Chapter 16

Confused by his sudden tone, Emery just nodded and kept her mouth shut, knowing she'd upset him for some reason, though she had no idea how or why. She replayed the conversation in her mind, trying to decipher which part annoyed him or upset him. Nothing came to mind. Once she pulled up to the hotel, Emery stopped him from getting out by grabbing his wrist and felt breathless as emerald snapped to warm sky blue.

"Thank you for coming with me today and for lunch. I had a great time with you, Mark." Then she released his wrist so both could exit the car and walked inside the hotel, both taking the stairs before going their separate ways to their rooms.

Emery was definitely a weird one. Interesting, but weird. Sometimes predictable; actually, a lot of her was probable. What kept Mark coming back was the way she would have him thinking he had her all figured out and then she would throw one hell of a wrench into everything to where he felt like he had to start over. He liked that. He also went with the shower. Groaning, Mark leaned back into the tile wall, feeling the water beating down on him and a flash of vivid blue eyes behind a pair of steamed glasses filled his mind.

"Randy, you got one on your left!"

"SHIT!"

It was Monday night after the house show. Emery pounded on the keys of her laptop, sitting in her hotel room with her tongue sticking out the side while taking down the traitor in their guild. "On your right! Come on!"

Randy's character in the game caught him with a perfect aimed shot, his weapon of choice bow and arrows. "Bullseye!"

Rubbing her hands together, Emery knew this was the moment they'd waited for and started cracking her whip on the traitor. She typed up some dialogue for her character to say before slicing their head off without preamble. Her weapon of choice was a huge sword.

"Well done boys and girls! BRB." Her cell phone rang on the nightstand as she leaned over to pick it up, answering it. "Hello?"

Randy groaned into mic, knowing with her, anything could take her attention away at this hour. He eyeballed his Rogue, then started eyeing the loot from their little battle. His EXP wasn't much, it had been divided, unfortunately.

"Emery, you have to get me my old job back." It was Matthew and he didn't bother greeting her, just got right down to business. "I can't deal with this anymore. I can't be the wrestlers' personal assistant; they're making this personal because they think I was out to ruin their careers! I need you to help me make this right!"

Raising a slow brow at Matthew's pleading, Emery wondered briefly if this was a joke and instantly knew it wasn't. She could hear the pleading in his voice, the panic and smirked, shaking her head. "No can do, Matthew. What Vince says goes. Besides, Cheryl and I are a great team." She wanted to tell this idiot Cheryl was a better proxy than him, but decided against it. "You should be happy you're still employed by the WWE, Matthew. You completely DESTROYED the scripts during my brief suspension. We've spent a great amount of time over the past 72 hours fixing your fuck-ups and finally got everything the way we want it. So no, I'm sorry, but you're not writing team material. Try to find something you do like about your position or quit. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Not waiting for a response, she hung up on him and returned to WOW with Randy, telling him what happened and both of them laughed.

Matthew could only stare at the phone in his hand, blinking back tears of frustration. After all he had done for that ungrateful bitch over the years! He had been her 'proxy' because she hadn't wanted people to know she was the lead writer. He had dealt with the wrestlers when they didn't approve of the changes she had written – like the Undertaker. That would always come to mind after what had happened with the rental car. And this is how she repaid him?!

After the week of traveling hell for Mark, he finally made his choice and ball was rolling heading toward No Way Out. It would be a tag team match Mr. McMahon announced on Smackdown with Batista and Undertaker VS John Cena and Shawn Michaels. The two WrestleMania main events squaring off against each other in a star-studded tag match. Emery had to admit, it sounded amazing and she couldn't wait to see it unfold. Even Cheryl was excited! Matthew never liked any of her ideas, always worried about the consequences and possibility of getting his backside handed to him. She'd told him time and time again to report the wrestlers that put their hands on him, but he never listened. Cheryl had a good hearty laugh when Emery told her about the phone call and then hugged her, thanking Emery for being on her side. They were becoming closer friends and it was nice having a girl for a friend instead of always hanging around guys.

Emery hadn't seen much of Mark over the past couple weeks, though he did have a HECTIC traveling schedule to say the least. Pulling double duty for Raw and Smackdown!, temporarily, had to wear on the big man. She left him alone and focused on her job, figuring if he wanted to bug her or talk, he'd come to her when he was ready. It bothered her a little because of their last conversation. The fact he said he'd have sex with her…she couldn't get it out of her mind. Why would a man like him go for someone like her when there were so many more beautiful women on the WWE roster? It didn't make sense to her and Randy's words of him playing a mind game on her also flittered through Emery's mind a time or two. Damn that Orton!

Before long, it was one week to No Way Out and Emery felt restless in her hotel room, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't feel like gaming, she didn't feel like playing on WOW and decided a swim was in order. The hotel had a great pool downstairs and it was private, only WWE Superstars were allowed inside after hours. Glancing at the clock, Emery figured a swim would help burn some of her energy away as she slid from the bed to pull out her swimsuit. It was black, one piece, nothing fancy or sexy. She quickly pulled it on, leaving her hair in the braid it was in and wrapped a cotton robe around her body before heading out, wallet in hand with her key card.

"You need to swim more, it's good for you."

"Now lil darlin', if I knew you were going to be waiting for me in the pool, I might try it more."

"Oh sure, I'll just quit my job here as a glamorous physical trainer and follow you around from place to place. Who'd pay for that?"

Considering that her brand of physical therapy had involved being in the water, which had worked wonders on his aching joints. Even helped soothe some of the tenseness he had been feeling after flying all over the place… he'd consider it. "I'm sure you could… earn your keep." He smirked when she giggled, his eyes moving past the brunette to the door when his favorite geek walked in.

Not doing it often, sometimes Emery wore contacts for such occasions as this. Before coming down, she swapped her glasses out for clear contacts and kept blinking because they slightly burned. It was obvious she wasn't used to wearing them. At least her vision wasn't blurry, so that was a plus. When she spotted Mark in the pool with another woman, however, Emery suddenly wished she didn't put the contacts in and her vision was blurred. She gave a half wave, plastered on a smile and set her stuff down at one of the nearby vacant tables. Then, she took a deep breath and took the rope off, hanging it over the lounge chair before diving into the deep end. Mark was currently in the middle of the pool between the shallow and deep-end, so she wouldn't disturb whatever was going on between him and the brunette.

She was wearing no glasses with a one piece and Mark had to bite back the urge to growl when the brunette snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention. "Sorry, darlin', what was that?"

"I'm leaving you my number, I'll set it with your stuff." She hesitated, glancing at the mousy woman who had just come in and distracted him. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure – sure." Mark was already waving her off, curious if his geek could see without her glasses.

Doing laps would burn energy off as Emery went back and forth, sticking to the deep-end. She'd taken swim lessons as a child, one of the only things her mother forced her into and she enjoyed it. Not as much as video games or comic books, but it was still enjoyable. Emery used her feet to propel herself off the wall and began another lap, only to bump into what felt like a brick wall. She immediately surfaced, breathing heavily and looked up into the acidic eyes of Mark, who had snuck up on her.

"Hi." That sounded lame coming out of her mouth and Emery looked around quickly while blinking water out of her eyes to make sure she hadn't veered off course. "I didn't…interrupt you, did I?"

"We were long done, she just didn't realize it." He said in return, frowning as he bent to peer down into her eyes. She could see just fine. "Contacts?" At her nod, he did too. "Why not wear them all the time?" Because her eyes popped… and when they were hidden behind her glasses, nobody ever realized it. On second thought… "Stick with the glasses, Queenie. They suit you better." Those eyes were only popping for his pleasure. Mark caught the trainer glaring at them from the edge of the pool, gathering he would not be getting her number and blew her a kiss, laughing when she huffed off.

"I hate contacts. I only wear them for certain occasions, such as right now swimming. Wouldn't be very smart of me to jump in water with chlorine and ruin my glasses, now would it?" Emery caught that exchange and shook her head, kicking her legs to keep from going under the water. When his attention returned to her, her heart began pounding a little faster and she prayed he couldn't hear it. "So how've you been? I watched Raw, that was awesome how you rose up from the top of the stage. Cena looked ready to piss himself." She laughed, recalling seeing actual TEARS in the man's eyes.

"I don't know. I spent most of my time getting to the spot, dressing up, doing the bit, and rushing right out the door again." He explained truthfully, glad that hectic schedule was over.

Mark preferred the routine of just traveling from place to place now; it meant what downtime he did have wasn't spent plane jumping. He had spent the night with a pretty little thing who had also massaged away some aches and pains. Not that he would ever tell her that. Mark could be a gentleman and he tried not to do the kiss and tell thing. He had, when there was good reason to, or he wanted to hurt someone, but… no reason now.

"Enjoying being back?" He leaned backwards, treading the water.

"Of course and it's even better now that Cheryl is in charge of everything instead of Matthew."

Emery smiled at his nod, her curiosity burning about the woman he'd been in here with only moments ago. Why did it matter? The man wasn't hers and never would be; they were just friends that occasionally talked. Any feelings she had for this man had be squashed, even if he said he would screw her. Hell, Randy and Paul had said the same thing! Didn't mean she wanted to jump into bed with them.

"At least you can get back to a semi-decent traveling schedule."

Then she started doing laps again, her body slicing through the water and Emery was suddenly thankful for the cold water. The sight of Mark soaking wet in just black trunks…definitely thankful for the cold water. Mark pulled himself up out of the pool, but remained sitting on the ledge, letting his legs and feet dangle in the cool water. He just watched her swimming laps, admiring the clean strokes as her lithe body cut through the water. Leaning back, Mark's hands splayed on the cement and flipped his wet hair back behind him, water droplets going everywhere, including down his bare chest. She was a geek. A writer and had decent taste in music. Could cook well and was arrogant and cocky. She was a bitch and a deviant… and he was grinning.

Only when she began feeling the burning in her arms did Emery finally stop, not bothering to keep count how many she'd done. She looked up at Mark, seeing he'd stuck around and watched her, causing her cheeks to flare up in color. She ducked under water again and swam over to him, pulling herself out of the water with ease to plant right beside him.

"Did you enjoy watching me?" She side-eyed him, seeing him nod and nudged him playfully, pulling her braid over her shoulder to start wringing the water out. "I haven't done that in a while. Felt good."

Her restlessness was still there, however, the energy still blazing for some unknown reason. Even if her arms did burn from all the laps she'd done, it didn't quell whatever was going on with her. Maybe a one-night stand is what she needed, though it wouldn't be with anyone from the company. Every once in a blue moon, she needed certain needs met and would take care of the problem, wondering if that was her issue while she stared out at the water. Maybe going out with Cheryl to a bar or something to find someone to take her frustrations out on was just what the doctor ordered. Wouldn't be the first time she did something like that; like Emery had told Mark, she wasn't a saint, but there was no way she had as many sexual partners as he did.

"Hey Deadman." That greeting was immediately followed by Taker going face first into the water. David stood there, in his own swimming attire, laughing like a maniac as he watched Taker come up sputtering. It wasn't often someone took the big dick by surprise. "You looked a little flushed around the collar."

"Keep earning those ass whippings, bitch boy." Mark growled coldly, contemplating drowning the bastard right here and now.

The only thing that stayed his hand was the fact he didn't want to have to kill Emery too, not liking leaving witnesses. Emery frowned, seeing the cocky smirk on David's face and then looked back at Mark, sky blues narrowed. When David turned his back, still gloating at Mark and not paying attention to her, she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Standing, she booted him as hard as she could right in the backside and sent him face first into the pool, watching him resurface sputtering water. Winking at Mark, she grabbed her robe and pulled it on, deciding it was time to end this night. Batista had effectively ruined her time with Mark and, for some reason, it annoyed her.

"You looked like you needed a cool down yourself, Batista."

Peace was not to be hers because David had assumed she was playing around and scrambled out of the pool. Robe and all, she was back in the pool. He had tucked her up against him and cannonballed in, making sure she was safe and sound against him. Emery was fine. but she looked pissed and that idiot didn't even realize it, thinking they were just having a grand old time. Mark decided to watch and see what would happen, knowing she had a demon streak and hoped she unleashed it, smirking.

"What the HELL is wrong with you?!"

Emery shoved away from him and didn't bother holding back, slapping the taste out of his mouth as hard as she could. The smack echoed around the pool area, her sky blues nothing more than ice. She was pissed off from his antagonistic ways against Mark, but to forcefully bring her back into the water…he definitely had that slap coming.

"He was right about you, on all accounts." Snorting at David's shocked state, Emery swam away from him with robe still on and pulled herself out of the pool, groaning since this was the only thing she brought with her to go back to the room. "Asshole!" Growling, she took the robe off and just left it, storming out of the swimming area with steam rolling figuratively out of her ears.

"What the fuck is her damage?"

"PMS, I suppose."

Mark smirked, remembering that line back in the day – that little group. Pretty Mean Sisters, or as Terri had said on more than one occasion: Putting (up with) Men's Shit. Seemed legit. On his way past, David, he made sure to drive his elbow into the back of the other man's head.

"Touch her again however, and I'll castrate you."

"Fuck…" David hissed, cradling his head, eyes clenched shut in pain.