"Why, Amy, why?" he asked, as though his half-sister could hear him here, backstage in his locker room.

He didn't understand how she could have stood there and announced her personal, private situation to the world.  Okay, so she thought she owed an explanation to her opponents from last night - he could understand that, but he knew the redhead could have just as easily told her two diva friends privately.  As for the rest of the roster and the fans - as far as Benoit was concerned, it wasn't any of their damn business.

He grew angrier as he suddenly thought of whose idea it must have been that Amy go out there and reveal all - it had to have been Stephanie's idea...

Chris was disappointed at the thought of the brunette being behind all of this.  He'd started thinking of Stephanie as a caring, compassionate woman - rather than the bloodsucking leech whose only concern was power, as he'd always seen her father as being and it angered him even more.  He couldn't believe how wrong he'd been about her.  To think he'd been having romantic thoughts about her.

This was the last straw...

The Wolverine stormed down the hallway to Stephanie's office.  Once he reached the proper door, the woman's name on a gold nameplate high up on it, rather than knock, Benoit grasped the knob and forced it open.

"Chris..."  Stephanie looked up sharply, her blue eyes full of surprise to see him there.  He looked annoyed, and she thought she knew why.  After all, his younger sister had just made her announcement - alone, at that.

"Dinner is off for tonight..." the man said firmly, his voice tinged with anger.  "And you know what?  Dinner for us on any night is off!"

The brunette nearly flinched but blinked in confusion.  "What...?"

"How could you make her go out there and do that?!"

Stephanie suddenly understood, but at the same time, her feelings were hurt, and she was beginning to get really angry.  She stood up from her desk and strode quickly over to him.

"You have got some nerve, Benoit!  This is the second time in a couple of days that you've stormed into my office and wrongfully accused me of something!" she shouted, her pretty face angry.  "What kind of a woman do you think I am?!  I...I can't believe this!  You think I forced Amy into making her announcement?!"

"Yes," the Crippler nearly spat, unfazed by the fury glinting in the brunette's eyes, "that's what I think."

"How dare you!" she cried.  "For your information, Chris, it was all her idea to do that!  What's more, I even tried to talk her out of it!"  Her blue eyes narrowed as she pointed to herself, gesturing wildly.  Her patience had worn thin, and she was about two seconds away from kicking him out of her office.

Benoit eyed her with annoyance, but his features began to soften at the last few words she spoke.  Damn it... He really screwed up.

"I can't believe you think so little of me..." Stephanie said, a small pout on her face, her arms crossing under her breasts.  She felt hurt that this man, of all people, thought she was the ruthless, power-hungry dictator her father had always been.

Chris wanted to kick himself.  He felt absolutely awful.

"Stephanie...I'm really sorry..."

The brunette looked directly into his eyes, her hurt still clearly evident.

"I never should have jumped to conclusions," Benoit said, shaking his head.  "It seems I've been doing that a lot lately."

The boss continued to eye him silently.

"Listen, if...if you're not so angry at me for being such a jerk," the Crippler continued, "I would love to still have that dinner with you later tonight."

Stephanie ran her hand through her long brown hair and exhaled a sigh.  "Chris, I'm not so sure it's such a good idea..."  She hated saying this to him, and the flicker of disappointment that crossed his face made her feel bad.  But she felt rotten herself - about the way he'd jumped the gun about her - again.  She thought if it were to happen while they were actually dating, she would be really crushed.

"I'm sorry, Chris...I like you - a lot, but..."  Her speech was cut short as the Canadian man suddenly stepped closer, pressing his lips on hers for a kiss.

Although surprised, Stephanie kissed him back, all the protest gone from her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Afterward, she smiled as she gazed into Chris' eyes, knowing that everything she'd said a moment before had just gone straight out the window.

"As I was saying," the brunette said, her smile increasing, "I'd love to have that dinner with you..."