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Jay stood in the arena hallway just outside the women's locker room in wait. Since he hadn't wrestled at all that night, he hadn't had to shower, and he'd gotten dressed quickly and come out early enough to meet her.
Trish's demeanor earlier had actually surprised him. He knew that she still cared about him, but the last thing he'd expected was for her to cry. It had always torn at his heart to see tears on that beautiful face, and he certainly didn't want to be the cause of them.
The locker room door opened a few times as women emerged, and he perked up each time, expecting the blonde to exit. So far, he'd come up short in his expectations. He heard her voice once or twice but had yet to see her. And then, the door opened again and he saw Amy Dumas step outside first. Trish was on her other side, the taller woman momentarily obstructing his view of her.
"I'll talk to you later," he heard her say to the redhead.
"Oh... Hi, Jay." Amy offered him a smile and a wave before she turned and continued down the hallway.
"Hey," the short-haired blond man said as his gaze fell upon Trish.
"Hey." She smiled, but it was tiny and seemed forced. She gazed into his eyes for a few seconds before bowing her head a little. It seemed she had trouble keeping up the eye contact. She bit her lip as Jay came closer to her, her eyes closing momentarily as his arm encircled her at the waist. Why did things have to be so painful, and so difficult?
As they left the arena and stepped outside, the cool, somewhat crisp air brought Trish back to her senses. They stood there for a beat as she gestured toward the parking lot with one hand.
"I... I came here with Amy and Adam, so we should take your rental."
Jay nodded and looked her squarely in the eye.
"That would be a good idea. Come on." He led the way to his rental car, which was a silver Nissan Maxima. When they reached the vehicle, he unlocked the passenger's side door first, opening it for her to slide in. When she did, he made sure she was securely inside before he slammed it back shut.
He went around to the front and slid into the driver's side. He could actually feel Trish's brown eyes on him as he put the key in the ignition. He couldn't help wondering what she was thinking. Hell, he couldn't help but wonder what he himself had been thinking.
They drove in relative silence sans the car radio. Trish wanted in the worst way to just spill out her guts, tell him right then and there how she truly felt.
Jay kept driving and wasn't exactly even sure of where he was going. He knew he had asked Trish to go out for coffee with him after the show, but the truth was, he hadn't the foggiest idea of where to go. There were places along the road they could stop... But he didn't like the idea of taking her to a McDonald's on the highway by an exit for a coffee.
He strained his eyes as he surveyed places in the immediate area. Finally, he spotted a nice-looking cafe. That would surely suffice, rather than resorting to a fast food joint.
"How about we go in there?" he asked, pointing toward her right.
The little blonde peered out her window. Beyond was a small cafe called Cream of the Crop. She thought it had a funny but cute name.
"All right, sounds good," she said with a nod. She chanced a quick glance at him and swallowed hard. It was difficult not to get choked up, knowing tonight had been his very last appearance with the WWE. What was she going to do now?
They left the rental and made their way inside. They were greeted by a cheerful young woman who seated them at a small table near the back, and were handed menus. Trish could barely keep her gaze on it to decide what to get but knew it didn't really matter. She was here for Jay, to speak with him, not to sip coffee.
A waitress came by a short while later to take their orders. Trish requested a decaf diet cappuccino while Jay ordered an espresso.
Once their menus were removed and the waitress left, the Canadian man templed his fingers, hands resting on the tabletop. He merely stared at the beautiful woman seated across from him.
"So..." He couldn't manage more than that at the moment and was at a loss for words. Where would one even begin when basically saying goodbye to Trish Stratus?
"So..." She too had lost her speech. She had so many things she had to say to him, far too many. She didn't even know where to begin. And she could feel those pesky tears threatening her once again.
"Well," Jay said, deciding to take over the proverbial reins, "it's been quite an experience." He supposed he half-meant his time in the WWE. The other half was of course knowing the beauty across from him. She was definitely someone special, to be cherished.
"Jay..." Trish cut in, raising her head to peer deep into those cerulean eyes of his. "... I don't know how else to say this, but..." She bit her lip, her heart breaking. "... Don't go."
He cocked his head as he read all the emotions swimming in her brown eyes. She was hurting - he could see that. He reached across the table for her small, lovely hand and held it in his larger one.
She felt butterflies inside. It had been far too long since she had felt his touch, even in so innocent a fashion. She parted her lips to say more, but the waitress suddenly returned with their beverages. The woman placed them before them, and silence reigned supreme.
Trish gazed at Jay, willing him to read her mind. She wanted in the worst way for him to know what she was
thinking, what she was feeling.