"Here it is," Jeff said as he reached the silver Altima.  He unlocked the trunk first, hefted his bag in, then grabbed hold of Lita's bag, packing it away as well.  Then he unlocked the passenger's door before going around to the driver's side.

"Jeff," the redhead spoke as he slid into the car with her, "you have to talk to her!"

The young man slammed his door shut, reaching for his seatbelt.  Once he had it secured, he glanced ahead, out the windshield.

"I know...I'm just...not ready."

"Not ready?  You just told me you've been in love with Trish for the last year and a half, and you're not ready to talk to her?"

"Yeah..."  Jeff put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot, heading out into the street.

After a beat, the diva crossed her arms as she turned to stare at the rainbow-haired young man.

"I will never understand you," she said.  "If it was me who'd been in love with someone for that long, you'd better believe that I would just get over myself and tell them!"

"It's not that simple, Li..."

"Oh, Jeff...Of course it's not simple.  These things never are...but you take chances in life," the redhead said.  "Especially you - you're the first person I ever saw do a Swanton Bomb.  You're all about taking chances!"

"But this is different..." the younger Hardy protested.  "This is not some new maneuver I wanna try out in the ring."

Lita eyed her best friend questioningly.  "What exactly happened between you and Trish two years ago?"  She knew she was delving her way into personal stuff, but damn it, this was Jeff.

"Well..."  The young man ran his hand through his shaggy blue hair as he braked for a red light, and the redhead knew she'd touched a nerve.  "Remember that time when the whole WWF versus Alliance thing was going on?"

"Yeah...?"

"Remember that night when Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson were comin' onto me and Matt backstage while you and Trish had a match?"

"Of course I do," Lita said, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.  She'd been furious at the way her then-boyfriend Matt had been looking at Stacy - with such desire in his eyes.  And although the leggy blonde had long since apologized for her actions and become a friend, it still upset Lita when she thought back on it.

"Well, Trish and I went on a date a little while after that incident," Jeff explained.  "And basically, I don't know why she didn't call it off...All night, she was in a real bad mood and kept mentioning Torrie, and that particular incident."  He shook his head.  "I liked her even back then...I really, really liked her - but she was so bitter about that whole thing.  At the end of the night, when I moved in to kiss her, she pulled back and asked me wouldn't I rather kiss Torrie again..."

Lita eyed him almost sympathetically.  "Jeff, that was a long time ago.  And I'm sure Trish didn't really think you had a thing for Whorrie, she was just annoyed over that night - I mean, that happened right after you guys were getting close.  Right?"

"Yeah."

"So...talk to her!  Jeff, Trish is a great girl - you know that."  The redhead smiled as she faced him fully again.  "Would I ever tell you to do something if I thought it was a bad idea?"

"No - never."

"Then?"

"Okay, fine - you win, Li...I'll talk to Trish..."

"That's the spirit!"