Being close in the city made it so much easier to get around. I was schedule to do a charity event and an autograph signing in the Chicago area over the course of the week, which made accepting Ryan's invitation to hang out a lot easier to do. There was a smile on my face as I disconnected the call, from my gorgeous pink Apple iPhone. Sitting next to me, of course, was a good friend of mine and my original trainer, the gorgeous Kandice Blake. She saw the smile on my face and immediately knew what was going on. Not only was this woman my trainer, she was like an older sister to me, my very best friend...I told her everything and not once did she ever say "Yvie, you can't do it". Only words of encouragement  came from her mouth, simply because she knew how it felt to be told you can't do something, you just can't do it. No matter how many times she did do it, she was still told she couldn't. She shook her head and continued signing autopgraphs with me, posing for pictures between signings, as I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. "Ryan I assume" she said, in a voice low enough for only she and I to hear. I nodded, looking at her, "Yeah, he wants to hang out Kandi. He wants me to swing by his place a little later on, after I finish up with all of this and just kind of hang out" I said, with a smile as I posed for yet another photo. "Do you know what you're doing, Yvie?" she asked, in a concerned tone...and rightfully so. Ryan's past was none to gorgeous, he'd turned on just about every friend he'd ever had and making new ones for him was not easy at all, given his track record. But, then again, people do  change when life changes. Sometimes things happen, sometimes people go through things that they never expect to and in the end, they come out a brand new, changed person. That's exactly what was happening with Ryan. He'd had his twins, Delilah and Devon and he's been a changed man since. Sure, he may act a certain way around some people, specifically people that he really doesn't care too much for, but all-in-all, he was changed...and for the better.

"Yeah, I do" I answered, looking at Kandice with a confident smile on my face. "Look, it's not like he and I are like a couple or anything. We are actually the farthest thing from that. Neither of us are looking to just jump into some relationship, be it sexual or romantical, we just found some companionship I guess. Someone to go to a movie with, to go to a sports game with, to do whatever with, without having the ties of being boyfriend and girlfriend. We're just friends, it's strictly a platonic thing. Could it develop into something more? Yeah, maybe. I mean it's not like the guy's ugly. He's gorgeous and he knows it, I know it, you know it. Could he be physically and sexually attracted to me? Probably, but that doesn't mean anything's going to happen. You know me by now, Kandi, you know I don't just jump into shit without thinking about the consequences in the end" I said, as the end of the line was finally drawing near. "You don't, eh?" she asked, inquisitively. Now why she would say it like that, you ask? Well, there was one 'relationship' that seemed to have died down before it even began, and that was the very brief, very minor courtship between myself and one of Ryan's worst enemies; Kevin Sane. Did either of us ever commit to a full-blown, actual relationship? We acted as if we did...spending tons of time together, hanging out, going out to dinner and concerts and things of that nature. Did we ever sleep together? No. I mean, how could I? The man had a new piece of ass in every company he was with, it's hard to trust someone with that kind of playboy reputation. But, regardless of his rep, he was still a very nice, sweet guy. He took me to Japan with him, hoping to mix a little business with pleasure but that never happened. Once over there, it was strictly business, absolutely no pleasure. He trained me a little more, helped me to get my moves retouched and get refocused on my wrestling career. In the end, do I regret ever meeting Kevin? No. Do I wish that things had worked out different, that he and I had gotten together? Not really, mainly because he seems quite happy now, extremely...in fact. He's dating a gorgeous, talented girl that seems to be his perfect match, in Jeanette. In fact, they aren't even dating anymore...they are officially married as of January the 10th. The thing between Kevin and I, though, was sort of like what's going on with Ryan and I...we were strictly friends. Sure, Kevin and I jumped into trying to put together this relationship, despite the many differences in our schedules and careers, but still we tried. This time things were going to be different. This time, I was going to see if Ryan really was a guy I could see myself getting with, being with and it actually working out, before I let anything happen. Or...at least I'd try. In the end though, actions always speak louder then words.

"Yeah okay, so maybe Kev and I did jump into something that neither of us was ready for but we both learned from that experience and flourished as people. He and I still talk on occassion. Not as much as we used to, especially now that he's married and all, but we do still communicate and I do still have a lot of respect and love for him. Not love in a romantical sense, but love as a person, a friend. He helped me and my career out in so many ways and for that, I will be eternally grateful. But, just because that happened with Kevin and I doesn't mean that'll happen between Ryan and I. I mean, the man's got two babies to take care of, he doesn't need to be bringing around the wrong kind of people to not only screw up his life, but the lives of those two precious babies of his. And I know I am certainly not ready to be a mother. Even if it is a step-mother...not that that's the role I'd be given right off the bat but still, you know what I mean" I said, laughing some as I signed the last autograph of the afternoon. The lines had been closed, the security guards were beginning to turn people away, though it pained me to have to tell these devoted fans no, the security guards did. "Ryan and I know that, things are never certain and they are never as they appear. I know he's got a sort of bad boy, playboy reputation...kind of like Kevin's...and I know his past speaks vividly for itself...but that's just it. That was his past. The Ryan I talk to on the phone, the Ryan I see, the Ryan I have dinner at freakin' MickieD's with, is a different Ryan that was dating Tara Wilson, that gave President Bush the Payne Killer....a different Ryan than the one that used to float around PWI on freakin' cloud nine, like no one could touch him. Since those babies came around, he's become much more realistic, much more modest and humble. Well, not completely and totally modest like me, but he's not that same overly cocky SOB that he used to be. I see a different person then what people see in him, which makes me want to give him a chance...a chance to prove that he's not this evil asshole that everyone pegs him out to be" I said, looking at her as we stood up from the chairs we were seated in. "But don't worry Kandi, I am watching myself. I already had to deal with one evil, overbearing, asshole of a boyfriend in my life, I most certainly don't need a second dose of that. My heart was broken once and that's all it took for me to learn that I never want to go down that road again. So, please don't worry, I will be fine. I'm a big girl, I can handle this...I can handle Ryan Payne" I said, giving her a comforting smile. "Okay, but you know I'll always be here, I'll always worry and I'll always look out for you" she said, as we hugged. "I know" I responded back to her. Seconds later, we broke the hug and went our separate ways, to our separate cars. She, of course, heading back to the hotel while I was on my way to see Ryan and the babies.

Within thirty minutes, at roughly around 2 in the afternoon I pulled into the driveway of Ryan's newly purchased home. I had a smile on my face as I peeked out the window, turning off the egnition to my 2009 custom designed, beautifully metalic -- or onyx -- black Honda Civic. The passion pink interior was what was custom designed for me...over the course of the summer, while injured, I'd become a sort of Honda spokesperson for a little while and as a treat, I was able to custom design a car of my choosing for a much lower price then what the general public would normally have to pay for. I brought down the window visor and retouched my strawberry flavored lip gloss -- a girl could never have too much lip gloss on -- and gave myself a comforting smile. As I pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them deep into my new Dolce and Gabbana hobo purse that Kandice had gotten me as a Christmas gift this past Christmas, I grabbed a hold of that and a somewhat large bag of Subway sandwiches for myself and Ryan...the combo meal -- drink and chips. I had the regular ole turkey and cheese on wheat for me, no onion. I absolutely despise onion! And I managed to get one that I know he'd like. We both had a bag of cheetos and I opted for a sprite whereas he got a coke. Not normal for either of us and our athletic features, but today, we were going to be normal people. Not wrestlers, not entertainers, not people in the public eye. Today, we were simply Yvette and Ryan, friends having some late lunch together. With a smile, I pushed open the door to my vehicle and got out, wearing a pair of slightly faded blue jean pants. They had that sort of premade ripped look to them and hugged my body nicely, but not in one of those totally slutty, trashy ways. In a nice, classy sort of way. Underneath the off-white cotton, button down jacket I wore a black band tee for one of my favorite musical artists; Ozzy Osbourne. It was sort of an old school looking shirt, seeing as Ozzy's popularity has somewhat faded since the Osbournes show on MTV years ago. To complete the outfit I wore a pair of white and silver skeecher tennis shoes. Today was a very normal day for me, at least, I was hoping it would be. My hair was even down and completely straight.

Walking towards the door, I saw him peek out the window, trying to make it a not-so-obvious glance outside when he heard my car pull up and the door close. I set off the alarm to the car before going in, only because it was habitual thing for me. Once at the door, I rang the doorbell only once -- more times just becomes an annoyance -- and plus, I knew the babies were sleeping. He'd told me on the phone while I stopped at Subway to get the lunch. He opened it and let me in, taking the bag of food from my hand and holding the door open for me. Once inside, he closed it shut and I began to take off my coat and scarf, which protected me from the cold winter weather outside. He hung them on the coatrack in the forier by the door and headed to the kitchen area. In there, was a large countertop space with a few barstool chairs. He laid the food out there and got a couple of plates, setting them up for he and I. The babies were sleeping comfortably in the crib, and there on the counter, not but a few inches away, was the baby monitors, so that he could hear them if they cried. We sat down, enjoying our food and mild conversation, as they slept. "You should let me pay you back for this, Yvie, I mean it's not right you paying for my food like that when I can afford it" he said, trying to be the usual macho guy that all men try to be. "Oh don't even worry about it Ryan, it was not too much trouble at all. I know you can afford it, and trust me, so can I" I laughed, looking at him. "Besides, I wanted to pay for this meal, it's the least I could do. The last few times we hung out and had some food you paid so, now it's my turn. It's totally on me and I will not accept any money at all" I said, giving him a light slap on the arm...not in a mean, violent manner, in a sort of playful manner. "But, if you insist on paying me back, put it in a little piggy bank for the kids, that way when they are old enough, they can have some money already" I said, giving him another little playful wink. "Yeah, I guess that's okay" he said, and I shook my head. Men, why must they be so stubborn all the time? I took a sip from my sprite and looked at the television he had set up in the kitchen. It was on E and an old rerun of The Girls Next Door was on. Either he liked the show or he liked the girls, regardless...it kind of made me chuckle some. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking at me then the television. "Girls Next Door, Ryan? Really?" I said, with a laugh. "So which one do you like; Holly, Bridget or Kendra?" I asked, in a joking manner. "Eh, there was something on before that. An E True Hollywood story about the Jackson family. It ended right before you walked in and I guess that was scheduled next" he said, shrugging it off as he took another bite of his sub sandwich. "Sure Ryan, sure" I said laughing. He sort of laughed to, as we looked at each other then back at the television. "I like Bridget. She's funny, she's cute and she's a lot smarter then people give her credit for. That's what I like most about her, she never lets what people say to her or think of her stop her from being the absolute best person she can be. Sort of like me, I guess" I shrugged, taking a bite of my sandwich as well.