The Beginning

Chapter 1

I guess every story has to have a beginning, so this is mine. I was a girl who was shy about some things, but not shy about most…I married my high school / college sweetheart about 2 months after I graduated college. Shane McMahon was 2 years older then I, but when I met him at 14, and he was 16, I was head over heels in love with him…of course with him being the little charmer he was, he swept me off my feet…of course I swept him off his feet also.

I am now 22 and Shane 24 we have only been married for 3 months. I had just got my medical practice off the ground 4 weeks ago…and decided for all purposes I would keep my maiden name, cause I was honoring my father…if he ever died…My father Dr. James Andrews was a stubborn orthopedic surgeon, who practiced out of Greenwich, Connecticut, and also out of Birmingham, Alabama…

Ever since my parents divorced when I was 9 and my sister was 8, our father had raised us alone, as best as he could. It wasn’t easy raising two girls, but it was definitely a learning experience had by all.

By the way, my name is Michelle Ann Andrews & my sister is Marie Andrea Andrews. Marie just started her 3rd year at The University of New York. She is really loving the whole education thing. My medical degree is basically a general physician type degree…you know, gas, indigestion, heart burn, you’re bleeding and need stitches…I can do that…pretty much anything that was wrong I could fix…

Unless it came to broken bones then I usually sent you down the hall to see my father. I had my practice in the same three story building as his, but I was in the corner, and he was in the middle of the hall way. When my father was out of town in Birmingham, I would stay in his office and direct my patients there for the day. That way if someone came in looking for him, I could just give them his cell phone number, so they could get in touch with him.

So I think you know everything your supposed to…I feel in love young and married even younger…oh I guess it would be kind of nice to tell you about my husband…Shane McMahon, if you don’t already know, is the CEO’s son of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)…also known as Vince McMahon, his mother Linda McMahon takes over every now and then to give his father a break. Stephanie McMahon, well…has been my best friend since kindergarten…so I guess it would seem fitting to fall in love with and marry her brother.

Growing up Steph and me looked a lot alike…and even now we look a like, not in the face or anything, but I stand at 5’9” and 125 lbs, blue eyes, and brown hair with blonde highlights…my hair was down past my waist about 2 inches. Stephanie was 5’8” and 135 lbs, dark blue eyes, and brown hair to 2 inches above her waist. We didn’t dress alike, but if we both had t-shirts and jeans on, and had our backs to someone, it was hard for them to tell which was which.

I guess everything started the day I was helping out my dad’s office, cause he was down at the Birmingham Office and would be there for a couple of days. I was in my jeans, t-shirt and tinny shoes, with my hair up in a ponytail…trying to stay as comfortable as possible, I was sitting in my dad’s office sending e-mail out to my sister, who I heard from every so often. Okay like once in a blue moon.

Chapter 2

I heard some commotion down in the lobby area…I heard a voice say, “What do you mean which one? I just want to talk to Dr. Andrews.” I walked down to the lobby and said, “I’m Dr. Andrews.” He said, “No you’re not.” This guy was very nice looking…about 6’4” and 210lbs, maybe more or less, hazel eyes, and blonde hair to about the middle of his back, but he had it pulled back. I said, “Well you could have fooled me, because my degree says Dr. Michelle Andrews right on it.” He said, “I know you’re not Dr. Andrews, because you don’t look like a man.”

I said, “Oh, you’re looking for my father, James Andrews.” He said, “Yea, that would be Dr. Andrews…at least he better have the Dr. in front of his name, he’s been my orthopedic doctor for the last 5 years.” I said, “I’m sorry to disappoint you but he’s down in Birmingham, Alabama right now. He’s going to be there for a couple of days.” The young man said, “I know, I was just wondering if I could have one of you call and tell him I need to speak with him…” I said, “If you’ll follow me, I can make the call from his office in back, and you can speak to him yourself.” He said, “That’s fine.”

I started back towards my father’s office and said, “Gladys, if Mr. McMahon calls, please tell him, I’m waiting for him to come pick me up for lunch.” Gladys, my fathers secretary said, “Mr. McMahon already called Michelle, he’s on his way right now.” I said, “Okay, if he calls again, I’d like to speak with him.” She said, “Okay Miche.” We sat down in the office and He said, “How do you know Mr. McMahon?” I said, “I’m married to him.” He said, “You mean you’re Shane’s wife?” I said, “Yes, and you are?” He said, “Paul Levesque, I’m a pro wrestler in Vince’s company.”

We shook hands and I said, “Oh yes, you’re the Triple H character.” He said, “Yea, that’s me…I was supposed to go to you’re guys wedding, but couldn’t make it…I had prior plans…I suppose you know my girlfriend then…Stephanie…Shane’s sister”…I said, “Actually I probably know her better then you…” He said, “Why?” I said, “Because we’ve been best friend since kindergarten…we went to college together.”

He said, “That’s weird marrying your best friends brother…how’d that come about?” I said, “Well it just sort of happened…We met one night at a party when I was 14 and he was 16, not realizing who he was, and him not realizing who I was, we sort of just fell in love… Stephanie was grossed out about it for a while, but got over it soon. We have only been married for 3 months.” Paul said, “So why work here? I mean you’re married to a rich successful guy, why work?”

I said, “Being a doctor was all I ever wanted to do, so when we decided to get married, Shane understood why I wanted it so much…I have actually been offered a job with the WWE…Vince asked me if I would like to be the road doctor…I haven’t given an answer…even though I already know I’m going to take it so I can be closer to Shane…” Paul said, “That’s great…” So I called my dad and he talked to Paul over the phone and when we walked down to the lobby, Shane was standing there, with his hands shoved in his pockets.

I said, “Uh huh, and just where have you been Mr. McMahon?” Shane grinned a little and said, “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, so I’m not even going to go there right now.” I said, “Fine, I expect a fully detailed story over lunch.” Shane looked at Gladys and said, “You didn’t tell me she was referring to me as Mr. McMahon.” Gladys looked over the rim of her glasses and said, “You didn’t ask; besides I have to protect myself.” Shane said, “Yea, you’ll get yours later Gladys.” I giggled and said, “Stop that, you two are a pain in the butt.”

Paul walked into the lobby and Shane said, “Paul, man what’s going on?” They shook hands…Paul said, “Nothing bro…you didn’t tell me you’re wife’s dad is my orthopedic surgeon.” Shane said, “Why do you think we send all the wrestlers to him…” Paul said, “Well, at least you could have told me he was out of town today.” Shane looked at me and said, “Is he out of town today?” I said, “Oh my goodness…boy if you don’t start listening to me when I talk to you at night…you’ll be sorry. I told you 4 times yesterday and once last night lying in bed.” Shane looked over and said, “By the way Paul, Dr. Andrews won’t be in today.” Paul smiled and said, “Thanks you ass.”

We went to lunch…later that night we had dinner at Vince and Linda’s and I told him after dinner that I was going to accept the position that he had offered to me.

Chapter 3

Well, it was my first night for Monday Night Raw…Shane was showing me around and introducing me to all the wrestlers we came across…one of which being Paul. He said, “Hey, I know you.” I said, “Hey Paul, did my dad call you, he’s back in town?” Paul said, “Yea, ya know he talks about you a lot.” I said, “Yea, he likes to talk to every one about me. All of his patients know me better then I know myself.” Paul said, “Well I know more about you now….Mystery.”

My eyes got really big and I said, “What?” Paul looked at the ground and then up at me and smiled…He said, “You’re dad told me that’s what he used to call you, when you were younger.” I said, “Please he still calls me that, especially when he leaves messages on my voice mail and answering machine.” I couldn’t help but laugh…Shane came over and said, “When you’re finished, I’ll show you the rest of the place.” I said, “Shane, it’s an arena, the same arena in every town, chill out Mr. Hotpants.” Shane smiled and said, “Yes ma’am.” I kissed his cheek and said, “Paul, it was nice seeing you again, I’ll talk with you later, I need to talk with my husband.” Shane and I walked away.

Well with the coming months, Shane and I couldn’t get through a single taping of Raw or Smack down without fighting about something stupid…mostly about him having me run around the arena like a watch dog, or a maid. After a year of taking his shit I pretty much ignored him when he would snap his fingers at me I would give him the finger and walk away.

Shane was getting too cocky for anyone…His ego had preceded the size of his head, leaking out his ears, and around his neck, before stopping at his chest, which he just loved to poof out when walking down to the ring. Even Stephanie noticed he was getting too big for his britches. Stephanie also on the sly, had started dating Andrew Martin…or Test (what he went by in the ring).

One night before Raw, Shane started barking out orders for me again and I said, “Shane Brandon McMahon, I’m not you’re maid young man, I’m your wife, so start treating me like it.” Shane said, “I’m sorry, will you please go get me a bottle of water.” I rolled my eyes and walked out of his office and down the hall to where they were storing the food, and grabbed a bottle of water from the ice chest…

A familiar voice said, “So, the King wanted a bottle of water huh?” I turned around and said, “Paul…How have you been.” We gave each other a hug and he said, “Fine, how about you?” I said, “Well, I’m still doing chores for the King, what do you think?” Paul smiled and said, “Never mind, dumb question.” We both nodded and started walking down the hall.

By now Paul and I had become really good friends…we sat down in my medical office and as I was typing an e-mail to my sister on my laptop computer…I looked at Paul and said, “What’s wrong big man? You look kind of down.” Paul said, “Nothing….well maybe something…in fact I know it’s something…Steph is cheating on me.” I said, “How’d you figure it out?” He said, “You knew, and didn’t tell me?”

I said, “Paul if I would have told you, you probably would have thought I was losing my mind.” Paul said, “That’s true, cause up until about 2 weeks ago, I thought Stephanie could do no wrong…she’s you’re best friend, can you explain to me what exactly Andrew Martin has that I don’t?” I looked at him and said, “Well from where I’m standing…nothing. There were always something’s about Steph that I never understood about her, but because she’s my best friend I don’t ask, and just except her faults.”

Paul said, “Yea, well I’m not excepting any faults on her, least of her cheating on me…if she doesn’t love me anymore, I wish she would have just told me…” I said, “Paul, I don’t think love has anything to do with it.” Paul said, “Love never had anything to do with it…or with us.” I stood next to Paul and touched his shoulder and said, “I’m sorry hon, I wish there was something I could say or do, to make you feel better. Stephanie is Stephanie and she’s going to be her for the rest of her life…too bad she just doesn’t realize what a sweet guy you are.” Paul said, “Yea, I mean we’re married on Raw as Triple H and Stephanie, but behind the camera, all the reasons I fell in love with her, are the opposite reasons I’m falling out of love with her.”

I said, “Paul it happens to the best of couples…I mean on the outside me and Shane look happy, but inside, I’m regretting every thing I ever felt for him…and I hate to say this, but I think he’s cheating on me…I guess it must be a family thing.” Paul said, “I don’t think Shane would be stupid enough to do something like that.” I said, “I dunno, calls in the middle of the night, just to hang up if they hear my voice…something weird is going on, and I want to know what it is, but if I’m wrong I don’t want to accuse Shane of doing something he really isn’t.” Paul said, “Give it a while; you never know…something may turn up.” I said, “Yea, I guess so.”

A couple of weeks later, Shane started in on me again…I said, “Why are you acting like such an ass…you know when we first fell in love, you was the only one I could ever see myself being with forever.” Shane said, “Yea, well nothing lasts forever…besides every time I turn around I always see you constantly talking with Paul…what’s up with that?” I said, “Well, he figured out my best friend and his girlfriend was cheating on him, he’s not stupid ya know…his big but certainly by no means dumb.” Shane said, “I swear if I find out anything is going on between the two of you, I’ll…I’ll…I don’t know what I’ll do, but it will be really, really bad.”

I said, “Shane, Stop…this is ridiculous…every time we get around one another in these stupid arenas, we can’t stop fighting. Listen I didn’t marry you, just so I could run and cheat on you with someone I hardly know.” Shane said, “But that’s just it, you have known him for a while, and now you guys talk on the phone constantly, more then you and me and more then him and Steph. Those cell phones should be sewed to your ears.” I said, “Maybe it’s because every time I call to talk to you, you hand the phone to Steph or who ever else just happens to be in the room, you are forever pawning my phones calls to you off on someone else. Do you even know how that makes me feel?” Shane said, “I do not, I always talk to you, but you usually call when I’m right in the middle of something.”

I said, “Yea, something so important, that you can’t take 10 minutes out of to talk to your wife, who is desperately trying to not forget what made her fall in love with you. Shane I love you, but we can’t keep going on like this…we just can’t.” Shane said, “I love you too Michelle, but I have to run the company with dad being in Hawaii for the last 2 months, everything is resting on my shoulders until he gets back.” I said, “I understand that, but when something else is more important then a fast 10 minute call from your wife…something is going wrong somewhere.”

I left and retreated to Paul’s dressing room, me and him were talking about it, when I looked over at the monitor, and saw, Shane on the monitor, madly making out with some chic in his dressing room…I stood up knocking over the metal chair I was sitting in…Paul said, “Maybe you should calm down before you go to his office and beat his face in.” I said, “Maybe you should get bent.” Paul smiled, he’d never seen me that angry before, he liked that side of me…I walked out to the production truck and had them make me a copy of what I had just seen…and then I took the tape back to Shane’s office.

When I walked in Shane, Stephanie, Andrew and the chic all jumped up and Shane said, “Hey baby…” I said, “Fuck you.” And threw the video tape at him…I said, “How could you, you piece of shit. You didn’t even try to hide it…you just sat there kissing that nasty bitch on TV.” The girl said, “I think…( She looked at me, and knew I was going to hurt her or someone in the room) I think I should leave.” I grabbed her by the hair and said, “Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” and yanked her hair so hard her ass hit the floor and slid a few feet, she stayed in the corner and didn’t move.

I looked at Stephanie and said, “And you, how could you stand there knowing he was cheating on me with some piece of garbage, and act like he wasn’t doing anything wrong? You’ve been my best friend for almost 17 years, and you just sat there…you never said anything to him did you?” Stephanie started to say something, and I said, “SHUT UP!…I guess it’s a family thing then huh? You cheating on Paul with that piece of shit (pointing to Andrew) and you’re side kick cheating on me with that…that whore.” Shane said, “Now, Michelle let’s talk about this rationally.”

I said, “Rationally was last week, this week, it’s time to kick someone’s ass…I sat at home trying to remember why I fell in love with you, 8 years…9 if you count the one we’ve been married…9 years Shane…those 9 years were a joke, they were fake…the fake marriage, the fake love, the fake…EVERYTHING!…Why me? Why did you do it? I never did anything but love you unconditionally for the last 9 years of my life…time in my life when I could have been doing something else…loving someone who really loved me back…I mean the shit you guys put on Raw and Smackdown isn’t real love…it’s all bullshit, but the love I had for you was real…my life isn’t a soap opera…and it’s not for sale to make into a soap opera…I forgot all the reasons I married you and forgot all the reasons I fell in love with you…Well you can take this marriage and shove it (I took my wedding rings off and threw them at Shane)…I want out…I’m not going to stay married to someone who doesn’t love me or respect me…I want a divorce.”

I was like WOW when I walked out of the dressing room…I could have sworn I heard Shania Twain’s song “I Feel Like A Woman” playing as I left the arena that night. I desperately wanted to go back in and beat the crap out of if not one then all four of those morons in that dressing room, who just looked at each other and knew they got off way too easy, without an ass beating. Like I said at the beginning, I’m shy about some things, but not shy about most. And fighting for what I believed was definitely something I wasn’t ever shy about.

Chapter 4

So it’s been a year since I caught Shane with little Ms. Hotpants, and about 8 months since we’ve been divorced…I have to tell you never go through a divorce if at all possible, it’s just one painful grueling thing after another, when court time came around, I used the video tape as evidence against him, cause his lawyer was trying to say I was just trying to get his money…I wanted no part of his money…I was a doctor for Christ sake, I have my own money.

Stephanie had finally cut Paul loose...so we were like the damn single twins…we kept our friendship, and would go on a date every once in a while, but nothing serious…we never kissed or held hands…obviously no sex…we were both trying to heal some fairly bad wounds and didn’t want to complicate things by trying to have a relationship with one another…we didn’t want to be each others rebounds, so for the mean time we decided to just keep the friendship angle.

Some people at the company thought there was more going on between us, but then most of them knew we were just friends. We went to the gym together, and the more we hung out the more fascinated I got with wrestling…Paul started showing me moves, holds, throws…everything, he was a good teacher and I was a good student. I had fun learning about wrestling, and knowing it took someone who had a tough body to pull off the moves they were doing, but yet still make everything look so real. By now Paul had cut his hair and it was a little past his shoulders now, and he weight 246lbs…he put on some muscles!!!!!

6 months later, I was getting better with the whole wrestling and stuff, so one night, after a Monday night Raw, when all the fans were already gone; Paul and I were sparing in the ring. We were just in jeans and a t-shirt; obviously going for the comfort thing…The first time I took a hit from him and fell right on my ass and he stood bent over my head and said, “You’ll live.” I said, “No…really, thanks for the concern…I think I broke my coccyx, but I’ll live.” Paul said, “I don’t know if you have one of those or not…so I wouldn’t know if you broke it. Wait come to think of it; I hope you don’t have one.”

I sat up and as he held out his hand I took it and he helped me to my feet. I said, “Paul, coccyx, it a fancy medical term word for tailbone and yes I have one and so do you…” Paul smiled and said, “Okay…you ready?” I said, “Sure…Gimmie all you got there little man.” Paul said, “I see nothing little about me.” I said, “Maybe I wasn’t referring to you alone, maybe it was directed towards some part of your body…” And I smiled…

Paul said, “So this is how you want to play the game?” I said, “I’m not playing the game, so don’t even try and go into character, because I couldn’t handle it…” Paul said, “Actually yes you could, as long as you used you’re head…you know for something other then a hat rack.” I said, “Ohh, I see how were going to do this…you want to have a battle of wits…Well I don’t like have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.”

Paul walked over and got in my face, just the sight of his chest rising and falling in front of me was making me hot…but I said, “What…huh? Now what fool?” I was getting a little cocky and just to show me that he still had the upper hand in any situation, Paul wrapped his arms around me, picked me up and slammed me on my back…I got an adrenaline rush and was breathing hard…I laid there for a second.

Chapter 5

Paul was laying next to me, and he said, “Hey…you okay?” I said, “Yea…I think so…you knocked the wind out of me.” I moved around a little and then rolled over to face him, without thinking about it he patted me on the butt, and then left his hand there…not realizing it. Paul said, “Damn, you’re tough…a lot of guys usually say that hurts.” I said, “Yea, well I’ll be feeling it later. I guarantee it.” Paul said, “Nah, just sit in a tub full of warm water, it will do the trick.” I said, “Yes sir.” We laid there for a couple of minutes and laughed about it.

Paul said, “I’ve never seen you get so cocky, it’s kind of cute.” I said, “Yea, well when you go after the girl that your husband is cheating on you with, you kind of develop a rough side. Of course, with you teaching me all the wrestling and stuff, I kind of got a chip on my shoulder…like I could take on the world…well until you slammed me just now…that pretty much brought me back down to reality.” Paul said, “I just figured you’d like to know I can still control any situation.” I said, “That I already knew…and you just proved it more with my shit talking ass.” Paul said, “I still think it was cute…standing there all big and bad.” We laughed a little more.

Stephanie walked down to the ring clapping…and said, “Yes, how cute it was.” Paul said, “What the hell do you want?” She smiled and said, “Why don’t we see just how good Miche really is…How about we put her in a match?” Paul said, “Are you crazy? She’s not even a wrestler. She’s a doctor Steph.” Steph said, “Well unless you all of a sudden became her daddy, why don’t you let the girl answer for herself…she is old enough to make her own decisions.” I stood up with Paul and said, “Yea. I can decide.” Paul said, “Quiet Chelle…Steph, I know you, you’ve got something evil floating around in that little head of yours…something really way to evil. Michelle is a doctor, not a wrestler…if she gets hurt…what then?”

Steph said, “She’s not going to get hurt…she’s my best friend…I know how tough she is and how much tougher she can be when she’s pushed.” I said, “Uh, ex-best friend.” Steph smiled evilly and said, “My mistake sorry.” Paul leaned over and whispered, “She’s up to something Michelle, don’t fall for it.” I nodded in agreement as soon as I saw the look on her face. Paul said, “Forget it Steph…go bug someone else for a change.” Stephanie walked off with a little devilish laugh…She was definitely up to no good.

Paul got out of the ring, and when I stepped through the ropes to get out, he grabbed my hips and helped me down, when my feet hit the floor, he didn’t let go of me, I couldn’t move my hands, it was like they were frozen to his shoulders. We just stood there staring in each other’s eyes. We really couldn’t do much of anything…about that time; Paul’s friend Sean Waltman (X-Pac) came down to the ring and said, “Hey, you guys ready to go yet?”

Even though for the shows purpose DX was broken up, Paul was still very much friends with the guys from the crew. In their eyes they were still DX. Although Mike had retired because of his back injury, they all pretty much stayed in touch. DX was a big group once everything was put together. Mike had been gone for a year now, and Sean was wrestling solo…Billy and Brian had been wrestling as a tag team…and of course Joanie walked away while she still had what was left of her health.

Paul said, “Sure, let’s get going.” Paul let go of me and we walked up the ramp behind Sean…I touched Paul’s arm, and he looked back at me and just half smiled at me, and said, “Don’t worry…it will happen when it happens.” I smiled and said, “Okay.” And winked at him.

Our problem was, that we had this incredible connection / attraction between the two of us, we cared about each other more then we really let on to one another…I know we desperately wanted to kiss each other and date, but we both also knew we were not any where ready for it. Paul was right, it would happen when it happened…it would happen when it was meant to…when we least expected it.

Chapter 6

A couple of weeks later, Paul was running extremely late because his flight was delayed…he wasn’t going to get there until the beginning of the second hour of Smackdown. He was usually never late, but because of the rain, the airport stopped all flights for a couple of hours.

Stephanie called me into her office and said, “Miche, I have a match for you, if you’re interested.” I said, “I don’t know…” Steph said, “C’mon if you’re as good as Paul seems to think you are, then why are you letting him hold you back, you could actually have a really good career as a wrestler. C’mon it’s going to be a tag match with Kurt Angel & Terri against you and Adam Copeland (Edge).” I said, “I don’t even have anything to wrestle in, and do you guys want me to have a ring name or something?” Steph said, “Paul told me you’re dad used to call you Mystery…I think that would work. And I think Trish has some extra wrestling gear, she’s down in her dressing room…” I said, “Okay, I’ll try it and see how it feels.” Steph said, “Great, I’ll let the others know.”

I walked out and Trish was waiting for me…she smiled and said, “C’mon, I’ll fill you in on a few things while you change.” I said, “Okay.” I was changing and Trish said, “Okay, you have to watch Kurt because sometimes he forgets he’s not wrestling Olympians anymore. He can get carried away with the slams and the fireman carry slams, Terri is a piece of cake, just drag her around the ring by her hair for a while…anytime you can tag Adam and let him in, cause what ever time you get to breath you’ll need it. The guys usually do a lot of the physical stuff, but when you get involved…be careful…they zone out fast and really get into it forcefully.”

I said, “WOW!” She said, “What?” I said, “Good lord girl, this is one skimpy outfit…especially if you’re wrestling in it.” She laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it, just think of it as a bathing suit.” I said, “I would but I think my suit has more material then this…that or I never realized how skimpy my bathing suit was.”

I walked out from behind the changing curtain and had on black plastic short, a matching sports bra top and matching knee-high wrestling boots, that had about an inch and a half heel on them, to make me a little taller…I pulled my hair up into a pony tail.

Trish said, “You look great, you almost look better in that outfit then I do…” I said, “Yea, I just hope the first tumble I take that nothing pops out of where ever it may be stuffed.” Trish looked at me and we both started laughing…Trish and I had been friends since she had joined the WWFE. We could sit and make jokes about our bodies and each others bodies, but never really took offense to any of it. We were always laughing about something.

A couple of minutes later, someone knocked on the door…I walked over and opened it…it was Adam…he said, “Well are you ready y--…”as he looked up he stopped in mid-sentence…I just stood there, with my hand on my hip, and said, “You wanna finish you’re sentence, or was that the whole thing?” Adam said, “Damn woman…you should have become a wrestler a long time ago…you got the body for it.” I said, “Are you done staring?” He said, “No could you turn around I want a view from the back.” I turned around and he said, “That’s it I can’t go out there now…”

I looked down and said, “No, I guess there is nothing more embarrassing then trying to wrestle another guy with an enormous erection.” Trish started laughing so hard…her boyfriend Mark LaMonica (Bub-Buh Ray Dudley) walked in and said, “What’s so funny?” Adam grabbed my hand and drug me down the hallway, and Trish said, “Nothing,” Running over to the door and yelling down the hallway… “Good luck Michelle.” I yelled back, “Thanks.” I was laughing my ass off, and Adam said, “Okay it’s time to get serious…see it’s going away.” I said, “Adam its okay, chill out…” We stood behind the curtain for a few minutes and his music cued up…Terri and Kurt were already in the ring…

The idea of the match was for Terri to lour Adam away and it would leave me and Kurt in the ring, and after a couple of fake slams on me, I was to regain the upper hand and win the match…which everything seemed to be going smoothly. I threw Terri across the ring by her hair and she bounced on her ass to the corner that Kurt was in…she tagged him in, and I started to walk away when he grabbed me and slammed me as hard as he could…Kurt knocked the breath out of me…by now I could see Adam walking up the ramp in hot pursuit of Terri…I started to get up and Kurt slammed me like 4 more times…I could barely breath.

About that time, Paul had gotten there, and saw what was going on in the ring, and busted through Stephanie’s door, and said, “What the fuck is this shit?” Steph jumped up and said, “She’s a natural don’t you think?” Paul said, “Stephanie you’re such a fucking bitch, you set her up…didn’t you? She’s going to get hurt.” Steph smiled devilishly and said, “That’s the whole idea…why do you think I had Kurt do it, he’s worse then anyone here…I told him to not go soft on her, that she could handle anything and to be as rough as possible to make it look real. She shouldn’t have taken you away from me.”

Paul said, “I hate to tell you this Steph, she didn’t take me away from you…you did…you cheated on me with that overgrown ass…I have a little news for you…Kurt maybe the worse…but he’s only the worse when I’m not here.” He walked out and by now the cameras were in there and Stephanie had to go into character, and started yelling, “HUNTER GET BACK IN HERE, I’M NOT FINISHED TALKING TO YOU….HUNTER….. HUNTER!!!”

JR said, “Oops, looks like Mrs. Game, isn’t too happy tonight.” Jerry said, “Yea, and it looks like Mr. Game is on his way out here…but why we still have 5 minutes for this match left…even though it was over 2 minutes ago.” Kurt had slammed me so many times, I was completely out of it…I could feel my eyes when I would blink, and I swear they were swelling up, I felt myself having a severe concussion…and I had a headache the size of Brazil. Kurt was about to slam me again, when Paul’s music came up, and he had a mic and was walking down to the ring…Kurt let go of me and I was leaning against the ropes…and I was so completely out of it, that I laid down in a ball in the corner…

Paul as Hunter said, “Kurt, this is not how you wrestle, you don’t go after someone smaller and weaker then you…” Kurt said, “Triple H, fuck off, this is my match…not yours…you’re wife gave it too me so I could display my talent to everyone.” Hunter said, “What talent? You never had any talent…and the only talent you’re showing these fans is that you know how to beat up a woman.” Kurt said, “Well step up to the plate then…game” Hunter, dropped the mic and started beating the crap out of Kurt…my eyes were open a little, enough to see Paul give the pedigree to Kurt. Kurt laid there like the lump that he was, and Paul got out of the ring, and pulled me out and into his arms, he carried me up the ramp to the back…

Terri and Adam ran over and said, “What the hell happened, Michelle was supposed to win the match, not get hurt.” Paul said, “Yea, well Stephanie had different plans for her…Steph set her up to get hurt.” Adam said, “I’m so sorry Paul, I swear I thought she was going to win, if I would have known that Kurt was going to go all psycho on her, I wouldn’t have left the ring.” Paul said, “It’s not your fault man, you didn’t know, you were just following the script.” Terri said, “I think she’s awake.”

About that time Trish and Mark ran down to where the EMT’s were at, they had me on a stretcher, and were trying to get vitals and stuff to check me out when I started moving around. Trish pushed Adam out of the way and said, “What the hell happened out there Adam?” Adam said, “Stephanie set her up to get hurt, she had to of made plans in advance with Kurt.” Trish said, “I’m going to kill that little bitch.” She started to go after Stephanie when Mark wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up off the ground…she was kicking and screaming…Mark sat her down and said, “Stop!…you need to chill out…they’re going to take her to the ER do you want to go too?” She calmed down and said, “Yes, let’s go.”

They went ahead and took me to the ER…on the way there I passed out…no big…just a little more pain then I bargained for.

Chapter 7

“Michelle…are you awake…Chelle?” a familiar voice said. I opened my eyes slow and there was Paul standing over me. I moved around a little and said, “What happened?” Paul said, “Stephanie totally set you up…she made plans with Kurt first to hurt you…” I said, “It worked, I hurt all over.” Paul said, “You want me to get the nurse?” I said, “No, I just want to sit up a little more…give me your hand.” Paul held out his hand and I pulled myself up and sat up at an angle.

Paul was standing there looking at me and I said, “What?” He said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there…I should have been there last night.” I said, “You couldn’t help it, you’re flight got delayed. It’s okay…with the exception of what happened when Adam left, I actually had a great time and would love to do it again, but I’d rather stick with the girls…well unless it’s you, cause I know I can tear your ass up.” Paul laughed and said, “Yea, right…I think you hit your head a little too hard.” I giggled and said, “No seriously, I’d love to wrestle more…I want to heal first and eat solid foods again, but I would like to wrestle again...eventually.” Paul said, “I’m glad it didn’t make you hate wrestling, because you know that’s not the way things happen.” I said, “Eh, I’ll live.”

About 3 days later, I released from the hospital…I was still a little sore, but I was definitely working it out… Paul helped me into his Red hummer and drove me home…when we got to my apartment, Trish and Mark were there…We walked in and Trish came over and said, “Is it safe to hug you?” I said, “Very carefully.” She hugged me softly, and Mark gave me a kiss on the cheek…Trish said, “I’m so glad you’re out of that place…” I said, “Shah…Tell me about it.” We sat down on the couch and were talking while Mark and Paul went outside to talk some boy talk. I said, “Now what do you supposed those two are talking about?” She said, “I’m sure I don’t know…hell anything is possible with those two…” I said, “True.”

Little did anyone know, but they were plotting to get Stephanie and Kurt back…no one knew just exactly what they had in mind. Pure embarrassment for Stephanie the princess, and pure hell for Kurt the slave… Trish and me were in my apt. sitting on the couch watching as the events of the night unfolded…obviously I couldn’t go back to work yet, but Trish stayed with me…so Mark and Paul went together…and put the plans in motion.

They stuck Stephanie in the ring with Steve Austin (Williams) the Rattlesnake was all up for it…Steph was supposed to be punishing him anyway…he was supposed to be a hot dog vender for the night…so when she called him out to the ring he had her hold his vending cart, she stood there and he was rattling off at the mouth and she finally said, “Take this, it’s heavy.” He grabbed it and ripped it from her hands, and also striped her of her shirt…standing in her bra, she covered up herself, and she was highly embarrassed…

Steve gave her a stunner and while she was out in the middle of the ring, Steve poured two cans of beer all over her and then covered her in head to toe mustard and ketchup. Paul suppose to be her husband, ran out and was trying to help her, but didn’t want to get himself dirty, and when she stood up and slipped and fell on her ass…Paul stood on the out side of the ring laughing his ass off…he couldn’t help it.

Now it was Kurt’s turn…after he had a triple threat match with Kane and Undertaker, Paul scheduled him for another match…a handicap match against the Dudley boys in a table match…which was Mark and his friend Devon, beating the crap out of Kurt and then putting him through as many tables as they could.

It was beautiful…I left a message on Stephanie’s voice mail…I said, “I hope you enjoyed your beer, mustard, and ketchup bath Princess Stephanie…it’s the last pamper treatment you get courtesy of Paul, Mark, Trish and myself…and every other wrestler you try to get injured on purpose…I’ll be back…you know I will…next time I’m coming after you, hope you’ll be ready.”

Chapter 8

About a month later, I went back to Raw…and was ready to kick a little ass…Trish went with me to get my wrestling outfits in order…I kept the simple look that I started with…plastic everything….I had it in red, blue, white, purple, green, yellow…and of course the black…

Paul loved to see me in the outfits, when I would go out…wrestling wasn’t something I did on an every night basis like the rest of the wrestlers…I was usually just on Raw and Smackdown. Anyways, on the show Triple H and Stephanie’s marriage crumbled, and eventually they did a big thing for about 3 weeks on them getting divorced.

When this thing was final, Triple H challenged Stephanie to a match and if she won, she’s be the WWE Champion, but if she lost, she was banned from ever coming back to Raw or Smackdown… She lost, and it was great down Paul sat on his knee’s eye level with her, as he was waving good-bye to her, while the arena security threw her out…Shane came in and replaced Stephanie, which wasn’t too bad, at least then I wouldn’t be getting sabotaged…This way also if it was Paul being sabotaged, at least he could take it…

Paul didn’t care what anyone thought…he went out wrestled, kicked a little ass on the way, and then came back and would talk to me before or after my matches and then we’d leave…

Well one night we were sitting back stage and were talking to each other…we had the dressing room door closed so no one could or would come in…without knocking first. Paul said, “So, do you think we’re stable enough to talk about us?”

I said, “I dunno, you always ask me that question, and I never know…because just when I think I’m ready to talk to you, something happens and we go straight back to just being friends and worrying about little things later…Paul I would love for us to sit down and have a normal adult conversation about us, but every time we start to, we get to that awkward point where were about to kiss, and something happens…a bolt of lightening, a dead body, an friend showing up out of no where.”

Paul said, “Look over there…I closed and locked the door, there is no one that is willing enough to break down the door just to talk to either of us…if it’s that important, they can call our cell-phones.” I smiled a little but still had a hesitant look on my face…

I sat there quiet for a few minutes and said, “So…where do we start?”

Chapter 9

Paul was looking at the floor, with his back to the door, when I walked into the dressing room…it had been a month since we had, had the “talk”…you know the talk, the one you have before you try to have a decent committed relationship with someone you just can’t seem to go through a single day without thinking about them at least 10 million times; and that’s even before lunch time…not counting anything after lunch…also not counting the dirty thoughts you have about them, you know the ones where they shove their tongue so far down your throat they can tell what religion you are, and can also tell if you’ve had your appendix removed.

I had my red wrestling gear on, I had left my hair down and then sat down on one of the metal chairs in the dressing room…Paul stood there looking ever so fine in his jeans, black Triple H t-shirt, boots, hair pulled back…I definitely had to think that he should give the people who make his jeans a fat ass raise, cause they really did wonders for his ass…not to say that it wasn’t great to begin with, cause it WAS, it just looked even hotter in jeans…too bad he’s not some kind of jean or underwear model…not like he doesn’t have the body for it.

Paul turned around and I was just watching the monitor, with my legs crossed…Paul kind of jumped a little and I said, “Problem big man?” Paul smiled and said, “I didn’t expect you to be sitting there, I didn’t even hear you come in, and I can always hear anyone coming through my door…whether it’s open or closed.” I said, “Maybe you’re slippin’…or maybe you just didn’t want to hear me coming in here.” Paul said, “Why wouldn’t I? You’re the first girl in years I’ve liked who isn’t trying to control me.”

I said, “Yea well Gimmie time, I’ll think of something.” Paul sat down next to me and patted my leg and said, “So what’s up…I see you in your wrestling garb…who are you wrestling tonight?” I said, “Ivory.” Paul said, “You want me to walk out with you?” I said, “Only if you want to…don’t do it unless you want to make an appearance for the fans…” He said, “How would you know if I had a match tonight or not?” I said, “Please…I have my informants.”

We sat there in silence for a while, and Paul said, “Have you thought anymore about what we talked about as of late?” I said, “Paul, there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not thinking of you, or anything that you’ve said to me. I like you a lot, and I know I’m really ready for a relationship, especially if it’s with you.” Paul said, “Yea, I know, but I’m still having doubts about it…like were rushing ourselves…I don’t want the same thing to end up happening again, only this time it would be me and you…not us verses someone else…if were going to do the steady dating thing, then it’s going to be all or nothing….no more just going to the movies, you know, all the stuff that one person could do, but has someone tagging along with them.”

I said, “Paul…look at me…there are so many reasons I like you, so many that if given one day to decided which were stronger…I wouldn’t be able to decide…whether it’s your off camera sense of humor, or your willingness to make sure we have a perfect relationship despite what everyone else might think….or maybe just the way I can go to you at any time and just lay my head on your shoulder…and you don’t get up and walk away…or maybe it’s the way you hug me…I love when you hug me…it’s like you’re wrapping your arms around me, and I’m not only in your embrace, but I’m being pulled into your soul…so I can see what you’re really like on the inside.”

Paul looked like he was deep in thought and quiet so I broke the silence and said, “If you’re still having doubts, then I think we should stop seeing so much of one another, because I’m at a point right now, that every time I see you, my feelings for you become stronger and stronger, and you seem to be putting distance between me and you more and more each day…So as an answer to your question, no I don’t want you to come out with me for my match, you’d just be one huge distraction that I wouldn’t be able to recover from. I like you God help me, but I can’t keep trying to hide my feelings or pretend that their really not there…”

I got up and walked out of the dressing room and down the hall to my dressing room…Paul was totally speechless, and couldn’t say a word…He just sat there in total silence, letting the words that I had just said to him, fully sink into his brain…I was hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him, but no such luck…

Chapter 10

It’s been two weeks since the last time I said anything to Paul, which was really unlike us, we were constantly talking, if not in person then on the phone…So the people who were writing my wrestling scripts decided they wanted me to win the WWE Women’s Champion belt…No one knew except me and the girl who had it at the time, which was Molly Holly (Nora) …She had told my writer’s she was tired of having all the responsibilities that went with having the title, and that she wanted me to have it cause I hadn’t lost a match yet and thought I deserved it more then anyone. So Molly and me worked things out and decided we’d let it be a surprise to all the other wrestlers.

By now Trish and I were sharing a dressing room with Mark in ours…When we first got to the arena, I went in and took a shower, while Trish and Mark went to the gym for an hour…When I finished my shower, I had wrapped a towel around my body, it wasn’t too big of a towel, just enough to cover everything…and it was a good thing I didn’t bend over cause it would of left nothing to the imagination to anyone who would of walked in at the time.

I was standing in front of the full length mirror brushing my hair, when the dressing room door swung open and Paul walked in saying, “Hey, Mark I need my…” Paul looked up and said, “Oh God…” and covered his eyes…and finished saying, “I’m sorry Michelle, I was looking for Mark…” I said, “Don’t be sorry I’m not…you already know I’m not a shy person, and I’m covered up, you can uncover your eyes.” Paul looked between his fingers like a little kid and said, “Are you sure?” I laughed and said, “Yes…its fine.”

Paul uncovered his eyes, and was just looking at me up and down, making sure to catch all the curves of my body. I said, “Yea, stare much Paul?” He said, “Hey, this is as close to nakedness I’ve gotten to you, I’m just taking it all in…” And gave a little grin. I said, “Yea, well that’s not my fault…if you’d just make up your mind about us, we wouldn’t be standing here right now, with you trying to use your non-existent x-ray vision, to see through my towel…If we were together liked I’d hope we would be by now, you wouldn’t even have to deal with the towel.” Paul said, “True, but I’m not going to rush into something I may regret later.” I said, “I know I wouldn’t regret it, I just wish you liked me as much as I do you…” Paul said, “C’mon Michelle, that’s not fair…” I said, “Yea, but what’s fair?”

We stood there in silence for a couple of minutes both looking at the ground, and I said, “If you’ll excuse me I have to get ready for my match…Mark is down in the gym with Trish.” I walked back into the bathroom and got into my ring attire. I went with the purple…good color…I heard Paul leave and close the door behind him…

The truth was, Paul had already made up his mind about us, but was really waiting for the right time to let me in on his decision…he wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell me, or not.

Anyway, I went out for the match and ended up with the WWE women’s title as planned…When I walked back behind the curtain, everyone was there to congratulate me, and give me a bunch of hugs…I walked down the hall with Trish, when we walked into my dressing room it was dark except for the light in the bathroom being on…there was a figure standing in the door way of the bathroom…

I knew exactly who it was, just by the outline of the physic. It was Paul…Trish was standing next to me and when she saw the figure she knew who it was too, and said, “I’ll talk to you later Chelle.” I said, “Okay Trish.” She left and closed the door behind her, I reached behind me and locked the door, and put my belt down on the chair, and walked over to the bathroom hallway…I was standing close enough to Paul, that I could see his face and part of his body…

Chapter 11

I said, “What are you doing here?” He smiled and said, “Why didn’t you tell me, you were going to win the title tonight?” I said, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to answer a question with a question?” he said, “No, I guess not.” I said, “It was Nora’s idea for me to win the title from her, she said she got tired of the responsibilities of having it…now what are you doing here?”

Paul said, “I know I’ve been kind of…well I’ve been a shithead in making you wait for me to make up my mind about us…The truth is Michelle, I made up my mind a long time ago about wanting to be with you, like the first day I met you in your father’s office…but because of the circumstances we both had to wait…and when the opportunity finally came around, I wasn’t ready, I dropped the ball, I knew you were ready, I just wanted to make sure I was…I was ready 3 weeks ago, but I wanted to make sure this is what I wanted…” I said, “And now?” He smiled and said, “Well, I’m ready, as long as you still want to try this.”

I smiled and said, “What do you think?”

Paul took a few steps towards me, and said, “I think I’m going to do something to you, that I’ve wanted to do to you since I met you.” I looked at him and said, “Like what?” He put his hands on my cheeks and pulled my face close to his and said, “Like kiss you.” That first kiss between us was incredible…I swear you could see sparks flying off our bodies, we totally got into the kiss, we wrapper our arms around each other and stood there kissing for at least 25 minutes…it was so amazing…it was the most amazing kiss I’d ever gotten from a guy…and I was so happy it was from Paul…

Obviously after that, we were pretty much inseparable. Paul was always making me laugh, but he knew how to make me feel loved…he could tell when I needed him to touch me or kiss me…one day we were in the gym at the arena with Trish and Mark, the guys were working out while Trish and I were beating the crap out of the punching bag…Trish said, “Holy shit Michelle, you left a fist imprint in the punching bag.” I said, “Yea, well it shouldn’t have pissed me off.” Trish was laughing about the time Mark came over and lifted her up above his head and slammed her on the matt below us (not hard, just enough to let her know it was him), and laid next to her…

Trish said, “DAMN IT!! Mark you scared me half to death.” Mark said, “Baby, that’s why they call it a sneak attack.” I laughed and that time Paul came over and did the same thing to me. Trish started laughing and said, “That’s what you get for laughing at me.” I said, “Yea, bite me.” My hand was on Paul’s shoulder, and he leaned over and pulled my index finger into his mouth, and was biting my finger, but not hard and he kept rubbing the tip of my finger with his tongue…I looked at him and said, “I wouldn’t do that too many more times if I were you…” Paul smiled and while he sucked on my finger he let it slide out of his mouth.

Trish said, “Damn now that was a look between you too…I could just hear the thoughts rolling around in your brains.” I looked over and Trish and by now Mark was making his way down to her navel, and was kissing her mid-drift. Trish said, “Mark, behave yourself, we’re not under cover right now.” Mark looked up and said, “Please…like Michelle and Paul don’t have a clue what we both have on our minds…”

About that time Paul stood up and grabbed my hand and helped me up…Trish got out of his grasp and I helped her up…Mark said, “Baby, you are no fun…” Trish said, “Mark…chill out…Don’t make me hose you off.” I was sitting on the bench watching Paul work out again…and started laughing when I heard Trish say that…she walked over and sat next to me…Mark came over and kissed the top of her head, and then went back to working out also.

Chapter 12

A couple of hours later, the guys were just finishing up their work out, and Paul was flexing his muscles in the mirror to see where the improvements were starting to be noticed, Mark looked over at Paul and looked down at his own body and said, “Okay so I have a little more work to do on my body before I can look like Paul, but what do you think baby…I’m close right?” Mark flexed in front of Trish, with a goofy smile on his face, cause he knew he still had a ways to go…Trish and I couldn’t help but start laughing…

Paul looked over and saw Mark and started laughing at Mark also…Paul said, “Oh yea, just a little more…” The guys started flexing in front of us, while making faces and Trish and I were rolling on the ground with laughter…we couldn’t help but laugh…it was hard to take them as serious big bad wrestlers with attitudes, when they would do stuff like that off camera.

Mark said, “Okay, so I feel a little inadequate standing next to Paul, while he’s got his shirt off…but I’ll make it there soon…hopefully...” Trish walked over to him and pulled his head down and kissed the top of his head and said, “Don’t worry baby, I love you just the way you are.” Mark kissed her cheek and said, “I love you too…but sometimes you’re a horrible liar.” Trish said, “MARK! I’m serious…you looked like that when you asked me out…and we’ve been together for 3 years…you’re a keeper…”

I said, “Yea, slam her through a table again; maybe you’ll get her to marry you Mark.” Trish said, “Ha, Ha…but I seem to remember you dating Triple H…you know Cerebral Assassin…someone who has a fixation with sledgehammers…” I said, “Hey, well as long as he doesn’t use it on me, I don’t mind…It’s kind of a manly toy…and sort of turns me on when he uses it.” Paul looked over at me and said, “Oh really…guess what I’m bringing home from work tonight baby?” Trish looked at me and I looked at her and we both started laughing again.

Later that night just as a shock to everyone, when I went out for my match, Paul walked down to the ring with me in his Triple H character, and held down the second rope for me when I got in…JR said, “Wow, The Game is actually gentlemanly…He actually held the ropes open for Mystery…” Jerry said, “Who cares about that, I think the question on everyone’s mind is…When do we get to see Mysteries puppies!!!”

JR said, “I really don’t think that’s the question on everyone mind King…I think the real question is, What is The Game doing down here with Mystery, he’ll corrupt her mind…Doesn’t this young lady know who she’s dealing with…hasn’t she ever heard of Triple H and what a monster he can be?” Jerry said, “Yea, she must not realize he’ll corrupt the puppies…” JR said, “King…kick the puppies…the story is, since The Game and Mrs. Games divorce was final a year ago, he’s back in the show with a different lady, this time it being the new comer in the sport Mystery.”

Hunter took a mic and said, “If you don’t know who this lady is next to me…well she’s the WWE Women’s Champion…she hasn’t lost a match yet, and doesn’t plan on it…” Hunter was walking around the ring talking and shooting his mouth off to the fans, and I was just standing there, in my blue ring attire with my hands on my hips and a serious look on my face. Hunter came over and stood in my face and said, “You’re one cold bitch you know that…icy blue stares at everyone, including me…and I walked down here with you…” I leaned over to the mic and said, “I don’t remember asking you to walk down here…you just followed like a little puppy…and I’ll take the bitch comment as a compliment.”

A couple of minutes later, like clockwork…Kurt Angle came out and jumped in the ring, standing himself in front of me, and staring Hunter down… Kurt said, “Triple H…leave Mystery alone, she never did anything to you…” Hunter said, “I don’t remember asking for your input Kurt…go back to the back, and play with your Barbie dolls…this doesn’t concern you.” Kurt said, “No, I’m not leaving until you do…you’re not going to hurt this young lady…she’s too beautiful for you to even think about touching…or hurting…you big over grown beast.”

I tapped Kurt on the shoulder and said, “I don’t remember asking you to come out here like my knight in shining armor either…you’re not my hero, or my bodyguard…so get lost Kurt.” Kurt said, “Get real, precious, Triple H will tear you apart if he gets the chance.” I said, “I can take care of myself little man, so beat it.” Kurt said, “Yea, well you’re nothing but a woman anyway, you’d never be able to escape Triple H’s clutches.” Kurt turned back around to be face to face with Hunter…I squatted down and lowblowed Kurt, he hit the mat, and Hunter grabbed him and gave him a pedigree, and then we stood over Kurt together, and I grabbed the mic and said, “Now why would I want to escape?” And threw the mic behind me…Hunter grabbed me and kissed me in the middle of the ring…

The fans went absolutely ape shit…cheering, screaming and whistling…Hunter bent over and picked me up and turned around in the ring, so everyone could see us…We walked to the back and that was the end of Raw…well at least for the night.

Chapter 13

Well, it’s been 4 years since Paul and me got together, and well my father is dealing with the loss of Shane McMahon as his son-in-law, but not liking the fact I’ve been dating Paul for 4 years…

One night before Monday night Raw, my cell-phone rang; I answered it, “Hello dad.” He said, “Oh that’s right, you have caller Id, I can’t get used to the new things that you get with cell-phones…” I said, “What’s up?” He said, “Well, I was just wondering if you were going to come see me this weekend?” I said, “Of course, you know I’ll be there with bells on.” He hemmed and haud around a little and said, “So I suppose you’re still with Paul, and not back with Shane yet?” I said, “Dad! Shane and I got divorced…I’m not getting back together with the loser…he cheated on me…” Dad said, “Honey, he slipped…he made one tiny mistake…why couldn’t you ever forgive him for that?” I said, “Dad it wasn’t a small mistake, it was a huge mistake, he had sex with someone else, that’s no tiny mistake, that’s a huge one…”

Dad said, “I know you’re not really meant to be with Paul, he’s no good for you…I mean do you see the way he treats other people in the ring, he has no respect for them…I think this is just a phase you’re going through, you figure since you’re husband is in the wrestling business, that you should date one.” I said, “Dad!!!, EX-HUSBAND…And no dad this isn’t a phase that I’m going through…You know the only person who didn’t make me lose my mind after I got divorced…was Paul…And I also love Paul dad…You need to get some therapy or something cause I think you love Shane more then I ever did, and I dated him for 8 years and was married to him for a year and a half.”

Dad said, “Don’t use that tone of voice with me young lady…” I said, “I’m sorry dad, but at some point you’re going to have to just accept the fact that I’m not with Shane and won’t be ever again…Paul is in my life now…We live together, and love being together and nothing is going to change…ever. Listen I have to go dad, I love you and I’ll see you Friday night.” He said, “I love you too sweet heart, I’ll see you when you get here.” We hung up.

Paul was sitting next to me on the couch and said, “Little stressed babe?” I said, “No, what ever gave you that idea?” Paul said, “C’mere.” I moved over and sat on his lap, but didn’t lean back…Paul started rubbing my back, neck and shoulders…I said, “Why can’t he just accept the fact that me and Shane are finished…I mean we’ve been divorced for 4 ½ years, and me and you have been together 4 years…”

Paul said, “Obviously he doesn’t like the fact that you were married to in his eyes was a great guy…he resents me being here for you, he resents knowing that you come home with me at night and not Shane...” I said, “Do you know, he still calls and talks to Shane…they sit there talking about the way things were…while I’m sitting down here in the dressing room loving you…I mean after the divorce, and me and you got together, we took things relatively slow, I mean it took us a year to even tell each other we loved one another…”

Paul said, “Yea, but see it took us a while to even warm up to each other…you had been with Shane for 8 years, you had your warming up period with him, I was a different guy, I did different things to make you happy…we may live in the same town and state, but were not the same person…he’s a mock wrestler and owns part of the company, but I’m a professional wrestler and he’s my boss…now that we’ve been together for 4 years there’s nothing we can’t do in front of each other…of course the first time you walked in the bathroom while I was trying to pee, you shocked the hell out of me.”

I started laughing…and said, “If you could have only seen the look on your face…it was priceless.” Paul laughed and said, “Yea, and the fact that you hopped up on the counter and sat there brushing your hair while talking to me, I couldn’t get anything to come out and I knew I had to pee, but it just kind of stopped.” I said, “I know, you stood there for like 10 minutes, and I was laughing at you and finally asked you if everything was okay…cause there wasn’t anything coming out…you told me to leave…I laughed all the way out the door.”

He said, “Yea, I emerged 3 minutes later and looked at you and you were still laughing…” I said, “Yea, and then the one night when you were brushing your teeth and I came in to pee, you took one look at me and started to leave, and I went after you, and pulled you back in and made you stay…I didn’t think you’d ever loosen up…” He said, “I never lived with Steph, so when I decided to ask you to move in with me, I wasn’t sure what was okay to do and not okay.” I said, “I guess if we can survive the bathroom fiasco, we can survive my father driving me stark raving mad.” Paul said, “Yup.”

Paul pulled me back and I laid on his chest and had my feet propped up on his, and we were watching the monitor to see what was going on with the show.

Chapter 14

Well like clockwork, I showed up at my dad’s place, I turned down the long dirt road leading up to my father’s house, and thought I saw a familiar vehicle sitting in the drive way…I was right it was Shane’s black BMW SUV…I couldn’t believe my eyes, I thought maybe I was seeing things. I walked inside and said, “Dad?” He said, “We’re in the den.” I knew I wasn’t seeing things then…I walked down to the den and said, “Hey dad.” I went over and we hugged and he kissed my cheek. Dad said, “I’m going to go check on dinner, why don’t you two get re-acquainted.” He walked out of the room…

Shane had a smirk on his face as he watched my dad leave the room, I reached over and pinched his arm as hard as possible…Shane said, “Ouch! What was that for?” I said, “What the hell is going on?” Shane said, “You got me, you father called me up and invited me for dinner…” I said, “Why did you come, you knew that Friday’s were the days I came home to see him…you knew I’d be here.” Shane said, “No, he said, you weren’t going to come this weekend.” I said, “You dumbass, in the 9 years that you’ve known me, has there ever been one time in my life where I haven’t come to see my dad on Fridays?” Shane gave a sheepish grin and said, “No, I guess not…” I said, “Right! Then why would I start now dingus!” And I smack Shane’s arm.

My dad re-emerged from the kitchen and said, “Dinner’s ready, c’mon you two.” We walked into the dinning room behind my dad, and I shoved Shane out of the way…I ate quietly and just looked down into my soup bowl…listening to my father talk business with Shane…Finally dad said, “Now onto more important business…Michelle, when are you going to give Shane a second chance to make up his minor mistake? You guys have been together way to long to let something as trivial like that get between the two of you, and ruin your perfectly good future together.”

I stood up and started walking around the dinning room and I said, “You know something dad, I love you, but this is way too much…Shane cheated on me, he FUCKED someone else and could have given me some disease from the little whore he screwed, I was lucky I found out when I did. We got divorced…why can’t you accept that? I don’t love him anymore…I haven’t loved him for a long time…and I lost all my respect for him to be a good husband when I found out he’d been sleeping with other women. And he obviously didn’t respect what we had together otherwise he wouldn’t have ever done what he did.”

My dad said, “Michelle Ann, Shane slipped, god help him he slipped, he made a small mistake, and at some point you’ll have to forgive him.” I stood there for a second, my hair hanging in my face and finally moved my hair out of the way and said, “Dad, I love you, but why can’t you take my side on this? He hurt me…he broke my heart into a million pieces and didn’t even look back to make sure I picked it all up to get it glued back together.”

Shane said, “You didn’t give me much of a chance to look, you filed for divorce the day after you found out, and then wouldn’t even accept any calls from me.”

I leaned against the table looking at Shane and said, “And did you really expect me to just roll over and let you treat me like that? Just brush off the fact that you cheated on me, with god knows how many women for god knows long…and just welcome you back with open arms?? Because if you did, then you are not only the Chief Executive of the WWF, you’re also the Chief Executive of Fantasy Land. We’ve been divorced for 4½ years, there’s no chance in hell for a reconciliation…I don’t even love you…I love Paul and at some point (looking at my dad) DAD, you’re going to have to accept that Paul is part of my life, and is going to be part of my life for a long damn time.”

My dad said, “Why? What has he done for you? I mean other then taking you away from your husband.” I said, “He never took me away from my husband…my husband did that on his own…without no one’s help but his own…It was Shane’s decision to sleep around, I was perfectly content being married to him for the rest of my life, but I was deluded to the fact that he didn’t love me enough to be faithful.”

My dad started to say something, when I interrupted him and said, “Dad, I love you and you know that, but I don’t think I’ll be coming here on Friday’s anymore, I don’t like it when you make me feel like my marriage failed because of me, not when it was really Shane’s fault…every time I come see you, you make me feel lower and lower, and for absolutely no reason at all I let you get to me…I don’t love Shane, I love Paul, someone who loves me as much as I love him…if you can’t get past the marriage thing, then there will be no reason for me to come over to see you anymore, cause the longer I’m with Paul, then there’s a chance I can find happiness again…and I live my life for me…not you, or Marie, or anyone else. Bye Dad.” I kiss the top of his head and left.

Chapter 15

I drove the 45 minutes back into town and went to the house…Paul was relaxing in his overstuffed black leather chair all stretched out on to the footstool. I walked in and Paul looked over and said, “Hey baby. Aren’t you home a little early?” I walked up stairs and said, “Yes.” Paul knew something was wrong…I went in and sat on the bed, Paul walked in and said, “What happened?” I said, “What makes you think something happened?” He said, “Chelle, we’ve been together for too long for me not to know something happened.” I said, “Shane was there when I got there…” He said, “What? Why?”

I said, “My dad and his big reconciliation idea…he tried to strike up the whole forgiveness speech about Shane and me…I stood my ground and then told him I wouldn’t be going back over, cause I had enough of it…I told him if he couldn’t except you and me, then I wasn’t going to bother with it anymore.” Paul said, “Are you crazy? That’s your dad…he’s the only family other then your sister that you’ve got…” I looked up at Paul while he was pacing around the bedroom and I said, “Why are you acting like that? Like you just have to tell me something that’s so important you’re going to bust?”

Paul said, “I’m not…I just can’t understand why you said that to of all people your dad.” I said, “Because Paul, I’m tired of feeling like shit every time I go over there, which is exactly what happens, cause all he does is talk about Shane…Shane this and Shane that, like Shane was fricken GOD…Why are you so concerned about what I say anyway, it has nothing to do with us.” Paul said, “Well…never mind.”

Paul walked out of the room and I went after him down the stairs…and said, “Paul what is going on?” He said, “Nothing...” I said, “Bull shit…something’s up…what is it?” Paul stopped and said, “Will you just drop it…” I said, “No…” I ran in front of him and put my hand on his chest and stopped him and said, “What’s going on with you? You’ve been acting really weird the last couple of days…” Paul said, “Well, you know we’ve been together for 4 years, and soon you’re going to be wanting to get married again and I…well…I sort of…”

I looked in his eyes and said, “What? Why would you think that?” He said, “I over heard you talking with Trish, and…” I said, “And you figured what ever I talk about with Trish was exactly was going to happen? Try again…and why do you say ‘get married again’ like it’s some big curse or something…I would love to get married again…yes…eventually…I’m hoping it’s with you…yes…but if it doesn’t happen that’s fine…if it never happens that’s just as fine, as long as I still have you by my side…”

I started to give Paul a kiss, when he pulled away, which he never did…he never refused kisses from me…even if he got busted by camera at work he always stopped to get kisses from me… He walked past me and continued down the stairs. I walked after him; I grabbed his arm and said, “What the hell is going on?” Paul said, “Just leave me alone…just go away please.” I didn’t have a clue…I was so out in the dark…I blinked and tears slid down my cheeks like a waterfall…Paul went back over and sat in his chair again and I said, “Okay.” I picked up my purse and left…I walked out of the house and left in my vehicle. Paul got up and was looking out the window and watched me drive away…

Chapter 16

I drove to New York City and went to see my sister Marie. It was probably noon the next day when I got there…because I drove all night and never stopped for sleep. Marie was happy to see me, but knew something was wrong…we were sitting on the couch all relaxed and were sipping on some warm green tea…Marie said, “So what happened?”

I said, “Honestly? I don’t have a damn clue…” Marie said, “Dad called and told me what happened at dinner last night…In all honesty, I don’t blame you for telling dad exactly what you thought, and I told dad the same thing…he shouldn’t be so hard on you…but then again you’ve been the perfect daughter, so I’m guessing he just doesn’t like that fact that the perfect daughter’s marriage didn’t last.” I said, “Marie, I’m not perfect…I’m far from it…I mean look at me…I lost my best friend and my husband in 2 hours one night, and after 4 blissfully filled years with Paul…I’ve lost him too…”

Marie had a shocked look on her face and said, “Why…what happened?” I said, “I don’t know…I honestly don’t know, he started acting funny after I told him what happened with me and dad…and I tried getting him to talk about it, but only got half a sentence out and a few dirty looks before he told me to leave him alone and go away.” Marie said, “What the hell is that idiot thinking?” I said, “At this point I really don’t care, I’m just so tired, and I feel it again…my life is falling apart again…I’m losing everyone I love in my life…except for you…”

Marie said, “Maybe you’re not losing them…maybe this is a really bad dream that were both having?” We reached over and pinched each other and both said, “Ouch.” At the same time. Marie said, “Well there goes that theory.” I said, “Apparently, it’s just a bad dream for me…and don’t pinch me again, you pinch hard.” Marie pulled her hand back, cause that’s exactly what she was going to do before I put up the red flag…she smiled at me and said, “I know you too well little sister of mine.”

Marie said, “Well, I have to get going, my classes are at night this semester…if you want to crash here for a week or so, you’re more then welcome too, and you’ve already got a key to the place, I should be home around 10 or 11, as long as me and the other night classers don’t go to the bar…to get away from the insanity we call Pharmacy College…” I said, “Yea, I think I’ll stay for a while a break would do me good…” Marie said, “Give me your cell phone.” I handed it to her, and she shut it off and threw it in the bottom of her back pack and said, “Now, you can relax more…without some moron calling you…” I said, “Thanks sis.” We hugged and she took off for the night.

Chapter 17

Marie was right, morons were calling my cell-phone left and right, if it wasn’t one person it was another…I had exactly 45 messages on my voice mail, when I checked it after 5 days, and when I didn’t show up for Monday Night Raw, Paul called Marie…

The phone rang and Marie picked it up, “Hello?” she said inquisitively. Paul said, “Hey Marie, its Paul…Have you seen your sister anywhere?” Marie said, “No, did you look for her?” Paul said, “Yea, I left a bunch of messages on the voice mail to her cell-phone but haven’t heard anything back…” Marie said, “Oh, she called a couple of days ago and said she was having a bad week…she also told me what happened with you and her and her and our dad…did you ever think that maybe she doesn’t want to be found?” Paul said, “Why would you say that? And why would she tell you what happened between us?”

Marie said, “Paul, she’s my big sister, I know by the sound of her voice when something is wrong…And the reason I said, she may not want to be found, is because she has pressures just like you do…pressures to make sure her relationship with you doesn’t fail…pressures from our father to go back to Shane…and pressures of having people in her life who seem to come up missing, when something goes wrong like a marriage…If she doesn’t want to be found, there are so many places she could be…she’s got an place here in New York, she’s even got one in Hawaii…and unless you’re willing to get off your butt and get your head out of your ass and look for her, then you won’t find her until she wants to be found.”

She sighed and continued, “I mean honestly what the hell were you thinking when you told her to leave you alone…and then to add to the pain you told her to go away? Boy you should be even grateful you got as close to her as she let you…cause ever since we were little the only one who knows more about her then you and her is me…she doesn’t always open up and let people inside of her much less walk around with her heart in their pockets…I think that was one of the reasons she got over Shane so fast…the love she has for you and the love she had for him can never be compared…cause there’s no contest…you’d win every time…I knew she had found someone special when she would tell me what you were like, and now after hearing what you said to her, I’m disappointed…because you couldn’t possibly be the guy she fell in love with 4 years ago.”

Paul sat there listening to Marie, and finally said, “I do care and I do love her, I wouldn’t be calling you if I didn’t care. I know I was an ass that day it’s just that the permanent thought of us being permanent enough to live together finally kicked in…I wasn’t ready for her to move in…” Marie said, “Then why did you ask her?” Paul said, “Honestly, I didn’t think she’d agree to it…and now that she’s living here, it’s hard to not think of us getting married, but I don’t want to get married…not now at least…I mean she’s been married, and the marriage was a bust, me and Shane did a lot of talking before I started dating her, and he told me a lot of useful things about her…”

Chapter 18

Marie being at her wits end, wanting to slam her head in to her fridge but decided against it, for fear she’d get amnesia and forget all her answers for the quiz in 3 days said, “HELLO DUMBASS!!!, did you ever think for a second Shane could be full of shit? No you didn’t because that would require you using your head…that’s the lump that’s 3 feet above your ass…I swear…If I hear from my sister…you’ll be the last to know…I wouldn’t dream of having her come back to your sorry ass…I can’t believe you’re dumber then I thought you were…”

Paul said, “I never said, I believed anything Shane said.” Marie said, “Paul, you don’t even have to tell me whether or not you believed it…I can tell by the tone of your voice…you already do…you’re playing with my sisters heart, and I should kick the everlasting crap right out of you…if only you knew…” Paul interrupted and said, “No...I…”

Marie interrupted back and said, “No…no…if you only knew…the things she says about you…the faith she has in you….the potential she sees in you…the support and love she has for you…the things she’s told me and shared with me…I was shocked because I never knew someone could love another human the way she loves you…I mean the way you treated her…how’s come you never learned it was wrong and hurtful to treat someone that way? There are just certain things that you don’t do…that you DO NOT do to someone’s heart … you’re a … you’re a fool Paul…you’re a fool for letting your brain get mixed up into your relationship with her, and you’re a fool for letting Shane McMahon, the GOD of assholes get into your brain…the sooner you start tuning Shane out, and letting your heart do the talking for you, the sooner, you will be able to know what it’s like to be loved by Michelle…by my sister…by a real lady…”

Marie slammed down the phone…all Paul heard was dial tone.

Of course, Marie told me everything that was said between her and Paul…I wasn’t actually there when the phone conversation went on…I was so steaming…I found out that the Wrestling tour was at Madison Square Garden in New York that night, I drove over to the arena, and walked back stage…I ran into Paul and he said, “Where the hell have you been Michelle?” I pushed him out of my way and said, “You! I’ll deal with later…I have some serious talking to do with my ex-hubby…” Paul followed me down the hall, and when I got to Shane’s office I slammed the door on Paul and then locked it so he couldn’t get in…

Chapter 19

Shane stood up from his desk and said, “What’s up Michelle, Paul said, you were missing?” I pushed him back against his desk and said, “Stay right there…and do me a favor.” I sat down in a chair that was across from Shane’s desk, as he sat on his desk. Shane said, “Sure what is it?” I said, “Tell me, everything you thought you’d just generously tell Paul for his own benefit about me…and skip the usual bullshit, and get straight to the useful things you told him about me…” Shane said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

I said, “Stop…Don’t get yourself into a lie…” Shane said, “I’m not lying.” I walked over and opened the door and Paul was still there facing the door and I said, “Paul, did he or did he not give you some useful things about me before we started dating?” Paul said, “Yea…” And started to say something when I slammed the door closed again and locked it, and just looked at Shane with one eyebrow up and one down with my arms folded across my chest.

I said, “Now, you want to tell me, or do I get to choke it out of you?” Shane said, “Okay fine!” He sat down in a huff…like a 5 year old would after they’ve just been scolded for tracking mud on the white carpeting. I walked over and the position was reversed, I was sitting on his desk and he was in the chair…

Shane said, “I may have said a few things to Paul about you…and they may have been lies…I sort of told him you were clingy, and you needed constant attention…and that you’d been married a couple of times before me, and you’d only want to marry him and take his money…” I said, “SHANE BRANDON MCMAHON!!!, I can’t believe you told him that! You’re such a fucking creep…” Shane said, “Well…what did you want me to say…our marriage was ending and I knew sooner or later, Paul would have the balls to ask you out…because you guys were getting so close...”

I said, “Well first of all…genius it was your fucking fault our marriage was ending…I don’t know why I have to keep reminding you and my father of that little fact…and second, who I date once I wasn’t with you is none of your concern…and you know that…I wanted to stay friend with you. We were friends first before we were anything else, I realize the divorce was hard on both of us, but nothing can repair something that is that far gone…you know what you have to do right?” Shane looked at the floor and said, “Tell Paul the truth?”

I nodded and said, “Exactly…now you do realize I’m not going to stay in here when you tell him…I’m not going to be back on Raw for another week…I deserve the vacation…especially after what you two morons put me through, tell Paul not to call…I want my vacation Moron Free. I love you both but you make me crazy, and he makes me crazier…I love him more…I love him like I used to love you, but with more of everything…neither of you can replace the other, but Paul seems to be able to take care of my heart a little bit better then you could.”

Shane said, “I know I ruined our marriage…and I’m sorry, I got selfish, I thought I was untouchable…I figured I could do what ever I wanted with whoever I wanted and as long as you never found out I was off Scott free, but then you busted me, big time! And I knew I was screwed…I also know with as mad as you were that night you busted me, I got off really easy, you could of hit me so hard my dad would of gotten a lump, but you didn’t, you said your piece, cussed a little and then left asking for a divorce…I shouldn’t have been so stupid cause we could of really had something great…” I said, “We did have something great, we dated for 8 years and were married for 1…besides it was probably bound to happen…things happen for a reason…hell things happen even if they have no reason…”

We both stood up and hugged each other… I walked over and opened the door, and said, “C’mon in Paul...” He walked in and said, “What the hell was that all about?” I said, “Just shut up and sit down…Shane has something’s to tell you.” Paul sat down and I pulled the door closed behind me as I walked down and left…

I went back to Marie’s, she was at class, and so I ate some dinner, and then fell asleep on the couch.

Chapter 20

Meanwhile back at Shane’s office, Paul went in and sat down…Paul said, “What’s going on Shane? Where did Michelle go?” Shane said, “My guess is back on vacation from me and everyone else who drove her crazy the last week and a half. Listen dude, I need to come clean with a few things before I let you walk yourself out of Michelle’s life without a reason…” Paul said, “Shane…what happened?”

Shane laughed nervously, thinking great when I come clean, my parents will need my dental records to identify my body after Paul gets done with it…

Paul looked at Shane cockeyed and said, “Shane…C’mon, just tell me.” Shane walked around his desk hoping it would protect him long enough to get away from Paul…at least long enough to get within screaming distance of someone who could help him incase Paul went ballistic…Shane smiled crooked and said, “Well, it’s about the stuff I told you about Chelle…It’s not true.” Paul grimaced and said, “What stuff exactly isn’t true?” Shane said, “Exactly? Well all of it…but I do have a perfectly good reason for lying to you.”

Paul stood up, laced his fingers together and popped his knuckles like he was getting ready to get into a street fight…and said, “I hope it’s a damn good reason…” Shane started backing up and when he hit the wall he said, “Well…he...he…you see…Ummm…I sort of got…well…” and before he could finish Paul hoped over Shane’s desk and shoved his forearm into Shane’s throat and his other arm into his waist to keep him from moving and yelled, “EXPLAIN A LITTLE FASTER!!”

Shane started talking so fast, Paul almost couldn’t understand a word he was saying…Shane said, “I was jealous of the friendship that you was having with Michelle…I mean she was my wife before she was your friend…And When you came to me after we got divorced and you said you were going to start dating her, I sort of came unglued…and decided the best way to keep you from actually getting into a fully load relationship with her I’d go ahead and make up a bunch of bullshit about her…I figured since we had been friends for as long as we had, you’d believe me…and you did dude…I’m really sorry about everything I never meant to let the lying go as far as it did…I figured the relationship wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did…but you totally proved me wrong…and I didn’t want you to marry her…I don’t think I could handle it if I saw you guys married…specially knowing how miserably our marriage had failed cause I was such a dick to her…She was the perfect wife, she loved me so much and I was such an ass--…” and before he could finish Paul shut him up but shove his fist in Shane’s abdomen…

Paul was at the point where he didn’t care that Shane was partially his boss and that hitting him could get him fined or even fired…he was so mad at that point…

Shane slid off of Paul’s fist and hit the floor on his knees…Paul said, “Shane, I don’t believe you man…I have been friends longer with you then anyone else in this company…I just can’t understand why you would lie to me…if you didn’t want me to marry her or date her then why didn’t you just come clean with me when I came to tell you? Dude that was so wrong…I can’t believe I trusted every word you said about Michelle…and I nearly lost her because of your dumb ass…I mean how am I supposed to go back to her now and confess all my love for her?? She’ll never believe me…And that’s the dumb thing, I love her so much, but now I don’t even know if I’ll have a future with her, because you’re my best friend, I wouldn’t want to see you hurt or anything especially if I married her…so you tell me now…WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??”

Chapter 21

Shane collected his thoughts and stood up while Paul paced around the room…running his hands over his go-tee and mustache…Shane could see the wheels turning in his mind trying to figure some crazy shit out…Shane said, “Paul, I’m sorry…I never meant to lie to you bro…I want to make this up to you in some way…” Paul said, “Shane unless you can figure out how I can be with Michelle and have it not bother you, then by all means jump in anytime…I should kick your ass for lying to me, but there’s no point, cause there hasn’t been a time when I haven’t lied about something in some way, shape, or form…” Shane said, “I honestly don’t know what to tell you…if you’re actually willing to not be with her, because of our friendship…then you need to be with her…” Paul said, “No, I couldn’t do that to you…” Stuck in a dilemma, Paul just gave himself the rest of the week to think about what to say to me…

At the next Monday Night Raw, Paul waited in his dressing room to talk with me…he wasn’t even wrestling later, but hw knew I wouldn’t answer my cell phone, but knew I’d be at Raw tonight…I was in my dressing room when my cell-phone rang and decided to go ahead and answer it…it was Paul…surprise, surprise…I said, “Hello.” Paul said, “Hey Chelle…Can you come down to my dressing room, I need to talk with you…it’s important.” I said, “Sure, I’ll be there in about 15 minutes…I have a match first, and after I change I’ll be there…” He said, “Okay.”

We hung up, about that time Shane walked in Paul’s dressing room and asked if he could fill in for Chris Jericho, he wasn’t able to make it tonight because of personal reasons…Paul said yea and since the match wasn’t until later, he sat and watched me on the monitor as I wrestled Trish…Her and I always had fun wrestling each other…of course we had to watch and make sure we didn’t laugh at each other…otherwise there’d be hell to pay for breaking character.

After the match I went back, took a quick 3 minute shower enough to get clean got dressed and went down to Paul’s room with my stuff, with Raw being 5 hours away from Connecticut, I drove over, and was going to leave to go home and get a fresh suitcase of clothes…

I knocked on the door and Paul said, “C’mon in Chelle.” I walked in and said, “How’d you know it was me?” He said, “You always knock the same way…soft and 2 knocks…” I smiled and said, “So what’s up?” Paul said, “Sit down please.” I walked over and sat next to him…

Paul said, “I’m sorry about the way I behaved a couple of weeks ago, I shouldn’t have been that way…I was an ass…Shane told me everything, and also confessed a few of his thoughts about us…I don’t think he told you…he said he didn’t know if he could bare us dating or getting married and being married around him, knowing his marriage with you had failed cause he was such a prick to you…and I have to tell you right now, I’ve known Shane longer then I’ve known you, and I have to go with my gut instinct and that’s to end what we have right now on a light note…I can’t stay with you anymore Michelle…it hurts Shane to see us together…me and him have been friends longer then I have been with anyone else in the company, and I have to respect him…I actually don’t have to…but I will because of our friendship…”

I stood up and said, “Let me see if I got this straight…you can’t be with me anymore because you’re friends with my ex-husband…you sat there and let me fall in love with you…and let me get more and more drawn into you for 4 years, and now you can’t be with me because it would hurt my ex-husband…I see…oh I can see where that’s rational on your part and his…” I rolled my eyes, and Paul said, “I thought about this since last Monday…I didn’t know how to tell you or approach you about it…I figure forward and truthful would work…” I said, “Oh yea, I see how you ached and pined over this decision…You will forgive me if I think this is such a load of bullshit, you catering to my ex-husbands feelings, and not your own…”

Paul stood up and said, “Well, I am, and it’s just because he’s one of my best friends…” I said, “Yea well best friend or not, you look me in the eye right now and tell me you don’t love me…tell me you don’t love me as much as I love you…tell me you’re willing to give me up for someone who lied to you about me for 4 years…tell me you want me out of your life as fast as I came in…” Paul stood there and looked deep in my eyes and cringing at what he was about to say next…he said, “I don’t love you anymore…I want you out…out of my house, out of my mind and out of my life…I just want you out…”

A couple of tears slid down my cheeks and Paul went to touch me and I jerked away, I walked over and pulled the handle up on my suitcase and walked over to the door…I opened it and paused for a second and said, “You know something Paul…I could see myself loving you forever…getting married, having some really great kids…but you’re more hell bent on making your friends happy then yourself…and I think once you start living for you, there’s no one that you will ever find who will love you like I do…by the way…you’re a really bad liar…but I guess if this is what you’re giving me, then I’ll have to accept it…I’ll have my stuff out of the house by the end of the week.” I walked out and closed the door behind me…

I was walking down to the parking garage and ran into Shane, he said, “Hey Michelle.” I said, “Go to hell…” Paul was standing in the hallway and he could hear me and Shane talking…Shane said, “I know what Paul told you, I told him he should be with you, and it was his decision totally…”

I said, “Shane, I’ve loved two men in my life since I was 14…you and Paul…I was hurt by you, but it didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would, only because Paul was there next to me, helping me through ever aspect of the pain…he was my best friend and then the love of my life…same as you were…I never expect much from him, but got a whole lot more then I bargained for…I got love, understanding, caring, respect and some other things I could never put into words…I always thought I’d be with you forever, and then I thought I would be with him forever…I think my problem is I fall in love way to easy…that or I let you men in my heart way to fast without asking for some credentials…I’m going to go home, soak in a tub full of warm water and bubbles and cry for the next three days, because I deserve to cry…and I’ll see you at Smackdown on Thursday.”

Shane said, “I’m sorry, Michelle, I didn’t make him decide like that…I know he loves you…” I said, “It’s okay, I know he loves me to…I also know he’s a better friend to you, then you deserve, but then again, everyone deserves a friend like Paul…Bye Shane.” He said, “Bye Chelle.”

I left and was driving down a long dark back road cause I knew I’d get home faster…rather then taking the freeway…

Chapter 22

I had the radio set on an easy listening station…which was definitely something I need right now…God how I HATE rental cars…I’m about 30 minutes away from the arena…but it feels like I’ve been driving forever…my mind keeps wondering back to Paul…how could he do that…just look me in the eyes and lie to me saying he didn’t love me and didn’t want me in his life anymore…I could feel a little pain in my chest and I knew automatically I still was hurting from the words he spoke…it hurt so much to hear him say it…

I know it’s been a month since Paul broke it off with me…I mean it really feels permanent…I still don’t know how the hell to act around him, especially in front of the other wrestlers, when they’ve seen us together so happy, and now both of us are pretty miserable… Shane did everything in his power to convince Paul that he needed to be with me…and that he was a fool for leaving me just because of their friendship…when some of the other wrestlers found out why we broke up, they thought he was insane…Paul thought he was insane himself, but didn’t really have much to say about the whole ordeal, he wasn’t trying to explain things to anybody, it was his life and he could do with it as he pleased damn it.

A hand full of the wrestlers had tried asking me out already, but I declined all of them I wasn’t about to get thrown back into the pack of wolves and let them ravage what was left of my heart…

Hell I figured I’ll just stay single until I die…you know I’d become that little old lady on everyone’s corner with the 50 smelly cats…that or maybe I could become lesbian…well maybe not…I’d seen my cousin go through girlfriends since she had came out of the closet about being a lesbian…and it was like she should of installed a rotating door in her bedroom for all the women who waited in line at her place…I wasn’t about to let my life get bent out of shape because of some…some…man…

Yea right…my life was already bent out of shape enough…my heart had been folded in 90 million different ways and stuffed into so many jean pockets between Shane and Paul, I had to iron it out just to get a proper heart reading…

My thoughts got really quiet as the rain started coming down on the rental car…good thing too it had so much dirt on the outside of it, I was waiting for it to turn into the mobile mud puddle. I could smell the air…you know the smell, the smell of the fresh air from the rain…it always smelled so good…why is it when you smell the rain you automatically want to be in bed with some hot guy making wild passionate headboard banging love, getting all sweaty and worked up…I think maybe there was some kind of chemical in the rain air that worked up your senses so furious all you could do was thing about sex… I love the rain…dancing in it, making love in it…listening to it…smelling it…everything about rain was great…it always made you want to do things you usually never do…

Chapter 23

Stopped at a red light I head the DJ on the radio say, “It’s a rainy day here in Chicago, and since it’s raining I might as well play something to set the rainy mood…this song is from Avril Lavigne the 17 year old Canadian singer, whose debut album “Let Go” went double platinum in Canada, Japan, China, Great Britain and triple platinum here in the states. The song is called…I’m with you.”

************************
What ravages of spirit
conjured this temptuous rage,
created you a monster,
broken by the rule of love?
And fate has led you through it.
You do what you have to do.
And fate has led you through it.
You do what you have to do.

And I have the sense to recognize
that I don't know how to let you go

************************

Wow this isn’t a bad song, I may have to actually buy this album…it sounds so much more promising then Miss. Britany (gag me with a fork) Spears.

************************
Every moment marked
with apparitions of your soul
I'm ever swiftly moving
trying to escape this desire
the yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
The yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do

AND I have the sense to recognize
that I don't know how to let you go
I don't know how to let you go

************************

I really like this song…too bad I couldn’t get Paul to listen to this…it sounds exactly how I feel…I swear, I’ve never heard a song that had every thought in my head all at once.

************************
A glowing ember, burning hot,
AND burning slow.
Deep within, I'm shaken by the violence
of existing for only you.

I know I can't be with you.
I do what I have to do.
I know I can't be with you.
I do what I have to do.

And I have THE sense to recognize
But I don't know how to let you go.
I don't know how to let you go.
************************

Chapter 24

I pulled into the arena and naturally the parking garage has no roof…how can you have a parking garage with now roof? I run for cover after locking up the rental car…what for you ask, I wouldn’t want anyone to steal the mud puddle now would I? By the time I’m at the back door, the security guard had it open for me but I’m drenched anyway…I walked in and said, “How’s everything going tonight Animal?” He said, “Just fine Ms. Andrews.” I said, “Don’t work too hard big man…life’s too short.” He said, “Yes, ma’am, good luck with your match.” I said, “Thanks.” And took off to my dressing room…

When I walked into the dressing room, it was cold and quiet...too quiet, I walked over and turned the radio on, what luck a different station playing that same song I just heard…this time I sat down and just listened to the words…I stared in the mirror, the water dripping off my long hair…I feel like a wet poodle…and if I let my hair get curly from the water I’ll look like one as well…the longer I sat there wet and freezing and listening to that song, the more I wanted to go to Paul’s dressing room and shake some sense into him…my jeans are sticking to my legs and so is my t-shirt…I can feel the water squishing around in my steel-toed boots, and my toes are freezing…

“THAT’S IT!” I said to myself in the mirror… I left the room in a fury… I walked down to Paul’s dressing room…and knocked on the door…about 3 minutes later he opened the door and said, “Michelle, you’re soaking, it must be raining…” I said, “No I decided to go for a swim with all my clothes on…” Obviously dripping with sarcasm, Paul said, “Okay, you’re in a mood aren’t you?” I said, “A mood??? A MOOD?” Paul held the door open and said, “You wanna come in and talk about it?” I said, “No, I want you to turn into a psychic and read my thoughts.” Also obviously dripping with sarcasm… Paul said, “Oh yea…a mood.”

I walked in as Paul closed the door behind him…and said, “Okay what’s on your mind?” I said, “I have a few things I’d like to get off my chest…other then this wet cold t-shirt…” Paul said, “Okay, go ahead.”

I said, “First of all…How dare you…I mean really, How dare you pick my ex-husband over me? He’s not going to love you and kiss you and hold you when you need it the most…and I sure as hell know he’s not going to have sex with you…I’m so frustrated, and so mad, and I’m so in love with you…you ass…why can’t you just for once say something to me that you mean…something from the heart…something that I’d love to hear other then ‘I’m sorry I can’t be with you anymore, I prefer my friendship with your ex-husband over my love for you’…I mean, you won’t understand how much I fully love you, or how much I’m in love with you, until you get your head out of your ass and pay attention for once.”

Paul said, “Stop right there…” I said, “Oh think again little man…I’m not finished…not by a long shot…Paul Michael Levesque, I love you…I’ve loved you for the last 4 years of my life…and I don’t want to stop loving you…believe me I tried, it doesn’t work that way…I can’t be in love with you one minute and not the next, I don’t work like that….and it’s either stay in love with you and put myself through some kind of special torture by staying on the wrestling tour, or quit and go back to being a doctor with my father…and believe me if I was given a choice I’d rather stay in love with you…because I don’t want to spend another day in my life without you…because I love you so much right now, my heart hurts to be standing 5 feet away from you and know I can’t be with you…” I was on the brink of tears, but kept my composure…

I got really quiet and Paul couldn’t say anything, he was just kind of shocked and dumb founded at the same time…I said, “I just thought I’d tell you…I’m going to quit the tour…something has got to give…and I guess it’s going to have to be me…after tonight I won’t be back…and this time, you get to tell Shane, you know, since you guys are such bros and everything.” I pushed my hands in the front pockets of my jeans and walked out the door and down to my dressing room again…Paul just stood there unable to move and watched me walk out of his life…again.

Chapter 25

I was half way back to my dressing room when I stopped off to talk with Trish about the decision I had made… In the mean time, Shane went to go find out if Paul was getting ready for his match…Paul still standing in the same place I left him…Shane walked in and saw Paul and said, “What’s wrong man, you look like you lost your best friend…”

Paul said, “I didn’t lose my best friend, but I might, I know I just lost someone who loved me so much, before I could show her how much I loved her.” Shane said, “Let me guess, Michelle was just here wasn’t she?” Paul said, “Yea…and she pushed me around and yelled at me a little and then told me exactly how she felt…you know it’s been a month since I broke things off clean with her…I still have all our pictures in the house, I can’t seem to get rid of them…every time I try to throw them away, I feel like I’m trying to deny my heart ever felt anything for her.”

Shane sat Paul down and said, “Do you love her? Do you really love her; I mean so much you ache for her…so much so you can’t live without her for the rest of your life?” Paul said, “Yes, I do…but she’s leaving the wrestling tour…after tonight she’s quitting…” Shane’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets and he said, “What? What do you mean she’s leaving after tonight?” Paul said, “Yea, she said, she doesn’t want to stay and put herself through the torture of seeing me every day, so she’s going to give in and quit…”

He said, “Paul, I may have been the biggest asshole put on this earth for cheating on my wife…but don’t be a fool…don’t let her get away from you…if you love her as much as you know you do and as much as I know you do…then go after her…don’t let her leave this arena without telling her how you really feel..” Paul said, “She’d never go for it…not in a millions years…” Shane said, “Yea, but are you willing to take that chance?”

Paul sat there in silence for a couple of minutes and said, “I’ve got to stop her…I’ve got to get her back…”

My dressing room was across the hall from Trish and Mark’s…Mark said, “Be sure and keep in touch you brat…we’ll miss you…” I said, “I will, when you’re in New York come stay with me for the night…it would be more comfortable then sleeping in those lumpy hotel beds…” (By now Trish and Mark were married…happily). I gave both of them hugs…I said, “You got both my e-mails and my cell number…you know my ears are always open for business, when either of you need to talk…”

Trish said, “Yea…I have them…It’s going to be so damn boring on the tour without you around…You have been my best friend, but more of a sister then anything, I wish you weren’t leaving…” I said, “I know, but I think for right now…it’s definitely for the best…I need some time to get over this, and to move on with my life…I can’t pine away for the same man for years upon years…it doesn’t work that way…I’ll e-mail at least twice a week, and call once a week…” I gave both of them hugs, and I said, “Mark, take care of her heart, because I know she’ll take care of yours.” Mark nodded, and said, “Already done.”

Trish had some lonely tears sliding down her cheeks, and I knew if I stayed any longer she’d have me in tears and I’d change my mind and stay and I didn’t want to do that…I went back to my dressing room and got my stuff and went out to the parking garage, and yes of course it was still down pouring…I felt like I was stuck in a monsoon… I of course was soaking wet again, I forgot my jacket inside and ran back in to get it…then was on my way through the parking lot again…

Chapter 26

Paul ran into my dressing room and noticed I wasn’t there, and then ran over to Trish’s cause he knew I wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye to her. Paul busted through the door, and Trish said, “Paul what are you doing in here?” Paul said, “Where is she?” Trish said, “Going somewhere to get away from you...” Paul said, “Please Trish, where’s Michelle…I need to get her back.” Trish said, “She’s probably on her way out to the car.” Paul said, “Thanks.” And took off down the hallway…Trish and Mark went with him to help try and stop me…

I had just gotten half way to the car, when I heard the back door crash open and a voice say, “MICHELLE WAIT!” I stopped and Paul came towards me, also getting soaking wet, he stopped a couple of feet from me…his t-shirt and jeans sticking to his body also…good thing his hair was pulled back otherwise he’d be going for the poodle look also…Paul said, “Don’t go, please…” I said, “I thought we talked about this already?” Paul said, “I don’t care anymore…I don’t care what was said or done, or what was lied about…or who you were married to…all I know is I love you…I love you so much it hurts right now to know I’m standing 5 feet away from this really great girl who loves me as much as I love her…and I’m about to lose her…and I really don’t want to lose her.”

I stood there for a couple of minutes and said, “Are you sure, I’m what you want?” Paul said, “I couldn’t be more sure of anything in my life. Michelle I love you…I want you to marry me, and make me so incredibly happy that I can’t see straight…” I said, “Is that rubber band cutting off the circulation to your brain?” Paul said, “No…I’m serious, I love you…Michelle, marry me please...” I stepped closer to him and touched his cheek, he was as cold as I was and I said, “You’re serious aren’t you?”

He said, “Yes…I don’t know what I was thinking trying to live my life without you, because I already knew it would be impossible to try and do.” I stood on my tip toes pulling his mouth to mine and we stood there kissing in the rain, getting drenched, probably getting pneumonia…Trish and Mark made it outside just in time to catch us kissing…Paul’s huge arms around me, holding me so close to his chest, I swear I could feel his heart beating…we stood there in the rain and kissed for a good 25 minutes…

Paul finally broke and said, “So is that a yes, that you’ll marry me?” I smiled and said, “Yes!” Paul picked me up and swung me around in circles…of course we went back to kissing in the rain again.

See I told you rain makes you want to do crazy stuff…

The End