Dirty Deeds

CH 12: Dinner

       Matt and I are both quiet as we leave the kids and their parents in the arena. We walk back to my locker room. I'm sure, like me, that Matt needs to pack his things. However, he hesitates outside the room. "Are you sure you don't need a ride back to the hotel?"

"I'm pretty sure. Punk usually stays late, and he can give me a ride."

Matt makes a face. "Come on, Michelle," he says. "Do you really want to ride with the straightedge society? You'll never hear the end of the preaching with those three."

"Punk's okay," I say. "Sometimes."

Matt just shakes his head. "I got so sick of that guy when he and Jeff were feuding. All that straightedge crap was annoying." He pauses. "Why don't you want me to give you a ride? Is this about Maria?"

"Why do people keep asking me that?" I mutter.

"You don't like her, do you?"

I shrug. "I think it's mutual, actually."

Matt chuckles. "She did ask me what the hell I thought I was doing, hanging around you. After that Dolph Ziggler thing..."

I feel my cheeks get hot. "Yeah, that was not my finest hour."

He says, "Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. Maria brought her car tonight because she was going to stay back and talk to Mr. McMahon."

"Well, in that case," I say, "sure, Matt. I'd love a ride. If you don't think Maria's going to be mad at you for it?"

Matt says, "She won't care. I'll meet you back here in ten minutes?"

"Sounds good," I say, before pushing my way into the locker room. "See you in ten."

It takes me the entire ten minutes (and more) to get ready. Matt knocks on the door as I'm finishing up. "Are you decent?" he calls through the door.

"No more than usual," I call back, and Matt comes in, chuckling.

"Cute," he says. "You need any help?"

"Nope, I'm done." I zip my last bag up and lift the pair of them, and together, we head to his car. He gets in and unlocks the door for me, so I slide in beside him. "This is starting to feel normal," I comment, when he turns the radio on and it blasts a random song.

"Sorry," Matt says, as he turns the radio off. "Normally Helms rides with me, but he said he needed to go see Mr. McMahon, too."

"Huh. I wonder what that's all about."

"No idea. Storyline, maybe?"

I shrug. "Anyway, thanks for the ride, Matt."

"No problem. I mean, we're both going the same place, right?" He frowns. "You weren't going out somewhere or something, were you?"

"No, just to the hotel," I say.

"You're not hungry?"

"Not too much, no."

Matt turns to look at me. "We could go grab something, take it back to the hotel?"

"Sure, okay."

"Good," Matt says, firing up the car. "How do you feel about hamburgers? I think I saw a fast food place near the hotel."