Though she had been the one ignoring him so far, for some reason she felt as though Randy was doing the exact same thing. Why? That much she was uncertain of. All she knew was that things were getting confusing now with Randy around, and that part of her brain would always wonder if what Dave and Lilian said was the truth. What if she did care for Randy and just didn't realize it? "You’re doing it again..."
"Doing what?" Tania questioned with a raised eyebrow as she glanced up at Shane who was sitting behind a desk shuffling through a few papers. "What am I doing?"
Shane laughed. "Getting lost in your thoughts. You've been doing that rather frequently today. Care to share what's on your mind?" He was curious as to where she was going in that pretty little head of hers. Whatever it was, the attention that should have been his wasn't there.
"Guess my mind's just wandering today Shane." Tania admitted with a sigh as she pulled her feet up under her on the chair. "Too much excitement for me."
"That a good thing or a bad thing?"
Tania shrugged. "I'd assume it's a good thing. Or at least I hope it is a good thing. I wouldn't want for it to be anything else." Aside from the Adam incident, she wouldn't trade the last few days in for anything.
"It would not have anything to do with you ignoring Orton would it?" Tania's expression faded at the mention of Randy's name. How had Shane managed to pick up on such an obscure fact. "Did you guys have a fight that I don't know about or something?" Shane inquired as he lay his pen down on the table.
"I'm not ignoring him."
"You're not talking to him either." Shane had seen how they had not spoken to one another all day. It was kind of hard not to when he was always suspicious of the younger man's actions when it came to Tania.
Tania sighed. "Doesn't mean I'm ignoring him. And my mind's not wandering Shane, incase you were still wondering." It was a lie, she knew and hoped that Shane didn't. All she wanted was for the conversation to shift away from Orton.
Shane gave a hesitant nod before leaning back in his chair. "How are you feeling today? Any better?"
"Had a headache this morning, but other than that I'm much better."
"Good." Shane seemed to sit still for a moment. Watching Tania intently he finally spoke again. "There's a police officer coming to speak to you today. I managed to convince them not to talk to you last night, but they need to hear your story. Adam's definitely going to see some sort of legal action for this one."
"That's fine." She didn't really want to bring the police into it, but there wasn't much of a choice anymore. Shane especially wouldn't allow for things to be dropped so easily. "I'm sure I won't be heading too far away from here anyhow."
Shane smiled moved around to lean against the front of his desk and folded his arms across his chest. "What would you like to do?"
"Hmm?"
"I still have to make up for our date being ruined. We can do the dinner thing another time, but for now what would you like to do?" Clearly she wasn't enjoying watching him finish paper work and frankly he couldn't blame her. It wasn't all that interesting for him either. "Your choice."
Tania shrugged. "There isn't really anything to do here Shane. Finish your work. I'm sure if I get that bored I can bug Jake and the rest of the crew, they are probably wondering if I've vanished from the face of this earth. Not only that but I'm sure Jake's heard about the whole Adam thing..."
"Which you can explain at another time." Shane especially didn't want her wandering around the arena on her own. Masters was still a possible threat and he had no idea who else Adam could have willing to do his dirty work. "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm not letting you out of my site while you are here."
"I'm a big girl you know." Tania found it almost cute how Shane was still trying to protect her. Of course she knew it was only going to be a matter of time before it quickly became annoying. "Besides, I can always make sure I'm hanging around Dave if it would make you happy. I'm sure Lilian would be with him and I'd love to get to know her better." She was quickly beginning to see a friendship with Lilian.
"Speaking of Lilian..."
"What?"
Shane sighed. "We've decided to bring in one of the Smackdown ring announcers to cover for Lilian. After what happened to you the last thing you need it to be out in the ring. You still aren't quite a hundred percent even if you won't admit it."
For some reason, Tania wasn't all that upset. "So I guess I'll be going back to set up and take down then."
Shane let a small frown tug at his lips. If she went back to set up and take down it was going to be harder to spend time with her. He'd barely be able to see her. "I guess it would mean that, yes."
Tania laughed. "You don't sound too happy about it."
"I'm not." Shane confirmed. He was anything but impressed about the idea of Tania going back to working for the crew. She was much more deserving than such a job. "It would mean no more of this." Shane gestured between the two of them indicating that their relationship wouldn't be the same.
"I am sure we can manage." If Shane thought the relationship was worth it, then he'd find a solution to their problem. Or at least that was how Tania viewed it. Pushing up from the chair, Tania walked over to Shane and brushed her lips against his.
A small chuckle escaped Shane's lips. "Yes."
---
"I think I'm being ignored."
"Oh yeah?" Dave raised his eyebrows in curiosity. He wondered who could possibly be ignoring Randy all of a sudden. "Who do you think is ignoring you?"
"Tania."
This really startled Dave. "You think Tania is ignoring you? We are talking about the woman who spends all her free time with you if she's not with Shane, right?" She didn't seem to be ignoring him during breakfast.
Randy nodded. "Same girl. Every time I try to call her or catch up with her she always manages to slip away some how. I think I've left two voice messages so far today."
"Maybe Shane's keeping her busy." Dave hinted with a grin. "I mean, how could anyone resist the McMahon charm?"
"How can anyone fall for it?"
Dave laughed. "Obviously Tania can. She seems to be rather smitten with him."
"Her biggest mistake too, as far as I'm concerned."
"Meaning?" Whether he knew it or not, Randy was speaking in code.
Randy rolled his eyes. "Get off it man, I'm not crazy, infatuated or whatever you and Lilian describe it as. What I mean is that Tania is only going to end up hurt with McMahon. She deserves better than him."
"Like you?"
With a growl Randy turned to his suitcase. "That's not what I meant and you know it." He wished that Dave and Lilian would drop the entire thing. It was becoming a quick annoyance than anything else. "Come on Dave, your telling me that Shane is deserving of someone like Tania?"
"No." Dave would agree with that much. "But right now he's obviously giving Tania the kind of attention that she wants. He's showing her a type of love that is making her feel special. It's more than she can say about anyone else." By anyone else Dave meant Randy, but he wasn't about to say that aloud.
"Still, she hasn't talked to me all day. Something has to be up with that."
"Maybe Shane sees you as some type of competition for Tania?"
Randy gave a bit of a shrug. He doubted it, but if Dave and Lilian were convinced that he had feelings for Tania than maybe Shane thought the same thing. But then how could Shane convince Tania not to associate with him? "Doubtful." Pulling out his shirt for the night Randy hesitated. Something finally occurred to him. "After I left breakfast this morning, what did you guys talk about?"
"Just little things."
"Little things like what?" Randy pressed on.
"Little things. I mean, after you left Tania didn't stay around all that long."'
Randy's brow furrowed. "She left? Why?"
Dave gave a bit of a shrug. "Guess she wanted to go back up and see if Shane was awake or something. I don't know, I'm not Tania."
"Fuck Dave, what did you and Lilian say to her?"
"Woah, what are you talking about?"
Randy rolled his eyes. "Tania wouldn't have gone back up to see if Shane was awake. She was trying to spend a bit of time away from him. Not only that but I'm pretty sure she liked the idea of talking to Lilian since she doesn't really have any female friends around here. You had to have said something to her, now what was it."
"Nothing man!" Dave held up his hands in his defense, but was quick to see that Randy wasn't buying his lies. Could he really admit to Randy that they had pretty much told Tania to kiss Randy in order to figure out what exactly was going on between the two of them.
"Bullshit! You aren't starting on her now about this whole us having feelings for one another thing are you?"
"Okay, so maybe Lilian mentioned a little something on the subject..."
Randy cursed under his breath unimpressed with the entire situation. Tania was dealing with enough already without the help of Dave and Lilian confusing the situation for her. "What did she say exactly."
"She may have said that Tania needs to figure out what is going on with the two of you before figuring out how she stands with Shane. That Tania is certain that if she picks Shane she won't regret not giving you a chance..." Dave cringed; it had probably not been the best idea at the time. Especially with it now leading to this sudden argument between the two superstars. "Look, she shouldn't have said it."
"You think? With all the shit she's been through, you two had to go and make things even worse for her." No wonder she was ignoring Randy. "Just great..."
"You're getting too worked up about this Randy - about her. This isn't healthy or right and you know it as well as I do." Randy was becoming too involved with Tania especially with him insisting nothing was going on. Someone was going to get hurt and not just emotionally. More like out in the ring.
Randy ignored his friend’s statement. Frankly, he just wanted to end the argument. "I'm not getting worked up Dave so leave it."
Dave held up his hands in defense with a sigh. There really was no point of arguing anymore. "So Lilian told me they are bringing in a Smackdown ring announcer to take over for Lilian."
"Shane's taking Tania off the job?"
"Looks that way. Probably for the best with all the shit going on involving Adam."
Randy was actually shocked by the information Dave had revealed. "So then it puts her back on set up and take down."
"Do you think Shane's going to be willing to let that happen? Or you think he'll find her another job to give her in order to keep her by his side?" Shane was the boss, for all Dave knew Shane could have already come up with a personal secretary position for Tania.
"Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Shane tried to get her to quit altogether. I won't let that one happen though." Randy would not let Shane manipulate Tania to that extent. There was just no way. Randy would rather kidnap her and send her to some deserted island than let Shane make her a personal pet of his. The guy didn't love her, he just saw Tania as a rebound for Marissa. Tania was just another woman to drape on his arm.
"You think he'd go that far?"
---
Hands slipping around Tania’s waist, Shane deepened the kiss. Everything about the woman in front of him had become so intoxicating and addictive. He wanted her – all of her.
Pushing away from her lips, Shane dropped soft kisses down along the line of her jaw. When he felt her head drop to the side, his kisses then moved from there to follow the curve of her neck. Burying his head into her neck he let out a sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Tania questioned, hands reaching up to brush through his hair. She could tell something was on his mind even if she hadn’t known him for that long.
“I have an idea, I’m just not sure you’d go for it.” Shane revealed. “Then again, I wouldn’t want you to either.”
Tania frowned; she seemed to be just as confused as Shane. “Why don’t you tell me anyhow?”
“Forget I said anything.”
“Too late.” Tania laughed. He had gained her attention already and would have to answer. “I can’t so you might as well tell me.”
Shane shook his head. It was a stupid idea and she’d never go for it anyhow.
“Please?”
Pulling slightly back from Tania, Shane simply watched her for a moment. When she raised an eyebrow at him the realization that she wasn’t going to give up finally sunk in. “Fine. You really want to know even though it is stupid?”
“Yes, Shane, I do. That’s why I’m asking.”
“What if you didn’t go back to your job? Just traveled around with me?”
Tania sighed. “Shane, I have to work. There are bills to pay…”
“I know, which is why I said it was stupid.”
Tania let out a laugh. “Hey, at least you are trying.”
Shane couldn’t help but smile at Tania. There really was something about the way she just lit up when she was amused by something that stole him over. As much as he hated to admit it, he was falling for her. “I guess so.”
“You are.”
“Didn’t help the situation though.”
With a shrug, Tania rested her head on Shane’s chest. “That’s the beauty of it being an idea Shane, it doesn’t matter if it won’t help.” They would come up with other ideas. The thing was, Tania had to work to pay the bills. She had an apartment and a car and a phone. They all equaled money.
“Too bad we didn’t know each other longer.”
“Why’s that?”
“I could have just asked you to move in with me.”
Tania laughed with a shake of her head. At least the boy was trying; it had to count for something. “Yeah, it is a little too early for that one there.”
“No kidding. I’m not even sure if you can cook or clean.”
“Shane?”
Looking down at Tania Shane stopped tracing the small circles on her back with his thumb. “What is it?”
“I want to know the truth.”