Mark took her to a small restaurant not far from the arena. They were seated in a matter of minutes.

"I want to thank you again," she said.

"You don't have to thank me. You'll find, Kris, that we are like a family. We share our happiness and sorrow with each other just like any real family does."

CB made a mental note of the last comment. She could see why. Being on the road, away from their loved ones, they would turn to one another for friendship.

After they had eaten, he asked if she wanted to go dancing. She nodded. There was a dance club not from there. The place was jamming when they entered. The music was loud and one could barely hear what the other was saying. They were seated at a corner table. He asked if she would care to dance. The floor was crowded and one could barely move. CB wasn't much into the music being played, but she did have fun dancing.

When the band took a break, a DJ came out. He happened to put on a slow tune. Mark pulled her close, his arms enveloping her. CB was having a rough time keeping herself together. Mark could feel the heat emanating from her. His hands slowly began going down her back. She looked up at him, "Keep your hands right where they are." Mark raised his brows and then laughed. "Yes Ma'am." When the song was finished, they went back to their table. It was getting warm, and Mark's body next to her didn't help any.

"It's getting a bit too warm in here. I need to get some air," she said.

"Why don't we go for a ride," he said.

They rode around for a couple of hours. The air felt good while they were riding. It had been a long time since she had had this much fun. They ended up back at the hotel. Mark parked the Titan by one of the crew trucks for them to load the next morning. He walked her to her room. They stopped outside her door.

"I had a good time tonight. Thank you," she said.

"I had a good time, too. Would you like to do it again sometime?"

"Yes, I would."

CB was going to kiss him on the cheek, but Mark turned his face, her lips kissing his. She looked at him surprised. She opened her door. "Good night," she said, closing the door.

Mark went back to his room. He had just opened his door when Kane called him. Mark turned.

"You sure worked fast. Looks like the 'old man' hasn't missed a step. How was it?"

Mark shook his head. "How was what?"

"Your 'date'?"

"My 'date' went just fine. I took her to dinner and then dancing. That's it."

"Yeah right. Just dinner and dancing. Nothing else?"

"No, just dinner and dancing." He went in and closed the door, leaving Kane chuckling in the hallway.

CB had gotten her notebook out and wrote about the matches. She noted the comment Mark had made about the company being like a family. Not many places did that in this day and age. She put it back in the suitcase and prepared for bed. When she lay down, she thought back to their impromptu date. CB smiled. She had had fun, something she hadn't done in a while, not with a large company to run. She was going to have to make it a point to take a break from work a little more often. That's what had killed her father; always working, never taking time to enjoy life. She thought of how close Mark had held her. A mix of emotions went through her; a part of her saying don't get personally involved, that's not what you're here for; the other saying "yes, do get involved. It's time to find that special someone in your life.

A Smackdown taping was being held at "The Igloo" in Pittsburgh, tickets having sold out in less than 5 minutes. CB hoped the camera did not come her way. She was rather camera shy, preferring to be behind instead of in front, but also as she knew people there.

She arrived a couple of hours ahead of time to see how the pyrotechnicians set up the fireworks. She was told that there were other matches, called Dark Matches, done first, then fireworks were set up in the ring for Sunday Night Heat taping. CB was interested in knowing what safety precautions they used for the fireworks. She listened to the technician explain every detail, making mental notes. CB thanked him and then went on to watch the wrestlers prepare for their matches.

Jim called her over, saying that one of the matches would be moving outside the ring and into the crowd.

"Just be ready to go ahead of them. I'll be leading."

CB nodded. She noticed Steve bringing out an odd assortment of items.

"Steve, what is all this stuff for?"

"I'm defending my Hardcore title tonight. All this is legal to use in the ring."

Steve had an assortment of weapons: trash cans, lids, stop sign, fire extinguisher, and his usual Kendo sticks.

"Those can do some real harm if not handled right," CB said.

"I take it you know how to use them," Steve said.

"I've practiced with them a few times, but I prefer to use my hands and feet."

"How about knumchucks?"

"I've practiced with them occasionally."

"How about a Coke?" Steve asked.

"Sure."

Steve got her a Coke and they sat and talked for a bit. He asked what made her take a job with the WWF. She said a friend told her about it, knowing she liked to travel and knew she wouldn't mind the hectic schedule.

Mark came in with Kane just then. He spotted CB and Steve talking. He watched how she laughed. Forgetting Kane was there, he stared at the two of them, a scowl appearing on his face. Kane looked at him, then looked at CB and Steve.

"What's the matter? Don't you like Steve talking to Kris?"

Mark was still staring at them. He turned and shrugged his shoulders, trying to hide his feelings. "Why should I mind Steve talking to Kris." He walked on to the locker room.

Kane watched Mark leave, his pace a little faster than when he came in. Kane shook his head and chuckled to himself.

Chapter 7

When it came time for the Hardcore match, CB watched with interest how the wrestlers hit each other without really hurting each other. But there were times she noted when there was no other possible way but take the shot. She would wince, feeling the pain.

Al and Steve were trading blows, Al throwing Steve out of the ring and going after him. She noticed Jim begin to move to a certain spot. The wrestlers began heading his way. CB moved just slightly ahead of them, keeping the crowd back. They soon were heading toward the back, in the general direction of the concession stand. Both wrestlers pelted each other with bags of popcorn, throwing drinks, ice, whatever they could get their hands on, shoving each other against the wall. The stand was now a mess. They moved on to a stack of folding tables. Steve threw Al on top of one of them. Picking up a trash can, he hit Al, who fell to the floor. Steve pinned him. The ref counted.

CB went back to her position at ringside. Mark's match came next. He was going against Kane in a grudge match. Kane came out first and winked at CB before getting into the ring. She gave Kane a slight smile. Mark came out, riding his red Titan. After circling the ring, he parked it near CB. After getting off, he motioned to her, telling her to stand near it and make sure no one touched it. He went into the ring. CB got a puzzled look on her face. He had said it in an irritated voice. She couldn't figure out why. Had she done something?

In the ring, Mark and Kane were battling it out, hitting each other with chin shots. Kane whipped Mark against the ropes. Mark bounced off and ducked as Kane attempted a side-arm smash. Mark stopped, side armed Kane, making him peddle backward. Mark hit Kane with more chin shots, then whipped Kane into the corner turnbuckle. As Mark came in to smash him, Kane stuck his leg up, catching Mark in the chin. Mark stepped back a few steps. Kane raised his hand, ready to catch Mark and chokeslam him. He caught Mark by the throat, lifted him up and slammed him to the canvas, the floor giving way. The ref rang the bell. Kane left the ring. The cameras got a close up of Mark slowly getting up, his lips muttering something. He left the ring and got on his Titan. As he left, he didn't bother to look her way.

CB walked back to the locker room to change. She saw Mark talking to Tazz. She was going to ask about his so-called attitude but decided whatever it was, that was his problem.

Mark saw her going toward the locker room. He knew he was wrong for the way he had talked to her, his feelings inside in a turmoil. Kane came over.

"Okay, Mark what gives with the attitude at Kris? I watched the way you talked to her."

"I don't know," Mark shrugged.

"Don't know or don't want to say?" Kane asked, with raised brows.

For the next couple of months, CB travelled with the WWF. At each city, she learned more and more about the wrestlers, their likes, dislikes, and fears. She became good friends with Jim, who had become like a brother to her. They all came to look at CB as a trusted friend, except Mark. For some reason he would be cross with her constantly, especially after he would see her talking to Steve or Kane.

Kane had a pretty good idea why Mark was this way. He and Mark had travelled together for some time so Kane pretty well knew his friend's quirks. He could tell that Mark had a special interest in CB. Kane also knew that despite the character he portrayed, Mark was a very sensitive and quiet person, hiding his true feelings. He sensed that Mark was in a turmoil over CB, wanting to have a relationship with her, but not wanting it to show, and it was driving him crazy.

CB had never thought to find someone to become personally involved with. She was fighting her own emotions as well. The more she was around Mark, despite his irritation with her, the more she wanted to find out about him. But she was there for business reasons and those had to come first. Taking a deep breath, she went on.

After one of the PPV's, No Mercy, CB felt like she had all the information she needed. As she had a few days coming, she flew back to New York. She took all the information she had gathered and sat down in her office. All night she went over the records and notes of her travel with the WWF. It was close to morning when she made her decision. She had a small bathroom in her office. After cleaning up, she made a pot of coffee and sat, outlining the agreement papers she would submit to Titan Towers. When her secretary came in, she had her set up a board meeting for that afternoon and then had the attorneys draw up the offer. CB slept very little, so when she entered the board room, she was red-eyed and very tired.

After catching up on what had happened with the company, she had the attorney hand out copies of the proposal. The wording was straight forward. The Corporation would own all of Titan Towers and its holdings: the television rights, stocks, restaurant, funny cars, and websites, plus all revenues from the merchandise sales. She had a special stipulation put in the proposal that Vince would be paid a certain percentage of the profit until his retirement. Titan Towers would remain as is, no one losing their jobs. She said that for the first year or so, instead of running between the two, she would work out of Titan Towers while the board ran CB Corporation. But all decisions involving the company were to be made by her for final approval. The board voted to approve the merger, including the price CB suggested.

Vince received the proposal papers two days later. Calling his own board meeting, he put the offer before them. It took a couple of hours, some had questions concerning the future of the company if approved. Vince assured them the company would do fine, that from the proposal everything would stay the same. It wasn't unanimous, but the offer was approved.

Vince hadn't wanted the takeover to become public, but thought why not. He would use it as the basis to get him off the show and ease in the new owner. The actual signing of the papers would be done in private.

CB received the letter of acceptance and the suggestion from Vince on how to ease her in. CB nodded her head. That would be the perfect way for Vince to ease himself out. Of course, she could imagine what everyone would think. Then she thought about Mark. She had been doing a lot of that lately. She looked out her office window, wondering if they would ever get together. They had had only one date. Nothing had happened, but she couldn't help but wonder what he was really like when away from the ring.

Chapter 8

CB returned a couple of days later. Jim asked how was her time off. "Fine. I caught up on some much needed rest."

After she had changed, she grabbed a Coke before she headed to her spot. She didn't see Mark when she had arrived. "Maybe he took some time off himself," she thought.

The matches started. CB watched as usual, prepared in case they went into the crowd. She heard the announcer say a tag-team match was next. It would be Benoit-Kane against Rock-Undertaker. After Benoit and Kane made their appearance, Mark's theme began. As usual he came out on his Titan and did his ride around the ring. CB noticed he was wearing his hair loose. Again she had to take a deep breath to calm herself. When Mark came over to where CB was, he parked his Titan. He had missed her when she was gone, although he didn't want to show it. He gave her a slight nod before he went in the ring.

The match started, Mark and Benoit going at it. CB watched as Mark threw Benoit against the turnbuckle. As Benoit teetered, Mark took him in a one-arm drag down, then picked him up and did a backbreaker on him. He went for the pin, but Benoit kicked out. Mark tagged in the Rock. The Rock came in and threw Benoit against the ropes. Benoit ducked. As Rock turned, he took the Rock down with a suplex. Benoit tagged in Kane.

Kane did throat chops to the Rock; then threw Rock off the ropes, taking him down with a boot to the chin. The Rock slowly got up, his legs wobbly. When Kane went to throw Rock into the corner, Rock chopped Kane in the throat, doing three in a row. Then he did his spit-in-the-hand and knocked Kane into the corner. Benoit came in and double-teamed the Rock. Mark tried to come in, but the ref stopped him.

The ref got Benoit out of the ring. The Rock managed to tag in Mark. Mark and Kane went after each other. CB saw the two big men head toward the ropes. Mark flipped Kane over the top and to the floor. Mark went after him. They traded blows. Kane flung Mark into the ring steps.

As Kane went to side-arm Mark, Mark ducked then took him down to the floor. Mark pulled Kane up and hit him in the chest. They were now close to where CB was standing. Again, they traded blows. As they got closer to CB, she moved to stay out of their way. She moved ahead of them as they were heading toward the back where some tables were. Mark was hitting Kane with chops, forearms, and open-handed blows to the throat, throwing him into the fence. Just as CB was going to move, Kane ducked to the side. Before he could stop, Mark hit CB in the jaw, knocking her against the wall. She fell to the floor unconscious. Not bothering to stop, Kane and Mark made their way back to the ring. In the ring, Rock had done the Smackdown on Benoit, getting ready to do the People's elbow. The ref counted. Rock and Taker winning.

CB was immediately taken to the back, the EMT's attending her. Mark immediately went backstage to the first aid station. He saw her jaw had swollen and turned black and blue. There was a trickle of blood on the side of her mouth. Slowly her eyes opened. Her hand went to jaw. She moaned in pain.

"What happened?" she said in a muffled voice.

"You got cold-cocked by Mark," Jim said.

Chapter 9

CB tried to sit up but felt a little woozy. "Maybe you should just lay there for a few minutes," Jim said.

Mark was going to say something but turned around and went to the locker room. As soon as he entered Kane teased him. "Way to go lady-killer." Soon all the others joined. Mark had felt bad enough when he hit her, but their teasing was too much. He quickly showered and dressed, taking his bags with him. He got in his rental and drove off.

Ten minutes later CB sat up. She was still a little groggy but at least she could sit up. She saw Kane and Steve coming over.

"How are you feeling?" Kane asked.

"I'll be alright. I won't be able to chew very well for a few days. Where's Mark?"

"He came back here right after the match. Then he went to the locker room to shower. The guys really let him have it. He showered, took his bags, and drove off. I think we kind of over did it. He left looking pretty upset."

"I would say you probably did. I'll get my bag and go on to the hotel. See you later."

CB got her bag and left. At the hotel, she showered and put on a bathrobe. She called room service to send up a bucket of ice, which she wrapped in a towel and put on her jaw. She was watching TV when there was a knock on the door. When she opened up there was Mark, carrying a couple of bags.

"Can I come in?" he asked hesitantly.

"Only if you promise not to hit me," she said. Then she saw a hurt look on his face. "I'm only kidding. Come on in."

CB sat in one of the chairs, the towel still on her jaw. Mark sat on the bed, his head down. "I'm sorry about tonight. I didn't mean to hit you, Kris." CB got up and sat next to him.

"I know it was an accident, Mark. It's my fault too for not watching where I was at." She began to smell something. "What's in the bag? It smells good."

"Just some Chinese. I brought it as a peace offering."

"Well, you just made peace," she said with a half smile, as she opened the containers.

She gingerly ate, being careful not to chew on the swollen side. "Mark, for the past couple of months I get the feeling I did something to you. Did I?"

"No, you didn't do anything. It was me. I don't know how to put it." He took a deep breath. "You were the first woman I had wanted to get to know. There was something about you that was different. I had wanted to take you out from the first time I saw you, and wanted to take you out again after our first date. I would see you talking to the guys, especially Kane and Steve and..." he hesitated, "well, I got jealous."

"Jealous? Of them? Mark, they're like brothers to me. I have no personal interest in them. To tell the truth, I was hoping you would have asked me out again before now."

Mark looked at her surprised. "Do you still want to go out with me, especially after tonight?"

"Mark, I told you, it was an accident."

Mark leaned in and kissed her lips. CB moaned. Mark backed away.

"I'm just a bit sore yet. Looks like that will have to wait also till the swelling goes down."

Mark saw the towel. He put it to her cheek. "The faster that heals, the sooner we can do it again."

Chapter 10

It took about a week but the swelling evenutally went down. CB called her secretary when things were slow to find out how the deal was going. She was told the word was received that Vince planned to do a shoot that Monday on RAW. He would have all the wrestlers come out at the end of the show. He then would announce there had been an outside takeover of the company, and that the head of the company would be there in the crowd somewhere. As he was making the announcement the new owner would come on the stage.

CB thought that would really shake up the television audience as well as the people in attendance. She thought what would everyone's reaction be as well as their surprise at seeing who it was. Mark's face came into view. What would he think? Would he believe that she really did want to see him or think that she used him to get what she wanted? Would he even want to go out with her after finding out who she really was?

RAW was at Madison Square Garden. "How appropriate," she thought. The WWF's home was the Garden in a sense. She heard that tickets had sold out in less than 15 minutes. Everyone felt an air of excitement that night, as if something big was going to happen.

Vince had arrived early, slowly walking around the Garden for the last time, putting every nook and cranny to memory. He walked out and looked at the empty arena, which would soon be filled to capacity. He had always felt at home here. After tonight he knew there would be no more. He walked to the lounge to wait and get himself together.

CB arrived half an hour before the show in her security uniform. It was hard for her to hide the excitement she felt about tonight. She also felt a lot of trepidation, picturing the wrestlers' faces, especially Mark's.

The evening went without a hitch, the matches coming one after the other. When the last match ended, the crowd was told to please stay in their seats. The wrestlers began coming out to the ring, having been told that Vince had an important announcement. Vince's theme began playing for what would be the last time. Everyone in the arena, including the wrestlers, looked to the entrance. Vince came out, microphone in hand. Linda was beside him. He waited for the crowd to quiet down.

He hesitated before he began. "I know all of you are wondering why you are out here. There is a very important announcement I need to make concerning the WWF as a whole.

For months now I have been in ill health. It has now gotten to the point I can no longer keep up with the demands of running the company. My wife, Linda, has declined running the company to stay at home to take care of me.

Some months ago I was given an offer to sell the WWF and its holdings. I accepted. The company will now be run by an outside entity called CB Corporation. I know most of you have heard of the company. I checked them out and have found that they are a forward thinking company, and the proposal they put to me was too good to pass up. I understand that the owner of the company is here in the Garden. Would the owner please come up here?"

This was her cue. CB left the floor and started walking up the ramp toward Vince. Vince looked at CB as she approached him. He then remembered the young lady that had come to Titan Towers and looked over all his records. "You are the owner of CB Corporation?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

CB was handed a microphone by one of the crewmen. "Yes, Vince. I am CB McCall, owner of CB Corporation."

Vince stood there with his mouth open. "When I first put the proposal to you, I came up with the idea that I wanted to see for myself what the WWF was all about. That is why I told no one who I really was." She turned to the wrestlers. "I know you are all shocked and I apologize. But I had to find out for myself what made the company so successful, and this was the only way. From what I have seen, Vince, the formula you created for the success of the WWF is very apparent. Anyone who saw this would be a fool to change it."

CB stuck out her hand to Vince. Vince put his hand in hers and shook it. The signal was given. They were off the air. CB immediately went back stage to look for Mark, but found out he had already left. She went to the lounge where Vince was waiting.

The wrestlers just stared at her as they went to their locker rooms, still shocked by the news. Jim came over to her. "I don't believe it. All this time. Why?"

"Jim, had I told you who I really was, would you have treated me like you did? By being just another employee, I could see how things were for real."

She entered the lounge; lawyers from both parties waiting. Vince looked over the papers one last time. He picked up the pen and signed. CB took the same pen and signed. She and Vince stood up and again shook hands. Cameramen were waiting outside the lounge. When CB and Vince came out, bulbs began to flash. This would be front page news.

CB watched as Vince and Linda entered the limo (which was provided by CB) and leave. She looked around and saw Kane. She walked over to him. Kane shook his head. "You really pulled a fast one on us."

"Are we still friends?" CB asked.

Kane thought for a bit. " Friends. Welcome to the WWF, boss."

"Please don't call me boss. Just call me CB, I prefer it that way." Taking a deep breath. "Do you know where Mark went?"

Chapter 3

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