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Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
Call my name
And save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from...
...the nothing I've become...
The next evening, Lita entered The Stop with both eyes and ears open. She glanced around as she hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. Somehow, she kept expecting to see the mysterious Edge sitting in a remote corner of the place.
The tall blond man was nowhere to be seen...
The redhead also noted that Dawn Marie was apparently not in that night. Now that she knew the truth about her brunette friend, however, that really didn't come as any surprise.
Trish Stratus, on the other hand, was there, the little blonde evidently free of classes for the rest of the day. She sidled up to Lita as she finished up with a pair of young men at one of her tables.
"Hey, Li..." Trish said as she bumped the other woman playfully.
"Hey, Trish..."
"Thank goodness you're here!" the blonde cried as she balanced plates in either hand. "Dawn Marie can't make it because she has a family emergency, and-" She lowered her voice to a whisper as she continued. "-that bitch Torrie is late, as usual..."
"Jeez...you mean you've been waiting all these tables yourself?" the redhead asked.
"Not exactly," Trish replied, and as though on cue, she gestured with a tilt of her head toward the double doors leading from the kitchen.
Lita looked over in that direction, and her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening as well.
Stephanie McMahon was actually donning an apron over her business suit, a hot plate in her hands. The manager wore a bit of a grimace on her face, and it was clearly evident that she wasn't used to this kind of work.
Lita couldn't believe it, and turned her head to eye Trish with shock.
"Ever since Torrie didn't show up in time for her shift, she's been helping me wait the tables..." the petite blonde explained.
The redhead shook her head in amazement, then bounded off for the kitchen. She needed to change into her uniform and retrieve her apron.
"Hey, Chris..."
"Hey, Red..." Jericho said with a friendly wink. "It's been a pretty hectic night..."
"I can see that!" Lita said, the image of Stephanie playing waitress burned into her brain.
"Yeah, Torrie's late..." Chris said. "Supposedly, she's not stripping across town tonight, so Steph assumes she'll be here, but..." He shook his head.
Lita snatched up her apron and made a beeline for the tiny bathroom that was just beyond, further to the back of the restaurant.
"Well, I'll be ready to pitch in in a jiffy..." she promised.
When she exited the lavatory a moment or so later, the redhead rushed through the double doors to the dining area. She reached for her little pad and pen and smiled as she spotted Jeff and Matt Hardy seated at one of her tables.
As she started over, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Torrie Wilson, who'd apparently just arrived as she'd been changing, stood bent over a table in one corner. The tall platinum blonde's face wore a big, dimply smile as she chatted with a man sitting alone...
Lita noted the man's long blond hair... It couldn't be anyone else but...
And then, he turned his head a bit so that she got a look at his profile...
...Sure enough, it was Edge...