Chapter 14

Good, they weren't fighting anymore and she grinned at the nickname, patting her laptop bag hoisted over her shoulder. "I had a lot to do for Cheryl and didn't realize the time until about," She paused, glancing down at the DC watch around her wrist. "20 minutes ago. You both have no idea – NO IDEA – the mess Matthew left behind for us to clean up. And since I'm the lead's right-hand woman, I told her I'd stay behind to fix as much as I could without falling asleep in the arena." It wasn't his business, but since their truce and time in Sedona, Emery didn't mind explaining herself to Mark.

If it was David…she would've blown him off.

"Hope they're paying you serious bucks, that's a lot of bullshit to untangle." David stepped away from the car and Taker, smiling down at her. "Emery, you want to have breakfast with me in the morning? Celebrate you coming back?" His brown eyes were warm and friendly.

Was Emery smiling at that idiot? When were they on good terms like this? That was just gross. "Feeding people your meat again, Davey boy?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"As sweet as that offer is, I can't. Meetings up the ass tomorrow and they start at 6 AM, sharp."

Emery wasn't lying. She'd told Cheryl to inform the writing team they were all going to sit down and go over all the changes she'd made tonight. She took every single person's word to heart and their ideas under consideration, never dismissing anyone. It was the reason she lasted as long as she did on the writing team. Besides, she didn't want to have any kind of meal with David, not after spending time with Mark. He was the one she wanted to eat and talk to; David was in this for the money, fame and that twinkle in his eyes also told her he was interested in more than food. She would not be another notch on his belt. The man was a whore, according to Randy and Paul.

"Besides, she already knows she can enjoy a buffet with me."

Mark had moved to Emery's side and draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in with a smirk, though his venomous green gaze never left the other man. David wanted to go toe to toe with him, fine. Let the games on all fields begin. And the man was obviously interested in Emery for more than a friendship. Not happening, every woman David had screwed in the company wound up fired for one reason or another. Emery had just gotten back, so there was no way he was allowing her to be canned again because of this dick.

"Isn't that right, Queenie?"

He meant something completely different than what he had said and rage flashed in David's eyes, but the smile never faltered.

Now they were fighting over her?

Emery didn't like this one bit, seeing the anger flash in David's eyes and slowly moved away from Mark, shaking her head. "I am NOT getting in the middle of this, whatever is going on between the two of you. Why don't you have breakfast together and sort out your issues, hmm? I have to get some sleep or else I'm gonna be dead at the meetings tomorrow morning. Good night, gentlemen."

Opening her car door, Emery tossed her bag in the backseat and then slipped behind the wheel, starting the ignition to pull out. She yawned again, turning some music on and drove away from both men. Though Emery had to admit, the buffet idea with Mark did sound appealing and she sighed, hoping he understood why she just blew him off in front of David.

"Looks like you got denied too, Calaway."

"She's not one of your whores."

"You think I want to fuck her? Just because I asked her to breakfast?" David snorted derisively. "I'd take her to dinner first, not out for an egg McMuffin. Not unless she's into that kind of thing, then maybe I'd serve her eggs… sunny side up."

Mark didn't even think twice about doing it, just punched David as hard as he could, which was pretty hard. "Sunny side up that one." He sniffed, stepping over the now unconscious man and headed for his Harley.

5 hours later, Emery was up and had gone down the street to the local Starbucks for a triple shot of expresso and the strongest coffee they had. She was going to need it to get through this meeting. It was taking place at an empty office building Vince had rented out for them to use for a couple hours. Upon arrival, she was greeted by all the writers and welcomed back with open arms, hugging all of them. She apologized for what happened, promising to never let it happen again and they were about to make some DRASTIC changes going into No Way Out. It was a couple weeks away and…Karen had come up with the idea to have Mark and David visit Raw in order to add fire to the feud. So, they would be pulling double duty starting Monday.

Another 4 hours later, Emery finally dismissed the writing team and shook hands with all of them, feeling dead on her feet. They had ordered breakfast, but now she was starving since it was a little after 10 AM. Still breakfast time technically, but since she'd already had that meal for the day, Emery decided to have an early lunch as well. Randy and Paul were doing appearances for the company, so she was on her own and walked out of the building, wondering if there was a Subway nearby.

A hand reached out and snatched her back into a doorway. Subway, sure, but there was also a bar that served food. Liquor and lunch, perfect combination. Early lunch, but who ate at a bar?

"So, Karen tells me I'm going to RAW, any truth to that?" When she looked both relieved and annoyed, Mark smirked. "I got pull around here, Queenie, and Karen and I go back."

"Goddamn you!" She started smacking him repeatedly in the arm, knowing it didn't hurt and clutched her chest with her other hand. "Seriously Mark, you're going to give me a damn heart attack or stroke if you keep doing that!" Emery smacked him one more time for good measure, shaking her head at his grin and felt her heart slowly begin dislodging from her throat. "Yes, you're going to Raw on Monday. You're going to ECW as well." Currently, there were three main shows per week – Raw, ECW and Smackdown!. "You're going to scare the shit out of John Cena on Raw, do the same thing to Bobby Lashley on ECW and then finally Batista on Smackdown!. Then the following Monday, you'll make you'll choice on who to face at WrestleMania with your Rumble win. And you have free reign and creative control on how you want to…make your presence felt. Now here's question for you: What are you doing here?" This was an abandoned building on the outskirts of Phoenix.

"Woman, I'll snatch you off any street I damn well please and look," He turned and pointed to the sign hanging over the door. "Bar. Beer. Food. Also, nobody pays me any attention here." One of the reasons why it had become his favorite place here. He made sure to have 'spots' in the places they tended to come back to every year or so, sometimes twice. "Come on, Queenie, come keep me company." Mark pulled her into the bar, heading towards the actual bar. "Now, free reign huh? Your boss okay that?"

Considering she was the 'boss' so to speak, Emery had no problem nodding her head in confirmation. "Yes."

It was very difficult to deny this man anything he wanted, she'd figured that out quickly while in Sedona. She was hungry and the smell of food made her stomach rumble, so she figured it couldn't hurt. If nobody bothered him here, chances were the other Superstars, like David, wouldn't walk in on them eating together. Why was she worried about David anyway?

"What do you recommend here, Deadman? Since this is your 'place'?" She smirked, looking at the small menu in front of her and decided she'd definitely be getting an order of potato skins with extra sour cream.

"All of it, everything is good." Not that there was much to pick from. Fried skins, wings, French fries and onion rings, burgers was about it. "We want an order of everything." He ordered for her. "Beer for me." Mark eyeballed Emery, wondering if she would drink this early in the day and cocked an eyebrow. "And one for her." She would. "So… what's the deal with you and Batista, Queenie?" Why was Batista up her backside and thinking they were friends?

"Do I detect jealousy in your voice, Deadman?" Emery teased, giggling at his snort and took a sip of her beer once it was brought over. The food would more than drown away any chance of a buzz. "Nothing is going on with me and him. He's been nice to me and got me a Rubik's cube lunchbox, but…" She shrugged, looking down at her beer while running the pad of her thumb around the rim of the glass. "I know he's only being friendly towards me because of the line. I'm not stupid." She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case with Mark.

"Why would that matter? You're just a fucking assistant, Queenie. You can't pull any major strings. He wants to fuck you."

That was his opinion, though… giving her a Rubik's cube lunch pail… what the hell kind of courting present was that? One for a geek and Mark remembered hearing about David's old tin lunchbox collection, inwardly rolling his eyes. He couldn't escape this crap to save his life!

"Or he actually likes you." He admitted reluctantly, grudgingly.

If only he knew just how many strings she'd pulled over the years…Emery frowned at his last statement and shook her head. "Then he's stupid." She could be blunt when she wanted to be and dipped a potato skin in the sour cream dipping sauce. "I don't think he likes me and if he does, that's on him. I don't like him. I don't respect him. I think he sucks in the ring, personally, and…he's just not my type." At all, she added in thought, groaning at how good the skin was the moment she tasted it. "So he can take his sweet talking and offers for breakfast, lunch and dinner somewhere else."

"You're a sucker for pain, you know that?" Mark informed her, popping a wing in his mouth, enjoying the burn of the hot sauce. After a few minutes, he washed it down with beer, studying Emery thoughtfully. "He could be genuinely interested in you as a person and you run him the fuck down. I… assault you, and your shit, and here you are, eating with me. Like the abuse, do you?" He winked at her. "My kind of girl."

"No – no I don't like pain. Where the hell did you get that assumption from? And you didn't assault me…you just spanked me. I don't consider that assault. Foreplay, if anything." She laughed when he choked on the bite of chicken wing and took a sip of her beer. "And the only reason you broke my laptop was because I spray painted your bike. And why are we even discussing this? We made a truce, yeah?" Emery eyed him almost shrewdly, taking another skin in her mouth and wiped some of the sour cream from the corner. "And I'm eating with you because you scared the shit out of me and dragged me in here to keep you company." He was far better company than David, though she wouldn't admit it. "And maybe I like hanging out with you because you're not as big of a dick as others think." Emery liked him, period, and she was a fool for doing so, but couldn't help it.

Mark just ate in silence, thinking about what she had said and what he knew about her. He was rapidly reaching the conclusion that she was a sucker for pain, or had been in abusive relationships, because she was justifying everything he had done to her. She was excusing his behavior. He did like a messed-up woman and snorted, draining the last of his beer.

"You're fucked up." He finally started laughing.

"If that's what you think, more power to you." Emery pulled her wallet out to take some money out to pay for her half of the meal, but Mark stopped her. "Mark, you don't have to-"

She sighed when he merely tossed some bills on the counter, took her hand and pulled her out of the bar, both of them stuffed like Thanksgiving turkeys. Did he forget everything she'd done to him too? The bike spray painting, Randy pissing on the seat of the bike, the flyers…Mark had shown a different side of himself in Sedona and now that they were back on the road, nothing had changed. He was the same.

"If I'm fucked up, then what the hell does that make you?"

"Darlin', I already know I'm fucked up." Mark expressed with a wide, teeth baring grin. "I'm just one of the few people who will acknowledge just how fucked up I am. You're still in denial." About a lot of things, he draped his arm around her, tucking her into his side as they walked. "So where are you parked?" He had brought a cab and needed a ride.

"Denial my ass." Emery yelped when he promptly smacked her backside with one hard blow, not expecting it and smirked up at him impishly. "Maybe I am a little fucked up." She laughed, leaning against his side as they made their way to her rental. "Hold on." Stopping in front of it, Emery took her hair out of the bun it was twisted in and flipped it forward to run her fingers through it before flipping it back up. "I did what you said and got the split ends take care of. So, where are we off to, Deadman? Wanna drive or do you want me to?"

Promptly, he grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her back by it, not surprised at all by the sudden flush that spread from her cheeks on down. He'd wager it was spreading over her chest as well. It was an arousal flush and he thought it again. Masochist. Mark studied her hair, nodding.

"Looks good, Queenie." He eyed her. "You're driving and I don't care, why don't you try to surprise me?"

"You really have to stop doing that." Emery muttered, trying to get the flush to go away and involuntarily shivered again, nudging him. Then she drew her hair up several times and finally tied it back in a ponytail, which felt better than the tight bun it'd been in moments ago. "You're an ass, get in."

Slipping behind the wheel, she fired up the car and gestured to the seatbelt, smirking when he reluctantly clipped it. Where could she take this man that would totally shock him? They were in Phoenix so…an idea suddenly popped into her head. Since he didn't have a full knowledge about the nerd side of her, Emery was about to open him up to a whole new world and turned on classic rock.

He just let her drive, staring out the window and watched the scenery. Mark was comfortably full and she had the air conditioning blasting, which was great because Phoenix was hot. Texas was hot, but this was an arid, dry heat that left him feeling like he needed to bathe in lotion. She was singing along to the radio and he shifted to stare at her. Just where would she take him? He was betting a geek convention of some kind.