Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016
Jade had texted Jon in the morning asking if he had plans for the day. A few superstars were in Dallas making live appearances for the next two days and then travelling on to Corpus Christie for RAW on Monday, and the two of them were included. Jon didn't expect to hear from her, especially since Paige hadn't come along and Jade was riding solo. He noticed that she was a bit of an introvert in that way, but he could relate. It was overwhelming being new in the WWE.
When his phone buzzed, he couldn't help but smile. Something about the girl made him happy, not to mention she was drop dead gorgeous with a bad attitude. She was like a magnet that drew him in every time he was near, and the thought of her had been imprinted on his mind since bumping into her on her debut night.
"Beer." He nodded at the bartender. He had told her to meet him at a restaurant in town called Patty's, a place that he knew made a hell of a cheeseburger that Jade would love. He glanced at the clock over the bar noticing the time before taking a seat.
"Hey." Jade flashed him a smile, and he was nearly stunned when he turned and looked at her. She was wearing a black tank top that was cut short revealing her midriff and a pair of jean shorts. Her long, dark hair covered her bare shoulders, and her new white chucks popped out at him.
"Well, hello." He said nervously trying not to stare. She was fucking beautiful, but it wasn't the first time he had noticed that.
"You been here long?" She asked sitting down beside him.
"Just got here." He said as the bartender set down his drink. "Can we get a table?"
They followed the man to a booth at the back, the restaurant half full for the dinner rush, and he left them to peruse the menu. Jade glanced around her at the families and truckers dining nearby, a few of them glancing in their direction as they took their seats. This place was cozy and surprisingly nice for the area it was in, and she wondered why Jon would want to meet here.
"They have a killer cheeseburger." He grinned at her over his menu.
"My god. Will I ever live that down?" She laughed as she skimmed over the menu, her question answered of why they were there. She didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. Ever since mustering up the courage to text him, she had been a ball of nerves.
The waitress came and took their order. Jon asked her to bring them two burgers with fries, and she couldn't help but smile when he ordered for her. After she left, Jon leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh.
"You look great." Jon was nervous, to say the least, and it had everything to do with the stunning girl sitting across from him. He would have to be blind to not notice that half the restaurant was gawking at her.
"Thanks." Jade blushed a bit and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You been here before?"
"I have. Figured it would be a nice place for our first date." He grinned.
"Date?" Jade smiled. "This isn't a date."
"Hey, you texted me. I just picked the place." He took a sip of beer and winked at her, and Jade let out a laugh.
"Jon, you're a pretty bold guy. I can see how this whole thing would work on a girl, but it's not gonna work on me." She tried to look serious, but the grin on his face was making it hard.
"I don't expect it to. I guess I just act like an idiot when I'm nervous." He fidgeted in his seat a bit and glanced around the restaurant. Jade felt guilty for a moment for being so harsh with him and spoke up.
"I guess I just wasn't expecting this from anyone. I just got out of a relationship." Jade shrugged.
"Finn?" He asked. She nodded, and he couldn't help but scoff. "I don't know why you kicked that guy to the curb, but I'm fucking happy you did."
Jade felt her heart race. The way he grumbled those words was sweet in a weird way, and she felt herself wanting to draw him closer instead of push him away. As much as Finn broke her heart, she wasn't going to let him stop her from being happy. Obviously he had no problem moving on and finding someone new.
"You're sweet." She smiled at him.
"Me?" He glanced around dramatically. "I'm sweet? I dunno who you're talking to, lady, but it ain't me."
"You are!" She kicked him lightly under the table. He took another drink of beer, and Jade thought for a moment before continuing. "Okay. This can be our first date."
"Yeah?" He grinned.
"Just don't get ahead of yourself, tiger." She added. Her sense of humour made Jon smile. It was crude, like him, and he had to admit just the thought of getting his hands on her made him excited.
The waitress interrupted to bring them their meals, and Jade marvelled at the giant burger and mound of fries that poured over her plate.
"So you liking RAW so far?" Jon asked as he doused his French fries in ketchup.
"Yeah. Everyone seems nice." She shrugged. "My angle with Paige will be good, but there's something in the works that I'm not too thrilled about."
"What's that?" He glanced up at her as he took a bite of his greasy burger.
"I don't really know all the details, but I'll have to beat Charlotte to become number one contender." She explained. "With Ric in her corner every night, they've decided I should –"
"Bring in your dad. Makes sense." Jon said with a mouth full of food.
"I just don't know if I want that, you know? I mean, my dad retired when I was 19, 20 years old. That was only six years ago. He gets out of this business and says he wants nothing to do with it, lives his new life doing his outdoor shows and shit. But then I get here, and it seems his head is back in it again." Jade felt she could vent to him. Although it wasn't like her to gush about her dad and the shit going on between them, Jon made her feel safe. He didn't seem like the judging type.
"Maybe he just wants to see you." Jon treaded lightly. He knew it wasn't any of his business, but it seemed like the girl wanted some advice by the way she elaborated on everything.
"He does. I know he does." Jade shrugged again taking a bite of her burger.
"I never knew my dad." Dean said matter-of-factly.
"My mom was pretty much on her own until I got older." Jade glanced up at him as she wiped her mouth. "My dad didn't come back around until I was about seven. And even then I was lucky if I saw him two weeks out of the year."
"Then do it." Jon said nudging her arm across the table. "I think it's a great idea. Ric and Shawn always had great chemistry in the ring, and even as old guys they'll be able to hold their own." Jade smiled at him and was quiet for a moment as she thought of what to say. As much as she loved her dad and other people idolized them, it always stirred up bad memories when they spent time together, especially in a WWE environment.
"We'll see what happens. So tell me, do you miss the hardcore matches? WWE would never let you do the shit you used to do." Jade changed the subject.
"Fuck, no. I mean, at the time I loved it. It was fun, and we created these amazing stories behind all the blood, but I've paid my dues. I feel like at this point if I had to choose between a No Holds Barred match or a Fans Bring The Weapons match, I would go No Holds all the way." He let out a laugh.
"When you took a skill saw to the head. Genius." She smiled.
"Jesus Christ. Most girls find that shit disturbing. They hate it." He was more surprised than anything that she had seen that match as it was fought in a high school gymnasium over 10 years ago. Jon was falling more in love with her every minute.
"I mean, of course it's barbaric. It's shocking to watch. But you can see the passion there. At least I can."
Jade glanced up at him and flashed her dark eyes, the ones that drew Jon in every time. He knew they were both stuffing their faces with cheeseburgers which was not the most romantic setting, but something about the way she moved, talked, breathed, laughed made his head spin. They had only known each other for a few weeks, and this was the first time they had really hung out alone, but he knew it already. He knew this girl was different than any one he had met before.
"How long does it take for a girl like you to be mine?" He said out of nowhere, the grin on his face making Jade smile herself as she thought of an answer. She was taken aback by his brashness. It hadn't been that long since they had introduced themselves to each other, and his eagerness for her was something she had never encountered before. It was sexy.
"A while." Jade smirked. Jon made a face as if he was up for the challenge and leaned forward.
"I got time."
Saturday, March 5th, 2016
Everyone was in Corpus Christie waiting for RAW on Monday night, and Paige had convinced Jade to come out with a bunch of them that were heading to a bar downtown. She didn't really want to go as she wasn't much of a bar person, but after much persuasion on Paige's part, she decided to go.
"Nick will be there, and Nicole and Vicky." Paige rambled in the back of the cab as Jade perused through her phone. "Ashley, Austin, E, I think Joe."
"Colby." Jade added noticing that Paige had left him out.
"And maybe Jon." Paige shot back. The two of them had much discussion about the men over the last week and had sworn to secrecy not to tell a soul how they felt, despite the fact that Jade had already blabbed the whole thing to Matt as well. News spread like wildfire in this business, but she knew of anyone the two of them could keep a secret.
"Here we are." The cabbie announced pulling up in front of a bustling nightclub. There was a huge line out front, and Jade popped open the door to take a better look.
"Thanks." Paige flashed the driver a smile and set a 10 dollar bill in his hands. "Have a good night."
"Are we really waiting in line?" Jade groaned as they exited. A few people standing out front recognized them and called out their names.
"Nope." Paige grinned. Just then Nick appeared behind the bouncer and pointed at them. The large man guarding the door nodded, and without so much as a word they entered the bar.
"Girls, how's it going?" Nick asked throwing an arm around each one and leading them into the noisy nightclub.
"Better now." Paige flirted and poked him in the ribs. "You got a table?"
"In the back. Go sit down. I'm waiting for Nicole and Vicky."
Jade and Paige left his arms and pushed their way through the sea of people towards where he pointed. The dance music was loud, everyone in the building dancing and drinking making it difficult to navigate through them.
"Paige!" Colby threw his arms up in the air from his seat in bottle service as soon as they got close enough for him to see. Paige ran to him and hugged him, his wobbly stance evidence that he was already drunk.
"Colby." Jade said with a smirk as he grabbed her for a hug too.
"Have a drink." He passed them each a glass and pointed to the table where a few bottles and mix were sitting. Jade smiled at everyone else that was lounging in their small area. Austin, E, Cody Rhodes, and his wife sat on couches while Joe and a few crew members were in deep discussion on another. A lot of people had turned out so far, but Jade's heart sunk a little seeing that Jon wasn't one of them.
"I wanna dance." Paige pouted at her once they had drinks in hand.
"I need a few more of these first." Jade nearly shouted over the pumping bass. This wasn't her taste in music, and it would take some alcohol for her to genuinely enjoy it.
"Let's go!" Colby grinned grabbing her hand and leading her out to the dance floor. Paige shot her a smile which Jade returned, and she watched her friends push their way towards the pounding speakers.
She eventually sat down and chatted with everyone for a bit. Cody was a nice guy, and his wife was beautiful and funny. Austin was as big of a nerd as he was when he was sober, and E just sat there and laughed whenever he made a dumb joke. Nick, Vicky, and Nicole arrived not long after and went to dance and hang out with other friends in the bar.
Jade was three drinks in before Paige and Colby returned, and Jade had almost forgotten they had ran off together in the first place. She stood to go talk to them when her head started to spin, and she realized she was pretty drunk after not moving and pounding back mojitos.
"You okay?" Paige asked as Jade stumbled up to her. She took a sip of her drink and threw an arm around Jade's shoulder.
"Yeah. I think I need some air." She confessed. She was starting to feel claustrophobic sitting in the roped off section, and the heat radiating from the sweaty dance floor was becoming unbearable.
"Okay. Want me to come with?" Paige was sincere, and Jade could tell. But the sight of Colby's fingers searching for hers as they stood surrounded by other people who didn't notice made her smile. It was cute, for fuck's sakes.
"Stay here. I'll only be gone for a few minutes." Jade nodded at her.
"Are you sure?" Paige shouted as Jade walked towards the packed crowd.
"I'm sure!" Jade wedged herself between two grinding couples and began to run the gamut towards the front door. It had gotten even busier since she arrived a few hours earlier, if that was even possible, and it took her a few minutes before she finally reached the exit.
"Jade Michaels!" A girl screamed at her as she walked by. She threw her arms around her neck and clung to her, the smell of alcohol wafting off her making Jade almost gag.
"Hey." Jade pulled her arms off her and continued to move on. "Have a good night!"
"You fucking rule." The girl gave her the devil horns and turned to explain to her girlfriends who Jade was. Not that she didn't love her fans, but she was drunk, tired, and feeling like she was about to pass out. The heat in the building was unbearable.
"I'll be back." Jade mumbled to the bouncer as she walked out. There were only a few people in line now, and she walked past them towards a bench a ways down the street away from the blasting music. She had to sit down for a minute and get her head to stop spinning.
She flopped onto the seat and pulled at her black dress that had ridden up over time. It felt good to get some fresh air, and her head was feeling better already being out of the packed building.
"You got a light?"
A tall man with blonde hair approached her, a smoke dangling from his lips as he spoke. His presence surprised her a bit, but she decided he was probably just out to get some air himself.
"I don't. Sorry." Jade responded crossing her legs.
The man shrugged and put the cigarette back into its pack and tucked it in the pocket of his dirty jeans. He stood and stared at her for a moment, and she glanced up at him wondering why he was still standing there.
"You look familiar." He said looking her up and down to which Jade scoffed.
"Yeah?" She asked brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I dunno."
"Yeah. You're a wrestler, aren't you? That guy's daughter. HBK." He smiled down at her, but she didn't see any happiness in his eyes. He looked cold, angry, like someone that loved to manipulate people and make them think he was a nice guy. She had met a few of those before in her life.
"I am. And you are?" She asked raising her eyebrow a bit.
"I'm someone who's been dying to meet you." He said quietly taking a few steps towards her. Jade uncrossed her legs and shifted in her seat. She could tell he had a few too many, his feet scuffing the sidewalk as he came closer.
"I'm going back inside now." She said suddenly standing up.
"You just got here." He came closer, the smell of stale smoke and alcohol on his breath making her cringe.
"Back off." Jade said sternly as she stepped to the side, but he stepped in front of her again and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.
"You look so nice when you're all dolled up." His eyes traced her face down to her chest, and she scowled. "That dress you're wearing is such a tease." In another second she was going to clobber this pig.
"Fuck you." Jade shoved past him, her shoulder hitting his, and before she had a chance to take another step, his hand gripped her wrist and yanked her towards him.
"You're not going anywhere." He growled digging his fingers into her. He gripped her arms tight trying to stop her from thrashing, but Jade had other plans.
"Fuck off you pig!" She shouted kicking him between the legs. His grip loosened but didn't let go, and he slapped her across the face before wrapping his fingers around her biceps, this time trying to drag her away from the bench and towards the alley not far from them.
"I just wanna talk!" He groaned louder as he threw an arm around her neck and placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream. Jade could get out of his measly hold no problem, but the shock that someone was actually doing this to her left her stunned. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she deduced what he wanted from her, her brain finally focusing on defence after a few seconds of struggling.
Jade dropped to her knees, her bare legs smashing into the concrete as his jaw cracked into the top of her head. He let out a yelp as she struggled to stand again and face her attacker. Before she could throw a punch or kick him in the balls, she saw a welcome face over his shoulder, one that she couldn't be happier to see.
"You motherfucker!" Jon screamed as he punched the man in the back of the head. He shoved him so hard the man stumbled into the alley he planned to drag Jade into and leaned against the wall. He opened his mouth to retort, but Jon punched him again square in the face and gripped the front of his shirt with both hands.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He shouted.
"Man, I was –" the man babbled under Jon's grasp.
Jon didn't wait to hear an explanation and threw a hard blow into his stomach. He tossed the man to the ground and straddled him, his fists pounding into his face over and over before stopping to scream at him again.
"You don't ever do something like that again. Do you understand me?" Jon shouted. "I should fucking kill you."
"Jon!" Jade screamed grabbing his arm before he punched again. He tore away from her and threw a right hook, the man's nose clearly broken and bleeding profusely. The sight of something that should have pleased her made her stomach churn.
"Jesus Christ, Jon! That's enough!" Jade grabbed both arms this time and heaved him off the man, Jon finally caving and allowing her to separate them.
"I should fucking beat you until your teeth are gone, you fucker." Jon hissed at the man writhing on the ground in pain.
"I'm sorry!" The man sputtered as he ran his hands over his face not daring to look up at either of them.
"Let's go." Jade pulled Jon's arm to lead him away, but he wouldn't budge. He stood there staring down at the man with wide eyes, his chest heaving as he debated whether to pummel him some more.
"What the fuck is going on here?" The large bouncer from the bar emerged around the corner, and the young couple that had been waiting in line stood behind him staring down at the bloody man at Jon's feet.
"Are you okay?" The girl asked Jade.
"Amy, get over here." Her boyfriend tugged on her hand reluctantly, his eyes fixed on Jon whose gaze hadn't left his victim.
"This guy thinks it's okay to grab women, haul them into a dark alley to do god knows what." Jon spit on the ground and leaned his face down beside the man. "I think he learned his fucking lesson."
"Let's go, Jon." Jade pulled at his arm and walked with a purpose away from the entire scene. The bouncer didn't stop them, instead giving the guy a few choice words of his own and going back to his post. The young couple had left before Jade could even notice they were gone.
"Get in the car." Jon's voice was low, his hand gripping hers and leading her towards his parked vehicle on the other side of the street. Jade didn't have the mindset to argue with him. She wasn't drunk anymore, the encounter sobering her instantly, and she quickened her pace to keep up with him.
"Jade, what the fuck?" Paige called out to her emerging from the noisy bar. "Where are you going?"
"We're leaving." Jon shouted at her over his shoulder. He dug his keys out of his pocket and had the doors unlocked before they reached them.
"Jade!" Paige called out to her again. She finally looked over at her, tears stinging her eyes, and held up a hand to wave.
"I'll see you at the hotel, okay? Just go have fun." Jade tried not to let her voice quiver, but she knew it wasn't convincing. She was in shock, her knees aching in pain from slamming into the sidewalk and her lip stinging every time she spoke.
Jon opened the passenger door and waited for her to get in. He was shaking, his blood pumping through his veins harder than he could ever remember as he watched her sit down. Slamming the door shut, he locked the doors behind him and returned to the alleyway to beat the living shit out of the guy again.
"Jon!" Jade shouted after him, her voice muffled in the vehicle. She wanted to chase after him, but she was in shock. She was afraid of what he was doing to that man, the fear of seeing it keeping her from opening the door and marching back over there. As her head spun, Jade leaned back and waited for him to return as the horrible moment replayed over in her head.
A few minutes later his door opened, Jon panting for breath as he slammed it shut and stared into the steering wheel. Jade sat waiting for him to say something and winced looking at his hands. His fists were covered in blood, his hair sticking to his sweaty face as he continued to avoid her gaze and regain his composure.
"Jon." She said simply. He didn't respond, instead sticking the keys in the ignition and quickly pulling away from the curb. Jade sat back in her seat and put her hands over her face. Her heart was racing a mile a minute after what just happened, and the pain in her knees was starting to come through. It was still so surreal to her, and she hoped at any moment she would wake from this awful nightmare and realize it was all a dream.
Jon sped down the road for a few minutes before getting to a residential area. He pulled into a parking lot for a nearby playground and slammed the car into park.
"Look at me." He said turning to her. Jade obliged, her eyes brimming with tears when she saw his reaction. "Jesus fucking Christ." He placed a hand on her chin and brushed his thumb over her busted lip.
"I'm fine." Her voice cracked as she pulled away from him. She was suddenly self-conscience and more so embarrassed that the entire situation had happened at all than anything. There was no way she was going to let herself cry in front of Jon.
"You're not fine. I saw the whole thing." He sounded so angry, but his voice was calm and caused her to look back over at him. "I wish I could fucking kill that guy."
"So you didn't?" She asked.
"I nearly did if it wasn't for E and Austin." He shook his head. He flexed his hands, both knuckles red and swollen from punching the man so hard. He couldn't tell if it was his blood or that bastard's that stained his skin.
"They saw?" Jade started to cry now. Everyone was going to hear about this, and by tomorrow it would be a huge fucking deal.
"Listen to me." Jon said leaning close to her over the centre console. "You did nothing wrong. You could have stopped him, but I was there. And I couldn't watch that shit happen, not to you." He looked so sincere which was something he wasn't to many people, and his vulnerability showed when he suddenly couldn't look her in the eye.
"Okay." Jade finally responded at a loss for words.
"Do your knees hurt?" He asked glancing down.
"Yeah." She rubbed at one, the bruises already forming on her kneecaps. "Motherfucker."
Jon exhaled as he tried to reign in his emotions. Watching that piece of shit try to manhandle her made him see red, and just the thought of it made him want to drive back to the bar and give him another beating of his life. But instead of that, he was here with her. He leaned towards her again and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
Without saying another word, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her eyes closed as his soft lips pressed against hers, his tenderness surprising her. It wasn't for long, and she felt herself lurch forward after he pulled away to brush a strand of hair from her face. She glanced down at his mouth where her blood left a stain and felt tears stinging her eyes again.
"Let's get you to the hotel." He said quietly. Jade nodded. She couldn't argue with him. She needed to clean up and more importantly ice her knees, and she had a feeling Jon would be helping her with that.