Sorry about the long wait kiddos. Will an extra long chapter make up for it?


"When we go in there just be yourself but less...weird, I guess. I need you to impress and captivate like you always do." Stephanie instructed.

They were briskly walking backstage to some unknown location. Shiloh was on a seemingly permanent "need to know basis" which usually meant she never needed to know.

Her heart was racing like it always did when she was called upon to flirt and feign interest. As many times as she had done it, she was still waiting for the day it became tolerable. That would probably be the same day she finally lost her sanity too.

They arrived at a door with a glossy printed paper that read 'The Authority'.

She cringed at how appropriate the moniker was.

Her sister turned sharply to look Shiloh over. She reached out to tuck a few errant strands of hair back into place.

"You couldn't straighten you hair for once?" Stephanie griped, running her fingers through it to create a messy-cute side part.

Shiloh lowered her eyes knowing the question was rhetorical and any response she legitimately had would fall on deaf ears.

Stephanie lifted her chin gently, "That's perfect Shi. They always fall for that doe eyed innocence of yours."

Shiloh struggled to remain passive. She hated being used by her family, but it seemed that was her only place in their lives.

Stephanie pulled the hem of her sisters shirt down to reveal more cleavage, "Don't look so angry. And don't be a prude!"

She blushed and rolled her eyes. She was far from embracing the body she was blessed with and that most people would kill for.

"Look, I love you, okay? I need you to do this for me...and for Daddy. You know how much he'll appreciate you helping me with the guys." Stephanie coaxed pulling her in for a hug.

She always liked to lump their father into her plans because Shiloh would do anything for him. Even the mention of his name made her perk up.

"I know. I love you too." Shiloh replied softly.

That was why and how she endured everything. Those few fleeting, infinitely precious moments when she didn't feel like a pariah would always be her guiding force.

She would continue to tolerate being put on display if it meant her family 'loved' her.

Even if it was in their own way...and on their own terms.

"After you sweetie." Stephanie smiled and opened the door.

Shiloh stepped into the room confidently, her black Louboutins clicking to announce her presence. Her ice blue eyes scanned the room quickly hoping to find her mark before her sister chose one for her.

The room was empty other than the sparse furniture. A small desk was against the back wall. Two black leather couches flanked the desk on either side with a small coffee table between them.

"Of course they're not here." Stephanie almost growled.

Shiloh's facade fell. Her false confidence was lost quickly due to her sister's sudden foul mood.

"Just stay here. I'm sure they'll turn up eventually." Stephanie hissed, "I've got to go make some rounds before the show starts."

"But..." she tried to stop her.

"You'll be fine...I'll be back later." Stephanie called over her shoulder, already making her way down the hall.

Shiloh slumped to the couch in a huff. With no one to put on a show for she was unceremoniously dumped. This time earlier than usual. She inspected her cuticles, already bored with her current situation.

Couldn't she have gone with Stephanie? Its not like she really knew anybody. Mostly everyone knew of her, nobody knew the details of her mundane life. Nor did they care. She was an object nothing more, nothing less. At least not to anybody that mattered.

She sighed loudly, this week was already getting off to a bad start.

The door opened, chasing away the silence in the too quiet room.

"I...what the hell are you doing here?" Randy asked, obviously shocked.

If the couch suddenly opened up and swallowed her, she would have been eternally thankful.

Randy was by far her least favorite person she knew. He had teased her mercilessly when she was growing up. All through her awkward phase he made it his goal to reduce her to tears as a result of his taunts. He had even went as far as pasting her picture on a giraffe with tits and plastered them around the arena when she had been invited to a rare family function. His jeers turned into attempts to seduce her the same time her body morphed from an ugly duckling into a swan.

Sometimes he was kind and gentle other times he made her skin crawl. The latter far outweighed the former. He was every bit the snake he portrayed on television.

"Stephanie invited me." she answered lamely, pressing herself further back into the couch.

He sat down beside her. Too close beside her. Almost on her lap.

"Of course she did." he smiled, placing a hand on her thigh, "Its good to see you. I missed you the last few times you showed up."

Shiloh faked a smile and moved his hand down closer to her knee. She had thankfully avoided him the last three times Stephanie needed a favor to be exact.

"I wasn't here for very long." she said, flinching when he put his arm around her shoulder.

He caressed her shoulder with his fingertips, staring at her profile, "You're so beautiful, little Daisy."

Shiloh rolled her eyes at his incessant use of that nickname he had given her. He had stolen a book report that she was working on years ago during her awkward years and read her scathing review of The Great Gatsby's main character Daisy Fay Buchanan. He had then taken it upon himself to humiliate and admonish her about her observances and stuck her with the nickname to continue to torment her.

He thought it was endearing. She despised him for it.

"So who are you here for this time sweetheart?" he transitioned to a safer subject to fill the silence that was quickly turning awkward.

"I'm not sure. She hasn't told me much this time." she lamented.

That meant it was probably going to be a pain in her ass, whoever she was going to have to deal with.

"All you have to do is ask Shi. I can get you out of all of this." He lowered his voice to a whisper.

He leaned in closer to press his nose into her ear.

"I can be your Gatsby, little Daisy." he ran his tongue along the delicate lobe.

She shivered uncontrollably and pulled away from him.

"You can't help me Randy. Stephanie doesn't listen to anyone, she barely listens to our father." she frowned.

He pressed his lips to her shoulder, "She's not that hard to deal with. If we were together...I would make her listen and understand that you're with me."

She wet her lips uncomfortably as his travelled further up to her neck.

It was hopeless to think that he could offer her a way out of her current arrangement with her sister. Even if he could, that reality would be far worse than the present one.

Being with him wasn't even an option in her mind. He was too abrasive. She would be subjected to the same kind of treatment from him with only a few minor differences.

Same prison...different warden.

She was just about to fly out her seat to escape his too intimate embrace when the door swung open. Her eyes flew to the door and landed on the most intimidating man she had ever seen.

He filled the doorframe with his lean bulk. Long, stacked with muscle arms flexed out of his riot gear vest. The length of one was covered in an intricate tribal tattoo. His jet black hair hung in wet locks around his face and down to his shoulders. The veil of hair couldn't contain the intense gaze of his grey...blue? eyes. He was quickly assessing the situation he had just interrupted.

"Ever heard of knocking asshole?" Randy growled from the couch.

He hadn't even acknowledged who had come in the door. It didn't matter who it was, everyone immediately jumped to the top of his shit list when they interrupted his time with Shiloh.

She saw the man bristle with agitation. His lip twitched into an animalistic snarl instantly. She imagined very few people ever had the audacity to talk to him in that tone.

"I didn't think anyone was in here." the man spoke finally.

His voice was deadly smooth and as deep as she had expected it to be.

He actually reminded her a lot of Randy. He didn't seem to be as calculating as Randy. He seemed to prefer to be more open with his dangerous and menacing side.

Randy's eyes slid to the side to face the man head on, "Nobody pays you to think, do they?"

Shiloh almost jumped out of her skin when her phone vibrated on the table.

"I've got to go anyways." she breathed a sigh of relief after she read the text message from Stephanie, "So, no harm done."

She forced a smile, hoping it would convince Randy to stop antagonizing the other man.

Randy's mouth set in a thin line when he finally looked back at her, "Did you want me to walk you out?"

She shook her head quickly, "I'll be fine. Thank you though."

She went to the door before Randy could impose himself on her any further. She faltered awkwardly when she realized the door was still blocked by the huge man.

"Excuse me." she whispered, daring to look up into his eyes now that she was closer to him.

Grey...his eyes were definitely grey. They were cold like steel, icy like winter.

He shifted his weight to turn sideways to allow her more room while still holding the door open for her. She hurried past him to escape the heavy, lingering animosity that had filled the room.

She only realized after she turned the corner that she had been holding her breath. As if being here wasn't stressful enough already. Those two had to go alpha male over a slight mix up.

Testosterone was a wily beast at times.

"Stupid idiots." she muttered, looking over her shoulder to make sure Randy hadn't decided to follow her.

"Fuck." a different man exclaimed as she ran right into him.

He grabbed her by the bicep to catch her from falling. His long fingers almost wrapping double around her arm.

"Watch where you're going." he hissed, helping her to stand upright on her heels.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to...I didn't see you." She rambled nervously.

She was SO off of her game at the moment.

"Its hard to see where you're going when you're lookin' backwards." he chastised her.

Shiloh jerked her arm away from him, "I said that I was sorry. It was an accident."

He watched her with smoldering blue eyes. His hair was slicked back tight against his head sharpening his facial features. He looked devious and manipulative right off the bat. She couldn't help but to instantly judge people. She had done it all her life to be an asset to her family.

"Whatever you're running to or from I hope its worth it." his voice was gravelly, almost scratchy.

He sounded indifferent and intrigued at the same time. He seemed like a breathing contradiction.

She simply stared up at him, only then realizing how tall he was. Shiloh was 5"10 without heels on and yet she still didn't look him in the eyes.

His mouth moved into an almost pout showcasing his dimples. They alone made him look ten years younger.

"I'm Dean. In case you wanted to know." he narrowed his eyes, a smirk crossing his now boyish features.

"I'm leaving. I'm sorry again for running into you." she said rushing past him to the parking lot.

"Whatever." he inhaled the cigarette he had just lit, watching her get into her SUV.

Shiloh locked the door and put on her seat belt before reading the text from Stephanie again.

"Capital Grille, "The Board Room" 8pm tomorrow night. I'll be busy all night. Leave now and head back to your room to see your surprise."

She was giddy, despite her awkwardness only moments ago. It had been so long since she actually celebrated her birthday. The thought of a cake was pretty far fetched for her family, but even the possibility of it almost brought tears to her eyes. She smiled to herself as she turned the key in the ignition.

A real birthday dinner...just for her! It was like a fairytale.

She shifted the gear to reverse and looked out the window to check her surroundings only to see that Dean guy staring at her. He was leaned against the building, illuminated by the orangey glow of the parking lot lights. A cloud of smoke hung around his head ribboning out from the tip of the cigarette that hung dully from his lips.

A chill ran through her as she tried to act calm and maneuver out of the parking space. She shifted to drive and slowly accelerated toward the exit gate. Just as she had turned at the end of the row, fifteen feet from him, the man with the grey eyes appeared beside Dean. They exchanged very few words and then both caught her eyes as she drove past.

How many awkward moments was she going to have to survive tonight? Thank God she was leaving. Once she was through the gate and on the main road she felt the uneasiness sift away. She had too much to look forward to worry about any creepy wrestlers.

She could be happy at least one day out of the year.


Predictions on how Shiloh's birthday dinner will go? Review and let me know!

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And to Barretts, J-DaGoddess, Glez, Kaitlyn2013, Kdaniels270, and DiscoPenguin for their alerts.

Such wonderful, fabulous people!

Thank you!