______________________________________________________
Amy felt a shiver go through her at the sensation of Adam's arm around her waist - and then, as they all made their way back toward the hotel, he moved his arm and she felt his large, warm hand grasp her much smaller one. His long fingers were incredibly soft as they interlaced with hers.
While it felt so unbelievably wonderful to be the object of Adam's affection, just to be with him, the redhead noted the expression on the other man's face. Jay looked displeased, to say the least. She figured he now felt left out, like a third wheel. Not to mention the fact that the short-haired blond man had wanted it to just be the two of them hanging out tonight.
She began to speak as she cast a quick glance toward the shorter of the two men.
"Um... Adam, can I speak to you for a minute?"
All three of them stopped walking, and the tall blond grinned as he glanced from Amy to Jay and back at the diva again. He noticed how unhappy his best friend looked and mentally shrugged it off. The way *he* saw it, Jay would get over it - he'd gotten over Teresa Smith. Although, he had to admit, Teresa was no Amy Dumas - and Amy would be a helluva lot to get over.
"Sure, Ames," he said confidently. "You can speak to me as long as you want." He raised his brows as though to emphasize his words.
As the other two walked away, Jay felt a twinge of hurt, his right hand inflexively clenching into a fist. He hated the smugness with which Adam had exhibited. The tall blond man just oozed over-confidence, and the look he'd just given him had basically shouted, 'I win, you *lose*!' And wasn't this absolutely ridiculous? He and Adam were friends - *best* friends. Things like this were not supposed to happen. But this didn't feel like a 'friendly' rivalry at all. Hell, best friends shouldn't have *any* rivalries, not friendly or otherwise.
Jay continued to think about how much he hated the situation when Adam suddenly approached, his long legs fast as he briskly walked. The shorter blond man noted the look on his friend's face - this time, it was Adam who looked unhappy.
"Adam!" Amy called after the tall Canadian, a look of anxiety on her pretty face. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
The blond man cast a quick glance at her from over his shoulder, though he kept on walking toward the hotel.
"Yeah... right."
Jay watched as his best friend's step quickened even more, and then he entered the hotel lobby. He turned back to see the redheaded diva looking worried, her hazel eyes fixed on the door through which Adam had just entered.
"Hey," he said softly, reaching out with one hand to her shoulder. "What was *that* all about?"
Amy ran a hand through her hair as she managed to meet Jay's blue eyes.
"I just told him it was supposed to be just you and me tonight..."
"Oh..." The short-haired man scratched thoughtfully at his chin. *This* was certainly an interesting turn of events - but no *wonder* Adam had stormed away like that.
*
Adam was nearly shaking with the extent of rage he felt as he stepped over the threshold of the hotel bar.
He wasn't angry with Amy, no... It was *Jay*. Jay was taking her away from him! He could not *believe* the diva had actually told him to get lost - well, not in *those* words, but that was basically what she'd said.
He slid onto a barstool and slipped some bills onto the table.
"Give me a scotch on the rocks..."
He raked his hand through his hair. Damn, the way he was now feeling, he just wanted to get plastered.
"Adam?"
He turned at the sound of the female voice, then saw Dawn Marie Psaltis standing just behind him, on his left side.
"Hey, Dawn," he muttered.
"You look upset... What's wrong?"
The blond man shook his head.
"Nothing... But... care to join me?"
The pretty brunette offered him a small smile.
"Sure," she said, and she slipped into the stool just to his left.