QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (CHAPTER 4: GELATO VIBES)
Oct 10, 2022 4:44:44 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Oct 10, 2022 4:44:44 GMT -5
FLASHBACK
RENO, NV ||| February 13, 2021
It had been almost a year since the last time ENIGMA laced up his boots to team with PYRO but with a huge tag team tournament looming in UPRISING, it was required. Avoidance had become easier over time, especially now that he was living on his own in a small apartment in Manhattan. Over the last few months, he'd been meeting quite frequently with his new agent under the guise of fine-tuning contract details and then it had progressed into lessons to polish his English – he had never been particularly adept at stepping in front of the camera, despite the longevity of his career. Tonight, he sat at a cosy little table tucked into the corner of Roxy's inside the Eldorado Casino, finding his frayed nerves soothed by the live piano music. Surprisingly, with only a few hours until Valentine's Day, he was surprised the place wasn't busy, although time seemed to lose all meaning inside these walls. He supposed that was probably part of the design, to trap and trick the weak-willed.
He had yet to even try one of the slot machines, finding the bells and whistles and bright lights more headache-inducing than anything. He'd shown up early – of course he had. Still, a part of him wondered if she was going to look at her phone, realise the date that was rapidly approaching and beg off with an excuse.
Condensation ran down the sides of the beer stein on the table in front of him, soaking into the paper coaster under it. He'd only ordered it because it was easiest and now, he was regretting that snap decision, might like he was wishing he'd worn something more comfortable than the dark blue button-up dress shirt and tie. He felt more like a Bible salesman rather than a professional wrestler, feeling as though he stuck out like a sore thumb. Before he could change his mind, he loosened the tie and pulled it off over his head, freezing mid-motion when he noticed his company had arrived. A sheepish smile crossed his lips as he dropped it on the table, not bothering to cover up what he'd been doing.
Lauren-Jane Starke's face lit up as soon as she spotted him, her newly manicured hand giving him a wave. She'd dressed for the evening in a red cocktail dress that fit her perfectly, gold colored open-toed heels, and a matching gold clutch. Her dark hair had been loosely pinned back with a few free strands hanging around her face. Over the past few months, she'd grown quite fond of her client and was having trouble thinking of him only in a professional manner. In fact, seeing him dressed up like he was, clean-shaven and bright-eyed at the sight of her made it nearly impossible to think of him only as a client and a friend.
Before she knew it, LJ was already at the table and greeting her guest for the evening. "I hope I'm not late; the traffic getting here was impossible." Nervously she laughed at her own joke as they both knew she'd come straight from her hotel room. "I haven't kept you waiting long, have I?"
"Not at all," Sev replied, favouring her with a smile. "I was early. I thought it would be busier. I guess—" he broke off, abruptly changing the subject. "You look very nice." The words were out before he could stop them and he averted his eyes immediately, self-conscious as he reached for his mug of beer. He took a small drink, trying not to grimace at the taste. Not only was it disgusting, but it was warm now and starting to go flat.
"Thank you." Her cheeks went a bit red as her hand came out and rested on his, giving it a squeeze. "So do you." Grabbing a drink menu off the table with her free hand, she started looking it over. "I don't even know what to order," she confided, her voice a low whisper as if it was a huge secret, "I'm not really a big drinker. Honestly, I'm usually the designated driver." That had actually been true when she'd been in college and had to cart her friends around. As she'd gotten older, she found herself not interested in any of the bar scenes. "Suppose that's not really something we need tonight, is it?"
Nodding, Sev smiled and gestured to the beer. "That lack of knowledge is how I ended with this. I did not know what else was appropriate. It…is not good."
LJ returned his smile as she reached out and grabbed the mug. "Let me see here." She brought it to her lips and took a sip. Her face screwed up into a grimace as she begrudgingly swallowed what the establishment claimed was beer. "That is…" she coughed a few times and planned on ordering some syrupy drink to get the taste out of her mouth, "you weren't exaggerating. That is terrible."
He couldn't help but laugh at her disgust, feeling a rush of warmth that he could have attributed to the booze if he'd managed to actually consume any of it. She had a way of making him feel more like a human being and less like the inanimate tool that he'd spent years believing he was. "Maybe we should order some food. Something sweet to cleanse the palate."
"Food actually sounds great." She grabbed an unused tissue from her clutch and used it to wipe an excess beer from her lips. "What are you in the mood for?" She slid the tissue back into her purse as her focus went to the man seated across from her. "I'm really glad that we're doing this. It's nice to get out and stuff." There were butterflies in her stomach that she hadn't felt in a very long time.
"It is nice," he was eager to agree, even though he felt the same. Things had been so calm lately that he was really starting to come more out of his shell. "I am sorry I had to drag you all the way to Nevada, though, for us to find a place to go outside of business." He meant it as a joke but once the words were out, it felt wrong. "I…do not mean that in a negative way. I… like your company either way. I just wish we were not here for these reasons – I do not relish the idea of another match with that…" he shook his head, "I will not say what he is in polite company."
She knew how horribly his partner had treated him, although Sev had never told her the full details. She'd watched countless hours of match footage and interviews and had seen the mistreatment with her own eyes. "I'm glad I'm here."
"Still," he shrugged those massive shoulders, another sheepish smile crossing his lips. "I am sure there are other—"
She cut him off gently. Hearing him say that caused her to feel a tug at her heart as she reached out and placed her hand back on his. "You're not dragging me anywhere – I like coming with you."
Leaning forward, Sev lowered his voice to a near-whisper. "There is a place I passed on the way here… I want to take you there instead. This place, it is not – what is it they say? I do not vibe here." He chuckled, keenly aware of her hand resting on his. "They have cakes and ice creams. Enough sugar to be wicked. Would you like to do this instead?"
"Cakes and creams you say?" Her eyebrows went up as her eyes went wide. "I don't think I've ever turned down an opportunity for a sugar rush." She liked the idea of going somewhere else and she was never one to say no to anything indulgent. She may not have been a drinker, but she did like her sweets, "I want to go there."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a $20 bill. He tucked the edge of that under the nearly full beer's damp coaster and moved to his feet, holding out his hand to her. "Then we will go." As an almost afterthought, he grabbed the tie from the table, wadding it up and stuffing it into the pocket of the dress pants he had on.
LJ took his hand as she stood up and grabbed her clutch. Her hand seemed to fit so perfectly in his that she almost said something about it, but then opted not to. Walking together, it was a few more moments before she said anything. "It feels like forever since I've been in Reno."
"Coming here in winter is better," he replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he led her towards the escalator that led up to the mezzanine level. "Sometimes the weather in New York reminds me of my youth in Ukraine." His tone made it clear that those weren't the best memories. "It is strange though, seeing less people around than before. I do not miss those large crowds." Once they stepped onto the escalator, he stood on the step below her, his hand resting against the small of her back. Even with that height difference and the heels she had on, he was still taller than her.
"I've never been one to like a lot of people around." LJ said as she snuggled into him. She'd never been this close to him at least for a long period of time and what stood out to her was that she felt safe. She hadn't felt safe like that in… well she couldn't remember when.
He held his breath when she leaned back against him, unsure of what he should do with his hands – thankfully they arrived at the top so he followed her off the escalator rather than overthink the moment. He rested his hand gently on her shoulder, simply to get her attention before pointing to the right. "Over there." He'd spent so much time memorising the floorplan, simply so that he could get in and out quickly without wasting time or being seen. Now all that preparation was coming in handy. Once again, her tiny fingers were interlaced with his own, the warmth from that contact travelling up his arm where it seemed to bloom in his heart. "It is not the hard scoop ice cream. I should have told you this. They make their own fresh gelato. It is smooth and creamy, though. And delicious." Now that his tongue was loosened, he couldn't stop saying things, as if he needed to fill the silence so she couldn't tell how smitten he was with her.
LJ turned so that she could meet his eyes as she smiled widely, "I can't remember the last time I had gelato." It had been one of her favorite desserts as a child when she would spend summers with her grandmother. "Thank you for suggesting this."
Sev couldn't contain the joyful grin and he tugged on her hand playfully, as if he wanted to urge her on faster even though they were almost there. "I have only ever had it here. So, I do not really know if it is the best in the world ever like some on their reviews say – you will have to tell me if this is true." By the time they reached the glass case, he was almost giddy with excitement. That boyish grin was still on his face, making his eyes sparkle as he looked at her and the fact that she was still smiling made him bolder. "I would like to play a game… see if I can do this right. Will you get us a table and I will choose the flavours as a surprise?"
She thought for a brief moment before nodding, "I would love to." She hesitated for a moment before standing on her tiptoes so that her chin was level with his shoulder. "FYI, I'm having a really good time." On an impulse, she lifted herself a tad higher and placed a kiss on his cheek. It lasted less than a second as she went off to find them a table, her cheeks completely red in disbelief that she'd been that bold. After she took a seat, she then wondered if she'd overstepped and found herself feeling anxious.
If breathing wasn't automatic, he'd have forgotten how in that moment and he stared at the girl behind the counter for a few seconds, dumbfounded when she asked for his order before he remembered how to speak. "One chocolate…" he paused for a few seconds, his fingertips resting against the glass as he looked over the brightly coloured options, "...and one pistachio, please. Gelato vibes are better, I think. The green feels right to go with the brown, yes?" The girl gave him a weird look but didn't say anything as she started filling the dishes with what he'd asked for. Sev glanced over to see where his date gone, lifting his hand for a wave when he spotted her at a private table in the corner – the very same one he always chose. He didn't even think about how silly that might be to be waving and grinning like a loon but he was positively overflowing with delight.
Seeing his wave caused her to smile as she returned it. Her anxiety lessened as she waited for him to join her. She couldn't deny or hide the fact any longer that she was extremely attracted to him. He was one of the most genuine men she'd ever met and it dawned on her that it wouldn't take much more for her to be absolutely head over heels in love with him.
A few moments later he was approaching the table, a small tray in his hands that held two heaping bowls of gelato. As he slid into the seat across from her, he set down the tray with the chocolate bowl in front of her. It was dark brown, velvety smooth with little curls of chocolate shavings on top. An expectant look was on his face as he lifted his eyes from their dessert to meet her gaze. "Did I guess right? Is this what you would choose?"
"Chocolate? It looks amazing!" Taking the bowl from him, LJ wasted no time in digging in and taking a taste. To say the gelato was delicious was a severe understatement as it may have been the best thing she'd ever tried. "So, I've been craving this and I didn't realise it until just now. Are all the flavors this good?"
Sev took a spoonful of his own, holding it out to her for the first taste. "It is, from what I have tried. If you are not allergic to nuts… try this one."
"Thank you." She took the spoon from as she loaded up her own and offered it to him. She took a taste of the pistachio and her eyes went wide in surprise at how good it was. "That is also amazing." She handed his spoon back to him. "Next time we come here, I'm getting that."
"Next time?" He couldn't help the delighted smile at the prospect as he licked the spoon clean of the scoop she'd given him before reaching out to take a napkin from the dispenser. He wiped it carefully before handing hers back. For a moment, they both tucked into their dessert before Sev broke the silence, the thought of a next time so wonderful that he couldn't keep it to himself. "I would like to do this again very much."
She stopped eating her gelato for a moment and took another chance by putting her hand over his. "So would I." She offered him a smile before taking another bite from her bowl.
He laid his spoon down, resting his hand over hers so that it was sandwiched between his own. "I… would like to tell you something, if that is okay?"
LJ was caught off-guard, setting her spoon down as she nodded. "You can tell me anything." Her free hand rested on top of his, enjoying this physical connection they were sharing.
"Good. I trust you – I want you to know this." He was suddenly very serious, "these past months have been… enlightening. So many things I have learned and I have discovered something very important. You…" he paused, clearing his throat. "Lauren-Jane. You… are very special. I like you very much."
She was silent for a few moments, processing what he'd revealed to her. Finally, she nodded, the smile on her face saying it all. "I like you, too, Sev." Her top hand gave his a squeeze. "You've helped me in more ways than you'll ever know and I'd love to see where this goes? If that's something you'd be interested in."
"Oh yes," he nodded quickly, the smile returning to his face. "I would like that, too. Very much."
