______________________________________________________
*Tuesday, November 1, 2005*
Trish wrung her hands nervously as she paced the small length of the women's locker room. She didn't care about the match in which she would be competing later, the only concern in her mind Jay. She wanted so desperately for him to win the votes in the RAW versus SmackDown tag team match. He deserved it... He deserved one last chance to shine in front of the WWE fans.
Amy and Adam were of course already out there, and waiting in the ring with Chris Masters to find out which two of the five SmackDown stars would be competing. Coach announced that Todd Grisham was standing backstage with the five hopefuls. And then, Jay's kind, handsome face filled the screen of the television monitor.
Trish stood still and kept her gaze glued to his visage, her breath catching in her throat. How had she ever let him go? And then, she supposed that, in her heart, she never had after all.
Todd announced the votes from the fans, the poll showing on the screen. Instinctively, the tiny blonde crossed her fingers, her breath held. It had to be Jay - it *had* to. But then, much to her dismay, the winners were announced - Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy would be in the match. Trish grew angry as she noted that Hardy had won more votes than anyone else - and she knew it *had* to have been rigged. She felt sick as she caught Jay's expression on the screen again. While he'd appeared somewhat cheery before, he now looked slightly annoyed, and Trish couldn't blame him. She actually felt tears coming to her eyes.
It was disgusting... That abusive and sickening bastard Hardy, who'd put her two friends through sheer *hell*, had beaten out Jay for the spot. It was enough to make the little blonde want to lose her lunch.
She stuck around just long enough to hear Lita announce that Edge would not be competing that night, and then the tall blond man concur, going on to tell everyone watching and listening that he didn't care about RAW. Trish found it a peculiar thing to occur, but she knew that Adam had dislocated a shoulder and torn a pectoral two weeks earlier on RAW.
Only after Gene Snitsky made his appearance to replace the tall Canadian in the match did the blonde woman leave the locker room...
... She had to see Jay.
Quickening her steps as she meandered down the hallway, Trish noticed John Layfield and Bob Holly, the other two SmackDown stars who had been left over to not compete. She knew Jay had to be close by. She hurried along, and then she saw him ahead of the others, as the three began making their way out of the area. Her heart raced as she craned her neck, watching after him.
"Jay - wait!"
All three turned around to stare at her, and Trish felt her cheeks burning. A second later, Holly and Layfield continued on their way as Jay stood there watching her.
"Trish... Hey." His expression brightened, and as she stepped ever closer, he edged toward her as well, meeting her halfway.
The little blonde was slightly out of breath as she gazed up into those blue eyes so deep, she could lose herself in them.
"Jay, I... I heard you're leaving," she began, her heart breaking for the second time over him.
"Yeah... I am," the blond man replied. Unlike the way he appeared just earlier on the TV monitor, he now looked somewhat saddened, regretful.
"Well..." Trish forced a smile she didn't feel, her gaze dropping from his eyes as she went on. Would he see through her facade? She'd never been that good at concealing her true emotions. "... I couldn't let you go without saying a proper goodbye." She raised her gaze back to his handsome face, meeting his blue eyes yet again. Her breath was nearly lost by the sheer intensity she saw in those beautiful orbs. She couldn't tell him here.
Jay felt lousy. On one hand, he hated how the company was treating him and had been for months now, but
at the same time, he felt horrible. Would he ever see this beautiful, charming, sweet woman again? The
thought of the answer to that question being negative was enough to tear him apart. So they'd broken up over
a year earlier... That didn't mean he didn't still see her in his dreams. That didn't mean she wasn't on his
mind, in his thoughts practically every waking moment of his life... That didn't mean he no longer cared for
her. And that also didn't mean he didn't wish they were together again.