Jinxed

Author: UtsSQ

Rated: NC-17 Language, graphic sex

1

Some people were born lucky.

Jinx was not one of those people.

Her real name was Jayce. Her cousin had dubbed her ‘Jinx’ at age six. The nickname stuck.

Now thirty, she had a good job, a good life. And except for the occasional odd accident things were going good. It was her first week of work. Randy had talked her into applying for the job. He was a wrestler with the WWE.

“Come on Jinx, tell ‘em how you got hired!” At the moment, Randy was being the proverbial pain in the ass. A few of his wrestler friends were eating lunch when she’d walked in. He’d called her over and began pestering her once again for the story.

“You know how I got hired. Why don’t you tell them?” Jinx looked at the three men with her cousin. If she had met them before she could not remember their names. She’d been so rushed, and stressed, that she hadn’t really had time to get to know any of the wrestlers she would be dealing with on a daily basis.

“It’s always funnier when you tell it.” Randy grouched, sitting back in his chair. The man on his right was grinning. His hair was a startling shade of blue.

“I’ve heard it. Hilarious.” He assured the other two men with a southern accented voice. He winked at her. Jinx sighed and rolled her eyes.

“All right, damn.” She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. She wished Randy would grow up and find some other form of amusement. “I went to Hartford for my interview. Into Mister…uh…Vince’s office.” She would never get used to calling the boss by his first name. It was just one of her things. “Anyway. We talked for about fifteen minutes, went over my work history. He said I got the job. He reached over to shake my hand…”

Randy was giggling. The blue-haired man looked like he was choking, trying to hold in his laughter. The other men were smiling, waiting with curiosity for the punch line.

“And I missed his hand and popped him in the crotch.” Jinx finished, face reddening at the male laughter that followed her statement. “Uh…then I jerked back and knocked a lamp off his desk.” This got more laughter. “And…uh…knocked a full cup of coffee through the air. It hit him in the stomach and splashed all over his suit. I got the hell out of there before he could change his mind about the job.”

Randy was smacking his hand on the table. “It gets funnier every time I hear it.” He said between giggles. Blue hair was snorting, he was laughing so hard. The other two, an older guy and a huge guy that was more muscle than Jinx had ever seen were trying a bit better to hide their amusement.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll do something else that’s equally retarded and we can stop telling this story.” Jinx heaved a sigh. She did not find amusement at her own expense. It was just the way things were with her. She was clumsy. And that was putting it mildly.

“I know you will. We don’t call her Jinx for nothin’.” Randy informed his friends. Jinx sighed again and left them to their laughter.

Vince had given her this first week to travel and get to know some of the people she would be working with. After that she’d get to work at her real job-as an assistant to one of the bookers. She had been assigned to Michael Hayes, who had been a wrestler in his youth. He now booked matches and was a basic problem solver to some of the guys. Jinx would be assisting him, although she still was not entirely sure of what she’d be assisting him with. He seemed to know what he was doing.

Right now she was headed for conference room two. Wherever that was. Michael wanted her to sit in on a meeting with the wrestlers that he was responsible for. Just to meet them, supposedly. She planned on sitting in a corner, well away from trouble, and commit names to memory even if it killed her. It would be embarrassing to forget the names of the men she’d be working with in depth.

It took her fifteen minutes to find the conference room. In that small amount of time she’d managed to knock over a wardrobe rack, trip on lighting cables, and bump into-and knock down-one of the female wrestlers. She was assured there were no hard feelings. Jinx hoped that were true. Knowing her luck it wouldn’t be the first time she’d cause damage.

Michael was already in the room, talking quietly to a guy from the ring crew. Jinx was introduced and took a seat at the end of the table, farthest from Michael and his friend. The men looked at her for a moment before continuing their conversation.

It was not long before more people entered. The ring crew guy left. The first man to enter was huge by any standards. He had long dark hair, green eyes, and was dressed totally in black. He glanced at Jinx, his expression unchanged, before greeting Michael.

“Hey Taker.” Michael shook the large man’s hand. “Have a seat. And that’s Jayce. She’s our new assistant.” Michael motioned to where she was sitting. “Jayce, this is Taker.”

“Hi.” She said shyly. She hated meeting new people. She was always tripping over herself to break the ice.

“Hi.” The man had a deep voice. It sent a shiver down her back. He was looking at her, studying her, curiosity in his eyes. “You can call me Mark if you want. Taker’s just the wrestling name.”

“All right. Mark.” She added his name, making a mental note to remember. “And I’m Jayce. Although as I’m sure you will hear sooner or later, most people just call me Jinx.”

“Jinx?” He moved closer and took the seat that was nearest her. Michael was on his cell phone, company apparently forgotten.

“Family nickname.” Jinx shifted nervously in her seat, putting as much distance between them as she dared. She did not want anything bad to happen to this monster of a guy that had anything to do with her. She did not think he’d be nearly as forgiving as the female wrestler from earlier. “Randy Orton is my cousin. At least when I feel like claiming him.”

This got a low chuckle. “I wouldn’t admit to bein’ related to him either.” His piercing eyes were drawn to the front of the room as the door opened. “Speakin’ of family…”

Jinx followed the direction of his gaze. Another huge man entered the room, ducking his head to clear the doorway. He was a bit bigger than Mark. And totally bald. At least he dressed normally in jeans and a T-shirt. Mark motioned him over. He gave Michael a bored wave and sat in the seat closest to Jinx on the other side of the table from Mark.

Great. Now Jinx sat straight up in her chair, unable to lean away from either man. Mark gave a half-smile. “Jinx…this is my brother Glen. Glen, Jinx.” He made introductions.

Glen smiled, and looked her over. “Jinx? Is that some kind of joke?”

“Not entirely.” Jinx looked at him and could not help but stare at his eyes. One was blue, the other hazel. It was kind of mesmerizing. Mark cleared his throat.

“Jinx is Michael’s new assistant.” Mark said as if an explanation was necessary. Glen looked at his brother.

“Poor kid.” They laughed. Jinx looked from one to the other, a bit wary. Before she could even begin to ask, two more men entered the room. One was wearing a cowboy hat. He seemed to be there just to chitchat with Michael. The other was tall, dark complected, and brooding. “That’s David.” Glen said, nodding at Jinx. “Or Dave.”

“I suck with names.” Jinx muttered, repeating their names in her head. “Ok, so who is Tex?”

“Tex?” Glen looked at the other man who had entered, a grin on his face. “That’s John. JBL. That’s his wrestling name. He prefers to be called that. We have a few Johns roaming around here.”

“I’ll never keep up.” Jinx was still muttering. Michael was rising to his feet. Their meeting was getting ready to start.

“Gentlemen…I’d like you all to meet Jayce.” He gestured to her. The men all looked at her curiously. Jinx felt herself blush and struggled to make eye contact. This was worse than getting in front of a class at school. “She’ll be our new assistant. Which means if you have issues, you’ll have to go through her to get to me.” This got a general chuckle. “Jayce, we only have four guys right now. Three actually since JBL here doesn’t wrestle anymore. We’ll have others join and leave, but this will be our core group. If somebody from outside the group comes to you, you send them packing. Got it?”

“I got it.” Yeah right. Like she was going to tell some three hundred pound muscle head to take a hike.

The door opened and a woman entered, carrying a tray with plastic cups and a pitcher on it. Michael went on as if there had not been an interruption. The woman went around the table, leaving cups of water in front of everyone gathered. The men were all taking turns talking, discussing heat, pops, gimmicks…Jinx could barely follow the conversation. Right that moment, she was more worried about keeping her distance from the two men that flanked her and the cup of water that seemed to be mocking her from the table. She knew better than to even try to pick it up. Her luck. Or her lack thereof.

Mark all but sprawled in his seat, sipping from his water, expression one of total boredom. Michael droned on, saying something about a storyline, shuffling through papers as he spoke. Glen was scribbling something on a piece of paper he’d found. With a smile he folded it and handed it to Jinx. She was careful not to touch his hand when she took it, lest she deal him a lethal paper cut. She had never done it, but she knew such things were possible when it came to her.

She unfolded the paper, trying to be quiet about it. Glen had written in capital block letters: MEETINGS ARE BORING. LUNCH IS FUN. HOW ABOUT SOME FOOD?

Jinx glanced at him but Glen seemed to be enthralled by whatever JBL was saying, something about a table and a monitor. Jinx should be paying attention to them, not to Glen’s attempt at a first grade note. She carefully reached out and took his pen from the table where it was laying and scribbled her reply. Again in block letters: FOOD DANGEROUS. PADDED CELL SAFER. She replaced the pen.

She held out the paper and Glen took it, using the same care she had used. Exaggerating it a bit. She watched as he opened the paper and read. And chuckled, so low Jinx was sure she was the only one to hear it. He took his pen back and took a few moments to compose a reply.

Jinx made sure no one was looking at them before accepting the note. With a slight smile curving her lips she opened the paper. HEARD THAT ABOUT YOU. WILLING TO RISK IT. DINNER?

So her reputation was preceding her. Great. Randy had a big mouth. At least Glen had been warned ahead of time that Jinx was…well…a jinx. Glen was holding the pen out to her, his eyes almost twinkling with humor. She took the pen carefully and wrote her response: WILL THINK ABOUT IT. UPGRADE YOUR INSURANCE.

Glen could not have grinned wider if he tried when he read it. Distracted by his humorous expression, Jinx went to put the pen back on the table. Her hand bumped the cup full of water. Barely bumped. If fact it seemed as if she hardly tapped the very edge of the plastic.

The cup went flying as if she’d thrown it off the table. Right into Mark’s lap. He jumped at the sensation of cold water soaking his clothing and made a sour face, tugging his shirt from his chest in disgust.

“I had a shower already today, thanks.” He said, voice low and full of sarcasm. Jinx was reaching for the cup, which had settled in his lap. Mark caught her hand before she could more than make a halfhearted attempt to grab it. “I think I can get it myself.” There was a bit of humor in his voice at least. Jinx leaned back and became aware of the looks they had drawn. Her face reddened alarmingly.

“Sorry.” She squeaked out, ducking her head. Michael was laughing.

“It’s all right, hon. Taker could use a cold shower every now and then.” This got a chorus of laughter. Mark mumbled something under his breath, so low that Jinx could not hear it. Michael called their attention back to him and finished up his lecture.

She wished the floor would just open up and swallow her. That would be wonderful. An hour into her first meeting and she’d managed to bumble it. She risked a glance at Mark. He was dabbing at his shirt with a napkin that he’d found, expression full of a strange mix of thunder and humor. How he managed to pull both off was beyond amazing.

The men were rising to their feet. Jinx thought it would be best if she stayed back and let them leave. She did not want to accidentally trip one of them, or hit them with an errant chair or door. Those things had happened to her on numerous occasions. Glen hesitated before rising, following his brother’s lead. He gave Jinx one last look before heading back to the hallway.

Michael was shuffling his papers into order. She carefully made her way to him, full of questions. He looked at her and grinned. “Pretty boring, huh? I promise, it gets better.”

“Sorry for the interruption. I don’t know how I managed…”

“Nothing to worry about. Shit happens, right?” Michael put a hand on her shoulder. “Enjoy the rest of your day. Tomorrow I’m going to actually put you to work.” With that he gave her shoulder a squeeze and went back to his papers. Jinx decided it would be best to head to her hotel room and brave out the day alone. No one could get seriously injured if she were by herself. She knew she would not be able to do that for long, so it was best to enjoy it while she could.

2

“So what do you think?”

Mark’s question pulled Glen from his thoughts. They were driving away from the arena, heading out to attempt lunch at a restaurant. It was dangerous, considering they were celebrities, but they were willing to risk it. Especially this late in the day in the middle of the week.

“What do I think about what?” Glen finally turned his attention to his brother. Half brother really. Their family history was long and twisted, but they were still family. Mark was looking at him as he braked for a stoplight, his expression amused.

“About that new girl. Jayce.” Mark laughed. “Jinx. Now I believe it. I guess the rumors are true.” He shook his head. “She’s good lookin’. Even if she’s clumsy.”

Glen smiled. “Yeah. Agreed.” Jinx was a looker, with her light brown hair and grey eyes. Very striking. And something about her seemed so innocent…he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“How long do you think this one will last?” Mark resumed driving. Glen was laughing.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe we should go easy on her for a change.”

“Easy? You are kidding, right?” Mark shot his brother a look. It was true, he and Glen were the reason none of the other assistants stuck around for more than a few weeks. There was really no reason for how they acted, they just enjoyed it. Brotherly bonding time, as Mark put it, as yet another dewy-eyed kid packed his bags and headed home.

This time the woman was a bit older. That did not change anything. She seemed nice enough, and Mark could tell she was nervous as hell. But…the lady would have to be tested. And the brothers were very good at administering the tests.

“It was just a thought.” Glen said looking out the window. “We’re getting a rep for being assholes. Just thought I’d let you in on it.”

Mark laughed again. “Hell, there’s worse things to be called.” He shook his head. “She did give me a shower back there.”

“You probably deserve it for something.” Glen said humorously.

“Probably.” Mark adjusted his sunglasses. “Payback is the proverbial bitch though.”

“What are you planning?” Glen asked, sounding a bit worried.

“Nothing. Yet.” Mark grinned. Not the good humor grin either, but the hard grin that said he was plotting something. “Calm down, bro. I’m not going to chase her off just yet.”

“Good. I think.” Glen frowned and resumed scrutinizing the scenery as Mark drove.

They found the restaurant. Once they were seated and had placed their lunch order, Mark resumed their conversation. “Saw you passing notes in there. What was that about?”

“Ehh…nothing really. Just bored.” Glen shrugged. He wondered if Jinx would seriously consider going to dinner with him. He’d meant it as a joke but in reality he would not mind spending a little time with her. She was good looking after all. And if Vince put her with Michael, she would have to be smart. That was a requirement just to keep up.

“Bored, huh?” Mark took a sip of the drink their waitress had left at the table. “Find out anything good?”

“Yeah. She’s probably as clumsy as Randy keeps saying she is.” Glen chuckled. “I saw you checking her out.”

“Not a crime.” Mark said, leaning back. Glen smiled at his brother.

“Damn good thing for you.” In truth, Glen kind of worried about that. Mark was not a womanizer by any means, but he was never at a shortage of women who wanted to bed him. Jinx was a newby, and therefore off limits. At least in theory. Mark didn’t often make plays for the women they worked with. It was easier that way. Glen worried that there would come a day when he would make an exception. He hoped Jinx was not going to be it.

“Damn good thing.” Mark echoed with a smile. “So what do you think of JBL’s idea?”

“I think I missed that part. Fill me in.” Glen and Mark settled in to their food, changing the subject to work and their current storylines.

*~*~*

Hotels were boring places.

Jinx had not traveled much in her life, and now she knew why. This was the third place she’d stayed at in the last week and the only thing that was different was the color of the bedspread. Gaudy was an understatement.

She hadn’t bothered to unpack, knowing that she’d be leaving in the morning. She settled in with the room service menu and the remote to the television. Jinx kicked off her shoes and stretched out. At least when she was alone she didn’t have to worry about embarrassing herself. That clumsy thing was almost always reserved for other people’s detriment. Or if it was aimed at herself, it was in front of a room full of people.

At least she realized what a total spaz she was. Most people didn’t. At least, in her opinion they didn’t. She didn’t know why she was the way she was. Bad luck of the draw is what her dad used to say.

And today…dumping water on that guy…uh…Mark. That was his name. Jinx gave herself bonus points for remembering. Not necessarily her smoothest move. So much for easing into a new situation and causing no trouble.

With a sigh she switched on the television and found a movie she’d seen a dozen times. It was comforting to glance up and see something familiar. She did not want to think about her faults anymore damn it. She wanted to be able to just relax and enjoy what little time she had to herself.

After a while Jinx ordered a burger and some snacks from room service. She could have walked out and found a restaurant, but that would mean putting herself in sticky situations. She’d had enough of that for one day.

The kid who brought up the food looked barely old enough to work. Jinx took her food with no incident and held out a tip for him. He took it, grinning from ear to ear. Jinx quickly shut the door in his face. She knew if he’d thanked her that would have set off some kind of clutz chain reaction that she would not be able to help.

She’d just settled back on the bed when the phone rang. Jinx gave her food a longing look, then picked up. “Yeah?”

“Caught you eating, didn’t I?” Randy’s voice held laughter, as usual. It must be nice to be able to make fun of someone else at their expense. Jinx frowned and poked a finger at her burger.

“So? What do you want?” Jinx did not try to mask her annoyance. Six days in and he was already on her last nerve.

“Don’t get that tone with me. I just wanted to see what you were doing tonight after the show. A bunch of us are going out to…” He did not get to finish.

“I think that would be a horrible idea. Honestly. You do know who you’re talking to, right?” Jinx picked up her burger and took a bite. She did not care if eating while talking on the phone was rude. It was just Randy after all.

“I know who I’m talking to.” Randy laughed. “Come on, J.” Uh oh. The fact that he just used her initial instead of her name…or her nickname…made Jinx roll her eyes. Randy had used that little trick to get his way on more than one occasion.

“I don’t want to be your comic relief for the night.” She said around a mouthful of food.

“I didn’t ask you to be. You know, I’m starting to wonder if you just bring all this bad luck shit on yourself. Thinking about it causes it.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Jinx said sarcastically. That was easy for Randy to say. He was a big lumbering guy. But he was big GRACEFUL lumbering guy. Jinx had no idea how he pulled it off, but he did.

“How about if I promise not to make fun of you for the remainder of the night?” Randy resorted to his sweetest voice.

“There’s a novel idea. And why the hell do you need me to go out with you and your friends? Isn’t there a plethora of ring rats waiting to do your bidding? Take one of them.” Ring rat was a term she’d picked up only because she found it to be hilarious and somehow fitting. There never seemed to be a shortage of scantily clad women waiting at the back of the arenas, in hotel bars, looking to pick up a famous man. Even if it was just for one night.

“You mean to tell me you’d rather sit there, all alone, nothing to do than watch TV and sleep instead of hanging out with your favorite cousin?”

“In a word. Yes.” Jinx was not amused. She smelled a rat. “Whatever you had planned, I suggest you rework it. I’m not going anywhere until I have to. Have a good night.” With that she hung up the phone. With a sigh she took another bite of her now cold burger. For a moment she contemplated just leaving, forgetting the job, the contract she’d signed. “Nah.” She said it out loud. Randy was not going to get to her so easily. She had a six-month deal to work with Mister…Vince. After that she could decide where she was going. Randy was just going to have grow up.

Several hours later Jinx almost wished she had changed her tune. She was bored. Mindnumbingly bored. There was nothing on TV, no movies that caught her interest, all of her friends back home were out, which meant talking on the phone was out.

There was a bar in the hotel lobby. Jinx did not want to go there, she was not a drinker. She thought that drinking made her even more of a clutz than helped her with it. Plus it was probably full of strangers and half-naked women. There would be nothing there to entertain her.

So she got up and got dressed in a pair of black low riding jeans and a purple jewel-tone top. She could have stuck with her jeans/t-shirt combo but for some reason she wanted to add a little color. Grabbing her key and the small wallet she kept her ID and money in, she stepped into the hallway.

And ran face first into a very large man who was passing her room.

She didn’t hit him hard, but it was enough to make her step back. Her shoulders hit the door to her room. It had not shut all the way, and she felt herself tripping over her own feet, falling backward.

Strong hands grabbed her arms, righting Jinx before could tumble headfirst into her room. Mortified beyond words, she glanced up into a pair of green eyes.

“Where’s the fire, hon?” Mark asked, a smile on his face, hands still holding onto her, steadying her.

After her initial look, Jinx closed her eyes. “I am so, so, so sorry. I didn’t know you were walking by, I didn’t think I was going that fast…”

“It’s all right.” Mark’s deep voice carried a note of amusement. “No harm, no foul.”

Jinx nodded, grateful he wasn’t going to freak out and maybe kill her. She risked another glance at him. “Uh…um. Well…” She was at a loss for words. Damn that shyness thing that she could not seem to get over. Mark released her, seeming to realize he’d held onto her just a little too long. He smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Heading out for dinner?” He asked, breaking the silence that fell over them. Jinx shook her head.

“I thought about checking out the bar. I’m bored.” She smiled a little, still not able to meet his eyes directly. She looked instead at his lips. Which was probably an even bigger mistake. He had very sexy lips.

Jinx mentally shook herself. She was not here to have lustful thoughts about the men she’d be working with. After all, she’d told Mister…uh…Vince that she would have no problem obeying his fraternization policy. Which would not, in the end, be a problem. She usually ended up scaring most men away before anything really deep could happen.

“Not much going on down there.” Mark was talking, but Jinx was barely hearing him. She was watching his lips for the words. “Probably have better luck finding a bar in town.”

“I don’t think I’m up to actually leaving the building.” Jinx said, finally tearing her eyes from his mouth. “It was worth a shot. I guess I’ll just go on to bed.” She fumbled in her pocket for her key. The door had closed itself while they talked.

“You can come hang out with me. If you want.” Mark shrugged. He did not usually invite anybody but Glen into his room, but for some reason he wanted to make an exception for this girl.

“Thanks…but ah…” She had the key in her fingers. And watched as it slipped from her grasp and bounced on the carpeted hall floor. Into the heating vent that was against the wall next to her door. “Damn it.”

Mark laughed. “I was starting to smell a blow off, but that might be all I needed to change your mind.”

Jinx sighed and stole another peek at his eyes. “You’re not some crazed pervert psycho that’s gonna take advantage of me after drugging me are you?”

“Would I tell you if I was?”

“Probably not.” Jinx bit her lip. “All right. For a little while, then I have to figure out how to rescue my key.”

Mark chuckled and nodded. “Maybe if you’re nice I’ll give you a hand.”

“I am always nice.” Jinx followed him down the hall, sparing a last look at the door to her room. She could not believe that she was going to some strange man’s hotel room at midnight. Of course, it was her fault she was going. Damn her butter fingers.

Mark turned a corner and stopped. He had his key in his hand. He gave Jinx one last questioning look before unlocking the room and leading her inside. With a smirk he shut the door behind them, shaking his head a bit at the situation that had gotten them there.

3

“I’d offer you a drink but I don’t have any sippy-cups handy.”

Mark’s voice pulled Jinx from her thoughts. It took a second to register what he’d said, and she blushed.

“I’m am so sorry.”

“Are you going to make apologizing a habit?” He asked, settling himself on a chair. He had gotten a suite. The bedroom was separate from this area. There was a bar in the corner and a huge fireplace against the wall. Jinx was sitting on the couch, staring into the empty fireplace.

“Apologizing seems to already be my habit.” She said wryly. Mark grinned and rose to his feet.

“I’m getting a beer. Do you want anything?” Against his better judgment he asked anyway. Jinx shook her head. This room had thick white carpet. Better to not tempt fate. “I’m going to check my messages. Be back in a minute.” With that he left, going into the bedroom.

“What the hell am I doing here…” Jinx muttered to herself. She rose to her feet and went to the window. There was nothing out there but the city skyline. There were cars moving along the barely visible highway. Jinx lost herself in thought again as she watched the lights fade in the distance.

“I’ve seen better views, but it’ll do.”

She had not heard Mark come back into the room. Jinx jumped and her elbow knocked his arm. He managed to keep his beer steady, not spilling any of it. She put her hand to her mouth, and looked at him, eyes wide.

“I am so…”

“Sorry. Yeah, I know.” Mark smiled grimly. Then he studied her face. “You know, if you’d relax a little…”

“I wouldn’t be such a clumsy ass. I know. I’ve heard this speech before.”

“Good advice.”

“Except that I’m clumsy whether I’m relaxed or not. It doesn’t matter.” Jinx sighed and turned to face him. “If you were smart, you would have not invited me in here. I might end up killing you.”

Mark chuckled. “I highly doubt that, hon.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of my inability to be graceful.” Jinx carefully moved past him, keeping her distance. Mark watched, amused, as she settled herself once again on the couch.

He waited a moment, then joined her. In fact, sat down closer than there was any need to. Jinx shifted uncomfortably away. Mark smirked.

“You act like I’m gonna bite ya. I don’t bite. Unless you ask first.”

“Ha. Ha.” Definitely a fake laugh for his joke. Jinx was eyeing him warily. Mark did not know if it was because he still held the beer in his hand or if it was just him. She was looking at his mouth again. He’d caught her doing it earlier, in the hallway. Damn but she was skittish.

Mark leaned down and put his beer on the coffee table in front of him. He swung his arm over the back of the couch, his fingers within inches of her far shoulder. Jinx raised an eyebrow. “You must be brave. Or have a death wish.”

Mark laughed at that. “I’d vote for brave, hon. You don’t scare me.”

“It’s not ME you should worry about.” Jinx said, shifting again. Trying to move farther from him. There was really nowhere else for her to go. She was pressed against the arm of the couch as it was.

“I’m not worried about you bein’ clumsy either.” His voice had dropped lower. Another shiver went up her spine. Damn but he had a sexy voice. He leaned closer to her. Jinx looked away from him, once again biting her lip.

“I’m worried about me being clumsy. That’s all that matters.” She did not notice him inching closer. Taking a deep breath she turned her head, a little too quickly. Her forehead caught him in the nose. Mark jerked back in surprise more than pain. Jinx leapt to her feet. “Oh God, I’m sorry…I…” She was leaning over him, trying to get a look at the damage.

Mark gingerly touched his nose. “I think I’ll live.” He said, that low note of…whatever had been there…gone from his voice. He dodged her hand as she tried to check the damage for herself. “All right, I learned my lesson. I can handle it myself.”

“I should go.” Now that Mark was distracted by his nose, Jinx finally realized that he’d been moving in to try to kiss her. Why the hell else would he have been so close to her in the first place? She had no intentions of sleeping with him. Not even if he did have the hottest pair of lips she’d ever seen.

“Not necessary…” Mark picked up his beer and took a drink. He was eyeing her speculatively. Jinx shook her head and backed toward the door.

“Yeah it is. Uh…thanks for letting me hang out for a while, I gotta go, gotta long drive tomorrow…” She was rambling as she fumbled with the doorknob. Mark rose to his feet, either to stop her from leaving or to help her go she did not know. The door finally opened and Jinx spilled into the hallway.

She straightened her shirt and hurried from his room to her own. Belatedly she remembered her key. “Damn it all to hell.” She eyed the heating vent dubiously. She would just go downstairs and get a new key. And pay for the old one. Great. Her clumsiness was an expensive business after a while. Just another reason why she hated it so damn much.

On her way back from the lobby Jinx ran into another guy. Literally once again ran into him. It was becoming even more of a habit than the apologies she kept having to give.

“Sorry…” She barely muttered it. She looked up. Mark’s brother stood in front of her, trying to enter the elevator as she exited. He smiled at her and shook his head.

“No big deal.” When she didn’t move, his grin widened. “Going down again?”

“Oh…no.” Jinx stepped out of his way. He held the elevator door with one hand and looked at her. “So…give any thought to my offer?”

“What offer?” She held her key in a death grip. And would not look up at him.

“Dinner. Remember?”

“Oh. Uh…” Her eyes briefly touched his then darted away. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Why not?” Glen ignored the beeping sound coming from inside the elevator. He was studying the woman in front of him, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

“It’s…complicated.” She sighed and stepped back. Jinx had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him it was because his brother had pretty much tried to make a play for her. She did not think that would win her any points…with either brother. “Look, I wasn’t kidding when I said it was dangerous.”

Glen laughed. “I’ve heard.” She met his eyes again, briefly. “I’m not worried about it. How about tomorrow night? After the show?”

Jinx hedged for a full minute, her eyes closed as if trying to wish him away. She sighed. “Fine. It’s your funeral.” With that she turned and wandered off down the hall before he could say anything else. Or before she could cause anything bad to happen to him. Glen wasn’t sure on either count.

He waited until he saw Jinx enter her room before punching the button for the lobby. He was whistling a bit as he rode down to the ground floor. That Jinx was definitely a hot woman. Too bad she was so shy. Glen was not usually the one to make advances, because he himself had always been a bit slow to warm to new people. But in her case, he was making an exception. She seemed so nervous, especially tonight. He wondered what was up, then decided he’d just ask her tomorrow.

“Probably first day jitters…” He muttered to himself as he stepped from the elevator. Michael did say she was actually going to start work tomorrow. Glen would be nervous too. Especially considering what her job involved. With a knowing smile, he headed toward the bar. A few of the guys had decided to stay up late and shoot pool. Glen was something of an insomniac. It seemed like a good way to pass the time until he could finally pass out for the night.

*~*~*

Back in the relative safety of her room, Jinx stripped down and dressed in her pajamas. All right, no more bright ideas about wandering the halls. She’d embarrassed herself in front of two of the guys she’d be working with. And she was pretty sure one of them thought she’d be a pretty easy girl to crawl into bed with. The joke was on him. If Jinx was careful about how she did things in the daytime, the rule quadrupled in bed. Ever since Jake, her boyfriend in college, Jinx had been a little leery of sex. He’d managed to sprain an ankle while they were…involved.

Glad that Randy hadn’t managed to unearth that bit of information, Jinx crawled into bed. The TV was on, the sound was low. She clicked the lights off and waited for sleep to take her. She was a bit nervous about tomorrow. Sighing she rolled onto her side and fluffed her pillow under her head. She’d just deal with it when it got there. It was starting to be her life motto.

4

Jinx moved down the hallway of the arena, keeping close to the wall, avoiding contact with the rushing people around her.

There had been another meeting that morning. Michael had called Jinx and Mark to the ring and began going over a match that Mark would be having that night against a guy named Kennedy. Kennedy was a muscular blonde with a very cocky attitude. He was leaning against the ring, arms crossed, smirk on his features.

He and Mark climbed into the ring eventually and began working through their match. Jinx was fascinated. Michael was calling out ideas, occasionally turning to her to see what she thought.

Although Randy was a wrestler, and her uncle had been a wrester, Jinx was not by any means an expert at what was going on. Michael did not mind. In fact, he told her that he preferred she was not schooled in it. It gave them a new perspective.

They had an hour. Jinx paid close attention, watching the men throw each other around. Mark kept stealing looks at her, always with a thoughtful look on his face. It was starting to make her feel self-conscious.

At the end of their ring time the two men huddled with Michael to hash over some last minute plans. Michael eventually waved her over. “I’m gonna need you to hunt down Glen, tell him we’re about ready for him.” Jinx nodded and headed off toward the locker rooms.

She wandered for about ten minutes before she spotted him. He was in the training room, lifting weights. Jinx watched him for a minute, not wanting to disturb him. And to be honest…it gave her a chance to check him out. He was wearing a pair of loose track pants and tennis shoes-and was shirtless. She felt a bit of heat climb her cheeks and mentally berated herself. There was no sense in blushing over a shirtless man. She’d seen plenty of them in her lifetime.

Jinx cleared her throat. Glen looked over his shoulder at her with a smile. “Hey. What’s up?” He did not stop his steady lifting of the weight in his hands.

“Michael requests your presence at ringside.” Jinx did not make an attempt to enter the room fully. That would be inviting trouble. Although Glen seemed to hold the heavy weight with ease, she could envision him dropping it because she did something stupid. And it landing on his foot and breaking about twelve bones. Better to just keep her distance.

“That was quick.” Glen hefted the weight one last time before returning it to the rack it had been sitting on. He stretched. Jinx felt her flush deepen a little. Keeping herself from getting all hormonal over the guys was turning out to be harder than she’d thought.

Glen slung a T-shirt over his shoulder and walked toward her. “So are you getting the hang of things yet?” He asked, stepping into the hallway. Jinx gave him room to do it.

“I haven’t really done anything yet.” She said, following him back the way she’d come. For now the guys were busy with their matches for that night. Tomorrow was a day off. Then Monday was a show. Part of Jinx’s job was to make sure they guys got to where they were going when they needed to be there. The other part was what Michael had referred to as babysitting. She would have to make sure the guys did not go out and get too crazy at night. He liked his wrestlers to be responsible, and to represent their company in the best light. She could understand that.

“Don’t worry. You will.” Glen smiled at her and fell into step beside her. Jinx made sure to keep space between them. He looked down at her, amused. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” She looked puzzled.

“Back off whenever somebody goes near you. I noticed it yesterday, just didn’t say anything.”

“Oh. Uh…I don’t even realize I’m doing it, I guess.” That was another thing that had become a habit. She did it without thinking about it.

“Hmm.” Glen made a noise that was not a word. He was still eyeing her. “You don’t seem very clumsy to me.”

Jinx laughed. “Obviously you have not been paying attention.”

“Accidents happen.” Glen said with a shrug.

“They happen constantly to me, then.” She sounded resigned to it. Glen smiled.

“So what time should I pick you up tonight?” His question caught her by surprise. Jinx looked up at him, her eyes wide. She did not see Maria, one of their female wrestlers, turn the corner ahead. Glen took Jinx’s arm and pulled her closer, avoiding another one of her accidents.

Jinx blushed. Again. Glen was still smiling as he let her go. “Thanks.” She muttered. “Uh…I thought you were kidding. About dinner.”

“I never joke about food.”

She glanced at him. “I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Well, I do.” Glen stopped at the door to the ringside area. “You gonna back out on me?”

Jinx sighed and shifted her weight from foot to foot, nervous. “I don’t know.”

“That’s an honest answer at least.” Glen smiled again. “My match is second. I should be done by nine. I’ll find you after, we can decide then. Ok?”

Jinx nodded slowly. “All right. I guess.” She gestured at the door. “Michael’s waiting.”

Glen nodded and held the door for her to enter first. He followed her to the ring where Michael was making notes on a yellow legal pad. With a grim smile, Glen went to work.

*~*~*

It had been a very long day.

The show was starting. Jinx finally found a quiet area to sit down and go over the notes she’d been making all day. Tomorrow was her day off, and she had to laugh. Even though she did not have to be at the arena, she still had some work to take care of. Dave was going home for two weeks, which gave her one less person to worry about. Tomorrow she’d have to make sure he got on his way with no trouble. Which was funny considering who they were trusting with the task.

After that she was free, unless any of the other three guys needed something. And since they were off too, that was unlikely. Jinx planned on driving on to their next venue and getting a room at a place with a pool. Then she could lounge around all day and soak up some sun.

Randy came into the room, grin on his face. He was wearing his wrestling gear. Jinx smiled at him, shaking her head at his enthusiasm. His match was later on. He was ready to go.

“So how is it?” Randy asked, gesturing to her notes.

“It’s my first day. Ask me in a week.” She said with a smile.

“Wait a while, it gets boring. Then you’ll be wishing you were new again.” He sat down next to her. “So anybody giving you any trouble?”

“Trouble? Why would they?” She looked at him with her eyebrow up.

“I dunno. Some of the guys…and girls…like to give new people a hard time.” Randy shrugged.

“Like you?” Jinx poked him.

“Ha. I’m family, I’m allowed.” Randy looked around. “Although I do have a piece of advice for you.”

“Ok.” Jinx eyed him warily.

“Don’t make too much of a separatist of yourself. I know how you think you’ve got rotten luck and you spread it around. I’m just sayin’…some of the people will think you’re stuck up.” Randy gave her a look.

“It’s for their own safety.” Jinx said with a smile.

“So you wanna call a meeting and explain it to everybody?” Randy asked with a grin.

“Hell no. I’m no public speaker.” Jinx sighed.

“You are not a bad luck charm, J.” Randy said softly. “Look at me. We grew up together, we run around all the time, nothing bad ever happened to me.”

“You have your shield up.” Jinx said with a laugh. It was true. Weird things happened to everyone around her, but Randy remained unaffected. She wished she knew how that was possible.

“That I do.” Randy smirked. “How’s working with Michael?”

“It’s all right.” Jinx shrugged, glad he was changing the subject. “I am still not entirely sure what I am supposed to be doing.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll load you up with stuff.” Randy laughed. “Hey…wanna grab some food after I’m done? I skipped dinner. I hate eating before a show.”

Jinx blushed. Randy eyed her as she looked down at her notebook. “I think I already have plans.”

“Oh?”

“Uh…Glen asked if I wanted to get some food. After he was done.” She was mumbling. Randy grinned.

“Glen huh? He’s a good guy.” It was Randy’s turn to poke her. “You work fast, J.”

“I’m not ‘working’ him. He asked me. I never really said yes.” Talking about this made her uncomfortable.

“Aw, don’t mess with the guy too much. Go on, have a good time. Relax.” He dragged the word out.

“I will try.” She smiled at her cousin. “What about the other ones? Uh…Mark? Dave?”

“What about ‘em?”

“Should I be worried?”

Randy laughed. “About them? Hmm…Dave, nah. He’s married, has a couple of kids. He pretty much has his shit together. You won’t hear too much out of him, and when he does have an issue it’s like pulling teeth to figure out what it is. Mark…” Randy paused. “You will probably have to keep an eye on.”

“Am I his mother or something?” Jinx asked with a grin. In truth, his statement made her a little nervous.

“No, no.” Randy shook his head. “Mark’s a good guy. He’s been with the company forever. He’s kind of a legend around here.” He stopped, looking thoughtfully at his cousin. “He has kind of a reputation though.”

“Reputation for what?”

“Ring rats.” Randy smiled when Jinx laughed.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about me. I refuse to stand outside in a tube top.”

“I wasn’t worried about you a bit. Just…” Randy shook his head. “Never mind. You know what you’re doing, J. I’m proud of ya.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and rose to his feet. “I gotta go, finish getting ready. Call me when you get back to the hotel, all right?”

“Sure thing, Mom.” Jinx waved him away. Randy left her to her thoughts. So she was going to have to watch out for Mark. She already figured that part out. With a sigh she stood and tucked her notes into a small bag she’d carried to the arena. The first match was well underway. She was officially off the clock. She wanted to find Glen and tell him to meet her at the hotel so she could change and take a quick shower.

Jinx ducked around people in the hallway, smiling at anyone who looked in her direction. She felt good. It seemed to be contagious. People smiled back. Of course, feeling good meant her guard was down. She should have known better.

She rounded a corner, looking over her shoulder at one of the wrestlers. He was telling a story to a couple of the female crew members, really getting into it. Jinx did not see the man coming in her direction, nor did she see what he was carrying.

The man was moving to the side, trying to step out of her way. Jinx ran directly into the ladder he carried tucked against his side. The end she hit went down. The back end went up. There was another wrestler behind the guy carrying the ladder. The bottom of the ladder shot up and popped him in the chin, making his head fall back.

The guy with the ladder dropped it. The guy who got hit brought both hands to his chin and said a very loud ‘ouch’.

“Oh God…Sorry…I wasn’t watching where I was going…” Jinx went to the man and looked up at him, concerned, almost feeling like crying. She had seen this guy around before, he was a big deal apparently, but she could not remember his name.

“It’s all right. Calm yourself.” He tested his jaw. Then he smiled. “Kind of an extreme wake up call, don’t you think?”

“I am so sorry…” Jinx tried again to apologize.

“I’ll live. Don’t worry about it.” The man leaned down and picked up the ladder. He handed it to the man who had been carrying it originally. Then he looked at the woman in front of him. “I’m Paul.”

“Ji…Jayce.” She almost gave him the nickname. She might as well just go on and tell him. Not like she’d be able to hide it. “People call me Jinx. For obvious reasons.” This got a laugh.

“Well, Miss Jinx, what do you think?” He tilted his chin. Jinx sighed at the red welt that was on his skin.

“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t help but apologize again.

“Is it that bad?” Paul rubbed the mark with a hand.

“No, no. I’m just…I wasn’t paying attention, and…”

“Look, Jinx. It’s all right. Really. I’ll just tell people I got sucker punched. Not a big deal. We show up with bruises all the time.” Paul turned his attention behind him. A woman was coming up the hall, smiling a bit, calling his name. “Take it easy, Jinx. Forget about it, it’s not big deal.” He repeated before giving her a half-wave and turning to speak to the woman.

Jinx sighed and continued down the hall, this time being more careful. It seemed to be pointless. It did not matter what she tried, she was still…well…jinxed.

“Maybe somebody put a hex on me.” She muttered under her breath.

“You talkin’ to me?” Another wrestler was standing in front of her. He had turned to give her a wry look. She had not met this one yet either. He had dark hair. That was his defining feature.

“No, I’m talking to myself.” Jinx said, her voice serious. The man smiled and went back to leaning against the wall. She spotted Glen up ahead, ducking into a locker room. Maybe she should just tell him never mind, to forget it. She did not even want to imagine the damage she could cause in a restaurant.

Glen was hearing none of it, of course. Jinx had knocked, entered, and immediately gone into why she could not go out with him. He’d crossed his arms and listened, a smile tugging the corners of his lips. When Jinx paused for a breath, he’d reached over and cupped her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“Now that you got that out of your system, I’ll be there to pick you up at about nine-thirty.” He smiled and nudged her chin. “I’ll see you at the hotel. I gotta finish getting ready.” With that he led her to the door before she could begin to protest.

Jinx stood in the hallway for a minute, blinking. “Damn it.” She was still muttering. Glen was not going to take no for an answer. She only hoped that for once in her life, things would go right. With a heavy sigh, she turned to the exit. Maybe she’d think of a good reason to call off this date while she got ready for it.

5

Jinx eyed herself critically in the mirror.

She had no idea where Glen was taking her, so she had no clue how to dress. After some mental debate she settled on a black skirt that stopped just above her knees and a mint colored sweater that made her skin looked like it glowed. She’d fussed with her hair, debated on her makeup, and finally decided to hell with it. She sat in the chair in her room and watched TV until she heard a knock on the door.

Glen stood there, a shy smile on his face. “You look great.”

“Thanks.” Jinx smiled back, feeling a bit shy herself. She grabbed her purse, checked to make sure her key was there, then followed him into the hallway. Glen was wearing a pair of dress pants and a black button down shirt. She did not feel over dressed, which was good. He led her to the elevator, grinning at her as they entered.

“Uh…I’m not sure what you like to eat. So I thought we’d cruise around until we found something agreeable.”

“Sounds good to me.” Jinx watched the elevator light as it marked their progress. “I gotta tell you, I’m nervous.”

Glen chuckled. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Really?” She looked up at him. And again was mesmerized by his multi-colored eyes. Glen smiled at her.

“Sure. You know how long it’s been since I had a date?”

“Probably not as long as me.” She said, smiling back.

“I’m not gonna tell you. Just so I don’t scare you away with my lack of experience.” He said wryly. Jinx grinned and did not protest when he reached over and took her hand. “So how was your first day?”

“It was all right.” She felt him stroke the back of her hand and had to struggle not to pull away from him. She kept thinking about bad things that could happen if she got too close to him. It really did put a damper on her mood. “I…uh…didn’t do much.” She shrugged. “I suppose everyone is going easy on me because I’m new.”

“That won’t last much longer.” The elevator came to a halt. Glen led her through the lobby to the parking lot. He helped her into his car then slid into the driver’s seat before speaking again. “People will get to know you, you’ll get to know them. Then the real fun starts.”

“I can’t wait.” Her tone was sarcastic. Glen looked at her and smiled.

“It’s not all bad. There are a few pranksters you have to watch out for. And a couple of…uh…ladies men?” He made it a question. Jinx laughed and nodded. “You’ll know who they are. Watch out for them.”

“Like you?” She eyed him.

“Me? Hell no. I told you…it’s been forever.”

“For a date. Not for…uh…you know, the ring rats.”

Glen laughed as he guided the car down the street. “Believe it or not, I don’t bother with them. What’s the point? Besides, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. I’d rather pick and choose.”

Jinx smiled and settled into her seat. They chatted during their drive, not talking about anything serious, mostly just getting to know each other. They finally agreed on a restaurant, and Glen ushered her inside with a hand on the small of her back.

They were quiet until the waiter had taken their orders. Then they looked at each other and grinned.

“I forgot how awkward this dating stuff is.” Glen admitted.

“Me too. I think besides the odd blind date every now and then, this is the first time I’ve gone out in a couple of years. On an actual date.” Jinx said, ducking her head.

“I find that hard to believe.” Glen was looking at her, eyebrow raised.

“Believe it. I don’t date. Much.” She smiled. “How about you?”

Glen shrugged. “The road life. Not really a lot of time for it.”

“I see.” Jinx sipped the drink the waiter had placed in front of her. “You are brave, wanting to take me out in public. I am accident prone, and that’s an understatement.”

“Ahh…Well, so far so good.” Glen smiled and reached over to take her hand again. “You can relax around me. I’m not worried about it.”

For once, neither was she. Glen made her feel comfortable. He seemed to be a very genuine, very sweet man. Which totally went against his image as a rage-filled monster for the show.

They ate slowly, taking their time, talking about their childhoods. Glen and Mark were the first generation in their family to wrestle. Jinx regaled him with tales of her exploits with a younger Randy. When his father had traveled, he’d sent his son to stay with Jinx’s family on and off. They were more like brother and sister than cousins.

Dinner passed with no major incidents. Jinx did trip a waiter as he walked by. She had her legs crossed and her foot caught him in the knee as he passed. He carried an empty tray and managed to right himself with a flourish that made her laugh. He grinned and told them if they wanted anything all they had to do was ask. There was no need for violence.

Giggling, Jinx took another sip of her drink. Glen watched her for a moment, not speaking. “What?” She finally couldn’t take it.

“You’re beautiful when you laugh.” His voice had gotten very serious. Jinx looked into his eyes for a moment before looking down into her drink.

“Thanks. I think.”

“What’s there to think about? It’s true.” Glen smiled and handed the waiter his credit card to pay for their food.

“I guess I’m not very good with the compliments, either.” She nervously toyed with her glass.

“Get used to ‘em. You deserve it.” Glen signed the slip the waiter brought, and reached for her hand. “Are you ready to go?”

“Where are we going?” Jinx asked, letting Glen help her to her feet.

“I don’t know. Somewhere. I’m not ready to go back to the hotel yet. Unless you are…?” He made it a question. Jinx looked up at him, biting her lip.

“No. I think I’d rather stay with you for a while.” She finally admitted softly. Glen smiled at her and led her from the restaurant back to the car.

*~*~*

They drove for over an hour, just talking, listening to the radio that was turned low. Glen found a country road and they rode in the dark. To Jinx it almost felt like they were the only people on the planet.

“I think there’s a lake or something out this way.” Glen said, cutting into her thoughts. She smiled.

“Planning on going swimming?”

“Nope. Just wanted to park for a while and stretch my legs.” He shrugged and glanced at her. “That is, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Jinx’s smile widened when Glen reached over and took her hand again. He drove for another fifteen minutes. They were quiet, just listening to the music and the sound of the car.

A small road was marked by a sign. Glen made the turn and grinned at her. “Told ya.”

“I never doubted you.” Jinx peered through the darkness at the trees that lined the road. The lake was man-made and a housing development littered one side of it. This was a feeder road, barely paved, that the parks department used to check the water level.

“Are we allowed to be back here?” Jinx asked as Glen parked the car. The lake opened before them, it’s water looking black in the darkness.

Glen shrugged. “There’s a beach down there. In the summer it’s open to the public over here. Keeps them from going to the houses and cutting through the yards.” He smiled and shut off the engine. “Wanna go for a walk?”

“Since we’re already here, I suppose.” Jinx climbed out of the car. Glen had parked at the very edge of the lot. There was a small strip of grass, then a wide swathe of sand that led to the calm water.

“Last time I was here, it was August. It was packed, even though it was late.” Glen said softly, once again reaching for her hand. Jinx smiled at him and kicked her shoes off. The sand was warm under her feet. This early in June it was warm enough to swim but not quite summer enough for campers, which was where most of the August people came from.

“It’s beautiful.” She said, walking beside him, loving the feel of sand under her feet. They were quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Glen set an easy pace. Jinx had no trouble keeping up.

He finally stopped. They were at the edge of the beach. The sand here gave way to grass, and fifteen feet from them, trees. The car was a vague shadow in the distance. Glen turned her to face him and studied her in the meager light of the moon. Jinx felt butterflies in her stomach at the look he was giving her. Her knees threatened to buckle. And that was just from a look.

“Are you always this nervous?” Glen asked, smiling a bit. He felt her hand tremble a bit as she looked everywhere but at him.

“Most of the time. Yes.” Why lie to him? She was not a forward person, never had been, and yes, this did make her nervous. She was alone with some guy she barely knew, she really had no clue where they were, and the guy was looking at her like she was dessert. It was scary and somehow tantalizing at the same time.

Glen hesitated for another moment, then finally pulled her against him. He ducked his head and pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her gently, not forcing it, just testing her response. His tongue traced her lower lip. A shiver went down her back.

Jinx was so surprised by the sensation that she tried to step back away from him. Unfortunately her legs refused to cooperate. Her feet tangled into each other and she fell backward. Glen kissed air for a second before he saw her sitting on her ass in the sand. He chuckled.

“I don’t think I have ever blown someone away with just a kiss before.” He held out his hand and helped Jinx to her feet. She pulled her hand away and made herself busy knocking sand from her clothes. Ok, for real, now she was ready to be swallowed whole by the earth. Mentally she prayed for it. At least she’d fallen away and hadn’t taken him down with her.

Glen looked at her with his hands in his pockets, grinning. He still had that dark look in his eyes that had made her get all weak legged in the first place. Jinx glanced at him, then sighed.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?” Glen asked, tilting his head to the side.

“This…” She gestured, taking in the beach, the water, him. “I just…can’t. Not yet.”

Glen was silent for a minute, still studying her. Then he nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rush you into…”

“You weren’t. It was just a kiss. Sorry I freaked.”

“That was a freak out?” Glen took her hand and led her back toward the car. Resigned to the contact, Jinx kept her head lowered, watching her feet sink into the warm sand.

“My version. Usually ends up with me falling on my ass.”

Glen laughed. Jinx risked another glance at him. He was very handsome although he did not act like he knew it. That was probably what made him so attractive. Glen helped her into the car. They rode in silence back to the hotel.

Glen walked her to the door of her room, a smile still playing on his lips. “Well, I had a good time.”

“Me too. Mostly.” She smiled shyly. “I should go now, before I totally ruin it by breaking your nose or something.”

Glen chuckled. “I think you’ll be gentle with me.” With that he leaned down and kissed her…on the cheek. “I’ll see you at work.”

“Yeah.” Jinx watched him walk away, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. For the second time in as many days she’d rebuffed the advances of very sexy men. Something was definitely wrong with her brain. With a sigh, she went into her room, wanting nothing more than to beat herself up for being a fool.

6

“Seeing that you know me so well, I don’t see how you can sleep while I drive.”

Jinx was in the driver seat. Speeding. This stretch of highway was straight and flat. She wanted to make good time. She’d decided after a restless night to get an early start. Randy had seen her lugging her bags and had decided to ride along with her.

He was not much help in the driving department. After fussing about her choice of music he’d reclined the passenger seat and dozed off. It was nearing nine in the morning. Time for him to wake up.

“You’ve never had an accident.” He still sounded sleepy. Jinx grinned.

“Always a first time.”

“Ha ha. You won’t wreck. The shield is up.”

Jinx laughed. “If Mom had signed me up for ballet when I was a kid, do you think I’d be more graceful now?”

Randy adjusted his seat so he was sitting upright. With a yawn he glanced down at the speedometer then out the window. “Nah. You’d just leap and knock down walls.”

“Thanks.” Jinx pretended to hit him. Randy pretended to be injured. It was an old joke between them.

“So how was your date?” Randy was grinning.

“Oh. I wondered when you were gonna bring that up.”

“Right now. Did he behave like a gentleman?”

“Yes, he did.” Jinx rolled her eyes. “You are a dork. And really it’s none of your business.”

“Hey now, when Uncle John asks me what you’ve been doing, I don’t wanna have to lie to him.” Randy said with a laugh.

“Don’t you think I’m a little old for Dad to be pumping you for information about what I’m up to?” Jinx signaled a turn for the next exit. After three hours they were finally almost there.

“Yup. But that doesn’t stop him from asking.” Randy adjusted the ball cap he was wearing. “Hoping for grandkids while he’s still young enough to play with ‘em.”

“Ugh. Don’t make me dump you out here, jackass.”

Randy laughed again. “You love me. You have to turn at the third light.”

“I know. I can read.”

“Just reminding you.”

Jinx made the turn and slowed the car, keeping an eye out for the hotel they’d made reservations at. Randy pointed it out. She sighed in relief. She did not mind driving but her legs felt as if they were cramping from sitting so long.

She angled the car into a vacant parking spot and shut off the engine. “Think we’re the first ones?”

“Hell no. Some of the guys drove last night. Some of ‘em left before we did. There’s a few who drive faster than you do.” Randy shrugged and climbed out of the car. “They’ll be trickling in a few at a time all day. Tomorrow everybody will be here. It’ll be crazy.”

“I’ve seen for myself.” Jinx knew that most of the wresters and crew tended to stay in the same place. It was just easier that way. Many of them went in together and shared room costs. That was the only area jinx had any luck-she had money saved from her last job as a magazine editor, and her father had insisted on she invest a bit of it. It was enough to keep her in her own room. Jinx didn’t know anyone else well enough to even want to share a room. Even if it was just for a few hours.

Randy led the way into the hotel lobby. “I’m gonna go check in. Want me to get yours too?”

“Sure.” Jinx was hardly paying attention to him. She was looking around, taking in the layout of the place. There was a bar of course, but it looked like it was meant more for quiet social gatherings than rowdy drunks entertaining themselves. There was also a movie theater. For guests only. It only played one movie at a time on a single screen but it looked like any other theater she’d ever been in.

Of course, not paying attention, she pulled her usual stunt. Jinx walked right into someone, knocking them forward.

“Sorry…” It was automatic. Jinx looked up and saw Mark standing there, looking at her, amused. That was a good thing, she guessed. Better he was amused than pissed off.

“Gotta quit runnin’ into each other like this.” Mark said, a smile forming on his lips.

“You’re tellin’ me.” Jinx matched his Texan drawl without realizing she was doing it. Mark grinned.

“Maybe you’re trying to tell me something.”

“What? That you’re a big guy and in my way?” Jinx said it without thinking. She was too busy trying not to look at him.

“Hey, I was just standing here.” Mark’s grin did not fade.

“I know.” Jinx blew her hair back from her face. “I keep telling you people that I’m a hazard. Is it really my fault you don’t listen?”

This got a deep chuckle from him. Damn but he was good at giving her the shivers with that voice of his. Jinx shook her head and turned to find Randy. She ran into another man who was walking past, knocking his briefcase from his hand, sending it sliding across the lobby floor.

She mumbled an apology. The guy gave her a dark look and went to retrieve his case. Jinx quickly walked away from a laughing Mark, once again hating herself for giving these people so much amusement.

Randy was coming her way. He grinned. “I saw that.”

“Figures.”

“I should quit picking on you about it. Maybe I’m the problem.”

Jinx looked at him, shocked. “Why would you be the problem?” She was genuinely confused.

“Maybe if I didn’t keep telling you how clumsy you are, you wouldn’t be so self conscious about it. And then you wouldn’t be so clumsy.”

Jinx shook her head. “So what about all the times I’m clumsy when you’re not there to make fun of me?” She took her key from his hand.

“Residual bullying.” Randy said with a straight face. Jinx cracked up.

“That’s a pretty big word for you there, Rand. You look faint. Need to lay down?”

“Probably. I’m still a little tired.”

“You slept during the ride.” Jinx pointed out, following him onto the elevator. Mark was there, holding the door for them. Randy greeted him. Mark nodded and stood in the corner, out of their way.

“Yeah, and it makes me feel like I need a nap.” Randy laughed as the elevator came to a halt at the third floor. “See ya later.”

“Lazy.” Jinx grouched, watching him walk away. The doors slid shut. The elevator began to rise. Jinx was on the eighth floor. She hummed and tapped her foot. The elevator came to a jerking halt. “What the hell?” She leaned over and tapped the button for her floor. Nothing happened. She glanced at Mark, who still looked amused.

“More of your magic at work?” He asked, a smile tilting his lips.

“Probably.” Jinx kicked the door. The elevator did not budge. “Great.”

“Relax. This happens here all the time. Damn computerize stuff.”

“You get trapped in elevators a lot?” Jinx asked, turning to face him.

“Not usually.” Mark’s voice was low. “This will be the third time at this hotel though.”

“Good. Can’t stick that one on me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. They said last time it was fixed.” Mark chuckled.

“Funny.” Jinx paced two steps and leaned against the wall opposite him. “Good thing I’m not claustrophobic.”

“I am.”

“No way.”

“Yeah. I’m not. Just trying to make you feel better.” Mark grinned. Jinx looked away, suddenly nervous.

“How long is this gonna take?” She said, idly punching at random buttons.

“A few minutes. An hour. Who the hell knows?” Mark did not sound put out by it. Jinx glanced at him, saw him staring at her, and looked away quickly. He looked like he had something on his mind, and she would harbor a bet that it wasn’t his wrestling match the next night.

Sighing, Jinx slid down to sit on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her. She closed her eyes. Not pretending to sleep, just making sure she didn’t try to steal any glances at those lips of his.

And thinking of Mark’s lips made her think about Glen’s. Too bad she’d gone and clutzed herself out of the situation. He had just been getting started and she’d ruined it. But then again…that kind of situation scared her. So in a way she was glad. Who know how far she’d have let him go if she hadn’t fallen on her ass?

“You have a weird look on your face. What are you thinkin’ about?” Mark’s voice was inches from her ear. Jinx jumped, cracking her head on the elevator wall.

She glared at him and rubbed her head. “Just thoughts. What’s it matter to you?”

“I was just curious. Damn.” Mark held up his hands in a warding off gesture.

“Sorry.”

“What did I tell you about apologizing?” Mark said with a half-smirk.

“Uh…not to do it?” Jinx could not remember.

“Not to make a habit off it, but close enough.” Mark stretched his legs out next to hers. It made Jinx realize once again how tall he was. “I heard you and my brother had a dinner date last night.”

“Word travels fast.” Jinx said, and that was all she was going to say.

“Around here it does. Did you have a good time?”

Jinx looked at him, meeting his eyes. “Weird question.”

“Just wondering.” Mark chuckled. “No crime in being nosey. Although from your reaction should I guess it wasn’t very good?”

“No…you can take from my reaction that it’s none of your business, and I in fact had a lovely time.” Jinx huffed and shifted away from him.

“You don’t have to get defensive.”

“Who’s getting defensive?” She slid another inch away. Mark looked at her for a moment, then chuckled.

“I’m starting to get the feelin’ that I make you nervous.”

Jinx forced a laugh. It sounded nervous to her own ears. Mark smiled.

“Why is that, Jayce?” Mark’s voice had dropped low. Damn it. She felt another shiver working its way up her spine. Especially when he used her name, her real name. Had she ever heard a man say it in just that tone of voice? Hell, had she ever heard a man say it except for her father?

“Uh…probably cuz you’re twice my size and have a bad temper?”

“I don’t have a temper, darlin’.” Mark was still smiling. “At least not that you have seen.”

“So I took a guess.” She shifted again. This time Mark reached over and grabbed her hand before she could get far.

“Stop tryin’ to run away.”

“I’m not running. I’m shifting. My butt’s asleep.” Jinx could not meet his eyes.

“You don’t have to be nervous around me.” Mark went on as if she had not spoken. He was doing that thing again, where he leaned forward when he spoke. Jinx thought he did not even realize he was doing it, it just came naturally. What was more intimidating than a huge guy standing over you, looking down at you?

“If you wouldn’t try to bully me, then maybe I wouldn’t be so nervous.” Jinx kept her voice level. She scooted over another few inches, this time not trying to be subtle about it.

“I’m bullying you?”

“What would you call it?” Jinx finally turned her head to look at him. Mark had followed her progress and she had not even noticed. He was still just inches from her. “How many times do I have to warn you that getting close to me is the equivalent of signing your death warrant?”

“I’ll take my chances.” His voice was so low it was barely audible. Jinx opened her mouth to say something snappy, perhaps a resounding ‘whatever’. Mark took advantage, ducking his head quickly and claiming her lips with his own. It was not Glen’s tentative technique from the night before but a full on invasion. Mark’s tongue was in Jinx’s mouth almost before she was aware he was kissing her.

He cupped her face in his hands before she could pull away. His tongue delved deeper as he urged her to respond to his intimate caress. Jinx could not help but respond to him, could not fight the urge to run her tongue along his.

Just when she was about to let herself go, to really get into the kiss, the elevator lurched into motion. Without thinking about it, Jinx jerked back, at the same time clamping her mouth shut. She caught a pretty good piece of Mark’s tongue in the process.

Mark cursed and pulled back from her. “If you wanted me to stop, you coulda just said so, darlin’.” He experimentally touched the tip of his tongue to his teeth.

“Oh…I’m…”

Mark silenced her with a look. Not a bad look, just a look that told her not to say what immediately came to her mind. Then he smiled. “It’s forgivable.”

With that he rose to his feet, then helped Jinx up. Once again she felt as if her face were on fire. She ducked her head and waited for the elevator to reach its destination. Mark half-smiled and touched her chin with his fingertips. “That was more along the bully lines. You don’t have to be embarrassed. I started it.”

Was that supposed to make her feel better? Then she thought of Glen and how nice he’d been to her the night before-and how she’d pushed him away. Now there was embarrassment. The elevator doors slid open. Without a word she rushed out of the enclosed space, wanting nothing more than to lock herself in her room for the day.

She guessed she now knew what guilt was. Although really she had nothing to be guilty about. It wasn’t as if she and Glen were a couple for crying out loud. They went out one time. That really didn’t count.

“Damn it.” Throwing her bag on her bed, Jinx kicked her shoes off, still fuming. Once again she’d proven herself the queen of all stupidity. Glen was a great guy, so there was no way she couldn’t not feel guilty. She liked him. He was easy to talk to. She could relax around him. The same could not be said for his brother, who made her nervous on a level she could not define. And now he’d gone and planted one on her, making her feel…well…like some worthless tramp.

Forgetting the pool, at least for now, Jinx decided a long soak in the tub was in order. She needed to think. And there was no better place to do it than in chin deep scalding water.

An hour later she was wrapped in a towel, lying on her bed. Jinx was getting a headache. She was really over thinking the problem. Mark was just Mark, and he was just a bully. He was just showing her he was stronger than she was. Well, good for him. Mission accomplished. She’d just stay the hell away from him. She knew his type. He’d find someone else to bother after a short time.

Her phone rang. She warily picked it up. “Hello?” No one but Randy knew her room number. She hadn’t bothered to call her parents yet.

“Hey. Just thought I’d see if you made it in all right.”

Jinx sighed in relief. “I’m fine Glen. Got stuck in the elevator for a while, but I’m in one piece.” She debated on whether or not to tell him about what else happened, the decided against it. She didn’t want to start trouble.

“Stuck, huh?” Glen chuckled. “That’s happened to me a time or two. Uhm…” He hesitated. Jinx waited him out. “I…uh…just wondered if you were doing anything later tonight. Thought you might want to watch a movie…or something.” He sounded unsure. It was downright adorable.

“I dunno. Let me think about it. I’ll give you a call later, after I’ve had a nap.” Jinx made a note of his room number and said goodbye. Then she stretched out on the bed. Great. Glen got nicer the longer she knew him, and here she was kissing his brother in an elevator.

“Enough already. Get over it.” Jinx got to her feet. She needed to finish drying off, then she was going to do what she’d said. She was going to force herself to relax, even if it killed her.

7

After spending a quiet evening alone, Jinx showed up the next morning a bit more relaxed and ready for work.

She’d called Glen and given him an excuse about having a very bad migraine. Her head felt fine after her nap, but she did not want to make a habit out of spending time with him. She was afraid of hurting him, and not just physically.

He’d been nice enough about it, offering to bring her aspirin, something to drink, and himself to give her a massage. Jinx was tempted but turned him down. She was not going to be taking her clothes off for him for any reason. Things got too complicated after that happened.

She entered the conference room a bit past ten that morning, carrying a few notebooks and a bag with a laptop in it. Since this was her first real day, she was going in prepared. Jinx opened the door and stopped in her tracks.

Instead of the usual group of four men and Michael, there were almost a dozen guys in the room. Michael was once again at the center. The men were spread out in various poses of relaxation. The all looked at her when she walked in.

Ignoring their looks, Jinx made her way to the back of the room, giving a wide berth to anyone who was within the fall out zone that was her clumsiness. Glen was to her right, watching her, a smile on his face. She pretended not to notice it. Mark was also looking at her, but his gaze was more clinical, as if trying to figure her out.

Jinx took her seat and took another look around. Besides the guy in the cowboy hat, whose name had slipped her mind, there were a few that she had seen around in the halls. Randy’s blue-haired friend was tilting his chair at a dangerous angle, talking to the dark haired man beside him. And Randy himself was in deep discussion with a few other guys.

“All right, settle down.” Michael shuffled some papers. “Jayce.” She looked at him. Michael passed a sheaf of papers down the table. “That’s our roster for the next thirty days. I hate to do this to you, but looks like we have had a little emergency come up…”

“If you wanna call it that.” Someone said sarcastically from the front of the room. Some of the men laughed.

“Be that as it may. Eric’s wife went into labor last night. He activated a thirty-day leave. Which means we get to pick up his slack while he’s gone.”

Jinx nodded and glanced through the papers. Names, and storyline summaries were neatly typed. She heaved a sigh, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do about it.

The door opened again. Someone was later than Jinx had been, which made her feel better about her entrance. A woman walked in. She was pretty enough to be one of the female ‘divas’ who were on television every week. But she was dressed down in jeans and an old T-shirt. She looked comfortable in the room of men. Jinx envied her. Even dressed as she was, her dark hair and eyes gave her a sultry look. Most of the guys couldn’t help but stare at her.

“Glad you could join us, Evie.” That was from Randy. Jinx bit back a smile at the tone of his voice.

“Can’t leave you kids alone for a minute, huh sweet cheeks?” The girl was not put out by Randy’s remark. She handed Michael a few sheets of paper, then came toward the back where Jinx was sitting. She took the chair next to her and blew her bangs from her forehead.

“All right…where were…” Michael had barely gotten words out when his phone began beeping. “Damn it. Ok, sit tight everybody. That’s the boss on line one.” Michael stepped out of the room. The men looked at each other and resumed their conversations as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“You must be new.” The woman, Evie, was looking at Jinx with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“That I must be.” Jinx smiled at her. She was rewarded with a bright smile in return.

“I’m Evelyn. Known as Lyn to my dad, who I want to choke every time he says it. You can call me Evie.”

“I’m Jayce. Or Jinx. Your choice.”

“Ah. How long have you been here?”

“A week. This is my first real day.” Jinx admitted.

“Don’t sweat it. It’s not that hard of a job, no matter what these jackasses have been telling you.” Evie hooked her thumb at the men in the room. Then she grinned. “Jinx huh?”

Jinx rolled her eyes. She was getting tired of explaining her nickname. “Unfortunate bad luck is my lot in life.” She said with a shrug.

“Luck.” Evie made a strange noise. “I don’t believe in luck. And if there is luck, I think you make your own.” Her eyes moved to the right. “What’s up, sexy?”

Jinx followed the direction of Evie’s gaze. Mark was sitting there, watching them. Evie had apparently caught him looking.

Mark smiled at her. “Nothing much, Ev. How you been?”

“Better now that I’ve seen your fine ass.” Evie winked at him. Jinx raised an eyebrow. Evie caught her expression and laughed. “I’m a shameless flirt. Just ignore me. I try to be obnoxious.”

“And mostly she succeeds.” Mark said, still smiling a bit.

“I don’t care what anybody else says, baby. You are sweet as candy.” Evie grinned.

“You’ll make me blush if you keep up that kinda talk.” Mark shook his head. The guy next to him said something. Mark turned his attention from the women to answer the question.

Evie turned back to Jinx. “That man would make a nun wet.”

Jinx had been taking a sip of water. She choked on it, spitting it all over Evie’s shirt. She laughed and brushed the drops of water off. “Sorry.”

“Forget it. Water won’t melt me.”

“How long have you worked here?” Jinx asked, curious. She’d known her for all of five minutes, and already she found Evie to be fascinating beyond words. Jinx wished there was a way she could buy her kind of confidence.