Part 19:

The night of December 27th, before they were due to go back to New York, Lissy and Paul lay in bed, spooned together. Their breathing was finally returning to normal after a rather restless evening. Paul had his arms around Lissy, playing havoc with her mind as his fingers kept dipping in and out of her navel.
“So we’re going to spend the rest of our vacation with the boys?” she asked.
“Yeah… for the last couple of years, it’s kind of been tradition.”
“Well, what about this year? What were you planning on doing?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t too sure. I wanted to spend time with you, but I kind of knew the boys would want me to join in their holiday fun, what with the Millennium and all that crap.”
“You were going to sacrifice your time with your best friends for time with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Paul didn’t say a word. And Lissy was eagerly awaiting those words. She wanted to hear something about his feelings for her. All of the non-stop sex had been great and all but she wanted something more. She wasn’t necessarily ready to hear I love you, but she wanted something. Something she would be able to hold on to when the job was done.
“I care about you,” he whispered, burying his mouth in her hair.
“What?”
“I care about you,” he repeated, pressing his hand against the bulge of her stomach.
“You do?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I’m not surprised that you care,” she explained, drying a tear on the pillowcase, “I’m surprised to hear you admit it. It feels pretty damn nice.”
“And you? Do you care about me?”
“Very much so, Paul. I care about you very much.”

Paul pulled Lissy into his arm, fitting her body into his. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear until she fell asleep. She cared about him, he thought as her light snores filled the room. It was nice and all, but he wanted something more. He’d actually expected her to admit her undying love to him. He might not be ready to make that step, but he’d wanted to hear it from her. Maybe he was selfish, he thought to himself as he joined her into the arms of Morpheus.

Lissy tolled over to Paul’s side of the bed and found it empty. She buried her face into his pillow, breathing in his naturally musky fragrance. He was so… perfectly manly, this man of hers. This man of hers; her choice of words brought a smile to her face. Was Paul really her man or was he just a man who was hers for the time being? By the same token, did Paul even think of her as his woman? Too soon, however, reality made a harsh comeback, disturbing her silly wonderings. Where was he? She was supposed to protect him but she didn’t know where he was?
Naked, she reached for the gun she’d placed in the nightstand and slid on his black raw silk robe.
“Paul,” she called, “Paul?”
“Outside,” came his answer.
Lissy tucked the gun into the robe pocket and joined Paul outside on the patio. Her breath caught. How did he manage to look so good, so early in the morning? That had to be illegal, or unnatural. His pajamas were a match for his robe and she almost wanted to strip to see the whole outfit on him.
Paul’s arms were braced against the railing as he looked out to The sea. Lissy came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his shoulder blades.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t want to live like this.”
“In the lap of luxury?”
“No. Having to run away from my life to find my happiness. Why the fuck do I have to run away from my life to be happy?”
“Because you’re being stalked,” said Lissy, moving away from him.
“And if I wasn’t being stalked?”
“Then we would have never met.”
Paul turned to her, looking like a fallen angel. His drawstring pajamas pants rested low on his hips, the hem caressing his toes while the jacket hung loosely on his shoulders, gently flapping in the morning sun. His dark blond hair, dry for once, fanned his broad shoulders. As beautiful as he was, with the early morning sun behind him, he looked like sin made man.
“That would have been hell,” he said softly, running a finger down her face.
“Paul, you have to realize that this is a simple escape from reality. This afternoon, we’re going back to work.”
“And you and I go back to being PI and charge, wrestler and bodyguard.”
“We have to. You know that.”
“I don’t have to like it.”
“I’m not asking you to. Paul, please. I made up these rules to remain objective. I stole those days. They’re not really mine to have, much less to enjoy.”
“Oh, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Lissy saw the sadness in his eyes and went to him, her arms going around his neck.
“Don’t do this,” she said softly. “Don’t ruin what we can enjoy for the next few hours.”
“It’s not easy.”
“Well, try.”
Lissy stepped away from Paul and dropped the robe to the ground. He looked up and down her body, almost licking his lips as the thought.
“What did you have in mind?” he asked, a smile finally curving his lips.
“Follow me and you’ll see.”
When they arrived at LaGuardia, Lissy was mad at herself. She’d promised herself that the moment they left Miami, she would be all business with Paul, but she couldn’t bring herself to do just that.
On their way to the airport, she’d helped him pick out souvenirs for his friends and on the flight, they’d barely watched The Matrix, busy as they were, necking and groping like teenagers.
But the moment she cleared the gates, Paul in tow, making all sorts of comments about her ass in tight jeans, she had no choice but to be all business. The rest of DX were waiting for them, along with Jim and about twenty screaming fans. As Lissy went into crowd control mode, Paul’s attitude also changed. He was much more business-like, talking only to his DX buds and treating Lissy like, well, like a bodyguard. It was exactly what she wanted but it cut her to the quick. She was about to burst into the womanly tears she hated when Jim went to sit next to the driver and gently pushed her into the backseat, and right into Paul’s lap.
As if his friends weren’t there, snickering and laughing, he kissed her madly and intensely.
“I love the look on your face when you’re all business,” he explained.
“Thanks.”
“So I take it the two of you had fun,” said Mike, making room for Lissy between him and Paul.
“You could say that.”
“So now, Lissy, how are you going to distract us?” asked Kip.
“Depends. What do you want to do?”
“Mainly? Have a great time and maybe steal you away from Paul,” said Kip with a big, obvious wink.
Lissy laughed her head off and nodded.

The limo took them straight to the Waldorf Astoria. The boys went up to their suite and Lissy and Paul went to theirs. Lissy immediately checked it from top to bottom and finally set her luggage down in the second bedroom.
“What are you doing?” asked Paul.
“I’m back on the dime,” she explained.
“So?”
“We might share a bed, but to the outside world, this is all business. Are we clear?”
“We’re clear. Now… let’s go check out that hot tub. I think you might have missed something,” said Paul, putting her sweater over her head.
“You think?”
“Yeah.”

“All right,” said Kip when Paul and Lissy came into the DX suite, their hair still wet from the hot tub’s christening and their fingers linked, “where are we off to tonight?”
“Actually,” said Lissy, “there is a place I know. Great music and good drinks.”
“What is this place?”
“It’s called Rets. It’s where I usually hang out.”
“A club called Rets?”
“The real name is Retro. But my friends and I call it Rets.”
“Friends? Do these friends of yours happen to be female friends?” asked Kip, coming to stand next to Lissy, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
“Some of them.”
“Are they pretty?” asked Sean.
“I guess so,” she answered with a smile.
“Are they single?” asked a suddenly interested Mike.
“Yes.”
“But most important of all,” asked Bryan, “Do they like it doggie style?”

Part 20:

Later that night, Lissy pulled her SUV in front of a strip joint. Paul craned his neck and looked at the flashing neon sign.
“Tell me this isn’t Rets?” he asked.
“No. We’re picking up a friend. Which means you’re being bumped to the limo.”
“You’re picking up a friend at a strip joint?”
“Yes.”
Lissy walked Paul to the limo. She winked at Jim, who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver and went on walking. When Paul opened the door, he saw his best pals jumping around in excitement.
“Is this it?” asked Kip, “you’re taking us to a strip club, you wonderful woman you?”
“Down boy! I’m picking up a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Yes! Now, be good.”
Lissy slammed the door shut behind Paul and made her way to the dingy entrance. The bouncer hadn’t changed one bit, except maybe for a few new tattoos.
“Is Debbie in there?” she asked.
“Yeah. Her late show just ended.”
“Cool. Could you let her know I’m waiting for her?”
“Not a problem.”
Lissy leaned against the car, adopting her favorite don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. She was knee-deep in thought when a piercing scream brought her back to reality. She looked up, but not in time to prepare herself for the onslaught of Debbie that came her way.
“Lissy!” screamed her friend Debbie, hugging her, “are you finally done with this bodyguard job?”
“Not quite. He’s in the limo.”
“Oh. So how are you?”
“Pretty good. You?”
“You know. I work here every night. Same old, I guess. Let me look at you. Oh my God, you’ve had sex!”
Lissy ushered a giggling Debbie into the SUV and told the limo’s driver to follow them.
“Who was it?” asked Debbie the moment Lissy hopped into the car.
“What?”
“Who did you have sex with? Don’t tell me it was Logan. That would be so anti-climactic.”
“I had sex with Logan. But it was a while back.”
“So who did you have sex with, let’s see here… umm, this afternoon?”
“How did you…”
“It’s a talent,” interrupted Debbie, “so who what it?”
“Will you ever let it go?”
“Not bloody likely. Who was it?”
“Triple H.”
“The Triple H? The WWF Heavyweight champion?”
“Yes.”
“Oh My God!!!”
Debbie’s screams filled the car and were soon joined by Lissy’s laughter.
“You fucked Triple H?”
“You could say that.”
“Wow! How was it?”
“My toes are still curled.”
“You fuckin’ whore,” laughed Debbie.
“Don’t call me that. And for your personal knowledge, we made love.”
“You made love? Does this mean… the two of you?”
“I don’t know. Let’s just say that I’m along for the ride.”
“I see. Now tell me, who’s in the limo behind us?”
“Paul and his buds. You know, Kip, Brian, Sean and Mike. All of them single and horny.”
“Single and horny? Sounds good. So what are you guys up to?”
“I thought I’d take them to Rets and that you and some of the girls might want to join us.”
“Who did you have in mind?”
“Dianne, Frankie, Caroline and maybe Heather and Erica. What do you think?”
“Cool. But I get to pick first, right?”
“Right. Now, we’re going to your place first. I only have work clothes with me at the hotel and we need something more… you know, more!”
“Borderline slut-a-wear?”
“But classic and nice.”
“That’s my specialty.”

Lissy stopped her car in front of Debbie’s apartment and went to the limo. Jim’s window was already lowered.
“Are we going to this club of yours or not?”
“Yeah?” asked Kip, his head popping out from the lowered partition, “and who’s your friend?”
Lissy gave Debbie a quick look as her friend stood in front of the building and smiled at Kip.
“That’s Debbie,” she explained. “And I have to change. I can’t go clubbing dressed like this. Give us fifteen, twenty minutes.”
“So in real time, thirty to forty minutes?”
“No. Give us twenty to fifteen minutes.”
Debbie was waiting for Lissy by the entrance, tapping her toes. “How much time do we have?”
“To get ready and call the girls? Ten minutes.”
“Fuck… we have to hurry.”
The minute the door to Debbie’s apartment opened, the exotic dancer went for the shower, while Lissy went straight for the bedroom and Debbie’s closet. As she looked over her friend’s wide array of clothes, she picked up her phone and started calling their friends. Dianne and Frankie were the first ones on her list and they were only too happy to join her and Debbie at Rets and they promised to call Heather and Erica. Debbie came out of the shower, her hair wet, already wearing panties and a bra.
“So what’s our look for tonight?”
“These guys have never seen me look decadent. You have something that’ll work for that look.”
“Absolutely. What do you think I should wear?”
“Flash a lot of leg and cleavage.”
“I have just the thing.”
As she’d promised, Lissy and Debbie ran out of the building exactly seventeen minutes after they’d gone in, their clubbing attire hidden under long leather jackets. In the car, the boys were already laying odds on who Lissy’s friend Debbie would be most interested in. They all thought she looked hot and then some. When they got to Rets, they were all suitably impressed by the long line-up, which didn’t seem to be a problem for Lissy and Debbie, who handed the car keys to a valet and hopped out. Whereas Debbie went straight inside, Lissy waited for the boys to exit the limo and gave the driver precise instructions on where to wait for them.
“So, you boys ready?” she asked with a smile, heading for the club’s entrance.
“We’d like to believe so.”
“Well, trust me, you aren’t.”
Lissy went by the bouncer, DX closely following her, without any problems. She gave up her long black coat at coat check and was complimented by the boys’ comments when they saw her outfit. Paul looked her up and down and drew her into his arms.
“I like,” he whispered, “I like a lot.”
Lissy laughed and walked away from him, showing him the back view of her white backless tank top and the pair of buttery-soft black leather pants that clung to her every curve. The young woman led them to a very private spot where Debbie was already talking with a few of their friends. The women’s reunion was a noisy and joyful event.
“Guys, I’d like to introduce you to my very best friends. First of all, this is Debbie, my all-time partner in crime. This is Dianne, the mother of the group. Frankie is something of our little baby sister. And this is Heather, our quiet one who’s usually there with her sister Erica. Where is she?”
“New boyfriend already dragged her onto the dance floor,” explained Heather.
“I see. Girls, these are the boys, this is Paul, a.k.a. Triple H. You have Michael Hickenbottom, the Heartbreak Kid, Monty Sopp, Bad Ass Billy Gunn, Brian Armstrong, The Road Dogg and last, but not least, our resident Chia pet, Sean Waltman, Mr. X-Pac.”
Once the introductions were done, Lissy went to Paul and let the girls chose their partners for themselves. There was an immediate attraction between Kip and Debbie that brought a smile to Lissy’s lips.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Look at Debbie and Kip. It’s like they were long-lost lovers.”
“Can she handle the heartbreak? Kip’s never been known to be the faithful type.”
“Trust me… if anyone can make him walk the straight and narrow, it has to be…”
Suddenly, the DJ’s voice came in loud and clear. “All right, it’s time for the ladies’ choice of the night. And, as it has been for the past couple of months, it’s once again time for Ricky Martin’s Shake Your Bon-Bon. So you all have twenty seconds to bring your bon-bon down the dance floor and get ready to shake it.”
Before the guys could understand what had happened, the girls squealed like teenagers and rushed to the dance floor. Paul and his friends followed them at a more sedate pace and were surprised to see them take their place on the dance floor. They were quickly joined by someone who was evidently Heather’s sister Erica. They took their positions in a tight circle and started to move in perfect coordination as soon as Ricky crooned about being a desperado. They took over the dance floor and made it theirs, putting on a show for everyone there. The guys watched happily, clapping and pointing to the ladies they’d chosen for the evening, having a good time until Logan appeared and started dancing with Lissy. That’s when Paul started seeing red.

Part 21:

When Lissy recognized Logan, her face bloomed happily. His hands settled on her hips as he helped her shake her bon-bon. The rest of the girls crowded around them, patting Logan on the back, hugging him, yet not missing a single dancing step.
Lissy spun and stumbled on her heel, as shocked as she was by the hard, unforgiving look on Paul’s face. She leaned on Debbie, bringing her mouth to her friend’s ear.
“Get Logan off me,” she hissed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look at Paul.”
Debbie glanced at Paul and nodded in agreement. She went to Logan and wrapped her body around his, easily managing to draw him away from Lissy. The private investigator went on dancing, her mind filled with thoughts of Paul, of what he must be thinking. The second the song ended, with Paul’s unforgiving eyes on her, Lissy stumbled to the unisex bathroom, her eyes filled with tears. Her friends joined her in a matter of seconds.
“Okay, what the fuck was that?” asked Dianne.
“Logan… we had sex… while I was on the road with Paul. And he, Paul, got a bit jealous… we never really talked about my relationship with Logan.”
“So when Paul saw you and Logan…” began Heather.
“Manure hit the ventilator?”
All the girls turned to Erica, the English lit teacher, who always impressed them with her flowery expressions, and they all smiled, shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Pretty much… yeah,” said Lissy. “I don’t know. I just hate the look he had in his eyes.”
“Fine. We’ll solve it. And until you hear that Ricky Martin slow that you love so much… stay put!”
Debbie exited the bathroom, danger in her eyes, and headed straight for where Paul was lounging with his friends.
“You,” she said, pointing a finger in his direction, “I need to talk to you.”
“What’s up? I’m enjoying some time off with my friends.”
“You are? Well, they’re just leaving.”
Debbie flashed the boys such an angry look that they all got up and made short work of disappearing. Paul stretched himself to the full extent of his six feet and four inches and was a bit discouraged to find Debbie’s eyes at a level with his. She grinned at him confidently, enjoying his discomfort. There was some advantage to being six feet tall and feeling very comfortable on top of very high platform shoes.
“What?” he asked, getting some of his bravado back.
“You hurt my best friend’s feelings, you son of a bitch!”
“Yeah, and she didn’t hurt mine, dancing all close and stuff with that guy…”
“That guy is called Logan. And him and Lissy have been friends for ages. We all have.”
“Friends,” he scoffed.
“Friends. Who occasionally enjoy sexual adventures.”
“You know about it?”
“Of course I do. But trust me, I don’t think Lissy and Logan are ever going to get together ever again.”
“How do you know?”
“She’s my best friend Sherlock. And believe it or not, she’s fallen for you. Fallen hard.”
“Right.”
“Did you know that when she was working on Mike’s case, he made passes at her?”
“He did?”
“And he was trying hard, like really hard to get her to cave in.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Of course not. And contrary to you, Lissy liked Mike; she liked him before she met him. She liked the whole Sexy Boy persona and she would have slept with him. If she’d met him face to face before he hired her. But the second he walked into her office, he became forbidden fruit. And she had a hard time not giving in. She wanted to desperately. But she held back.”
“So?”
“So… the fact that she’s given in to you at all means a lot. Logan and her… that was just a physical thing. They use each other when they can’t get sex anywhere else. And considering I know from a good source that you keep her satisfied, there should be no problem.”
“So I got all jealous and stuff for nothing?”
“Yeah.”
“So I’m an ass.”
“No… but now I know you care about her.”
“I do. A lot.”
“Good. And know this… if you hurt her… that bit wrestler’s ass of yours is mine to destroy.”
“As if you could.”
Like lightning, Debbie’s fingers were pinching a very delicate nerve in Paul’s arms, bringing tears to his eyes.
“I’m a stripper Paul. I know how to keep guys on track. Now, be a good boy and go wait for Lissy by the dance floor. And dance with her, and ask her about Logan. Okay?”
“Okay.”

Debbie made a quick trip to see the DJ, plying her obvious charms and got him to play the Ricky Martin song. She watched from another level as Paul waited for Lissy and finally smiled when the couple spotted each other from across the dance floor. She folded her arms across her chest and smiled in satisfaction.
“Feeling kind of pleased with yourself?” asked Kip.
“Yeah, kind of.”
“You did good out there. These two are a match made in heaven.”
“Just hope they actually start realizing that.”
“What are the odds?” asked Kip. “Slim… they’re both so stubborn.”
“Tell me about it.”
Kip gently bumped his shoulder against Debbie’s, “What about you?”
“What about me?”
Kip grinned, enjoying the oncoming challenge.

Lissy, her face made up and her smile somewhat restored, made her way to the dance floor. Paul stood there, looking somewhat sheepish.
“What happened?” she asked, dragging him on the dance floor.
“Your friend Debbie lay the smack down on my ass,” he explained, wrapping his arms around her waist. The Ricky Martin slow filled the club as they started to sway together.

Sometimes I go insane
I played the fool and you’ll agree
I’ll never be the same
Without you here with me.

“I’m sorry I got mad for no good reason.”
“Well, I never did explain the thing with Logan.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does. Logan and I… well, we’re friends, first and foremost… but we’re also… we were fuck buddies I guess you could say.”
“It’s okay.”
“Paul… it’s not something that’s going to happen ever again.”
“Why? I mean… it really doesn’t matter.”
“It does… to me… the last time we were together, Logan and I… instead of crying out his name… I cried out yours.”
Paul stopped moving and held Lissy away from him at arm’s length.

If I could reach out to you
Nothing will stop me
Take your head in my hands
Tell me what would you do

Paul gathered Lissy into his arms and kissed her right there. For the rest of the song, everything stopped for them, as they both hoped that the other would follow Ricky’s instructions and be careful with each other’s hearts.

Cuidado (please careful) con mi corazón
Me siento algo desnuda
Cuidado (please careful) con mi corazón
Mi corazón

Part 22:

It was late, very late. Paul and Kip were seated in a corner, talking, and the girls were matched up with the boys, Frankie with Mike, Dianne with Sean, on the dance floor, slowly dancing to soft music and Heather with Brian making out in a corner, next to her twin and her boyfriend. Lissy and Debbie were sitting at the bar, drinking orange juice while they spoke to Max, Rets owner.
“So Max, what’s new?”
“I’m calling it quits,” he said, putting away the liquor bottles.
“What are you talking about?”
“The club… I’m selling.”
“Why?”
“I’m too old to do this… I’m not as hip as I used to be.”
“Do you have any buyers?”
“Yeah… but no one I’m really sure about.”
Debbie and Lissy looked at each other, their eyes brightening up as understanding dawned upon them.
“What about us?” asked Debbie.
“What about you?”
“What about Debbie and me buying the club from you? We’d need your help for the first year or so getting organized and we’d love to keep you on as a silent partner. What do you say?”
“What about your businesses? The PI agency?”
“I can cut back on the P.I. work… and my mom can do most of the computer work… it won’t be that much of a strain.”
“Why would the two of you want to buy into this place?”
“We love Rets. It’s our home away from home. And we both need new experiences.”
“How’s this? I give you two something like a month or so to think about it. I’d rather sell to you than to anyone else. I like the two of you… and I like your idea of having me stay on and show you the ropes.”
“For real?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you Max,” said Debbie and Lissy together, reaching over the bar to peck his ruddy cheeks.

“What was that all about?” asked Paul as they finally got to their suite at the Waldorf.
“What?”
“That thing with that guy at the bar. You know, the one you and Debbie kissed.”
“Oh, that was Max. He owns the club and he’s thinking about selling and we are thinking about buying.”
“A club?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing definite for now but we are thinking about it.”
“That’d be interesting.”
“I think so.”
Paul sat on the couch in the living room area of the suite and watched Lissy as she slid off her high heel shoes.
“You looked great tonight,” he said as she sat down on the couch next to him.
“Thank you.”
Lissy closed her eyes as Paul’s hands ran up and down her bare back, thrills and shivers following the pads of his fingers on her soft skin.
“I’ll be really careful,” he said softly.
“What?”
“With your heart. Like that song… I’ll be really careful with your heart.”
The tears that welled up in her eyes trickled down her cheeks. She didn’t look at him, she just put her head down into the crook of his neck and kept on crying, soaking his tight black tee shirt with her tears.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered, “I didn’t mean to make you cry… Lissy, please… I don’t know what to…”
“I’m crying because… shit Paul, I’m in love with you, you big lummox. Every time I see you… god, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
His fingers stroked the side of her face and brought her chin up until his lips covered hers. It was an incredibly soft kiss that made Lissy ravenous for more. She pulled his hair out of the ponytail and ran her fingers through it, bringing forward until strands of it covered his smooth cheeks. Paul pushed Lissy down on the couch, his fingers digging into the soft leather of her pants, on the inside and on the outside of her thighs, cupping the soft mound between her legs, the heat of the area urging his fingers on. She pulled at his tee shirt, pulling it out of the waistband on his pants, eager to feel his skin, his muscles, everything that made him the love of her life.
“Get off,” she said.
“What?”
“Get off me and take these damn clothes off.”
Paul moved faster than lightning, his fingers fiddling with the belt of his pants. In less than a minute, they stood in front of each other, clothes lying in a heap on the floor. Lissy went to him, wrapping her arms around his massive neck and sliding all the way up his body. His hands went to her hips, splaying his fingers on her lower back and giving her the necessary boost until the wet core of her rubbed against the hardness of him.
Lissy welcomed Paul’s erection into her body, allowing him to fill her with each thrust. Her long legs went around his hips, increasing the depth and impact of each entry. Paul stumbled forward until Lissy’s back was braced against the wall and she was crying out his name every time his hips moved.
Their mating was brutal, sensual and passionate. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, his into her buttocks. Their kiss was brutal, with each nipping, biting and pulling at each other’s lips, their hips meeting with such intensity that it left them both breathless and spent on the thick shag carpeting.

Lissy woke up in bed with no idea of how she got there. She was lying face down on the bed, or rather, face down on top of Paul, her face on his chest. Their legs were dangled together and her body was halfway across his. She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face, looking up at him as he slowly came to.
“What’s up?” he asked, his hand squeezing whatever part of her was close to his hand, in this case, her shoulder.
“Your nose.”
“What about it?”
“It’s the most perfect nose in the world,” she lied, kissing the tip of it.
“Oh, this must be love,” he said, “because otherwise you would see it for what it truly is… an abomination.”
“Your nose is not an abomination,” she smiled. “It just happens to be… somewhat large.”
“Somewhat large? Give me a break. It’s a freakin’ beak.”
“But on such a lovely face.”
Paul flipped her on his back, laughing when the front door of their suite opened and Kip and Mike walked into the master bedroom.
“You guys at it again,” said Kip. “God, you guys are like animals.”
“Get out,” hissed Paul, bringing a sheet over his and Lissy’s naked bodies.
“We just wanted to know what we were up to today,” Mike said, trying to tear his eyes away from the beauty of Lissy after a night of love.
“First of all,” said Lissy, taking her hand off the gun she’d stashed under her pillow the night before, “the two of you are going to leave… Paul and I are going to get back to what we were doing and then, maybe, if we’re in the mood… we’ll call you back.”
“Fine,” said Kip, stalking off.
“And Mike,” said Paul, “how did you get the card key to our suite?”
“I bribed the maid.”
“Great!”
“Mike?” called Lissy, running a hand over Paul’s hypersensitive nipples.
“Yeah?”
“Leave the card key on the coffee table.”
“Come on… we were going to shake up Sean and Brian.”
“Leave it.”
“Spoilsport,” muttered Mike before slamming the door shut.
“Now,” said Lissy, straddling Paul, “where were we?”

Part 23:

The day of December 28th, 1999 was officially known as the DX Day of New York fun. And they played that angle to the max. They went all over the place, along with Lissy’s friends, being themselves, so basically being children. They ate hotdogs and pretzels in the street. They skated at the formerly known Rockefeller Center. They came upon a children’s choir in Central Park and they stood in silence, suddenly aware of their situation. They were on the verge of a new millenium and if everything played out according to their plans, they would all have new loves to welcome the New Year with.
Paul wrapped his arms around Lissy’s waist from behind and watched her expressive face as she watched the children sing. Her eyes were brimming with tears and her gloved hands covered his.
“I want this to last forever,” he said in his ear. “I want to hold on to you like this forever.”
“Don’t say that, Paul. Not when we both know it will end.”
“Don’t stop me from wishing it.”
Lissy turned around in his arms and kissed Paul, surprised to see the tear in his eye. She kissed it off his eyes, letting the salty drop wet her lips.
“Oooh guys, look,” laughed Brian, “Paul is showing off his sensitive side.”
Brian’s laughter and comments was the end of DX civilized moments and it was the start off point for a major snow fight which had the girls going against the boys, with the boys switching sides whenever their girlfriends got hit by a snowball.
The night ended with them reuniting in the living room of Mike’s suite, drinking hot cocoa and eating sandwiches. For once, Lissy was happy to be cradled in a man’s arms, Paul’s arms as they held her tight.
“Debbie?” asked Brian, his mouth full, “how come you’re a stripper?”
Whereas Lissy almost spat out her sandwich, Kip was much more pro-active and proceeded to slap his best friend upside the head.
“Hey, it’s just a question…”
“It’s okay Kip,” said Debbie with a laugh. “I don’t mind stripping or talking about it. And I certainly don’t mind the money.”
“Deb,” said Lissy, “except for close friends, the fact that you strip is a bit shocking, I guess.”
“I know. I’ll explain. When my dad died five years ago, I found out stuff, stuff I guess my mom knew but had never told me.”
“What stuff?” asked Mike.
“Dad had a gambling problem. A bad one. And he owed a lot of money. And even with the sale of the house, of his car and of all our valuables, I wouldn’t have been able to cover the costs. I was a nurse, two years experience, carrying a student loan and a debt to guys who weren’t willing to work out installments with me. And one day, I saw this ad in the paper. I was a good dancer, I had a good body… I applied.”
Debbie rubbed her hand against her chin and looked up defiantly with a cocky smile.
“It’s a good place where I work,” she explained. “I paid off Dad’s debts and most of my loan within the first year. And now, I’m living large. And I’m saving up to buy myself a nice little business.”
“But…” said Sean, “isn’t it… you know… dirty?”
“Not really. Not when you work a decent club for a decent boss. Not every strip club is like the one in Showgirls. That movie gave us all a bad name.”
“Yeah, but…”
“You’re the one who taught Lissy how to do that lap dance,” said Kip, smacking his hand against his forehead.
“How does he know about that, Lissy?”
“It’s a complicated story,” said Lissy as Paul’s laughter rumbled behind her.
Not complicated for Mike and Brian who launched themselves into a detailed explanation of Lissy’s actions that night.
“You gave Kip a lap dance?” asked Debbie.
“I was proving a point.”
“Which was?”
“That you were an incredible teacher,” laughed Lissy, ducking a pillow from Debbie which hit Paul in the face.
“Please,” said Paul, throwing back the pillow, “you’re jealous hearing about it now… imagine how it felt watching her go at itwith Kip.”
“You were jealous?”
“Well, I wasn’t happy.”
“Yeah, but I had to watch that little whore chick do the same thing for you.”
“All right, all right,” said Sean, “before you two start going down the I-fell-in-love-with-you-when line… what can we do to get extra tickets for our ladies to tomorrow extravaganza?”
“Can’t you just ask Shane?”
“Yeah… let’s go ask Shane.”

The tickets were secured faster than expected and Lissy walked back to the suite with Paul. She went to her room to change out of her clothes into a robe and found Paul sitting on the bed, flipping through the channels.
“Come here,” he said, dragging her into his lap as she made her way to the bathroom.
He jerked her robe open as he laid her flat on her back, splaying his big hands across her waist. Lissy looked up at him indulgently, a teasing smile on her lips.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m checking something.”
“Checking what exactly?”
“If you have child bearing hips.”
Lissy rolled off the bed as if Paul had burnt her. “Child bearing hips? What are you talking about?”
“Our babies. I want to be a father Lissy. And I’ve seen the way you handle my friends… you’ll be a great mother.”
“You’re not a well man. Paul, I don’t recall ever talking to you about having children. What makes you think I want them?”
“… I don’t know… it’s just that I want them and I figured you would want them too.”
“Even if I did want children… I’m not going to have them now.”
“What?”
“I’m on the Pill. I’m not having children yet.”
“Then when?”
“When I’ve lived. When I’ve sowed all my wild oats. After I drive cross-country to L.A., after I celebrate the new Millenium. I don’t know when exactly, but not now.”
“I thought…”
“Paul, I understand your wanting to have children and someday, I’ll be a mother and I’ll be more than overjoyed to be a mother to your children. Just not now, okay?”
Lissy walked to the bathroom and started the shower. Paul sat on the bed, deflated. For some reason, he’d thought Lissy would have been overjoyed at his eagerness to be a father. And yet, he felt relieved. It was strange this thing, being in love with a woman like Lissy, being with a woman who was willing to love him and live a life completely separate from his.

Lissy stood in the shower, letting the hot water sluice over her body. She saw Paul enter the bathroom, watched him as he shed his jeans and wool sweater, and finally joined her. She turned to him, running a hand over his face, and blinking up at him.
“I’m sorry,” she said slowly, “hell, no I’m not… damn it… Paul, I shouldn’t have to apologize for wanting to live… I’ll have plenty of time for children later.”
“I know.”
“For now, I want… I want to be selfish. I want you all to myself. I don’t want to share you.”
“You share me with the fans.”
“But you don’t love them… I don’t know… for now, I want your love to be for me… just for me. I don’t want to share your love with anyone else, not with a baby, not yet.”
“Neither do I,” he finally admitted. “I don’t know… when I saw those kids in the choir… and the parents… I wanted to be there…I wanted to be like them. To watch my son or my daughter at a talent show or something that with your hand in mine, watching our children.”
Lissy didn’t say anything. She just reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand, running her thumb over his lips.
“And I thought about it all night,” he went on. “It became urgent to me… really important… but when you backed off, when you told me you weren’t ready yet… I was so fucking relieved. Somewhere down the line, I want to have kids, preferably with you, just not now… and that’s kind of… okay.”
Lissy slumped against Paul’s body, loosely wrapping her arms around his waist. His fingers stroked her skin, running over the tense muscles of her back, of her neck. The combined effect of the water strumming down her back and his fingers was extremely relaxing. Her lashes fluttered and she brought her body up close to him.
“To bed,” she whispered, clamping her teeth into his ear.
“Again? You’re a animal.”
“And you aren’t?” she asked, sliding her fingers along the hardening length of him.
“Okay, I am,” he laughed, slinging her wet body upon his shoulder and running to the bedroom where he threw Lissy on the bed, wasting no time in covering her body with his.
It was going to be another long night.

Part 24:

When the master of ceremonies announced the entrance of DX, Shane cringed a bit. He didn’t know quite what to expect. The boys had staunchly refused to let him in on their plans and he was starting to feel a bit too warm under his Zorro costume.

Outside the main ballroom, Lissy was putting the finishing touches on her boys and their girls. Once she was satisfied with their appearance, she took her place at the end of the line, sliding her arm under Paul’s muscular one.

Shane heaved a sigh of relief and started to smile. DX’s choice of costumes was a perfect opposite to them. And even he had to admit, it made them look good.

Joanie looked away from Chris’s admiring face and almost spit out the water she’d just swallowed. Only a woman, in this case Lissy, could have convinced the boys of DX to dress this way.
“I told you we’d look stupid,” said Sean over the music, his remark directed at Lissy.
“You look great,” she hissed through a smile.
“And I thought you guys were going to wear the same thing as us.”
“Sorry,” said Debbie from Kip’s side. “This is as military as we get.”
Military was indeed the best way to describe DX, garbed as they were in the dress white uniforms of the U.S. Navy. The decorations on their chests and shoulders clearly indicated that Mike was supposed to be an admiral, Paul a colonel, Billy a commander, Brian a captain and Sean a sergeant. Lissy had bribed them into shaving their mustaches and beards and into tying their hair, dry for once, into ponytails. For once, they all looked like gentlemen, not degenerates.
As for Lissy and her girls, they made for beautiful counterparts to their military escorts. Lissy in dark blue, Debbie in emerald green, Dianne in ruby red, Frankie in bright yellow and Heather in stunning lilac, all of them wearing identical gowns, if one could call them that. Their outfits were composed of three parts: tight fitting capri pants, strapless bodices that showed off their tight waists and long trains that went from their waists down to the ground in a cut off bell shape. Unlike the guys, their hair was loose, fanning their shoulders and their only concessions to the military theme were short spencer jackets of dazzling white weighted down by decorations and caps that matched their companions.
The DX group made its way to the main table and greeted the McMahon clan with stiff salutes. Vince could hardly believe his eyes. But he nonetheless responded to the salutes from under his large Louis XIV wig. The degenerate group then made its way to their table amid jokes and friendly comments from their other friends and co-workers. This is going to be very interesting.

The evening was fairly routine. First, there was some mingling over drinks, and then came the meal, and some dancing. Dancing. Paul had been nervous about that since the beginning of the evening. No one knew he could dance, except for Lissy. In the past, he’d only been too happy to let his friends dance with Joanie while he sat things out. Now, he was actually looking forward to showing his new talent with his new partner.
Naturally, Vince started things off in a very traditional way with a waltz. He brought Linda out on the dance floor, with Shane following with his girlfriend Sherrie and Stephanie and Andrew close behind. Kip couldn’t help but make a few snide comments about how stiff Andrew looked.
“It looks like somebody stuck a broom up his ass,” laughed Kip.
“You’re laughing man,” said Paul, “but there are stories on the Net just about that kind of crap.”
“What?!”
Lissy sat back in her chair, laughing as Paul launched himself into a detailed description of MISTings and slash stories. Suddenly, all the eyes of DX were upon her.
“Is this for real?” asked Sean.
“Yeah,” she answered, “it is for real.”
“And you read this stuff?”
“Yeah. And Sean, you might be surprised to find out that you’re very popular in those slash stories.”
“I am?”
“Yeah,” she chuckled, “very popular. You and Shane McMahon as a matter of fact, you get a lot of ac-”
Lissy’s words were cut off as Paul dragged her on to the dance floor. They fell into step behind the elder McMahons, her laughter bringing a smile to his lips.
“He is never going to get over that,” said Paul, looking at Sean’s still wide-open mouth.
“What? The slash stories? Come on…”
“Honey, you just told him that him and Shane McMahon were the most popular characters in slash stories, after telling him what slash meant. He has a right to be traumatized.”
“Come on, you’re over it.”
“I’ve had time to get over it. Sean’s in shock.”
Lissy turned to the table and saw Dianne trying to talk some sense back into her date.
“Hey Levesque,” said Shane as he sailed past his friend, “since when do you dance?”
“Since Lissy.”
“You think she could teach my future brother-in-law a few steps before he completely ruins my sister’s feet?”
Lissy stole a glance at Andrew who seemed to be apologizing to a stiff-lipped Stephanie for the nth time. But something else caught her eyes. She wasn’t able to identify the person right away but she did see a pair of eyes staring at her and Paul rather intensely. Before she could investigate things further, Kip and Debbie bopped in front of them, smiling rather broadly.
“Paul,” exclaimed Kip, “who knew Fred Astaire had been reborn in you?”
“I had a good teacher,” said Paul, swinging Lissy around the room, making her train billow around her legs.
“Just good,” pouted Lissy. “I thought I was pretty damn amazing.”
“You were… you are… but I couldn’t tell Kip that. Otherwise he’d insist on getting private lessons.”
“I could do that.”
“Oh no, you couldn’t.”
Paul spun Lissy into a large circle and caught her deftly, showing off his much improved dancing skills.

Joanie watched from her table, her heart tightening with regret. She watched Paul dancing with Lissy, which was something he’d never done with her before. He’d never danced with her. During all the years they’d dated, he had never once danced with her. He’d always told her that he couldn’t dance, that he wasn’t good at it. And now it was clear that he was good at it. She felt cheated, cheated out of a part of his life. She started to walk to the dance floor. She hated to do this but she was going to get to the bottom of this.
Kip’s shout of Incoming was Paul and Lissy’s only warning. And it wasn’t a good one at that. The new couple was spinning around the dance floor when they bumped into a very angry Joanie.
“I thought you didn’t know how to dance,” she spat out.
“What? Oh hey Joanie. What’s up?”
“I thought you didn’t know how to dance.”
“I didn’t. Well, I…”
“Evidently, you do know how to dance. I guess you just never wanted to dance with me…”
“Actually,” said Lissy, “I taught Paul…”
“Shut up, you’re not helping!”
“Joanie, keep it down,” hissed Shane, making his way to them. “You’re drawing attention to yourself.”
“Let’s take this outside,” suggested Lissy, already turning around and heading to the ballroom exit.
Shane and Paul pretty much dragged Joanie out of the ballroom, slamming the big doors shut behind them.
“What the hell is going on?” asked Shane.
“He lied to me!” screeched Joanie.
“What are you talking about?”
“The dancing.”
“Dancing? This whole thing is about dancing? I swear, you guys are going to push me into an early grave.”
“When we were dating, Paul told me he couldn’t dance. And now, now that he’s with his new little chickie, he’s dancing like there’s no tomorrow.”
“I taught him how to dance,” said Lissy very calmly.
“What?”
“I taught him how to dance. After he got the latest letter, at my house, I taught him how to dance. If I’d known it was going to cause that much problems, I would have taught him how to knit.”
Annoyed, Lissy stalked off to the bathroom. Joanie turned to Paul, her face red with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry Paul,” she said, “I’m really sorry.”
Joanie bolted after Lissy, “Lissy,” she called as she opened the bathroom door.
“Good God,” sighed Lissy, “can’t I even pee in peace?”
And, as if to prove her own words, the sound of water splashing against the bowl filled the bathroom. Minutes later, Lissy exited from a stall, rearranging her train.
“I might look good, but it’s a bitch to go to the bathroom in this getup.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Getting so mad because Paul learned how to dance.”
“Do you know how dumb that sounds?”
“Do you know how dumb I feel?”
“Are we even then?”
“Sure.”
The two women stood side by side as Lissy carefully washed her hands and ran her fingers through her hair.
“You two look good together,” finally said Joanie.
“Thanks. I’m not going to lie and pretend I’m not happy to be with him. I am.”
“You should be. He’s a great guy. We had a great couple of years.”
“You seem to have bounced back pretty well.”
“Chris? He’s not half the idiot he seems to be.”
“Good. Now if we could only get him to shave that beard.”
“I’m working on it.”

When Paul and Shane saw Joanie and Lissy make their way back to the ballroom, smiles on their faces, they let out a sigh of relief. They might save tonight from disaster yet.

Part 25:

Lissy calmly escorted Paul to the podium where he was going to present the prize for best tag team. The winners were voted in by the whole WWF roster and so far, it looked like it was going to be a tie between Kip and Brian, The New Age Outlaws, and Adam and Jason, a.k.a. Edge and Christian. Lissy stood behind the curtains, enchanted as always by Paul’s voice. The man radiated sexy even when he was dusting dandruff off his shoulders. But he didn’t have a dandruff problem. What was he dusting off his shoulders?
Lissy stole a quick glance up at the ceiling and saw a man fiddling with a big light fixture. She’d gone over the security details before with Jim. No one should have been up there. She squinted and realized he was fiddling with the chains holding one of the spotlights in place. As Lissy dashed out from behind the curtains and shoved Paul out of the way of the falling spotlight, she was suddenly reminded of a similar scene in a Whitney Houston movie.
Paul landed hard on the floor just as the spotlight crashed the podium, his arms going around Lissy’s body protectively. But she would have none of that. In a matter of seconds, she’d twisted out of his embrace, and released her train, leaving it to fall on the ground as she took off running.
Lissy immediately went for the staircase on the side of the stage and started running up the steps. When the staircase became a ladder, she swiped her sweaty palms on her pants and started the climb.
From where Jim was holding on to him on the stage floor, Paul watched Lissy, a cold shadow clouding his heart. She went up that ladder quickly, like a Marine or a Navy S.E.A.L., without using her feet, just her arms. When she finally made it to the narrow railing where the man who would soon stand accused of trying to kill Paul stood, she recognized him. It was the same man who’d tried to kill Paul in Dallas.
“Hey buddy,” she said, coming toward in with small steps, “what gives?”
“Get away from me,” he said, his voice shaky. “I got a gun.”
“Good for you. I like guns. I have one too. Do you want to see it?”
“No! Keep your hands up in the air!”
“I would, but seeing as we’re about twenty feet from the ground, I’ll put them on these railings, okay?”
“Fine, but don’t make any sudden moves, okay?”
“What? Like this?”
Before the man could blink, Lissy was upon him, kicking the gun out of his shaky hands and delivering a solid punch to his chin, which had him struggling back a few steps.
“Bitch,” he uttered.
“You know what, I deserve that. I am a bitch,” she spat out before kicking the side of his face, making him keel over the side of the railing.
Running down the thin railing, Lissy got to the man before he fell to his death, or serious injuries. She dug her fingers into his armpits and held on as his massive weight threatened to pull her down with him.
“If I go, I’m taking you with me, you fuckin’ bitch!”
“Lissy, no!” shouted Paul from down below.
Lissy’s legs were pulled out from under her and if it weren’t for that bar that hit her right between the legs, she would have plunged twenty feet to something very unpleasant. As it were, her fingers gave out and if it weren’t for her legs going around that son of a bitch’s body, he would have died. Fortunately, he hit his head on the railing and didn’t fight as Lissy’s thighs curled around his upper body, holding on to him as if her life depended on it.
Finally, Jim’s men made their way to the railing and got the attacker to a safe place. Lissy relaxed her legs and let out a soft moan in pain.
Regardless of what men thought, getting hit between the legs wasn’t very pleasant for women. Slowly, and carefully, she got back to her feet and made her way back down to the stage floor where Paul was waiting to wrap his arms around her.
Lissy shrugged out of the embrace, dismissing Paul with a wave of her hand.
“Jim,” she said, “take him to my office. I want to have a chat with him before the cops get to him. I’ll follow in my car.”
Lissy hopped off the stage and went to her table to collect her purse.
“Debbie, come with me to the bathroom please.”
Debbie followed her friend, still shocked by what she’d just seen, Lissy’s rescue of Paul, her fall on the railing and her dismissal of Paul.
“What the fuck,” she muttered when Lissy dragged her into a stall, locking the door behind her.
“When I fell,” said Lissy, pulling down her pants, “I think I got hurt. You were an O.B.’s nurse, weren’t you?”
“Sure.”
“I’d hate to impose but could you check me out?”
Debbie nodded and knelt between her friend’s legs.

After Debbie’s quick exam, Lissy went out to her car, where Paul was waiting for her, flanked by two of Jim’s guys.
“What are you doing here?” she barked at him.
“I’m going with you.”
“Paul, listen to me very carefully. You’re going back to your room with these lovely bodyguards. I don’t have time to argue with you, okay?”
“Yeah, but it’s me he tried to attack.”
“I understand honey. But please, let me do my job.”
Paul gave Lissy a quick kiss and went back to the hotel entrance where many of the WWF roster stood, watching as Jim tossed Paul’s attacker into the back of his rented car. And in that crowd of wrestling superstars, someone recognized the man being pushed, none too gently, in Jim’s rental car and swore inwardly at having their plans thwarted by that damn private investigator. Again.

Once they got to their office, Lissy pointed the way to a small room beside her office where two of Jim’s guys stayed with Paul’s attacker. For the second time, Jim sat in a chair as Lissy changed in front of him. In less than a minute, she was wearing a pair of black jeans and a matching turtleneck. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail at the base of her neck and turned to face Jim as she pulled on socks and black leather biker boots.
“Get your guys out of the room,” she said.
“What do you have in mind?”
“You’ll see.”
When he came back, Jim went to stand behind Lissy and checked out her computer monitor. They could see the perp wringing his hands, looking at the room around him. He was extremely nervous and started muttering to himself.
“Our boy is scared,” she stated calmly.
“Yep.”
“Of what? That’s the question.”
“Of you, I guess. You made one hell of an impression on him.”
“No, there’s more to it than that.”
“Are you so sure about that?”
“Yeah. Come on. Look at him. He’s freakin’ biting his nails here. He looks like he’s about to drop a load on himself. No, he’s scared of much more than just me.”
“So, you tell me. You’re the expert.”
“He’s not in on this alone. He has to have someone on the inside. Someone is feeding him information on Paul. That would explain the letters appearing without a trace, him knowing exactly when and where to strike. That’s who’s scaring him, his contact on the inside.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Nothing, really, nothing more than a hunch. I’m guessing that underneath the muscles, our boy’s a coward. He’s the muscles of this operation, definitely not the brains. But whoever’s the brain can hurt him, badly. And our boy depends on that person, a lot. Now, we’re cutting him off.”
“Like a junkie with his supplier.”
“Exactly like that. Question is…”
“Will our body give up a name?”
“Honestly, I doubt it. But I’ll try him.”
“You’re going in there?”
“Yes.”
“Not alone, you’re not.”
“Jim, I need you out here. There are things he might allow to slip out, I want you to pinpoint them. Anyways, your boys are on the door, one scream from me and they’ll be on him, right?”
“Right. Lissy, I hate this idea.”
“Jim, whoever’s behind our stalker is getting dangerous, desperate. This could happen very quickly. I have to get what I can ASAP.”
“Why don’t we get the cops involved?”
“Because the cops will go after the perp, they won’t give two shits about protecting Paul. Do you want that?”
Jim shook his head and took Lissy’s seat in front of the computer and watched as Lissy made her entrance into the small room. He was going to have to make sure she didn’t get hurt and that she got the job done.

More of Be Careful with my Heart
More Series Fics
More Fan Fic
Main Page