�Where�s Chris?� Lita asked sliding onto a barstool next to Stephanie and motioning for the bartender. �Can I get a bottle of Bud? Thanks.� She asked when he quickly gave it to her.
Stephanie looked over as Lita took a long swig from the beer bottle. She hated that stuff. She didn�t know how anyone could drink it. She took a long sip of her mixed drink and eyed the red head warily.
�He�s in the tub, I left him there a while ago. He probably fell asleep and is all pruny by now.�
Lita laughed softly. Knowing Chris he probably was.
�What he did tonight, that wasn�t safe.�
�I know that.� Stephanie said. �I tried to get him out of the match but Regal set it up. Chris decided to throw it and now we have to deal with it.�
�We?� Lita asked. �Lately, you and Chris, you�ve become a we.�
�We�re friends.� Stephanie said. �We look out for each other.�
�Right.� Lita said with a small smile. �Like me and Matt.�
�Right.� Stephanie smiled. �No! No.�
Lita smiled softly. �My hotel room is a single tonight. Matt is bunking with his brother. Let�s go back to my room and chat.�
Stephanie frowned at the thought of those two fighting.
�Don�t worry about it.� Lita said with a wave of her hand as she slid a five on the bar for her beer. �I asked him to go gentle on Chris and he wouldn�t listen so he�s sleeping in Jeff�s room. We�ll be fine tomorrow. This happens when he doesn�t listen.�
�Does that happen often?�
�Yes.� Lita laughed. �But he�s learning.�
Stephanie followed the red head up to her room, looking around to make sure no one was following them. Lita was on the same floor as the other WWF wrestlers. The alliance was one floor up. Her and Chris� room was two floors up and all the way down the other end, a big suite, with extra locks.
�It�s a mess. It�s Jeff�s fault. He carries so much damn clothing with him and he makes us do the same thing.� Lita said as she plopped down on the bed. �You wanna tell me what�s going on?�
�With what?� Stephanie asked as she stood awkwardly in the doorway.
�There�s no one hiding.� Lita said. �I know there�s something going on between you and Chris, and not just romantically. He�s up to something. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he protects you.�
�He doesn�t protect me.� Stephanie said walking further into the room. �No one has come after me since��
�The way he stands near you; always in front of you. The way he leans close to say something only you can hear.� Lita said. �The way his eyes darken when he sees trouble coming and he takes hold of your hand.�
Stephanie sat down on the edge of the bed, a thoughtful look on her face. She never realized that Chris was doing these things but Lita was right. He took her hand earlier in the locker room when she wanted to go after Shane and Stone Cold. He was protecting her in a way, his own little way.
She looked over at Lita who was smiling knowingly. She was his friend, his good friend, and she had been there before Stephanie. It was time that she knew.
�There�s something I have to tell you.� Stephanie said. �But it needs to stay in this room. Chris could be in trouble if it doesn�t.�
Lita nodded as she sat Indian style on the bed. �You can trust me.�
�For right now, Matt and Jeff, cannot know.� Stephanie said.
Lita was quiet for a minute, deciding that if this were serious she would convince Stephanie to tell Matt and Jeff. �You have my word.�
�I just want you to know Chris didn�t say anything because I told him not to, I begged him.� Stephanie said. �I was afraid for you and the guys. I didn�t want you to get hurt.�
This sounded too serious, Lita thought.
�Chris didn�t really defect.� Stephanie said quietly. �He�s helping me bring the WWF wrestlers that defected back to the WWF.�
�What?� Lita asked shocked. �You�re working with your father?�
�No, my Dad doesn�t know about this.� Stephanie said. �I know what Shane and Stone Cold are capable of. I don�t want that to happen to any of my other wrestlers so I�m trying to bring them back over before Steve destroys the whole company. You know, in time that will happen. The WWF has been so successful because there�s always been a competition of leaders; there has never been one leader. The closest person to a leader is my father and he�s jumped back and forth so many damn times that doesn�t even count.�
�That�s true.� Lita said. �There�s always The Rock.�
�How many times has Rocky called a meeting?� Stephanie asked. �Never, The Undertaker and Kane, they stick to themselves.�
�Triple H.� Lita said quietly.
Stephanie sighed and ran her hand over her temple, rubbing it softly. �He wants the power but no one would ever listen to his tactics. I rarely.�
Lita giggled. She would love to see a fight in the McMahon-Helmsley household.
�Chris talked to the Dudley�s tonight. We�re slowly working on the process of moving them over without them realizing that we�re doing it.�
�Could we make a list of who we want to stay there?� Lita asked. �Because I�d love to get Rhyno back here but as far as I�m concerned I don�t want Tazz.�
Stephanie laughed. �We�re taking it one day at a time. I have to get back to Chris. I wanna make sure he didn�t shrivel up and float down the drain.�
�Steph?�
�Yes?� Stephanie asked with her hand on the doorknob. �Be gentle with Chris. I know you love Hunter and just�be gentle.�
�We�re just friends.� Stephanie smiled as she headed out of the hotel room. Weren�t they?
�Whoa! Hey!� Chris yelped as he ran to the bed and pulled the covers over his dripping wet body.
Stephanie stood there, unable to move, frozen by what she just got a glimpse of. She would never understand how he hid that while he was wearing those tight spandex pants. And there was something so sexy about that little blond�
�Steph!�
�Huh?� She asked. �Oh, I�m sorry.�
�I said could you knock next time?� He said, walking back towards the bathroom leaving wet footprints in the fuzzy carpet.
She laughed. �This is my hotel room too you know. I have a key and I left you over�� She looked at her watch. �It�s been almost two hours!�
�I fell asleep!�
�I figured that!� She called back. She slid off her coat and tossed it on the chair that was in the bedroom that they shared. Just friends right? She kept repeating that to herself over and over on the way back up here. She was positive they were just friends. But then she saw that blond fuzz�
�What is with you tonight? You�re standing there like a zombie.�
�Tired.� She smiled weakly as she reached into her suitcase and pulled out one of those nightgowns that she loved so much. She shoved it back in and opted for the pajama set that Chris found; the one that revealed nothing.
�Where were you anyway that you disappeared for two hours?� He asked as she disappeared into the bathroom. He pushed the covers aside on his bed and slid under, sighing as the warmth engulfed him. He was ready to fall asleep again.
�I was with Lita.�
�Ah, that�s nice.� Chris said as he closed his eyes.
�I told her.�
�Told her what?�
�That it was a set up.� She said stepping back out into the bathroom with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her shirt pulled tight against her breasts.
Chris sat up and stared at her, ready to yell, but the words couldn�t come out. The sales person said that this covered everything up. They forgot to mention that when it was cold nipples showed through. And Stephanie had beautiful nipples.
�Chris?� She laughed softly.
�Huh?� He asked.
�Now who�s a zombie?� She questioned as she plopped down on the bed.
�Is she going to tell the Hardy�s?� Chris asked, shaking all erotic thoughts from his mind.
�She said no.� Stephanie said. �And I trust her. She requested that we leave Tazz where he is.�
Chris laughed. �I agree. I still have to talk to Raven and Terri.�
�Molly Holly too.� Stephanie said. �I like the Hurricane and I think we should go after Rob Van Dam.�
�I think we should leave that ego trip alone.� He said shutting off the light as Stephanie slid in bed. He was thinking about those nipples again.
She laughed. �He�s a good wrestler.�
�He�d steal my spotlight.�
Stephanie laughed as she buried under the covers. They were warm and comforting, almost like Chris had been in this past month. She knew now she had a friend for life.
