Always Winter

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Victoria bit her lip as she shifted her gaze sideways to Chris Jericho. The man had been mostly quiet after breaking down in front of her.

She knew how he must be feeling - like crap, naturally - yet embarrassed at the same time. The raven-haired diva knew the outspoken blond man to be quite self-protective, stoic at times, and not one to express such emotion. She was certain Chris was now thinking of himself as weak.

Typical guy...

Now, they were at the hotel, and Jericho put the car in park in a free space across the street from the building. As he exited the vehicle and unlocked the back door to retrieve their bags, Victoria unlocked the passenger's side and departed as well.

"Well, I don't know about you," the blond man said as he regarded the young woman, "but I could sure use a drink."

The diva nodded. She expected as much, since she knew him to be a bit of a drinker. Nothing serious, but Jericho knew how to hold his liquor.

They made their way into the hotel in relative silence, and Victoria figured they would be going their separate ways, but the blond man surprised her with other ideas.

"Care to join me?"

The jet black-haired woman looked up sharply, as though unsure she'd heard him correctly.

"Excuse me?"

Jericho fixed his clear blue eyes on her brown ones.

"I asked if you'd care to join me in that drink," he reiterated.

"Oh..." Victoria's breath caught in her throat. This was just the sort of opportunity she'd been waiting for - so she was definitely not going to pass up on it. "Yeah, sure... I think I will."

The two headed for the hotel bar, suitcases in tow. They would retire to their rooms later on, but for now, Chris just wanted a good, stiff drink - probably a gin and tonic or something like that.

With Victoria leading the way, the blond man couldn't help but notice the curve of the woman's hips and butt. She sure had a nice body on her - not that he'd never noticed that before. He'd always found her attractive, though he found her more so since she'd slimmed down a bit. Gorgeous hair, too... He wondered how silky the raven-mixed- with-red locks would feel in his fingers...

"Uh oh..."

The diva's sudden exclamation, as she stopped just in the bar's doorway, startled Chris. Victoria seemed reluctant to enter the small establishment, and he wondered why.

"Come on... I have a better idea - instead of going in here, why don't we check out the liquor they have in your room?" She tried backing up, one arm around Jericho as though to steer him away from the bar.

"What? Why not just go into-" The blond man turned back and was about to step inside when he caught sight of the reason - actually, *reasons* - Victoria wouldn't go inside...

... Just beyond the bar, at a booth, snuggled up against one another, were Christian and Trish Stratus.

As Jericho watched, the two who'd betrayed him so terribly laughed as they shared an apparently private joke. Then, to his disgust, they joined in a kiss, making a big production of it.

He shook his head, a scowl coming to his face. He wanted to get the hell out of there, as far away from the bar and Trish and Christian as possible.

"You're right..." he somehow managed to mutter. "Let's go to my room and raid the liquor bottles." He cast one last look of consternation at the lovey dovey pair in the bar. "Let's get the fuck out of here..." With that, Chris turned around sharply, muttering unintelligibly under his breath.

Victoria took one last glance into the bar at the happy but devious blond couple, a frown on her face. Afterward, she quickened her step to catch up to Jericho.

She really felt for him. What they'd done was horrible, unforgivable. And it was a damn shame the conspiring duo had been in the bar, that Chris had to see them. That was the last thing they *both* needed.

Nonetheless, Victoria had her mind set in determination. Whatever it took, she was going to make Chris Jericho feel a whole *lot* better.
 
 
 
 

Part 3

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