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Stephanie drummed her fingers impatiently on the tabletop, her gaze on some faraway distance, her mind equally far away.
"Steph? Earth to Stephanie!"
The brunette came back to her senses as Jay spoke, the blond man also waving a hand before her face to get her attention.
"What? Oh, I'm sorry..." she said, her hands going up to her forehead. She felt so weary and wanted to rub at her eyes, but she was mindful of the makeup she was wearing.
"Are you all right?" Jay asked, his handsome face a mask of concern.
They were out to dinner alone together - Adam and Amy had opted for a quiet, cozy evening in - and tomorrow, the trial would begin. The blond man knew the brunette had to be a complete nervous wreck. Not only was it her first major lawsuit, she was suing her father. That could only be extremely stressful and taxing for her.
"I guess so," Stephanie replied, removing her hands to gaze into his cornflower blue eyes. "I mean...Naturally, I've got an awful lot on my mind."
"Naturally..." the Canadian said with a nod. "I don't blame you. But you definitely seem a lot more composed that I would be if I were in your shoes."
"Ugh...I'm a complete wreck," the woman admitted, her blue eyes filled with anxiety. "It...it all feels so strange - like a bad dream I'll wake up from at any moment. But Jay, I know that if you were to pinch me, I wouldn't wake up..."
The blond man reached across the table, placing his hand on top of hers. He didn't know what to say. After all, everything she'd just said was true, and nothing he or anyone else said could change that.
"Oh, God..." Stephanie moaned, bowing her head and somehow managing not to get her hair in her half-empty plate of dinner. "Jay, what if I'm making a big mistake?" She gazed almost beseechingly at him, her eyes full of anguish.
Jay winced at the look in the brunette's eyes, the sadness on her face. What Stephanie needed now, more than ever, was kind, loving support.
"Stephanie, you're not making a mistake - and you know it...your father has been doing really terrible things to the women in the company - you included," he reminded her. "I think the only mistake you've made is that you didn't bring this lawsuit on sooner."
"Really?" The diva kept her sorrow-filled blue eyes on Jay's.
"Yes..."
"Yeah..." Stephanie said after a beat. "You're right...Thanks." She smiled self-consciously before returning to her dinner.
Jay also dug back into his meal, savoring the delicious steak he'd ordered when, a moment later, he stopped chewing as he stared in surprise at the pair who'd just entered the restaurant.
He nudged the brunette. "Steph..."
She looked up and followed the blond man's gaze to her left and his right, where a couple was being seated nearby.
Stacy Keibler and Eddy Guerrero sat down opposite one another, the tall blonde woman appearing more comfortable and at ease than she'd been in weeks. Guerrero looked his usual jovial self, only Stephanie thought she detected a twinkle in his eye she hadn't noticed before. Although a bit of an odd couple, the pair seemed quite cozy in one another's company.
"Well, would you look at that..." the brunette said softly, a small smile taking residence on her face. "They look like they're on a date together!" she said in a loud whisper but managing to keep her voice discreet.
"It does," Jay agreed. He wondered when Stacy and Eddy had suddenly hooked up - and what circumstances had led to it.
All of a sudden, they heard Guerrero's voice calling to them.
"Yo, Stephanie! Jay!"
The brunette and the Canadian exchanged glances, then looked back over at their fellow superstars. Eddy and Stacy were both waving and smiling at them.
Stephanie smiled as she waved back.
"I didn't think they'd see us," she admitted in a soft voice. "You mind if I call them over to join us?"
"No, not at all," Jay replied. "Besides," he said, nudging the brunette in the arm again, a sly expression forming on his handsome face, "that's the only way we can dish out all the dirt..."
Stephanie couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes this man could be
so adorable...