It's Not Over
Usual disclaimer - see Chapter 1 for the full details, but I own nothing, all the people own themselves, WWE owns the trademark names, I'm doing this to exercise my creativity and for the sheer pleasure of writing. Ask my therapist!
Chapter 11
There was a light tapping noise coming from somewhere. Dacey raised her head from her pillow, where she'd been fast asleep face down, and pushed her hair out of her eyes, wondering if she'd dreamed the sound. She was about to collapse back onto the pillow when the tapping came again, and now that she was at least partially awake, she recognised it for what it was - a knock at her closed bedroom door.
She rolled over and sat up, the covers pooled around her waist, and yawned, stretching as she did so, before calling out, "Come in."
Glenn opened the door, smiling at her. Her long red hair was tumbled wildly around her face, and she was still blinking sleep from her eyes. He chuckled. "Good morning, Dace. Interest you in a cup of coffee?" He held out a steaming mug.
The scent of the coffee provoked a reaction, as her head came up more and she nodded, reaching out with both hands and making grabbing motions. "Coffee!"
He laughed, coming into the room wearing his robe, and sat down on the bed beside her, leaning in to kiss her cheek as he handed her the mug.
She smiled at him and brought it up to her face, inhaling the scent with a sigh of pleasure. "Ahhh, nectar of the gods! Go mbeannaí Dia thú, fear mo chroi." She took a long sip, and gave a little wriggle. "That hits the spot!"
Glenn just chuckled, taking a mouthful of his own coffee as Dacey sat up more on the bed and shifted to lean back against the headboard, kicking off the covers and crossing her legs into her habitual lotus position. She wore long pyjama pants of bright pink, covered with colourful conversation hearts, and a cami-style tank in the same colour, with just a single heart. She cupped both hands around the steaming mug, smiling at him over the rim as she sipped it.
He moved to lean back against the headboard with her, stretching out his long legs in front of him, ankles crossed. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the coffee, and then Dacey rested her head against his shoulder with a smile. "I could get used to this, Glenn."
"Get used to what, aingeal?" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"You waking me up with coffee in the morning. Although it's probably not good to have you indulging my vices," she chuckled.
He laughed. "Dacey, a ghrá mo chroí, it's a purely practical consideration. I know what you're like without coffee in the mornings!"
Her head came up at his words, and she stared at him wide-eyed. He leaned in to kiss her softly, smiling. "I may not be as quick as Maeve, but you think I'd forget those words, Dacey?" He tucked an errant curl back behind her ear, whispering them again. "A ghrá mo chroí."
Dacey looked into his eyes, smiling, and then lay her head against his shoulder again with a happy little sigh. He moved carefully, wrapping his arm around her, and she rested her hand on his thigh. There didn't seem to be any need for words between them for the moment.
@@@
Mark crossed the courtyard to the guesthouse and knocked as he opened the door. "Anyone awake?"
Glenn called out, giving Dacey a quick smile. "We're down here, Mark."
Raising his eyebrows, Mark stepped inside and headed down the hallway, not really knowing what to expect. He hid a sigh of relief when he saw them sitting together on the bed, both dressed, however casually, and drinking coffee, and then shook his head with a grin. "You know, that's just obscene."
Dacey laughed. "What is?"
Mark gave a pitiful groan. "The fact that you're drinking coffee . . . and you didn't invite me!"
Glenn burst out laughing, and Dacey shook her head with a grin, elbowing him. "Mark, you're welcome to join us for coffee."
Giving her a suggestive wink, Mark grinned. "Can I go back to the house and change first?" He looked pointedly at Glenn's robe and her pyjamas. "I figure I should be comfortable while we all sit on your bed and have our morning coffee together."
Dacey covered her face with her hand, collapsing with laughter, and Glenn rescued her coffee mug as she gasped, "Oh lord, I was just thinking how thoroughly our soon-to-be dark and fearful reputations would be ruined if it got out that we all sat on my bed in our jammies and drank our coffee together in the mornings!"
Mark leaned against the door frame, laughing just as hard. "I don't know, Dace - take the pyjamas out of the picture and our reputations might just be enhanced in certain circles!"
Glenn looked from Dacey to Mark and shook his head, laughing. "You're twisted, both of you." He held his hand out to Dacey. "Come on, sweetheart. I don't mind us drinking coffee with Mark in the morning, but I'll be damned if I let him sit on your bed and do it. I think I want to reserve that privilege for myself."
Dacey took his hand and slipped off the bed, leaning up to kiss Glenn's cheek. "It's all yours, fear mo chroi." She grinned at Mark. "Guess this means you're banished to the kitchen, big dog."
Mark laughed. "I don't care where you banish me to, just pour me coffee!"
Still laughing, they moved to the guesthouse kitchen, and Glenn poured fresh coffee for them all, which they drank sitting around the table. Dacey hooked her bare feet over the rung of her chair, hands once more cupping her mug.
Mark took a large mouthful of coffee and leaned back in his chair. "You know, we really did come up with some incredible ideas last night."
Glenn nodded, setting down his mug. "Think we can get them to go for it?"
"I don't see why not - they've allowed us a fair amount of latitude so far. And you've got to admit, what we're proposing will certainly build interest towards the crescendo. If we're smart, and we space it over two, maybe three, Pay Per Views, we can send buy rates for them through the roof," Mark grinned.
Chuckling, Glenn shook his head. "We better come up with something spectacular for Wrestlemania then - after all, that's your show, no matter who headlines it."
Mark gave them both a smug grin. "Oh, I have something in mind for Wrestlemania, trust me. I think I can convince them to let us headline it."
Dacey's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You can't be serious, Mark! The headline match at Wrestlemania is always for the World Heavyweight Title - how on earth can three of us compete for that?"
But no matter what Glenn or Dacey said, Mark refused to be drawn any further on his plans for Wrestlemania, and the discussion went back to their more immediate plans. Ginger's next televised match was due to be against Trish Stratus, who still held the Women's Championship, but tonight she would go up against Victoria in a house show.
After the events during her match with Jazz, there would be no interference from Kane or 'Taker for a few weeks. But Ginger would begin to show wider cracks in her psyche, leading her to lash out against random wrestlers and, they hoped, eventually pitting her against most of the roster. Tonight, at the house show, they would start feeling others out about this idea, before taking it to the writers with, hopefully, roles already agreed with some of the key wrestlers they hoped to get involved. Paul had volunteered to take part, which would make things go more smoothly, given his profile within the company.
Their discussions were interrupted when Maeve came to the door of the guesthouse, running in to hug Dacey with a wide smile. "Dia dhuit, Dacey!"
Dacey leaned over to hug the little girl, smiling. "Dia dhuit, aingeal."
Maeve grinned and turned to Glenn. "Dia dhuit, Uncle Glenn."
Glenn chuckled. "Good morning, Maeve. I'm afraid my Gaelic isn't nearly as good as yours, aingeal."
"That's okay, Uncle Glenn," Maeve giggled.
Dacey leaned down. "Didn't you forget someone, Maeve?"
Maeve shook her head. "I already said good morning to athair and Máthair, Dacey."
Dacey smiled, lifting Maeve onto her lap. "I'm glad to hear that, a chailín mo chroí."
"You have pretty pyjamas, Dacey!"
"Thank you, aingeal."
Dacey picked up her mug, drinking her coffee as Maeve looked at her father and Glenn, before turning back to her. "Can you teach me some more words today, Dacey?"
Glancing at the clock, and then at Mark, Dacey smiled. "Perhaps a few. But we have to get ready to leave soon, aingeal."
Maeve nodded eagerly, and Dacey sipped her coffee, thinking. She set the mug down, and smiled at Maeve. "Alright, here's the first ones - are you ready?"
"I'm ready, Dacey."
"Conas atá tú?" Dacey sounded the words carefully - kuniss ah-taw two - and Maeve copied her, picking up the pronunciation easily.
"What does it mean, Dacey?" the little girl wanted to know.
"It means 'how are you', aingeal. What do we usually say when someone asks us that?" Dacey smiled.
Maeve grinned. "Máthair says I should say I am well, thank you."
"Your Máthair is right, Maeve, and I can teach you how to say that in Gaelic. Can you remember 'thank you' from yesterday?"
Maeve frowned, thinking, and then smiled. "I can! It's tapadh leat, isn't it?"
"Very good, aingeal!" Dacey kissed Maeve's cheek. "The rest goes tá mé go maith."
Maeve repeated the words to herself and then bounced on Dacey's lap. "Can we try my new words, Dacey, please?"
Dacey chuckled. "Of course we can. Dia dhuit, Maeve. Conas atá tú?"
Maeve sat up very straight on Dacey's lap. "Dia dhuit, Dacey. Tá mé go maith, tapadh leat."
Dacey grinned, hugging the little girl. "That was excellent, Maeve - you got that just right."
Mark smiled at his daughter. "Dacey has to get ready, sugar-pie, so that will have to be enough for today."
Maeve hugged Dacey and wriggled off her lap. "Tapadh leat for my new words, Dacey. Slán!"
Dacey laughed. "Tá failte romhat, Maeve. Slán, aingeal."
With a wave, Maeve was out the door, calling back as she ran off for the house, "Slán!"
Shaking his head, Mark smiled at Dacey. "You were right, Dace, she's just soaking it up like a sponge. And I'll admit, yesterday, I thought all she was doing was parroting the words you said. But she remembers what they mean, and she pronounces them as well as you do."
Dacey nodded. "I think she has an ear for languages, Mark - some people do. You should try her with some other languages while she's interested in learning them, and while she's young. The ones I learned when I was older were a lot harder to master than Gaelic ever was."
Glenn looked at Dacey with a thoughtful expression. "Just how many languages do you speak, Dacey?"
Dacey chewed her bottom lip, thinking. "Four, I guess – five, if you count English."
Mark looked startled. "You speak five languages?"
Dacey nodded, sipping her coffee. "Well, really, it's only three - I'm fluent in German and Gaelic, but I have enough French and Italian to get by."
"That's right, you said you were born in Germany. I guess the others you picked up while your father was posted there?" Glenn asked.
"And they were harder to learn too, because I was older. And because the Latin-based languages have a completely different phonetic structure to the Germanic ones. If Maeve can pick that up when she's young, she'll probably have an easier time learning other languages when she's older."
Mark stood up, chuckling. "I'll certainly pass that on to Isabelle. Okay, can you two be ready to leave in an hour?"
Glenn nodded, as did Dacey, who collected Mark's coffee mug as she rose to her feet. Mark gave them a wave as he left for the house, and Dacey took the mugs into the kitchen, rinsing them and loading them into the dishwasher. Glenn watched her, adding his own mug before she closed it up, and then pulled her gently into his arms.
She smiled up at him. "We're supposed to be getting ready, Glenn."
"I am - getting ready to kiss you properly, anyway."
She slid her arms up around his neck, smiling. "I think there's time for that."
"There better be!" he laughed, and then bent to kiss her, holding her close to him. When their lips parted, he smiled. "See you in a little while, aingeal."
Dacey nodded, leaning up to kiss him again lightly before stepping away from him and heading for her bedroom, the smile never leaving her lips.
@@@
The house show that night was a little further afield, and it wasn't the kind of event that all three of them would normally be booked to appear at, certainly not Mark and Glenn, anyway. Dacey was happy to do house shows, no matter how big or small, because she figured it was part of paying her dues with the company. However, because Mark had the chance to stay at home while the televised shows were coming from Texas, he had volunteered for the local house shows as well, and Glenn had done the same once Mark had invited them to stay.
The night before, when talk had turned to work, and Paul had realised that Mark was doing the house shows, he'd decided to go along as well, which meant the bookers had their pick of high calibre matches for the card on the night.
They had left Mark's house mid-morning, stopping for lunch at a barbeque place along the way, and arrived at the stadium early in the afternoon. After stowing their bags in the locker rooms and changing into their workout gear, they had sought out the gym, where they found a number of their colleagues already in residence. As Mark and Glenn headed for the weights, Dacey pulled her iPod out of her hoodie pocket, clipping it to the waistband of her shorts, and found a treadmill.
It didn't take her long to get it set up to her liking, and she programmed a thirty minute run, and started out, using the fingertip controls to increase the speed as she warmed up, shedding her hoodie once she had. She ran in long strides, her arms moving at her sides, nodding her head to the beat of her music, finding that place of peace as the endorphins kicked in, oblivious to everything around her until the treadmill beeped and began to slow down almost imperceptibly.
Her strides slowed, and she gradually brought her focus back into the room, until she was walking, stepping down the speed until the machine stopped. She turned off the iPod and removed the earphones, stepping down off the treadmill and reaching for a towel. A voice behind her made her turn, and she saw Jeff Hardy.
"I had no idea you were a runner, Dacey."
She nodded, patting her face dry. "I like my cardio workouts. Aerobics is usually my thing, but a lot of gyms in our venues aren't set up for that. They always have a treadmill though."
He leaned against the treadmill. "You ever run the streets?"
Dacey shook her head. "Not on the road - I'm not all that comfortable where I don't know the environment. I run in Stamford though - there's a track in a park near my apartment."
Jeff smiled. "I run most nights, no matter where we are, so if you ever feel like getting out with someone else, let me know. I'd enjoy the company, and you might feel safer if you were running with someone. Not that you aren't perfectly capable of taking care of yourself," he laughed, holding his hands up as if she might object.
Dacey chuckled, looping the towel around her neck and reaching for her hoodie. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks Jeff. A run in the fresh air some nights would be very welcome."
He nodded. "That's the whole reason I do it - too much time in planes and hotel rooms makes me stir-crazy. I like to feel the fresh air as much as I can. But hey, don't let me keep you from your workout - I'll probably see you out in the ring later, okay?"
He sketched a little salute and moved away, and she smiled as she made her way over to the Nautilus stations, dropping her hoodie onto one of the benches and leaning in to adjust the weights before starting her weights workout.
Glenn had watched Dacey on the treadmill, impressed again by her aerobic fitness and enjoying the grace of her movements, until Mark had elbowed him with a laugh.
"You remind me of the way I felt when I first met Isabelle, buddy. Although I like to think I wasn't quite so obvious about my interest as you're being."
Another laugh sounded behind them, and they turned to see Paul, who just grinned at Mark. "Yeah, Mark, you keep telling yourself that - ain't going to make it any less untrue though." He looked over at Dacey, and raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
Mark had been spotting Paul on the weights bench, and had just settled the bar back into the cradles as Jeff was leaving, and the younger man's eyebrows raised, seeing them.
"They run out of gyms for you guys to train in?"
Glenn laughed, continuing to curl with the dumbbell he held, his massive bicep flexing. "Wore out the weights, man, what can I tell you?"
Jeff laughed. "That I can believe!"
Paul sat up, looking at Jeff appraisingly. The tank shirt Jeff wore showed off his increased upper body muscle definition, and Paul nodded. "Looks like you've been hitting the weights yourself."
Jeff looked down at himself and shrugged. "Can't rely on speed and agility forever, man. Figured I needed to build some muscle and strength if I wanted a real shot at the top level championship belts."
"Good strategy," Mark agreed. "Hey, got a minute, Jeff?" He gave Glenn with a questioning look, and Glenn nodded.
"Sure. What do you need?"
Paul smiled. Jeff had a well deserved reputation for being willing to take on anything that was asked of him. He was certainly on track to become a major player with the company.
As Mark was filling Jeff in on their broad ideas for the build-up to the launch of Darkness, Dacey moved away from the Nautilus, and bent to grab her iPod again. She was not in the mood for static weights today, and she slipped her earphones back in and cued up one of her playlists before picking up a set of dumbbells, hefting them to test their weight. As the heavy bass beat began in her ears, she moved to an open space, her body moving with the beat as she began her lifts, watching herself in the mirror to make sure she was isolating the right muscle groups.
Before long, unconsciously, she had lost herself to the music while her whole attention was focused on the weights she was lifting, moving through her usual routine.
It was Paul who realised that Glenn had stopped speaking, and he followed Glenn's gaze to where Dacey stood. He swallowed hard.
Aware of the sudden silence, Mark and Jeff looked around to discover why.
Dacey was standing with her back to them, her feet set apart, bending slowly forward as she curled the dumbbells to her chest. In a tightly controlled move, she lowered the dumbbells again, then curled them back to her chest as she remained bent forward, then slowly straightened up. Her head moved in a slow nod, in time to the beat of her music as she repeated the move, feeling the burn of the muscles in her arms and across her chest, and her abs and back as she straightened.
Paul shook his head, breaking the silence. "Do you see how controlled that is?"
"And how slow?" Mark added. "That's got to build some serious core strength."
Paul nodded. "She's got good technique, she's obviously had good trainers."
Jeff kept his reactions to himself, and Glenn, whose thoughts were more of a more carnal nature than any critique of Dacey’s techniques, although he agreed with Paul and Mark’s assessments, reluctantly tore his eyes away from Dacey and returned his attention to the conversation.
Mark looked at Jeff, picking up where he'd left off. "So, would you be willing to take on a match with Dacey as part of this?"
"Of course! She's good to work with, and she doesn't hold back. And she's also willing to take it full tilt, which is great - I think it's harder if you have to tone down all the action because your opponent is scared of getting hit too hard."
Paul nodded. "That's how most of the guys feel, usually. But if we can get a few good matches going, and they see that Dacey's got what it takes, maybe it'll shake things up a bit. And maybe some of the guys who are afraid of getting hit too hard might be shamed into sucking it up, if they see themselves being outclassed by a woman."
They all chuckled at that thought, and Dacey smiled as she approached them, her workout at its end. She patted her face with one end of her towel as she spoke. "Do I want to be let in on the joke?"
Mark grinned. "You're probably better off not knowing, I think. But we do have good news. Jeff has agreed to take on a match with Ginger."
Jeff smiled at her and Dacey nodded. "I look forward to that – now that Ginger’s becoming so unhinged, I think we can probably come up with something pretty exciting."
"So do I," said Jeff. "I'll see you guys later, and Dacey, don't forget about my offer."
"I won't Jeff, thanks," Dacey smiled as he left.
"Offer?" asked Mark.
Nodding, Dacey looped her towel around her neck. "Jeff likes to run at night - he offered to run with me, if I want."
"Be a good idea," Paul said, getting up from the bench. "Not that you can't take care of yourself, Dacey, but there's always safety in numbers."
"My thoughts exactly, Paul – that’s why I don't usually run when I'm on the road, unless you count the treadmill," Dacey said.
Glenn found himself feeling a little put out at the thought of Dacey running with Jeff. On one hand, he knew that he'd never be able to keep up with her on a run, so he wasn't exactly in a position to offer to go with her, but he felt jealous at the thought of Jeff being able to share that time with her. He shook his head - that kind of thinking was pretty counter-productive, especially in their business. Dacey was always going to be spending time with other people - blocking matches, training, just shooting the breeze. There was a fair amount of down time when they travelled, and they weren't always going to be doing that together.
He resisted the urge to sigh - no relationship was ever simple, but this one certainly kept tripping him up when he least expected it. At least this time he hadn't done anything more than just think the wrong thing.
Dacey glanced up at the clock. "Okay, I need to grab a shower and change - Victoria and I have some ring time booked to block out our match, and I don't want to be late."
Mark nodded. "And I guess we should find out what they're planning for us too. We'll catch you in the arena, Dace."
With a nod, Dacey smiled and headed out of the gym at a jog.
Paul turned to Mark with a raised eyebrow. "You know, I've never seen Dacey block out a match before - and I'm curious to see how she does."
Glenn stood up and replaced the dumbbells he'd been using. "She puts a lot of thought into them, from what I've seen. And she's always looking for a way to put her opponent over, even if they're jobbing to her."
Mark nodded. "She's had good teachers, but it's more than that - she'll sit under anyone's learning tree, because she always wants to do better. Whether it's moves or promo techniques, she's not afraid to admit she needs to know more."
As they spoke, the three men moved out of the gym towards the arena proper. As usual, there was a bustle of activity as wrestlers worked out their matches and the crew adjusted lighting and pyros. The production value of a house show wasn't on the scale of a televised event, but that didn't mean the paying audience wasn't entitled to some level of spectacle.
Often, the crews took the opportunity of house shows to test new lighting rigs and pyros, and to work on improving their own skills of matching the sound and big screen effects more closely with the visual and audible cues of the action in the ring. Currently they were running through entrance videos and adjusting the positions of the big screens while Chris Jericho and Jeff Hardy stood in the ring, discussing their match.
The news from the bookers was that Mark and Paul would have the headline match, and Glenn would take on Bradshaw in the middle of the card, before intermission. With that information, Glenn moved away to find Bradshaw, while Paul and Mark took seats not far from the ring to discuss their match.
Dacey and Victoria arrived together a few minutes later, talking about their match already. It was an animated discussion, with both women grinning and nodding as they exchanged ideas. Seeing Chris and Jeff still in the ring, they sat at the top of the entrance ramp, waiting for their time in the ring.
Everybody looked up as one of the crew picked up a microphone, laughingly making an announcement as part of the sound check. "Your friends, the monkeys in the truck, are pleased to present a program of musical entertainment tailored to the superstars of the WWE!"
The chorus of Nickelback's Rockstar filled the arena:
Well we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses, driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny with her bleach blonde hair
And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary of today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar ^
Both Chris and Jeff shook their heads, pointing at one another, while the rest of the arena laughed and applauded. Jeff laughingly took a bow, while Chris hammed it up, strutting from the ring, and suddenly the music changed:
Oh oooh you think you're special
Oh oooh you think you're something else
Okay, so you're Brad Pitt
That don't impress me much ^^
Chris just grinned, flipping the crew the bird with both hands, and Dacey and Victoria, still laughing, stood up and headed down towards the ring. As Victoria jumped up on the ring apron, they were ready with another selection:
Temperature's up, 'bout to erupt
Gonna get my girls, get your boys
Gonna make some noise
Wanna get rowdy, gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry, wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival *
Victoria danced in the ring, obviously enjoying the joke, and catcalls came from all around the arena. Dacey shook her head with a grin, and Mark laughed, calling over to her from where he and Paul sat.
"Something wrong, Dacey?"
She looked over at him with a laugh. "You could say that! I'm worried what they have in store for me!"
Chris Jericho grinned at her. "You afraid of the monkeys in the truck?"
Dacey's chin came up. "The hell I am!" She stripped off her hoodie and climbed up onto the apron, climbing through the ropes, as Gwen Stefani started to sing:
I heard that you were talking shit
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms downs, getting everybody fired up
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl **
Laughter erupted from the arena and Dacey grinned, raising her fists in the air. Victoria gave her a mocking little bow and she laughed as the music died down, for which she was grateful. She didn't really think she could concentrate on what she and Victoria wanted to try with musical tributes being played, but before they started work, she had a question.
"Just what is a hollaback girl, anyway?" she wanted to know.
"Well, it's a member of a cheer squad who's just following orders of the cheerleader, and it's also a girl who's not willing to stand up for herself, and lets guys walk all over her." Victoria grinned. "I think the monkeys like you, Dacey!"
Dacey shrugged, smiling. "Always nice to be liked! So, about this match."
Together, she and Victoria rehearsed some of the moves they wanted to be able to get into the match, and got an idea of how they might fit together. They also wanted to try out something new - Dacey had been working on a handstand headscissors takedown, and Victoria was keen to see if they could work it in.
She climbed to the top turnbuckle, facing Dacey, who moved into a slow handstand into the corner of the ring, bringing her legs up onto Victoria's shoulders as they tested the positions they would need to be in to make the move work and look as good as possible. Once they had the mechanics of that part worked out, Dacey executed the handstand a little quicker, and Victoria pushed off as Dacey pulled her legs back, sailing overhead to land flat on her back in the ring.
A chorus of approval rose from the watching wrestlers, and Victoria grinned at Dacey as she turned to face her. "That's going to work beautifully, and look painful as hell. How do you want to follow it up?"
Dacey scratched her head, assessing Victoria's position in the ring. "If I had a moonsault worth a damn, you'd be in a perfect position for it, but I think it's going to have more impact if I follow that up with something brutal. I have an idea, can we try it again?"
Victoria nodded, getting up from the mat and climbing the turnbuckle again. This time, now they knew the positions, Dacey's handstand was quick, and the takedown was crisp and clean. As Victoria landed on the mat, Dacey's feet hit the floor and she snapped upright, pivoted smoothly, and a moment later she landed beside Victoria in an elbow drop, grinning.
There was scattered applause from the watching wrestlers and Victoria laughed. "That's gonna be brutal, for sure! Brutal enough for a finish, maybe?"
Dacey considered this. "Yeah, I think so - it's certainly got visual impact. And it does make a statement." She grinned.
"Yeah - don't mess with this bitch!" Victoria rose to her feet, grinning. "I feel a serious feud coming on, don't you?"
Winking, Dacey laughed. "You don't know the half of it!"
As they climbed down out of the ring, relinquishing it to Mark and Paul, Dacey took Victoria through the ideas they'd been discussing for Darkness, feeling her out for a role in the build up.
Paul watched the two women leave with a speculative expression, and then turned to Mark. "That girl is going places in this company, mark my words."
Mark nodded as he climbed into the ring. "You're preaching to the choir, Paul - I've known that since the start."
After blocking out her match with Victoria, Dacey headed for catering to get something to eat before the show. She was still going over the match plans, visualising the flow of the moves, and was a little startled when a voice sounded in her ear.
"Looks like you're going to raise some more eyebrows tonight, Dacey."
She looked up at Shawn Michael's smiling face. "Is that a bad thing?"
Setting down his tray, Shawn sat opposite her, shaking his head. "Nope. You're just raising the bar for some folks - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, trust me," he added, seeing the look on her face.
In spite of his words, Dacey found she had lost her appetite and shifted her tray aside. Perhaps she was pushing too hard - it wouldn't be the first time she'd made that mistake.
She could think of a few wrestling schools where her drive had made her the least popular person in the place. She'd had to leave one school after everyone had refused to wrestle her, and her cheeks flushed at the memory. She dropped her head, looking down at her hands.
Shawn frowned. He hadn't intended to upset her with his remarks - she was very talented, and she had inspired more than one person with her energy and enthusiasm. He was saved from having to say anything more by the arrival of Chris Jericho, who gave him a grin as he sat down at his side.
"Hey Dacey, sorry we held you up at the ring earlier." His ready grin faltered a little as he noticed the colour in her cheeks. "Uh oh, did I interrupt something?"
Dacey looked up and shook her head quickly. "Not at all, Chris." She tried a smile, but it was unconvincing.
"I was just telling Dacey how she was raising the bar around here with some of her matches," Shawn said.
Chris grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed."
Dacey blushed again. "Perhaps I need to tone my ideas down."
"Don't you dare!" Chris said, surprised she would even suggest it. "Dacey, when you've been doing this a while, you'll discover that you can get a bit stale. And maybe you'll coast a bit, do the same old things over and over, because you aren't inspired to try anything different. But then someone new will come along, and because they are doing stuff that no-one else is doing, because they are throwing themselves into every match with enthusiasm, suddenly you'll rediscover your own passion as a result."
Shawn nodded vigorously. "That's exactly what I meant, Dacey - you're helping us with your innovation."
Dacey was still unsure. "I don't know that I'm being that innovative."
Chris grinned. "That handstand bridge chokehold isn't innovative?"
Dacey couldn't help but grin in return. "Well okay, maybe that is."
Shawn laughed. "And the handspring ring entrance?"
That had them all laughing, and Dacey relaxed a little. She even felt her appetite returning.
They were joined by other wrestlers at the long table as they ate, and Dacey reflected on Chris and Shawn's words.
Certainly, she hadn't felt any cold shouldering from anyone, which had been how the bad experiences in wrestling schools had started. She felt included, and more importantly perhaps than that, liked. Still, she felt it might be wise to tread carefully - not everyone might be feeling as inspired as Shawn and Chris seemed to think.
@@@
Later, she had met up with Victoria in Wardrobe as they chose their outfits for the match. Dacey's in-ring attire had been modelled around Julie's original idea, but had expanded into different colours and slight variations of style. Tonight, as a counterpoint to Victoria's hot pink, Ginger would be in metallic grey. They chatted as they changed, and from Victoria's energy, Dacey felt sure the match would go well.
Separating as they left Wardrobe, Dacey found a quiet place to continue her warm-up and to allow herself to get into character as Ginger. The ideas that had been flowing the night before at the Calaways were coalescing Ginger's motivations for her, making it easier for her to get into her character's mindset, and by the time the production assistant came to get her, she was itching to get into the ring.
The energy of the fans and Victoria's eager enthusiasm were the perfect foil for her in-ring aggression, and the match exploded with energy. She always enjoyed her matches with Victoria, who was a good match for her physically, and the moves they had set up came off well. There was an excited "Ooohhh!" from the crowd when Dacey pulled off the handstand headscissors takedown, and groans when she landed a hard elbow over Victoria's upper chest.
Dragging Victoria's leg up into a lateral press, the referee counted the pin and Ginger was declared the winner while Victoria lay still, apparently incapacitated. Ginger left the ring with a sneer, and the audience boos were still heard as Victoria was "helped" to the back by the referee.
Dacey waited for Victoria, wanting to make sure she was alright, and to thank her for a great match, and together, they were congratulated by the wrestlers backstage. Dacey smiled, feeling the warmth of the respect of her colleagues, and Victoria gave her a grin as they headed for the locker room.
"You know, tonight's match has given me some great ideas - let me run them by you?"
As they showered and changed, they discussed the potential, and Dacey was excited by the thoughts of where this might take her character. And she couldn't wait for the next storyline meeting, to see if they could get agreement for the direction they wanted to take the build up to Darkness.
Before that, though, she wanted to share Victoria's suggestions with Mark and Glenn, which she did as they drove back to the Calaways after the show was finished. Glenn was behind the wheel, and he and Mark could only nod and grin as Dacey outlined what she and Victoria had come up with.
"Dace, sweetheart, you are gonna turn the place on its ear with this!" Glenn turned to give her a quick grin.
Dacey chuckled, leaning back against the seat. This wasn't just her idea, it was Victoria's too, which made it more acceptable, somehow. "Well, we hope it will. Victoria's been looking for something to sink her teeth into."
Mark laughed. "This will give it to her!"
@@@
Dacey woke at sun up and stretched luxuriantly. As usual, the morning after a match, she was struck with a keen desire for a cardio workout. She slipped out of bed and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and added her hoodie against the chill in the air. She clipped her iPod to her shorts and left the guesthouse quietly, leaving a note for Glenn.
She stretched in the courtyard, turning her face to the pale sunlight of early morning, and then turned on her iPod and started off at an easy jog until she warmed up, following the fence lines of the property.
For a time, two of Mark's dogs ran with her, but as her muscles warmed to the exercise, she slipped out of her hoodie and tied its sleeves around her waist and stepped up the pace, pushing her heart rate up and keeping it there.
The double beep that marked the halfway point in her playlist made her turn around and begin retracing her steps, a trick she had learned years ago when out running in new places. There was nothing worse that finishing a run miles from where you started out.
By the time she began her slowdown, she could see the guesthouse again, and she finished up in the courtyard at a walk, two fingers held to her throat, using her sports watch to count her pulse rate. She nodded to herself, knowing that she had definitely been in the training zone, and picked up the water bottle she had left on the table outside, taking a few long swallows as she let her breathing come back to normal. She turned off her iPod and removed the headphones, and went inside.
Glenn smiled at her as she came into the guesthouse, and tossed a towel to her.
"Enjoy your run?"
She nodded, patting her face with the towel and then looping it around her neck. "It was a perfect morning for it - there's something about the light in Texas just after sun up that is breathtaking."
Glenn was struck again by her beauty - Mark was right, you didn't notice it until you really looked at her. He rose from where he sat at the breakfast bar and came over to her, running one finger gently over her cheek as he smiled at her. "How can you look so good so early in the morning?"
Dacey blushed a little, even as she nuzzled her face to his touch. "I think I should grab a shower."
He grinned. "Need help? I can wash your back, if you like."
She laughed, shaking her head. "I think I can manage on my own, thanks. What are the plans for today?" They had a show to do that night, and then some time off - she and Glenn would be leaving tomorrow.
Chuckling, Glenn leaned in to kiss her lightly. "Party pooper. The only thing I know for today is breakfast with the Calaways, assuming Isabelle is feeling okay. I've got the coffee ready to go here though."
Her eyes closed as their lips met, and she leaned in to him for a moment. "Coffee . . . that would be perfect. After my shower."
She moved away from him then, untying the hoodie from around her waist as she went down the hallway, and he watched her go and then moved around to turn on the coffee maker. He decided to shower while she did, and he was back in the kitchen, getting out mugs for them, before she reappeared.
Fresh from the shower, she was still fixing her hair into its braid as she entered the kitchen, smiling at him as she sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. She was dressed simply, in jeans and a plain white t-shirt, her feet bare. She propped her elbows on the bar as he set a mug of coffee in front of her.
"There you go again, feeding my vices," she smiled, taking a sip.
"Dacey, honey, you exercise like a fiend, you don't drink - well, not so far as I know, and if you're a smoker, you must be sneaking them in your sleep! I don't think you have vices, plural."
She laughed. "Well, perhaps not. Caffeine is the big one, if there is a list."
He sat on the stool beside her, smiling at her. "So what are your plans after tomorrow? Can I tempt you with a trip to Tennessee, perhaps?" He felt like he didn't want to let her go, not after the rather unexpected discovery of their growing attraction to one another.
Dacey set down her mug with a rueful little smile. "Actually, I'll be staying in Texas - I arranged to visit with my folks for a few days. If I hadn't, then yes, you probably could tempt me with a trip to Tennessee." Her cheeks flushed slightly. "I'd like to see where you live."
Glenn nodded, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "I understand, Dacey, even if I wish you had no plans and I could just take you home with me."
She chuckled softly, running a fingertip around the rim of her mug. "I thought we were going to take things slow?"
"Oh, we are. But I want to be with you, especially now."
She nodded, looking into his eyes. "I know what you mean. But perhaps it's a good thing we're going to be apart for a few days."
"Why?" Glenn wanted to know.
She chewed lightly on her lower lip before speaking. "I guess it's because I feel like I need some time to get used to the idea of this."
"Get used to it?"
Dacey nodded slowly. "Glenn, we arrived in Texas, what, five days ago? And in that time, suddenly we've discovered that we have feelings for one another. Which is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but being here in Texas is a little like being on vacation. It doesn't feel like the real world, somehow."
He looked puzzled, and she struggled to express what she was thinking. "Glenn, the real world is me living in Connecticut, and you living in Tennessee, not having rooms in a guesthouse together. The real world is work and appearances and training and travel. How is us being together going to change all of that - or how will all of that change us being together?"
He began to see what she was getting at, and it was a sobering thought. "You're right, Dacey. It would be nice to think that it will all happen without a problem, but . . ."
She leaned in to kiss him lightly. "I don't think there will be any problems, Glenn, but right now I'm a little swept up in the newness and the excitement of the idea of being with you. I think I need time to be alone and look at things a little more objectively, that's all."
Running his hand over her hair, he smiled. "So I guess announcing to the whole world, or at least the whole roster, that I'm in love with you probably isn't a wise idea."
She smiled, a little wistfully. "I had a friend when I was working in Louisiana a couple of years ago. She was so excited when she got pregnant for the first time, she couldn't wait to tell everyone. But then she lost the baby a few weeks later, and if the pain of that wasn't bad enough, then she had to re-live it every time she had to answer questions from folks about how things were going with the pregnancy. The next time she got pregnant, she waited until that risky time was over before saying anything."
Glenn nodded. "I see your point, Dacey. And you're right. As Mark says, we need to be very sure of ourselves before we move forward with this. But I don't like the idea of sneaking around, either. You're too important to me to do that."
"I'm not advocating sneaking around, Glenn. Just keeping it low key. As it is, we're going to be subjecting our relationship to some fairly intense scrutiny within the company, because it's a small, tight-knit community. The more in their faces we are, the harder it will be if things don't go smoothly for us."
He chuckled wryly. "I guess they're going to need even more time to get used to the idea of us together than we are."
Dacey took a sip of her coffee, nodding. "I just don't want to rush into anything - I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster ride already with my career taking off the way it has." She smiled at him over the rim of her mug. "I'd like to take time to enjoy falling in love with you. After all, that doesn't happen to a girl every day."
Glenn fought the urge to groan - there was nothing coquettish about Dacey, she wasn't a flirt, and so the simple truth of that statement was even more of a turn on for him. "How on earth did I get so lucky?"
Chuckling softly, Dacey shook her head, colour stealing back into her cheeks. She was saved from having to say anything by the arrival of Mark and Maeve, who had come to invite them to breakfast, although Mark looked longingly at the pot of coffee. Dacey just grinned at him, going into the kitchen and filling one of the thermal mugs she'd brought back a few days earlier, handing it to him with a wink.
"With the lid on that, I'm betting Isabelle won't smell the coffee."
Mark pulled her into a hug, grinning widely. "This woman is brilliant!"
Maeve giggled, and Dacey winked at the little girl. "I think your daddy likes his coffee, aingeal."
"Are you coming to breakfast, Dacey?" Maeve asked, looking up at her hopefully.
"Aye, aingeal, but I need to put some shoes on first," Dacey chuckled, lifting one bare foot and wiggling her toes.
Mark took a mouthful of coffee and laughed. "I guess any kind of comment about barefoot in the kitchen in the family way would get me in trouble?"
Dacey gave him a mock-glare and then chuckled, heading back to her room to put on a pair of sandals. When she returned, Maeve took her hand, skipping alongside her on the way to the house, asking for the Gaelic words for various things. Dacey didn't even think about it, most of what she said to Maeve now was first in Gaelic and then in English, and the little girl happily repeated everything.
Isabelle gave them a warm smile as they came into the kitchen. "Good morning Dacey. I see the lessons are continuing?"
Dacey smiled and nodded as Maeve ran to hug her mother. "While she wants to learn, I'm happy to teach. Can I do anything to help?"
Maeve marched over to the table holding her box of cereal, and Dacey didn't wait, helping the little girl get into her chair, pouring cereal and milk, unable to hide her smile as Maeve said, "Tapadh leat, Dacey."
Breakfast was a cheerful affair, with the adults talking and laughing long after Maeve was excused to go and play. Dacey could only smile at how comfortable she felt with the Calaways, and was a little saddened to be leaving the next day. She joined Mark and Glenn in the gym for a workout after breakfast, and later that afternoon, they drove together to the stadium where the evening's match was being held.
Excusing herself the moment she spotted Trish Stratus, who was her opponent for the evening, she went over to talk to her.
"Hey Trish, got a minute?"
Trish gave her a sunny smile. "Sure Dacey - want to go over our match?"
Dacey nodded. "And to see if you'd be okay with adding something outside the ring."
Grinning, Trish raised her eyebrows. "You have my attention!"
The two women found a spot out of the way, and Dacey quickly filled Trish in on the ideas they had come up with for Darkness, and the match she'd had with Victoria the night before. After that match, she and Victoria had toyed with the idea that perhaps Kenny Dykstra should approach Ginger to confront her about the "injuries" Victoria had suffered at her hands. That would set things up for a confrontation between them at another show, and Dacey wanted to see how Trish might feel about having Christian "overhear" this discussion, and somehow set up further confrontation and conflict.
Trish was wide-eyed at the idea, and they talked about how that might be accomplished before going to find Christian and lay out the idea for the bookers for the night. When Glenn saw them later, they were engaged in an animated discussion with Jim Ross, Christian, Kenny and two of the staff writers. He waited until the others had left, then approached Dacey.
"So, do I get to find out what you're planning?"
She grinned up at him. "Not the specifics, no - but I think it's fair to say that after tonight, Ginger's going to have her hands full fending off outraged wrestlers."
Glenn pulled her into a hug, laughing. "Dacey, sweetheart, you’re a pistol!" He was struck by a thought. "Say, is there a possibility in what you're setting up for Kane and 'Taker to get involved? It's probably time Ginger was doing some more screaming at them about staying out of things."
Her arm around his waist, Dacey looked thoughtful. "You know, there probably is. Let's raise it at the post-show meeting tomorrow morning - once this evening sets things in motion, you and Mark will probably have a better idea about what form that might take."
He could only smile, darting a quick look around before bending to kiss her. "Good luck for your match, honey."
Dacey leaned in to his kiss and smiled. "You too, fear mo chroi. I should go and stow my gear and then check in with Wardrobe. Later, okay?"
Glenn nodded, and watched her head for the rooms designated as the
women's lockers for the night before making his own way to the ring to check in
with Dave Batista about their match.
@@@
Later in the evening, as the show was
about to go to air, Dacey waited in costume in a hallway backstage, just around
the corner from where the cameras waited to show her meeting with Kenny
Dykstra, which would happen after the first match. She and Kenny had talked earlier, roughing
out the scene, before working with the writers to come up with the dialogue.
Now, she paced to keep her nervous
energy going, wanting Ginger to come across as edgy as possible. A tap on her shoulder was her cue, and she
strode around the corner, Ginger’s usual contemptuous smile in place. Kenny,
who was waiting in the open area, stepped towards her and grabbed her arm,
which caused a swift change of personality.
The smile disappeared as Ginger
snarled at him. “Take your hand off me!”
“Not until you hear me out – you
really hurt Victoria last night!”
Ginger smirked. “Really?
And what do you want me to do about it?”
“I want to know why you did it!” Kenny
insisted.
Tearing her arm out of his grip,
Ginger snorted laughter. “I don’t need a reason.”
Kenny stepped closer. “You do if I
say you do.”
They were standing almost nose to
nose. Ginger placed both hands on Kenny’s chest and gave him a shove. “Out of my way, boy.”
Kenny knocked her hands away with a
growl, which only provoked Ginger further, but at that moment, Christian came
down the hallway and she contented herself with giving Kenny another shove and
continuing down the hallway. Once she
was out of sight, Christian turned to Kenny with a puzzled look.
“What was that all about?”
Kenny threw his hands up. “Ginger had a match with Victoria last night
and it got nasty. I just want to know why she did it.”
Christian shook his head. “Like she’s going to tell you – she’s nuts,
man. If you want my advice, you’ll stay
out of her way.”
“Easy for you to say – what are you
gonna do if she goes after Trish tonight?” Kenny asked, and then strode off,
leaving Christian looking thoughtful.
Out at ringside, Jim Ross turned to
Jerry Lawler. “Looks like Kenny Dykstra has given Christian something to think
about for that match coming up later – Ginger will be taking on Trish Stratus
for the Women’s Championship.”
There was a tense scene later between
Eric Bischoff and Christian, as Christian tried to get the match made
non-title, but Eric remained firm. From
the look on Christian’s face, there was little doubt that the title would not
change hands if he could help it.
Ginger was waiting in the ring as
Trish entered, the champion accompanied by Christian, who took a seat with Jim
Ross and Jerry Lawler at the announce table while Trish relinquished her title
belt to the referee. He held it out to
Ginger, who almost ignored it, her attention focused solely on Trish. Once the bell was rung, Ginger rushed at the
champion, who looked a little taken aback by the ferocity of the attack.
The two wrestlers seemed fairly
evenly matched, though it was apparent that Ginger was becoming steadily more
infuriated each time Trish countered one of her moves. The match began to turn as Trish threw Ginger
into an Irish Whip, setting her up for a bicycle kick. At the last moment, Ginger grabbed the top
rope, halting her momentum, and Trish landed heavily on her back. She was up a moment later, throwing chops
against Ginger’s chest, and Ginger grabbed her by the hair to pull her away,
taking a long moment to break the illegal hold when ordered by the referee.
Finally she stepped back, and while
the referee berated her for the slow break, Trish was getting into
position. The moment the referee stepped
away, Trish landed a huge spinebuster on Ginger, and while she lay in the ring,
Trish climbed the turnbuckle, hoping for a shooting star splash. Ginger moved with last minute speed as Trish
turned, hitting the ropes and forcing Trish to fall, leaving her sitting
astride the top turnbuckle.
Ginger didn’t waste any time,
snapping into the handstand headscissors takeover, and Trish landed heavily on
the mat on her back. Ginger was up in an
instant, landing a hard elbow seemingly across Trish’s throat, while Jim Ross’s
call of the match gave the new move its name, as he described Trish’s “fall
from grace” and, it appeared, the imminent loss of her title.
But as Ginger grabbed Trish’s leg for
the pin, Christian was up from his seat at ringside, tossing something
surreptitiously into the ring and calling for the referee’s attention. Ginger’s face was a mask of fury as she held
Trish’s leg, obviously long enough for a three count, but the ploy had worked –
the set of brass knuckles on the mat near Trish looked as though they could
only have been used by Ginger to incapacitate the champion before pinning
her. The referee called for a
disqualification, and Ginger howled, launching herself over the top rope at
Christian, who caught her body in mid-air, spun around and body slammed her to
the floor.
The crowd was in an uproar as Trish
was helped up by Christian and the referee, leaving with her title belt, and
another referee dashed to Ginger’s side to offer aid. She lay motionless for a time, before
seemingly coming back to life in an instant, rolling to her feet and lashing
out at the referee. When he persisted, she
grabbed the folding chair that Christian had been sitting on and lifted it,
brandishing it at him menacingly before slamming it down hard on the announce
table and jumping the barrier to leave through the excited crowd.
Backstage, there were congratulations
to Trish and Dacey for a good match, and Christian made sure that Dacey was
okay after the slam outside the ring.
She assured him that she was, although the padded mats were nowhere near
as forgiving as the ring itself, and after a shower, Dacey was only too happy
to sit quietly with the other wrestlers as they watched the remaining matches
on the monitors backstage. After his
match with Batista, Glenn joined them, taking a chair behind Dacey and working
his hands gently over her shoulders, which had taken the brunt of her impact
with the floor.
She resisted the urge to purr with
pleasure at his touch, instead wriggling her shoulders and smiling back at him,
whispering, “Thank you.”
Mark and Paul had the headline match
of the night, which had the fans in a frenzy, and the wrestlers backstage were
riveted by a virtuoso performance by two of the top talents in their
business. After the show ended, Glenn
and Dacey waited for Mark in a quiet spot, talking together about the events of
the evening. Glenn drove the SUV back to
the Calaways, and he and Dacey wished Mark a quiet goodnight before walking
around to the guesthouse together.
Dacey was becoming aware of some
stiffness in her shoulders, and she eased the duffle she carried.
Glenn looked at her with
concern. “Everything okay, Dace?”
“Just a little stiff, is all,” she responded,
smiling at him.
He nodded, opening the guesthouse
door for her and flicking on a light.
“You took quite a slam, so I’m not really surprised. Can I suggest a remedy?”
She dropped the duffle onto the
couch, rolling her head slowly from side to side. “I’m all ears.”
Smiling, he held out his hand to
her. She took it and he led her down to
her room, pointing at the bathroom. “I
want you to go in there and take a nice hot shower – get the spray onto your
shoulders, hard as you can. When you’re
done, I’ll give you a massage with some sports rub.”
She gave him a soft smile and leaned
up to kiss him, whispering, “Yes please, a ghrá mo chroí, that
sounds like just what I need.”
As she went into the adjoining bathroom, Glenn left for his own
room, gathering his own gear as he went.
He had a moment to debate the wisdom of what he’d suggested as he
unpacked his bag, looking for the sports rub – on one hand, touching Dacey was
a wonderful idea, but he certainly didn’t want to rush into anything intimate,
not yet. He reasoned, as he went back
down the hallway, that someone suffering from muscle soreness was probably not
likely to let things get out of hand, and he chuckled wryly to himself. It wasn’t like they were a pair of horny
teenagers, after all. He collected her
duffle from the living area and carried it with him.
There was soft light spilling from the doorway as he approached it,
and he tapped lightly on the door before looking in. “Dacey, can I come in?”
There was a tiny pause before she called out, “Of course, Glenn.”
He stepped into the room, setting down the duffle near her
suitcase. She had turned on the light
beside the bed and turned down the covers, but the room was empty. There was the sound of water running in the
bathroom, but a moment later, the water was shut off and she appeared, smiling
at him. She was dressed in her pyjamas,
her skin rosy pink from the hot shower.
She smiled at him. “Where do
you want me?” Her eyes suddenly widened,
and she blushed, giggling. “Oh! That didn’t quite come out right!”
He could only laugh, moving to hug her, pressing a kiss to her
temple. “It did sound a bit suggestive,
yes. But I know what you meant,
honey.” He looked at the bed. “How about if you sit with your back to
me? I find that a bit more comfortable
when it’s my shoulders that are aching.”
Dacey nodded, moving over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it,
turning her back to Glenn. Her hair was
caught up in a scrunchie, exposing the back of her neck and her shoulders in
the cami-style tank top of her sleepwear.
As he sat behind her, Glenn leaned in to place a soft kiss on her nape,
and she shivered with delight.
“So much for not acting like a horny teenager,” he chided himself
mentally, resisting the urge to do it again.
He squeezed some of the cream into his hands, rubbing them together
to warm it a little, and then leaned closer to her, nuzzling his cheek to hers
with a smile. “Push your straps down, Dacey, I don’t want to get the rub on
them.”
She looked back at him as she slipped first one strap and then the
other off her shoulders, and he reminded himself sternly that he had a job to
do here. He brought his hands up to her
bare shoulders, slowly applying the cream to her skin, and then began to
massage it in. Her head dropped forward,
making the line of her neck seem even more desirable, and he busied himself
working his fingers along the lines of her muscles, feeling for any tight
spots. Her tiny little moans as his
fingers encountered particularly sore spots were easily amongst the most
arousing sounds he’d ever heard, even as they reminded him that she was
actually in some pain and so it wasn’t a good idea to be even thinking some of
the things he was imagining.
Her body started to feel limp and relaxed under Glenn’s ministrations,
and as the soreness in her shoulders lessened, Dacey found herself thinking a
little too much about other ways she might like him to touch her. And yet she couldn’t bring herself to sit up
and end the massage, not quite yet. Not
while she was enjoying his touch so much.
Glenn could feel how relaxed she was, and his movements shifted from
massaging to caressing almost without him realising it. He moved closer to her as his hands slid down
her arms, gently easing her back against him as he shifted position on the bed,
so that she was sitting between his outstretched legs.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder with a soft sigh of
contentment as his arms stole around her waist, whispering softly, “Oh yes, I
feel so much better now, Glenn.”
He turned his head just enough to kiss her temple, whispering back,
“You feel wonderful, Dacey.”
Her hands came up to cover his, her fingertips caressing his skin,
her eyes slipping closed. She felt so
warm and safe in his arms. For his part,
he never wanted to let her go. He loved
how her body seemed to melt against his as he nuzzled his face into her hair,
inhaling its scent. But he could feel
her body relaxing against his, and knew she was falling asleep. Very gently, he shifted on the bed and lay
down with her still held in his arms.
Dacey made soft sleepy sounds as she nestled her head into the pillow, and with a pang of regret, he withdrew his arms from around her, kissing her cheek softly as he drew the covers up over her and turned off the light. More than anything, he wanted to stay with her, but he picked up the sports rub and left the room, closing the door quietly. Still, the feel of her in his arms remained with him, and it took him much longer than Dacey to fall asleep.
^ Rockstar – Nickelback
Lyrics by Chad Kroeger
I’m through with standing in line
to clubs we’ll never get in
It’s like the bottom of the ninth
and I’m never gonna win
This life hasn’t turned out
quite the way I want it to be
I want a brand new house
on an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
for ten plus me
I’ll need a credit card that’s got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club
At thirty-seven thousand feet
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and
James Dean is fine for me
I’m gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I’d even cut my hair and change my name
‘Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny ‘cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger’s
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free
I think I’m gonna dress my ass
with the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to
blow my money for me
I’m gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I’d even cut my hair
And change my name
‘Cause we all just
wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses
driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and
the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny
‘cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger’s
gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
with her bleach blond hair
And we’ll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and
today’s who’s who
They’ll get you anything
with that evil smile
Everybody’s got a
drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
I’m gonna sing those songs
that offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills
from a pez dispenser
When they ask why I drink all day
I’ll say because I can
I’ll get washed-up singers writing all my songs
Lip sync ‘em every night so I don’t get ‘em wrong
Then listen to the fans tell me how damn good I am
I’m gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I’d even cut my hair and change my name
Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hillltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny ‘cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger’s gonna wind up there
Every playboy bunny with her bleach blond hair
And we’ll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today’s who’s who
They’ll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody’s got a drug dealer on speed dial
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
^^ That Don't Impress Me Much – Shania Twain
Lyrics
by Shania Twain
I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart
But you've got being right down to an art
You think you're a genius-you drive me up the wall
You're a regular original, a know-it-all
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else
Okay, so you're a rocket scientist
That don't impress me much
So you got the brain but have you got the touch
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
I never knew a guy who carried a mirror in his pocket
And a comb up his sleeve-just in case
And all that extra hold gel in your hair oughtta lock it
'Cause Heaven forbid it should fall outta place
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else
Okay, so you're Brad Pitt
That don't impress me much
So you got the looks but have you got the touch
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
You're one of those guys who likes to shine his machine
You make me take off my shoes before you let me get in
I can't believe you kiss your car good night
C'mon baby tell me-you must be jokin', right!
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else
Okay, so you've got a car
That don't impress me much
So you got the moves but have you got the touch
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night
That don't impress me much
You think you're cool but have you got the touch
Don't get me wrong, yeah I think you're alright
But that won't keep me warm on the long, cold, lonely night
That don't impress me much
Okay, so what do you think you're Elvis or something...
Oo-Oh-Oh
That don't impress me much!
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-No
Alright! Alright!
You're Tarzan!
Captain Kirk maybe.
John Wayne.
Whatever!
That don't impress me much!
* Dirrty – Christina Aguilera
Ah, dirrty
(dirrty)
Filthy (filthy)
Nasty (Christina), you nasty (yeah)
Too dirrty to clean my act up
If you ain't dirrty
You ain't here to party (woo!)
Ladies (move)
Gentlemen (move)
Somebody ring the alarm
A fire on the roof
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Ring the alarm (and I'm throwin' elbows)
Oh, I'm overdue
Give me some room
I'm comin through
Paid my dues
In the mood
Me and the girls gonna shake the room
DJ's spinning (show your hands)
Let's get dirrty (that's my jam)
I need that, uh, to get me off
Sweat until my clothes come off
It's explosive, speakers are pumping (oh)
Still jumping, six in the morning
Table dancing, glasses are mashing (oh)
No question, time for some action
Temperature's up (can you feel it)
About to erupt
Gonna get my girls
Get your boys
Gonna make some noise
Wanna get rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
Ah, heat is up
So ladies, fellas
Drop your cups
Body's hot
Front to back
Now move your ass
I like that
Tight hip huggers (low for sure)
Shake a little somethin' (on the floor)
I need that, uh, to get me off
Sweat until my clothes come off
Let's get open, cause a commotion (ooh oh)
We're still going, eight in the morning
There's no stopping, we keep it popping (oh)
Hot rocking, everyone's talking
Give all you got (give it to me)
Just hit the spot
Gonna get my girls
Get your boys
Gonna make some noise
Rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Ooh sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty (oh, oh)
It's about time for my arrival
Here it comes, it's the one
You've been waiting on
Get up, get it up
Yup, that's what's up
Giving just what you want
To the maximum
Uh oh, here we go (here we go)
You can tell when the music
Starts to drop
That's when we take it
To the parking lot
And I bet you somebody's
Gonna call the cops
Uh oh's, here we go's (here we go)
Ohh ooh ohh, yeah yeah...
Wanna get rowdy (rowdy, yeah)
Gonna get a little unruly (ruly)
Get it fired up in a hurry (hurry)
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party (party)
Sweat dripping over my body (body)
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
Rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
(Ooh oh)
Get it fired up in a hurry
(Ooh oh)
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Ooh sweat dripping over my body
Dancing getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
Rowdy
Gonna get a little unruly
Get it fired up in a hurry
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time that I came to start the party
Sweat dripping over my body
Dance and getting just a little naughty
Wanna get dirrty
It's about time for my arrival
** "Hollaback
Girl"
– Gwen Stefani
Lyrics by Gwen Stefani
Uh huh, this is my shit
All the girls stomp your feet like this
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
I heard that you were talking shit
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms downs, getting everybody fired up
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
So that's right dude, meet me at the bleachers
No principals,no student-teachers
Both of us want to be the winner, but there can only be one
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
That's right I'm the last one standing, another one bites the dust
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Let me hear you say this shit is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
(This shit is bananas)
(B-A-N-A-N-A-S)
Again
This shit is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
(This shit is bananas)
(B-A-N-A-N-A-S)
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit
Ooooh ooh, this my shit, this my shit