___________________________________________
Stacy eyed Christian with surprise, but she also felt a bit embarrassed that he was seeing her at her worst. She quickly swiped at the tears that had stained her cheeks.
The blond man eased into the chair across from her, his face filled with compassion and tender concern.
"I know this is probably a stupid question," he began, "but are you okay?"
The tall diva laughed sardonically. "Yeah...yeah," she said, "I'm just great..." She prayed she wouldn't actually start sobbing right here over her plate. Nevertheless, she began to softly hiccup, which was something that customarily happened whenever she cried.
Christian reached across the table for the glass of water the young woman had evidently pushed aside.
"Here..." he said gently. "Drink some water..."
Stacy glanced quickly into his eyes and obeyed. She took a long gulp of the H2O and closed her eyes, hoping it would indeed do the trick.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"I must be the biggest idiot in the world to cry over him after what he did...God, am I pathetic, or what?"
"No...no, you're not, sweetheart..."
The blond man again reached across the table, only this time he placed his soft, warm hand against Stacy's cheek. And oh, God... How good his fingers felt against her skin. She closed her eyes as a tenderness rushed through her.
Christian gazed at the sad young woman, his heart nearly breaking at the depth of her hurt. He didn't understand how anyone could hurt such a sweet and precious creature, whether deliberately or by accident.
He allowed his hand to linger on her soft cheek, and he thought about his feelings for her. Because he'd never really spent a whole lot of time with her, he wasn't in love with her - yet. However, the truth was that Christian had been harboring a crush on Stacy almost since she'd first joined the WWE. When she and Torrie Wilson had come to work for the company, most of the guys had expressed an attractiion for Torrie, but he had never had to look twice. There was just something about the tall, leggy young blonde that made him find her so irresistible. She seemed to have a sweetness, and innocence and guile about her.
Now, Stacy opened her eyes, and she looked partly sad and weary, yet partly something else he could not quite determine. She gazed into his eyes intensely, unwaveringly, and without speaking.
Christian somehow began to feel uncomfortable, as though he were doing something wrong, and in a hurry, he removed his hand from her face at last.
"I...I'm sorry."
"No...it's okay," she insisted. Then, surprising him and herself, she reached across the table and grabbed his hand that only seconds earlier had been caressing her cheek.
"It's just...I..." The diva faltered on her words, not quite knowing what to say - or how to say it.
"I know..." Christian said, raising his blue eyes from their hands to her brown depths. Then, before he could stop himself, he plundered on. "Listen, I...I really like you, Stacy...I mean, I really like you - and I'd like to be with you..."
The blonde tilted her head slightly to one side, her eyes widening somewhat in surprise.
"But..." he continued. "I don't want us to rush into anything - I mean, you just broke up with your boyfriend, and-"
"I like you, too..."
Christian looked up, again meeting Stacy's brown eyes, and he was surprised to note the tiny smile touching her lips.
"You...you do?"
She nodded. "Of course I do," she said gently. "You're like my knight in shining armor. You were there for me when I was feeling lower than low. You rescued me from Andrew when he was manhandling me..." Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle as she tilted her head slightly to the other side.
Christian couldn't help but smile. Stacy was no longer crying, and she definitely looked happier than she had a few minutes ago.
"Then I'll tell you what..." he said softly, and he curled his fingers around hers. He gently squeezed her hand, taking full notice when she reciprocated the gesture. "We'll take it slowly - one day, one step at a time..."