"Tonight you have a match. It will be you, Sasha Banks and Bayley vs The Riott Squad," the lead writer of Raw told Tulip Bloom when she arrived to the arena that night.
"Finally," Tulip grumbled under her breath. She knew she was only included in the match to take the pin but she'd been chilling in catering for almost two months so she was just happy to be out there.
"Ready to work that ring rust off," Sasha asked later in the locker room as Tulip sat on the floor frantically searching through her bags.
"Let's hope I make it to the ring because I haven't been out there in so long I guess I forgot to pack gear. Shit!" Tulip cursed, face palming.
"Well, someone just happens to have a man who is good with a needle and thread," Sasha replied, referring to her seamstress husband, Mizake. "He made a few looks that I haven't worn yet. You're taller than me but we're about the same size so I guess I can let you have one."
"Sasha, you are a lifesaver," Tulip sighed in relief. "If I couldn't find my gear and you didn't offer, I would've gone out in whatever I had because there's no way in hell I was going to let this opportunity slip away. They're far and few between now."
"Right you are. These days we have to take what we can get," Sasha shook her head. Nobody was prospering in today's division if your name wasn't Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair or Ronda Rousey. The best some could hope for was an opportunity to chase the title in a feud with them. The rest just had to settle for scraps.
Her parents thought she was wasting her degree coasting in the WWE but in her opinion, to not wrestle would be wasting her skill. Her skill was a wrestling, real wrestling. Ever since she was a little girl she wanted to become a WWE Superstar. The summer before her freshman year in high school when she went to fill out her schedule, she was excited when she saw "wrestling" as an athletic choice. Her first day, she expected to see people jumping off of turnbuckles and doing hurricanranas but when she arrived there was no ring, just a mat in the middle of the floor. She stuck with it thinking that these were the basics and fundamentals that she needed to learn before she began training to theatrical wrestle like those in WWE. It turned out she was really good, winning "most outstanding high school female wrestler" in a tournament that included some of the best in the country. Ten years ago in 2008 at age 17 she joined Team USA. When she'd tell her teammates about her dream of wrestling in the WWE, they laughed, "Why would you want to fake wrestle?"
When she graduated high school, she went on to Stanford University's female wrestling team where she because a four time WCWA women's college national champion while still competing with Team USA. While at Stanford, she earned a Master's in Psychology.
By 2015, Tulip Bloom was on a short-list of the world's most dominant female athletes. She'd already won bronze and silver metals but in 2016, she won a gold medal in women's wrestling at the Olympic Games.
Through all of this, she never drew the attention of WWE until she went viral as "the hot wrestler" when they showed her face on screen during opening ceremony, a moment that was viewed by 30 million watching at home. She had the opportunity to continue training to compete in the next Olympics but decided to sign with WWE instead.
After she signed in 2017, Tulip was given a push that she knew would flop before it began. They wanted her to be the female Kurt Angle but she had no character besides, "I'm an Olympic gold medalist and a real wrestler." In this era, it took more than that to get over with the audience. Her wrestling style did her no favors either. Tulip was a technical wrestler and mat goddess who worked a slow methodical pace but nowadays, if a wrestler wasn't doing suicide dives, unnecessary flips and corkscrew moonsaults, they were thought of as boring. Pretty soon she was demoted to enhancement talent that made others look good and carried less experienced wrestlers to a decent match.
The Riott Squad went out to the ring first. Tulip stretched herself out in gorilla. Her theme played first and when she walked out she got a lukewarm reaction. The crowd in general wasn't dead because when Sasha's theme played she received a loud pop. Bayley received the same. Smiling, Tulip walked down the ramp, touching hands with fans as she went along.
Tulip started things off with Liv. She out-wrestled Liv on the mat for the first few minutes of the match. The first time that Liv successfully reversed a hold, Tulip turned to striking before clamping another submission on. Tulip applied a heel hook but Liv reached the bottom rope, forcing a break. While the ref separated them, Liv took this opportunity to tag Sarah and Tulip tagged Bayley.
Tulip stood on the apron watching the action as Bayley did her part before tagging Sasha. Both of their fast paced styles received reactions from the crowd that Tulip failed to draw. When Ruby began getting the better of Sasha, Sasha scrambled to the corner to tag Tulip...and the crowd goes mild.
Ruby went for a suplex, Tulip slipped out and went for a wristlock, but Ruby overpowered her, and hit the Riott Kick for the pinfall. 1...2...3.
"Hey, Triple H wants to see you in his office," one of the backstage personnel employees said when Tulip walked back through the curtain.
"O…kay," Tulip was confused. She was never called into a higher ups office. When one was called upon it was either good or bad, no in-between so you knew you either fucked up or was about to receive a push. She knew it couldn't be a push because Ronda still had a rematch with Alexa and then after there were rumors that she'd be working with Nikki. Nattie would likely turn on her at some point which would make a feud and of course there was the Four Horsewomen vs Horsewomen. Tulip tried to think about anything she did recently that would cause her to be reprimanded. She did like a few shady Instagram comments about her being underutilized but that was about it.
When Tulip made it to the office door, she took a deep breath before knocking.
"Come in,"Triple H was sitting behind his desk when she entered. He looked up when she walked in.
"Hey, you sent for me?"
"Yes, sit down," he said, motioning toward the seat in front of the desk. She sat up straight in the chair and tried to get control of her shaky hands. Noticing this, he laughed. "Calm down."
"I can't until I find out what this is about," she replied.
"Okay, there's a lot of focus in today's world on mental health. There's always been focus on mental health but with the recent suicides of that designer Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, the singer from Linkin Park and a few athletes, the focus has turned to celebrity mental health. It's opening a lot of people's eyes and showing that money and fame doesn't equal happiness."
"That's very true," Tulip nodded. "I struggled with post-Olympic depression after my first year. I wasn't suicidal or anything but others on Team USA were which is why I decided to go into Psychology to not only help myself but to help my friends."
"Yes, with everything going on, a lot of us have been thinking about our wrestlers and what's going on inside of their heads. With our schedule, they don't have to go get official treatment. You having a masters in Psychology. We were wondering if you were willing to step up and give peer support to your fellow wrestlers," he requested. "15 minute sessions an hour before Raw goes on air."
Tulip tilted her head, insulted. "I am a high school and college wrestling champion. I have 3 Olympic medals and had the opportunity to win a 4th and you're asking me to play psychologist?"
"Technically, you wouldn't be 'playing' since you're trained and licensed."
"I only got licensed for show because I thought it would look good in my biography when things were all said and done. I never thought I'd actually end up doing any counseling besides talking to my friends and family members," she confessed.
"So exactly what would you be doing if you couldn't compete in the Olympics anymore due to injury and you didn't have WWE to fall back on?" he questioned.
"Well, Psychology and just as a last resort," Tulip replied. "WWE's stock is at an all time high not to mention that billion dollar deal with FOX for Smackdown Live, why can't you just hire someone?"
"We'd prefer someone in-house to prevent any leaks. Also, you're one of them so they may feel comfortable opening up to someone who understands this lifestyle and the toll it takes on a wrestler mentally and psychically," he explained.
"But on the flip side, they may not feel comfortable confiding in someone they know," she countered.
"Tulip, let's just try it for a week or two and see how it goes. I'm sure I'll hear some feedback from the Superstars on whether or not they're comfortable with you as their counselor," he tried to reason with her.
Tulip relented with a sigh. "Okay, I'm down but I was hired as a wrestler. If you want me to put on a psychologist hat, there has to be some incentive. Bottom line, you either have to pay me or push me."
"How about both?" he winked.
The next week, Tulip took a deep breath as she looked around her makeshift office. She had a desk with a laptop on top where she'd take her notes and a sofa against the wall. Behind her hung her diploma and license.
"Okay," she blew, wiping her sweaty palms on the fabric of her skirt suit. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly in a ponytail making her brown eyes the showcase of her face. She heard a knock and cleared her throat in response. "Come in."
When Sasha opened the door, her eyes widened. "Wait, you're the…?"
"Yes," Tulip smiled, jerking her head at the wall where her credentials hung.
Sighing, Sasha closed the door behind her. She sat. "I guess I trust you. Most of this is stuff you already know anyway."
Tulip sat down, opening her laptop to a blank word document. She went ahead and named the file: Sasha – Session 1. "I'm all ears."
During Sasha's session she talked about her struggles growing up, life with her autistic brother, being home schooled and her frustration with her current position. "...am I wrong for feeling the way I do about girls with less drive than me, girls that I know I'm better than walking in and getting a higher position? It's just a bitter feeling that I can't understand."
"No, you're not wrong but I think there's a reason you feel animosity toward those other girls and it's not entirely your fault," Tulip didn't look up at Sasha as she typed on her laptop.
Sasha sat up. "Why?"
"I kind of get the vibe that in addition to being home schooled, you were forced to grow up fast due to your family dynamic so you may not have the best social skills. Therefore you don't know how to handle or deal with jealousy and having competition. I think it's a complex that has set in because you missed out on those formative high school years. Most girl, by their junior year of high school have come face to face with those girls who they're prettier than but she gets the guy. The girl they're friendlier than, but she's more popular. The girl they're a better cheerleader, basketball player, swimmer etc. than but she's the captain of the team. So now as an adult they understand and know how to process those emotions. You didn't have that experience and you happened to get thrown into an industry where looks, favoritism and nepotism trumps talent."
Sasha blinked, speechless for what seemed like an eternity. "Damn, you're good."
After Sasha, she met with a few other superstars. Tulip concluded that Triple H was wasting money paying her because none of them had mental issues or any real problems. Most of them just needed to air out their grievances and frustrations with the company. It was about fifteen minutes to show time when someone knocked on her door again. The person didn't wait to hear an invitation before turning the knob.
It was Roman Reigns. Seeing him enter her office almost stopped her heart. What could this gorgeous specimen be struggling with? Gorgeous he was with his solid, thick body, beautiful hair, smooth tan complexion and pure brown eyes. Besides his looks, he was very polite. She'd never said much to him besides awkward small talk and shook his hand when they crossed paths backstage. He was a dream but not hers since he was a married father of 3.
"Oh, are you're waiting to see the psychologist, too? I'll just come back," he said, backing away.
"No, actually I am the psychologist," she replied, giving him a warm but brief smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I'm not so sure about this."
"Why?" she inquired.
"Because I have some things going on that I don't want repeated up and down the locker room," he replied.
"First of all, I would never because I wouldn't want my business floating around backstage either. Second, I am a professional. Third, I signed a confidentiality agreement so I'm legally silenced," she said.
That seemed to put him at ease. He walked over and stood in front of the sofa, turning to look at her. "Do I lay down, sit or what?"
"Whatever makes you comfortable," Tulip told him as she sat down at her desk. She noticed how carefully he watched her and felt a little self-conscience under his gaze. "I'm ready when you are, Roman."
"Joe," he said.
"Alright, Joe, let me tell you a little about myself. As you know, my name is Tulip and I'm a wrestler but what you probably didn't know is that I am a license psychologist. To touch on our earlier discussion, whatever you say to me stays in this room and is only documented in my notes that are password protected. Unless you're suicidal or in need of medication, not even management will know what's said in our sessions. Do you understand?" she asked and he nodded. "I'm ready when you are."
Apparently Roman wasn't ready. Several minutes passed with him sitting in silence. This didn't go to waste because she studied his body language and the way he breathed. His demeanor didn't seem nervous at all. He actually seemed more relaxed than she did because she kept getting distracted by his features, his beautiful skin, his tattoos, his large hands and those eyes when he'd occasionally glance up at her.
This was supposed to be a fifteen minute session and he'd already wasted five so she took it upon herself to speak. "So what's up, Joe? Why did you decide to visit the psychologist today? Is it because of the boos?"
"The boos? No," he snorted. "I'm a grown ass man. Men wanting to impress other men sitting next to them at a show is not going to hurt my feelings. Whether I'm booed or not, I consistently get the loudest reaction on the show so I'm doing my job."
"Yeah that's true," Tulip acknowledged. "So if it's not the boos, what is it?"
"A toxic group from the WWE fanbase," he took a deep sigh through his nostrils, his strong chest rising and falling with the breath "My marriage is in trouble…"
His marriage, Tulip thought. He was a private man so he never posted pictures of his wife like others wrestlers did their spouses. She only saw the wife at the Hall of Fame and in the audience at the major shows like WrestleMania, Summerslam and if Raw or the house show is in Tampa, where he lived. They always looked solid and happy.
"What's going on with your marriage?"
"It seems like it's falling apart, we're falling apart and I'm not even home enough to put things back together," he revealed.
"Do you have a theory of why that is, Joe?"
"Like I said earlier, the fans and the boos haven't gotten to me but they've broken her especially when she's browsing Twitter and happens to come across sick assholes saying they hope our beautiful, sweet ten year old daughter is raped and shot in the head with hundreds of likes on the tweet," his voice cracked and he paused to regain his composure. "When I entered this world, I knew I was strong enough to handle it and I assumed she was too. Had I known she wasn't, I would've protected them. I have twins and no one knows their names or what they look like beyond pictures that leaked of them when they were a few months old. I wish I'd done the same with Jojo. My wife is afraid for her own safety as well as our kids. I try to explain to her that it's all talk and that I've met thousands of fans outside of the arena and no one has ever come at me with any bullshit."
"Honestly, she has every right to be afraid. You're saying that they aren't going to do anything but all it takes is one fan with nothing to lose. Every time you click on TMZ, there's a story about a celebrity stalker being caught or police being called to a celebrity's home because a fan or in your case, a hater decided to take it too far," Tulip replied.
"Thanks for making me feel better," Roman sarcastically remarked with a smirk.
"I'm here to tell you the truth, Joe," she laughed. "So, excluding the situation with the fans, how is the marriage?"
"This situation has affected our marriage entirely. Of course she still loves me and I love her but I feel like she's kind of resentful and unhappy right now. Being the champ, I don't think I'll be able to take much time off in the near future to fix things. I can't go out there and talk shit about Brock being absent as champion only to turn around and skip Raw and a few house shows myself," he chuckled.
"Do you think things are fixable?"
"Of course they are! At least I think so," he said quietly. "I just-"
They were interrupted by a knock on the door and he went silent. A male's voice was heard saying, "Raw is getting ready to start."
"Alright," she yelled, pausing momentarily to let the guy get out of hearing range. "Joe, what I want you to do next session, if, you decide to come back is document everything that happens when you go home this week and report it to me next Monday so we can sort things out."
Standing, he walked over to her desk. She stood and saw his eyes trailing down her body. "I just want to thank you. It felt good to finally get that off of my chest. You're the first person I've revealed that information to."
Tulip shook his hand when he extended his. She took a deep sniff, smelling whatever manly scent he was wearing. "Anytime, well, anytime during the hour before show time."
"Speaking of the show time, I'm opening Raw so I best get going," he said, swinging the big red title over his shoulder. "I'll see you around, Dr. Bloom. Did I mention I love your name? Tulip Bloom."
Hearing her name fall from his lips made her swoon. His voice was so deep and smooth. She finished typing her notes and saved it: Joe - Session 1. She needed to get going. For the first time in a while, she had a match on two consecutive Raws.
"I saw Roman coming out of your office," Sasha mentioned in the locker room. "What was he talking about?"
"Uh, have ever heard of this thing called doctor-patient confidentiality? If I tell his business, I'll have to tell yours as well," Tulip replied.
Her ring attire was a red, white and blue leotard that highlighted her plump ass. Her kneepads were American flags and her boots were red. Her three medals dangled on her chest as she walked to gorilla. Her theme played and her attitude was totally different from last week. Last week she smiled and interacted with fans. This week she was stone faced and focused only on the ring in front of her as if the crowd wasn't there.
Her opponent tonight was Ember Moon. Tulip worked Ember's legs on the mat, trying to eliminate her speed and flying ability but Ember made it to her feet and went for a headscissor takedown. Tulip grounded her again, this time choosing to work on Ember's arms. Ember reached the ropes, made it to her feet and Tulip missed a charge in the corner allowing Ember to bounce back with a handspring elbow smash.
Ember was on her way to the top rope, likely to hit her Eclipse but Tulip swept her legs and sent Ember to the floor. Tulip bounced off the ropes to do what appeared to be a dive. The crowd actually made noise, standing to their feet but Tulip faked them out, stopping in the middle of the ring. "I don't dive, I wrestle but you people don't appreciate that, do you?! Don't worry because soon you'll have no other choice."
That action was met with boos as Tulip waited for Ember to return to the ring when the ref began the 10 count. Tulip was on her before Ember could get her footing back. She applied one of her many submission finishers, the triangle choke, locking it in tight. Ember tapped almost immediately but Tulip didn't let go.
"The winner of this match, Tulip Bloom," Jojo announced. The ref raised Tulip's arms and she was showered with boos. Looking around at the crowd, Tulip smirked, this was much better than the radio silence and indifference she received during her first push. Progress.