I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
Tara's Point of View-
The next morning, I woke up to the bed moving and I fluttered my eyes open to see Alex climbing off the bed and he looked as if he hasn't slept a wink of sleep.
"Alex, what are you doing?" I asked rubbing at my eyes.
"I'm going to use the bathroom…you were out…" Alex said.
"Did you stay up all night?" I asked curiously as I propped myself up.
"Don't flatter yourself." Alex said as he smirked before he went into the bathroom shutting the door behind him. I reached over to my phone opening the flip phone seeing 8:30 AM on it, and I knew that he must be very tired. I sat up leaning against the wall bringing my knees up to my chest wrapping my arms around them watching the door area until Alex emerged from the bathroom.
"You washed your hands right?"
"Always…" Alex said.
"Why don't you go take a nap?"
"I'm a man, we don't nap." Alex said.
"Bull shit, your tired and you need some sleep if your going to do a match today…"
"Well, maybe I can go get some coffee and would love to have some company…" Alex said smiling.
"I'll keep you company, let me put a new patch on…" I said as I climbed off the bed pulling on my shoes as he did the same.
"You were zonked out…"
"Sorry, medicines always knock me out and that is why I never take any unless if I absolutely need to." I said as my phone begun to ring, I pulled it out seeing my moms name.
"Who is it?"
"My mom, I'll meet you down there in a moment." I said.
"I'll wait."
"Nah, why don't you go get Chris?"
"Great, I love waking him up this early because he hates mornings…" Alex said smiling evilly as he headed out of my room and I picked up the call before it went to voicemail.
"Hey mom." I said as I kept an eye on the doors.
"Hey, how is the cruise?"
"Well, I got seasick but now I'm wearing the patch…"
"Have you met anyone?"
"Well…."
"Well?"
"Sort of, but this isn't a singles cruise…"
"What type of cruise is it?" My mom asked.
"It's a wrestling cruise…"
"You don't watch wrestling…"
"I know mom, but I kind of roped into it now aren't I?"
"But are you having fun?"
"Yeah…I guess you can say I am having fun…" I said.
"You guess?" My mom asked as I heard Xavier screaming and running around in the background.
"What is Xavier doing?" I asked curiously.
"He is pretending to be a dinosaur." My mom said chuckling.
"Look, I'm eating the plants!" He said.
"He's not really eating them is he?" I asked concerned.
"No, he's eating them with his hands…Xavier, your mom is on the phone." My mom said.
"Mommy!" Xavier said as I heard him running and grabbing the phone, "Hi mommy, how is the big boat?"
"It's fun, it's a little too big for me…"
"When can I go on a boat?"
"Next year, I'll bring you on the boat with me." I said.
"What do you do on the boat?"
"We play games, and we swim, we dance…we do anything you can think of…" I said.
"I want to go! I love to swim and dance…"
"I'll take you next year…what did you do last night?"
"Grandma and I camped in my room, we put up a tent and everything, we made s'mores but we didn't cook our marshmallows since we didn't have a fire, we made popcorn and watched my Dinosaurs tape, and grandma made me hot chocolate."
"Sounds fun, what are you guys doing today?"
"Grandma is taking me to the gym with her and then we are going to Chuck E. Cheese."
"Behave and don't run off from grandma."
"I won't mommy, I miss and love you!" Xavier said.
"I miss and love you too, I'll be home Monday."
"When will that be?"
"2 more sleeps."
"Okay mommy…" He said as he handed the phone over to my grandma.
"I got to let you go, I got to get ready for my spinning class."
"Okay, take it easy and please keep an eye on him."
"I will, he is my grandkid."
"I know, but I worry."
"Don't worry too much and have fun."
"I'll try."
"It shouldn't be that hard…love you."
"Love you too." I said as I hung up the phone only for it to begin ringing again seeing Chris's name on it. "Hello Chris." I said answering it.
"How come Chris has your number and I don't?" Alex asked.
"Why do you have Chris's phone?"
"Because he's in the bathroom and I like going through peoples phones." Alex said and I could tell he was smirking.
"He has my number in case of an emergency and he needs help."
"Nothing else?"
"No, what else would we do?"
"I don't know…" Alex said when I heard a door open on the other side.
"Why the hell are you on my phone?" I heard Chris ask.
"Good-bye Alex." I said hanging up heading out of my room and down to the main floor waiting for them to come from Chris's room.
"Give me the number!" Alex said loudly as I turned around from my position seeing Alex walking beside Chris who was hobbling beside him.
"No, you should have gotten it when you had it."
"Dude, come on!" Alex said.
"What are you guys fighting about?" I asked.
"I'm trying to get your phone number from Chris." Alex said.
"No, your not allowed to have my number." I said smirking.
"I'll have it by the end of the weekend…from either one of you…" Alex said.
"Ooohhh, we are so scared of you Alex." I said.
"You should be…" Alex said.
"Lord knows I am." Chris said as we approached two steps, I stepped in front of Chris helping him down the two steps and making sure he doesn't fall as he did the two steps. "Are you feeling better?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, much…and how nice of you to suggest to Alex to buy me pads…." I said chuckling a tad.
"I didn't know..." Chris said shrugging.
"What'd your mom what?" Alex asked.
"She wanted to know how the cruise was going and if I met anyone…." I said as Alex pulled open the door letting me walk in and shut the door on Chris.
"What the hell man?" Chris asked from outside the glass door.
"Alex!" I said slightly smacking Alex.
"What, just because he has a busted leg doesn't mean he can't open a simple door." Alex said, I rolled my eyes as I pushed the door open holding it open for Chris.
"Thank you Tara." Chris said smiling before he turned to Alex sticking his tongue out at him. I helped Chris to a table and I put his crutches to the side so no one will be able to trip over them.
"What do you want?" I asked Chris.
"Um, just black coffee."
"Ew, seriously?" I asked grossed out that he drunk his coffee like that.
"What is wrong with that?"
"I never met anyone that drunk it straight up black." I said.
"I do, don't be hating." Chris said as I rolled my eyes going to join Alex in line, he looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.
"I'm sorry about you staying up last night…" I said as I stood behind him, he looked over his shoulder at me smiling.
"No problem….your a weird sleeper, you know you talk in your sleep right?"
"I do not."
"Do too, want to know what you said?" Alex asked.
"What did I say?"
"You said 'Alex, your so hot, oh Alex, your so muscular…'" Alex said trying to say it in a girly voice.
"Shut up, I did not…"
"Did too…."
"I have never talked in my sleep before, why start now?"
"How do you know you never sleep talked, you were asleep so you won't know…"
"I don't, but no one has ever complained about it before…"
"I wasn't complaining." Alex said as he stepped up ordering his drink, "I'll have a café Americano." Alex said.
"What is that?" I asked curiously.
"I'll let you have a sip of it…"
"What makes you think I want a sip of it?"
"That is the only way to truly understand what it tastes like."
"I'll think about it…" I said as he paid and stepped aside letting me order mine and Chris's.
"Iced Vanilla Latte? I sure hope that's your drink and not Chris's." Alex said as he was handed his drink.
"It's mine, I think it's a little too girly for Chris."
"I won't put it past Chris, he is more girly than he lets on." Alex said as I chuckled.
"Your so mean to him."
"Am not, that is what brothers do." Alex said as I was handed to the two drinks carrying it back handing Chris his coffee.
"Thanks, how much was it?" Chris asked.
"Don't worry about it, you can bring me coffee when we get back on the ground and you come back to my work." I said.
"Well, that's smart…he can barely walk with crutches much less would he be able to carry coffee, that is very dumb of you." Alex said sipping his coffee.
"I use a wheel chair at the park dude." Chris said.
"But still…" Alex said.
"Your just jealous she asked me to bring her coffee…" Chris said.
"Am not…"
"Do you guys do this all the time?" I asked looking between the two men.
"Not really, why is it annoying?" Alex asked.
"No, you're the first pair of friends I have seen that bickers." I said as I sipped my coffee.
"We don't bicker, we just love getting under each others skin." Chris said as he sipped his coffee.
"You know what I was thinking about last night?" Alex asked.
"I'm sure you will tell us anyway." Chris said.
"Tara, what made you think we were strippers? I mean, I understand the posters show all the men topless and in trunks, but why does that scream stripper and with the name 'Impact?'" Alex asked.
"Well you got to think at the time I thought it was a singles cruise, when your on a singles cruise you won't be expecting wrestling, would you?" I asked.
"True…but Impact? What did you think Impact meant?" Alex asked.
"I thought you guys made an impact, I don't know…" I said feeling my cheeks turning red.
"Impact where?" Chris asked.
"Chris, do you really need to ask that?" Alex asked.
"Obviously…" Chris said as Alex leant over whispering things into his ear, "Ooohhh! You are one dirty girl, how come we weren't friends before?" Chris asked smirking.
"Because we were professional and that is something I don't say 'let's talk dirty.'" I said.
"If you did to me, it would have been instant friendship…" Chris said.
"It was kind of hot hearing you say that." Alex said as he took a sip of his coffee and he wasn't able to make eye contact with me
"I'm leaving." I said standing up going to leave not wanting to take this anymore.
"No, don't leave me with him, he won't help me." Chris said grabbing my hand.
"You have my number, this time don't let him call me." I said nodding to Alex smirking.
"Why can't I call you?" Alex asked.
"Because you know enough already." I said smiling.
"Do not…" Alex said.
"Whatever…I want to go shower and at least brush my teeth…" I said.
"I'll walk you back, I got to get ready for our Q & A session and my match after that." Alex said standing up.
"Guys, I need help here." Chris said
"You got it Chris, you don't need us." Alex said standing up, the look Chris gave Alex was great.
"Alex, let's help the man." I said as I grabbed his crutches handing it to him and Chris pulled himself up and rested against the crutches as I grabbed his coffee.
"Chris is just being a baby." Alex said.
"Am not, I just can't do everything by myself." Chris said.
"Can you still go to the bathroom by yourself?" Alex asked.
"Yes, I'm not that handicapped." Chris said as I opened the door holding it open for Chris to walk through and shut it on Alex, he stood on the other side giving me this dirty look.
"That was payback for doing it to Chris earlier." I said making a face back at him through the glass door.
"Payback is a bitch." Alex said before he pushed the door open walking through when a father and a son were walking towards us.
"Machine Guns!" The son said pointing to the two men beside me, both Alex's and Chris's face lit up with joy.
"Hey buddy!" Alex said squatting down to be the same height as the kid, I watched this situation take place in front of me.
"Hi Alex, may I get a picture and an autograph?" The son asked.
"Absolutely, your even wearing a Machine Gun shirt, you're an awesome kid…" Alex said.
"He's a big fan." The father said and the son nodded.
"Why don't I take the photo for you?" I offered.
"You don't mind?" The father asked as Alex looked up at me with a smirk.
"Not at all…" I said as the father handed me the camera, and I switched positions with him and Alex picked up the little kid.
"You got to pose, show me your muscles." Alex said showing off his own getting the little boy to do it too for the photo. I snapped the photo and made sure it came out okay before handing it back to the father, Alex set the boy down. "Will I see you later at our Q & A?" Alex asked.
"Yeah!" The boy said excitedly.
"See you then." Alex said sticking his hand giving the kid a high five before the father grabbed onto the kids hand leading towards the main deck where I presume the ring is.
It was nice to see that Alex was good with kids, especially if we end up becoming more than just friends since I have a son myself and I would want a guy that is good with kids so he won some brownie points with that.
"Your good with kids." I said towards Alex.
"Well I deal with one everyday…" Alex said nodding towards Chris.
"I'm not a kid, your more of a kid than me…" Chris said.
"We are all kids at heart…" I said smirking as I bent down picking up the two coffee's I had set down to take the picture. "Your doing the Q & A too?" I asked Chris.
"Yeah, it shall be fun trying to get into that damn ring." Chris said.
"It isn't that hard." Alex said.
"For you, if you haven't noticed this cast on my leg." Chris said as he lifted his leg up to show off his old cast that he has another couple weeks or more to go on wearing.
"Cast be damn, your getting in that ring." Alex said as he sipped his coffee as we approached the stairs.
"Why do we always take the stairs? There is a ramp right there and I always fall for this." Chris said.
"Walk around then…." Alex said as Alex and I awaited at the top of the ramp watching him hobble up the ramp.
"Are you sure you don't want to try and get a wheelchair? It'll be easier." I said.
"No, I'm going to power through this." Chris said.
"Fine…." I said rolling my eyes sipping my coffee.
"He's the most stubborn." Alex said.
"He's just strong willed….I remember the first day he came into my work, he hated asking for help." I said.
"It's part of our egos. We are supposed to be these strong muscle men that are able to take care of themselves, not afraid of anything, and unable to get hurt because we are like superheroes to these kids but when we get hurt, we need the help from others to do normal day things." Alex said.
"Not all injuries are that bad, ribs and such like that you don't need that much help." I stated.
"Yeah…but it does hit our egos having to ask for help, plus being men makes it harder." Alex said.
"The best was when AJ broke his arm and he couldn't button his pants so we had to take turns going to the bathroom with him to help do up his pants." Chris said.
"That is what friends are for." I said.
"Have you broken anything?" Alex asked.
"When I was 6, I chipped my one front tooth, I broke my wrist in three spots at once…." I said not wanting to bring up the leg my son had broke.
"You're an overachiever…" Chris said.
"I try my best." I said as we approached his room, "You need help?" I asked as he stopped and moved his one crutch to pull out his key.
"I got this part at least." He said as he unlocked the door, I opened it and held it open for him so he could hobble in and Alex followed in behind him. I set our coffee aside helping him sit down before I moved his crutches aside but yet somewhere where he could easily grab them if he needed to move about.
"You know my number, we'll be back to get you for the Q & A." I said as I picked up my coffee.
"Alright, I will try to be ready by the time it begins…when is it?" Chris asked looking to Alex.
"Ours is at 2, you have a few hours…" Alex said.
"Enough time for me to at least do a shower." Chris said.
"If you can't do a shower in 4 hours, I'll be worried." Alex said.
"Come on Alex, let him do his thing…" I said pushing Alex towards the door, "Remember, anything…" I said.
"Okay Tara…." Chris said as I followed behind Alex out of Chris's room.