Asking Erin out on a date was all well and good, but Jay didn't actually have a place to take her. He didn't know of a good venue in the town they were in. Hell, for all he knew there might not be a good venue. To try and find out, he had gone and sat in catering, sipping a cup of coffee while seeing what he could find on the maps app on his phone. To his frustration, it was looking like there wasn't much to choose from.
"Hey. Mind if I join you?"
Jay knew from the Mexican accent that it was Raquel Gonzalez before he looked up and saw her sitting down opposite him.
"And if I do?" he muttered.
She let out a single laugh. "I figured you'd say something like that. Truth be told? I'm here on a mission."
"Are you?" he mumbled, showing no interest as he resumed looking at his phone.
"Yeah. I want to find out why you never want to talk to anybody. Z thinks you're just ignorant, but I think it's more complicated than that."
Jay looked at her in irritation. "Can you take your behavioural sciences act somewhere else?"
"No," she said simply. "You see, I've been spending quite a bit of time with Erin. I'd call her my friend. And I happen to know that she's got a soft spot for you. So, what I want to know is whether there's a good guy in there underneath the sulky attitude, or if you're just a dick that she needs to avoid. I think it's the former."
"What makes you think I'm not just a dick?" he was annoyed with himself for even asking.
"Because you seem more like you're socially awkward to me. You seem like you wouldn't know how to make a friend even if you wanted to. How far wide of the mark am I?"
He lowered his phone and raised an eyebrow at her. "Way off."
"Bullshit," she fired right back, laughing.
Jay shrugged. "Okay, have it your way. I have no idea how to relate to other people. I prefer my own company so that I don't have to bother trying. Happy now?"
"Happy with the honesty, yeah. And with my instincts. But Jay, it's not as hard as you think to get to know people. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say to you. Just looking out for Erin, because I'm not sure she knows what wrestlers can be like where sex is concerned. I don't want her to get hurt."
He looked at her as if he thought she was treating him like a kid. "Thanks, but I'm good. And so is Erin."
"There's no need to be like that. Okay, I'm not the best at saying what I mean either. Whatever, I'll leave you to it." She started to get up.
Jay didn't know why, but he suddenly didn't want Raquel to leave. He certainly wasn't going to say that to her though, so he made up an excuse. "If you want to make yourself useful, you can help me find somewhere to go for a... for a... drink with someone later." He had almost said a date, which really would have let the cat out of the bag. Either way, he got the impression that he wasn't fooling Raquel at all.
"Okay, I'll make myself useful," she said, sitting back down. She took out her phone. "What kind of place are we looking for to have this...drink? I'm assuming it's Erin who is going with you?"
"Yes," Jay admitted reluctantly. "Look, Raquel, no one is meant to know that we're seeing each other outside of work."
"Brother, people know already," she said with a chuckle. "Or at least they suspect. People see the way you look at each other. But I won't go around running my mouth about it, don't worry."
"Oh God," Jay said, cringing. If that was true, it wouldn't be long before word got back to Hank. That was how it was backstage in WWE. Most of the guys gossiped like old women.
"Ah, don't worry about it," Raquel said, waving away his concerns. "Erin's a big girl. She can date whoever she wants."
"I'll let you tell Hank that," Jay muttered. "Anyway, before I inevitably get fired, it's not actually a drink I said I'd take Erin out for tonight. I invited her to dinner, but looking at what's in this town, there's nowhere good to take her."
"Let's have a look." Raquel took out her phone and started browsing the local offerings. "Yes, I see what you mean," she said after a couple of minutes. "There is an expensive bar here. Reginald's. Why don't you take her there?"
"I invited her to dinner."
"So improvise. Take her for drinks, then go back to the hotel and eat something in the restaurant there."
"Eat at the hotel restaurant? That's your idea?" he asked, looking at her as if she had sprouted a second head.
Raquel rolled her eyes at him. "Has it occurred to you that maybe your company might be what's important to her? Just go and have a good time."
What the hell, that might not be the worst idea, Jay decided.
That evening, another wait in another hotel lobby for another fashionably late arrival from Erin. Jay hadn't even bothered looking at his watch, knowing that she would show up when she was good and ready, and probably knock him dead. When she eventually emerged out of one of the elevators, he was proven right on all counts.
Erin walked across the lobby in long black leather boots with big heels, a black dress that showed plenty of cleavage and a lot of leg, and possibly the same long black leather gloves that she had worn to the opera. It wasn't exactly the vintage look that he had asked for, but it sure was sexy. He wanted to fuck her already, and they hadn't even spoken to each other yet.
"Hi, Jay. Your request for vintage was a bit last minute. This was the best I could do with what I had with me."
"I'm not going to complain. You look very hot," he said, looking her up and down.
"Thank you," she smiled. "I made sure to wear the leather gloves for you. I know they're a turn on for you."
"They sure are," he said, remembering their new agreement to avoid game playing. Now it was time to drop the potentially bad news on her. "So, I looked for nice restaurants that we might go to, and honestly? They're nothing in this area that stood out. I did find a bar that looks okay, so I was thinking it might have to be a trip over there for a few drinks, then back here to eat at the hotel if that's okay? I know it's not ideal, but..."
"That's fine with me," Erin said comfortably. "I might be a bit overdressed for eating here, but I'll live."
Okay, I'm in love with this chick, Jay thought. Games aside, Erin seemed like she could actually be quite low maintenance, and that was his ideal kind of woman. It also wasn't what he expected from someone who had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth, probably being spoiled her whole life. But that was him being judgemental, he had to admit.
"Alright then, let's do it," he said happily.
A few hours later, Jay felt very content with how the night had gone. The bar he had taken Erin to had been overpriced, but worth the visit in every other respect. They had shared some fine wine, not his usual thing, but it had been very enjoyable. Then they had come back to the hotel for something to eat. The food had turned out to be quite nice for hotel restaurant fare.
The most notable thing though had been how little the surroundings had mattered. Erin hadn't seemed to care all that much, she had simply enjoyed herself. Raquel Gonzalez's comment about the company being the important thing may not have been far off the mark after all, Jay realised.
He had enjoyed the conversations that they'd had, too. With the nonsense seemingly behind them, they had simply talked. I had felt like a first date. In fact it had felt like a first date that had gone well. He felt like he knew a little more about her, and that a real connection may have started to develop between them.
"Another drink?" he asked after finishing an after dinner beer.
"It's late, Jay. Thank you, but I think it's time to call it a night."
"Okay then, I'll get the bill."
"Let me know what half is and we'll split it."
He waved her off. "No way. Tonight is my treat."
"I want to pay my share. It's only fair," she objected.
"Well, you can pay next time then. Like I said, tonight is my treat."
"Smooth, Jay. Very smooth," Erin said with a grin on her face.
"Huh?"
"Next time. Did you just assume we're going to have a second date?"
Jay was about to plead his innocence, but then he had a better idea. "Yeah, I did. And it's going to be your turn to organise it."
"Good to know. I'll get to thinking about it then."
It wasn't long before Jay had paid the bill, and they left the restaurant. The night was coming to an end, and he genuinely felt sad about it. Yes, he wanted sex of course, but this time it was more than that. He didn't want to have to say goodnight to her. As for the sex, he had the impression that it wasn't going to happen tonight. Erin didn't seem like the kind of girl who would rush into that. She seemed like the type to wait until she felt totally sure before crossing that bridge. It was frustrating for Jay, but if he had to wait, he would. He didn't just want a throwaway fuck with this woman. He wanted something more meaningful.
Up on Erin's floor, there was a bit of a sombre feeling in the air. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was coming to an end, even though neither of them particularly wanted it to.
"Well, this is my room. Thank you for tonight, Jay. I really did have a nice time."
"Me too, Erin. I know there has been some game playing between us. That's mostly my fault, I guess. But tonight was different. I had a great time, and I hope we can..."
Out of nowhere, Erin pushed him back against the wall and put a hand over his mouth. At the same time, she leaned in and started kissing his neck. "Shush, Jay," she said between kisses. "That's too much talk for a moment like this. Way too much talk."
Jay was rock hard immediately. Having a woman assert herself with him like that was a unique turn on. He liked the feeling of the gloved hand over his mouth, and her light kisses on his neck made him tingle.
"Mmmm," he moaned softly into her hand.
As abruptly as she had made the move on him, she stopped the kissing. But she kept her hand over his mouth for a moment longer. "We'll pick this up next time. Until then, think about this moment. Think about it a lot." Finally, she removed the hand.
"I'll definitely do that. That was hot."
"Glad you thought so. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Erin." Jay watched her unlocked her room and disappear inside, leaving him standing there with his balls aching, again. But he was getting closer to the promised land for sure. Next time they went out, he just might get to fuck her afterwards. That moment could not come soon enough.
A/N: They had an actual date, without any of the games. At least, not until right at the end when Erin made a bit of a power play. What will happen on their next date?
