Chapter Two

Pulling a pair of jeans from his bag, Steve tossed them onto the bench while he sorted through Randy's last few comments in his head. What in the hell had been on that CD and why in the world would Randy assume that the thing was from him. As if he'd ever do anything so corny as to try to seduce someone with music. That was more along the lines of something Shawn would do...or Jericho. His eyes narrowed and there was a definite twitch in his cheek as he considered that thought.

Jericho had set him up.

Chances were that Michaels was involved as well.

Smothering the growl that was trying to work its way from his throat, he became aware of the fact that someone was staring at him. Being that he and Randy were the only ones in the room, the options were obviously limited. Not that it necessarily meant anything. Randy could simply be waiting for him to acknowledge his ultimatum. And since Steve had already decided to give up his answer came easily.

"Fine," he answered tightly.

"Wh...what?"

His brow wrinkled at Randy's response. What? Was the kid deaf now? Steve was giving him what he wanted...he should be bouncing with glee. But he could have sworn that he heard something like regret in Randy's voice.

"Ya heard me." One thing Steve really hated was having to repeat himself. "Fine. If that's what ya want, then I'll leave ya be."

Another thing he really hated was giving up...but he'd already made that decision and he was sticking to it. He didn't dare turn around to look at the kid even though he could swear he almost heard regret in Randy's voice. If he turned around to find the kid smiling, it'd be like someone stomping a mud-hole in his ego. No thanks.

"I...yes, that's what I want. You really mean it? You aren't going to ask me to..."

He barely suppressed a growl...maybe the kid had gone deaf. He was going to repeat himself just one more time...then he was going to get dressed and then he was going to go hunting...for Michaels and Jericho. He'd just tell them that since they were so damned interested in his love life that they ought to have a three-way that night. He almost grinned as he imagined the looks of horror that'd cross their faces. Almost...

"I ain't goin' ta ask ya out again. Ya got mah word on it."

Ah...there were his shorts...but his skivvies seemed to be absent. Well damn it all...they must be in his other bag...back at the hotel. And he sure as hell wasn't about to wear these damn silky underdrawers for the rest of the night. He barely refrained from scratching again while he waited for Randy to take the hint and leave. Imagine his shock when Randy spoke again only to complain about the methods he'd employed in asking the guy out. Nit-picky little shit...could have damn near knocked him over with a feather at the implications. Was Randy bitching because he hadn't spoken hearts and flowers when making a pass?

"You never asked me out Steve. Going out implies actually going out somewhere and maybe having some conversation or something. I don't recall any such invitation."

That's sure as hell what it sounded like.

Steve couldn't help but snort. He turned around with righteous indignation. Damn it all, he'd asked the guy if he wanted to tango... Okay so maybe his idea of doing the tango didn't include wearing clothes and couldn't actually be performed in public without them, but he'd asked the guy to dance, hadn't he? That was about as close to romantic as he got...barring what he'd had planned for tonight. Only Randy hadn't even given him a serious chance to issue a real invitation...the one he'd had planned including flowers and him wearing a suit and a fancy restaurant...hell, he'd even been toying with the idea of ordering a bottle of fancy champagne instead of the twelve-dollar a bottle variety. Maybe he had been right...maybe Randy was just a little bit too spoiled for his tastes...but god did he want to taste. And that just pissed him off even more.

"Did ya think I was wearin' that blasted git up fer my health? Ya turned down everythin' else I threw at ya. Now I'll be the first ta admit that mah social talents are vergin' on non-existent," Steve was more than willing to admit his own faults, "but I thought ya were smart 'nough ta figure out what I was askin' fer. If I'd a wanted a quick lay, I coulda picked me up one a the rookies. Don't worry none though, ya want me ta leave ya alone and that's what I'm aimin' ta do."

Randy's mouth dropped open and he started sputtering. Steve thought it was pretty damn cute. Not that he was going to tell Randy that.

"But you did pick up the rookies didn't you! And that's another damn reason I wouldn't go out with you. All these months you've been pursuing me and the whole time you've been getting it on with other guys. I'm worth more than that Austin. Randy K. Orton is not a one-night stand!"

It was Steve's turn to gape...and he said the word before it even crossed his mind what he'd done...

"What?"

It was kind of fascinating...watching Randy's face turning redder and redder. Hell, he wondered if he could actually get the guy to turn purple? He would have laughed if he weren't so confused about Randy's accusation.

"You heard me! I know that I'm not the only one you've been after. Hell...Nitro couldn't wait to advise me to bring along a six-pack for an after-sex refreshment. He said you liked it!"

Now he really wanted to laugh, because that actually sounded pretty damn good to him. But he was kind of lost because he couldn't figure out why Nitro would offer up that kind of information.

"What?"

Okay...so maybe he was pushing his luck. He decided to address what Randy had said before the poor kid had a heart attack.

"So Nitro told you...that he and I have...?" He trailed off for a moment, fascinated with the shade of Randy's face. It was almost...what was that freaking color?... puce? "Did I enjoy it?"

"What?!"

He couldn't help but smirk when Randy echoed his line especially since the guy had sounded like he had swallowed a bug just before he'd said it. He barely stopped himself from shouting 'gimmick infringement'.

"I said...did I enjoy it? Sleeping with Nitro, that is? What am I saying?" He laughed out loud. "Of course I woulda enjoyed it...if it'd ever happened," he finished with a smirk for the dark-haired man. "By the way Randall, I hope ya don't mind, but these drawers are bugging the shit outta me. Close yer eyes or yer gonna see somethin' that might just have ya beggin' me ta proposition ya again."

With another loud laugh, Austin half-turned towards the bench and stripped out of his silk boxers. He took his time picking up his shorts from the bench while he looked out the corner of his eye to catch Randy's reaction to his impromptu strip show.

Christ! If the kid didn't stop standing there with his mouth open that way, how was Steve supposed to refrain from offering to give him something to put in it?



****

Quite honestly, Randy was stunned. Was Steve implying that he was the real reason that Steve had worn a suit tonight? Was he saying that he'd actually planned on asking Randy out on a real honest-to-goodness date? Of course then Steve had had to mention the rookies and Randy recalled the smirk on Nitro's face. That just ticked him off even more. He couldn't control himself and the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"But you did pick up the rookies didn't you! And that's another damn reason I wouldn't go out with you. All these months you've been pursuing me and the whole time you've been getting it on with other guys. I'm worth more than that Austin. Randy K. Orton is not a one-night stand!"

He spent the next minute trying to convince himself that he hadn't sounded jealous...

Only he couldn't quite deny that he was, damn it. He was jealous and disappointed that Steve hadn't been serious about wanting to go out with him. Even though he was still sticking to his guns about the fact that he hadn't been planning on taking Steve up on the invitations...he hadn't!

"What?"

He could feel his eye twitching. God how he hated that catch phrase. He was so pissed off by Steve's response that his mouth ran away on him...again.

"You heard me! I know that I'm not the only one you've been after. Hell...Nitro couldn't wait to advise me to bring along a six-pack for an after-sex refreshment. He said you liked it!"

Way to go Randy...that certainly had smacked of jealousy, he told himself.

"What?"

Okay...it was no longer just a twitch. Steve Austin had given him a damned facial tic. Even if he walked out of here right at this moment, he'd be stuck with it for eternity. And it would surface any time someone said that damned word...

"So Nitro told you...that he and I have...?"

Twitch, twitch.

Now Austin couldn't even say it? He had a million words for it...Randy figured he'd probably heard every damn one of them at some point too.

"Did I enjoy it?"

Did Steve...? Had Steve just asked him if...? What the hell was Steve asking him for? He should know...shouldn't he? Randy really wanted to see if Steve had the nerve to ask him again. His tongue moved before he even had time to stop it.

"What?!"

Yes. Even though that damned word had come from his own lips...his eye still twitched. He was god-damned afflicted now. He wanted nothing more than to rip out his own tongue...except maybe to wipe the smirk off of Steve's face.

"I said...did I enjoy it? Sleeping with Nitro, that is? What am I saying?"

Randy rolled his eyes while Steve laughed. Of course the bald man had probably enjoyed it. Then again it wouldn't take much to please someone with Austin's standards. Randy on the other hand was more discriminating. He wouldn't touch Nitro with someone else's dick, let alone his own.

'Jealous?' his conscience snapped at him.

Randy scowled and firmly told his inner voice to shut up.

"Of course I woulda enjoyed it...if it'd ever happened."

His scowl increased even more. Austin was denying it! He couldn't believe it. He'd always thought the bald man more likely to brag about his exploits than to try to cover them up. But if Austin were telling the truth, then why would Nitro have said what he had?

With a flash of insight, Randy recalled exactly who else had been present when Nitro had made his claim. His eyes narrowed slightly as suspicions started to form in his mind. That song really hadn't been Austin's type either. More along the lines of something that Shawn or Jericho might listen...

He was going to kill them...as soon as he found out for sure which of them had been involved.

"By the way Randall, I hope ya don't mind, but these drawers are bugging the shit outta me. Close yer eyes or yer gonna see somethin' that might just have ya beggin' me ta proposition ya again."

Thoughts of revenge flew from his mind as quickly as they'd formed. He could not believe that Austin had just stripped naked right in front of him while he was chewing the man out...er, giving him hell...damn it, yelling at him. How dare he ignore...?

Despite his ire, it didn't stop Randy from craning his neck just a bit to check out the full Rattlesnake package. Austin was rather well put together from Randy's excellent point of view. He could feel himself starting to sweat and he knew his mouth was gaping open but the damn thing ignored all commands from his brain to close.

He was going to hate himself for asking, but he really had to know.

"So..." He licked his lips slowly as his eyes traveled over the tanned skin of Austin's backside. "So you're saying that you and Nitro never slept together? Is that what you are trying to tell me?"

Randy heaved an internal sigh of relief as Austin pulled on his shorts and fastened them, though he had taken note of the fact that Stone Cold was going commando tonight. He wondered briefly if that was a regular occurrence. Steve's echoing sigh caught his attention and he looked up to find an almost sad look on the face of the baddest redneck in the business.

Why, oh why, did he feel the almost desperate need to get that look off of Steve's face?

****

"So you're saying that you and Nitro never slept together? Is that what you are trying to tell me?"

Steve sighed while quickly pulling on his shorts. Damn. The kid was like a dog with a bone, he just wouldn't let the topic of him and Nitro go. Did it really matter so much to Randy?

Obviously...

"Look Randy...I haven't even made a pass at anyone else in the last eight months. It's been closer ta nine since I've actually seen some action, so ta answer ya question...nah, I never bagged Nitro. I've been tryin' ta close the deal with this really hot brunet, but no matter what I tried, he kept shuttin' me down." He almost growled at the surprise in Randy's eyes as he pulled on his t-shirt. Was the kid that damn blind?

"I guess I'm just not smart enough, or fancy enough, or maybe romantic enough ta turn the guy's head. See...I was hopin' that if I got the guy ta go out with me just once, I could change his mind 'bout old Stone Cold, but he won't even give me the time of day." With another growl of frustration, he turned and grabbed his shoes from his bag, stomping into them without bothering with the laces.

"I had this stupid idea that maybe old Stone Cold was ready ta settle down with one person for awhile instead o' beddin' down with any old body, but there's only so much rejection that I can take. I need a beer...or two or three. So maybe I'll just go hunt down Johnny Nitro and see if he's got an extra six-pack."

So maybe he wouldn't actually do it, but it served Randy right to think that he would. Shouldering his bag and stomping past the still form of his favorite eye candy, Steve headed towards the door, completely missing the look of shocked panic on Randy's face. To hell with his fancy clothes, he wasn't going to wear them again so he saw no reason at all to clean them up. He had his hand on the door and was getting ready to give it a vicious thrust when one quiet word stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait..."

Randy's back was to him and the man seemed to have his eyes frozen on the pair of fancy under-britches still lying in the middle of the floor. Steve raised a brow and waited for another word...any indication of what was on the kid's mind.

"You were serious? About wanting something more than...just sex?"

Randy swallowed so hard that Steve could hear it. He seriously considered tossing out a smartass reply, but he could sense that his answer was important to the young man, so he decided to answer him honestly instead.

"Yeah. Serious as a heart attack..." he said solemnly. He waited, his breath held, for something else. When it seemed as if Randy wasn't going to reply, the man having not moved an inch in the last thirty seconds, Steve lifted his hand to the door again. So much for that...

"Where...where are you really going?"

Steve smirked, wondering why Randy was so sure he wasn't going to go hunt down Nitro.

"I'll probably head down ta this little dive that I know, drink me some beers, listen ta some bad country music, maybe eat some stale pretzels..."

He wasn't sure why he told the truth, either. But he had.

****

"...been closer ta nine since I've actually seen some action..."

"... never bagged Nitro..."

"... been tryin' ta close the deal with this really hot brunet..."

The words bounced around in his head as Steve let loose on him. To say that Randy was shocked would be an understatement. Nine months? He could hardly believe it, but Steve's response was too damn passionate to be a lie. And the bit about Nitro...Randy still wasn't sure why Nitro would have lied, but he knew without a doubt now that the man had. His suspicions that Shawn and Jericho were at least partially responsible for it were growing even stronger.

"... not smart enough, or fancy enough, or maybe romantic enough..."

"... got the guy ta go out with me just once..."

"... maybe old Stone Cold was ready ta settle down with one person..."

"... only so much rejection that I can take."

More thoughts bounced inside his head.

Maybe the guys were right. Maybe Steve really did think he was special. Randy couldn't imagine Steve going without for so long if he were looking for a quick one-night stand. Stone Cold had taken pains with his appearance tonight just for Randy...he was sure of that now as well.

Steve would never rival Einstein. The man would never buy a Mercedes. And Randy doubted that Steve would ever hire someone to serenade him...the man actually thought he could sing for god's sake...he'd probably try to do it himself. But someone that actually caught his interest wouldn't be lacking for attention. Steve's dogging of him at every opportunity was proof of that.

If Steve was serious about wanting to settle down with one person, maybe Randy should have given him a chance. Maybe he should try to get to know the real Steve Austin...

"...So maybe I'll just go hunt down Johnny Nitro and see if he's got an extra six-pack."

...if Austin would even give him a chance now. He knew that Steve was dead serious about not asking him out again. So if he wanted to get to know the man then he would have to take the initiative, but Steve was about to walk out the door and go looking for Nitro. His eyes fastened on those silk boxers in the middle of the floor and his heart did a little flip in his chest because he knew that Steve had worn them especially for him. Steve was ready to walk away from him just as he was walking away from the fancy clothes strewn about the room...

Steve had really wanted to be with him.

Randy panicked.

"Wait..."

He wanted this. He really did...but he had been burned too many times in the past. He had to make sure that they really were interested in the same thing...a relationship.

"You were serious? About wanting something more than...just sex?"

He swallowed harshly, his eyes fastened desperately on that little blue scrap of silk. He thought for a moment that Steve was going to ignore the question and leave. Why was he being so damn quiet? Steve was never quiet. He always had something to say...damn it.

"Yeah. Serious as a heart attack..."

The tone of Steve's voice more than anything convinced him. It wasn't the loud brash 'Stone Cold' reply that he would normally have expected. It was Steve Austin...plain and simple...and honest. It was a glimpse of the man that he really wanted to get to know. And just like that it was clear to him just how serious Steve was about him and he knew without a doubt that Steve was not going to go find Nitro, no matter what he'd just said. But he was going to leave, the rustle of cloth telling him that Steve was no longer motionless by the door...

'It's now or never Randy, make up your mind,' his conscience nagged.

"Where...where are you really going?"

His heart was thudding in his chest while he waited for Steve's reply.

"I'll probably head down ta this little dive that I know, drink me some beers, listen ta some bad country music, maybe eat some stale pretzels..."

His own thoughts from earlier in the night about just such a scenario came back to haunt him. It was like fate or something...

"I suddenly have a real craving for stale pretzels...would you mind if I came with you?"

Tearing his gaze away from the boxers, he finally turned and faced Steve. The man had a serious poker-face thing going and Randy wasn't sure if Steve understood what he was really asking for. He tried his damnedest to let his sincere interest in spending time with the man show. He stiffened as Steve looked him up and down, a strange smile crossing his face.

"Nah, I wouldn't mind, but are ya sure ya wanna show up there dressed like that. Ya'll probably get yer ass kicked before ya walk through the door..."

Randy laughed and then shook his head.

"I do own other clothes you know. I don't wear a suit all of the time. Will you wait for me to change?"

Randy was offering to change so much more than his clothes and he could see from the sudden twinkle in Steve's eyes that the man understood that. Thank god the twinkle was back. While he was still feeling brave, he walked forward the half-dozen steps separating him from Steve. Seriously invading the man's personal space, he waited impatiently for a reply.

"I've waited a good six months, I reckon I can wait another ten minutes or so, but if ya take longer than that I'll have ta leave without ya..."

The huskiness in that Texan voice raced like flames down his spine and Randy smirked at the teasing note at the end. Steve wouldn't leave without him, even if he'd just said he would. He'd wait...just like he'd waited all these months for him.

"No you won't," he said quietly as he leaned even closer, his eyes locking with Steve's as he moved. At the last possible second, he pulled away and walked back into the room. Tossing a smirk over his shoulders, he grabbed the scrap of silk from the middle of the floor and held them up. Walking back to Steve, he winked as he pushed the door open, intending to walk down to his locker room to change. He laughed as a hand latched onto his arm and pulled him back.

Right there, the door halfway open, Randy smiled as Steve's mouth covered his own in an almost desperate first kiss.

****

"I suddenly have a real craving for stale pretzels...would you mind if I came with you?"

Steve didn't move a muscle as Randy turned to face him even though he was shocked down to his boots. Was Randy really asking to join him at some rank little hole in the wall for beer and stale pretzels? And here he'd been going to buy champagne...

If he'd known that Randy had a secret liking for redneck partying, he'd have seriously asked him out a long time ago...

And if he was reading things right, stale refreshments weren't all Randy had a secret liking for. He wanted to shout 'Hell Yeah!' and do a little dance, but it wouldn't do at all to let Randall know that he was that excited. Oh no...not after all the times he'd turned down old Stone Cold. Steve would let him stew about it...for a few minutes at least.

"Nah, I wouldn't mind, but are ya sure ya wanna show up there dressed like that. Ya'll probably get yer ass kicked before ya walk through the door..."

And honestly, Steve wasn't joking. Showing up in a suit in the kind of place he was planning on heading to would end with Randy getting his ass kicked. Drunk rednecks had little tolerance for pretentious snobs, which is what Randy's clothes just screamed. He'd end up in a bar fight defending the guy...

Not that that was necessarily a bad thing in Steve's point of view. He liked a good bar fight every now and then. But he'd rather spend the time getting to know Randy...and letting Randy get to know him.

"I do own other clothes you know. I don't wear a suit all of the time. Will you wait for me to change?"

For the first time in a long time, Steve actually felt hope that he and Randy could make something of this weird attraction. Would he wait? Oh hell yeah, he would. Though he really didn't want Randy to change all that much. He liked sparring with him when he acted like a little prick...but he'd wait to mention that until later tonight. For now, he was going to make Randy do all the work.

And he was doing a nice job of it. Steve held back a smile as Randy walked right up to him, another step and Randy'd be plastered against him. Steve was kind of hoping he'd take that last step.

"I've waited a good six months, I reckon I can wait another ten minutes or so, but if ya take longer than that I'll have ta leave without ya..."

"No you won't."

Steve held his breath as Randy leaned closer to him with that pronouncement. His eyes locked with Randy's and waited for the kiss that he knew was coming. His lips were craving that first touch...

When Randy pulled back before kissing him, Steve had to fight with himself not to grab him and pull him back. His curiosity won out though as he watched Randy walk across the room and grab his underwear from the floor. He grinned, wondering if Randy would ask him to model them later. He could always hope...

Steve growled as Randy turned back and made to walk out the door. That little shit was not getting away without giving him that kiss that he'd just promised with his eyes. No sir!



Grabbing Randy by one arm, he pulled him back and turned him so they were flush chest to chest. With another low growl, he covered the man's lips with his own. He'd waited so damn long for their first kiss and damn had it been worth it. Sliding his hands up strong arms and over chiseled shoulders, he held Randy in place while he devoured his sweet taste.

He barely noticed the whistles and catcalls being aimed at them...but he did notice them.

Finally pulling away, he smirked at the assorted group leaning against the wall in the hallway.

****

"I'm telling you, they will end up together. I can feel it."

Shawn nodded vigorously at the doubting faces surrounding him. Even Chris didn't look like he believed it anymore.

"You're crazy Shawn. With the mood Randy was in when he tore out of here? You'll be lucky if they agree to be in the same room without killing each other," Hunter said with a smirk. "Told you it wasn't going to work."

Dave shook his head at the two bickering, but didn't say a word. He was used to the two of them picking at each other.

"You're wrong Hunter. I bet they'll be having make-up sex within the next 15 minutes." Shawn punctuated his claim by sticking his tongue out at his friend.

"They can't have make-up sex Shawn. They aren't even together yet. You can't have make-up sex unless you have something to make-up from," Adam stated with an authoritative smirk.

Chris laughed and nodded his head. "True. But they could end up having heat of the moment passion-induced locker room sex. There aren't any rules for that."

Chris, Shawn, and Adam shared a knowing look and then the three bolted from the table and flew out the door. Hunter sighed and Dave raised his brow.

"They aren't going to go press their ears against the door...are they?" Dave asked with a groan.

"Of course they are. Look at who we're talking about here," Hunter said with a smirk. "Come on you guys. We're going to need extra hands to pry them away from the door," he said as he rose to his feet. Mark laughed quietly as Kevin and Scott stood up. Hunter's added, "you too Dead Man," cut off his laugh and Mark grumbled as he followed them into the hall.

Just as suspected, the three blonds were fighting for position at the locker room door of the Rattlesnake. The guys shook their heads as Shawn shoved Chris on his ass so he could get a better spot. Hunter walked over and offered a hand to his lover, dragging him to the other side of the hall once he'd helped him up. Chris pouted at him, but Hunter just gave him that 'you know better' look and Chris hung his head standing where Hunter had led him.

Dave walked over to the door and wrapped his arms around Shawn, forced to physically drag Shawn over to where Hunter and Chris were standing. Shawn started to pout as well, but Dave solved the issue by smiling and kissing the breath right out of the blond. Shawn was so involved in the kiss that he temporarily forgot all about Randy and Steve and concentrated on Dave's mouth instead.

Meanwhile...Kevin, Scott, and Mark shared a pointed look. One of them was going to have to remove the remaining blond who was now kneeling right next to the door with his ear pressed firmly against it. Mark considered going to grab him, but knew that he wasn't ready yet to stake his claim and if he laid hands on Adam, he wouldn't be able to help himself. So he tossed an arm around Scott's shoulders, earning him a dark look from Kevin, and motioned for Kevin to go grab the eavesdropper. Of course irritating Kevin was just a perk as far as Mark was concerned.

Scott and Mark snickered quietly as Kevin crossed the hall and picked Adam up from the floor. They both stopped mid snicker though when Kevin tossed the blond over his shoulder and swatted his ass. Scott didn't like the fact that Adam seemed to enjoy Big Sexy manhandling him and Mark was less than thrilled that Kevin had just spanked 'his property' like he had a right to do it. They both glared at the other two as they realized they'd just been paid back for their earlier teasing.

Just then the door across the hall swung open and three blond heads swiveled in that direction in unison. The rest of the group was quick to follow, finally admitting to themselves that they were curious how things would turn out. The all watched as Randy strutted half-way out the door, only to be pulled back into the arms of Steve Austin. The desperate kiss between the two prompted an eruption of cat-calls and whistles which the two ignored for a good minute or two.

"Is that underwear in Randy's hand?" Chris asked with a laugh.

"Looks like it to me," said Shawn with a smirk. "I honestly didn't think they'd do it in the locker room. I figured they'd wait until they got back to the hotel at least," he added with a quiet laugh. "Looks like old Steve charmed him out of his drawers."

Adam immediately started shaking his head. "No way. Those aren't Randy's, those have to be Steve's."

Seven pairs of eyes turned towards him showing various degrees of question and incredulity.

Adam shrugged lightly. "Randy and I went shopping last week. We share the same taste in underwear. Randy's a thong man," he said with a grin.

Several sets of eyes dropped to check out the blond's lower half...just for verification of course.

"Ouch! Damn it Chris." Hunter rubbed ineffectually at the shoulder his lover had just slapped.

Dave winced as Shawn twisted his earlobe to get his attention back where it belonged...on Shawn's lips.

Scott and Mark scowled at Kevin until Johnny Nitro walked up to the group with a grin, waving his twenty-dollar bill in the air. "Looks like I won't be buying that six-pack after all...anyone up for clubbing?"

A chorus of agreements rent the air and Shawn turned back to issue the invitation to Steve and Randy only to find them no longer standing in the doorway. Looking around, he saw the two men walking down the hall towards Randy's locker room. With a shrug, he turned and joined the group, deciding that the two were probably going to want to be alone anyway.

"I knew that my plan was perfect," he said with a huge grin.

Three men groaned at the very thought of Shawn's next perfect plan. Four men turned and fled for the door, hoping that Shawn wouldn't set his sights on them next. And one man wondered if Shawn was truly always right as he'd claimed.

Shawn laughed as he headed for the exit. He already had his next targets in mind. They wouldn't know what hit them.

****

While their friends bickered among themselves, Steve quickly grabbed Randy's hand and led him down the hallway towards his own locker room. He was thankful for their interference, though he'd never admit it to any of them, but he wasn't about to stand around and be teased by all of them either. He wanted to get Randy out of there so they could get on with their first date.

After they'd put some distance between themselves and the boisterous group, Steve turned and nodded at the silk scrap in Randy's hand. "What ya bring those things along fer?"

"Oh I don't know," Randy said with a slight shrug. "I thought maybe after we had a few beers and danced to some bad country music...we could go back to the hotel and you could model them for me."

Noticing the smirk on Randy's face and the heat in his eyes, Steve grabbed Randy's elbow and ushered him down the hall just a little bit faster.

Randy laughed as he joined Steve in a mad dash down the hallway.

The End.