by Jacob Chance
“Allen and I’ve been strategizing about how to best ride this wave of attention. Jesse, the numbers are unlike any we’ve seen before. The ratings are up, your merchandise is selling out on a regular basis.” He smiles and turns to me. “We need some fresh ideas for online content.” He steeples his hands and remains silent.
Dad makes me nervous and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been his little girl and I want to impress him with my intellect and hard work. He’s put my youth and knowledge of all social media to good use by appointing me head of online marketing. Which is just a fancy way of saying I handle Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. I also oversee a group of staff who monitor and assist with the social media presence for each wrestler. My team makes sure they're drawing the viewers in to the current storylines while posting as well. We've come a long way in a short time and our performers’ online followers are larger than most celebrities.
“Are you asking me if I have any ideas right now?”
He nods and adjusts one of his cufflinks.
Think. Think. Think.
My mind runs over a dozen possibilities, but none of them are right for the direction we’re heading in. I’m distracted and it’s Jesse Gunn’s fault.
Why must he look so sexy sprawled in his chair?
Why does he have to smell so good, like a combination of soap and whatever masculine cologne he spritzed on?
“What do you think of his idea, Lilah?”
“Huh?” My eyes sweep over to my father.
“What do you think of Jesse’s idea?”
“Could you please repeat it?”
“Lilah, how are you going to take a more active role in the company if you can’t even focus for five minutes?”
Who said I’m taking a more active role? My role is already pretty fucking active.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. It’s not worth trying to explain that I was thinking about what he said and trying to form an idea.
“Lilah, are you listening now?” Dad asks, in a deep, teasing, yet firm tone.
I barely avoid rolling my eyes and bite back a grin. “Yes, sir.” I resist the urge to salute and mock him. We are in a professional meeting no matter how casually I’m dressed.
“Jesse suggested the two of you spend some time together on a road trip and brainstorm. I want you on this quick. Striking while the iron is hot is imperative.” His stare is direct. “Lilah, are you clear on what I need you to do?”
What exactly does he need me to do? What does brainstorming with Jesse entail?
“You and Jesse will drive to our next location and come up with a plan for the storyline. Just to be clear, I still want you to oversee all the other social media account managers like you always do, but you’ll be taking over Jesse’s.”
I nod my head, agreeably, but still uncertain of what he expects of me. I’ve never been responsible for plot planning before or anything resembling it. Thinking about it is extremely intimidating.
Dad rises from his chair and gestures, like a king lording over his servants, for us to do the same.
Spinning around, I quickly scurry toward the door hoping no one notices. “Whoo”, I exhale as I step into the hall. My flip flops scuff as I move along the carpeted length. I need to put distance between Jesse and myself while I can.
Chapter Six
Jesse
Even though my mind was occupied with the meeting it was hard not to notice Lilah’s tempting presence. My leg bumping hers under the table wasn’t an accident, but it only served as a distraction. The best kind.
I can’t believe Russ wants me to have a larger role. I’m all for it. Opportunities like this don’t happen often. This push could put me over the top. I can’t screw this up.
Absentmindedly, I watch Lilah slip inside the elevator. Quickening my stride, I reach the doors just as they’re closing; my large hand slips between the sliding steel and they both rebound. Stepping inside, I notice how small the space seems. Catching sight of Lilah’s distraught expression, I frown. She was fine in the meeting we left only a minute ago. What’s changed in that time?
We begin the descent down to the lower floors and I can see the wheels turning in her brain.
“What’s wrong?” I question, placing my hand on her arm.
She lowers her chin to her chest and shakes her head. “Nothing,” she mutters.
“Lilah, look at me.”
“Must I?” she questions, with a quick giggle. At least her sense of humor is unaffected.
“Yep,” I reply, pulling her small frame into my arms. My fingers cup her chin and direct her to look up at me. I’m not giving her a chance to keep any distance between us. We’re alone and I’m making the most of it. My nose drops to rub the tip of hers and her fragrant blonde hair makes a curtain around us. The silky strands tickle my cheeks.
Her arms reluctantly slip around my waist and I smile. She feels perfect and I wish this moment could last much longer than it will. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours?”
She closes her eyes briefly like she’s figuring out what she wants to reveal. “We shouldn’t be hugging.”
“Says who? I think us sharing a hug is the best idea I’ve had in a long time. Now tell me what’s really on your mind.”
“I don’t like the way you stepped in and took over. I didn’t need your help, or input. I was just gathering my thoughts, before you jumped in.”
“I was only trying to ease your discomfort.”
“Yeah, I get that, but maybe you also wanted to force my hand?” she inquires like the spitfire she is. She presses on my chest with the heels of her hands, taking a step back. “We’ve always been professional with each other and now suddenly we’re doing this.” She points back and forth between us. “I don’t like to muddy the waters.”
I watch the red numbers flash the backward countdown as we move closer to her floor. I sigh when the car pauses, and the doors open. Taking her hand, I lead her out into the hallway. “What room number?”
“I’m all set.”
“Don’t be stubborn. I’m not leaving until I see you safely inside your room.”
“I’m a big girl. I’ve been staying in hotels by myself for years now.”
“Well, maybe that needs to change.” I squeeze the hand I’m still holding, and she takes the hint, leading me toward the left hallway.
“I don’t see that happening unless my father finally listens and lets me remain at home.”
“You don’t like being on the road?”
“It’s okay, but I’m not crazy about it. I’m a homebody.”
“I like my home too, but I like traveling just as much. Seeing new places, meeting new people, it’s exciting. Don’t you think?”
“I like travelling, but people not so much.” Her feet pause. “This is me.” She tugs her hand from my hold, and fishes her room key out of the pocket on her tight cutoffs. “I’ll see you later.” She smiles with her lips closed, but her eyes are still sad. I can’t leave her like this.
“I’m coming in.”
“You are?”
“I am.” I wait for her to refute my statement. She surprises me, raising her shoulders as if to say whatever and unlocks the door. My hands move to her hips urging her forward and before she can protest I’ve closed us inside. Spinning her to face me, I lean down, capturing her lips. I swallow the moan she rasps out and slowly tease her tongue with mine. Her fingers clutch my shoulders, gripping for purchase as if her legs will no longer support her weight. She tastes better than any fantasy my mind has conjured up. I want to devour every inch of her, starting with her mouth and moving all the way down to her adorable little toes. There isn’t a single part I don’t desire. Going slow is the smarter plan of action. Coming on too strong would be a huge mistake; she’s already skittish. If I’m too aggressive, I’ll scare her off and that’s the last thing I want. I’ve been thinking about her for too long to screw this up by being impatient.
R
eluctantly drawing my mouth from hers, I smile and note the way her eyelids lazily flutter open. Our kiss was a punch to her as much as it was to me.
“Want to watch a movie?” I ask, before she can react negatively.
“Huh?”
“A movie? Wanna watch one?”
“Uh... ah… sure.” I can tell she’s off balance from my abrupt switch from kissing back to friend mode.
“Get comfortable and pick one out. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“You’ll see.” I wink as I head out the door, leaving it partially open. Hurrying down the hall, I turn the corner, enter the stairwell and run down the two flights to my room. Once inside, I grab a six pack of soda and a brand-new bag of chips from the table in front of the window. Retracing my steps, I nudge open her door, slip inside and kick it closed with my foot.
Lilah sits propped against the headboard with pillows behind her. The remote control is in her hand and she’s vigorously scrolling through the guide.
“Any luck finding something?”
“There’s not much to choose from as far as movies go. Unless you like porn?” She rolls her eyes.
“I like porn.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her as I set the six pack down.
“Yeah, big surprise.”
“Soda?”
“Yes, please and give me those chips,” she orders, holding her arms out and wiggling her fingers, excitedly.
“You like potato chips that much?”
“No, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten yet today.”
I hand her a soda and the bag before I sink down on the bed beside her. Moving back against the headboard, I kick off my sneakers and stretch my legs out. “Why didn’t you eat at the coffee shop?”
She sets the unopened soda on the nightstand and brushes back the flyaway strands that slipped free from her ponytail to land in front of her eyes. “After you left, Keith asked me to move down here to be with him.”
My chest squeezes painfully at the thought of her taking him up on his offer. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t really answer. I told him I needed time to think it over.” She rolls her lips inward.
“What did he say?”
“He was fine. He knows it’s not a decision I’ll make lightly.”
“What would that mean for your job?”
“I’m not sure. I’d be travelling a lot, but North Carolina would need to be my home base.”
Hell no. She can’t move. I’ll lose my chance with her if she does. Lilah’s not the kind of person who’d give me the time of day if she was committed to Keith. Clearly, I’m running out of opportunities and I need to kick my pursuit of her up a notch. “Why don’t you forget about all that for now and just enjoy the afternoon with me?” Reaching in the bag of chips, I pull one out for her. “Want one?”
“You know it’s impossible to eat only one chip, right?” She reaches in the bag, removing a handful, ignoring the one I’m holding with an endearing grin on her face.
“Yep.” I smirk and pop the chip in my mouth. “Good thing there’s a whole bag.”
“So, I don’t really know anything about you, aside from wrestling stuff. Where did you grow up?”
“I grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. My parents busted their asses to provide Ronnie and I everything we needed.”
“Did you go to college?”
“Yep, at UMass. I got a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I went to Killer Kowalski’s Pro Wrestling School just north of Boston, which led to the Indie circuit and I spent five years there. Then your father hired me, and the rest is history.”
“How did your sister get into wrestling?”
Grinning, I think about the conversation Ronnie and I had when she told me she wanted to become a professional wrestler. “She came to me when I was home on a break from the indie circuit and she had just graduated from college. When she mentioned wanting to learn how to do all the moves, I laughed at first.” I run a hand over my jaw as I recollect the moment.
“Did you say hell no, being the protective older brother that you are?”
“Well, not exactly. Ronnie was this scrawny, weak, twenty-two-year-old and I assumed she’d quit after the first day. Women’s wrestling is no joke. I thought she’d get her ass handed to her.”
“She didn’t?”
“Oh no, she definitely did. But she showed everyone how tough and hungry she was to succeed. Your dad took an interest in her career and had her work with the best trainers. And as you know, she made it to the WCW before me. It was a long process, but now look at her - she’s the women’s champion and closing out shows.” I smile proudly. Ronnie’s kicking ass and taking names.
“My dad has always been good at recognizing talent.”
“He hired you, didn’t he?” I quip.
“Yeah, but I’m related to him so I’m not sure it counts. He had me working there as soon as I graduated high school doing menial jobs. Since I started full time he makes sure to keep me grounded by pointing out my mistakes.”
My hand moves over to rest on her thigh and gently squeezes. “What mistakes? From what I’ve seen, he has every reason to be proud of you. You’re damn near perfect.”
“Near perfect?” she questions, cheekily with a quirk of her brow.
“Yeah, I’d say perfect, but your toes are weird as fuck.” I jut my chin toward her feet.
She wiggles her small toes, staring down at them. “Yeah, see your alien looking second toes.” I point at the two red tipped digits. “What’s up with them being so long?”
“Shut up.” She sits up, pink cheeked and hugs her knees to her chest, trying to hide her feet from my view.
“Look at them.” I lean forward, grabbing her nearest ankle and pull her foot into my lap. Tracing my finger over the end of that toe I continue, “it’s freakishly long. How do you find shoes to accommodate this anomaly?” I tug on the end of it.
She shrieks and kicks her leg to loosen my hold, but it’s no use. I’m not releasing her. “Let me go. You’re mean.”
Wiggling the fingers on my other hand under the bottom of her toes has her giggling and thrashing around. “Don’t. Please. I’m wicked ticklish.”
I made her laugh - mission accomplished. My fingers ease up, moving into to the arch of her foot. Rubbing my thumb into the soft sole, I smile when she moans.
“You’re pretty good at this.”
“I’ve been injured a lot since I began wrestling and I’ve learned a few tricks along the way. I’ve been told my hands are magic.” I grin.
She rolls her eyes and huffs, pressing her lips together. “I’m sure.”
“Yep, Wyatt tells me all the time,” I inform her, mentioning my best friend. She giggles and settles back into the pillows.
“Here,” she presses the buttons on the television remote. “Why Him? is about to start.”
Chapter Seven
Lilah
Sitting around the table in my father’s suite is reminiscent of yesterday. The only difference being the addition of two writers from our staff - Marco and Hal.
“Lilah, have you come up with any ideas since we spoke yesterday?” My dad asks, calling me out in front of everyone.
“No, because I imagine that’s what this meeting is for. And isn’t that the whole reason for the road trip you informed me I’m taking?”
“Surely you have some idea of what you want to do.” He ignores most of what I say, addressing only what he wants to. His words hang awkwardly in the air and the silence grows more uncomfortable with each passing second.
Jesse shifts in his chair; the frame creaks in protest as he angles his body toward mine. “I’m picking Lilah up bright and early Thursday morning. We’re going to nail down a concrete plan during the drive. We can even do a little filming on the trip, ‘on the road with Jesse and Lilah’.” Jesse jumps in and I’m momentarily shocked. I kick his foot under the table. I appreciate how he stepped up for me, but what he’s su
ggesting sounds like a nightmare.
“How about on the road with Jesse Gunn? Leave me out of this. I’m a behind the scenes kind of girl.”
“With that…” he pauses, eyes dropping to my breasts before climbing back to lock with mine, “face, you were born to be on camera,” Jesse, replies.
“This is a great idea. The possibilities are endless for what you could do with Jesse.”
I nod mutely. Fuck. This isn’t going to be good.
“Lilah can do anything she wants with me. Whatever’s best for WCW.” He turns his head to look at me. Humor sparks from his eyes, like flickering lights and the way the corner of his mouth twitches tells me his damn dimple is itching to make an appearance. It angers me. This is my job, not a joke for him to manipulate to suit his wants or needs.
I stomp on his foot under the table and he chuckles. I know my flip flop didn’t do any damage to his sneaker covered foot, but it made me feel slightly better. If I’m going to continue working with him, I might need to invest in a pair of steel toed boots. Those could inflict some damage for sure.
“Marco and Hal, can you prepare an updated script for Friday night’s show by tomorrow? I’d like to begin beefing up Jesse’s role as soon as possible.” They both nod and say yes sir like the good employees they are. No one ever goes against my father.
“How will this work exactly? I’m not on the clock twenty-four hours a day. Am I?” Sarcasm followed by an eye roll might not be what’s appropriate for a meeting with your boss, but that’s what works for me right now.
“Of course you’re not, but I know what a team player you are, Lilah. And as a team player, I’m sure you’ll agree we need to do whatever has to be done to make this reality footage the best it can be.” We? He angles his upper body, leaning forward. I’m not seated near him and his presence is still imposing; I feel as if he’s closer. “Therefore, you’ll do whatever the script calls for. Correct?” He raises an eyebrow in a show of obstinance.
“Yes, sir.” It’s not like I’m going to refuse to do something that’s going to be good for business. I just wish it involved anyone but Jesse.