Amy flopped back on the bed, exhausted. After an hour’s drive from the airport to the hotel, she was having a serious case of jet lag. She looked at her watch and sighed, *8 o'clock, I only have 1/2 hour to clean up and change for dinner.* She figured since it would be in the big dining hall with the rest of the wrestlers she should dress up a bit more. She changed into a pair of black slacks and a sheer black shirt with a black shell underneath. Just as she finished buttoning up her shirt, a knock sounded on the door. She looked through the peephole.
"Oh, hey Chris," she said tiredly, as she opened the door.
"Hey, Hon, how was the flight?" he asked. He was a bit alarmed that she looked so tired. His look of alarm didn’t go unnoticed.
"I’m just a little tired from the jet lag, that’s all," she said with a reassuring smile. "Actually, the flight went pretty well." She smiled wistfully, as she found herself thinking back to her and the guy’s bonding moment.
"Come on Amy," Chris said softly, "we have a dinner to attend."
It nearly took her breath away when she walked into the dining room. Joanie had told her every year at Wrestlemania, all the wrestlers got together for at least one dinner. She realized as she scanned the crowd, there were at least 50 wrestlers seated at the 3 long tables. Her and Chris found 2 empty seats next to Paul and Stephanie. There was a clinking of glass as Mr. McMahon stood up and cleared his throat.
"I’m glad everyone could make it this year. Every Wrestlemania I like to see all of us get together, so perhaps we can get to know each better, not to mention giving new wrestlers a chance to meet all of you. As a matter of fact, we do have a new wrestler entering the fold this year." He extended his arm, motioning for the wrestler to stand up. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Nora Greenwald!" She smiled shyly, as she tucked a golden ringlet behind her ear.
Matt noticed Jeff staring and smiled, "Taking a page from my book huh?" Matt’s voice broke through Jeff’s reverie of the young woman with golden tresses. Jeff turned to Matt and frowned. "Sorry to break up your daydream man," Matt said with a laugh.
Jeff reddened a little, "I was just thinking, that’s all," he defended.
"Uh huh, sure you were man," Brian Christopher Lawler said, a small smile playing on his lips.
Jeff shook his head, *Oh, man, now Matt and Brian will be teasing me all night. I’d like to be anywhere else but here, right now! * he thought miserably.
As if reading Jeff’s thoughts, Matt clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "We promise not to tease ya all night about it," Matt said sympathetically.
"Just through dinner," Brian said with a sly grin. They all laughed.
Amy thought it was neat to have another female wrestler in the group, even though it meant competition. She recognized Nora from the WCW as her alter-ego, Mona. She scanned the crowd for other familiar faces, when she spotted Matt and Jeff sitting next to Brian Christopher Lawler and Trish! She frowned, *I don’t trust her. Behind that sickly sweet smile lies a pair of fangs!* she thought furiously. She caught Trish looking at her with that pasted on smile of hers. What Amy noticed most of all though was the cold, calculating look in Trish’s eyes. Instantly, Amy pasted on a smile of her own, then quickly turned her head away.
The dinner went well over all. Amy talked with Joanie, Al, Chris, Stephanie, and Terri. Everything was going great, until she noticed Trish grab Matt by the hand and lead him to the verandah. Her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms. Chris looked at her, then at Trish and Matt. Before he could say anything though, he felt delicate arms slide around his waist. He put his hands on the person’s arms and turned around.
"Hey, Jess," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips, "I’d like to introduce you to my friends."
Exhausted, Amy fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was a light sleeper, though, because she heard some commotion out in the hall and instantly, her eyes popped open. She slowly got out of bed and looked out the peephole. First words that came to mind: *scum, as she looked at Dean slobbering, his version of kissing his girlfriend goodnight. *Then she realized that this girl didn’t want to be kissed! Amy didn’t think, she just reacted. Dressed in her royal blue silk pajamas she stomped towards Dean.
"Guess you don’t know what N O means do ya Dean?" she stated nonchalantly, as she attempted to pull him away from the girl.
"Nora!" she gasped. Her surprise gave Dean the advantage. He slammed her head into the wall. Excruciating pain, followed by stars, was all Amy saw for the next few seconds. Meanwhile, the commotion out in the hall woke up Matt and Jeff, not to mention Chris and his wife, who were next door to them. Matt and Jeff stumbled out into the hall, followed by Chris and Jessica. Jeff’s eyes widened when he saw Nora with Dean, but instinctively went towards the struggling girl, attempting to get her out of Dean’s clutches. Meanwhile, Matt saw Amy trying to regain her balance and grabbed her around the waist.
"You okay," he whispered into her ear. She nodded slightly as she held her hands to the side of her head.
"Ooh, I will be as soon as the room stops spinning," she muttered.
Meanwhile, Chris had gotten into it by simply punching Dean in the jaw, knocking him out. "Well, that was easy enough," Chris said.
"Only because he was drunk," Nora said wryly.
Chris turned to face her. "You don’t seem like the type to hang out with him," he said bluntly. Nora looked down at her feet nervously. She turned to look at Jeff, who was watching her carefully. She felt as if she was on the witness stand.
"Well, Dean was talking to me at dinner and.."
"That was your first mistake, you listened," Amy responded with a slight grin.
Nora smiled, she liked this girl’s sharp sense of humor. "He was nice at first, until he started drinking. It went down hill from there. He became.. a bit difficult," she said, choosing her words carefully.
"You’re being too kind," Amy said drolly. Nora was highly curious as to why Amy held such contempt for Dean, though now was not the time to ask any such questions.
"Thanks for your help," Nora said, as Jeff walked her to her hotel room.
"No problem," Jeff shrugged, "as long as your okay." He noticed she still looked a little pale, which concerned him, but he couldn’t help but think how cute she looked, what with the sprinkle of freckles across her nose.
"Well, we’re here. Not a long walk huh?"
"Huh, oh yeah," he said absent-mindedly.
"So, are you and Matt wrestling tomorrow?" she asked casually.
"Yeah, Amy, Matt, and I wrestle RTC tomorrow night."
"Oh, okay, well I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then."
"Wait a second, you’re wrestling tomorrow night? Who are you wrestling against?"
Nora bit her lip in thought, "Tori, I think."
"Well, good luck against Tori tomorrow, but be on your guard with her, Tori’s nice, but she’ll do what she has to in order to win."
Later that night, she thought about Jeff’s warning as she turned out the lights. *Tomorrow night should be interesting,* she thought, as she fell into a deep sleep.