Part 6:

Shane and Kat were back in his car and the first thing he did was to tell the driver to drive around Montreal for about two or three hours. Kat opened her mouth to protest but Shane nudged her in the ribs, effectively quieting her protests. He then pulled a portable computer from his suitcase. Next thing she knew, Shane was asking her for the URL where her stories were.
"You seriously want to do this now?" she asked.
"Yes. I've been dying to read your stories. And now, I can."
"Shane, I don't know about this."
"Just give me the URL, okay?"
"Fine."
Katia slapped his hands off the keyboard and typed in the address: http://www.tandq.com/Tango. As the page loaded, Shane wrapped his free arm around Kat's shoulders, grinning at her.
"Excuse me," she said, sliding away from him, "what are you doing?"
"Putting my arm around you."
"And what makes you believe that's okay?"
"You sit on my lap in a bookstore but I can't put my arm around you in my car? What kind of crack are you on?"
Kat glared at him and realized he had a point. She was too tired to argue with him, especially when he was going to win the argument. She liked having his arm around her and the only reason why she'd protested was because her pride got in the way.
"Fine," she said, moving back into his embrace.
"Good. Now, where do I go from there?" he asked pointing to the screen.
For the second time, Kat slapped Shane's hands off the keyboard and directed him to her story index. He whistled in admiration.
"You wrote all these stories?" he asked.
"Uh huh."
"When did you start writing them?"
"I think I started sometime in July. I don't remember exactly."
"Wow! You're like a machine."
"Nope. I'm just a writer."
"So, what do you recommend?"
"For starters? Mmmm, read The Obsession. It's a cool little story."

Shane looked at Kat asleep with her head on his shoulder and turned back to the story he'd just finished. She'd been right. The Obsession was a cool little story, a very sexy story that evidently starred her. Too bad she'd used Adam as the object of her affection in that one. Now, if she'd used him, now, that would have been a great story. By mistake, he clicked the URL for The Wedding Night which Katia had specifically told him to avoid. It couldn't be that bad, could it? I mean, what could slash stand for? It was probably some blood and gore story. He chuckled and started to read.

When Kat finally woke up, the car was parked on the observatory on Mount Royal. Shane's computer was off and the driver was smoking outside. She turned to Shane and found him staring out to the spectacle of Montreal lit up for the night.
"How long did I sleep for?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
"An hour, no more."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to. But usually when I get home on Saturdays, I crash and burn."
"It's okay. You've had a long day."
Shane's tone was strange. A bit too peaceful, she thought to herself. He usually seemed so full of life, with so many things to say, so many questions to ask.
"What's wrong?"
"Me? Nothing," he said quickly, smiling down at her. "I'm just enjoying the silence."
"Are you sure? You seem a little strange."
"Strange good or strange bad?"
"I don't know. Just strange."
"Take my word for it. I'm fine."
"Okay."
Kat sunk in a bit more into Shane's arms and smiled inwardly. She couldn't think of the last time she'd been held like this by a man. Well, there was her ex, Lester, but he'd only held her like this when he'd known for sure that he was going to get laid. No one since him had touched her in that way. It felt so good, so wonderful to be cherished, to be wanted, to be cared for.
"I read The Obsession," said Shane, finally breaking his silence. "And?" she asked wearily, crossing her fingers.
"It was good," he whispered. "It was well written, sexy."
"You thought so?"
"Yeah."
"You're not lying to me?"
"No. What would be the point? You're a great writer."
"You think so? Really?"
"Kat, I write for the WWF, and I have read some books in my time. After all, I am not a complete illiterate."
"That means a lot to me Shane. It really does. I mean, you know those guys. Did I get anywhere close to pinning down their personalities?"
"Yes. Well, except for Jason. He's not that quiet. He's much more of a wild character. Specially when we go out."
"You hang out with them?"
"Yeah."
"I read The Wedding Night too," said Shane after a few moments.
"What? Shane, please, I told you not to. You had to be prepared to read it."
"I'm curious. How were you going to prepare me for this?"
"Honestly, I don't know but I would have, somehow. Or I would have told you not to read it at all."
"But I did read it."
"And?"
"You want me to tell you what I thought about it?"
"You read it. It must have elicited some sort of reaction from you."
"Oh, it got a reaction out of me all right!"
"Let me guess, it wasn't a good reaction?"
"You're talking about two male superstars going at it in the back of a limo, one of whom happens to be one of my best friends."
Kat giggled and got a scorching look from Shane. Of course, he wouldn't see the funny aspect of this.
"This is so not funny."
"I know. For you, for me, it's kind of hilarious. I mean, as I was writing it, I was torn between laughing my head off and getting so aroused it wasn't funny anymore."
"You get turned on writing about two men going at it? That's sick!"
"Oh please, men get off from watching two women fight because they think it might lead to a lesbian love scene. Compared to that, what I write isn't sick at all."
"That is so not the same thing."
"It so is."
"I can't believe I am arguing about this. What you wrote is trash!"
"Fuck you Shane McMahon! I write what I write because it's all in good fun and if you can't enjoy it, SUCK THIS!"
Kat threw the car door open and stalked out. Shane came running after her, pulling her arm.
"Wait, I'll have my driver drop you off at your house."
"Because you think I'm going anywhere with you?"
"Come on, don't be ridiculous. It's cold out there."
"It's a rather brisk Montreal night. I've had worse. Remember the Ice Storm of the Century?"
Katia went on walking, brushing her tears away with the mittens he'd bought her. As she watched the tear turn to ice on the brightly colored wool, she stopped. What was she doing? It was cold and she had no idea of where the next bus stop or metro station was. She could get attacked.
But she was so mad at Shane. Who was he to tell her what she wrote was trash! It was slash, she thought, a smile softening her features. And who was she not to understand his feelings about slash? She'd been disgusted by it too at first. This was the stupidest argument. Finally, Kat turned around and saw Shane standing there, looking at her.
"It's not trash Shane," she said softly. "Okay? It might be different from what you usually read but it's not trash. I want you to understand that. It's a slightly different take on what we see every week. It's not meant to be disrespectful. It's just done in good fun. Okay?"
"I'm sorry. I guess I was just so shocked by it."
"That's normal. I don't think any of us actually think you guys will read what we write about you, which is why we take so much freedom with it. But keep in mind, we love you guys."
"Does that mean you love me too?" he asked as he walked to Kat and took her hand from her hand.
"You bought me a poutine and some romance novels. Babe, if it isn't love, I don't know what is. Now, you still driving me home?"
"S-s-sure," he stuttered like Bubba Dudley.
As Kat led the way to the car, Shane walked behind her, his mind working much slower than usual. Was he a fool to think that she might actually like him as more than just a client? A guy could only hope.

Part 7:

It was two weeks before Christmas and, as usual, Shane woke Kat up at 9.30 am with a phone call.
"Hello sweet thing," he said softly.
"I never agreed to this you know," she muttered, her head still buried in her pillow.
"You could put your phone on silent," said Shane.
"What if there's an emergency?"
"Not my problem."
"You're a bitch Shane," she said, rolling over to her side.
"Am I? Is that a good thing?"
"Considering my mood? No!"
"So what are you up to today?"
"Going shopping with a few friends."
"Christmas shopping already?"
"For them, yeah. To me, it isn't really Christmas if I haven't been shoved for the last sweater in my mom's size on December 24th."
"Last minute gal heh? Me too. It takes me forever to figure out what I'm going to buy for everybody and then it takes me a while to get to the store and actually buy it."
"Don't you have someone to do that for you?"
"I could, but what would be the fun in that?"
"Staying home, relaxing, kicking your feet up while you watch White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life."
"You have a point. So, are you getting me a present?"
"I've known you for a few weeks. So, no, I don't think so."
"Oh," he said, sounding hurt.
"Why? Shane, you didn't get me a present, did you?"
"Well, I..."
"Shane... thanks."
"It doesn't mean you have to get me one. I mean, don't feel obligated or anything."
"You know what Shane, to the rest of the world, you might look like a stuck up little rich boy from Greenwich but to me, you're a good friend."
"Thank you." Shane said, his heart breaking when Kat said he was nothing more than a good friend. He yearned to be so much more.
"Anyways, I have to run. I'm meeting the girls in a few hours and I have to run a few errands. Catch you later."

It was twelve o'clock when Kat finally left the house. There were moving trucks in front of the big house on the other side of the street. It looked like they were moving. She couldn't believe it. That house had been there forever. It looked like everyone else in the neighborhood was in shock too. They were all standing in front of their house, watching boxes and furniture being loaded into the big trucks. Kat got into her car and started to pull out of the driveway when a moving truck blocked her exit. She decided to wait patiently and that's when there was a knock on her window. It was Mr. Raymond, the now-former owner of the big house.
"I'm sorry that we're blocking you," he said. "The trucks should be out of your way very soon."
"Not a problem. So the house is sold?"
"Yes. We found a buyer who actually offered more for the house than it was worth. So we're putting everything in storage and we're going to spend Christmas in Florida."
"Lucky you!"
"Oh, we were lucky all right. But we're going to miss the neighborhood. We had good times here."
"Yes. We all did. My parents are going to be shocked when they find out."
"About your parents, are they coming to town for the holidays?"
"No. They weren't able to get a flight out. Everything's been booked solid for over a month and the waiting list is a mile long."
"What about your sister? She usually comes home for Christmas or New Year's."
"Well, she has a concert at Euro Disney with her Gospel choir."
"So you're spending the holidays alone?"
"Like a big girl."
Just then, the truck moved. Kat waved to Mr. Raymond and drove off. She didn't like thinking about the upcoming holidays. She was going to be completely alone. Most of her friends were spending Christmas with their families and their boyfriends' families. As for what little family she had left in Montreal, well, she didn't like them enough to consider spending Christmas or New Year's with them. She let out a long sigh and got herself together. Being alone wasn't so bad she told herself. As long as she didn't get lonely, a tiny little voice reminded her.

Later that night, when she came back from work, Kat looked at the big house, at its darkness. It was so strange, yet so appropriate, a perfect illustration of her world which changed yet remained the same. Kat went to bed that night feeling like her life was in neutral. It wasn't a good feeling.

"Good morning sweet thing," said Shane.
"How's this?" she said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes with her fingers, "how about you call me at ten thirty instead of nine thirty?"
"Get out of bed already. The whole day's passing you by."
"Fine. I work at night, the whole day can pass me by."
"Get up, get up," said Shane. "Isn't that your doorbell?"
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Kat swung her feet out of bed, wondering what the hell was going on. She shrugged on her robe and made it out of her bedroom slowly.
"Hurry up," said Shane. "Go answer."
"Why? If I don't answer, they might go away," she said grimly, walking to the living room to see whoever was at her front door.
"Trust me, they won't."
"How would you know?" asked Kat just as she pushed back the curtains.
.And saw Shane at her front door. Kat dropped her cell phone to the ground, sending the phone one way and the battery the other. She didn't bother picking it up and ran to her front door. She swung it wide open and was met by Shane. It hadn't been a hallucination. Shane was really there. And he was looking at her very strangely. That's when Katia remembered her appearance. Her head was filled with big pink curlers, she was wearing a ratty robe over rattier pajamas. She didn't look her best.
"Shit Shane," she said, pulling the curlers out of her hair, "what are you doing here?"
"Well, good morning," he said, pecking her cheek. "I brought breakfast."
Shane showed her a bag full of warm croissants.
"I'll set them up while you go wash up."
"Hey, who told you that you could come in here and order me around?"
"No one. Come on, it'll be fun."
Kat stuck her tongue out him but nonetheless went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. She listened to Shane as he puttered around in her kitchen, fixing breakfast. She put on a bra, panties, applied deodorant and slid on a brightly colored caftan her mother had made for her a few years ago. She pulled her now-curly hair under a bandanna and went to regain control of her kitchen.
Shane had gone all out and he'd fixed her the kind of breakfast Kat usually saw on TV or in magazines. There was jam and softened butter for the croissants, some orange juice and tea. And everything was set up so nicely, for two people.
"Shane, you went all out," she said softly, squeezing his arm, "to what do I owe this honor?"
"To my being your new neighbor," he announced.
"What?"
Kat was so surprised that her orange juice went down the wrong way and that Shane had to smack her a few times between the shoulder blades to get her to breathe correctly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I bought the big house."
"You did? Why?"
"Well, I figured it was past time for me to move out of Vince and Linda's house and I saw the house when I followed you home that night we met and voila, the rest is history."
"Shane, you can't move here."
"Why not?"
"You're an American."
"I got all the permits and everything."
"But why? Why this house? Why here? Why now?"
"I honestly don't know. I visited the house and it felt right. So I bought it."
"The power of money," whispered Kat wistfully.
"Listen, now you and I can be even better friends. We can have movie night and you can show me the ropes and stuff. I've never lived on my own before."
"Oh dear God, help me," said Kat as Shane launched himself into an explanation of all of his plans for his new house. Kat listened to him in something of a daze. She still couldn't believe he was moving in a few houses from her. This was a strange and wacky world.

Part 8:

Shane was completely installed in his new home. And on December 18th, it was his house-warming party. Kat got her invitation in the mail. She gave it some thought and decided not to attend. She had breached so many of the rules of conducts about business that she'd tried to instill into her employees by allowing Shane to be her friend. It was time to draw a line.
On that Saturday, as usual, at seven thirty, she walked out of her house to go to work. Shane was there, waiting for her.
"Mr. McMahon," she said stiffly, walking past him, "how are you this morning?"
"Mr. McMahon? What the hell?"
"I gave our relationship some thought and I decided it would be better for the both of us if we went back to being business associates, no more."
"I don't think so," he said. "I like being friends with you. You keep my feet on the ground. I like that."
Katia didn't say anything, trying to figure out what was going on with her heart and her mind.
"I like you too," she said, "you're cool, you're nice and you have so few hang-ups."
"Thanks. That is a good thing, right?" he asked, as an afterthought.
"Yeah. But I want your personal guarantee that you won't let our friendship leak into the workplace. I could get fired for getting involved with a client."
"Involved? Are we involved now?"
"We're very good friends Shane. And I want to make sure that when it comes to business, you treat me as someone who works for you, not your new neighbor."
"Not a problem. I swear."
"All right then. No more Mr. McMahon for you."
"Good. Now, about tonight's party, promise me you'll come."
"I have nothing to wear."
"Come on, it's not a fancy party. Just a few friends of mine getting together."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah. So will you come?"
"Yeah. I'll come. What time does it start?"
"Just come on over whenever you get home. Okay?"
"Sure."

When she got to work, Kat was in seventh heaven and she was nervous as hell. She wanted to look good for tonight. So, instead of having lunch, she used her forty-five minutes break to go shopping and dragged her friend Mary behind her. Nothing seemed to work out for them. Until Mary unearthed this cute little tank top and sweater set in dark red. It was a perfect fit for Kat.
Kat got home at five thirty and quickly showered and changed into her new top and a clean pair of black jeans. She slid on a pair of high-heeled boots and realized she hadn't bought Shane a housewarming present. Finally, she got three bottles of her father's homemade wine from the basement and made her way to the big house.
Kat was juggling the three bottles in her arms when the front door opened and someone grabbed two of the bottles from her arms. She looked up and saw HHH smiling down at her.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi. My name's Katia, I'm one of Shane's new neighbors."
"And you decided to bring over some alcohol?"
"Yeah."
"Come on in. My name's Paul."
".Levesque, a.k.a. HHH. I'm a fan."
"Ah, a fan. I love fans," he said, closing the front door behind her. "Come on, Joanie and Shane are in the kitchen."
"Cool."
Kat followed Paul to the kitchen as she looked all around. She knew the outside of the big house very well but she'd never seen the inside. It was beautiful. The kitchen was a large affair and Shane was standing at the counter, cutting up carrots and red peppers while Joanie watched him, chugging water from a bottle.
"Look," said Paul, raising his arms in the air, "I've got alcohol."
"And where did you get this alcohol?" asked Joanie.
"A fan."
"A fan?"
"Hi," said Kat, moving to Paul's side.
"Hey Katia," smiled Shane. "I didn't know you were going to make it so soon."
"Well, I thought I might give you a hand getting everything ready."
"Thanks. Let me introduce you to the Ninth wonder of."
"My name's Joanie," said 'Chyna', getting up from her stool to shake Katia's hand and cutting off Shane's tirade. "Are you the fan who gave Paul the alcohol?"
"Yeah. Shane, I kind of forgot to get you a housewarming present so I'll give it to you another time. For now, you get three bottles of my father's homemade wine."
"Hey, that's great. I love wine."
Joanie and Paul looked at Shane strangely, as if he had horns poking out of his head.
"Paul, would you mind taking over for me while I give Katia the tour of the house?"
"No, no, no," said Joanie, "you stay put Shane. Paul, you give Shane a hand. I'll give Kat the tour."
"Why?" asked Shane and Paul together.
"I don't know. I like to see men at work? Now get to it."
Kat laughed but didn't protest when Joanie dragged her out of the kitchen. Joanie awed her, even if Kat had a few inches on her with her heels.
"This is a great house," said Kat as Joanie showed her around.
"Oh, it's nice," said Joanie, "but Shane could live in a nicer place. Hell, he could build a place twice this size in Connecticut which would be much more practical for him."
"I know. I still don't understand why he moved here."
"Because of you."
"Me? Come on, I'm just a girl who lives down the street."
"Katia, you and I barely know each other and I think I have maybe one or two years on you tops, right?"
"Yeah."
"Listen to me. Shane moved here for you. He's in love with you."
"Did he tell you that?"
"He told Paul and me he liked you. But we figured out he was in love with you."
"How?"
"From the way he talked about you. He'd never talked about any other girl like that before."
"But I don't like him that way. Not yet. I mean, I like him, he's a great guy, he's funny and he's great to be around but."
".You're too busy to get involved in a relationship right now?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"I know the feeling. It was kind of like that for Paul and me at first. I knew how he felt for me and everything but I was too ambitious, too focused on my career. I wanted to succeed so badly."
"So what happened?"
"He kissed me."
"What?"
"I think one day he got tired of me being so focused on my career and he kissed me. It set me straight and I haven't looked back since."
"Wow! But I don't know about Shane though."
"Give him a chance. He's a great guy. I mean, Paul and him have gotten to be really good friends and I spend a lot of time with him. I think you're just the kind of woman he needs."
"You do?"
"Yep. And I'm sure Paul will agree."
By the time Kat and Joanie made their way back to the kitchen, all the veggies were cut and placed on four platters. As for Shane and Paul, they were sitting at the table, playing cards.
"It's a really nice house Shane," said Kat with a smile.
"Thank you. By the way, guys, did I tell you, Kat is the one who wrote those stories I showed you last week."
"You showed them my stories?" asked Kat, slapping Shane upside the head, "who told you that you could do that?"
"They were good stories," said Joanie, "I'm halfway through A Wrestling Story and I read The Obsession. I liked them all."
"I read The Wedding Night and I didn't go any further," said Paul with a scowl.
"Shane! Damn it! You should have asked me first. Paul," said Kat, wringing her hands, "I am so sorry. I don't want you to get the wrong impression. You don't look gay at all but it's just that. anyways, I'm sorry."
"Pfff," said Joanie, "don't let him fool you. Every once in a while, I catch him checking out the other guys' butts."
Paul pulled his girlfriend down on his lap and quieted her with a kiss.
Kat sat in a chair next to Shane and linked her fingers with his as she smiled at him. Maybe Joanie was right, she thought. She should give Shane a chance.

Part 9:

Kat, Shane, Paul and Joanie had been sitting around the kitchen table for over half an hour, talking and laughing. Kat couldn't remember having this much fun with people she barely knew. They were all so funny and nice. They were talking about wrestling in 1999 and about the stupidest angles ever.
"To me," said Kat, "the stupidest angle is Miss Kitty and Crash Holly. I mean, if they can wrestle, let them wrestle, but why do they have to be the smaller versions of Chyna and Hardcore Holly?"
"Come on, it's fun," defended Joanie. "And Stacey's great."
"I'm sure she is," said Kat, "but you have to agree with me, she's your Mini Me."
"Mini Me?"
"You know, Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me?"
"We didn't see it," said Paul.
"It's okay," grinned Kat, "I didn't see it either. I just watched the previews. But she's still."
Just then, Kat's stomach growled so loudly, she almost died of humiliation. Paul, Joanie and Shane turned to her with mile-wide grins. Kat covered her face with her hands and started to moan.
"I'm going to leave now," she said from behind her hands. "I'll understand if none of you ever want to speak to me ever again."
"Oh please," said Joanie with a smile. "It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal," joked Paul, "come on. I think her stomach woke up the dead."
"Oh God," whispered Kat, dropping her head on the kitchen table.
"Paul," said Shane, "enough. She's feeling bad enough as it is."
"Well, that'll teach her to write stories about me and Test."
"Keep it up and I'll write stories about you and Prince Albert, Big Boss Man and the Big Show," said Kat, finally looking up at him.
Paul gasped, Joanie laughed and Shane turned to a now somewhat revived Kat.
"When was the last time you ate?" asked Shane.
"Breakfast, I think," she finally said with a shy grin.
"Breakfast! What about lunch?" asked Shane.
"She went out shopping for that top during her lunch break," said Joanie with a grin.
"Oh come on, that's stupid," scoffed Paul.
"I'm not stupid," pouted Kat, wincing as her stomach clenched again, begging for food. "I wanted to look nice for the party. But right, now, I'm just really, really hungry."
"I only have snack food," said Shane. "I just bought finger food for the party."
"Actually," said Joanie, "I could stand to have actual food."
"Yeah, me too," said Paul. "Until Kat's stomach called out to the other werewolves, I didn't even think about it."
"Let's order out," suggested Kat, sticking her tongue out at Paul.
"Sounds good to me."
"So what are we getting?" asked Shane.
"Pizza," said Paul.
"Subs," said Shane.
"Chinese," said Kat and Joanie at the same time.
"Pizza," whined Paul.
"I've got a menu for Chinese take out at my place."
"Sounds good."
"All right. I'll just run out and get it."
Kat excused herself and ran out into the cold winter air before anyone could stop her. When she got to the house, she slammed the front door shut behind her and sagged against it. She was so humiliated. Oh, she didn't want to go back to Shane's place.

"Oh my God, how did I not know," asked Joanie, turning to Paul, "that you were such an insensitive jerk?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean, Kat probably felt bad enough about her tummy growl but you had to make it worse."
"I'm sorry," said Paul. "I was just joking."
"And how was she supposed to know that? She barely knows us."
"So I made an ouchie?"
"Yes. And you're going to fix it," said Joanie, pushing him out the door. "Now, go get her before she decides not to come back."

Kat wiped the tears from her eyes, ran a comb through her black curls and grabbed the menu. Just as she opened the front door, Paul appeared, looking rather contrite.
"Paul," she said with a smile, "I was on my way back."
"Yeah, well, I... I-I-..."
"Yes?"
"I wanted to apologize for all the jokes I made. It was kind of dumb."
"God man," smiled Kat, "Joanie's got you whipped, doesn't she?"
"She likes to think so."
"Whatever. Anyways, thank you. For apologizing I mean. Now, let's hurry up. It's cold out and I'm hungry."

Joanie, Kat, Paul and Shane barely finished reading their fortune cookies when Shane's guests started to arrive. Within fifteen minutes, the house was filled with wrestlers and some of Shane's business associates. Music was pumping, voices were loud and laughter was everywhere. Shane played the part of the host to the hilt, talking to everyone, but most of all, introducing Katia to all of his friends.
The young woman often had to remind herself to close her mouth, especially when she came face to face with the whole Canadian Mafia.
They were in the poolroom, Andrew, Adam, Jason, Sean, Chris, a.k.a. Test, Edge, Christian, Val Venis and Y2J. The second she met them, Kat felt like she was reuniting with guys she'd gone to school with. They immediately started talking about typically Canadian topics, like Kids in the Hall and Degrassi Junior High and hockey, laughing and making fun of each other. Once Shane was sure she was in good hands, he left her and saw to his other guests.
Shane was in the kitchen, setting out some extra drinks when Joanie came to give him a hand.
"She's great," she said with a smile, taking a couple of bottles of soda out of his hands.
"You really think so?"
"She's funny, she's smart and I think she's warming to you."
"I don't know. Every time it looks like she might actually give in and like me, she backs away from me."
"Well then, don't give her a chance to back away from you. Push her up against a wall and use your charm until she gives in completely."
"Oh yeah, like that's going to work."
"Hey, it worked for Paul."
"It did? You mind looking after the drinks for me?" asked Shane.
"No, go to it Romeo."
Shane ran back to the poolroom where he'd left Kat but she was nowhere to be seen. He started going through the house, checking every room until he got to the den, which had been turned into music central. And there she was, in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, dancing with Adam to BlackStreet's Good Loving. Katia's body was pressed close to the tall blond's and her head was on his shoulder. Shane stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly unsure of what to do.
"Go ahead and cut in," whispered Paul into his ear.
"What if she minds?"
"Please. She's not going to mind. After all, who did she come to the party for? You or him?"
Shane glanced at his friend who patted him on the shoulder and walked up to the dancing couple. He tapped Adam on the shoulder.
"Mind if I cut in?"
"Hell yeah, I mind," said Adam, flashing a cocky grin, "but I'll let it pass."
Katia thanked Adam and quickly went to Shane's arms. He held her tight and pressed his cheek against hers. Her body felt good against his and he ran his hands up and down her sides.
"That tickles," she whispered into his neck.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. This is a great party," she said after a few moments.
"Thanks."
"And your friends are really nice."
"I'll tell them you said so."
The two of them danced in silence until the song ended and another slow song started. Shane smiled at Paul, who was hovering around the CD player, over Kat's head. This time, it was George Michaels' Careless Whisper.
"I love this song," she said, looking up at him.
"Yeah, me too. Listen," said Shane quickly. "I like you a lot and I want to spend as much time with you as humanly possible. I know that you."
"Okay."
".Think it's a bad idea for us. what?"
"Okay. I'd like to spend more time with you too."
Shane smiled down at Katia's upturned face and squeezed her into his arms and gently brushed his lips against hers. What was supposed to be a gentle kiss quickly turned passionate and if it hadn't been for Paul and Joanie bumping into them, it would have lasted a lot longer.
"Hey," said Joanie, "you want the PTC to come here and tell you to bring it down a notch?"

Part 10:

Joanie and Kat sat on the couch in the den, while Paul and Shane were in the kitchen, getting them drinks and something to eat. The party had been over for about thirty minutes and the cleanup staff was hard at work in the rest of the house. Shane had asked them to start in the den so they'd all have a place to sit and talk.
"So, you had fun?" asked Joanie with a conspiratorial smile to Kat.
"Yeah. It was all right."
"All right? Please, you were making out with Shane in this very room, in front of all of his friends."
"All right, so it was pretty amazing."
"How do you feel?"
"Fuckin' great. Joanie, you were so right. He's a wonderful guy. After we danced, he took me outside and told me that he wanted to kiss me until he couldn't breathe anymore."
"Wow!"
"And then, he said he couldn't wait to get to know me, that he saw good things in the future for us."
"Shane said that?"
"Yep!"
"Damn, who knew he was a romantic?"
"I know. I was shocked too. Still am. I'm trying to figure out if it was just a line or if he actually meant it."
"I don't think it was a line. He probably meant it. You lucky girl!"

"So?" asked Paul in the kitchen as he hunted around for clean glasses.
"So what?"
"You and Katia. It looked like the two of you were locked in together pretty tight."
"Paul, I don't just want to fuck this chick, you know what I mean?"
"That you're a faggot?"
"No. I mean, I want more than a one-night stand. I want her to write a story about me, just me."
"A story like that 'Wedding Night' shit with me and Drew?"
"No, I want her to write about me the way she wrote about Adam in that Obsession story of hers, you know. I want her to think I'm sexy."
"Shut the fuck up man," said Paul, smiling, "if you start talking about your body, I'm going to whoop your ass."
"Well, I could stand to lose a few pounds," said Shane, following Paul, rubbing his stomach.

For the second time that day, Kat found herself around a table with Joanie, Paul and Shane. But this time, something was very different.
Joanie's eyes were half-closed as her head rested on Paul's shoulder. As for Paul, he stared out the window at the bright moon and he drank water from a bottle.
Kat herself was sitting next to Shane, their legs stretched out side by side, both their toes encased in solid black socks. She was enjoying the quiet companionship and the promise of the night.
"I think Joanie and I are going to call it quits," said Paul, straightening himself up. "She's half asleep and I'm on my way there too."
"It's okay," said Kat quickly, "it's perfectly understandable. You guys had a long day."
"Yeah, we did. Shane-O, it was another great party. We'll see you in the morning."
"You guys aren't going to drive like this, are you?" asked Kat.
"Oh no," said Shane, "they're sleeping over."
"Oh good."
"Kat, it was great meeting you," said Joanie, giving her a hug, "you're a pretty cool kid."
"You know, you only have three years on me."
"So what? Even if you were born a second after me, I'd be allowed to call you kid."
"That's stupid," laughed Kat, hugging Joanie back.
"Is not," yelled Joanie as Paul dragged her out of the den.
"Is too," said Kat quietly as the door closed.
She turned around and saw Shane sitting on the floor, looking up at her.
She shivered and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.
"I think I'll go now," she said quickly, "it's late and."
"No... stay."
"I don't know Shane. I don't think it's a good idea."
"Not for sex," he said softly. "Just to talk... and maybe make out."
"Making out leads to other things Shane. I don't want to rush anything."
"We're not. we're just getting to know each other better."
"I've heard that one before. From my ex. I believed him then."
"Believe me now. Look, you have your cell phone. The cleaning crew's still here. Paul and Joanie are upstairs. If we go too far, you can just walk out."
"You're asking me to trust Shane McMahon, son of Vince McMahon, a.k.a. the Greater Power? Come on."
"No, I'm asking you to trust Shane McMahon, the man."
Kat looked down at the man who was sitting on the floor of his den, his hand raised to her in a silent invitation. Many answers ran through her mind but she didn't know which answer was the right one.

The next morning, Kat started to roll out of bed to get to the bathroom. She wasn't fully awake yet but she had to get to the bathroom very quickly. She'd been having an indistinctly good dream and she was eager to get back to it. But something, in the shape, form and smell of Shane McMahon got in her way. Her eyes opened wide as she recognized him and his room. She'd slept in his bed?
She closed her eyes, trying to recollect her thoughts. Right away, she knew they hadn't slept together. Last night, in his study, he'd gotten her to agree to sleep over, and in his bedroom and in his bed, no less. He'd lent her a pair of beige cotton pajamas while he'd worn a similar set his in a boring grey. When she'd first lain in his bed, Shane had told her jokes, making her relax. Finally, he was telling her about the first time he'd ever met Andre the Giant, he'd fallen asleep.
Katia looked at Shane, her need for the bathroom forgotten. He looked like a charming little boy when he slept. There were no barriers raised. It was just him, at his ultimate best, quiet, and not trying to convince her to do anything against her will. She put her fingers down on his cheek and his eyes opened right away.
"I was dreaming about you," he said, his voice raspy with sleep.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay. How did you sleep?"
"Like a baby. You?"
"Same. We ought to do this more often."
"Don't push your luck," she laughed, "this is not going to happen every night."
"I know. Some nights we'll spend at your place."
Kat cuffed him in the shoulder and quickly kissed his cheek, a mysterious smile on her face.
"Where's the bathroom?" she asked. "I gotta pee."
"Right there," he said, pointing out a door to her.
Once she got to the bathroom, Kat opened the faucet of the sink and did her business. She wasn't quite ready for him to hear her pee yet.

When Shane and Katia finally made it to the kitchen, Paul was already there, going through the cupboards. "Shane," he said, his head buried in the pantry, "do you realize you've got no breakfast food in this house?"
"Do you live for your stomach Paul?" asked Shane, sitting on a stool next to Katia, "or do the rest of us matter to you?"
"Right now, I'm focused on the fact that I need food," said Paul, looking over his shoulder, his eyes widening when he saw Katia. His face changed into a grin that stretched from ear to ear as he looked from Kat to Shane.
"Paul," said Shane, "it's not."
"Joanie," he bellowed, "I win the bet, she slept over."
"A bet? You guys made a bet about whether or not I would sleep over?" asked Katia.
"It was a friendly wager," grinned Paul.
Katia stared at Shane with a smile, expecting an explanation. The young McMahon just shrugged as Joanie was heard rushing down the stairs. When she saw Katia, she started to smile and finally burst out laughing.
"Shane, I have to give you props man," she said. "I thought she was going to turn you down flat."
"My massage please," said Paul, grinning at his girlfriend.
"We didn't sleep together," said Kat.
"Ah, you lose," said Joanie.
"Shane, tell me it ain't so," said Paul.
"Sorry Paul, I was a gentleman."
"You're such a disappointment. And you don't even have food for our breakfast. Very disappointing indeed."
"Well, I could make us something at my place," offered Kat.
"I don't think so," said Shane. "I don't want you to do anything like that today."
"Good. In that case, there's this place downtown where they serve breakfast till three."
"An outing in downtown Montreal?" asked Joanie. "I'm in."
"Me too," smiled Paul.
"With you as our guide," said Shane, kissing Kat's forehead, "how could I say no?"

More of The Real Life
More Series Fics
More Fan Fic
Main Page