Later That Same Night...

After AJ showered and got changed into something a little more decent (which I did as well), he showed me some kindness I thought I would never see from a man. He escorted me to the rented black SUV, held the door open for me, and smiled every time I even glanced over at him.

Despite his very kind acts towards me, he was starting to act seemingly weird. I think it's been ever since he took off his old wedding ring earlier in the night before his match. He was acting more happy and put together.

Did that ring carry some kind of disease when he wore it? Unfortunately, that's called heartbreak in his case. It was just there to be that constant reminder of what could've lasted forever.

"You think you'll ever get married again if you actually fall in love with someone else?" I suddenly found myself asking AJ, which literally fell right out of my mouth. I didn't mean to come off as that and by the deflated grin on his face, I know that I shouldn't have asked to begin with.

"Well," he breathed out, probably not expecting that to be one of the first things I ask him as we're up and going to dinner. "I don't think it's possible." With that already said, I sighed and my heart fell down to the pit of my stomach. "Then again, anything is really possible." I tried to hide the huge grin I held on my face.

"I didn't mean to ask like that," I tried to explain myself and previous action. "I feel that I might of come off a bit too harsh, y'know?"

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it," he waved it away and it seemingly mellowed me. "But, the way I look at it, Britt, is that I'm thirty-eight years old – on the verge of being thirty-nine in June – and was married for about twenty years. I have four kids with her and the youngest is only two years old." He paused to take a breath and to put on his turn signal to go left. He swept his hair out of his face as well. "I made the stupid mistake of choosing my dream in the WWE over my family, I guess. Well, that's how Wendy looked at it as, anyway."

Before I knew it, he was turning into a packed O'Charley's parking lot. In all honesty, I don't think I would've replied to him even if I have had the chance to do so, considering the fact that I didn't know if what I wanted to hear next would be best.

AJ actually ended up finding a parking place and soon ended up turning the vehicle off. He took off his seatbelt and made his way out on his side. I began to open my door until I saw AJ standing there, opening it the rest of the way for me. Since the truck was more higher up, AJ offered his hand to help me out. I happily accepted, of course.

A matter of fact, after he locked the rented SUV, he offered me his whole left bicep arm. I looped my hands all around it and easily melted into him like butter in a hot baked potato. Although his arms were covered by a short-sleeved plain black t-shirt, I could still easily see his biceps peeking out.

He was about to open the door for us when a small group of people came out instead. They shuffled passed us laughing and talking rather very loudly. Despite that, we shook them off quickly and made our way inside where a few people were sitting around waiting in the lobby area.

We stood in line patiently and the hands I had around his bicep began to slip. My left hand returned back to my side while my right hand literally slid down towards AJ's hand, which was without gloves or his wedding ring. I brushed it against his accidentally and smiled up at him as an apology. He smiled back, of course, like it didn't affect him at all.

It wouldn't because we're just good old friends, after all. And that is what's going to kill me in the end. Being thirty-three and feeling so completely old (even though I just had a birthday a few months ago), only a few years younger than him, I have put all of my focus and dedication into wrestling. Well, into wrestling and AJ Styles, of course, just because my whole wrestling career practically revolves around him, anyway.

I don't have any kids, just nieces and nephews. At this rate, about the time I decide to actually settle down and have kids, my nieces and nephews will be having their own children.

I've never been married. Seldom am I ever in a real relationship. Well, I did used to date TNA Superstar, Eric Young, on and off for two and a half years from 2012 to mid 2014 while AJ and I were in TNA.

I couldn't commit myself to anyone back then, even now, because my heart belongs to one man and one man only. Unfortunately, he's my best friend and the man I'm standing next to right now.

Rumor is, though, that Eric's headed to NXT soon. Anyways, we ended on bittersweet terms, although I wish him nothing but the very best in the world as I know he does with me, too. He did tell me this before we left, after all.

I briefly had an on-screen relationship with Eric Young as well before I turned on him to partner with Bobby Roode for a while at that time. On-screen is way different than off-screen, of course. Maybe that was the beginning of our crumbling relationship.

Now up at the front podium, the hostess greeted us with a smile and said, "Hello, folks! How many?"

"Actually, madam, I made a call up here about thirty, maybe even forty-five minutes, ago for a reservation for two," AJ informed the hostess lady, which was all new information to me. "The name on the reservation is Allen Jones."

The lady looked down and traced her fingertip on her layout pad of the tables and reservations on the side until she finally popped her head back up. "Ah, yes, here you are, Mr. Jones," she squealed out with that same old award-winning grin. She turned just a little bit to grab two menus in her grasp and that's when a man appeared behind the hostess. "Would you mind taking these two here to their table in the very back please?"

The waiter nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am." To us, he quickly told us, "If you would come this way with me, I'll direct you to your table."

With that said, AJ and I followed closely behind the waiter to avoid people getting up and interrupting our line of movement. He ended up directing sitting us somewhere in the back in the dark like it was a secret hideout from the rest of the restaurant.

There was another table of people close by, but I felt so out of reach of everyone. Nevertheless, AJ took the time to pull out my chair for me and to scoot me up towards the table as well. How sweet! Ugh!

The waiter placed a menu in front of each of us and went ahead to get his notepad out. "Alright, folks, can I start you out with any drinks?" he first asked of us and I exchanged a glance with AJ. I ended up ordering just a Sprite and AJ got a Dr. Pepper. With that, he thanked us and headed off to get our drinks.

When the waiter was gone and literally out of sight, I turned my attention to AJ, who was flipping through the menu placed evenly in his hands. My menu, however, was still sitting on the table in front of me. He sat across from me at the table we shared, but even through the dark spots back here, I could still see the glimmer in each of his light brown eyes.

"So, reservations, huh?" I spoke up finally just so I could tease him. He looked up at me and smiled with his cheeks practically burning red. Wait, was he... Oh, my God. Is AJ Styles blushing because of you, Britt? I certainly hope so!

He shrugged and explained, "Well, I just thought it would be better for us to get in here and get something to eat than to wait and starve to death." I certainly agreed with that statement there.

"Here you guys go," the waiter said when he returned to our table with our drinks. He sat them each in front of who ordered them. "So, are you guys ready to order yet or do you need some more time to decide?"

AJ nodded and told him, "Yeah, we're actually gonna need some more time. Sorry about that." The waiter shook his head, smiled, and said that it was alright before he took off again and out of sight.

I placed the straw that was provided to me with my drink into the glass and took a huge swig of it. Delicious! AJ had done the same with his own beverage.

I finally decided to pick up my menu and examine what was inside of it, just to see what I may want. I glanced through the many options of what this place had to offer for food, but I still didn't know what would be best for my diet.

"What are you planning on getting?" I asked aloud towards AJ. I wanted to pick his mind a bit just to see, of course.

He squinted his eyes down at the menu and replied, "Um... I think I'm gonna go with a regular ol' steak and fries. What about you?" Delicious!

"Yeah, I think I'm going to go with the same thing," I ultimately decided, so I wouldn't have to look at the small print in front of me anymore. I closed the menu and sat it back in front of me. "You don't think it'll mess up my unofficial diet, will it?"

With that, AJ let out a big whoop of laughter like what I said was actually humorous to him. He sat his menu down as well and glared over at me. "Well, first of all, Britt, you don't need a diet," he stated and it made me feel really good again. "If anything, a diet needs you."

I started to giggle because of what he said last. It just didn't make sense of what he said, but that's just how he was sometimes. I didn't mind the confusion, of course.

The waiter came back shortly after this to ask for our order and we told him, then he handed us a basket of big glazed roles with a side of butter and two small plates. We thanked him, he took our menus, and disappeared once again.

I went ahead and dove right into the roles. I placed a big one on my small plate and used my knife to get the butter out of its small tube. I cracked open the role and stuffed some butter in there before I smoothed it on top of it. I shoved it in my mouth and instantly felt like the butter in this situation.

Again, AJ began laughing for some reason and I opened my eyes again just to see what he was laughing at. "What now?" I asked him through a mouthful of food. What? I was enjoying my role and creamy butter.

"You," he simply said with a more calmer approach and same old sweet smile. "You have butter all over your face."

I was about to get it off of my face when he reached over with a napkin and helped get it off. My heart melted like the butter on this role. His light brown eyes met my dark orbs and I could've launched myself across this table at him to smother him with lost years of kisses, but I – of course – decided against it. He was still heartbroken on the inside while plastering a smile on the outside to hide it.

"There, all done," he announced, to show he was done getting the butter off of my face. "Back to being the same old beautiful Britt Daria."

Although I could've died right now, something was different about what he said this time around. Sure, he's called me beautiful before, but something changed in his tone when he said it this time, however.

With each word, his eyes sparkled bright. Same old, same old since the day I first met him, yet different to a point where I believed he meant them.