still reeling from the look that was on her face. I had never seen her look that way, and it shook my resolution. I nearly turned from the room. Did I have the nerve to force this conversation on her?
"So, are you excited for your first pay-per-view?" I asked, beating around the bush. She nodded, looking back at me with a small smile.
"Are you excited about your match?" That's the most she's spoken to me in days. I nearly missed her question, because I got caught up listening to her voice.
"Oh, yes. Closure, you know?" I said, meeting her green eyes. They looked sad. Well, it was now or never. "Look, I really just came here to say I was sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you."
I saw her whole body tense. "You don't have to apologize."
I gaped at her. "Lora, of course I do! What I did to you was awful!"
"Randy, you did nothing to me. You had every right to, do what you did," her voice was wavering.
I was getting angry. I wanted her to scream at me, to yell; hell, even hit me with a chair. I deserved it. But she seemed to be taking all the blame on herself. She turned around and walked back to her switchboard.
"Lora, you wake up in my bed, and I don't have the guts to tell you that we didn't do anything, and I had every right too? That that is nothing to apologize for?" I yelled.
I noticed that her whole body froze, one hand over a switch. A feeling of foreboding came over me, and it gave me chill bumps. I watched in agonizing silence as she just stood there. I didn't know what caused the sudden change in her demeanor. Finally she began to turn around, but the look on her face, it scared me. She looked frightened, shocked and angry.
"What?" I didn't say anything. I couldn't even if I wanted too. "What did you just say to me?" Her voice was a deadly whisper. She wasn't upset with me because she had found out my secret, I thought to myself a little bit too late.
"W-what are you t-talking about?" I asked. She exploded. I had never seen such anger on her face. But beneath that anger, I saw betrayal, and extreme sadness.
"I was talking about that blonde," and she shoved at me with both hands, "you were sleazing it up with the other night!" she screamed, not two feet from me. But I didn't have time to comprehend anything she had just said, because she took a deep breathe and instead of yelling, her voice lowered by many levels, and I had to strain to hear her.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me? You have let me feel like such… trash. I never do that, and it would have been nice to have known that my record was still clean!" Lora said, shoving my shoulder hard with her palm. My chest hurt when I looked in her eyes and I saw tears there. I had made her cry. "And all those comments and remarks… how could you? I thought you were different? Or at least, changed?" she scoffed at her own words. "Yeah right, you? Change? I should have known."
"Lora, please, let me explain…" I begged.
"Why? What good would it do? You don't like me anyways, obviously, or you would have slept with me that night. Isn't that true?" I heard the heartache in her voice.
"That is not true!" I tried to argue, but she wasn't going to listen. Her green eyes were now bloodshot, and I could barely stand to look at her.
"Get out," she whispered, pointing towards the door. I followed her hand with my eyes and I could see John and Casie watching from a distance, just beyond the door. They must have heard Lora's yell.
"Please, Lora," I begged again. But I was cut short by her open hand landing sharp across my face. She'd slapped me. I raised my own hand to the stinging flesh, staring into the hurting eyes of Lora.
"Get out now." And this I obeyed without another word. I didn't even look back. But I did hear the soft sob as the door clicked shut. I didn't look at John, I didn't look at anyone, and I just went back to my locker room until I was called to my match.
All I could think about was the broken look on Lora's face. I yelled in anguish and punched a dent into a metal locker. And it was now, after I knew that I couldn't have her, that I realized that I wanted her. I wanted to be with Lora. I wanted to hold her, kiss her, take her shopping, and take her dancing. I wanted all of Lora. And she wanted none of me.
It gets better after this, I promise!! But, what did you think about Randy's secret!! And he just had to run his mouth... Lol anyways... You just read it, now review it!! I went to great lengths to get this to you!! Love you guys!!
