"One more, girl! Come on, don't give up! You can do it!"

Memphis grimaced as she struggled to keep her form and pace. She had always been into fitness and dedicated a fair amount of time to the gym. Though she wasn't a wrestler, as a referee and especially a famous one on TV, she had to watch her figure. It was important not only to be thin, fit, and healthy but also have some tone and definition to the body. Hanging out with her co-workers had definitely caused Memphis to step up her workout routine. They were in Rosemont, Illinois right outside of the Chicago city limits. It was an early morning and after waking up from spending the night in Phil's arms, Memphis had agreed to join her girlfriends, Melina and Nattie Neidhart for an early morning workout. It was leg day, Memphis' least favorite and Nattie was affectionately known as the gym Nazi. She had designed their plan for that day and the last set of squats had been damned near impossible for Memphis to make it through.

"Oh my God, girl, you are killing me!" Memphis complained with a grunt as she toweled off and gulped down a swig of water.

"You'll feel awesome in the morning," Nattie promised.

"I'll feel sore in the morning."

"The fun isn't over yet," Melina giggled. "We still have two more sets of lunges to do."

"Don't remind me," Memphis rolled her eyes.

"You see why I like to do my cardio first?" Melina brought up. "Nat kills my legs. By the time I hit the bike or the treadmill, they feel like jelly."

"You two sound like a bunch of wimps. Grandpa would have eaten you alive inside the Dungeon," Nattie made quick reference to her grandfather, the legendary Stu Hart and his infamous training dojo. "Okay, ten minute break and then back to work."

Her partners felt a small measure of relief as they gathered around.

"You know what all this working out puts me in the mood for?" Melina's eyes twinkled.

Nattie met her gaze.

"Shopping," she answered the question. "And not just any shopping, shoe shopping."

"Amen, sister. You totally read my mind. Memphis, you in?"

"Yeah. I'll just shoot Punk a text when we finish up."

The two other girls exchanged glances.

"So how is that going?" Nattie inquired.

Memphis shrugged and smiled.

"Pretty good."

"You two still moving in together?"

"Yeah. I just settled the lease on my place in Long Island and we're slowly but surely getting all my household stuff and clothes out here. It's pretty exciting."

"That it is. I remember when TJ and I rented our first apartment together," Nattie fondly recalled of her WWE Superstar boyfriend known as Tyson Kidd. "We had already been together forever it seemed. We finally moved to the States and we were doing the whole FCW thing. Let's just say my dad was less than thrilled that his little girl was moving in with a guy but he got over it. My family loves TJ but anyway. It was so cool going to bed together every night and waking up next to each other every morning. We had our own little space and we were both working waiting tables prior to FCW so the few evenings we did have off together, I would cook him dinner, I'm talking about a four course meal. And I loved doing his laundry…God, it was so awesome being so domestic."

Melina grinned.

"Let me guess…the novelty of that grew old real quick."

"You said it. By the time we bought the house, I was like, 'Dude, wash your own drawers'," she joked.

"John and I actually lived together before we became a couple. A bunch of us in OVW rented a house in Louisville when we were training so he was my roommate at first. We were really good friends and it just turned into something more. By the time we got a house together in L.A. we were as comfortable together as an old shoe."

"I've never lived with a guy before," Memphis volunteered.

"No?"

"Nah…well, not officially or anything so this will definitely be different."

"Are you scared?"

"A little. I mean, you learn a lot about someone real quick when you live with them. Punk and I haven't been together that long but I think we'll be okay. Besides, considering how crazy the WWE scheduling is and how his rehab is going, most of the time we aren't together anyway."

"Phil is a nice guy," Melina commented. "You two look so cute together."

Memphis blushed.

"He is pretty cool. I think I'll keep him."

"You guys do seem like kind of an odd couple, though."

"Opposites attract. I mean, if you look at us on the outside, we really are different, I suppose. But we were friends first. We're a lot alike on so many other levels. We just get each other and it's nice because I feel like I never really had that before in a relationship."

"I see the way he looks at you and it's really sweet. You bring out a different, softer side to him."

"Punk is a sweetheart. You have to really get to know him. And he keeps me laughing like every second we're together."

"He has really been there for you since the beginning, hasn't he?" Nattie asked.

Memphis nodded.

"It was rough my first few months in the WWE. I'll be the first to admit that. Sometimes I don't know what I would have done without him."

Nattie and Melina exchanged glances.

"Yeah, we still feel so awful about that," Melina sheepishly admitted.

"It's okay. Water under the bridge."

"I know but you're a really cool, sweet person and none of us gave you a chance at first and that wasn't right."

"You two just ignored me," Memphis winked. "That's nothing compared to what Randy Orton put me through."

"Randy can be hell on wheels," Melina shuddered. "I felt so bad for you."

"Randy did some awful things and he should be ashamed of himself for taking it too far but a lot of stuff he does for attention or just out of pure boredom," Nattie defended. "That doesn't make it right and I'm for sure not making excuses for the guy. It's just that he's not as bad as he appears to be or wants people to think."

"I've had my run ins with him but for the most part he left me alone, maybe because he and my John are friends. But I've seen him in action before and he has gone off on me a few times. It's pretty scary to watch the guy go from zero to sixty in like five seconds. He's like a ticking time bomb. One minute he's calm and the next he's blowing up. Maybe you don't see it as much as other people, Nattie. From the minute you joined the company he seemed to have this quiet respect for you. He likes you."

"He's a good man, a little misguided but nevertheless a good soul underneath it all," Nattie surmised.

"He sure has been a lot nicer in the last few months," Melina mentioned. "Memphis, it's like after you two squashed whatever was between you two, he became a different person. No more torturing the locker room. Your friendship seems to really calm him down."

"Me?" Memphis seemed surprised. "I don't think so."

"Mel does have a point."

"Randy and I are cool but I think he chose to make amends with me for the same reason he chose to change his behavior…it was the right thing to do. I think he knew he was a major asshole and that it was getting old. I think even he got tired of it. Him being a better person or trying to has nothing to do with me."

"I think he likes you," Nattie put it on the table.

"What?"

"I kind of see it too," Melina agreed.

Memphis tried to laugh it off.

"You two need eyeglasses. You're totally imagining things."

"I'm serious and if you think about it, it's not too hard to believe," Nattie pointed out. "You're a very pretty girl and he's a guy. You're around each other all the time. God knows he has had more than his fair share of the ladies but after a while, the whole groupie thing sort of blends together. You're smart and funny and you understand the whole wrestling lifestyle therefore you two can bond on a different level."

"Nat, come on. I'm with Punk or are you forgetting that?"

"No. It's not about Phil. He's your boyfriend but if Randy has real feelings for you, something like that is not going to get in his way, I can tell you that much."

"Randy and I are just friends. I do not have feelings for him and I don't think he is into me either."

"Don't shoot the messenger," Nattie treaded. "I just sense this weird electric sexual tension between you two sometime."

"Nattie, that is just silly."

"I don't think so. And it probably comes from the fact that you both used to hate each other. It's a thin line between love and hate and now that you're cool it's like sometimes there is this super intense aura between you two."

"Trust me, there is no aura. Yes we did hate each other at first and then when we made up, it was still kind of awkward at times but now Randy and I are fine. How I get along and interact with him is the same way I do with you two or Mike or anybody else."

"I've known Randy for a long time, even longer than Nattie. For the majority of that time, he has been a real jerk. I've only see him try to be a good guy two times, now with you and a few years ago with Samantha."

Memphis was quiet for a minute.

"Yeah, he told me about her. It was a pretty serious relationship. She sounded like a nice person."

"Oh Sam is great. Everybody loved her and not just because Randy acted halfway decent in her presence. She was so sweet and down to earth and just different. I think he really dug that and in the end, it ended up intimidating him and scaring him so he kept making bad choices to screw it all up."

"When Randy finds himself, he'll find the right girl," Memphis said quietly. "When he does, I have no doubt that he'll mature and be a great boyfriend for her. But he still has a long way to go and even if he didn't, that girl is not me."

"Don't get me wrong," Nattie took a seat nearby on one of the workout benches. "I like you and Phil together. You two make a good couple but you're just the kind of girl Randy needs in his life. Sam was perfect for him but just like Melina said, he messed that one up. He needs trust and love and friendship…hell, we all do. It's not like he's gonna find that with some ring rat on the back of his tour bus. Look, I know Randy and I know him pretty well. All I'm saying is don't be surprised if he comes on to you."

"Nat…"

"It might happen so be prepared."

"I don't think it will but thanks for the heads up, I guess."

"What are you going to do if it does?" Melina asked.

Memphis looked away.

"I…I don't know."

"Babe, I know you're with Phil and you're way into him but could there be any chance, even a small one, that you have a crush on Randy?"

"No. No," she repeatedly defensively.

"I'm not trying to…"

"I know but Phil brought it up to me, too. I know his drama with Randy goes way back even before I came along and some of that makes him feel a little insecure, I believe. God, I hate that. I love Phil and I'm happy with him and I don't want him feeling like Randy Orton is just gonna come in and swoop me away or something. It's not like that. Honestly, I don't see him trying but even if he did, I would never go for it. Randy might be used to getting what he wants but I am not that easy."

"Good for you," Melina nodded. "Anyway, we're just talking. You're probably right. I'm sure everything is going to be okay. You and Phil are going to move in together and be very happy and you and Randy are going to remain just friends and everything will be fine."

"It will," Memphis agreed in a shaky voice.

"Okay, ladies," Nattie clapped her hands. "We can save the gossip for shoe shopping and lunch. We have a workout to finish."

Melina groaned as they stood. Memphis stretched out her legs and tried to ignore the conversation that had just been held. It was ridiculous. She and Randy were just friends. Sure he had been kind of weird in Catering that day and even weirder that night in Green Bay in the restaurant but he had never been blatantly fresh or inappropriate with her. And that was the last thing she wanted. They were just beginning to be real friends and that was something Memphis didn't take lightly. She truly valued his friendship and the time they spent together. She did not want anything to ruin it. Sure he was a great looking guy…no one was disputing that fact but it wasn't like she was attracted to him or anything. Just thinking about it made her want to think of something else. Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked back towards Nattie and Melina. Even though her legs were aching, she had never been more ready to get back to a workout.