Chapter One: The Chance of a Lifetime
"Unbelievable."
Adrienne Carson stood in amazement backstage, watching the monitor as AJ Styles flew out of the ring and tackled Kurt Angle to the floor. Granted, she knew what the wrestlers in TNA were capable of. But every so often, she was taken back by the death-defying stunts that some of the superstars had executed. First it was Amazing Red. Then it was Chris Sabin of The Motorcity Machine Guns. And now it was AJ Styles.
Adrienne smiled to herself. She was in the company of the most talented and hardworking people in pro-wrestling today. And if what they do is what TNA expected out of her, then she sought to please.
Her mind went back to the Destination X main event: AJ Styles verses Kurt Angle. And yet again, her mind and emotions were sent reeling as AJ climbed on the turnbuckle and delivered a perfect Moonsault to Kurt, who was immobilized precisely in the middle of the ring. After a few seconds, AJ covered Kurt, and the referee began counting.
One….Two….
Out of nowhere, Kurt kicked out, and an exhausted AJ grimaced in disbelief. Chants of "This is Awesome!" reverberated throughout the arena by the energized crowd. Adrienne nodded to herself, agreeing with the majority of the fans. Indeed, this WAS awesome.
Completely immersed in the match, she failed to realize her name being called out. It wasn't until a firm hand was placed on her shoulder that she finally snapped back to reality.
"Adrienne?"
"Oh, Jeff!" Adrienne chuckled, slightly embarrassed that she had failed to respond to Jeff Jarrett's call. "I'm sorry! I was just so enticed by this match."
"Oh honey, that's alright," Jeff responded with his thick and heavy southern draw. "It's quite a match, huh?"
She nodded in agreement.
"Yep," Jeff continued. "Those are the kind of matches that makes TNA what it is today. And let me say, you are extremely lucky to be involved in this superb company."
"I know I am, Mr. Jarrett," Adrienne smiled.
"Please, call me Jeff," he smiled back.
She chuckled.
"I just want to thank you again, Jeff, for giving me this opportunity. And I promise, I won't let you, TNA, or the fans down."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Jeff wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I knew that you were something special when I saw you wrestling in Ring of Honor. That's why I couldn't let you slip away from me. Believe me, you have what it takes to be one of the best TNA Knockouts we've ever had."
"Thanks, Jeff."
In the background, Adrienne could hear the crowd roar with cheers and screams. The match was over, and the announcer proclaimed that AJ Styles was the new Heavyweight Champion. Jeff took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.
"Yep. That's what it's all about, right there. The fans."
Turning his attention back towards Adrienne, he smiled.
"Why don't we go back to my office and discuss your future here in TNA?"
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Being in the office of Jeff Jarrett was like being in the principal's office. It was nerve wrecking, to say the least. The only difference was that with Jeff, he was soft-spoken and not disconcerting like you think he would be.
Somehow, Jeff caught on to Adrienne's nervousness. Once again, he smiled, his blue eyes lighting up the room.
"Relax, Adrienne. You look like you got in trouble and got sent to the principal's office."
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I guess my nerves are getting the best of me. I know I have no reason to be worried."
She watched as Jeff took a cup of water from the water cooler and took his seat behind his desk. He took a quick sip before getting down to business.
"Okay. Let's talk about what we know. We know that you are a good wrestler. But, I insist that you do some training, both in and out of the ring. That ensures us that you are ready to go when you are called for. Not only that, but it will give you time to work on your moves and abilities, especially since you've been out of the ring for several months."
"No problem," Adrienne smiled.
"Now, we also know that you have great charisma and mic skills. So, I talked it over with Vince Russo. And we both agree that even though you can't wrestle just yet, that doesn't mean you can't be on Impact every week. We've come to the consensus that for now, you will be seen as a manager."
"Okay. So, who am I going to manage?"
"Seeing that you have the total package: looks, charisma, and high-flying abilities, Vince and I believe that you would be best suited as manager for The Motorcity Machine Guns. And I know that you three will instantly hit it off."
Adrienne's heart skipped a beat. She was to be the manager for The Motorcity Machine Guns. The Guns were, by far, her favorite tag team in all of pro-wrestling. Not to mention, they were the most handsome as well. They were the main reason she was who she was as a wrestler. Alex was the inspiration for her charisma, while Chris was the inspiration for her ring skills. No wrestler or tag-team had any influence on her career like they had.
Standing up from her seat, Adrienne shook Jeff's hand and smiled brightly.
"Don't worry, Jeff. I have a feeling that the Guns and I will become fast friends."
"I'm glad to hear it," Jeff stood up and walked out from behind his desk. "Now, as you know, the Guns aren't being used at the moment. But Vince has come up with a storyline for you guys, and I think you will all like it. But before I tell you what that is, let's say I introduce you to the Guns, huh?"