74
The day before Summer Mayhem was a day of meet-and-greets, interviews, and charity promotions. Candy loved visiting the local hospital the most and remembered most of the doctors and nurses from her brother’s treatments.
A nurse ran to Candy as she walked in the door, saying excitedly, “Candy Smith! I’m so glad to see you.”
“Oh my gosh, Judith. How are you?” Candy jerked Slade down the hall by the handcuff, greeting the smiling nurse.
“You won’t believe this. Remember Tyler’s roommate he had a little crush on?”
“Kasey? Yes. She is so cute.”
“Today is her last treatment. They think she is in remission. We’re throwing her a little party for her birthday. Will you come? You’re her favorite wrestler. I am heading down to her party now.”
“We’d love to. Right, Slade?” Candy’s smiling eyes looked up at him for approval.
“Of course. That’s what we are here for. To talk to the kids. We brought all the children some action figures and autograph photos from the wrestlers.” Slade handed a box to the nurse.
“They are going to love these. Let’s head to the common room.”
As they walked the halls of the hospital, Candy was beaming. Deep down Slade was loving it, too. His favorite part of being an IWX star was spending time with the kids. He wanted kids of his own someday, and this was a treat to see all those smiling little faces.
When they entered the room, the children were running around and playing games. They stopped in their tracks when the celebrity duo walked into the room and the children cheered with excitement.
A little girl with a unicorn head wrap ran to Candy. Her big bright grin with a missing tooth smiled up at her. “Candy! You came to see me at my birthday party!”
Candy picked up the little girl. “Kase, look at you. You’re getting so big.”
“I grew a whole inch. Look. We’re having a unicorn party. Today is my last treatment. The doctors say I can go home tomorrow.”
Candy hugged her. “Oh, sweet girl. I’m so happy for you.”
A woman came over and shook Slade’s hand. “I’m Cora. I’m Kasey’s mother. Candy, I saw your mother yesterday. She looked good.”
“You went to visit her?”
“Yes. I go about once a week to show her pictures of Kasey’s progress. She was smiling the whole time I was there.” The woman took Kasey from Candy’s arms.
“Baby, why don’t you take Slade and Candy and get some cake?”
“Okay, Momma. Mister Slade?”
Slade bent over to meet Kasey’s eyes. “Yes, pretty girl.”
“Will you be my partner in the dance contest? I know we can win.”
“Sure thing. Candy will have to join us, we’re a package deal right now.” He showed her the handcuffs.
“That’s okay. She can dance with Devin. He doesn’t have a partner. He’s my friend, and he’s super shy.”
“Sounds great.”
Slade and Candy followed the little girl, who took Slade’s hand in hers. She didn’t let go most of the day other than to eat her cake. Candy smiled, watching him play with the kids, seeming happier than she had ever seen him. Kasey had, at some point, crawled up in his arms.
“You seem to have a little girlfriend there, Slade.”
Slade smiled while looking at the little girl in his lap. “She’s a cutie, but I’m already taken.”
He leaned over and kissed Candy with a quick peck.
Kasey pretended to gag. “Uck. Gross. Adults are icky.”
“You don’t like kisses?”
“Ew. No way. Boys have cooties, except for Tyler.” Kasey giggled, covering her face.
Candy tickled her, “Miss Kasey and Tyler got caught hiding under the nurses’ station having their first kiss.”
“Tyler was my best friend ever. I miss him.”
“I do too, Kasey. I bet he would be glad you’re getting better, don’t you?”
“Yep. He would be so happy.”
“I think so too.” Candy hugged her. “We should go. We have a big date tonight.”
Slade looked at his phone. “Yeah. The IWX Wrestlers Ball is in a few hours and we should head back.”
“Do you get to wear a fancy dress, Candy?”
“I sure do.”
Kasey put her hands on her hips, being sassy. “I bet it’s pink.”
Candy gave the girl a wink and gently pinched her cheek. “I bet you're right.”
***
Slade paced the floor, waiting for Candy to come out of the hotel suite bedroom. “What’s taking her so long?”
Tomi rolled her eyes. “Relax. Sahara had to help her with her zipper. Come here and let me fix your tie.”
Slade shifted around in his tuxedo. “I hate these things.”
“You’re just nervous. You act as if you have never been on a date before. Didn’t you go to prom?”
Slade got pale and sweating, saying, “No. My date dumped me at the last minute for another guy. She said I was a stupid jock, and she needed someone with more depth.”
Colt chuckled. “Did she dump you for the head of the chess club or something?”
Slade looked over at him, saying nothing. Just a wide-eyed nervousness. He looked like he was going to be sick.
Dustin laughed. “Oh god. She did. You got dumped for a nerd.”
Candy walked out of the room with Sahara. “Nerds need love too.”
Slade turned to face her and his mouth dropped open. She was stunning. His angel in pink. Going to her, he kissed her cheek, almost breathless at the sight of her.
“You look amazing.”
Candy leaned her head toward him, blushing. “It’s not really a prom, Slade.”
Sahara went over and kissed her fiancé Drake, saying, “Well, it could be.”
Isis gushed, holding her hands to her heart. She loved anything and everything girly and this was a dream come true for her. “Yes. Candy and I never had a prom either. I never even had any real friends until I met all of you. So, this is like an adult prom. Right, Gage?”
Gage kissed her, agreeing, “Whatever you want, love. If you girls want the prom experience, that’s what we will give you. Let’s head to the party. I need to hit that food buffet. I’m wasting away here.”
Slade led the way out of the suite. “Wrestlers prom it is. Let’s go. Oh, and guys. No spiking the punch bowl.”
Colt slapped his back. “Hell no. We don’t want Slade up on the bar again, trying to swing from the ballroom chandelier in his tighty-whities, yelling that he’s the Mighty Wang again. He offered to show his junk to the whole party for ten bucks a head.”
Tomi rolled her eyes. “How can I forget? I have seen Jungle Dicks’ junk more than I have seen my boyfriends. He offered me a free peek if I would spread the word that his dick was worth the price of admission.”
Slade covered his face with his hand to hide his embarrassment. “Oh god. I forgot about that. Please make it stop.”
Candy tried to hide her grin as she asked, “You did all that?”
Trent leaned toward her, putting up two fingers. “Twice. The second time he ran around the room yelling and shaking his junk at Jenna. At least he had his clothes on, that time. We were in England and a couple from the royal family were there partying with us. I thought Davis was going to have the queen have him beheaded for all the stupid shit he did that weekend.”
Dustin chimed in, “Don’t forget that he thinks his junk has a bad French accent when he’s drunk.”
Gage teased, “Oh, yes. Let’s not forget the infamous idiot yells of drunken Slade. Pierre Von Pee Pee.”
All the guys yelled in unison. “Wee Wee! Pee Pee!”
Slade opened the door and pointed for them to head out. “I hate you guys. Let’s just go. Candy hasn’t agreed to be my girlfriend yet, and I don’t want to scare her off.”
The crew stopped in their tracks. In unison, everyone said, “What?”
Candy hid her face behind Slade’s back as Isis took her arm, pulling her from behind Slade. “You have got to be kidding me?”
“I —”
Slade hugged her from the side. “It’s fine, babe. I get it, guys. She’s worried about her family right now. Let’s just go have fun. Maybe by the end of the night, she’ll change her mind. Right, Sprinkles?”
She nodded in a half-hearted smile, secretly knowing she couldn't make that promise. Not why so much of her life was in turmoil. “Sure. Let’s go have some fun.”
