by Jacob Chance
“That’s what I thought.” My father spins his chair away from the windows to face us. “Sit down next to your new friend and shut up.” He points at the chair next to Jesse’s.
Replaying the night in my head, I remember how I saw Jesse walk off after Jimmy and that’s when it hits me.
This was planned.
It’s what the performers in this business call “a work”.
“Now I’m not sure why you two jackasses thought it’d be a good idea to go off book and pull a stunt like that without involving anyone else.”
My father knew nothing of their plan?
“But if it ever happens again you’ll be collaborating at the unemployment office.” He’s not pleased. “In case I’m not being clear, people who do things like this, do not work for me,” he pauses, before spinning back to the wall of windows and again looking down on the remaining crowd.
“But,” he starts, “we haven’t seen a reaction like that in a long time.” He turns back to face us, his hands steepled under his chin. “Imagine what we could’ve accomplished if you cowboys had consulted with me.”
Jimmy begins to explain, “Russ, we thought that maybe you wouldn’t want to.”
“Oh, I know what you were thinking.” My father cuts him off. “You figured I wouldn’t want to run with it, so you decided it’d be better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission, right?” He stares pointedly at him. Jimmy opens his mouth to respond. “Don’t bother.” My father waves his hand, dismissing his attempt to explain.
Jesse sits quietly, a wicked gleam in his eyes and a smile on his face. My father points in his direction and stares intently. “Don’t either one of you ever presume to know what I might be thinking.” He cracks a hint of a smile. “You two need to arrive at the show a couple hours early tomorrow so ‘we’ can discuss what direction ‘we’ will be taking with this storyline. Now give us the room, please.” He dismisses them both. “Oh, and you’ll both be receiving a healthy fine for your actions tonight.” He waits for the door to close before speaking. “Lilah, did you know about this turn of events before it happened?”
My teeth rake over my bottom lip, unsure of what to say. I don’t want to point blame in Jesse’s direction, but I’m not sure what answer my father wants to hear. “No, I did not,” I state, flatly.
“What’s your take on how it went?”
“In terms of shock value, I’d say it was a banner night.”
“I’d have to agree with you. I think our broadcast ratings will be through the roof and I think they’ll continue to be for the duration of this storyline.” He moves his foot from where it rests above his knee, placing the sole of his shoe flat on the floor. He leans forward in his seat, gaining my attention. “I want you to find a way to play all this up; splash it all over social media. We’re going to capitalize on this upswing and ride it as far and high as we can.”
Puttering around the hotel gift shop, I search for something unknown that will catch my eye. My fingers trail over a long necklace with a large silver heart suspended from it. My nose scrunches up with distaste. Hearts aren’t my thing; they’re rather cliché in my opinion. I know most would probably disagree, but I’ve never been the hearts and flowers type of girl. For any guy to hold my interest, he needs to do better than that. If he cares about impressing me, then he’ll think putting in the extra effort is worth it. Originality is important to me in all walks of life.
And you think Jesse Gunn is the type of guy to do this?
Sucking my teeth at my own naivete, I continue to peruse the different objects for sale.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Ronnie surprises me. “I thought you’d be tearing my brother a new one by now.” She smirks.
I smile at her obvious enjoyment at the thought of Jesse catching shit. “Nope.” I shake my head. “According to the big dogs, no ass tearing is necessary.”
She whistles softly. “Wow, talk about luck. Things could have gone much differently.”
“You’re not kidding. I was worried for him.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the night? I know it’s late, but do you want to grab a drink with me? I could sure use one.”
Glancing at my watch, I notice the late hour, but it might be nice to have a beer and enjoy a relaxing conversation. I’ve been stuck with Jesse, trapped in sexual tension hell. I could use a change. “You know, I’m going to take you up on your offer. A beverage or two sounds great, and if you throw in some girl talk you’ve got yourself a deal.”
She smiles. “You got it. Why don’t we head into the bar here? It’s convenient and we can make it back to our rooms if we drink too much.”
“I like your reasoning.”
“Jesse told me you guys grew up in Hartford, but not much else. What are your parents like? I’ve never seen them at a show.”
Ronnie smiles, eyes downcast. “My parent’s are some of the hardest working people you could ever meet. They both work full time jobs. Mom’s a middle school teacher and my dad’s an electrician. We always give them tickets when we’re in town, but getting them to take time off to come to a show that’s not local is impossible.” She scrapes her straw through the mound of crushed ice in the remaining liquid clinking it against the edge of her glass. “The earth might crumble into tiny pieces if they miss a day of work. I don’t know if they’ll ever retire.”
“I’m in a similar situation. Can you imagine my dad retiring?” I snort. “I can see how it would be difficult to have a job you love for thirty or forty years and then bam, you’re done. Instantly your focus shifts. It has to be unsettling.”
“I think about that all the time. What will I do when I’m done with wrestling.” She shrugs.
“And?” I prompt.
“I’m not sure. Get married? Have some kids?” A frown mars her forehead.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” I don’t know that much about Ronnie. We’re friendly, but we’ve never really hung out. That’s my fault and something I’m regretting now. This is not the first time Ronnie’s suggested grabbing a drink.
“Nope, I’m single. This lifestyle isn’t really conducive for a serious relationship. What about you?”
“Me?” I point to my chest. “I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m a workaholic,” I offer.
“How long has it been since you’ve been involved with someone?” Ronnie asks.
“What do you mean involved? Had a relationship with or had sex?”
“A relationship. How long has it been?” She closes her red lips around the thin straw, sucking the rum filled beverage down like it’s water.
I grimace. "It’s been a long time.”
“And,” she urges.
“I had a boyfriend my third year of college and haven’t had one since. Pathetic right?” My index finger draws a J in the condensation on the tall glass before wiping it away in disgust. I don’t need to think too hard to know who’s on my mind. Sipping on my Long Island Iced Tea I hum with pleasure. So much liquor in one delicious drink - go big or go home. It didn’t take much urging on Ronnie’s part to get me to order something stronger than my typical beer.
“What about sex?”
“What about it?” Used to dealing with Carly’s intrusiveness, this question doesn’t shock me as much as it should.
“When was the last time you had it?”
“Does sex with myself count?”
“It works for me,” Jesse’s deep voice thunders behind me. “I’d really like to witness that.”
My eyes reflexively close before snapping open. “Did you hear something?” I question Ronnie, ignoring his presence.
“Nope, not a damn thing.”
“I see how it is here. I’m not going to grace you ladies with my presence. I can find some companionship that’s not so hostile.”
Ronnie snorts. “I’m sure you can and will.”
Jesse grabs the beer the bartender sets down in front of him and flashes a quick white grin, before wandering off to the back of
the bar. Judging by the high volume coming from that area, he’s not the only wrestler here.
“What’s going on with you and my brother?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t play dumb. You guys are giving off more sparks than a lit fuse.”
“We have a working relationship; that’s all it can be.”
“Why?”
“Mixing the two clouds things, and it wouldn’t end well. I plan on working for WCW for the rest of my career. If we dated and things didn’t work out, I might not feel the same. I’m not willing to mess up the life I’ve carefully planned on the off chance that Jesse and I could work.” Twisting my head over my shoulder, my eyes automatically seek out his handsome face. Sure enough, he’s sitting in the back where two tables have been pushed together to accommodate all the wrestlers and the groupies that surround them. Jesse’s got a female on each side vying for his attention. I wonder which one he’ll choose for the night? I study them both. They’re attractive in a trashy way. One is blonde, and one is brunette. I don’t know which Jesse is partial to. Fuck. Maybe he’ll take them both back to his room. Shit.
I quickly suck down the remainder of my drink and run my palm over my forehead to soothe the brain freeze the cold liquor gave me. “I’m out of here. I need my sleep, or I’ll be grouchy tomorrow, and no one wants to see that.”
Ronnie pouts. “You’re no fun, but I get it. You don’t want to sit here and watch him flirt with other women.”
“That’s not it.”
“Sure. What you’re missing is that Jesse is only interested in one woman and that’s you. He’s barely paying attention to those two. His eyes keep darting over here to see if you’re looking. It’s kinda pathetic. He’s whipped.”
“Pfft. He’s not whipped. I’m just a challenge for him. He’s not used to being turned down.”
“Oh, Lilah. That’s a naive way to think of my brother. He’s been interested in you for a long time. Don’t dismiss him without giving it some thought.”
“Dismiss him? I don’t think anyone could. And on that note, I’m calling it a night.”
Chapter Eleven
Jesse
Me: Are you ready to leave?
Lilah: Who is this?
Me: You know who this is.
Lilah: Yep, the asshole I’m being forced to travel with.
Me: That’s right and this same asshole wants you to meet him in the lobby asap.
Lilah: I’ll see you down there in five.
Tucking my phone in my pants pocket, I grin at her sass. Working in this industry, she needs to have an attitude and thick skin to go with it.
I roam around the hotel room a final time, making sure nothing is being left behind. Everything looks good to go and I head out the door. I’m alone on the elevator ride down and it’s eerily quiet when I step into the lobby. This could have something to do with it only being eight a.m. on a Saturday. Most people are still enjoying dreamtime and I’m itching to get on the road. Well, in all honesty I don’t want to wait any longer to see Lilah. Last night she left the stadium before the final match, disappearing before I could tell her I was ready to drive her to the hotel.
Once I’d checked in and dropped my bag in my room, I headed down to the bar, hoping she’d be there nursing a beer. By some stroke of luck, she was. Unfortunately, my sister was with her and they seemed to be doing some female bonding. Lilah doesn’t usually hang out with others and I didn’t want to put an end to their fun by interrupting. Instead, I hung out with Wyatt and a few of the other guys. We put away quite a bit of alcohol and a good time was had by all. I’m sure Wyatt had a better night than me. I retired back to my hotel room alone and I saw him wandering off with some brunette with a bangin’ bod.
Moving over to the wide front entrance, I step outside and set my suitcase down on the sidewalk. Handing off my ticket to the valet, I stand there and take in the glow of the May morning. Golden sunlight reflects off the cars as they drive by, the rays bouncing from one vehicle to the next, sometimes shooting painful barbs of light my way. Groaning I slip my sunglasses down over my eyes. My whiskey addled body needs some food to recharge. Luckily, we’re only driving the short distance to D.C. today.
My head snaps to the side at the deep thump of Lilah’s suitcase landing on the pitted sidewalk next to me. She huffs out a breath, hands resting on her hips. “That sucker is heavy.”
“Good morning.”
“What’s good about it?” She scrunches up her nose.
“Come on, it can’t be that bad.” My eyes drink in her sloppily swept up hair, low cut, long sleeve t-shirt and fitted jeans. She looks good to me.
“Why can’t it?”
“The day is young.” The valet pulls up, parking curbside. "Let’s get on the road. I know the perfect place to take you. If you thought the food was good yesterday, this place will blow your mind.” As I follow her around to the passenger side, she throws a confused glare over her shoulder toward me. “Relax. I’m getting your door,” I inform, reaching for the handle. Her soft, fruity perfume flutters teasingly to my nose making me hungry for more than breakfast, but first things first. Once she’s seated I head around to the driver’s side where the valet patiently waits with my door open. I hand off two twenty-dollar bills. “Keep the change.”
“Dude, thank you.” He beams a smile between me and his tip and then back to me again as if this is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened in his short life. I remember what it was like to work for tips back in my college days. I’ll never forget the lean times I went through. I don’t want to become one of those arrogant assholes who forget the people who helped them get where they are.
The gray leather seat conforms to my body like a warm hug. Fastening my belt, I glance over at Lilah. “You set?”
“I am.”
“Okay, we’re off.” I pull out into the street and adjust the radio. “Should I sing On the Road Again?”
She snorts. “I think I got enough of that the first time around. What else you got in your repertoire?”
“More than you can handle, sweetheart.” I don’t look to see, but I’m pretty sure I can feel the eye roll she lets loose. “Why didn’t you wait for me last night?”
“I had an opportunity to leave early so I took it.”
“Gotcha. But you know I would have taken you back, right?”
“Jesse, why are you being weird about me grabbing a ride with one of the guys?”
“Guys?” I growl.
“Oh brother. Don’t get all macho and possessive on me. You and I are stuck together for work and no other reason. This,” she waves her hand around the inside of the car, “you and me spending time together, is an assignment; not a date.” She crosses her arms over her chest and rests her head back on the seat.
“What if I want it to be more than us working together?”
“Jesse, we’ve discussed the no fraternization policy of WCW numerous times. Mixing business with pleasure is never a good idea. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat myself, but I’m not comfortable breaking the rules. And if that changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
“So, you admit being romantically involved with me would be pleasurable?”
“Way to twist my words, Gunn.”
I laugh and rest my hand on her thigh. She tenses, and my eyes sweep over to meet her questioning ones before I focus on the road in front of us.
“What are you doing?”
“Driving.”
“Don’t you need both hands for that?”
“I don’t need any hands to drive,” I boast, releasing my hold on the wheel. I use the top of my thigh against the bottom of the wheel to steer for the next few seconds.
“Okay, okay, I believe you. Now can you please return your hands to the wheel? I value my life.”
Squeezing her thigh, I communicate only one hand will be steering us. The other is content with where it’s at. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
<
br /> “There’s adventure and there’s stupidity.”
“I think you’re overreacting. We were perfectly safe. I’m an excellent driver with all my limbs.”
“How much longer until we reach this place with the amazing food you promised me?”
“Why? Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m just tired of being in the car with you,” she quips.
“Good thing we’re here, then.” I pull into a parking space and shut off the engine. “Are you ready for the breakfast of your life?”
We both climb out of the rental. She stretches her arms above her head looking more like a tired college student than a twenty-five-year-old woman. “Sure. As long as it’s not the last breakfast of my life.” She smirks, passing in front of me as we walk toward the entrance. I watch her sassy little ass all the way to the door.
“You’ve eaten here before?” she questions, while her eyes peruse the large menu in her hands.
“Yep. I have.”
“When?”
“I try to come here whenever we’re in town.”
“How did you find this place?”
“Greasy spoons are kinda my thing. Ronnie was dating a guy in this area and we all came here after a show one night. The food was and is incredible. I try to make it back whenever I can.”
“You like to eat that much?”
“I love to eat, but I don’t usually indulge more than once or twice a week. If this is one of those times, all the better. Nobody makes an omelet like they do.”
Once we’ve placed our orders, mine just as impressive as the day before, we settle into some easy conversation.
“What did you decide to do about Keith?” I inquire. I’m not sure how receptive she’ll be to this question.
“I haven’t decided anything. There’s no rush.”
“Doesn’t that seem like a weird attitude to have if you really care about someone?”
“How so?”
“If you loved this guy enough to move don’t you think you’d have already made your decision?”