A/N: New AU story! AJ starts a new chapter of her life and ends up taking a chance on a new job leading her to love, angst, hearbreak and danger.
I own nothing obvously except for the few littel crazy characters I create in my mind. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Marvel
April Jeanette Mendez hurried down the crowded streets of New York City while balancing two cups of hot coffee, checking her watch and jumping over dogs being walked and children in her way. She nearly knocked over a man on her bike and was almost plowed over by a bus as she raced across the busy avenue.
Relief set in slightly once she reached the huge tall headquarters of Marvel entertainment and carefully stepped into the revolving doors and pushed her way into the main lobby. She again ran as she saw elevator doors closing and used her leg to halt the closing and stepped inside the crowded elevator.
"13 please." AJ told the person standing nearest the controls.
As AJ stepped off the elevator she spotted her new boss pass right by her and she jogged after him. He was with two other people barking orders as he looked at his phone. She didn't want to interrupt him but wanted him to know she had made it just in time.
"Mr. Heyman." She coughed out and he didn't even look up he held his hand out and she placed one of the coffee's in his hand.
"This is Andy, my new assistant." He introduced AJ who frowned but didn't correct him.
"Hi Andy." A blonde haired muscular woman greeted. "I'm Celeste." She whispered as she jotted down notes as he rambled on about the meeting they were heading to. "but he calls me Kaitlyn for some reason." She smirked.
"I'm Trinity." The beautiful African American woman greeted. "But he calls me Naomi."
"He has a thing with names." Celeste laughed.
"I heard that." Paul said as they reached office doors. He turned and finally looked up at the three. "Kaitlyn show Andy the ropes since she's your replacement." He instructed before opening the double doors and walking into a huge boardroom.
"I don't have a notepad or pen." AJ whispered as she nervously took a seat away from the table with two other girls.
"Here." Trinity said pulling out a spare notepad and passing her a pen.
"Thank you." AJ said relieved.
"You'll be fine. He seems like an ass but he's pretty great." Trinity assured her.
"How am I first?" Paul asked annoyed seeing only a few people at the table then turned to look at his assistants. "Unprofessional- make sure you jot that down." He said to AJ who just nodded and wrote it down.
"I'm early?" A tattooed man laugh as he walked into the boardroom.
AJ nearly fell over in her chair, he had short slicked back hair, carefully taken care of facial hair, tattoos that reached passed the sleeve of his t-shirt, fitted jeans, mud covered red sneakers and a cocky grin.
"It's unbelievable. Vince tells me that I have to be here on time and he's not even here yet." Paul snorted as the man took a seat next to Paul and turned his head and to see the three beautiful women sitting there. He gave them a sarcastic smile and wave.
"What's with the peanut gallery?" he asked Paul as he turned around. "Not that I'm complaining."
"They're my assistants." Paul said typing away at his phone.
"You need three?" Punk remarked with a laugh.
"No Kaitlyn is getting married and leaving." Paul huffed briefly turning his head to shoot Celeste a glare.
"Congrats." Punk laughed and lingered his eyes a little longer on the mousy girl with long dark hair and big glasses. "You're the new one?" he asked AJ.
"Yea." AJ said with a cracked voice and was immediately embarrassed.
"Good luck because this guy is an asshole." Punk said seriously.
"Don't tell her shit like that." Paul hissed. "I'm not." He said looking back at AJ.
"I used to be in your seat before Paul went with a 'females only' staff." Punk said to them.
"I always had a female only staff you were just an exception." Paul said as a few people entered the room.
Vince McMahon entered the room with his son-in-law and a few others and the meeting was under wraps. AJ was in awe. One month ago she was a Marvel fan and now she was sitting in a boardroom. When she saw an add online that Paul Heyman who was a top executive for Marvel Entertainment was looking for a new assistant. AJ had zero experience but according to her resume she did. AJ had actually never worked a day in her life this was her first and only job.
AJ was starting fresh, she was sick of depending on people and started a new life for herself in New York. Sure it wasn't far from New Jersey where was born and raised but living in Brooklyn was just far enough for her on her limited funds. At first she thought she made a huge mistake with picking up and leaving everything behind but today was the first day she felt good about her decision.
Once the meeting was over two hours later AJ and the two other girls stepped outside while the men inside spoke and caught up.
"So what did you think?" Trinity asked AJ.
"It was easy, fun." AJ grinned. "I'm kind of a comic book geek."
"Then you're in the right spot." Celeste laughed. "I'm not a fan myself but Paul is a great guy and pays well. Did you know as a going away gift and wedding present he's paying for my honeymoon?" she asked Trinity.
"Damn girl." Trinity grinned.
"The tattooed guy worked for Paul too? And he's what now?" AJ asked them.
"Punk? He's good friends with Paul started working for him when he was 15. He now just started writing comics for Marvel." Trinity told her. "He lives in Chicago so he's not around much but from what I heard he's pretty cool but you don't want to work for him."
"Why's that?" AJ asked.
"Everyone has worked for him has either quit or been fired." Trinity laughed. "He's nice to us because we're with Paul but he's a bit of an asshole. I've met that fool four times and even went to house with Paul in Chicago and he still doesn't remember me."
"Ladies." Paul grinned stepping outside. "Let's have lunch. Something small because I'm celebrating tonight" He smiled rubbing his hands together. The meeting was to discuss how sales have gone up and a new comic series, Drax- written by Punk himself.
Paul led them into the next room where a buffet was set up while everyone in the meeting joined a few minutes later. AJ kind of lingered on her won before walking over to the mini-muffins and scoffing three down and hoped no one noticed. She then grabbed a napkin and placed some rolls in them and carefully put them into her bag for later.
"The bread will probably go bad." A voice said behind her and she jumped.
"Oh I didn't-" AJ started nervously to Punk who was giving her an odd look.
"You just slipped food into your bag, I saw you." Punk said bluntly and her face fell.
"Please don't tell Paul." She begged him. "I don't want to be fired-"
"The food is free." He laughed grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. "Can't fire you for taking food that is offered to you. I'm just saying the bread probably won't be good later."
"I sometimes get a little light headed and need something to snack on later." She lied as she looked down at her feet.
"Really? You get light headed because you're hungry?" Punk asked her taking a bite out of his apple.
"No it's- it's just weird." She said with a nervous laugh.
"Paul told me your name was Andy but if I know Paul that's not your real name." Punk grinned.
"It's AJ." AJ introduced. "Short for April."
"Pretty." Punk noted casually taking another bite out of his apple. "You live in the City?" he asked curiously.
"Brooklyn actually." She said to him and he nodded.
"You like it?" he asked her.
"I'm a Jersey girl so it's all kind of new to me." She told him honestly.
"Not a big City girl. I can tell." He said simply and she frowned.
"It's not a bad thing but you seem a little out of place." Punk noted. "Don't worry about that because you'll get the swing of the City and working for Paul for that matter."
"He's really nice." AJ smiled.
"He's a great guy. You know before Paul hired me I was living in a friends basement, no money, no desire to do anything, no family either." Punk confided.
"Must have been tough." AJ said softly feeling his pain.
"Now I have a million dollar home, a great job that I get to normally work from home, friends and a family." Punk said to her. "All thanks to Paul and this job."
"So you're married?" AJ asked casually trying to get off the topic knowing Punk was pressing her for information.
"Married? No." He practically laughed right in her face. "My family is Paul, my friends."
"That's nice." AJ said to him.
"You're married." He informed her and she frowned.
"Do you see a ring?" she asked him.
"No but I see a tan line." He noted nodding towards her left ring finger and you can see a faint tan line where a ring used to be.
"Not anymore." She said to him. "Not for a long time actually." She said moving her hand out of his view.
"You came to the right place if you're looking for a fresh start that's all I'm saying." Punk said to her and she nodded.
"I hope so." AJ said to him.
"Tonight Paul and I are going to dinner with a few other people you should come along." He offered.
"I don't think that's a good idea." AJ said with a smile. "But thank you."
"It's a great way to network." Punk shrugged. "Also it's a free hot meal." He said and he could see her eyes light up and he knew he won her over with that. "Don't pass up a good meal."
"If Paul doesn't mind." AJ said to him.
"Paul!" Punk shouted and he looked towards him. "We're bringing AJ to dinner tonight."
"Whose AJ?" he frowned and he pointed at AJ.
"Oh Andy!" he smiled. "Great! It's time we break in the new girl."
"He's not talking about a gang bang don't worry." Punk teased to her. "He's really a good guy."
"He seems it." AJ said to him. "I should get going."
"I'll see you tonight." Punk said and watched her walk away.
Punk was at the large dinner table filled with random faces and beautiful women. Paul was at his side but he was keeping one seat open for AJ who had yet to arrive.
"So you looking for a New York fuck buddy?" Paul asked as she sipped his scotch.
"Who? AJ?" he asked Paul.
"It's not like you to reach out to my assistants." Paul noted.
"She's just like me." Punk whispered to him.
"You don't think I don't know the whole story of April Jeanette Mendez of Union City New Jersey?" Paul asked casually as he skimmed his menu.
"So you know she's starving?" Punk asked him.
"I'm paying her well." Paul said to him. "She only just started she'll get back on her feet."
"You really do have a secret heart of gold." Punk laughed.
"She walked into my office wearing a dirty Avengers t-shirt and had a batman bag that I assume was carrying everything she owned it, she was pale and frail and I hired her on the spot because I didn't want a young girl to die in my office it's bad press." He said stiffly as Punk laughed. "It has nothing to do with being nice."
"So what is her story?" Punk asked him and Paul groaned and put his menu down.
"Don't you have your hands full?" Paul asked him.
"I'm curious." Punk shrugged. "You run background checks tell me what you know."
"She lived in Jersey her whole life, has a great loving family- one which I assume has no idea that their precious baby girl is living in a run down Brooklyn apartment building- married her high school sweetheart and left him a year ago." Paul said to him. "He still lives in New Jersey and works at a gas station. Don't ask me what happened because I didn't look any further. And before you ask yes she reminded me of you and that was another reason I hired her." He said almost annoyed.
"You really are a good guy." Punk laughed. "And if you know her name why do you call everyone the wrong name?"
"It's fun." Paul said honestly as he picked his menu back up.
Punk peered and saw AJ outside the restaurant. She looked inside and when he aught her eye she walked away. Punk jumped out of his seat and ran out the front door.
"AJ!" He shouted jogging up to her.
"Oh hey." AJ said with a surprised laugh. "I wasn't sure if I was at the right spot."
"You saw me you knew you were at the right spot." He smirked. "Aren't you coming in?"
"No." she said to him. "I just remembered I have prior plans."
"Why won't you come in and have dinner?" he asked her.
"Because I'm not dressed right." She said gesturing to her clothes. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a skull tank top. "The other girls in there are in dresses."
"So?" Punk shrugged.
"You're in a suit." She pointed out.
"I'll take it off." He said removing his jacket.
"Stop it's ok really." She smiled. "I should just get back home anyway."
"Stay for dinner because Paul is expecting you." Punk lied.
"He is?" she asked and he nodded.
"He even noted that you're late already." Punk said to her.
"Is he mad?" she asked nervously.
"Not yet." Punk continued to lie.
"But I can't go in there like this." She said again.
"You're fine." He said to her as he guided her into the restaurant.
Paul kept his eyes glued on Punk and AJ the entire dinner as they talked mostly amongst themselves. Usually at dinners like these Punk would be flirting with the endless amount of single and beautiful ladies but he had his eyes squarely locked on AJ. Sure she was pretty and right up Punk's alley but Punk had a girlfriend in Chicago and even when he did fool around behind his lovely girlfriends back it would be with a random woman not one that he worked with.
"I have to get going." AJ said standing up before the bill was to set arrive. "I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Heyman."
"Call me Paul and get home safe." Paul said to her. "You'll see to it, won't you Punk?"
"Of course." Punk said standing up as well.
"Oh that's alright." AJ smiled grabbing her bag.
"I'll just walk you to your car." Punk offered following her out.
"I don't have a car." AJ admitted.
"I'll get you a cab." Punk offered and she laughed lightly.
"A cab ride to Brooklyn? I'm taking the train." She said to him.
"At midnight?" Punk asked looking at the time on his phone.
"Yes the last train is at one." AJ said hurrying towards the subway stairs.
"Wait let me drive you." Punk said to her.
"It's really ok, I do this all of the time." She said to him.
"Where do you live?" Punk asked keeping up with her movements.
"I told you, Brooklyn." She answered. "Thank you for inviting me tonight the dinner was great." She said before she was about to step down the stairs but Punk lightly grabbed her arm.
"Wait." He insisted.
"What do you want?" she asked bluntly.
"I want to take you home." He said to her.
"I don't want or need you to." AJ said to him.
"Husband will be mad?" Punk questioned.
"I haven't seen my husband in almost a year." AJ said to him honestly, scoffing at the idea.
"So come back to my hotel." Punk offered. "It's right there." He said pointing to the corner.
"You want me to have sex with you?" AJ asked stunned and he laughed.
"No." he said trying not to laugh to hard in her face. "But I have a feeling you could use a good nights sleep, a hot shower and a soft bed. Also it's a little late to be traveling into Brooklyn. So you have two options- first is let me escort you home or the second come back to my hotel that is literally ten feet away and get some rest."
AJ glanced towards the hotel and the idea of a heated room with a hot shower and bed was very tempting to her.
"Come on." He said grabbing her hand and racing her across the street.
AJ followed Punk into his huge hotel room that thankfully had two double beds.
"See you even have your own bed, I'm the perfect gentlemen." Punk teased taking his jacket off and tossing it onto a nearby chair.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked him.
"Because I would have liked someone to be this nice to me when I was down." Punk said simply but totally honestly. "You can take a shower and do whatever it is you girls do and I'll be catching up on ESPN." He smirked.
"I have nothing to sleep in." AJ said to him.
"I have sweats." He said to her.
"You know what? This wasn't a good idea I don't even know you." She said with a laugh walking to the door.
"You're really going to make me follow you all the way to Brooklyn?" He laughed jumping in front of the door. "You're right next door to work too."
AJ didn't know what possessed her to kiss the man in front of her. She wasn't sure if it was from a lack of being with a man for almost a year, or the fact that he smelt so good or maybe she was just following her new set of rules to change her life. AJ cupped his face and pulled his lips roughly against hers and didn't give him a chance to even fight it.
Punk just let his tongue slip into her mouth and didn't bother stopping the action even though he knew this was wrong. But he just let her push him towards the bed and let her crawl over him while his hands finally clicked with his brain and he ran them under her shirt sending shivers down her spin.
Before Punk even knew it he had now fully taken control and removed her clothes along with his own. She was under his body clawing at his hard chest as he pushed into her body over and over again. Neither said anything, there was only grunts, moans and purring (on AJ's part) as Punk pleased her like no other. Of course for AJ she had only been with other man and this was so different and new to her.
At around two in the morning both Punk and AJ were out like lights, Punk was at complete peace tonight and maybe this is what he needed to make him smile again. He reached over to his phone when he briefly woke up and looked at the time then saw he had two missed calls, a voicemail and three text messages from his girlfriend Maria.
'Hi sweetheart I hope you're behaving. I just wanted to make sure your flight tomorrow was at 12 so I knew what time to get you. I love you baby and miss you so much.'
Punk felt the guilt wash over him like it normally did every time he stepped out his lovely and sweet girlfriend Maria. Punk pulled his arm that was wrapped around AJ away from her body and carefully got out of the bed and headed over to the other one.
The next morning AJ woke up when her alarm went off and shot her head up. She had completely forgotten where she was for a moment then it clicked. She cringed realizing she had a one night stand with a man, something she had never done before and was already regretting. She turned her head and noticed he was gone. His bed was unmade so clearly he didn't sleep next to her and his luggage was gone as well. He had just packed up and left. She was actually slightly hurt but mostly relieved. She got out of the bed and jumped into the shower and when she came out wrapped in a small towel. That's also when AJ realized she had nothing to wear to work, which she had to be at in an hour.
"Oh shit." She said to herself and that's when she saw Marvels t-shirt left on the chair at the table and it was a small so clearly it was left for her. Before her mind could assume it was some sort of payment for last night she just smiled thanking that Punk left it for her.
She hear a knock at the door and smiled lightly realizing maybe it was Punk coming back and she swung the door open but realized quickly it wasn't Punk but two strange men she had never seen before in her life.
"Um-" she started but the two men just walked in.
"Where's Punk hiding?" one man asked her.
"He's not here." AJ said confused as the two men looking around the place. One stepped into the bathroom and the other searched the next room.
"He's not here." One said to the other.
"That's what I just said." AJ said slightly annoyed and one man stepped in front of her.
"Aren't you a cute little thing?" the man laughed and eyed her legs, she had forgotten about being in the shower and only wearing a small towel that barely covered her.
"Who are you?" AJ asked him.
"I'm Randy." He smiled. "This here is my buddy Ryan. We're old friends of Punks."
"I'm sure if that was true he would have waited for you to come by." AJ shrugged.
"Well I would tell you to give him a message but since he clearly couldn't bother to wake up with you I'm guessing you two aren't very close either." Randy laughed. "If you see him or speak to him which I doubt tell him we were asking for him."
"I'm sure I won't be speaking to him but ok." AJ shrugged as the man Ryan stood behind her so she was sandwiched. Ryan was a big, dumb looking guy who was constantly licking his lips at her.
"I like your outfit." Rand laughed looking at her.
"I really need to get going." She said feeling nervous all of the sudden. "So if you two could just leave I'll make sure Punk gets your message."
"Great." Randy said walking past her as Ryan opened the door. Before he walked out he snatched the towel off of AJ's body leaving her mortified as she ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
When AJ arrived at work later she wanted to go into Paul's office and inform him that the two men had dropped by Punk's hotel room since she had no way of getting in touch with him but she also didn't want her boss to know she spent the night with Punk either.
"Andy?" Paul asked opening his office door. "You've been pacing back and forth for forty minutes please say what you have to say."
"Mr. Heyman-" she started.
"Paul." Her corrected.
"Paul." She smiled. "I was wondering if you could give Punk a message?"
"I don't involve myself in his personal life or the personal life of my assistants." Paul grinned. "If he wanted to speak to you he would have left his number." He said to her bluntly.
"No it's not like that." She assured him quickly. "It's just this morning two men came by looking for him and they wanted me to tell him that."
"Who?" Paul asked suddenly very intrigued.
"Randy and Ryan." AJ said almost unsurely.
"They were at the office?" Paul asked him.
"No they stopped by his hotel room." AJ said quietly and Paul nodded.
"He wasn't there I'm sure." Paul smirked.
"No." AJ said to him. "And I don't care about that at all." She said professionally. "It's just they seemed pretty serious."
"Did they say anything else?" Paul asked her seriously now.
"No." she said shaking her head.
"Did they touch you?" he asked in a whisper so no one else would hear.
"No!" she said loudly.
"They're a little shady I'm just making sure." Paul said to her.
"I was wearing a towel and they pulled it off of me but that was it." AJ said to him and Paul frowned. "It was like high school gym all over again." She laughed lightly but Paul wasn't amused.
"I'll give Punk the message." Paul said to her. "If you see them around again you let me know, ok?"
"Sure." She said and began to walk away.
"Don't take it personally." Paul said and she looked back towards him. "Punk's a good guy but he thinks with his dick." He laughed trying to make her feel better.
"Don't even worry about it." AJ assured him.
That night Punk was back in his own bed with his butt naked red-headed girlfriend clinging to his body. He was still sweaty from his homecoming celebration even though he was only gone two days. He looked down at her and kissed the top of her head and tried to drift off to sleep but the events from the night before replayed in his head. He heard his phone buzzing on the table and reached over without disturbing Maria as he saw Paul's name flash.
"Yea?" Punk asked carefully removing himself from Maria and walking outside of bedroom.
"You had to bang my assistant?" Paul asked him and Punk rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't planning on it but she made the first move." Punk whispered as he headed further away so Maria couldn't hear him. "And how do you know about that? She told you?"
"Not in so many words but she did want me to give you a message." Paul started and Punk groaned.
"Tell me I didn't just fuck up big time by fucking a stage five clinger." Punk said almost fearfully.
"No, no." Paul laughed. "I don't think she really cares actually." And Punk frowned at that. "This message came from Randy who stopped by your hotel room with Ryan this morning."
"What?" Punk asked alarmed. "AJ was still there?"
"Yea she was. By the way how classless to leave her like that, I thought I taught you better." Paul scolded. "Anyway they wanted her to tell you that they stopped by."
"Did they do anything to her?" Punk asked almost not wanting to know.
"No they pulled her towel off her body and gave themselves a good show but that was it." Paul assured him.
"Fuck." Punk hissed. "All these years later they're still pissed."
"They want to kick your ass. Maybe you should just let them and get it over with." Paul suggested.
"They don't want to kick my ass they want to kill me." Punk said to him. "It's been ten years and this shit is still going on. You'll keep an eye on AJ right? I don't want them to bother her thinking it would get to me."
"Yea of course." Paul said to him. "AJ is one of my employees her safety is my concern but I don't think they'll be bothering her again. What about you?"
"What about me?" Punk asked.
"I tell you she left her husband and you fuck her one night and don't even leave your number? Cold." Paul noted.
"I have Maria." Punk reminded him. "She'll be fine she just needed to get laid it's probably been awhile for her anyway."
"How was she?" Paul asked anxiously.
"Really Paul?" Punk asked annoyed.
"Yes." Paul said seriously.
"She was great." Punk admitted.
"She looks like a nerd on the outside but I bet she's kinky." Paul laughed.
"Stop no more talking about my sex life. Just keep me posted." Punk said to him. "And I'll see you next week right? You're coming to Chicago to review what I have so far right?"
"Yea and I have some meetings set up." Paul said to him. "Which reminds me I have to book my flight. See you then."
"Thanks for the heads up." Punk said then hung up.
Paul stepped out of his office and saw AJ and his two other assistants working late into the night and grabbed AJ's attention.
"Andy do me a favor, book me a flight and hotel to Chicago for Sunday night and return Saturday." Paul said to her.
"Sure." She said dropping everything she was doing.
"You're coming with me so make it two flights and two rooms." Paul informed her and walked back into his office before she could protest.
"What's in Chicago?" AJ asked them. "Does he have an event?"
"I told you I've gone to Chicago to meet with Punk." Trinity reminded her. "Paul goes every month to check in on his work."
"He's going to see Punk?" AJ asked slowly.
"It will be a good time. Punk has a great house." Trinity said typing away at her laptop while AJ was frozen in place.
