Therealchamps and cena's baby doll, thank you once again! Enjoy everyone :) Here we go!
The black mascara laid thick on her lashes as she put on the final coat. It drew contrast against her light complexion, calling rivalry with her bold red lips. What appeared in the mirror was satisfying but she couldn't wait for more to witness this. She'd spent the last hour getting ready under the blinding vanity lights and was finally at completion. Taking a step backward, she smiled at her ensemble. She wore a gray bodycon dress side paneled with black leather and five-inch nude pumps that extended her already lengthy legs. She was ready and she was excited. She was ready for Randy to see her. All of her.
Although Neal Toretto's elaborate invitation was enticing, Candy decided to silently decline after knowing Randy had no intentions of attending. If he wasn't going to be there, she had no business being there. Rather than an extravagant gathering with many, she opted to dress up for one man and one man only. The only thing left to complete her plan was to locate him. It was their day off; she figured it'd be no trouble. After all, the last couple of weeks had consisted of them constantly going to each other to share time. It was an unspoken daily agreement between the two of them.
Pulling out her phone, she made her way out of her hotel room and attempted to contact the viper. She walked quickly to the elevator, her heels clicking against the floor as she stepped inside. She pressed for the 16th floor, five above her own, to reach Randy's room. She held the phone to hear as the numbers above her head grew larger. When the ding announced her arrival, she stepped into the hallway but still received no answer from Randy.
"I guess I'll just surprise you in person," she mumbled.
She passed by a family of three trudging through the walkway before finally reaching Room 1670. She knocked. She knocked again; only this time, much louder. The long wait forced her eyes to her red nails. She began to examine each and every one and found no cracks or chips. When she realized there was still no Randy, she called him once more. For the second time, there was no answer.
Candy stepped away from the door to lean against the wall. She bit her lip as her mind went through the bottomless possibilities; there had to be a plan B. After a few more seconds, the brunette pushed herself off the wall.
"I did not get ready for nothin'. Someone's gotta enjoy this view," she said.
Candy rounded the corner to the elevator but stopped immediately when she heard traces of Randy's voice from afar. She narrowed her eyes as her ear tried to navigate his direction. Turning another corner, she saw him walking into an unfamiliar room with another woman.
Suddenly, all the air in her lungs disappeared.
"How can a woman like you be left alone by her date?"
Alyssa was looking over the chocolate fountain when a familiar voice joined her proximity. She faced the speaker and saw Kate with her huge smile.
"Work." Alyssa shrugged.
Kate threw her sympathy into a sigh. "Don't I know your pain. Neal's constantly doing work, and when he's not, his mind is still with it."
"Yeah, I barely know the guy, and I can see that. He must be something real special to you."
"He is." Kate flashed her pearly whites once more.
"To be honest, I didn't even know Neal had a girlfriend. He seemed so…" Alyssa's words trailed off when her mind drifted back to their first encounter. His interest had come on strong, and she realized it may not be appropriate to discuss this with his girlfriend for their first conversation. "…all about work."
"He is all about work, but we try to make us work."
"I admire that."
"Well, well, look what we have here." Neal came from behind and placed a hand on his girlfriend's back. "The two most beautiful women in the room in one place. What are you guys talking about?"
"Secret," Kate said.
"Okay. So be it." Neal honed his attention elsewhere. "Baby, listen, the directors expressed wanting a dance with you. You should go look for them."
"Oh? Okay. I'll make sure to save the best dance for you." Kate picked up the length of her dress with one hand and placed the other on Alyssa's arm. "It was nice talking to you, Alyssa."
"My pleasure, Kate."
Neal cupped his chin, bringing attention to his strong bone structure. "Where's John?"
"There were last minute adjustments he needed to tend to for a script."
"Work trouble, huh?" Neal pursed his lips. There was an intensity in his face, but his eyes remained playful. "I bet none of it was under your circumstances."
"No- I-uh- I can't say it was, but we're all susceptible to causing setbacks. It happens."
"You're very humble."
Not sure how to reply, she returned her eyes back to the brown velvety downpour.
"Listen-" Neal brought her eyes right back to him. "I'm throwing an after-party at the Westin hotel, top suite. If you want to come, you can ride with us."
"Thanks, but I'd much rather go back to my room with John after this."
"Okay. Very well, Alyssa."
She forced her lips into a decent smile. "Thanks for understanding."
"But for now-" the brown haired man extended his arm.
His fingers were long, Alyssa noted.
"Would you like to dance?"
Subtle panic struck her features, and she didn't bother hiding it.
"Come on. I'm sure John would've loved to get you on the dance floor, and I bet other men would want a turn. Let me do the honor of being first."
Alyssa knotted her fingers together.
"It'll be fun. I don't want you feeling left out in this big room of people."
"Don't worry, I don't feel left out. I'm fine here."
Neal retreated his extended hand. "You reject my job offer, my after-party, and you wouldn't have come to this if John didn't say yes. And now you're saying no to a dance."
Alyssa's guilt kept her mute.
"I see the trend here." Neal clenched his jaw and studied her expression. "Well…if you change your mind, I'll be gland to be your partner for a song."
"I'll keep that in mind," Alyssa said. "I'm gonna try this chocolate fountain out. It's been teasing me all night."
Neal let her last words hang before responding. "Enjoy. It's divine with the cheesecake cubes."
"I bet." Alyssa stepped closer towards the dessert-stand while the man beside her watched. She looked back at him before grabbing a plate. "Enjoy the dance floor Neal."
Neal gave a nod, the corners of his lips slightly perked. He stepped away, and by the time he reached the dancing crowd, Alyssa already had her plate full.
"Cheers to a night of work," Bryan Danielson said.
"Aint shit to celebrate about, but I'll drink to that." Cody Rhodes lifted his glass from the bar and downed the contents in one swig.
John did the same, feeling the burn emit in his throat. He made a grunt at the empty glass in hand. Thankfully, he'd switched out of his suit into a black hooded sweatshirt for the night. This comfort was elating him.
"Damn that was harsh," Cody said. "Another round?"
"Let's go!" Bryan urged.
Meanwhile, John simply nodded and looked towards the bartender.
"You're awfully quiet, Johnny boy. What's going on?" Cody asked.
"I just miss Alyssa."
"Oh well-" Cody's voice trailed off when he noticed an inebriated woman hunching over the other side of the bar. "-looks like there's something that could help you with that."
John followed Cody's line of vision and scrunched his face. "Nah man. Are you kidding me?"
"What? It's little miss Candy. I know you like her sweets."
John punched the other man in the arm. "I have a girlfriend."
"Alright, alright." Cody put his hands up.
"Be ready. She's coming this way," Bryan said.
"Do you guys know how pathetic the male race is? There was you, John. You used me and lied after fucking me every single ni-"
"Candy, you need to calm your mouth before you embarrass yourself," John said. His tone was so stern it forced a moment of silence.
Slinking back into a more deflated form, Candy smirked. "I'm never embarrassed by what I do. I can't say the same about you."
"I think you've had a lot to drink. Do you want me to take you to your room?" Bryan asked.
"Mmmm, thanks Bry, but I think John's the one who knows how to do that." Candy bit her lip, bracing her arm on the bar. She started to sway from left and right.
"Stop it," John said.
"Sorry I can't stop as easily as you do. You and your feelings. It's so easy for you to stop huh? You fucked me in more ways than one. Well, fuck you back, John."
The men watched as Candy staggered her way out of the bar.
"You should check to make sure she gets to her room safely," Cody said.
"Me?" John pointed at himself before shaking his head. "I'm the last person she'd want to check on her."
"She's kind of your responsibility," Cody said.
"She's a grown woman."
"That you fucked over, and she's over there drowning in alcohol because of it."
John hated the conscience game, but he realized he was no longer interested in being around the bar either. The stool he sat on groaned as he got up. "I'll make sure she gets to her room then I'ma get some shut eye. This night's been too damn long."
"Goodnight Cena," Bryan said.
John followed Candy's trail to the hotel elevator and saw her perched up against a wall. Her hair draped over her cheeks.
"You should get to your room. You'll feel much better there," he said.
"Feel better? Anywhere I go, I'm still gonna feel like shit. You know why? Because of men like you. And not only you, John but Randy too. I saw him with another woman, and he's been ignoring my calls. Kind of like the shit you pulled on me."
John sighed.
"You know how ridiculous I feel? I mean, I know I've done ridiculous things but it's the men who make me feel like I need to be. You really, really, really, reeeeally made me believe you felt something for me, John. The way you treated me different than all those other girls. The way you planned our dates. The way you held me in the morning after no sleep. Then… your damn girlfriend shows back up and suddenly I don't mean shit."
John closed his eyes. Something inside of him was breaking for her.
"And I was dumb enough to fall for the same shit again with the legend killer himself."
"Candy, you needa stop letting this pain eat you up. You gotta focus on something else."
"I know, that's why I drank tonight. Duh, John! Keep up."
"That's no better."
"Well I'm sorry I'm not up to your standards. I guess I should've known I wasn't sooner. Would've saved my heart the trouble."
"You can do yourself so much better if you stopped thinking about that."
"Why the hell do you care, anyway? Don't you have a girlfriend to fuck right now?"
It was the guilt. It was starting to eat him up like the pain was eating her. "Have you eaten?"
"What do you mean have I eaten? Do I look like a starved wreck to you or something?"
"Well you drank. Some sustenance could help. Did you wanna get something? French toast or fries or anything?"
Candy shot him a look of confusion and frustration. What the hell was he trying to do?
"Come on. Let's get something to eat. It might help your mind think of better things."
She only continued to stare.
"Look, I feel bad about the way you've been treated. Let me make up my behalf."
"Oh, you don't need to play your face-of-the-business character, John. You know you're enjoying seeing my suffer."
"I don't have any desire to kick someone who's already down. Let me help you."
The tension in Candy's stance began to dissipate as she looked into John's gentle and warm stare. The alcohol was fighting with her body. John's words were fighting with her mind. This was all too confusing. It was too much. This night was too much.
"If you don't want food, let me walk you to your room then."
Candy pushed herself off the wall and shook her head. "No. Let's get food."
"Alright. I uh- I saw this place while I was on my way back to the hotel. Does a diner sound okay to you?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
Candy noted John's ease and calmness as they walked silently out of the hotel. There was a lightness to his demeanor, one she never saw even when they were embedded in their daily escapades. The side of John she knew had roughed up edges with intense desire and need. This John walking next to her seemed more intact as if he didn't need a thing from the world. She enveloped these thoughts into a firm expression as they made their way further and further from the hotel. The dense cool air contrasted with the inside temperature, putting both of their spines in slight shivers. Cars zoomed by and others yielded as they crossed the street. Their silence gave way to the clicking of her heels and the tires rolling over cement.
"We're turning here," John said after a few minutes.
Candy followed his direction and came across a stairway. It led up to a vivid display of neon signs. The door was decorated with records at its perimeter; and when John opened it for her, voices spilled out from all directions. They were met by a smiling hostess dressed in a pale pink dress who sat them immediately. They sat across from each other, still not saying a word, as the lady in pink handed them their menus.
"Order whatever or however much you want. I gotta make a phonecall real quick."
Candy looked up and nodded mutely.
He slipped out of the red leather seating and stepped foot on the black and white linoleum. When he opened the door to outside, the relentless wind slapped his face. He brought into his large hands his cell phone and quickly dialed Alyssa's number.
Diving his free hand into the front pocket of his hoodie, he looked on at the dark scene in front of him. It was a main street occupied with a flickering lamp posts and nomads. The road was free of traffic, but it was filled with parallel parkers in front of neighboring buildings. His eyes traveled to the dark silhouettes and lit up signs. By the time he surveyed the whole panorama, there was still no answer from Alyssa.
He parted his ear from the phone, causing the light from the screen to illuminate his face. He gave her one more call, then another. He stared at the device as it faded into black. He didn't like having to succumb to this idea, but he knew he'd have to wait to talk to Alyssa.
Well? Leave your thoughts in the box below! Next chapter will be up next week :)