Center of Attention
by amplified ecstasy
chapter one;
Here to Assist

"I just don't see how a degree in public relations brings you to a job as a personal assistant."

That was the big question that even myself, as I ate my cereal in my tiny one bedroom apartment, asked. I had graduated with honors from University of Northern Colorado and now here I was.

Tampa, Florida had been my home for the past four months and I had finally scored a job as the personal assistant to some professional wrestler who was based in the town. When I thought of this as my first day of work, I reached over and grabbed the file of my client.

When I had been given the client's file I had been so excited that I didn't even crack it open until I had been home for a few hours. I was busy calling my friends, family and explaining that I wouldn't need to return home, I would be able to stay in Tampa for as long as Ted DiBiase needed my services.

Home to me was my parents house in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had gone to UNC to get a good degree in public relations and even then Charlotte was still home. Sure, I thought that it was sad that I had been living at my parents house but now – I was on my own.

When I accepted the job, I had been paid in advance. Enough to have two months of my rent paid and enough for me to rent a Volkswagen Jetta to get around from Ted's place to mine and wherever else the WWE Superstar would need me to go. I had been over the moon, and now, one week later, I would be arriving at the address Mr. DiBiase had provided my agency in one hour's time and see what he would need of me.

As a new assistant to Ted, I would not say no to any request he had for me. Washing laundry, fetching his lunch, running errands and cleaning the house for him. His application explained that he was on the road about four days a week so he would either need to me stay and keep running the house for him, or if he had appearances and stuff during the week – I would be required to travel with him. Not that I minded, I had done my research on the road trips that the WWE take, they went all around the world.

"Mom," I sighed, standing up and walking to the sink, rinsing my bowl. "Mom," I sighed. "It'll be okay, I'm going to have so much fun and before you know it, I'll be back home with enough money to help pay off my student loans, alright?" I said with a smile. "I promise. But hey, I have to get going, okay? Ted lives like, half an hour away and I'm still not dressed."

"I love you, don't let that man push you around, alright?"

I laughed, "Of course not mom, you and dad made sure that would never happen," I said, "I'll call later, bye."

I hung up and walked out of the kitchen into the only bedroom my apartment had to offer. It wasn't much but it was just enough, especially making it sure I didn't have to have a room mate. I took a long look at my closet before re-reading the file that I had brought with me.

Under the "Dress Code" area where each and every client was to fill out what their personal assistant would be required to wear, the handwriting I assumed to be Ted's read: Nothing too fancy, jeans and a nice shirt will suffice. On possible travel days, you should be comfortable, yoga pants, tank tops, hoodies, slippers, etc.
I smirked and decided that I would never let my boss see me in sweats and slippers, choosing to wear for the first day a pair of dark denim jeans and a button down violet blouse. I changed out of my pajamas and walked to the bathroom. I combed my hair out, the dark chocolate locks falling around my chest. I hadn't cut my hair in years and now the natural curls fell in place. I applied my make up and slid on some black flats.

"Alright, Alina," I murmured, turning on my heel and walking out of the apartment, grabbing my large purse. I raised an eyebrow and turned to lock my front door, jogging down the stairs and walking to my parking space.

My white Jetta was waiting and I quickly got in.

After a thirty minute drive, I slowly drove up the long serpentine driveway, thanking God that there was no traffic. I parked my car and stepped out of the car. I slowly looked around the estate and raised an eyebrow. Since when did professional wrestlers make this much money?

Ted's house was huge, a two story mansion which had a six car garage going along the base of the building. I was shocked, before realizing that I would have to clean that house, then I got upset. But, like anything, I told myself I would get used to it in time.

One of the garage doors slowly slid up with a "whir" and I saw Ted walk out of the house and into the stall where a 2009 Chevy Camero, a sapphire blue color, sat. He was about to get into the driver's seat before he spotted me.

He shut the door of the car, which he had opened getting ready to go in, before he walked out towards me. "Are you Ms. Jones?"

I nodded, "Yes! Good morning, Mr. DiBiase, please, call me Alina," I said giving my best smile as I met him half way, shaking his hand.

"If I can call you Alina, please call me Ted. Mr. DiBiase is my father," he said, nodding once.

It was then I noticed his size. He was about six foot three, seemed to be over two hundred pounds and was definitely handsome – his photo in the file didn't do him justice. I watched as he turned his head back to the car.

"Alright, Ted," I nodded nervously.

"Uh," he said quietly, his hands on his hips. "I really don't know what to do," he confessed, laughing. "I've never had a personal assistant, so I don't really know what you can and can't do?" he asked, shrugging. "I only got one because my Dad said it would be easier for me to come home to a house that's been all taken care of, you know?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

I laughed, "Well," I said, "I'm willing to help you with cleaning, cooking, shopping for you, basically things that you simply can't do because you're busy," I smiled.

Ted placed his hand over his mouth, stifling a yawn before he smirked, "You can't be serious... you're going to be doing cleaning and cooking for me? That must be boring," he said.

I shrugged, "We can't all be professional athletes," I smiled softly.

This made him laugh, "Well played. Well, I was just about to hit the gym," he said, motioning to his basketball shorts and white v-neck t-shirt. "But let me show you around the house, alright?" he asked, motioning towards the mansion.

I nodded and walked with him past the Camero in it's respective spot. "I've only got five cars," he told me, "So the stall in the middle will be yours," he said, motioning to the empty spot. "I've got the garage clicker for you in here," he nodded and opened the garage door into the house, letting me go first.

The house was a quintessential bachelor pad, the kitchen had bills and bowls in the sink – probably the first thing that I would tackle when he'd leave. "This is the kitchen, everything in the fridge is open for you to eat or drink, all I ask is no drinking on the job," he said, giving a smile. "No matter how close to it I drive you."

I gave a soft laugh, "Deal."

He smiled and walked me towards living room, "This is basically where I'm at when I'm off work, I come in here and just unwind. We've got surround sound, so if you wanna listen to music while you work, I'd recommend you play it from in here. The stereo speakers have the option to flood through each intercom speaker that you'll find in each room. It's also another way that when I am home while you're working, we can talk."

I nodded, just soaking it all in. I was working for a millionaire.

I was impressed as he led me up the stairs, where there were a bunch of photographs. There were pictures in frames on the wall and on a table at the top of the stairs and I stopped to them. "Is this your family?" I asked.

There was a photo which seemed to be taken on Christmas morning when Ted was a kid, then one of the family all in white and black, somewhat of a family picture – and then there was a picture of Ted shirtless with a man with a beard and glasses.

"Yeah," Ted smiled, nodding. "That's my family on Christmas morning when my Dad got me a kid's replica belt of his own," he said. "And that's us just before I graduated from college. Then that's the night that I debuted in the WWE."

I smiled, "So your Daddy's a WWE Superstar too?"

"Hall of Famer, actually," he said fondly. "You don't follow the WWE?"

I blushed and shook my head, "You caught me," I said with a nod.

"That's actually a good thing, well... I mean, you'll get to know it – but I made sure to avoid getting an assistant who knew about the company. I would much rather have you not know it and learn about it from a Superstar's perspective so you understand the traveling and such instead of just loving what we do."

"But what if I start to like it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ted gave a wide grin. "Even better."

He led me down a hallway and smiled, "This is my room," he said, letting me look inside. It was a pretty good size. "Uh, basically all I ask of you to do in here is just to make the bed and vacuum every couple of days," he said. He walked me further down the hallway, "And here is, what will be your room if we have a late night – usually if you're exhausted after a long flight home you won't want to go anywhere else. No funny games, I promise, but just know that the bed is here if you want it."

I smiled gently, "Oh, thank you, Ted, but I don't think I will need to take you up on that offer."

"Just putting it out there," he laughed. "And then here," he said, motioning across the hallway. "Is where my little nephew Jackson stays when he's in town."

I grinned, "Oh, nice! Will I be meeting him anytime soon?"

He nodded, "He usually comes over when I come home after Monday Night Raw," he said. "I need you to go get him then he comes back here and watches Raw on the big screen and stays the night waiting for me to get home."

"Who usually watches him?" I asked, confused. If Ted never had a personal assistant and he was at Monday Night Raw, who went to get Jackson every Monday?

He bowed his head, "Uh, my ex-girlfriend, Kate. It didn't work out and that's why I needed to have an assistant. Someone like you who doesn't really know much about the WWE."

I frowned, "I'm sorry that it didn't work out, Ted."

He smiled down to me, "Oh, you don't need to be sorry. It just took me longer than my family and friends to realize that she was using me to get into the wrestling business. No big deal," he said. "I've made sure she'll never work in the business – at least the WWE. I heard she got picked up by TNA, but it's no big deal," He muttered.

I nodded, "Alright," I said, "Well, I've seen a few things that I can get done while you work out," I smiled, "Do you want me to get anything for you while you're out?" I asked.

Ted looked up and thought for a second. "No, but maybe if you're hungry after I work out I'll swing by someplace and get us some lunch, huh?" he asked.

"If you'd like," I nodded, "Well, have a great work out! I'll see you when you get back."

He waved and walked downstairs and out to the garage. I heard his Camero's engine rev up before I looked out the window, watching him speed down the drive.

I walked downstairs and into the kitchen, turning on the sink and working on what seemed to be a week's worth of dirty dishes.

Once I finished with those, I walked over to the fridge where I saw a calender. It looked like Ted would be flying out of Tampa in two days to head out to a show in Savannah, Saturday would be in Mobile, and Sunday he would be back home, only to fly out Monday afternoon to Dallas. The boy did travel, that was for sure, but for some reason, I had a feeling he would only need me on foreign trips to other countries.

After I straightened up the rest of the home, I sat down on the couch and flipped on the television – simply hoping that a foreign trip would come quick – cause I would probably lose my mind being here all of the time.

Author's note;
Hello you guys! I thought that even though I seem to have played Teddy-boy as a jerk in Love the Way You Lie, I needed to give him his own story where his true colors will be shown. I just watched the Marine II and I think that it was ten times better than the first movie (Ted's a better actor than John Cena, that's for sure! I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for reading, I love you all! Please review, I'd love to get some constructive criticism. What do you think of Alina so far? Just so you guys know too, this story is set ONE YEAR from PRESENT TIME; so right now, it is 2011 in Alina and Ted's world. I will upload chapter two when I have three reviews from you all! Thank you so much again! Oh! Love the Way You Lie; my Randy Orton story, has been updated with some BIG DRAMA! ;) Love you all!

– Ashuhlea