Favoring Fortuna

Chapter 3

When they made it through the entrance they found themselves in a long hall that was wide enough that there were a few couches lined along the walls. She had a feeling that this is where most of the wrestlers and crew members would end up hanging out that night, since most of the time the space allotted as a locker room was not very big or comfortable. They were there so early she could see a janitorial cart holding open the door at the other end of the hall, and she suspected, which was then confirmed a few seconds later by a staff member, that they might have to wait a little bit to get through.

They laid their stuff down in the floor next to one of the couches, and she was about to sit down when Finn got her attention.

"I have an idea."

"What?" When he didn't elaborate immediately she turned to face him, curious. He had a strange look on his face. He looked her in the eye and said,

"I need to say something first because I need this to be clear. I may do some things that I have a feeling are going to push outside of your comfort zone. I think it's necessary to accomplish what we want to accomplish, but if I cross a line, if something really does bother you, just tell me to back off and I will, okay?"

"Okay," she replied hesitantly, nervous about what he was going to do that would necessitate the warning. It didn't take her long to understand why though, he sat down at the end of the couch, pulling her down with him as he did, so that she ended up literally falling in his lap.

Before she could protest or question anything he said,

"No one is ever going to believe you want anything to do with me if you are always so stiff and uncomfortable around me. Try to relax a little," he said then he pulled her legs up onto the couch so she was sitting sideways in his lap. She was still stunned by his actions, even with the warning, then stunned turned into something else entirely, something she was embarrassed to admit even to herself, as he ran one hand up her back then gently tucked her hair back with it while resting the other hand on the outside of her thigh. He leaned close until his lips were almost ghosting across the skin of her neck, and she couldn't help the shiver that went through her. Her heart had kicked into overdrive, pounding fiercely as he said,

"We're going to stay like this until your ex goes by." When she didn't respond to him, he asked,

"Is this okay?" She couldn't get her brain to produce a coherent response, so what came out was a muffled 'mmhh' sound. He brought his lips even closer to her ear and repeated the question as he slowly ran his hand a little further up her thigh and she could only manage to mumble unintelligibly again in response. She could almost hear the smile in his voice as he said,

"I'll take that as a yes," and she knew he knew what he was doing. He didn't say anything else, but he didn't need to. He had her completely mesmerized as other members of the roster began to trickle in. She could hear various voices that she recognized, but no one bothered them, and when she heard her exes voice, Finn leaned even closer. She shivered again at the feel of the bridge of his his nose nuzzling up her neck, and his lips brush against her jaw. It was the sound of a door slamming loudly, startling both of them, that finally pulled her back to reality. Everyone was looking at them, some blatantly, others trying to be more polite, and she could feel her face warm in response. Finn easily pulled them both to their feet, helping her gather her gear and ignoring the stares.

Right before they parted ways Finn leaned in and whispered to her,

"Don't let them get to you, remember you're going to be their champion, their leader, show them that."

...

She was glad she had Finn's words fresh in the back of mind as she walked into the locker room. Of course the small space contained no actual lockers, just a few fold out tables and chairs. Many of the spots available had already been claimed, but she saw a decent one not too far from the door that was still open. She walked over to it without hesitation, ignoring the eyes that followed her, but smiling and returning the greeting of those that said hello.