*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much. = )
That weekend didn't' really go according to plan. It was supposed to be a good weekend for John and me. It was supposed to be a weekend where we got to be with one another, spend time together and forget about the stresses of our jobs but it didn't happen like that after our pregnancy fight. The stresses of real life took the place of the stress from our jobs and made it the worst weekend possible. John and me didn't talk too much after the big fight. He hung out with his brothers most of the weekend instead of being with me probably telling Matt how much he wanted a baby but I wouldn't give in. He was probably telling him how selfish I was. While John was out with his brothers having guy time I was stuck with my mom. Don't get me wrong I love my mom because she is amazing but when she has her mind on one thing she doesn't give up. She wanted grandchildren and she kept trying to convince me to have a baby. She told me to try to get pregnant and see where it got me. I spent most of that time explaining to her how much my career meant to me and how much having a baby would affect it. She didn't understand me though but of course she was a stay at home mother while I was growing up. She expected the same for me but I didn't go to Notre Dame and graduate at the top of my class to be a stay at home mother. I had nothing against it but it just wasn't me. I wanted my career and I wanted my freedom. I just didn't understand why no one understood that. Everyone agreed with John that I was being selfish but if you ask me I think it was John that was being selfish. He was asking me to do something that would affect what I loved. I guess you win some you lose some.
After a horrible weekend John and I returned back to work. I couldn't remember the last time we ever had a fight like the one we had that weekend. We were barely speaking to one another. As we arrived at the arena he went his way to do his thing and I went my way to do what I needed to do. I had to meet up with Dave to go over his character because over the weekend Vince decided to debut his new character sooner than expected. I needed to make sure he was ready. I walked down the hall to his locker room to talk to him. As I reached his door I knocked on it. "Come in," he said. I slowly opened the door and walked in. "Hello, Tessa," he said.
"Hi," I said with a smile. "Are you ready to introduce your Romeo character tonight?"
"Absolutely except I can't decide what I want to wear. Which suit do you think looks better? The white one or the black one?" He asked holding up the suits.
I looked at them and said, "I think the white one is the best. Do you have red to wear under it?"
"Actually I do," he said. "I was thinking the white one too. It says Romeo more than the black one."
"Yeah it does," I said with a smile, "and you can put a red rose right there on the pocket. That would be cute."
"Thanks," he said. "I like that suggestion."
"Did you get the roses?"
"Yes I did. I have them put away safely. How was your big weekend with the family? Did you enjoy your time away?" he asked removing his shirt.
I tried not to look at him as he took his shirt off and said, "It was all right. I got to see my mom. It was all right."
"That sounded promising," he said. "So I take it Romeo didn't propose?"
"No," I said.
"So what happened, Tessa?" he asked putting on another shirt.
"John and me had a fight. That's it."
"About?" he asked.
"Dave, that's personal business. I don't feel comfortable bringing my personal business into my workplace. Sorry."
"Tessa, we're friends right?" he asked.
"I guess," I said.
"Then talk to me because you look like you need someone to talk to. So talk to me."
"You don't want to hear about it," I said. I really doubted that Dave would want to hear about me not wanting a baby and mine and John's fight. I think he was just being nice. At least that's what I thought until he said his next statement.
"Tessa, I do want to hear about it. If I didn't I wouldn't have told you to talk to me. So sit down. Let's talk," he said sitting down on the leather couch motioning for me to sit with him.
"Fine," I said taking a deep breath and sat down next to him. I made sure there was enough space between us just in case he tried to play off my vulnerability. It was Dave Batista and that was something he would do given the chance.
"So what happened?" he asked.
"Well," I said. "John's sister-in-law is pregnant and he is obsessed with it. He never stops talking about it. It's giving him ideas and he wants to have a baby now. We went out to eat with our families and the baby thing came up. To make a long story short he wants a baby and I don't. He didn't stand up for me at all during the dinner when they jumped on my case. He pretty much left me on my own. Then I wanted to leave and as we were leaving he apologized on my behalf. I didn't need to apologize for not being wrong. I mean it's my life. I have the right to make the decision. When we got back to his parents' house we got into a huge fight. He asked me why I didn't' want to get married and why I didn't want a baby. Then he called me selfish and I was pretty sure he was going to throw away my birth control but I didn't let him. It got so bad he slept on the couch the whole time we were there. We are hardly talking. It kind of sucks."
"Why don't you want to have a baby?" asked Dave.
"Because it's just not me. I don't want to be a mother. I want a career and I want my freedom. I don't want that life. I have nothing against kids because I do love kids but I just don't want my own. If that makes me selfish then so be it but I would rather have a career than a baby. Having a baby sacrifices so much and I'd have to give up so much. I don't want to give that up."
"I don't think that makes you selfish. I don't know you like that so I can't say if you'd be a good mother or not but you seem to know what you want in life."
"I do," I said.
"And I think you have the right to choose what to do with your life. I mean after all you're living it for you right and no one else."
"Right," I said. Dave was speaking the truth. I was living my life for me and not for other people. I did have the right to choose what I wanted and I chose a career instead of motherhood and that wasn't being selfish. It was being determined.
"Does John know how you feel?"
"He does but he doesn't care," I said. "I'm not surprised by that though."
"If he loved you he would understand where you're coming from."
"I know," I said, "but he told me if I loved him I would have a baby."
"The guy works all the time and so do you. How are you two supposed to have a baby? That's ridiculous."
"I know! And he says he'll cut back on working to be a dad."
Dave let out a laugh, "yeah right. He's a workaholic. That's not happening. I am glad to see you're the only one thinking reasonably. He probably just has a bad case of baby fever he'll get over it."
"He is a workaholic and I don't see him giving up what he loves to be a dad. I think it's better if we just didn't have kids at all and did our thing. I don't want tied down with a baby."
"Honestly though, Tessa, I'm not saying you're wrong because everyone deserves a choice but having kids isn't that bad. It's actually a really good thing. It can be but only if you want to be a parent."
"Do you have kids?" I asked.
"I do. I have a son."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He's 3 going on 4. I don't really get to see him much but when I do I make sure all my time is about him."
"That's sweet," I said. I never would have guessed Dave would be a father. It really surprised me. I never expected that from him.
"Yeah," he said. "You want to see a picture?"
"Sure," I said.
He pulled out his wallet and opened it to show me a picture of a little boy with dark hair and dark brown eyes. "This is Max," he said.
"He's cute," I said.
"Thanks," he said. "He's my buddy. It's not too bad being a parent but everyone is entitled to their own opinion."
"Yeah," I said looking at my cell phone. "I should probably get going. I will see you later."
"Okay," he said. "See you later and just don't give in to John."
"I won't," I said getting up. "I will see you later."
"Bye," he said with a smile before I walked out of the room.
I walked to John's locker room and as I walked in he was preparing for his match. "Hey," I said.
"Hi," he said barely looking at me. "Where were you?"
"I was talking to Dave. We were going over some stuff for his character."
"Oh," he said. "I'm not surprised."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing, Tessa. Absolutely nothing," he said.
This is the same attitude he had all weekend and I was tired of it. An idea came to mind. I thought about Dave's invitation to go out some night to party. I wasn't really a partier but for some reason I felt like going out that night. Before I could stop myself I said, "I think I'm going to go out with the girls tonight after the show." I knew if I told him I was going out with Dave he would reject it but this way I knew he would let me go.
"You want to go out with the girls? That's not like you, Tess."
"I know but I just want to go out and have some fun tonight."
"All right. Do what you need to do. Let off whatever steam you have. I'm not going to stop you."
"Thanks," I said. Not that I really needed his permission or anything because I was going to do what I wanted anyway.
"I'm just going back to the hotel after the show but you have a good time with the girls."
"I will thanks," I said getting ready to leave the room.
"Where are you going now?" he asked.
"To tell the girls I'm going out with them tonight."
"Oh. Okay," he said as he went back to preparing for his match. "Have a good time."
"Thanks," I said walking out of the room.
I met up with Dave outside of catering. He looked surprised to see me and said, "What's up, Tessa? Something else you need to go over with me?"
"No. I just wanted to take you up on your offer to go out and party tonight. I really need to get out and have some fun. You know after everything with John."
"Really, Tessa? Don't play games with me. Are you really going to go party with me after the show?"
"I'm not playing games. I really am," I said. "Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay. I was going to go back to my hotel after the show but if you want to go out and get a couple drinks we can."
"I do," I said. "I really want to. I need to."
"All right," he said with a smile. "We can go out and get a couple drinks. What did Romeo say?"
"He thinks I'm going out with the girls," I said.
"Oooh. Lying. I'm impressed. I don't know what's gotten into you, Tessa, but I like it."
"I think I'm just now discovering my independence. Why can't I have fun too?"
"You can have as much fun as you want. I don't care but I am going to get ready for the show. Meet up with me after and we'll head out."
"Okay," I said. "Bye."
"Bye," he said with a smile before I walked away. I didn't know what I was doing. It wasn't like me to be a liar and it wasn't like me to lie to John for that matter. I felt empowered by my dishonesty. I never thought I had it in me but I was surprising myself. I didn't think anything would be wrong going to get a couple drinks with Dave. We were just friends and it wasn't that big of a deal. More like a celebration of his new character. I liked that thought but I was pretty sure I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong. I guess continuing to make up excuses for going to drink with Dave was making me feel better about lying to John. It was like I was trying to push my guilt aside. I felt bad for making plans to go out with Dave but I needed to get out and have a good time. What could go wrong? Right?
*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading. = )