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"Here we are."
Punk eyed Maryse briefly before turning his gaze on the spacious house. It was quite luxurious from what he could see from the exterior. He tried not to scoff as he thought of how much it figured that the Rated R Superstar would overdo it to that extent. Punk was happy with his modest condo back in Chicago... and then his mood took a definite nosedive as he felt homesick.
And who was he kidding? He wasn't merely homesick. He missed his clothes, his own tattoos, his own damn body and his girlfriend. His heart sank as he thought of Ashley spending all this time with that slimy Edge. What if he tried putting the moves on her? She wouldn't have a clue that it wasn't him she was doing stuff with!
"You okay?" Maryse asked, her hand going to his shoulder in a gentle manner.
The man turned to eye her, finding that the French-Canadian woman's face was filled with concern. He glanced down at his hand, which held his - or rather, Edge's - keys, but he'd stopped and lingered just before the door. Sighing, he shook off his foreboding thoughts for the time being.
"Yeah," he said, giving her a smile to save face. "I'm fine." He faced forward again and tried to turn the key in the lock... It wouldn't budge.
The blonde bombshell gave him an odd look as he examined the key ring.
"Oops... Wrong key," he said nervously, hoping she wouldn't catch on. He fumbled around and selected another one, silently praying it would be the proper key.
Punk wasn't religious by any means, as he was a 'practicing' agnostic - but apparently, someone or something answered him. He managed to turn that key in the lock and heard a definitive click.
Thank you, he thought, not quite sure who or what he was thanking. He pushed the door open, and Maryse headed in with her wheeled suitcase before him.
Two dogs were barking up a storm somewhere deeper within the house. He could hear them getting nearer as he stepped over the threshold. One of them definitely sounded to be of a large breed. He liked dogs but was definitely more of a cat person. At that thought, he felt sulky all over again as he hoped his cat, Fluffy, was okay.
"Hi, Luger and Branny!" Maryse cried as she knelt down to greet the animals. They ran right to her, tails wagging, as she stroked them.
Punk smiled. It was actually kind of cute to see her so friendly toward a pair of canines.
As he stood there, he suddenly realized the blonde was eyeing him. She turned back to the dogs - a yellow Lab and a tiny white poodle.
"Go on and say hello to Daddy!" she quipped.
The dogs seemed cautious, even wary, as they stepped closer to him. He bent over, more to their level, and tentatively put out a hand.
"Hey there, boys. Branny... Luger." He made sure to use the names with which he'd just heard the diva address them.
Maryse frowned at the very odd exchange.
"That's Branny," she said, pointing to the poodle. "And that's Luger."
Punk swallowed, hating the nerves he was feeling. The dogs didn't seem too warm toward him, either, as both turned and trotted away. Well, at least they hadn't growled or barked at him... or bit him. The man sighed.
"I'm a little tired," he announced, hoping the diva wouldn't question him. He supposed he could figure out on his own where the bedroom was located.
"Wait," Maryse called as he started out of the living room, "you have a message." She pointed a manicured finger at the answering machine.
"Oh. No biggie," he said, waving it off. "I'll listen to it later." He turned and went in the direction of the kitchen, which he'd happened to notice a moment earlier, when he'd started to leave the room.
The statuesque blonde shook her head, deciding to do the honors herself. So, as he disappeared, she hit the 'play' button on the machine to hear her boyfriend's messages.
"Hey, Edge. It's me. I know you said to call you at that strange cell number, but my own cell phone shut itself off... So, I lost the number." A sigh sounded from the woman on the message. "Anyway, give me a call back - you know my number, and we'll definitely get together."
Maryse stood there, rooted to her spot on the floor, her jaw hanging slack. She knew that voice! She'd been over at OVW during the time that woman had still been in the WWE, but she knew without question to whom that voice belonged...
... Lita. Edge's former longtime girlfriend.
Outraged, the tall blonde began to shout as she ran to the kitchen to confront the man.