From the Author:
Okay, um…I really think you guys will enjoy this! It's intended to be maybe two chapters long, but if there's positive feedback, I can make it more of a 'full length' fic. Oh, and outside of Ray (Rae), I still don't own anyone…yet.
"Everyone, I called you here this afternoon to tell you some bad news, some good news and to leave you with a choice." Theodore Long made his way to the front of the filled conference room and looked at the thirty some wrestlers that gladly supported the Smackdown brand. "I went to see my doctors' earlier this morning and they informed my that the mass on my kidney was benign and operable. That's the good news." The room erupted in applause and a few cheers, but as the general manager raised his hand, the room silenced. "The bad news," the little man rubbed the bridge of his nose to cover his emotion, "is that I'll be out for a total of two months to have the operation and recovery; during that time, I'll be unable to properly carry out my job as the GM of Smackdown."
The room exploded in busy chatter as the wrestlers tried to predict what was to happen next. The prattle continued until Long again began to speak. "You all obviously can't have eight televised shows and two pay-per-views without leadership, so you have three choices. We can unite shows for two months and you can be under the rule of Eric Bischoff…" The room scoffed and jeered at the suggestions, so Long continued, "You can have Mr. Vince McMahon step in…or my seed, Rae, can come a lead temporarily for me."
"Who's Ray?" An up-and-coming wrestler in the back stood and questioned.
"Well, Rae is my only child. I raised Rae with me while I traveled with some other wrestling companies. I can promise Rae knows just as much about the business as anyone else I mentioned for the job. The only upper hand Rae has is that I know Rae will make all the choices I would. I know that everything done will be done with your best interest at heart."
Another unknown stood up and inquired, " When does the change happen? When do you leave?" Again the room began to speak amongst themselves as Long drew to answer.
"In the best interest of the company and this brand, I'll be leaving tomorrow after our show here at the Mohegan Sun tonight. So by the end of the meeting I'll need your decision." Long sulked out of the room, leaving a intern to take the podium.
"Um...I know this sounds a little…childish, but we're gonna have some come around here and pass out papers-"
Dave Batista stood in the front row of the packed room and respectfully rose his hand to stop the intern from embarrassing himself and wasting their time. "I think we can get this done a little quicker." Dave turned to face the room. "Does anyone here want Bischoff in charge?"
No one in the room spoke.
"Does anyone think McMahon should GM?"
Again the room was answered in silence. "So then we're voting for Long's son?"
Everyone raised a hand and Dave couldn't help but smile as he turned around, to relay the results. "I think we want Long."
The intern scurried out of the room to retrieve Teddy Long.
"Everyone, I'd like to thank you for being so…um...understanding throughout this whole process. Tonight, after our show, dinner's on me!"
All of the wrestlers disbanded to get ready for the nearing show. As people separated, Randy, Dave and John headed to the common room they shared.
"So what do you think?" Randy quickly threw on his ring gear and covered up in a warm-up suit until his match.
"I think me and this Ray kid are gonna hit it off! He sounds like he knows what's going on, plus, if he's half the man his dad is, he'll be able to run the show okay." John too dressed for the match and sat in a huge chair to watch the pre-show and prepare for his match.
Dave nodded, "Well, I just hope he knows what he's getting himself into."
Soon after the boys' conversation ended, the show began. Like every Friday night, everything went off without any major hitches. By ten o' clock, the entire roster was off for a Farewell dinner for their beloved general manager.
Almost an hour after the dinner started Dave, Randy and John made their fashionably late entrance and made their way to the seats reserved for them by Long himself at his personal table.
"Nice of you gentlemen to show!" Long tapped each an on the back as they finished their man hugs (you know…the hug with the two shoulder taps).
"Aw...come on Teddy, you now we had to pick you something up before we came!" Randy put a bottle of Crown Royal on the table before taking seat.
"Well thank you!" Long popped open the bottle and poured himself a small glass of liquor. He saw the way everyone looked at him and explained, "I can't drink for two days before and seven days after the surgery and drinks are ridiculous here!"
While Dave and John started a small conversation with Teddy, Randy looked around the room for someone…particularly a lady… to talk to. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman he hadn't seen before. She sat two tables over with some interns and a couple wrestlers almost two and three times her age (namely Ric Flair and Animal). Orton watched as she continually swept her black curls behind her ear to keep them out of her light grey eyes.
"Gentlemen, I'll be right back…" Orton cracked his neck before walking over to the young woman at the table. On his way, he swiped the drink off the table between them to deliver to the woman.
"Hey, I noticed you from across the room and I though it was horrible no one had bought you a drink yet…" He put the glass in front of her and extended his hand. "I thought it was worse that you were sitting here at this table and not dancing with some one on the floor…"
The girl put a finger up to her dimple, "Are gonna be the brave guy to take me out for a dance?"
"I guess so."
The girl turned back to the table and excused herself before letting Orton 'whisk her away.'
For the rest of the night, the girl and Randy drank and danced. By about one in the morning, the restaurant had to shut down, turning the wrestlers out.
"Dave, have you seen Orton?" John pulled on his coat to fight the country cold.
Dave shook his head, "Nope… oh, wait, there he goes." Dave pulled John behind the side of the building do they could see their friend, but not be seen.
"So look, I had a really good time tonight, but I know what kinda guy you are-" The girl bounced another one of her curls, know she need not finish her sentence.
"What kinda guy am I?" Randy, who had the girl backed against the side of the building ducked in for a kiss; he succeeded only prolonging his overall rejection.
"You're the kinda guy who gets in, gets off and gets gone. But you're a great kisser." She rubbed the side of his face as he looked down.
Randy sincerely locked eyes with the girl he hardly even know, "I'm not 'that kinda guy'!"
"Well, then call me and prove it." The girl giggled before kissing Randy once quickly and maneuvering from beneath him to hail a cab.
Dave and Randy came from their hiding place clapping. "Finally," Dave began, "Randy talked to a decent girl!"
"Yeah, and she cold rejected him too!" John hit Randy on his back.