Michelle had been with Rachel's small company for a week, and she was doing quite well. She did an an interview on her second day on the job with Robert De Niro, and came back with a book of information. More information than they really needed, but that was great.
Adam was acting strange this time when he came home from the road, and Rachel had a hard time getting him alone. Matt continually had him in another room whispering, and when she came in the room they would change the conversation. If she didn't know her brother so well, she would have thought something was up between the two.
Matt sat in a chair with a leg propped up. For a few weeks Jeff was going to have to wrestle singles, the night before Matt had been in a car accident. A broken finger, and a fractured ankle. Matt was upset at first, but the break was well needed.
Rachel was going to do interviews all week, but she decided to stay close to home and Matt. He had decided to stay with her for a little while, instead of going back to Cameron. Rachel sent Michelle to do an interview with Chris. They had become pretty good friends, but she knew where this was leading. Jess could put up a fight, Michelle had better watch out.
Friday night was a Pearl Jam concert. Maybe that was why Matt decided to stay there, she thought. She didn't like them all that much, but her brothers lived and breathed them. Maybe she would suprise Matt with some tickets.
Rachel sat at her desk wondering what to do next. She had no appointments, and all she had to do was make a few phone calls. She started to pick up the phone, when it rang.
"Rach, oh lovely sis of mine. Where can i find your remote control?" Matt asks Rachel.
"If I tell you, you have to tell me what the secret is between you and Adam." Rachel laughs when he sighs.
"NOPE." Matt says and hangs up the phone quickly..
"Why that little..."Rachel starts to mumble to herself.
Rich walks past her desk.."You talking to yourself again? I wonder how Michelle is doing on her interview?" He says more to himself than to her.
Rachel sits and stares at her papers on the desk.. Lost in thought, she closes her eyes and puts her head on the desk.
----------
Chris entered his dressing room that he shared with non other than Benoit, and saw Michelle waiting for him.
"Hey!! So they sent you out to do the dirty deed." Chris said to Michelle with a smile. He sometimes hated to do interviews, especially after a match. But it was Michelle, and she was always welcome.
"Yes...Rachel is taking care of Matt." Michelle says looking around. "Where is Jess? I figured she would be here."
"Home...she doesn't come out to these that much." Chris said as he wiped sweat away with a towel. He sat across from her and watched her write. "What are you writing."
"Oh nothing yet..I'm just doodling." She said. Doodling nervously, she thought.
They start to chat about wrestling, life and family. He almost started asking her more questions than she was to him. Her pencil worked fast over paper, and by the end of the interview she wished she had a recorder to save her hand. And also to hear his voice later when he wasn't there to talk to her.
"Wow that was great. Thats the best interview I have had. Atleast I know with you everything will be the truth! " Chris said as he put a shirt on. "Say, me and some of the guys were going to go out tonight...do you want to go?" he asked her.
"Umm...sure." Michelle said putting her pencil and paper in her bag.
Jeff enters the room and stares at Michelle, but talks to Chris. "You coming or not?"
"Yeah, Michelle is coming with us." Chris says, as he pulls her up from her sitting postion to stand.
"I have to go change!" Michelle says, as she notices the clothes she has on.
"OK...fine...you can meet us there." Jeff says and leaves the room.
"We go to the same places each time we are in a town.. I can give you the directions and you can meet us there." Chris says as he writes down the directions.
"Thanks!!" Michelle says, and then walks out the door with Chris watching her.
------
"DAMN!!" Beth yells in frustration.
"Whats wrong?" Trendi asks, as she cooks dinner.
"David is sick again." Beth says, as she falls onto the couch.
"Again?" Trendi asks.
"Again." Beth says to her. "And I can't find one of my school books. I have to have it to finish an assignment. I got a call from Michelle again too, and its not from her and Shawns either. It keeps saying unknown caller, so i can't call her back. This totally irks me... I think I will call her house one more time."
She dials the number and finally a male voice answers.
"Shawn?" She asks.
"Keith." the man answers.
"Can I speak to Shawn?" Beth asks.
"Hmmm maybe, maybe not. Whats in it for me?" Keith asks with a chuckle.
"Put Shawn on please, this is important!" Beth says, starting to get impatient.
---
Keith drops the phone. "Dude there is some chick that wants your body, on the phone." Keith yells across the house to Shawn.
----
"What?" Shawn says as he answers the phone.
"Shawn?" Beth asks.
"OH this is just Beth." Shawn says and almost hangs up the phone.
"Wait.. Shawn don't hang up. Where is Mich?" Beth asks, hoping for a straight answer.
"How should I know. I figured she would have contacted you by now. She took off with some huge guys the other night...thats all i can remember. I think she left me, she took some of her things. I was thinking about burning the rest. I figure she can't live without me...she'll be back.. You bet your ass she will be back." he says laughing smuggly.
"She left you?" She covered the mouth piece of the phone and tried to control her laughter.. "Who were the guys?? Were you that drunk to not remember.
"Wrestlers I think." Shawn responded. "She's probably fucked all of them by now."
"Good God, you are such a Prick!" Beth said, and hung up on him.
"Did you find out anything?" Trendi asks, as she blows on a piece of hot food.
"Yeah...she left him. Finally." Beth says, as she listens to one of Michelle's many messages.. Call back...please, Beth thought to herself.
------
Michelle, Chris and a few of the other guys enter a not so quiet club called Gails. Loud music, Loud people, Jeff hits the dance floor before the whole group could enter the building. Michelle and Chris found a table in a corner to watch the rest of them dance.
"You want a drink?" Chris asks her over the noise.
"What?" Michelle screams back.
Chris moves a little closer so to not have to yell over the pounding bass. "Do you want something to drink?" He asks as the song ends.
Jeff and Scotty rejoin them at the table.
"Oh look a Michelle sandwich." Jeff says as he sits next to her.
The waitress takes their order, never taking her yes off of Jeff.
"Thanks." Michelle says as Chris pushes her money back in front of her. It was his treat.
---
Scotty ran back out onto the dance floor after a few minutes. His feet just wouldn't stay still. Jeff followed suit not long after, leaving Chris and Michelle alone again. After awhile they ran out of things to say, and the silence was becoming aukward, so they decided to hit the dance floor.
For a few moments Chris, Michelle and Jeff formed another sandwhich as they danced to Ride The Train. Michelle had never had that much fun. As the song ended a slow one started .
"I'm out on this one." jeff said, and made his way back to their table.
Chris held Michelle's hand so she wouldn't follow him back.
"May I have this dance?" HE asks michelle.
She doesn't resist, and she lets him put his arms around her.
"You're shaking." He says to her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm find." She says and giggles. Nerves had gotten the best of her. She was falling for him, falling for someone that had become a good friend. Could he see through her, she thought?
He kissed her cheek, and she sighed.
-------
Thank God It's Friday, Rachel thought as a rubberband flew her way. One more day with Rich and she was going to strangle him.
"NO!! Rich!! STOP! NO MORE!! " Rachel yells, as she is being bombarded with rubberband after rubberband. "YOU NEED MORE WORK TO DO!!"
"Your brother is killing me!! " Adam says as he comes up behind Rachel.
The phone rings and it is Matt.
"Adam please!" Matt says to Rachel. Rachel stares at Adam as she hands him the phone. "How did he know you were here??"
Adam shrugs. "DUDE, How did you know I was here? NO! Not yet, you didn't give me enough time! " Adam says starting to laugh.
Rich and Rachel look at each other and shrug. A rubberband hits adam in the cheek.
"Oh you're in for it now Rich!!" Rachel says laughing.
Adam hangs up the phone and clears his through. "Rach....I gotta ask you something." he says in a more serious tone.
"Gee did my brother piss you off some more?" Rachel asks, as he takes her hand.
The phone rings again.
"Ah Sorry." Rachel says to Adam. " Oh hi Chris!" Rachel says as she starts a conversation with Chris.
Adam takes her hand and kisses it. Mouthing "I LOVE YOU" he leaves.
---------
Finally concert time Matt thinks as he sits in the car with his sister. He knew she would get some tickets. What sucked was that he had to go in there on crutches.
"Whats up with you and Adam?" Rachel asked, hoping her brother would answer her honestly.
"What do you mean?" Matt asks, as he looks out the window and not at her.
"You know what i mean.. The shifty conversations. That conversation earlier today... How did you know he would be there?" Rachel asked.
"New wrestling moves?" Matt says starting to laugh." Rach, theres nothing to worry about."
"OH really, what kind of moves...you never were a good liar." Rachel said laughing.
She looked at her older brother and wondered where he got his stubbornness from . He sat there with a small smile on his face.. She didn't know whether it was because of the secret he held.. or because of he was going to see Pearl Jam.. Probably it was both.
Rachel's cell phone rang.
"Yo Albert. I am driving, why? NO NO...It's business. Maybe next time. OK, Later." Rachel said, and then hung up the phone.
Matt looked at her strangly. "Albert?" he asked, not looking very happy at the moment. "Why would he be calling you right now?"
"Why should I tell you my secrets?? You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." Rachel says laughing at his expression.
"Hmmppth." Is all Matt responds.
-----------
The weekend always went by too fast, Beth thought as she searched online for any sign of Michelle. She had been calling numbers and coming up with nothing. Maybe in this world of computers, Michelle would have an email address. Giving up after hours of search, Beth settled down with one of her wrestling magazines. And much to her suprise Michelle's name popped out at her, along with an email address.
She jumped up and down for a minute, hoping the neighbors didn't notice she was almost naked save for her socks.. She picked up the phone to call David, hoping he was awake.
"Girl whats up?" David answered groggily. HE rubbed his eyes, and laid there thinking that whatever she had to say better be good.
"I found Michelle. Lucky girl got a good job. I am going to write her some email, but I doubt she will get it until tomorrow." Beth said, hoping her excitement was contagous.
"Wow, cool, neato. You think you really want to get back in contact with her? She's been nothing but a mess lately." David said to her.
"No one is perfect." Beth responds, everyone makes mistakes, she thought.
----------
"I hate Valentines Day. Whoever thought it up, they must die." Michelle says laughing. She stood in the doorway of her new house, as a small group helped her unload. The neighborhood children were busy at work passing around Valentines cards.
"Why?" Rachel asks as she hears one of the guys whistle. She turns to see a sweaty Adam and Jeff carrying a computer desk.
"Where do you want this Mich?" A breathless Jeff asks.
"Over there." Michelle responds, and points. "Oh wait, I think it would be better over there." She points to the far side of the room, and the men roll their eyes at each other. "I saw that." Michelle says laughing.
"One more man...just one more man." Jeff says as the drop the desk in its place. "Matt is no help. All he can carry is the small stuff, and i mean the ity bity small stuff." Jeff says, as he walks back outside. He steps back in and looks at Michelle. "Where is Chris today?"
"How should I know?" Michelle asks, suprised that he would ask her where he was.
"You guys seem to hang out an awful lot. Don't freak on me." Jeff says, as he runs back out the door.
Rachel grabbed Michelle's hand and led her to the back porch, where an almost olympic sized pool was.
"Wow, nice view." Rachel says, hoping to get Michelles mind off of Chris.
"Yes, isn't it." Michelle says happily.
They walk outside and sit on the deck just outside of the house. It was a warm winters day, a typical Tampa winter.
"Rach...i was wondering if you could tell me about you. I work for you, and yet all I know is Adam is your man and The Hardyz are your brothers. This all seems like a dream really." Michelle says as she plays with her hair.
"hmmmm well... I am the middle child. Ever since mom died...I feel like I have stepped into the spot.. Well, atleast sometimes i do." Rachel says as she hears a car drive up and Chris' voice.
Michelle's eyes light up as Chris walks out onto the patio.
"Wow...nice pool." Chris says, as he sees the two ladies sitting together.
"You alone?" Rachel asks, looking behind him to see if Jess was with him.
He looks behind him and then back at Rachel. " Jess is at work if thats who you are looking for." He says smiling, and pulls his hair into a pony tail.
Adam walks out on the deck to see if Chris was going to help them out. "Rach...I thought you left. Don't you have karate practice to be at?" HE said looking at his watch.
"Late!! Late as usual...Mich, I am so sorry.. i gotta run." Rachel ran back through the house and left Chris and Michelle together.
Merigold finds her way onto the patio. "Hey Mich, have you seen Rich? He was supposed to be here." She asks Michelle. "OH.. I ran into Jess. She was asking where you where Chris.. and I told her I didn't know. Now I know though. I told her everyone was coming over here...I gave her directions...."
"I haven't seen Rich." Michelle says cutting her off and frowning at the name of Jess being mentioned.
"Did she say anything about making it over?" Chris asks Merigold.
"Uhhhh. I can't remember if she responded. I guess if she asked for the directions... I don't know." Meri says, stepping back into the house and almost into Jess.
"Hey, watch it!!" Jess says laughing. "Meri, i saw Rich not 10 minutes ago.. maybe you can catch him."
"Thanks." Merigold runs out of the house.
Jess walks out on the patio where the other two are seated. There was no way she was going to let them be alone for very long. She didn't trust Michelle. That sweet and innocent act just didn't set well with her.
"Hey sexy." Jess says, and walks over to Chris to kiss him hello.
---------
"Man, everytime I try to talk to Rachel I get interrupeted." Adam says to Jay and Matt.
"It gets harder to keep a secret from her everyday. You're going to have to say something." Jay says laughing.
"I think she is getting some strange ass ideas about you and me Adam, and I am not liking it." Matt said, as Adam punched him on the arm.
"Consider that a love tap." Adam says laughing.
"Ow dude, my shoulder is tender." Matt says rubbing his shoulder and laughing. "You're starting to scare me. Oh... by the way.. did Rachel tell you Albert called her the other day?" Matt asks Adam.
"Hairy?" Jay asks.
"No, what did he want? She hasn't said a word to me." Adam says to both of the men.
"She wouldn't tell me. She told me if I could keep a secret, then she could keep a secret. " Matt says to Adam.
"So much for secrets." Jay says, trying to make Adam laugh.
-------
Rachel walks into the house in the dark. She had hoped Adam would still be awake when she got home. After Karate, she had gone to straighten some work out at the office and lost track of time.
She slipped into a hot bubble bath, and pulled her long dark hair into a pony tail. Her muscles act from moving furniture, karate and just moving herself. She had not checked on Adam , she figured he was asleep.
"Rachel?" His voice entered the bathroom and made her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said as he himself entered the bathroom. "Where were you tonight?" Hoping he was the only man on her mind.
"I should have called. I went to the office, and lost track of time. We didn't get to celebrate our Valentines Day." Rachel says with a pout.
His heart skipped a beat. "We still can. Its still Valentines Day central time." He says with a smile. He sits on the edge of the tub and starts to play with the bubbles.
Rachel pulls him in, clothes and all.