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Edge checked his watch frequently, his nerves beyond frazzled.
Where was she? He'd been here for over an hour, and there was still no sign of her. And he knew he hadn't made a mistake. The seedy bar in which he was sitting was called The Whisky. There couldn't be more than one bar by that name in downtown Chicago, so he knew this was it.
"Can I get you a drink?"
The man was suddenly startled by the sound of the bartender's voice. Looking up, he was about to respond when the guy suddenly chuckled.
"Oh, sorry... I just realized I recognize you. You don't drink."
Edge couldn't help but scowl. Yeah, so of course this dumb bartender thought he was CM Punk, 'Mr. Straightedge.' But that didn't mean he wasn't entitled to giving him an answer rather than not having a choice.
Ignoring the man instead of issuing the sharp retort he thought up, he turned away. As he faced the entrance, he suddenly saw her, at long last.
Lita was finally there, and she was following one of the guys in her band, the other two bringing up the rear. And suddenly, Edge found himself simply staring, breathless by the sight of her.
She was no longer a redhead, as she had dyed her hair a very dark shade of brown, which he knew was close to her natural color. Aside from that, there was another change in her appearance in the form of a sleeve-style tattoo of skulls on her left arm. He wondered what had ever possessed her to get it, but found it pretty funny that it was damn similar to one of his own tattoos. Of course, at the moment, he had to bitterly remind himself that there was no way to compare that ink when he was taking residence in stupid Punk's body.
He sat there, outrightly staring at his ex-girlfriend. As he watched her help set up her band's equipment, he was bowled over by a series of thoughts and emotions. It felt strange, but in a good way, to be seeing her in this element. He knew she loved music and had long been wanting to get back into a band.
Swallowing hard, Edge realized the brunette hadn't once looked his way. She was too busy setting up equipment and posing for pictures with fans as it was, but then, she wouldn't know it was him, anyway. When he saw she seemed to be free for a moment, he rose and approached her.
"Amy?"
The woman turned to come face-to-face with him. Her face reflected some surprise for a beat, then recognition.
"Oh, hi... I know you," she said cordially. "You were on ECW when I was still with the WWE... CM Punk, is it? Nice to see you here."
The Rated R Superstar's heart sank. Yet, of course she wouldn't know it was him. He glanced around quickly, making sure nobody was overhearing them. Then, he leaned in slightly closer to whisper into her right ear.
"Amy, it's me... It's Edge." He straightened back up and she merely stared blankly at him before bursting into laughter.
"Thanks, that was a good one! I needed a laugh tonight."
He stared into her face, his expression dead serious.
"I'm not kidding," he said. "Remember what I told you - that I'm not myself... I meant that literally."
The brunette now eyed him as though he were an alien with eight heads, three eyes and six mouths. A dark veil crossed over her eyes, and she crossed her arms, looking him over with definite suspicion.
"Oh, so you're telling me you're Edge? The man I cheated on Matt Hardy with, fell in love with and all that?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah?" Lita smirked, but that wariness was still present in her hazel eyes. "Prove it."
He nodded again.
"Okay... If I have to, I can and will."
The woman stared at him and crossed her arms in an anticipatory manner.
"Shortly after you retired from wrestling," he began, "I surprised you with a trip to Cancun. We had a little cottage right on the beach."
Lita cocked her head in surprise as she listened. It felt odd to be hearing about this from a man who didn't look anything like the one with whom she'd done those things.
"The second night we were there, we brought a blanket out on the beach real late, when no one else was around, and we made love under the stars."
By now, the brunette's face reflected shocked surprise. Her mouth actually flew open. No one but Edge could have known about this - no one.
The Rated R Superstar gazed into the hazel orbs of his former girlfriend.
"I gave you a ring," he continued. "Not an engagement ring, but a promise ring. But then, we broke up three short months later." He couldn't hide the sadness from his face, his eyes. He had indeed moved on and found something with Maryse, but it still stung to reflect on this part of his past.
The former diva stared at him, her breath caught in her throat. There was no more denial in her, and, shakily, she found her voice again.
"My God, it really is you!" She opened her mouth again, but no speech momentarily came - until she
threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Edge!"