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"How do I look?" the woman asked, her arms spread as she spun in a circle for her friend to examine her from all angles.
"You look gorgeous!" Stacy Keibler said, a smile on her face. "Randy is going to totally melt when he sees you."
Dawn Marie smiled, grateful toward her leggy blonde pal for having spotted the slinky, satiny black number in a posh boutique a day earlier. The two divas, along with Lita and Trish Stratus, had taken a trip around the town in which the WWE was currently stationed.
The brunette's heart fluttered a little as she thought about tonight - about Randy Orton. Although the young man was a part of Evolution and had a cockiness about him, she couldn't be more excited about their date for New Year's. Besides, she *did* like him - maybe tonight would open doors to a new relationship...
Dawn Marie frowned as she became aware of something - Stacy, although she'd been fiddling with her hair and makeup, wasn't quite ready. Of course, her boyfriend, John Cena, was expected to show up pretty much any minute.
"Why aren't *you* dressed, Stace?"
The tall blonde glanced down at herself and the white terrycloth robe she donned. She let out a small laugh.
"Oh... Don't worry - John knows I like to sometimes be fashionably late." She shrugged, a smile on her face as Dawn Marie chided her.
"Weren't you even *born* late?"
As if on cue, there was a knock at the hotel room door, and the brunette couldn't help but bite her lip in slight nervousness. But was it John or Randy?
Stacy rushed to answer the door, her smile widening to a happy grin as she saw her boyfriend standing there.
"Hi, John!"
Cena stepped into the room, apparently not surprised in the least that the leggy blonde was not yet dressed. Then, he surveyed Dawn, his eyes and nodding head signaling his approval.
"Wow - you're smokin', woman!"
Dawn Marie couldn't help but chuckle.
"Told you..." Stacy said with a wink. A moment later, she excused herself to the bathroom, where her dress awaited.
"Thanks for the compliment," the brunette said graciously. She and John had always been friends, ever since she'd debuted on SmackDown.
"Going out with Orton tonight, huh?" Cena questioned. Self- consciously, he tugged on his tie - he was obviously not used to wearing one, but he'd wanted to be a bit formal for Stacy, for the special occasion.
"Yup - and I'm really looking forward to it."
"Here I am, all ready!" Stacy's voice called from the bathroom's doorway. She looked lovely in a strappy, backless royal blue dress. John's eyes were, by now, nearly popping out of his head as gazed at his girlfriend.
"Wow!" he breathed. "All I gotta say is... wow!"
Stacy laughed good-heartedly.
"I knew you'd like it." She took John's hand, which he offered her.
"You really do look great, Stace," Dawn said. "You two go out and have a blast - Randy should be here any minute."
"Have a good time!" the blonde said as she and Cena headed for the door. "And don't do anything *I* wouldnt do!"
*
~~Thirty minutes later~~
Dawn Marie looked up impatiently, her brown eyes staring at the closed hotel room door before glancing back down to her watch. Randy was over a half-hour late, and he hadn't even called...
She felt like crying as she suddenly realized all this might very well have been a joke that had been played on her. She shook her head at the cruelty of such a thing.
Holding back tears, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Stacy's. She felt badly about interrupting her friend's date, but she couldn't help it.
"Hi... Dawn Marie? What's going on?"
"I think he stood me up!"
"What? Oh, what a creep!" the blonde cried.
The two spoke awhile more before Stacy had a suggestion.
"Look, we're at this place - it's only five minutes from the hotel. Why don't you meet us here?"
Dawn Marie agreed reluctantly, then took the name and address from Stacy. Afterward, the divas hung up.
The brunette hoped that somehow, she could enjoy herself on New Year's Eve...
*
She stepped into the establishment, her gaze traveling over the sea of people. Stacy and John were nowhere in sight, and her blonde friend had assured her she'd be waiting near the door.
The brunette bitterly wondered if Stacy too was playing a trick on her...
"Hey, Dawn..."
She whirled around at the sound of the familiar masculine voice, coming face-to-face with Sean O'Haire.
"Hi, Sean."
"You look... beautiful," he said, his blue eyes scanning over her longingly. "But what are you doing here all alone on New Year's Eve?"
"I was stood up..." she said, hurt clear in her eyes. "Randy is such an immature jerk."
O'Haire arched a brow, then shook his head.
"You don't need a guy who plays games," he said. "Why don't you hang out with *me* tonight?"
Dawn Marie cocked her head as she met his eyes, a smile slowly coming to her face.
"Okay... I think I will."
The two spent the evening drinking, dancing and talking, and it wasn't long at all before Dawn Marie completely forgot about Randy Orton and what he'd done to her.
"Hey, look - it's time for the ball to drop," Sean said, pointing toward the TV set up in a corner near them, and the brunette's gaze followed his directing forefinger.
Then, to her shock, the second the clock struck midnight, he leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips... And she found herself kissing him back...
After a moment, Dawn Marie found herself looking up into Sean's blue eyes questioningly, the man's face wearing a smile.
"Happy New Year, Dawn."
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year to you both!" Stacy's voice called, and Dawn turned to see the leggy blonde right behind her, John Cena at her side. "I *knew* the feeling would be mutual!"
The brunette looked at her questioningly, then shifted her gaze back to O'Haire.
"Dawn," the dark-haired, muscular man began as he took hold of one of her hands, "the truth is, I've been wanting to do that for a long time now."
"Really?"
Sean nodded, then looked pointedly toward Stacy.
"Dawn, John and I saw Randy in here earlier tonight - with some floozy on his arm." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "He's a jerk. But I knew Sean liked you, and he's a really good guy, so... Well, I hope you don't mind me fixing you up at the last minute like this..."
"Mind?" A grin came to the brunette's pretty face. "How could I
ever *mind*?" Her hand still in Sean's, she gaze back up at
him. "This turned out to be a better New Year's than I ever thought
possible. And tonight definitely *did* open doors for something I
think will be... *amazing*..."
//? End ?\\