Chapter 3

She was woken up the next morning by a series of bangs. She lifted her head from Jeff’s pillow, hardly awake she sat up after much struggle. She and Jeff got back at 3:00am, after they went to a club. As she rolled off the bed she yawned and stood up, heading for the door she tripped on her shoes that she left there when she crawled onto the bed. As she opened the door she saw Matt, Jeff and Amy in the kitchen area cooking breakfast, “Morning” she managed as she yawned again.

“Morning, did you sleep well?” Jeff said as he pored her some coffee and brought it over to her.

“Yeah, but I wish I had slept longer or got you to bring me back earlier.” She said a she took a sip of her hot black coffee. “You are a bad influence!” she said nudging Jeff as she walked past him.

“You were having fun, admit it!!!!”

“Yeah, I was, but that’s really not the point. What’s the time?” she asked as she searched the walls for a clock.

“10:00” Jeff said as he looked his watch.

“Shit, I have a promo thing to do at 11:00!!” she sat down on a chair and drank more of her coffee. “And I still have to go and get them to undo my room.” She stood up and pulled her messy hair back into a ponytail.

“No, need, I already did it” Matt walked up to where she was sitting and placed the key in her hand.

“Thanks” she stood up and rapped her arm around his neck. “I had better go, I need to shower, change and find out where he parked my car last night.” She said as she dropped her arm to point at Jeff.

“Come back here before you go and have some breakfast, we made it specially for you. Matt did eggs, Jeff did bacon and I did the rest.” Amy informed Chloe as she walked to join the three standing in the middle of the room.

“Ok, how could I refuse!!” she grinned at them and hugged each one of them. “You guys are the best!” she handed her mug to Matt and ran out of the room. “See you in a little while.”

Matt starred after her. He handed the mug to Jeff as he ran out of the room after her. It didn’t take long for him to catch her. “Chloe, wait up!” he said as he caught her up in the corridor.

“Hi, what’s up? Can’t you wait 30 minutes to see me now?” They carried on walking towards her room.

“I just wanted to make sure you are ok.”

“I’m fine, well except the fact that your brother kept me out all night!!” she joked as she unlocked the door.

“No, not that, I meant what we talked about in the car yesterday.”

“Yeah, I just don’t like talking about it that much, it’s hard.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Do you?” she asked him as Matt sat down on the bed and she started to pull various items of clothing out of her suitcase.  

“Yeah, you see, my mum died 14 years ago, so I know how you are feeling.” He said as he looked down at the floor.

“I ‘m so sorry, I had no idea.” She dropped the clothes back into the suitcase and walked over to him. She sat next to him. He didn’t look at her, so she got up and stood in front of him, he still didn’t look up, to get his attention she knelt down in between his legs, she then lifted Matt’s head so she could look into his eyes. As she did, tears left his eyes and ran slowly down his checks, still looking into his eyes, she knelt up and put her arms around him and pulled him close to her. She could feel his tears wetting her shoulder but she didn’t care, knowing exactly how he felt she held him tighter. He put his arms around her and buried his head deeper into her shoulder. Tears then filled her eyes and she felt them roll down her face. She pulled away from him, she wiped the tears from her face and then wiped the tears from his face. They just looked into each other’s eyes. Chloe’s phone rang making them both jump. She ignored it as she looked back at Matt.

“Answer it” Matt said as he picked her phone of the bed and handed it to her. She took it from him and got to her feet.

“Hello”

“Hi, it’s Jeff, Where are you? Your breakfast is getting cold.”

“I’m now going to get into the shower. I’ll be there as soon as I can. How did you get my number?”

“That’s a secret, I’ll see you in a few minutes then, Bye”

“Bye” she hung up and threw the phone on the bed as she turned back to Matt. He stood up and wiped his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” He said as he walked up to her. He took her hand and pulled her towards him, as he did, there was a knock on the door. He let her go and went towards the door. As he opened it, he saw his brother in the doorway jumping up and down, Matt stepped aside as Jeff jumped into the room.

“I was just passing and I couldn’t hear water. Come on, you’re supposed to be in the shower!” he said as he went into the bathroom and turned the water on, he soon reappeared saying “Go, shower, your breakfasts getting cold, I don’t just cook for anyone, and when I do they don’t just let it get cold!! Come on.” He then picked Chloe up putting her over his shoulder; he walked through to the bathroom. “Come on, get naked!!!!” he shouted through the door as Chloe pushed him out. He walked back to Matt. “Why did you come here?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“I’ll go put her breakie in the microwave, I’ll see you in a minute” he left the room jumping idiotically around as he had when he came in. As he shut the door, Matt walked into the kitchen area and turned the coffee maker on. As it was filtering threw he went and sat at the table and looked at a magazine on F1 racing.

Chloe wrapped a towel around her as she stepped out of the shower, thinking about different things as she opened the door to get some stuff out of her suitcase. She jumped as she didn’t realise Matt was still there. “Oh, I thought you had gone.” she said holding her towel around her tighter; she pulled a couple of things from her suitcase but couldn’t decide what to wear. So she asked Matt. “What should I wear? The short dress, the skirt and tank top or trousers, sorry pants, and shirt?”

He walked over to her and looked at the three outfits she laid on her bed.

“That one.” He pointed to the skirt and tank top. “You want coffee?”

“Yeah, thanks, I’ll go get dressed.”

After her super big breakfast she headed to find her car, she had no idea where she and Jeff had left it.

She found it at the far side of the parking lot, she climbed in and started the engine. As she pulled out of the lot she realised that she was on her own for the first time since she had been here, well nearly. Allsorts of things went through her mind, her night out with Jeff, even if it was a set up, her match on RAW and her conversations with Matt. She went back to Jeff, she liked him but it was hopeless as he made it clear that he wasn’t going to ask her out, but she didn’t want a relationship, she thought about Matt, he was sensitive and she liked that in a guy, but she couldn’t imagine them as anything else but friends, or could she?

When she had finished her promotion stuff she headed for the arena, she felt hungry, five hours of tedious questions and photo shoots was enough to make anyone hungry. She pulled into the nearest McDonalds, as she walked in she saw Amy and Nora sitting at a table. She walked over and said Hi, they asked her to come join them so after she got her food she went and sat down. “I am so tired” she said as she covered her mouth as she yawned.

“That’ll teach you to stay out with Jeff all night.” Amy laughed.

“Well, I blame you!!!”

“”How are you getting on with Jeff then?” Amy asked winking at Nora, Chloe saw but pretended she didn’t.

“Fine, he’s great, he sure knows how to have fun.” She then sipped he coke.

“He likes you as well,” Nora added. Chloe smiled.

“I can’t believe they have done this to us again!” Chloe said as she and Jeff where on the way to a restaurant. They had just had a call from Matt telling them that his car had broken down, but they should go ahead to the restaurant.

“I will kill him! I mean one night ok, but two?!”

“I know, do you still wanna go then?”

“We might as well, we’re here now anyway.” Jeff turned of the road into the car park. They got out and walked up to the doors. A waiter greeted them as they walked in the door.

“Good evening sir, do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, the names Hardy.” Jeff told him as he led Chloe to the table the waiter pointed out. After the waiter left, Jeff turned to Chloe and asked her “Do you notice anything odd here?”

“Yeah, I think we have well and truly been fooled, they never actually intended on coming did they?” they both turned towards the table for two.

“Doesn’t look like it.” They sat down and ordered their meal, Jeff ordered for both of them, but because of her little snack earlier Chloe wasn’t very hungry.

“That was lovely.” A stuffed Chloe said to Jeff, he looked like he was going to burst too. Slow romantic music was put on; the dance floor began to fill with couples.

“Do you wanna dance?”

“Sure.” They got up and he led her to the dance floor holding her hand. They felt awkward to start with, but Chloe rested her head on Jeff’s shoulder, they both seemed to relax. They must have danced for over an hour without saying word. The dance floor began to empty, Chloe lifted her head in fear she would fall asleep. “Would you mind if we went back to the hotel?”

“Sure, I’m nearly dead on my feet too. I’ll go pay.” He led he of the dance floor and they then headed to the table where Jeff called over a waiter and got the bill.

They drove back to the hotel, Chloe kept looking at Jeff out of the corner of her eye, and he did the same. As they arrived they got out and walked side by side into the hotel, Jeff put his arm around her waist. She didn’t say anything she just looked at him.

“I’ll walk you to your room.” Jeff said as he walked passed his own room.

“Ok”. When they reached her room she put the key in the door and unlocked it. “Thanks for a great night.” She said as she turned to face him.

“That’s ok.” He lent down and kissed her softly, she thought he was just being friendly but he didn’t pull away quickly. “Night” he said as he turned to leave.

“Jeff” Chloe called after him. She walked up to him and put her hand around his neck pulling him down so she could kiss him. He returned her kiss. She put her other arm around him, but as he put his arms around her but she pulled away. “Night” she then turned and headed into her room.

Chapter 4

previous chapter--Chapter 2