Title: For the First Time
Author: Chris F.
Rating: PG, this is really mild
 

I am sooooooooooooo nervous.

How nervous am I, you ask?  I'm so nervous I'm actually counting the number of ways I could possible screw up this evening.  So far, I'm on 635.

It isn't really like me to get this scared before a date, I'm usually a pretty cool character, but something about tonight has my stomach tied up in knots and my heart pounding.

I guess I should explain.  Yesterday, while in the locker room, wondering where my left boot had gone off to, I was approached my dear friend Joanie.  "Hey Chris, c'mere for a sec."  she said, grinning.

Now, usually when people say things with a grin, I don't trust them, but knowing Joanie could kick my ass I decided to go with her.  We sat down on some isolated chairs.  "So..."

Joanie kept smiling.  "You've been a bit lonely lately, haven't you?"

I looked at her skeptically.  "I've been too busy to be lonely, but otherwise yeah....why?"

"Well, you see...I have a friend who's breaking it off with his girlfriend, and he's been real down lately, and I was just wondering if maybe you could go somewhere with him on Friday, get him out a little."

"You mean like...a little guy's night out type of deal?"  Well, I guess this wasn't as bad as I thought...

"Actually, I kinda meant like on a date."  Seeing my stricken look, she tilted her head imploringly.  "Oh come on!  It'll be fun!  I promise you, he is really hot."

I stuck out my lower lip in a pouty expression.  "Last time you pulled this blind date shit on me, I got stuck spending a nice romantic evening with Chris Ben-oyt.  I'm still not completely over the trauma."

"I promise you, this one is nothing like Benoit.  You will like him, I promise!"

"Fine!!!"  I yelled, getting up.  "But you owe me now!  You owe me huge!!!!"

Joanie laughed.  "Ok, ok.  Now go find your shoe."

So here I am....staring out the window....wondering if my mystery date is even gonna show up, and if he did, which one of us would totally humiliate the other first.

Finally, there's a car pulling up....hmmm, it's a rather pretty car.  A man gets out and while I can't tell who it is, I know this guy's built.  Maybe Joanie was right.

Oh great, he's ringing the doorbell.  Still can't see who it is, although he looks familiar.  I pull myself together, open the door, and....

"YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?"  we both scream at the same point.  I recover first and squeak out "Joanie set me up with you?"

"That's funny, I was thinking the same thing."  Hunter muttered, leaning against my door.

My phone rang and I walked over to answer it, keeping a watchful eye on Hunter.  "Hello?"

"Is he there yet?"  came Joanie's cheerful voice over the phone.

"You BITCH!  What the hell were you thinking!  Me...and him...no!"

"Chris...." Her pleading voice quieted me.  "No one else had the courage to go near him with a ten-foot pole!  He's not as awful as you think he is, really.  Just try it for me, ok?  Now, can I talk to Hunter for a sec?"

I hand the phone to the larger man.  "Our dear manipulative friend wants to talk to you."

He stood there for a second with the phone pressed to his ear.  "But...But...Joanie...ok, OK!  Alright!  I hope you're happy now."  He hung up the phone and handed it back to me.  "Ok, so where are we going?" he asked bitterly.

***

It's two hours later.  We went to see "Road Trip", which had Hunter laughing so hard he very nearly spilled his jumbo popcorn, and now, of all places, we are at Taco Bell.  "So, are you still not bilingual?"  I ask, unwrapping my chalupa.

It takes a minute for him to get it, but he blushes and says "Yeah, the extent of my Spanish is learning the cuss words so I could tell when Joanie got real pissed at me."

"Yeah, you know, you'd think she'd want you to know she was mad and use your native language, but nooooooo...."  I say, laughing.

"But if she used your native language, she'd have to call you...what was that word...a hoser?"

"You shut up, I use English perfectly well!"  This was turning into the longest conversation we'd had all night.

"Right, right, we'll just see aboot that."  He smiles and we fall silent, but the silence this time was comfortable, instead of the dead air that had been between us all night.  Finally, he takes a deep breath and says "You were right you know?"

"About what?"  As far as I knew, I hadn't said anything too profound lately.

 "About Stephanie.  She is a brutal, bottom-feeding, trash bag ho."  He smiles sadly.

Oh, yeah, that's right, Joanie did mention my mystery man was breaking up with his girlfriend.  "Well, at least you got out while you could."  I say, trying to sound comforting.

"Wow...you're a hell of a lot nicer than Sean and Jesse were, they started doing cartwheels and singing 'Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead' until I threatened to send Vince a tape of their heartwarming performance."

"Man, that is cold!"  I laugh, but I got serious before long.  "They're just glad that they got their friend back and she's out of your lives."

Hunter's smile gradually gets bigger.  "You know, you aren't so bad.  I guess Joanie was right after all."

"Joanie is very wise.  She needs one of those Yoda robes."

Hunter snickers at that mental picture for a moment and stands up.  "Well, I think management is shooting us dirty looks now, so we should get going."

I follow him out and we sit in his car.  The radio is on a station which had previously been playing some very nice rock music but was now playing that soft rock shit that makes most people want to gag.  I start to reach out to turn the station, but Hunter stops me.  "Let's dance."

"What?"  I asked.  Maybe I was dreaming...there was no way big, tough, WWF champion Hunter just said that.

He gets out of the car, coming around to my side and dragging me out by my hand.  "I said, let's dance."

He wraps his arms around me and I, wishing I had my ring boots with the lifts on them, rest my head reluctantly against his shoulder.  The song on the radio ends and the next starts.  "Oh God, anything but Rod Stewart," I whisper, but he shushes me as the words started.

Are those your eyes
Is that your smile
I've been looking at you forever
Yet I never saw you before
Are these your hands
Holding mine
Now I wonder how I could have been so blind

I feel myself beginning to relax against him.  Maybe this wasn't so awful....

And for the first time
I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seeing who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're looking back at me
Now I understand what love is, love is
For the first time

He lays his head on top of mine and I very nearly melt.  For some reason, this all feels right, like dancing with your worst enemy to music you hate in a Taco Bell parking lot is  the most natural thing in the world.

Can this be real
 Can this be true
Am I the person I was this morning
And are you the same you
It's all so strange
How can it be
For the longest time love was right in front of me

He tilts my head up and I know what's coming next.  Strangely, I don't resist, I just stand there as he gently kisses my lips.  He abruptly pulls his head away.  "Chris...I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."

"Shut up."  Did I just say that?  Is this me controlling my hands as they pull his head down so I can kiss him more passionately?  Whoever it was, we're now just about stuck together, making out like two teenagers.

Finally he pulls away.  "Uhm...Chris...."

"Yeah, I know, I've lost it, I should probably go home before I do something really stupid."

"I was gonna say that I'm the nutzo one, but far be it from me to defend your sanity.  So if we're both crazy..."

"...We might as well be crazy together?"  He nods and I smile.  "Sounds pretty good to me."

He smiled back at me.  "What do you say we go thank Joanie?"

"It's..."  I look at my watch, "It's 2 am!  We'll wake her up."

"My point exactly."

I can't help but laugh.  "This is gonna be fun."