Memphis let out a long sigh as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She pulled back the curtain and turned on the faucet, letting the water run for a little while so the temperature would be just right. She had always liked for her showers to be piping hot. Seconds later when the mirror began to steam, she slowly disrobed and climbed inside the tub as the water sprayed onto her. She leaned forward and let her face get wet. Putting her hands on the tile wall in front of her, she closed her eyes. It had been nearly two weeks since the incident, since she had made the biggest mistake of her life. And every day since, regret had plagued her.

At times it felt like a dream but the reality of the matter, it was anything but. That first day after, waking up in bed next to Randy Orton, hastily fleeing to Calgary and culminating with having to look into a pair of eyes that loved and trusted her with all his soul. It was like a slap in the face to Memphis about just how cavalier, selfish, and foolish she had been. It was hard to look herself in the mirror anymore because she was now living a lie. Her game plan was to pretend that none of it had ever happened but no matter how hard she tried to forget or ignore that night, the memory somehow continued to live on in the back of her mind. She thought about it at the damnest of times, reliving it over and over. In her logical mind, she knew that she was to blame. She was a consenting adult who had been swept up in the moment with a man she had been secretly attracted to for a very long time.

But in her flurry of emotion, it was so much easier to pin the blame on Randy and make him the villain once again. It was a role he was good at playing and a part of her hated him. In a perfect world, he would just disappear but once again, reality had other plans. She saw him at work four days a week, every week. To his credit, he had left her alone. He hadn't tried to approach her and most importantly, he had kept his mouth shut. For that she was very grateful but it was still of little consolation. So she did her best to avoid him. The luck of the draw had spared her having to officiate his matches as of late but she knew time would only be on her side for so long. Any other time, she kept her distance and the few random times they had found themselves face to face, Memphis had simply avoided eye contact and walked away.

It was one thing to deal with her own guilt and the possibility of running into Randy Orton but the worst thing about the situation was her boyfriend. It would have been easier if he were an asshole or a liar or a cheat. But the fact of the matter was, he was none of those. She was the cheat. Phil Brooks was a good man…loyal, dedicated, sweet and above all faithful. Whenever he looked at her, she saw the utter happiness and devotion etched on his handsome face and it tore her apart inside. He thought the world of her. The real Phil behind the sarcasm and razor tongue was shy, sensitive, and cautious about showing his innermost feelings but Memphis had broken down that wall. They had trust now, or so he thought so he was free to love as passionately and deeply as his heart so desired. He was the type of man who wanted all or nothing from his partner and she had given in to his wishes, as evidenced by all of her personal belongings that now lay scattered about in his Chicago home. She had forced herself to be "normal" around him so he wouldn't get suspicious and when he did notice and question any change in her behavior, she blamed it on the stresses of work and her recent move. He had been pushing for her to leave New York as soon as possible and when she had finally done so, he had been ecstatic. It had always been difficult for him to receive warmth and affection in personal relationships with the opposite sex. He had trust issues and often thought he was unworthy of love or that those offering it to him didn't really mean it. But Memphis was different and now she was his. All his.

After her sexual dalliance with Randy, Memphis had been given a lot of time to think. The mind was a funny thing and paranoia consumed her. At first it had more to do with getting caught but after a few days passed, she had become obsessed with the possible physical consequences. She'd heard that Randy once had caught an STD from a stripper. Memphis convinced herself that she had contracted something awful from him. Though the WWE tested the on air talent quarterly for infectious and communicable diseases, the fear that he had something was very real. In the moment she had been caught up and foolish and a condom had been the last thing on either of their minds. She had been on birth control for years and it had always proven to be reliable so she hadn't really worried about pregnancy. She had gone to her gynecologist in Long Island and had been screened for every Venereal disease there was a test for, including HIV. All the test results had come back negative, which had put her mind at ease. Of course Phil was a man and the two had always shared a healthy and plentiful sex life, so she could only put him off for so long.

The days following her indiscretion, she had used every excuse in the book to get out of making love to Phil and had been thrilled when her period had come on, buying her an extra week or so. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. How could she? How would she be able to look in his eyes knowing she had betrayed him? How could she allow him to touch her, enter her, knowing his arch nemesis had been there, had invaded Phil's special place just weeks earlier? Memphis went through the motions of washing her hair and body. When she was finished and completely rinsed off, she stayed there, leaning underneath the shower head and letting the water run across her face. The droplets blended in with the tears of shame that fell from her eyes. She felt awful and the guilt was eating her alive inside. She felt like the worst human being on earth. It had taken so long for things to work out, for her to finally find happiness and just when she had it all, she had foolishly thrown it all away for one night of lust.

Downstairs, Phil turned his key into the lock and opened the front door. It was another chilly night in the city he loved to call home and he relaxed as he felt the instant warmth from the thermostat. It was just beginning to turn nightfall and he had been across town at the apartment of his best friend Scott "Colt Cabana" Colton. He heard the shower running in the master bathroom and he smiled. It was a great feeling to come home and know she was there waiting for him. He was in love with Memphis Kramer. Walking up the stairs, he laid his keys on the dresser. He saw the clothes on the bed she had laid out for sleep and his hands reached out and touched her cotton underwear. The material was soft and feminine, much like the person who would soon be wearing them. Phil missed that. It had been weeks since they had been intimate. He missed undressing her, touching her, tasting her. He pulled the hoodie and tee shirt over his head, before quickly unfastening his belt buckle. He shed himself of his jeans, boxer shorts, and socks in record time. Walking to the bathroom door, he opened it and walked towards the shower. He pulled back the curtain and watched her for a few seconds. She was lost in thought and appeared not to pay attention. He stepped in and only when she felt a pair of hands envelope her middle, did she take notice, gasping and jumping a little.

"Relax, Dollface. It's just me," he said softly.

She visibly tensed and prayed that he could not see she had been crying again.

"Hey," she answered in a shaky voice. "I, I didn't hear you come in. How is Scotty?"

Phil shrugged.

"He's cool. He's wrestling tomorrow night, an AAW show."

"That's exciting," Memphis noted. "Are you gonna go?"

"Nah," Phil shook his head. "I mean, I'd like to. I want to give my support but it's not like I can actually sit in the front row or anything. Not to mention I'd be harassed beyond belief but uh…it's his moment and I don't want to be a dick and take away from that."

Memphis refused to meet his gaze.

"You're a good friend," she said softly.

"Yeah, I am a pretty fantastic guy, if I do say so myself," he kidded her.

Memphis cleared her throat.

"I, um…I was just finishing up here. I'll let you get some hot water," she went to move.

Phil stopped her.

"Stay," he said in a quiet, almost pleading voice.

"I'm not really being fair," she tried to make an excuse. "This shower is so small, there's really not enough room."

"It's no biggie. Freezing my nuts off back here is worth it being next to you. You're a pretty cool chick."

She bit her lip nervously as he picked up the shampoo bottle and squirted some into his palms. He rubbed them together, then ran his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. It felt so good that she moaned out loud. Who would have ever pictured it? He was the WWE's most sarcastic real life character, a self-professed nerd, the man that hardly ever let anyone get close to him. He had been called selfish and egotistical but Memphis got to know a beautiful and sweet and vulnerable side of Phil Brooks that many people did not get to see. He cared for her. He loved her. He was gentle with her. And as he stood there washing her hair, she felt more consumed with guilt and regret than ever.

"It feels good," she whispered, as he finished up.

He rinsed his hands off and when they were both soap free, he let his hands touch the softness of her wet shoulders. His hands ran down the length of her arms and then to her bare sides. He touched the smooth skin of her flat stomach, his fingertips tracing ever so lightly across her bellybutton. Memphis shivered involuntarily underneath his touch. His breathing was heavy as was hers as he lowered his head and let his lips plant tiny kisses across the back of her neck. His hands began to travel lower, desperate for the destination between her legs that had been claimed by him and only him.

"I love you," he breathed in her ear.

She closed her eyes.

"I love you, too, Punk."

"I miss touching you. I want you."

She knew she couldn't hold him off forever. She knew the time, the day would come when their sex life would resume. But she wasn't ready yet. It was too soon. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't let him go any further so she let the first thing that came to mind spill out of her mouth. What was the harm in one more lie?

"I can't."

"What?"

He slowly turned her to face him.

"I, I want you, too but I can't…we can't. I, um, I have a bladder infection, a UTI. I have to take pills and drink a lot of cranberry juice until it goes away but we're not supposed to have sex while I have it. Sorry."

Phil shrugged it off, disappointment in his eyes for the obvious reason.

"Oh. It's cool."

"Are you mad?" she squeaked.

He grinned at her.

"That you have cooties? No. It is what it is. Just means I have a date with my right hand and a jar of Vaseline later but in the meantime, I guess you're still cool enough to hang out with."

Memphis fought back tears.

"I'm sorry. Oh Punk, I am so sorry…"

"Relax, Dollface," he assured her, oblivious to the double meaning behind her apology. "It's just sex. Do I want some? Hell yes but it's not possible right now and I'll just have to live with that. Sex with you is great, in fact it's awesome but it's not the most important thing in the world. Not trying to get all sappy on you but us hanging out, cuddling, just talking…well, that's enough for me. It's a pretty cool feeling, besides we have the rest of our lives to have hot, raunchy, kinky shower sex."

"I don't deserve you. I mean that. I, I don't know how I ever got so lucky."

"Luck is for losers, you know how I feel about that. I don't believe in luck. I believe in fate, the fate we make. And I believe in us."

"Punk…"

"I don't know if I've said it cause this is all new for me and let's face it, being Mr. Sensitive isn't always my strongest trait, but if I haven't said it yet, I'm saying it now. I'm really happy you moved out here with me, Memphis. Chicago is the greatest city in the world. It's my city. I love this place and I am proud to call it home. And I love you and I'm proud to call you my girl. I think this thing we've got going on is pretty sweet and we can do good things here together."

She looked him in the eye and his sincerity genuinely melted her. He was a great guy. How had she managed to mess everything up? He deserved to know the truth but if he found out, it would devastate him, crush his trust in everything around him and fuel the rage inside him. Their relationship would be over and that was not what she wanted. That was why it was best to just forget. Forget about the betrayal, forget about everything that reminded her of Randy Orton.