AUDREY took a deep breath, rocking on her heels before she knocked on the office door. She wasn't sure what she was doing there of all places in the world. At twenty six, she'd never done something so out of the box.
"Come in." His voice was much more relaxed, calmer than what she'd heard before. Turning the knob slowly, she stepped timidly into the bright white office, covered in framed promotional posters of upcoming and past events. Audrey noticed the small wooden frames on the desk, showing his family; his wife and three young daughters, even the huge family dog.
"You must be Audrey. I'm sorry, your last name escaped me." he laughed embarrassedly, rubbing his buzzed blonde hair.
"Collins. Audrey Collins, Mr.-"
"Everyone around here tends to just call me Hunter. It's easier that way." It was Audrey's turn to flush, smiling nervously. Of course they did. This was the land of stage names. This was the place where trampoline dreams became hard mat reality. This was NXT, the developmental league of WWE, and Audrey Collins was about to become it's newest recruit.
It had all been a blur. She was supposed to be interviewing Stephanie McMahon for the local newspaper she had been working for, an episode of Monday Night RAW being the first event in the city's brand new state of the art venue. Audrey had been immediately enamored with the confidence the "Billion Dollar Princess" exuded, being able to show off without showing out. In jeans and a Patriots tee, Stephanie McMahon looked like she could still own the world.
It never occurred to Audrey that Stephanie would be just as struck by her. She'd never considered herself anything noticeable. A smidge over five feet tall, dark brown hair tumbled across her shoulders, held back that day by a slouchy black beanie. Big green eyes looked up from under her bangs, grinning sheepishly as Stephanie praised her over coffee.
"You know, we've been looking for a new reporter for our developmental show. Renee's been busy with a lot of other things, and we'd like to have a pair of reporters, someone to work with Devin." Audrey barely knew who those women were, mentally laughing at the quick thought of herself in actual wrestling gear, before responding.
"Never actually thought about being in front of the camera like that." Stephanie pulled a card out of her purse, sliding it across the table as she stood to leave.
"You should."
That conversation stuck with her for a week, needling her brain while she finished up the article. Hitting send that Friday afternoon, something in her gut told her it would be the last article she wrote for them.
Two weeks had passed, many phone interviews, and a week long trip planned to Orlando, leading right to this moment. Stephanie's husband was a lot less intimidating, even in a suit and tie. There was something about him, Audrey felt comfortable, felt safe around. Sitting down, Hunter folded his hands over what she was assuming was her new contract.
"As you know, NXT is where dreams begin, or in your case, continue and thrive. When Stephanie called me that afternoon and said she'd been blown away by a small town newspaper reporter, I wasn't so sure. It was you that changed my mind, Audrey. You are charming, smart, witty, clever..ah, look at me, sounding more like I'm asking you out instead of offering you a job." Hunter rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat, pushing the contract towards Audrey.
"I can't promise every day will be the best day ever. This is a learning facility, and there will be bumps in the road." She nodded, her heart thumping in her chest. They believed in her, but did she believe in herself?
"You'll be a backstage reporter, along with Devin Taylor. We did tweak your name a bit. How would you feel about using your middle name as your last name?" Audrey raised an eyebrow at Hunter's question. She didn't mind her middle name at all, but how did he know it? He barely remembered her actual last name to begin with.
"Funny, the things you find out about people on the internet." Hunter replied, seeing the questioning look in her eyes.
"Audrey Quinn. Sounds a lot like Harley Quinn, but no Joker." she smirked, grazing her fingers across the bright white pages.
"There's plenty of those around here, don't worry about that."
"I can deal with being a Quinn instead of a Collins. Anything else I need to know?" she asked, taking the black pen from Hunter like it was a prized trophy instead of just a writing utensil.
"Be careful. There's a lot of huge personalities out there. Some have dreamed about being here their whole lives. Others think we're just a stepping stone, and they're the biggest dogs on the block. They have no idea, they're barely chihuahuas. Choose your friends wisely."
Audrey signed her name, watching the ink soak into the paper, shaking Hunter's hand. She was officially Audrey Quinn, NXT reporter.
