Becomes You

She felt conscious of the throbbing in her chest. It seemed to set the pace for her feet and her mind. A good helper, to straighten her mind out.

The sensation of a golden scorpion, banging against the base of her throat. Her mother was obsessed with astrology. This was to be her good-luck charm.

Before his locker room door, she stood. One ear pressed to the smooth metal surface that separated them. The only sound that carried was Booker's laugh.

She closed her eyes, a show of reluctance. If Booker stood behind the door, so did Dustin.

So did Kane.

Determination seemed to seize her by the wrist, and so she knocked. Booker's laughter petered off into silence; material rustled. The door swung open and above her hovered Booker's kind face.

"It's just Terri," He smiled, "Lookn' good." He uttered, letting her into the room. Everyone was dressed and decent (as decent as they could ever be); her eyes slid along the grey walls and met the face of her ex-husband.

Dustin coughed, his face still covered in the peeling clown's mask of Goldust. "Ter," He said, smiling tentatively. She smiled back warmly, nodding in response, still lacking the gift required to understand why everything felt so strange between them.

She would back off of him. It had taken them so long to become two separate people.

She took a deep breath when she found Kane, sitting there in a towel. His expression was rakish and laconic, this she could see, even hidden by a leather mask.

"Is this a business call?" Dustin asked, blotting away at makeup that had dripped into his eyes.

"I'm kind of here on personal business."

"Aww man, you wanna see Kane," Booker laughed, "You don't have to shit us, we saw the kiss."

Terri looked ready to die; her innate shyness began to take over.

"Book, Dust, can you go wait in the hall?" Kane suggested.

"Yeah, kick us out when it starts gettin' good," Booker laughed, but he was already up and dressed with a gym bag over his shoulder. "Come on, Dust, we gotta get there by check in time."

"Yeah, coming.." Dustin said shortly, his eyes locked on Terri's awkward stance. Her expression was one of pleading. He sighed, grabbing a pull-over from the back of his metal folding chair before following Booker into the crowded hallway.

Terri sat down in Dustin's place; awkwardly, trying to keep her legs together and avoid giving him a Divas: Undressed-style peep show. But his eyes were locked on her face, and he broke the awkwardness by saying:

"Where are we going?"

She heaved a deep sigh, "That's what I'd like to know."

His expression appeared thoughtful, "I could ask you up to my room from some HSA, but that's really crude." He laughed, "I was raised in a basement and I know it's wrong."

Terri laughed; HSA was a self-coined term the talent had come up with in response to the booking committee's HLA. It stood, bluntly and obviously, for Hot Straight Action. And, as attracted as she was to Kane, a one-night stand wouldn't help anything but the attraction that had built between them. What would happen when they got out of bed?

"I guess I'm too old to play that kind of game."

Kane nodded, "You have a little girl with Dustin." Everyone knew about Dakota; Terri bragged about her little girl enough; she would be surprised if Martians hadn't heard of Dakota Runnels by now.

"She's eight now." Terri acknowledged, wondering if Kane could grab the meaning in her voice. She's eight, and she's a part of my life: if you want to be part of it, too, you have to deal with it.

He did seem to get it. "I want to try this relationship out. But only if you do, Terri." He stood up; even in stocking feet, she felt dwarfed by him.

She shrugged, smirking, "Well, I've got nothing better to do," She teased briskly. He smirked, unlacing his boots, "Want to work this out over coffee tomorrow morning?"

He nodded, "Sounds good; you're at the Holiday?"

"Yup; you guys have a coffee shop; the Sheraton doesn't."

He nodded, "OK, see you tomorrow morning."

She smiled, "See you then," She said, then, impulsively, planted a kiss on the crown of his head.

It certainly wasn't as direct or as bold as the kiss she'd planted on his mouth earlier, but it got the point across. He almost dropped his boot, and one eyebrow rose heavenward. He moved to grasp her, but she evaded his hands, mouthing, "Tomorrow" as she pushed through the locker room door.

She ginned, leaning backward against the cool tiled walls for support. Girlishly, she grinned.

She simply had to tell Jackie all about this.


Go On