Just One Kiss

“Hey John!” Randy shouted from the back of the tour bus. John, who had headphones over his ears listening to music, didn’t even flinch toward his best friend.

“Cena!” Randy shouted even louder.

“What?” Stacy replied instead, looking up from her seat at the front of the bus. Nikki laughed and told her he was trying to get John’s attention.

“Randy, you know better than anyone that’s not the way to get my brother’s attention.” Stacy laughed, standing up and walking toward where her brother was sitting. He was dozing off, so she pulled his ear phone away from his ear, and shouted “Johnny! Wakey wakey!” John jumped as Randy and Nikki started laughing even harder, though Nikki tried to hide it with her hand over her mouth.

“What the hell Stace?”

“Randy wanted you.” Stacy shrugged before returning to her seat.

“And you had to shout in my ear? I’m going to lose hearing in that ear before I’m forty if you keep that up.”

“You love me Johnny and you know it!” Stacy shouted back from her seat. A few people who were either reading or playing video games looked up, chuckling as they watched the siblings shouting match.

“Why have they never paired the two of you together?” Nikki asked as John turned his attention back to Randy.

“They know we’ll kill each other,” Stacy shrugged, pulling out the latest novel she was reading.

“Is that one any good?”

“It’s alright, not as good as the first one.” Stacy answered her friend, looking over the book in her hands.

“I need some new material to read, have any suggestions?” Nikki asked, putting her own book away and turning to face the other diva.

“Not really. I haven’t really had time to read all that much with the move and everything.”

“So, since you’re here I take it you’re all settled in?”

“Pretty much. Just a few odd and end things to finish up. Nothing too big.” Stacy replied, deciding to wait on reading and just have a nice conversation with her coworker. “So, I saw you eying Aaron Carter.”

“What, he’s cute,” Nikki said, though Stacy sensed the hesitation in her voice.

“There’s a ‘but’ in that statement.”

“He’s so, out there, and I’m, not.” Nikki sighed. “I’m trying Stacy, I really am. I’m just, I don’t know,”

“Stuck in a vicious loop that’s eating your brain away?”

“Something like that.”

“Then break the loop, just jump right out of it. Believe me, it’s what I had to do to get anywhere in this business.”

“Probably why they partnered us up.”

“It’s exactly why they partnered us up. I know Vince pretty well to know how his old mind works.”

“So, what about you and Nick?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me about him? Damn London was trying to play match maker two weeks ago while she was helping me unpack!”

“I’m just asking. Do you think anything will happen with the two of you?”

“I highly doubt if we ever hear from each other ever again.” Stacy admitted. “It was just a one time meeting, and that’s it.” Stacy looked up as John walked up to her, sitting in the seat across the aisle from her.

“So, Orton just informed me that there is another dinner Vince wants us to attend for him.”

“When?” Nikki asked in reply.

“Not for a couple months. It’s not going to be some fancy thing like the last one was either. There’s going to be a band playing of all things.”

“Sounds fun. I’m in,” Stacy smiled. “Who’s the band gonna be?”

“I don’t think they have that figured out yet, but they said they’ll let us know.”

“I don’t like those charity events.” Nikki muttered as John walked back to his seat.

“You don’t have to go. It’s just that Vince knows he won’t be able to make it there himself, so he asks his employees to go for him. Just tell him you can’t make it because you’re sick or something.”

“That’s lying though,” Nikki whispered uncertainly.

“You mean you’ve never faked being sick once?” When Nikki shook her head, Stacy stared at her for a minute before shaking her head. “Girl, we are gonna make you start living outside of that rock you’ve been under.”

“Whatever you say,” Nikki sighed as the bus slowed to a stop. The two women grabbed up their bags and walked off the bus into the hotel parking lot.

“I think since I’m free until tomorrow night, I’m going to go out for a while.” Stacy said as John walked up to her.

“Sweet, I could use a loose night after the week we’ve had.” John said.

“Isn’t that why you hired London?” Stacy asked her brother, snorting out a laugh as he glared at her.

“Okay, joke all you want. She’s a good girl though Stace. You like her and you know it. Plus she is a damn good chef.”

“I like her yes, that’s why I keep teasing you about her. You know it’ll happen eventually.”

“Like you and Nicky will happen even though you convinced yourself you’ll never see him again?”

“I know I’ll never see him again.” Stacy stated in a matter of fact tone.

“What makes you so sure?” Randy asked from behind John.

“I just know I won’t okay? Our schedules are completely different and he might have been nice at the show, but that’s as far as it went. Him being polite.”

“Is that so?” A voice asked from the hotel’s front door. “I seem to remember it was you being polite to me. All I did was pull you out of the way of a cart.” Nick continued, eying the brunette with an amused look in his eye.

“Uh, uhm, I…” Stacy started, but she couldn’t think of anything to say but, “what are you doing here?”

“Well, you see, I’m in this thing called a band, and we’re on a tour right now. Apparently our schedules has us in the same city at the same time.”

“If you’re not busy tonight, we were all going to go out for the night,” John spoke up. “You can join us if you want.”

“I think I might take you up on that. I’ll go ask my band mates if they’re down with going out.” Nick turned back to Stacy and smiled at her. “I’ll see you later then.”

“I guess so,” she replied, trying not to glare at her brother. As soon as Nick went back into the hotel, Stacy turned around and smacked her brother on the arm.

“I’m going to kill you for that!” she hissed before storming into the hotel herself. After checking in, she lugged her suitcase into the elevator and into her hotel room, slamming the door shut and throwing herself onto one of the beds, deciding she would take a nap then a shower before getting ready to go out. After all, if she was going to have Nick around her all night, she at least wanted to be alert.

~***~

“What do you guys say about going out tonight?” Nick asked as AJ opened his hotel room door, where Brian and Howie was also lounging.

“I thought we decided to stay in.” Brian replied, watching the younger man sit on the bed opposite of the one he was on.

“Well, I feel like going out now.”

“Yeah right, something happened.” Howie laughed, flipping a page of the magazine he was looking through.

“Fine, remember that WWE diva I told you about?”

“Hot, nice, way out of your league?” AJ asked with a smirk.

“Stacy, yes.” Nick growled. “I bumped into her in the lobby. Her brother said they were going out, and asked if I wanted to join them. Either way I’m going, I just waned to see if any of you wanted to go.”

“Nah man, I’m just gonna hang out in here all night.” AJ answered him, laying down in the bed Nick was sitting on.

“Same here Nick. This tour is kicking my rear for some reason.” Brian muttered.

“I’ll go,” Howie spoke up. “How long till we leave?”

“I don’t exactly know, I was thinking they just got here, so they’ll probably rest up before they going anywhere and we would meet up with them in the lobby or something.”

“Sounds cool to me.” Howie nodded. “I’m gonna go take a shower then.”

“I thought she was out of your league.” Brian teased.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t make a friend out of her does it?” Nick winked, backing out of the room and turning around, only to come face to face with Stacy herself.

“Thought you’d be sleeping or something.” Nick said, walking down the hall toward his own room.

“I was, but I couldn’t for some reason. Look,” Stacy sighed and moved to where she was standing in front of him, forcing him to stop in his tracks. “My brother is a controlling idiot and he thinks he’ll be able to trick us into hooking up.”

“Really, I don’t think that sounds too bad.” Nick replied honestly.

“I’m just not ready for anything.”

“Still reeling from a previous relationship?” Nick asked, remembering what Malia told them about her relationship with Randy Orton.

“Something like that,” Stacy muttered. “Truthfully, I keep telling people I’m over it, when really, not so much. I am over the way it ended, but I’m not over how abruptly it ended, mainly because there were no warning signs at all.”

“It happens, and it sucks, but the best thing you can do is move on. Besides, you really don’t want a guy like me,” Nick laughed humorlessly.

“You’re not a…”

“Don’t, say it,” Nick interjected, holding up a hand. “You don’t really know me, so you don’t know how I can be.”

“No, but I know how you are to me, and if someone who would save a complete stranger’s life the way you did is so bad, then goodbye Superheroes.” Nick chuckled slightly, but shook his head.

“I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to be friends, but anything more, I just don’t think it’ll be possible.”

“I can live with that.” Stacy nodded, holding her hand out. Nick smirked and shook it.

“By the way, I’m a hugger with my friends.” Nick said before pulling her close to him. Stacy stumbled in shock, and started falling toward the floor.

“You know, you sure are clumsy for a professional wrestler.” Nick teased, helping her straighten up.

“You think I’m bad, you should watch my brother if he tries to dance tonight.” Stacy laughed.

“Nick, what’s going on out here?” Stacy heard a country accented voice ask. They both looked to see Brian walking toward them.

“Hey Bri, sorry if we were loud,” Nick replied. “Brian Littrell, this is Stacy Cena. Stace, since you’re a fan I’m sure you know who he is.”

“Brian Littrell, your band member from Backstreet Boys.” Stacy nodded.

“So you’re the one Nick’s been going on about. Nice to finally meet you.” Brian smiled, holding out his hand. Stacy smiled back and shook it.

“Likewise, I’ve been a fan for a long time.”

“You’re a different kind though. Most fans are screaming our eardrums out.”

“Well, I’m sure you know my profession. You’re not the only musicians I’ve met, so I know how to handle myself.” Nick watched the interaction without a word. He couldn’t believe how easily Stacy was getting along with his best friend of the group. He was close with all of the guys in the group, but he and Brian clicked more than the others.

“So, are you joining us tonight?” Stacy asked Brian, knowing Nick had asked them already.”

“I would, but I’m beat. I’m just gonna stay in and find something on TV to watch. Howie’s coming though.”

“That’s right, AJ went into rehab didn’t he?”

“Three years ago, but yeah. He’ll go out, but I think he’s been stressed out with this tour, so going to a bar will tempt him too much.”

“Yeah, we don’t want that,” Stacy nodded. “So you and Howie?”

“Yep, if that’s fine.” Nick smiled.

“It is,” Stacy replied. Brian smirked as he watched the two of them, and looked away to cough to hide the laugh that wanted to escape his lips.

“I’m going back to the room,” he informed Nick. “Stacy, very nice to meet you. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Later,” Nick called after him. “So, when we heading out?”

“Not for a while.” Stacy replied. “I’m going back to my room to try to get more sleep. We just traveled from here from San Antonio.”

“Damn, what were they thinking with that?”

“With our boss, it is really hard to tell.”

“Well, we can talk more later I guess.”

“Absolutely,” Stacy smiled. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. “Meet us in the lobby at about eight o’clock.”

“We’ll be there.” Nick nodded. He watched as she walked down the hall, and smacked himself upside the head.

“You’ll give yourself brain damage by doing that.” Howie said, walking up to Nick.

“Already got it, Howie.” Nick muttered, heading to his own room. Howie, the observant member of the band, noticed right away that something was wrong. He decided tonight he would try to find out what.