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Score One For Lisa Marie
"I need one of you to go to a thing with me!"
Trish, Candice and I all eyed Lisa Marie over breakfast, wondering what she was talking about.
"What 'thing?'"
"There's this gathering," she explained, "something with all the important PR people in the City. It's taking place tonight, and I need one of you along as my crutch."
"Excuse me?" I said, surprised. "Since when do you, Lisa Marie Varon, need a 'crutch?'"
The brunette sighed and looked all sorts of uncomfortable as she answered that question.
"Since I found out that John Cena is going to be there."
"Ahh," Candice said, "so, once again, it's back to John Cena."
"Well, now you see why I can't very well show up at this thing alone."
"Why don't you find a date?" Trish suggested. "One of your many, many men in your little black book?"
Lisa Marie took a quick sip of her coffee and waved her hand at the blonde.
"You don't think I tried that? None of them want to go on such short notice - at least not to a party."
Candice rolled her eyes.
"Hey, why don't you call Ken Anderson?" I suggested.
"Oh, no," Lisa muttered. She shook her head emphatically. "I don't want to go down that road again."
"But he really liked you," Trish piped in.
"Exactly. We had a one night stand and he thought it was going to turn into this big relationship. No thank you!"
"Well, I can't make it," Candice said, putting up her hands. "AJ and I have plans... We're going to the Knicks game tonight."
"I can't either," Trish said. "Randy and I are going to try again tonight." She smiled.
"Oh, please," Lisa said desperately, "you can make a baby anytime."
The blonde shook her head and whispered, "But I'm ovulating now."
I could tell from the expression on Lisa Marie's face that she wanted to say 'spare me.' I reached across the table for her hand.
"I'll go with you."
The brunette suddenly looked so grateful, as though I was her savior.
"Would you, Amy? Oh, bless you!" She squeezed my hand and beamed.
"Sure," I said. "Jeff and I weren't doing anything special tonight, so why the hell not? I'll just let him know I've got plans with you for the night."
"Yay!" Lisa clapped her hands in delight.
"Glad that got settled," Candice said absently. Her attention was mostly focused on the New York Times she had open in her lap. "Oh, my God."
"What? What is it?" Trish asked, frowning and crowning her neck to peer down at the paper. "Oh, God!"
All of a sudden, both my friends were eyeing me warily. It confused me, and I noticed Candice give Lisa Marie a knowing glance as well. What was going on here?
"What?" I asked. "Why are you all looking at me that way?"
Candice seemed to be gripping the paper so tightly, her knuckles had gone white.
"Come on, let me see!"
"You might as well," Trish said. "She'll find out sooner or later."
Reluctantly, the brunette raised the paper, handing it over to show me. Right there, in the society section, were Edge and Barbie - in all their glory.
"Well, I guess it's official," I said. "My ex is married."
Lisa Marie reached for the paper.
"Let me see that." She read the small article to herself as my other two friends gave me sympathetic looks.
"It's okay, you guys," I said, waving them off. "I'm okay... Really."
"Are you sure, Amy?" Trish questioned.
I forced a smile I didn't truly feel.
"Of course... I knew it was coming." I cast my gaze down for a beat at the paper, which Lisa was still browsing. "Besides, I've got a new guy in my life. I don't care." I flashed them a smile again.
"That's the spirit," Candice said, and she gave me a smile of her own. However, as I eyed them, I could tell that neither she nor Trish were truly convinced.
*
I managed to be okay, even when I went with Lisa Marie to the party that night. The event was taking place at a rented downtown loft, with a full bar and all the works. The food was catered, and Lisa was actually relieved it was not by Lance Cade.
"Oh, God," she murmured as she gave me an elbow in the ribs. We were standing amid colleagues of hers and toting drinks. "There's John."
I sipped my cosmopolitan and followed her line of vision. The man was turned the other way, but then he suddenly faced us. I got a clear view of his countenance and was not at all surprised that my friend had chased him awhile back. The man was really quite handsome.
"Wow... He's cute!" I whispered.
My friend made a sort of snort, and I knew she was still bitter over Cena rejecting her advances.
However, much to Lisa Marie's surprise, the man, who was near the bar, raised a hand to wave. And on top of that, he also flashed a dimpled smile directly at her.
"Did I just imagine that?" The brunette turned as though to glance over her shoulder. Surely, John Cena couldn't have been smiling and waving at her? But he was... And, even more to her surprise, he began to make his way over.
"No offense, Amy, but if he's coming over to hit on you, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore."
I laughed at her remark.
"Lisa Marie... How good to see you." Cena gave her a brilliant smile, nodding at me briefly as well. "Girl, you look great."
Lisa Marie grinned, absolutely beamed.
"John... Nice to see you again," she said, taking the hand he held out. Much to her delight, he kissed the back of her hand. "Oh, this is my friend Amy."
"Nice to meet you." Cena shook my hand as opposed to kissing it.
"Can I get you another drink, beautiful?" he asked Lisa, who cast me a look that screamed 'Get lost!' All of a sudden, I felt like a third wheel.
"I'd love that."
As they passed me, Lisa Marie gave me a gentle pat on the arm.
Just about the moment they left me was when it happened...
I saw Edge. I couldn't believe my eyes. What was he doing there? He wasn't in PR, and neither was his twenty-one year-old little wife.
Suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, I set down my glass and made a brisk run for the exit to the hallway. And I realized shortly after that that he'd seen me. As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw my newly married ex-boyfriend actually following me.
That made up my mind - I was getting out of there... I knew Lisa wouldn't mind now that she and John Cena were getting acquainted. In a hurry, I made it out onto the street and hailed a taxi I saw approaching.
And I left a bewildered Edge standing on the sidewalk, watching.