Dirty Deeds

CH 20: Bad Timing

           Punk walks me back to the hotel. "I assume you can find your own way from here," he says at the elevator.

"I'll manage." He gives me a lazy little wave as the doors close between us, and then I'm alone. It's weird how much talking to Punk cheered me up. Layla's been after me all weekend, trying to get me to be less moody. I can see now that I probably haven't been much fun the past few days. The doors open to my floor and I head down the hall, smiling and humming a tune. My mood continues to lift when I see Matt near my door. He's knocking, and his back is to me. I sneak up quietly and slide my arms around his waist. He tenses beneath my arms."Hi, Matt!"

At my voice, I feel him relax. "Michelle!" He turns so that he can put his arms around me. "You scared the hell out of me."

I grin. "Sorry."

"You don't look sorry," he says. "In fact, you look very smug."

"Do I?" I can't stop grinning at him. "I don't feel smug."

"Oh?" He smiles at me. "And what do you feel, then?"

"Happy."

"Good."

"I didn't think you were getting in until later."

"I caught an earlier flight," he says with a shrug. "I've got my Money in the Bank qualifier tonight against Drew McIntyre, and I wanted to put in a little extra gym time. And," he pauses, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "there was a certain Diva that mentioned that she was missing me last night, so I thought I'd come in and surprise her."

"Oh?" I say, raising my eyebrows. "Which one was that? I might have to teach her a lesson about encroaching on others' territory."

"That's cute," Matt says, leaning down so that our foreheads are touching. "But she's not encroaching on anyone's territory."

"Isn't she?"

"Not anymore, no." He smiles down at me. My heart is pounding. He's finally going to kiss me!

Or he would, if someone wasn't clearing their throat next to us. I groan and lift my head to see a very annoyed Layla. "This should be obvious," she says, "but you're in the hallway, not your room. Some of us would like to not witness your special moments, k?"

I'm about to make a snarky reply when Matt chuckles. "I think she's trying to tell us to get a room."

"No, I'm trying to tell you to use a room," Layla says. "There's a difference, Hardy." She glares at me. "I was going to ask how your talk with Punk went, but I guess I got my answer."

"Punk?" Matt asks, looking down at me.

I sigh, looking from him to the now retreating Layla. "I'll tell you later." With regret, I kiss his cheek and pull away from him. "Will you wait for me? I've got to go talk to her."

Matt nods. "Yeah. Do you want my room number?"

I dig through my pocket, then hand him my key card. "Just stay here, okay? I'll be right back, I promise."

He smiles at me and opens the room. "Don't be too long, Michelle."

"I won't." I sprint for the room I'd been sharing with Layla two days ago. It's around a bend in the hallway, so I very nearly run smack into her and Punk.

He steadies me with a little frown, and says to Layla, "I was trying to tell you."

Layla glares at me. "I asked you to come and talk some sense into her, not convince her to... to make out with Hardy in the hallway."

Punk turns to me, surprised. "You work fast, don't you? We've been back all of ten minutes, and you've managed to locate Hardy and make out with him in the hall? I'm impressed."

"We weren't making out," I mutter. "And he was waiting at my door when I got back."

"So it's not that impressive, then," Punk says. He turns back to Layla, "Regardless, what I was trying to say is that, like it or not, I think Hardy's here to stay. You told me yourself that Michelle was miserable this whole weekend. At least when she's hanging around Hardy, she seems happy." I grin and give Punk a hug. "Geez, McCool, control yourself!" he says, though his arm drops around my shoulder loosely. "First you're making out with Hardy, and then you're hugging the straightedge Superstar not five minutes later. People will talk!" He winks at me.

Layla snarls, "Whatever!" and swipes her key a little more viciously than necessary. She slams the room door shut a moment later, leaving Punk and I in the hall, blinking in her wake.

"What was that all about?" I ask.

"Ah," Punk sighs, "honestly? If I had to guess, I'd say she thinks she's lost her best friend to some guy. A guy that you two used to make fun of, no less." He gives me a quick little hug before letting his arm slide off my shoulder. "But don't worry too much about it. If she's really your friend, she'll come around eventually." He smirks at me. "So... Hardy, huh?"

I shrug. "Yeah."

"Guess I'd better get used to being polite again." He grins. "Do you think it's too soon to ask him out to brunch?"

"Yes," I say with a snicker. "It's definitely too soon."