****Okay, this is a sequel to Just a Man, this time with Kevin Nash and Charlene Hart, hence the title, otherwise known as Lenny. I keep going off and starting other fics, and I had to post this, but I promise I won't neglect my other stuff for too long....I just have to try and think up some ideas. I'm stuck on 'the boss' at the moment, though! Still, read and review, let me know whether to continue this or not!****
Chapter One
Kevin Nash leaned against the big tree and took a swallow of his beer, smiling as he watched Mark give his new bride a kiss. He had to admit he felt a bit jealous, even if he had sworn off marriage since his disastrous attempt ended in divorce three years ago. But he had been having second thoughts since he had met Mark's girl, Amy. She hadn't been false and hard as some of the women were that he met, and she truly loved the man she had just married, anybody looking at her could see that. She looked totally beautiful in her wedding dress and Mark hadn't been able to take his eyes off her all day, looking as if he couldn't believe she was really his. Kevin wondered how it would feel to care about someone that much, because as far as he could recall he never had. Oh sure, he mused, he had cared about his wife, but not enough to warrant the sort of expression his friend now wore. His thoughts were interrupted when Glenn Jacobs walked up to him, grinning like an idiot.
"What have you got to smile about?" he asked the other man, staring at him from an equal height of nearly 7 foot.
"Lots of things," Glenn answered, still grinning as he leaned against the tree next to his friend. "I'm smiling because the sun is shining on our friend's wedding day, Tammy is here with me and she can't keep her hands off me, I look devastatingly handsome in my tux, the beer is cold and plentiful....lots of things," he said, ticking the things off in the air with one finger. His smile suddenly turned wicked and he narrowed his eyes at the big blonde man. "Plus there's the fact that a certain young lady is dodging around from one person to the next trying to hide behind them so that you don't see her."
Kevin rolled his eyes, and lifted his beer again. "Goddamn pest," he growled, his eyes flicking instantly to where Charlene Hart was hiding this time. He had been aware of her location at every second since the reception began, she wasn't very good at hiding, but she kept trying anyway. She was probably hoping he wouldn't notice her and that he'd then leave, without getting his hands on her and making her pay for her last two escapades. His face grew even grimmer as he thought of the time she had stolen his truck. When he had gone to the house that she stayed in with her brother on Mark's land, she had been in the kitchen holding a bottle of maple syrup over some pancakes. Unfortunately, he had just barged in the door without knocking and she had turned and squeezed the bottle in fright. Even now, he could still remember looking up as the stream of syrup flew high through the air and then, with unerring accuracy, landed in his long hair. It had taken ages to wash the sticky substance out and he had been doubly irritated as he hadn't been able to punish her for it. Yet, he reminded himself with a tight smile. She had run out of her house at breakneck speed and climbed up a huge tree with the agility of a monkey, and he hadn't been able to follow her. His one attempt had seen him break a limb off the tree under his weight and end up on his backside on the ground, something she had laughed at, nearly making him explode with rage. If Mark hadn't come and taken him away he would probably still be standing there now, waiting to kill her. Obviously she realised he wouldn't be forgetting about that anytime soon, if her pathetic attempts to hide were anything to go by.
"Anybody home?" Glenn asked, snapping his fingers in front of Kevin's face and laughing at his furious expression. "Gee, who could you be thinking about?"
"It's your fault, you mentioned her!" Kevin snapped, looking over at her again and narrowing his eyes. "If I get my hands on her, she won't sit down for a month."
"Hmm," Glenn murmured, looking thoughtful. "Looks good today though, doesn't she? I can't remember seeing Lenny in a dress more than twice. Shame, she's pretty as a picture when she dresses up," he said, giving her the shortened name everyone knew her by.
"I hadn't noticed," Kevin said grumpily, swigging his beer again. It was a lie, but he wasn't going to let on. At Mark and Amy's barbecue he had seen her dressed up for the first time, and he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her, shocked at his body's response to someone he saw as just a kid. She had been wearing some sort of gypsy style attire that day, and she had looked lovely. His own surprise had been the only thing that saved her from a good beating, and she had been lucky to escape. Now she was wearing some sort of silk outfit in a bright cerulean blue, and he hated the fact that he had noticed that her grey eyes had reflected the colour of the dress, making them sparkle. Of course, he hadn't had much choice in noticing, as at one point he had seen the two eyes staring warily at him through the crook of someone's arm. Another of her bad hiding places. It would almost be funny if it didn't make him look like some sort of big, bad ogre out for her blood. Everyone had noticed, and that was why he was now standing away from them all having a beer. Now Glenn had joined him and he was sure the others would soon follow.
"I don't know why you don't just grab her and kiss her, get it over with," Glenn said, laughing at the filthy look the other man shot him.
"She's just a kid, you pervert. A man my age doesn't think of doing things like that with someone her age."
"Sure they don't. You do realise that she's two years older than Amy?" Glenn asked, looking over to where Mark and Amy were still standing hand in hand whilst they chatted with their guests.
Kevin frowned at that and looked at Amy and Mark. The age difference between those two didn't bother either of them, and his eyes moved to where Lenny was standing again, watching as she quickly ducked behind Paul Wight when she caught him staring.
"She's just a kid," he murmured again, looking away before Glenn caught him staring. He was angry with her, he reminded himself, he wasn't lusting after her. No way. He had never seen her in such a way, so why would he start now? Because of how she looked at the barbecue, his mind supplied helpfully, and he grimaced, squashing the stray thought down. He did not like her in that way, he didn't like her at all.
"Whatever, man," Glenn murmured, laughing happily as Tammy came up to them and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey baby."
"Hey yourself, handsome. Hey Kevin," she said, her eyes still fixed to Glenn's.
Kevin gave the greeting back and stared at the two of them, seeing the way Glenn softened as soon as Tammy was anywhere near him. He looked away with a sullen expression and started studying the people at the party. Damned if they didn't all seem to be in couples, he thought, frowning deeply. He hadn't even thought about bringing a date, and God knew he could charm the birds from the trees when he put his mind to it. It hadn't even occurred to him. Now he started feeling a bit odd, because so many people were with someone else. Even Paul Wight had plucked up his courage and asked Stephanie to accompany him, although they both looked so tense that he couldn't help wondering if that had been the right thing to do. Still, at least they had each other. He didn't have anyone.
Glenn and Tammy were so wrapped up in each other now that Kevin decided he'd better leave them on their own, feeling a bit like a spare wheel.
Paul Wight looked at him with something like relief when he approached him, and Kevin's eyes widened as he felt the tension surrounding the big man. He looked at Stephanie McMahon and gave her his best grin, seeing her face relax as she helplessly smiled back. If there was one thing he could do, it was get people to smile at him. Apparently, according to Amy, it was because his grin made everyone feel like laughing, or at least that's how it worked for her.
"How are things Steph?" he asked her, glancing once at Paul.
"Er...yeah, they're okay," she murmured, chewing her lip. "I've just got to go and see Amy," she said hurriedly and rushed away, her sigh of relief audible.
"So what's going on then?" Kevin asked the bigger man, looking confused. "I thought you'd been dying to get at Stephanie for months?"
Paul shrugged uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, things aren't exactly running smoothly," he said quietly, sounding fed up.
"How come?"
He nodded towards where Stephanie had disappeared, frowning. "Ask her. She won't let me anywhere near her. I tried kissing her and she looked like she hadn't ever been kissed before." He scowled and sighed deeply. "I thought she liked me, but I guess I was wrong. Still, you live and learn right?"
Kevin nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Apparently. So you won't be asking her for a date again, then?"
"If she wants to date me she can damn well ask me, not the other way around. I don't need to be made a fool of more than once." He shot another fierce look at Stephanie's back and then walked off, muttering to himself. Kevin watched him go and raised his beer bottle in the air, muttering 'cheers' under his breath. "Nice chatting to you too, buddy."
He shoved a hand in his pocket and wondered why he was feeling so ill at ease, then he caught sight of Lenny again and glared at her, making her jump so hard she spilled the drink she was holding, making a stain appear on her dress.
"Hey Kevin," a voice said from behind him, and he turned around, giving a groan when he saw the Hardy boys coming towards him, big grins on their faces.
"What do you two want?" he asked them shortly, glaring down at them.
"Good to see you again," Jeff said, leaning around Kevin to look at Lenny, laughing when Kevin tensed up. "Seems to me you have a little problem over there. I never thought I'd see the day when Big Sexy couldn't control a tiny little female like that!"
"Bite me, Jeff," Kevin snarled, moving back a step when Jeff's smile got even bigger. "And that wasn't an invitation!" He rolled his eyes when both of them laughed and then gave up, turning and making his way out of the crowd of people.
He wandered slowly towards the lake and crouched down next to the water, running his hand through the reeds and watching as a startled frog leapt into the depths. It was peaceful here, he thought, his eyes scanning across the lake to the ranch land beyond that Mark owned. He hadn't given much thought to settling down and getting something like this, although he could well afford it. The life he was leading suited him up to a point, but the constant travelling was starting to get to him, and the thought of owning a place like this was enticing to say the least. He was going to be staying here for three weeks whilst his friends took their honeymoon, having promised he would watch the place for them, sand he was looking forward to his time here. Maybe he would ask Mark if he knew of anywhere nearby he could purchase, see if he could work out a way to whittle down his wrestling commitments a bit. Even retire, he thought, raising his eyebrows. But then, what the hell would he do? He could sit back and do nothing if he wanted to, he had the means. But that would bore him to tears in very little time, especially if he was on his own. He frowned again and then started to turn his head when he heard a sound nearby.
He had time to see a blur of blue rushing towards him and then he found himself toppling forwards into the muddy water at the edge of the lake, his body quickly sinking. He fought his way back upwards as the shock of the cold water wore off, breaking through the surface and wiping his face with one muddy hand, rubbing the bits of weed from his eyes. He instantly saw Lenny standing on the banks, her hands over her mouth and her face a picture of horror at what she had just done. One look at his furious face and glittering hazel eyes let her know that she was about to die, and she started to turn away.
"Don't you damn well go anywhere!" Kevin bellowed at her, cursing roundly when she ignored him and ran off, seeking the sanctuary of her house. It was the final straw for the big man pulling himself out of the water, and he stomped after her, leaving a trail of mud and weeds as he went.
****Hmmm, what is it about big, sexy, men who are angry?? Maybe it's just me....;-)****