Betting on the Zebra Chapter 21

For Disclaimer and oher details please see Chapter 1.

CHAPTER 21

Hanging around outside Kevin’s room Paul shuffled from foot to foot nervously. He really wasn’t sure that this was the smartest thing that he could possibly do right now. Perhaps the best thing that he could do would be to stay away from his friend all together. The less people that saw them in each other’s company might be the better. Then he shook his head. Right about now he was pretty sure that he really wasn’t thinking straight. No one knew. Hell of course no one knew because there was absolutely nothing to know. That picture had been completely innocent. Then he grinned, which surprised him, maybe not completely innocent. And no one would ever see it. He had made sure of that when he had pretty much shredded it this morning. He had been so certain that they had to get rid of the damn thing. It would be just there luck that someone unscrupulous would get their hands on it and then it would be plastered all over the Internet on some fan girl’s site.

Kevin of course was in no such frame of mind. The other man had merely looked at him as if he was crazy then asked him if he really thought that Lenny would be dumb enough to have just one copy. Surely she would have taken another one for herself ... for all they knew maybe she would have more. Of course the moment that the rage had passed Paul had to agree. If she was smart enough to do something like this then of course she would have some kind of back up. It was then that he started to think that perhaps it had all been a set up all along. Now thinking like that made him laugh again. If he had come across something else that seemed like it was totally out of the script of one of their shows then he couldn’t remember it at all. This had a very definite RAW feel to it.

He pressed his eyes closed and sighed. Then he opened them again knowing that had changed absolutely nothing. That everything was still just sitting there waiting to be dealt with. But he couldn’t quite get Kevin’s reaction out of his mind. He had sat back and waited for the explosion. Had actually sat there with his arms across his chest and the tattered remnants of that suggestive photograph around his feet to wait. But that reaction hadn’t come at all. In fact there was a small voice inside him that told him that Kevin somehow found this all more than a little funny. After his initial comment about Lenny’s claws he hadn’t really said that much more about her but all Paul had to do was look at his face and he was sure that he saw amusement dancing across it.

Now that was something that he never thought that he would see in his lifetime. Usually if someone crossed Kevin Nash no matter who it was they would soon know about it. Kevin could be a cantankerous bastard when he wanted to be and he was also an expert at knowing how to make someone’s life difficult. He would have bet money on the fact that he would want Lenny dead at his hands. But now he just wasn’t so sure. It was almost like the other man found this cute or charming. So he had realised that the little bitch wouldn’t find her career coming to a screeching halt if it were up to his buddy.

Not so for him. He had every intention of walking in there tonight and making sure that she got what was coming to her. Well he knew that he would have to wait till he found out what her agenda was but then he was going to see to it that she never worked in this business again. Or perhaps he should see to it that she was just shipped right over with the other losers on SmackDown. At least then she would have the pleasure of being around his screeching harpy of an ex girlfriend. And there was also the plus that he could spend some time both messing with her head and jerking her life around a little. Yep, now that he thought about it having her changed to the other roster definitely did have merit.

“For Christ’s sake what is taking him so long to answer this goddamned door?” He muttered to himself as he lifted his hand and knocked again. “C’mon Nash! Move your ass. We need to get going!”

Opening his door Kevin arched his brow at the man standing on the other side. He bit back the smile that threatened to break free. God all he had to do was look at Paul to see how tense he was. The guy was no good at hiding that kind of thing. He might think that he could do it easily enough in the ring and he supposed that he could all things considered but this, well this was different. “Hmm careful now Paul.” He said as he hoisted his bag a little higher on his shoulder when he left the room and pulled the door closed behind him. “The less that you say about my ass the better.” He turned away so he could grin. “You wouldn’t want people to start talking now would you?”

“Oh you think that you are so very funny don’t you Nash.” Paul bit out. “I have no idea why this whole scenario seems to have tickled your funny bone but all it has done is piss me off royally.”

Jerking his head up to look at his friend in a considering manner Kevin weighed his words carefully before he spoke. “Do you see me laughing Paul?” He asked and this time there was no humour running through his voice. “I don’t think this situation is funny at all.” And it was honest, he really didn’t. In fact he was more than a little angry at what had happened but he did find the fact that it was Lenny that had managed to get one over on them more than a touch surprising. She had taken what he thought she was all about and hauled it completely in the opposite direction. “But I know to keep that anger reined in or it will just control me. You better be careful what you do tonight.” He ground out not able to get the thought of Paul cornering the young woman out of his mind. “If we’re going to talk to her then perhaps we should do it together.”

“Yeah that’s a good idea actually.” Paul said and a grim smile crossed his face. “She can hardly throw off the two of us.”

Frowning Kevin muttered something non-committal under his breath and shot Paul and irritated look. Yeah he definitely didn’t want those two to meet up under any circumstances tonight. He didn’t think that he had seen Paul look quite this murderous for a long time. Finally reaching the elevator he stabbed the down button and waited all the while his mind reeling.

-o0o-

Bumping her hip against the locker room door Lenny strolled back into the room that was being used for all the woman on the show. She had just spent another hour in a ref’s meeting. She had nodded her head so many times that it felt like it was about to fall off. In reality she didn’t think that she had even taken in ten percent of what was being said but she must have nodded in all the right places because no one had called her on it and Earl hadn’t tugged her aside after the meeting. The one thing that she had had taken in was still constantly swimming around in her head ominously.

“So she returns.” Trish said in her usual upbeat voice. “Learn anything interesting?”

Shaking her head Lenny pulled a face and crossed the room to her locker. “Nope, that is I don’t think I did.” She muttered and buried her head in the small metal box to begin pulling out her uniform.

“And that makes no sense.” Trish said with her pretty face scrunched up. “Should I just shut up and pretend that I understood that?”

Laughing Lenny nodded her head. “Yeah I would say that was your best bet.” She agreed. “I’m just having a little trouble taking everything in right now.”

“Well you would do after the kind of night that you had you filthy girl.” Trish said in a theatrical whisper then laughed out loud. For someone who was so sweet and petite she could laugh like a docker. It was one of the dirtiest laughs that a lot of people had ever heard. Then she let herself sober slowly. “Are you having second thoughts about going through with this? No one would blame you if were feeling that way kid.”

“Kid?” Lenny asked with a laugh. “All of a sudden I’m kid? May I remind you that we are almost the same age Ms Stratus.” She pointed out. “You seem to think that you know it all now.”

Arching a brow Trish tried her best not to look superior. “Well when it comes to this kind of thing then I do have the edge on you there kid.” She repeated. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you into this ... you can still walk away you know.”

“After the things that I did last night?” Lenny asked then lowered the volume of her voice as quick as she could. “I’ve already put more of myself on the line than I ever thought I had the nerve to ... I’m going to follow this through to the end. If I don’t then it will all just get worse. They have to learn that I won’t be messed with ... no matter who is trying to do the messing.”

Hearing that Trish just smiled widely. “And that is just what I wanted to hear.” She stepped back towards her own locker and looked over her shoulder as Lenny began to get herself undressed to put on her ref’s uniform. “You might just be strong enough to work here after all.” Then she giggled to herself. “But ... can I have a sneaky peek at that picture again.”

-o0o-

Leaving the locker room Paul began to move along the hallway. The first person that he saw was Chris and he paused beside him. He almost laughed out loud at the way the other man looked surprised. True it wasn’t like him to stop and chat with Irvine. They usually had very little time for each other backstage. “Have you seen Lenny?” He asked. Yes he knew that he had told Kevin that they would confront her together but first they had to find her. He had just seen something that he wasn’t thrilled about and wanted to get to the bottom of everything before he lost control of the situation and she gained it.

“Nope.” Chris answered and he was being honest. “I’ve been here a while and I haven’t seen her at all.” He shrugged and tried to tell himself that he wasn’t unbelievably happy that he was able to say this. The more he kept Paul and Kevin away from her then the better. “Maybe she isn’t on tonight.” He finished but that was half hearted. He knew that Lenny was on this house show tonight.

“Yeah she is, I need to talk to her about something. Well, if you see her then tell her I’m looking for her.” Paul added and began to walk away before thinking of something and turning back to face the smaller man. “On second thoughts, don’t bother. I’d rather find her myself ... surprise her.” He added with an evil grin.

Watching as he walked away Chris couldn’t suppress the shudder that ran through him. “Let’s just hope that I run into her before you do.” He muttered to himself.

-o0o-

Knowing that she couldn’t put this off any longer Lenny stepped purposefully out into the hallway. She was going to find them and get right to the point. She had only taken a couple of steps when she felt someone tapping her on the shoulder. Rolling her eyes in an irritated manner she turned around. “Yes?” She asked not surprised when her voice sounded sharp. But when she saw who it was her eyes widened.

“Oh touchy, touchy.” Kevin said with a smile but it was only just touching his lips. “I think that I should be the one who’s acting like that don’t you Lenny? If that is indeed your real name.” He added just because he couldn’t stop himself.

Realising that she was just standing there with her mouth hanging open Lenny closed it quickly and pulled herself up to her full height. “Just the person I was looking for.” She said and was happy when her voice came out without quivering. “Well one of them anyway. How about we go find your partner in crime and then find somewhere that we can talk.”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself.” Kevin agreed with a nod. He was about to place his hand on her lower back to guide her along the hallway when she took several steps away from him and strode with a purpose on the opposite side of the hall. “Curious.” He muttered and told himself he wasn’t angry at that.