Chapter 1: Reunion

"Oh, God! Will you stop hassling me, Ma? I think if I wanted to go out and find another husband just to have one, I would have just gone out and done it! Besides, I kind of like being alone." Once again, my mother, only meaning well, was trying to help me "get back in the saddle". This time it was the son of an "old family friend", and I wasn't about to be held hostage by someone who I hadn't seen since I was 12. I can just see it now, sitting around talking about all of the stupid things I did and how we called each other by our pet names "cootie boy" and "carrot top". Oh yeah, sounds like a real hoot to me. I was just starting to get into being single again, and I did not want to have to worry about somebody else's feelings, certainly not for someone who would agree to such an insane idea as taking me out sight unseen. Still I did want to see my "aunt" Lyla again, and I suppose I could deal with the trade off. So I relented and told my mother to go ahead and call my aunt and tell her I'd go to the reunion picnic. Well, I was fidgety, to say the least on the trip over, and I laughed to myself thinking that some things never change - I was always the one that had too much energy and not enough outlets. My mother and father tried to keep up the conversation, but I just wasn't into it. I heard my mother say, "You know, Lyla's son does some kind of �wrestling thing� with the WWF. Isn't that exciting?" I rolled my eyes and replied, "Do you have any idea what that wrestling thing is??? It definitely isn't the same stuff we used to watch as kids on a Saturday morning. I wouldn't be too excited about the influence he might have on me!"

My father chuckled and said if anybody would be a terrible influence, it would be his defiant and persnickety daughter. Just then, we slowed down to turn into a massive driveway and came to a stop in front of a beautiful old Victorian mansion. Before I could even get out of the car, the door flew open and my aunt came running down the stairs to greet us. There was the usual "you're all grown up's", but it was so good to see her again. She was the one person in my life that I could pour my soul out to, and never be made to feel like a complete idiot. Even if she didn't agree with me, she always heard me out. "Well, everybody is out in the back yard, and I know they're dying to see you all again (oh yeah sure they are!). Just leave your car here, Craig," she said to my father, "and if we need to we'll move it later. Mark!!! Come out and see who's here all the way from Massachusetts!" Just then my stomach completely bottomed out.

Coming down the hall was this gorgeous man, and he was HUGE!! He had long hair, a pierced eyebrow, and tattooed arms. Definitely not my mother's idea of a suitable match. I smiled wryly, maybe the day wouldn't be such a bust after all. As he came close to me I realized he had the most amazing green eyes I had ever seen. Get it together girl, you cannot stand here with your tongue hanging out, and you are certainly not going to let him know how easy he is on your eyes. He leaned down ever so slightly to take my hand and smiled, "Carrot Top, I presume??"

"I used to be known as such, but now people call me the Crazy Lady, and you must be �Cootie Boy�???� Oh God, why did I have to say that? Now he'll think I am a world class idiot! But of course, he had to be the gentleman.

He just grinned even wider and said, "Well Crazy Lady it is, but I have to ask, is it because you are crazy, or because you drive people crazy?"

Ouch, I deserved that one, and blushing furiously I replied, "Well, I would imagine a little of both, but you would have to talk to my ex-husband to get the truth."

Lyla and Mark led us out into the "back yard" (it was enormous), and for a minute I was overwhelmed by all of the people and noise. This was not any ordinary reunion picnic; this was a full-scale soiree! Lyla must have seen the look on my face, because she just grabbed my arm and said, "The only way to do it is to just get in there, so go on."

She introduced me to some of their family and friends, and while we were going through the introductions, I heard "Oh god, duck for cover, it's the Crazy Lady!�

I turned around to see my cousin (and also one of my best friends) Alicia running towards me like a raving lunatic. "Lish, what a surprise," I said wryly.

"You know you can't have one of us here without the other. Besides, I wanted a ringside seat for the �Cootie Boy and Carrot Top� show."

"Yeah, yeah, just shut up and give me a hug, will you? I'm beginning to feel really uncomfortable with all of the action going on here."

Lish smiled , gave her cousin a big hug and whispered, "I won't leave you high and dry here. I know how awkward you feel without Sean, even if he was the biggest, most despicable d***head on the face of the earth. So, as your official tour guide, let me direct your attention to the lovely spread of food on the buffet table!" I looked, but nothing seemed to interest me. She must have sensed it, because she mentioned that if I didn't like what I saw, I could always see if the guy "manning" the grill could make me something special. The guy at the grill! Holy cow, he was just as big as Mark was, and as attractive too. But I noticed he wore a wedding band, so I vowed I would behave. That's when it hit me: THIS was Glenn Jacobs, who wrestled with Mark under the name Kane. Somehow, I managed to make my way over to the grill to see what the menu offered, and he greeted me with a friendly grin.

"You must be Rachel. I have heard so much about you from Lyla and Mark. What can I do for you?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe flame broil some chicken for me???" He laughed and said he deserved it, but I'd need to stand back while he "fanned" the flames. I couldn't resist the urge any longer, so I asked him, "What the heck are you doing on one of what must be your few days off, working a grill?? I'm sure, knowing Lyla, you must have had to fight her for the honor."

"Well, I actually like cooking, believe it or not. It's one of the few things I like to do to relax, or when I get a little homesick. I guess you could say I love to play with fire, as long as I'm not the one getting burned!" I groaned and thought to myself, this one is definitely suffering from smoke inhalation.

Pretty soon he had my chicken cooked (Cajun blackened), and I went off in search of a place to sit and eat. Of course, Lish was no where in sight, and I definitely did not want to sit with my parents (as much as I loved them), so I found a lounge chair off to the side and sat down. I liked "people watching", and I figured that I would be able to study Mark a little better. Oh, get it together, not too long ago, you did not want anything to do with him, but now that you've seen him�Well, I guess I've gone fickle in my old age. Eating as carefully as I could, so I didn't spill anything on myself (a major undertaking), I didn't even notice that he'd come up to me until he said hello. Then I dropped a piece of chicken right down the front of my blouse & it left a greasy streak. "Oh great, that's the last time I wear anything in a pastel!"

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you. Can I call you Rachel, or do you prefer the Carrot Top thing?"

"I'll make a deal with you, I won't call you Cootie Boy and you won't call me Carrot Top, OK?�

"OK, then what do I call you?"

"Rachel or Rae is fine. Can you show me where the bathroom is , so I can try to clean myself up a bit?"

He walked me through the house and showed me into this unbelievable bathroom (I was a sucker for ceramic tile and whirlpool tubs), and he said to use whatever I needed. After I closed the door, I started to unbutton my blouse and there was a knock and the door started to open. I froze and then relaxed as Mark stuck only his arm through and offered me one of his shirts, while mine dried. I gladly accepted, and once I put it on, I had to laugh. He knocked again to make sure I was alright and once I opened the door, he laughed too. The shirt he had given me was so large, I could have easily worn it as a dress. I was half toying with the idea of how to get it out of the house (because it was my favorite color - purple), when he interrupted my train of thought. "I'm glad to see you laugh. From what I'd heard, you haven't had much to laugh about lately."

Oh great, my mother has been blabbing again. "You been talking to the Central Information Bureau? Don't believe everything you hear."

"Sorry to pry, but don't forget, I haven't seen you for at least, what, 16 years, so I figured it might be nice to catch up a little."

I looked up at him abashedly and said, "You are right, I'm just touchy about my mother being so free with the nasty, dirty details of my life."

"No apology needed, I know how hard it is to keep your privacy, and I can appreciate it if you are a less than excited about bearing your soul."

We walked back down the hall to some sort of a den or office and he invited me to sit down. Just then, someone poked their head in and said he had a call, so he excused himself and told me to look around until he came back. Taking full advantage of the offer, I walked slowly around the room, taking in the surroundings. The room was done in shades of deep purple and green, with huge stuffed wingback chairs in front of a fireplace. Shelves lined two of the walls up to the ceiling, and they were filled with all kinds of books. Some history, some fiction, and good number on metaphysics and the occult. This guy is definitely well read and diverse in his tastes I thought as I grabbed a book about Celtic lore and started to flip through. "Anything appeal to your tastes?" he asked and I jumped for the second time that day.

"You really need to not sneak up on me like that, because I might give you an elbow in the gut next time." He laughed and told me it would take a little more that my elbow to drop him and I surprised myself by getting really irritated at his attitude. I let him know that I was not the awkward little girl he'd last seen and I had been able to drop more than my share of a "few good men" while in the Marines.

He put his hands up and said, " I know you are obviously not the girl you were, and I certainly did not mean to piss you off . Is there something in the air today that is making women everywhere just a tad bit touchy?" When I asked him what he meant, he said he'd just got off of the phone with his ex-wife and she was giving him a hard time too, over everything.

"Well I can't speak for her, but I can say that it might be best if we go back outside and reserve the �getting to know you� discussion for another time".

"How about tomorrow night, over dinner?"

Well ,you could have knocked me down with a feather! "Uh, I guess so, what time were you thinking?" He said he'd pick me up for 7:00 PM, and to dress comfortably, as the mode of transportation would be his Harley. Just then, Lish came around the corner and asked me if I would take her home in her car, because she was not feeling too well, and she didn't trust herself to drive. I said my good-byes, and after giving Mark my parents� address and number, I got into the car to drive Alicia home. It took her all of about 30 seconds after we pulled out of the driveway to start the interrogation. I had to pull over I was laughing so hard, because she had this way of talking so fast and not taking any breaths.

"First of all, " I said, "we just talked a little bit. Truthfully, I think I really pissed him off, because I was so defensive."

"Maybe, but you gave him your parents� address and phone number. That has to mean something."

She was fishing, I knew it, but I also knew I couldn't hold out on her. "Yeah, we are going out tomorrow night to eat, but I wouldn't get too excited because I'm sure he's just being polite and taking me out to please his mother." Lish swatted me in the arm and it made the car swerve. She told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and if I couldn't see that I was an attractive and interesting woman, then she would be happy to take my place. I told her she was right, but in my head I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would find me attractive or interesting. I wasn't butt ugly or anything, but I didn't have the features that one would consider beautiful. My eyes were too small, my mouth too big. I made a mental list of all of my shortcomings while only half listening to Lish ramble on about how she would help me get ready for tomorrow night.

About 40 minutes later, we were in front of her house and thankfully, just down the street from my parents�. I told her I was tired, and I walked the short distance down the street to my parents� house. Once inside, I flopped down on the bed and before I knew it, was fast asleep, dreaming about my "date" with Mark. I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing, but I couldn't quite reach it from where I was. As a result, I fell headfirst onto the bedroom floor before I could finally answer it. "Did I wake you?" I heard a man say. I couldn't place the voice at first, then I realized it was Mark.

"I'm, uh, awake, sort of. What time is it anyway? I don't have my contacts in so I cant even see the clock face."

He laughed and said, "It's about 10:30 PM." Jeez, I'd been out of it for four hours already!!

I managed to clear my throat and say, "So, to what do I owe this honor? Or are you trying gracefully to back out of our little "date", and leave town before my father puts a shotgun to your head?"

"I cannot believe that you have such an unladylike attitude as soon as you wake up! Anyway, I was thinking, why wait until tomorrow night?? It's a nice night for a ride and I thought maybe, just maybe you would be more comfortable talking without the 'central information bureau' around. Besides, I want my shirt back you ungrateful wench."

Oh, you haven't even begun to see what kind of attitude the wench could cop on you buddy I thought to myself. "Well, you can't have the shirt back yet, because I haven't washed it yet," (It was still on my body).

"Well fine�so do you want to go anyway?" Once I relented, he said he'd pick me up in a half-hour, and not to keep him waiting.

I hung up the phone, panicking about what the hell I was going to wear. I guess I could just throw on a pair of jeans and a jacket. Maybe I should go parading down the front stairs in his shirt I thought to myself with a wicked grin. I had to admit to myself, he was handsome and I really enjoyed the verbal Pas des Deux, and in spite of his feigned annoyance, I suspected he did, too. True to his word, he pulled up about 30 minutes later, and I was sitting on the front steps, waiting (hey I'm no dummy).

"Nice shirt," he growled at me as I climbed onto the back of his bike. I barely had time to settle before he took off, and I was forced to hang onto him for dear life. Not that I was complaining, though I would have really liked not looking like a complete idiot. I knew he enjoyed my predicament, and at the first light we came to, I made sure I poked him in the side (I seemed to remember that he was ticklish).

Not long after, we pulled up to a tiny little restaurant and we went in for something quick to eat. We made some light conversation for awhile, but I knew it wouldn't last long. "So where did you ever pick up that attitude of yours missy?" I took a deep breath. I didn't know how much I really wanted to tell him, if anything at all. Still, I'd probably never see him again, so what the hell, it might be nice to unburden myself a little.

"Well, well where shall I begin? Let me just start by saying that most people say they carry a lot of excess baggage from former relationships. I, however, carry a whole load of freakin' steamer trunks." I went on to tell him about my ex-husband's ingenious ways of verbal and emotional abuse and how I was stupid enough to hang around until I actually caught him in our bed with someone else. That someone else happened to be someone he had started seeing six weeks before we got married, and he already had two children by her.

Mark winced at the last tidbit of information, but instead of nailing me with a sarcastic remark, he gently took my hand and said, "Well, maybe you already know this, maybe you don't. He will realize that he lost a beautiful (yeah right, I thought) and giving (I call it stupid) woman. It must hurt alot, but you can't let him have the last laugh. Realize that not all people, especially men, are out to get what they can. Some of us actually have morals and ethics and we appreciate the value of a good woman."

I was done after that. I could not even concentrate enough to order dessert. Was this guy blind? I mean, I didn't consider myself ugly (I don't stop trains with my face or anything), but I certainly didn't consider myself even close to beautiful. Interesting, maybe, but not beautiful. After our little heart to heart, we paid the bill and left. I thought for sure he was going to drop me off at home, but he had other plans. We pulled up to a small sea side amusement park. He took my hand and began walking along the edge of the breaker wall. The silence was comforting in a way, but my curiosity took over. "Now that I've told you all of my deepest, darkest secrets, what about you? Last I heard through my mother, you were a happily married father of two."

He sighed heavily and motioned for me to sit down on the next bench. "You know, a question like that might have depressed me not too long ago, but I have learned that while you might find someone you think you love, it doesn't always work out the way you think it should. Don't get me wrong, I do not regret getting married or having children, I love my boys to pieces. But it was so hard for my ex-wife and I being apart so much that we kind of came to the realization that we are on two completely different paths. "

He went on to tell me just how hard the first year had been since his divorce became final, and I realized that I really felt for him. He excited me; he touched me, and yes even scared me a little. But I knew that I wanted to be there for him in whatever capacity he needed me. I knew what he had been going through, all of the insecurity, and it was all I could do not to throw my arms around him to comfort him. After he finished, we just sat there for a long time, he with his arm around me and me leaning up against him with my hand on his chest. I must have fallen asleep, because he gently shook me and said, "Look, the sun is beginning to come up." I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and looked out at the water. I smiled and I heard him whisper in my ear, "Hey Carrot Top, want to do this again tomorrow morning?"

I didn't know if this sunrise was truly as breathtaking as we thought, or if it was the company, but I snuggled in closer and replied, "You're on Cootie Boy, as long as I get to keep the shirt."

Chapter 2: "If my mother could see me now�"

God, it had been an unbelievable three days. It was like an awesome roller coaster ride and she never wanted it to stop. Ever since that first night with Mark, Rachel had felt such a sense of belonging. They had pretty much spent the entire time with each other, except for when she had to sleep, and he had business to take care of. Now it was over, and she had to return to 'reality'. Now, as she sat on the plane, she wondered how far this "relationship" would go. Would they continue to see each other when their schedules permitted (she was an emergency room doctor and did labor support on the side), or would the whole thing just kind of fade away? She gave herself a mental slap, knowing that all of this would get her nowhere.

Rachel sighed and picked up her laptop, hoping to catch up on the e-mail she had purposely been ignoring. The first couple of messages were from her friends and co-workers, giving her the "low down" while she was away. The one after that was from Mark. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her hand trembled as she reached for the glide point to open the message. What if it was a "Dear John" letter? She shook her head. The only way to find out is to open the damn thing, so she did. She was in no way prepared for what he wrote.

"Just for the record, I am not laughing at you. In fact, I am having the damndest time trying not to blubber like a complete fool!"

He breathed out a huge sigh of relief . "So I gather you might want to see me again?"

Rae smiled and said, "As soon as I can figure out what kind of ungodly shifts I have to pull to get some more time off, I will let you know. I may not be able to get away for a couple of weeks because I have to teach a couple of childbirth classes, but as soon as I can get away, you will be the first to know.�

"Well, if you have no objections, I will be in the area in the next week doing some personal appearances. I could, say, drop in and visit you."

"Well why don't you just drag it out and torture me some will ya??? Of course you can come and see me! Let me know when and I will be looking for you."

"Great! Hey, Glenn Jacobs and his wife will be there too; you remember them from the picnic? Maybe you can show us all of the local sights and attractions."

"Uh, buddy, the only sights and attractions you're going to see are the ones on me!" He coughed into the receiver of the phone and Rachel giggled evilly. "Seriously though, I would be happy to be the tour guide. It will be nice to get to know some of your friends." They ended their conversation with Mark's promise to call her later that evening with his schedule.

The days dragged on painfully for Rachel, waiting for her sweetheart to arrive. She was in the middle of childbirth class, showing how to use different massage and counter pressure techniques to relieve back labor, when she realized that Mark was standing at the back of the auditorium with Glenn and his wife, Storm. She blushed profusely as one of the father's to be made a slightly off color comment about the position she was in (hands and knees while the other instructor demonstrated the techniques).

Until the class was dismissed about an hour later, Rae was very aware of Mark's eyes following her every move. It was distracting, but kind of exhilarating at the same time. While the couples were filing out, she ran up to him, giving him a big hug. He smiled at her and said, "You never told me you knew massage, what else are you keeping from me?"

She gave him a smug look and replied, "I have many, many talents, which I will share with you all in due time." She then turned and hugged Glenn and Storm, "Mi casa es su casa. Anything you need while you are here, just let me know."

Storm hugged her back and whispered, "You and I have some catching up to do. I have to know how you turned 'old grumpy's' head in such a short time."

As they walked back to their rental car, Rae smiled at the way Glenn held Storm's hand. It was as if she was a rare piece of china that would break if handled too roughly. She had taken the opportunity to watch he and Mark in action on RAW, and even though she knew they were playing a part, his quiet gentleness was still surprising.

After they all got settled in at the house, Rachel turned on the shower. She'd been on and off her feet for the last 14 hours and her back and neck ached. As she let the hot water course down her back, she felt a sudden cool breeze. "Am I intruding?" Mark asked softly. It had been so long since anyone had wanted to be near her, all she could do was stick her hand out around the shower curtain and beckon him to come in. She didn't turn around at first, nervous at him seeing her for the first time, but he would have none of it. He tipped her head up and gave her a slow deep kiss. Then, he slowly turned her around to face him and looked intently into her eyes. Rachel hesitantly reached up and traced his lips with her fingers, and he grabbed her hand, kissing and nibbling at the palm and heel. They were both breathing heavily, and she knew that she would have to let go and trust him to love her for her. She looked away, and he murmured, "Are you all right? Am I going too fast for you? I don't want to scare you, just make love to you." Without a word, Rae took his hand and placed it on her chest so he could feel her heart pounding. That was all the answer he needed. He picked her up, shut the water off and carried her out to her bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, with her standing between his legs. All of the while she was kissing him, softly at first, but as she became more and more bold, she parted his lips with her tongue to explore his mouth more deeply. He groaned and tightened one arm around her drawing her closer to him. His other arm slid down to her buttocks, cupping them gently...

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