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Part Forty-Three
Sunday night. This was the night. The end of pretending. After tonight, she would no longer have to walk out with Jeff Hardy and pretend she actually wanted the son of a bitch to win matches. After tonight, she could share a room with CM Punk and not care who found out about it. After tonight, everyone was going to know they were together anyway.
It was going to feel so good to be free.
Smiling slightly, Eve sat down on the bench in the divas' locker room, the woman looking down at feet that were bare because she hadn't put the boots she was wearing that night on yet. Turning her foot slightly, she looked at the scar that was still left from the worst of the cuts she'd gotten on her feet that day that seemed like ages ago now. That day when Jeff Hardy had decided to show her once and for all what kind of an asshole he really was by shoving her out of the car and leaving her on the side of the road. That, to be honest, had been the scariest experience of her life, especially when she'd realized that she didn't have her phone with her... That the phone was still in the car, hooked up to the charger. She'd been entirely alone, no shoes, no phone... In the middle of nowhere. She still didn't know for sure how long it was that she'd walked before CM Punk had stopped for her, but she knew enough to realize that she'd been pretty out of it at the time.
"That's over now," the woman whispered, rubbing her hands over her face, glad she hadn't done a final touch-up of her makeup yet because the gesture had probably just given her some repairs to make. Shaking her head, Eve bent down to grab her boots, carefully pulling them on, zipping up the sides of them before rising to her feet and going to look at herself in the full length mirror that was in the locker room. Knowing that she was planning to get involved in the match tonight - she couldn't really turn against Jeff otherwise - she'd decided against a dress and was instead wearing a pair of skinny jeans with her boots. The jeans and boots were black, and the corset-style top she wore with it was red, a pair of skinny straps all that covered her shoulders. The straps were pretty strong, though; she'd tested them a bit to make sure that they wouldn't break before choosing the top as part of her outfit for tonight. She wanted to look good tonight, but she definitely didn't want to give anybody a free show... Which was why she'd not only tested the straps of her top, but had also taped herself into her shirt, just in case. After all, she couldn't be sure what would happen while she was at ringside, so she wasn't taking any chances.
"Where is everybody?"
Eve turned at the sound of the voice, smiling slightly as she looked at Melina. "Out and about. Lilian left a little bit ago to warm up her voice. She's singing the national anthem before the show starts. Mickie went to warm up for her match against Maryse, and I'm pretty sure that Maryse refuses to hang out with those that she considers beneath her, which would be every woman on the roster. No clue where she's off to, and I really don't care anyway. I've heard rumors that Michelle demanded her own locker room, and Layla took off with her there. As for the others... they probably won't appear on the pay per view, so there's really no need for them to get ready, and Kelly and Maria aren't back on the shows yet, so... I've been alone since Lilian and Mickie took off," the woman said, then turned to face Melina more fully, gesturing to her outfit. "So what do you think?"
"I think you look like a force to be reckoned with."
"I kind of feel like one," she said, then arched a brow at the other woman. "How about you?"
"Let's see... I beat Natalya in my final warm-up match on SmackDown on Friday, and the two of us managed to beat Layla and Michelle at the live events last weekend. On top of that, I got to watch you beat Layla at yesterday's live event. I think that you and I have been on a couple of winning streaks, and I fully intend to see that continue tonight when I face Michelle McCool and take the women's title off of her."
"Lord, I hope so," Eve said, making a face as she thought of the current women's champion. Once upon a time, Michelle had been nice enough, but over the past six months or so? 'Bitch' only started to describe her. "I really want to see her get put in her place. Bonus points for it being a friend of mine that does it," the woman stated, then looked over at Melina, arching a brow at the other diva. "So what happens after you win? Gonna go out and celebrate?"
"I was thinking that could wait," the older woman said, shrugging when she saw the surprise on Eve's face at that. Rolling her eyes at the younger diva, she stepped forward, quickly glancing around to make sure they were still alone - which they were - before she continued to speak, keeping her voice low. "I'm just thinking that, after the show, you might have some more... interesting... plans than celebrating with me. I mean, I was thinking that you and CM Punk might want to have a more *private* celebration."
Letting out a snort, Eve arched a brow at her friend. "Have you been talking to Kelly or something?"
"No... But I am an intelligent woman. I've seen you two together, and when the two of your are able to act the way you want to with each other... I'm happy for you, Eve. Finding a good guy that clearly cares about you. Not everybody finds that, and it sucks. But you and Punk-"
"Haven't been together all that long, you know. It's not like... Obviously we're together, and it really feels right, but... I want to celebrate with my friends, too. We can still go out after the pay per view to celebrate the fact that you put Michelle McCool in her place. I'd have the rest of the night... and possibly the rest of the week... to celebrate with Punk," she said, and Melina arched a brow at that, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the younger woman.
"Oh really? What does that mean?"
"Probably what it sounds like it means. When he was out on the west coast to do some promotional stuff not too long ago, he came to visit me, and I thought... Why shouldn't I go to Chicago and visit him?" the diva questioned.
"And I'm assuming he was all for it when you brought it up," Melina said with a smirk, and Eve shrugged her shoulders.
"He certainly wasn't opposed," the younger diva replied, unable to keep the smile off her face as she thought about his response... Including his reminder that his shower was much bigger than hers, and therefore far more suited to shower sex... Which had, of course, left her thinking far too much about the possible shower sex (and various other places for sex) that could be explored later in the week when she went to Chicago... Not that she was going to tell Melina about that. There were some things that she just didn't talk about.
The older woman's brows arched as she looked at Eve. "You are so blushing right now, which makes it pretty damn clear what you're thinking about," Melina stated, and Eve rolled her eyes, turning away.
"I'm not talking to you right now," she declared, drawing a laugh from Melina.
"Sure you're not. You know I'm happy for you, right? This whole thing... It's sucked. What's happened to you, what's happened to Kelly... And now she's going to be back soon, and this is... The big night for you. The night things officially change because people will know about it," the woman said, then stepped closer, keeping her voice low as she spoke. "You know there's going to be a backlash for this, right? I mean, I'm sure you realize it because you're a smart woman, but... Are you ready for it? I know you and Jeff were never together, but if you stop being his manager and join up with Punk..."
"I wouldn't be the first woman to get a 'slut' chant," Eve replied, watching as Melina flinched at that, the younger woman fully aware that Melina had once been on the receiving end of that chant before, though it had been a long time ago. Other women in the company had been subjected to it as well, and Eve knew that teaming up with Punk could lead to the same for her. But the thing was, she knew the truth of the situation, she knew that she and Jeff had never been together, she knew that the man treated her like absolute dirt... And she knew that Punk treated her well and cared about her and did what he could to make sure she was alright. At CM Punk's side was precisely where she wanted to be.
"It can be hard to stand out there with that crowd," Melina said quietly, and Eve nodded.
"I know. Or... I realize that. The crowd's been kind to me so far, and I know it will change when I team up with Punk. But I don't care. He's what I want and with him is where I want to be. I'm not going to walk out with some drugged-up loser that treats me like dirt just because the fans don't see him for what he really is. I'm going to stand with the guy that I want to be with, and what everyone else thinks be damned," the woman said, and Melina gave a sharp nod.
"Good," the woman said, looking like she was about to say something more, but the door to the locker room opened just then and a stage-hand stuck her head in, glancing around as if she expected more divas to be there, then clearing her throat when she realized it was just the two of them.
"Sorry to interrupt, but the pay per view is about to start," the woman said, and Eve and Melina nodded at that, waiting for the woman to leave before turning to each other again.
"You ready?" Eve asked, and Melina nodded.
"Yup. You?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Then let's get this show on the road."