Part One

This was a joint RP written with Akragth (as Shane Mann).

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The taxi ride had seen Shane Mann travel halfway across Boston. The city was entering its early evening slumber. Lampposts bathed the sidewalks in a soft orange glow and reflected in the puddles which were periodically dotted along the way.

Shane looked to his side. A bottle of rose was sat on the next seat, propped up against a huge bunch of roses. Almost $150 they had cost him between them. But from what had happened the day before, a drunken adventure which had been the most fun Shane had enjoyed in a good while, was anything to go by then the cost would be worth it.

He sighed and sat back in the seat, resting the back of his head on the cushioning. He was started to regret wearing a shirt and tie combination, but at least he was only wearing jeans and sneakers on the bottom half. He loosened the tie a little and undid the top button.

For a moment Shane thought about what he was doing. Ever since Shane had set up his Twitter account, he had seen Scarlett here and there. But he could remember seeing her before that, though. First when she was part of RAW, when he had watched her from home, and then again when they both joined BFW, and he started to see her in person. He had always thought her attractive, but it wasn’t like they had exchanged words beyond the odd greeting. Fast forward a few exchanged words on Twitter and a crazy night of drinking and dancing later and now here he was, sat in a cab,on his way to her place for the second day in a row.

As Shane contemplated, the cab pulled over and slowly rolled to a stop. The driver looked up at him in the rear view mirror. “We’re here, sir.” Smiling, Shane nodded. “That’s…$24.50 please, sir.”

Reaching into his pocket, Shane pulled out a $20 and a $10. He handed the notes to the driver. “Keep the change.” Shane grabbed the wine and the flowers and opened the door of the vehicle.

“You have a good evening sir!”

Stepping out, Shane stood and then leaned back in. “Oh, I fully intend to.” He winked and then closed the door. The cab pulled away, leaving Shane standing in front of the huge building that Scarlett called home. With a slight spring in his step, Shane walked forward.

The thick, glass doors parted and inside the guard nodded a curt greeting and Shane walked further in, prodding at the elevator button. The elevator pinged and its doors rolled open. Shane moved in and then pressed another button. The doors closed and the elevator began to rise toward the heavens.

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Shane watched as the digital display changed numbers. One, two, three and then four - Scarlett’s level. The machine ground to a halt and the doors opened again. Shane huffed in a chest full of air and then sharply exhaled. The few steps from the elevant to Scarlett’s apartment seemed to take minutes to complete. He came to a stop, taking a last minute check of his tie before knocking.

Scarlett stood on the other side of the door waiting for the knock to arrive, having watched the taxi pull up outside the front of her building. For somebody usually so confident she suddenly felt like a schoolgirl going on her first date, at least that’s what the butterfly currently fluttering around inside her was making her think.

Her hand trembled slightly as she smoothed the denim fabric of her blue jeans over her thigh and took one last glance in the silver framed mirror, carefully positioned at head height in the hallway. If she didn’t open the door now she felt that her courage might escape her completely and she really didn’t want that; the previous day and the flirty conversation on twitter had been the most fun she’d had in as long as she could remember.

Scarlett wrapped her fingers around the door handle and tried to hide her nervousness behind a bright smile as she pulled the door open to see Shane standing there. Any words she could have possibly spoken got lost in her suddenly dry mouth as she drank in view in front of her. Looking even better than she remembered he took her breath away and the way the denim of his jeans seemed to frame his muscled thighs had her gripping the door handle tighter to save her from collapsing in a heap at his feet.

As the door parted Shane froze for a moment, his eyes ever so slightly wider than usual. Scarlett smiled and he found himself grinning uncontrollably. Those jeans, that shirt, the way they sat snuggly around her finely toned body was just...and then there was her smile, her lips, those eyes. Shane’s grin stretched just a little wider, and then he snapped back into motion. “Good evening,” he said.

Scarlett wet her lips, trying to get some much needed moisture back into her mouth to give her back the power of speech. She was worried if she didn’t speak soon Shane would think her a complete air head. With more of a quiver than she would have liked she finally, after what felt like an eternity, managed to get a simple - “Hey there,” - out of her mouth.

“Wow, you look...amazing.” Shane chuckled as Scarlett’s cheeks were overcome with a reddish tinge. He held out the flowers, a large bunch of red roses which were enclosed neatly in a plastic sheet and tied together with a purple ribbon part way up. “These are for you.”

An awestruck gasp escaped Scarlett’s lips before she could contain it. “They are beautiful.” she said with a surprised tone. She carefully accepted the roses, wondering where on earth she was going to put them all and knowing immediately not one of her crystal vases would be large enough. She lowered her head towards the flowers with the pretence of smelling their sweet aroma, when in reality she was trying to hide the growing blush in her cheeks. “You look really good too,” the words were almost a whisper.

“Thank you.” Shane held his arm out, open palm toward Scarlett. He chuckled a little again. “So-” he peered into the room, past her, “-may I come in?”

“Oh, where are my manners? Of course.” Surprisingly, despite breaking the first golden rule of being a good hostess the faux pas relaxed her enough for her to give a girlish sounding giggle. She placed her hand in his open palm and guided him in through the doorway.

Shane stepped through and into her apartment. The smell of food instantly smacked his senses. He sniffed, taking in the aroma, and found himself drawn toward the kitchen area. He came to a stop, placing the bottle of wine down on the table, and turned back toward Scarlett. “If that tastes even half as good as it smells then this is going to be a delicious meal.” He smiled as he watched her struggle with the flowers. Maybe there was such as thing as too many, despite the florist’s assurances.

Scarlett couldn’t help but smile at what she could tell was a genuine compliment. Now she just hoped it did taste as good as it smelt she didn’t want to spoil what had the potential to be a perfect night. After setting the roses carefully down on the nearest counter, she found herself squeezing past Shane in the narrow area. The moment her leg touched his a shockwave went down her spine shocking her at the impact one tiny touch could have.

Pulling herself together she continued what she had been intending and carefully placed a spoon into the pot on the stove, taking a small amount out and offering it towards Shane. “Why don’t you have a taste?” She nervously said.

Leaning in, Shane took hold on the spoon, his hand touching Scarlett’s with a very precise movement that he knew could be passed as accidental if necessary. He sipped at the top, his eyes locked squarely on hers. The creamy sauce brought a barrage of flavours, each better than the last. “Mmm delicious.” He didn't mean that about just the food, either.

Scarlett just couldn’t seem to break the eye contact, she didn’t think she’d ever seen anything quite as sensual as Shane sipping the sauce from the spoon. She needed to control herself before she melted right there on the spot. “I’m glad you like it.” The words sounded breathless even to her and she thought he must surely be able to hear her heartbeat that had jumped in speed from the second he touched her hand.

Shane released his hold on her hand and stood with a smirk. Scarlett’s nervousness was palpable - but why was someone like her so anxious? This couldn’t have been the first time she’d had a guy over - just look at her. And anyway, she’d had the confidence to invite him over to begin with, so it wasn’t that she lacked on that front. Whatever the reason, it made him wonder if she might not be a little more interested in him than he had first thought. “I knew I would like it,” he said, smoothly adding, “just like I know I’ll enjoy your company.”

Scarlett quickly turned back to the stove on the pretence of stirring the sauce, which really didn’t need it but she needed to pull herself together. “I think this is almost ready now,” she said as she turned back towards Shane. “Do you want to eat now, or would you prefer a drink first?” She looked towards the Rose that Shane had left on the table, wondering just how much she’d need to drink to calm her nerves.

Shane took the bottle in hand and smile. “I’ll pour, you bring the food?” He began to wrestle with the plastic at the top of the bottle. ”Where are your glasses?”

Scarlett couldn’t help but smile as Shane seemed to have a battle on his hands with the plastic at the top at the bottle. “The glasses are just in the cupboard behind you, to the right.” She gave a little indication to a small door behind Shane. She turned back to the stove, carefully pulling plates from beneath the stove that she’d had the foresight to leave there to warm up. There is nothing worse than serving a hot meal on a cold plate, at least not when she was trying to impress.

Looking behind himself, Shane spotted the array of glasses in her glass-fronted cupboard. He pulled a pair of glasses and placed them carefully on the table. Unscrewing the bottle’s cap, he carefully poured the pinky-red liquid. “I’m so hungry,” he said with a smile. “I hope you like my choice of wine. It’s not really my forte normally…”

"It’s perfect, I never would have guessed that you weren’t a connoisseur if you hadn’t have told me” she said playfully. Scarlett busied herself with dishing up two plates of the simple yet tasty creamy pasta dish. Checking that she’d already left freshly baked bread on the table she carried the plates to the table, setting one down at each side of the table. “You can sit down you know” she smiled.

“Oh…” Shane chuckled. “Well, it’s rude to sit uninvited!” He pulled the chair out from the table and sat. leaning down he inhaled the smell of the food a little more. “This all looks very good.” He smiled again as he took hold of the fork and spoon. “You’re very talented.”

As Scarlett took her seat opposite Shane she couldn’t help but smile a little cheekily. “I have a few, ermm, talents…” her words trailed off as she realised just how bad that had sounded. Using the bread as a diversion tactic she picked up the basket and offered it towards Shane, the aroma getting stronger with the movement. “I baked this earlier, help yourself.” As the words left her mouth she wished she could take them back fearing she was starting to sound more like Delia Smith than a Pro Wrestler.

Shane raised an eyebrow and seemed to choke on Scarlett’s words. He took one of the small breads from the basket, grinning all the meanwhile. He shook his head. “I’m sure you do,” without looking back up to her, he continued, “maybe you can show me later?” He dared a peek up at her, his smirk uncontrollable at that point.

A cheeky smile crept across Scarlett’s face. “Maybe I can, if you’re lucky,” she couldn’t hold back the flirty tone of her words. Raising her glass to her lips she took a sip of the cool wine hoping it would settle the flush she was starting to feel working it’s way up her face.

Shane shook his head. She was playing coy, but he saw through it. She had invited him, after all. He stabbed his fork down onto the pasta and took his first mouthful. He mumbled something as he pointed the fork at the dish. Finally he ate enough that his words became audible again. “Oh man, so good.” He swallowed and took a swig of the wine. It wasn’t too bad tasting, either - even if he did prefer a good whiskey. The slightly fruity essence seemed to slide down well enough. “But, you know, I just wanted to thank you for this. I’ve seen you around before, even been in the same company as you. Twice, actually albeit only briefly. But actually getting talking to you, getting to know you...” He chuckled. “Well, what I’m saying is I’m enjoying it all.”

Scarlett set her wine glass back on the table, absentmindedly stroking the stem with her fingers and watching the tablecloth intently. “I’m pleased to hear that, I’m enjoying it too. To think this is all thanks to management bullying me into joining Twitter.” She finally looked up with a smile that she just couldn’t contain.

Shane nodded along with her. “Yea, me too. Those guys are kinda...assholes,  you know?” He shrugged. “But hey, I’d say it worked out fine enough.” He took another bit of the pasta. It was difficult to stop himself from just staring at the young woman.

“It worked out better than fine if you ask me.” Scarlett looked down at her plate and realised she hadn’t taken a bite but somehow she just didn’t think she could manage even a mouthful. It was nice to see Shane enjoying it though. “There’s plenty more if you want?”

Shane waved his open palm. “No, no. This is plenty.” He noticed her more playing with the food than eating it. “But come on, you should at least give it a try too.” And then he smirked. “After all, you’re probably gonna need the energy.”

The implication of Shane’s comment sent a spark through Scarlett that she hadn't felt in a while. Trying to disguise the reaction she dug her fork into the pasta in front of her. “You're right, it would be a shame for it to go to waste.” As she popped the small fork full into her mouth and savoured the flavours, she was actually glad she had.

“So how are things going for you?” Shane asked, looking to try and get to know Scarlett a little better. He bit into his next mouthful. “I mean, in terms of BFW and things. I saw your match at Vendetta...that shot with the mug looked nasty. You ok from it?”

Scarlett considered for a moment just pouring out her soul to Shane, telling him everything that she kept so secret, but she just couldn’t find the words. “That was a rough match, but it's what we get paid for. I could have done better in that one, but I think I held my own pretty well against those guys.” She slowly took a sip from her wine, noticing she’d managed to drink most of the glass without realising. That would explain the slight tipsy feeling she was starting to get.  “What about you? Any word on when you'll be cleared to fight again?”

“Yea, it certainly looked rough. I was glad to see you in the match though, even if you didn’t end up winning. You deserve the opportunity, the recognition.” Shane paused and rubbed his hand over his mouth. “And my doctor thinks another month, but the BFW guys are saying it’ll be longer. I dunno who to believe.” He frowned a little. “All I know is that I feel fine now. Haven’t had any trouble for a couple of weeks and I’m even starting to get back into my proper training again.”

“The BFW guys are probably airing on the side of caution, looking out for you. If you're ready for training though, do you maybe fancy working out with me sometime?” Before even giving Shane a chance to answer she looked across the table to notice his empty glass matching her own. “Do you want another drink? I've got some whiskey in the other room.” Scarlett followed the words with a glance towards her cosy lounge.

“Work out with you?” He smiled. “That sounds great. But don't hate me if I find your gym gear distracting.” Shane looked at his empty wine glass. “Hmm, I do love a good whiskey. Are you trying to get me drunk again?” Shane stood with a smirk.

Scarlett smiled “I could always get some really hideous gym gear to save you from getting distracted.” She wasn't sure but she could swear she say a look of disappointment in his eyes at that thought. Feeling braver she stood up and held out her hand to him. “Why would I want to get you drunk, that might affect….” she trailed off knowing that if she completed that sentence she’d be very definitely opening a door.

Smiling at the obviousness of Scarlett’s desires, Shane took hold of her hand. “I lied. It's not the gym gear that would be distracting...”

How did just having his hand in hers make her feel so weak at the knees? If that was the effect from the slightest touch she was both scared and excited for what would be unleashed if this continued the way it was very obviously heading. Scarlett led Shane through to the lounge with an inviting look. “So what would be distracting then?”

“Well, you know…” He followed her to the lounge and sat on the thick but comfortable cushions. “I'd be distracted by the very sexy lady wearing them.” He smiled to her, his eyes fixed on hers.

Scarlett picked up the bottle of whisky and two shot glasses before she took the seat next to him not breaking his eye contact. “I thought you were going to work out with me?” She couldn’t help but joke to try and ease some of the building tension. “I think I’d find working out with you pretty distracting too.”

Shane took his glass and they both downed their shots at once. As the rich, slightly nutty flavour ran back through his nostrils a little, Shane smiled. He moved in beside her and placed an arm around Scarlett. “And why might that be?”

Scarlett looked at him wondering if she really had to spell it out. “Well you’re not exactly hard on the eye you know.” She inched a little closer enjoying the warmth of his arm around her it felt safe and that was something she’d thought was lost forever after recent events. “Do you want another drink, or….?” Scarlett trailed off.  

Placing a hand on Scarlett’s chin, Shane gently raised her to face him directly. He stared into her deep, mysterious eyes for what felt like minutes. He had been longing for this moment, to be this close, all day; to be this close, this intimate. And honestly, he had been attracted to her ever since he first met her...even if they'd never spoken much at the time. He leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. “No, I think want something else right now.” He smirked like an idiot.

Scarlett wished he'd just lower his head a bit more and kiss her already. Although everything had happened so quickly she felt like she'd waited for this moment for so long. Using her tongue she moistened her suddenly dry lips and smiled up towards him. “What is it that you want?”

Shane silently leaned forward, still smiling, and locked his lips around Scarlett’s and wrapped his arms around her waist. The two embraced as their passion overcame them. Two days of flirting had been more than enough for Shane, but now he had her where he wanted her.

Scarlett let herself melt into Shane’s arms, feeling his muscled physique pressed against her own softer, feminine body. She wrapped her hand into the fabric of Shane’s black shirt as she gave into the passion.

Stopping for a moment, Shane brushed Scarlett’s hair from her face and tucked it back behind her ear. “This, this is what I want.”