Roman gathered his luggage from the trunk of the SUV that he had rented with his cousins, Jey and Jimmy. It was the best of both worlds, traveling to see the world one wrestling show at a time while hanging out with his family.
"Say, man, Y'all need to get to wake up! We're here now, I'm not carrying yall heavy ass luggage into the arena. I will leave Y'all and this stuff in this hot ass SUV!" Roman said as he finished gathering his things. He hadn't realized that Jey and Jimmy were still in the SUV sleeping until he took off his headphones and heard the snoring from the backseat. Roman slammed the door shut once he didn't hear a response from the sleeping beauties. The two jolted awake upon hearing the door make an impact with the door jam.
"YO, WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Jimmy snapped at Roman as he wiped his red eyes, his face showed the evidence of how well rested he now was. The imprints on his face from the neck pillow still fresh.
Jey woke up and replied, "Yeah uce, you could have just told us, man. All the other stuff ain't necessary man."
Roman snickered to himself, "Well, I did and Y'all ain't move so I had to do what I had to do to avoid going to jail cause Y'all dead from heat stroke. Now come on let's go! We have a show to do." The twins begrudgingly got out the SUV mumbling to themselves about Roman's rude antics.
"We wouldn't have done you like that!" Jimmy replied as the trio collectively stopped before bursting out in laughter.
"Yall know damn well that's a lie!" Roman managed to say between laughs. "Aight, aight! You right uce." Jimmy replied after getting his belly full of laughs.
The twins came around to the back after stretching out their limbs after the long car ride. "Say, Roman, have you seen that new trainer? She started a few weeks ago. Man, shorty is killing the game! She's like this tall and her body is out of sight! What Bruno say in that song 37-27-42, she could definitely squeeze all of that in my coupe! You feel me!" Jimmy said as he laughed while rubbing his hands together.
Jey replied, "You had to say all that just to say she fine? You just nasty!" he said as he shook his head at his brother.
"Man, whatever! She dope though with long flowing curly hair, cute little accent with the most beautiful eyes. Now you know I'm with Naomi and everything but if I c-... Dog! L-look, look her she come. She bout to pass through."
Roman looked up just as she came into his view. It seems as time stood still and no one else was around him but her. She had big juicy, dark brown ringlets with hints of red highlights. Her smooth sun-kissed skin glowed as she took each step. Her simple white, form-fitting crop top paired with her distressed shorts was all she needed to accent her flawless shape. Her toned legs shook slightly with each step. His face turned a bright red hue as he watched most beautiful woman he had ever seen before in his life walk by. He felt his heart quicken in pace and sweat trickle down his face. "Damn, he wasn't lying. Wait, dammit she can see me all flushed and bothered." He thought to himself as he reached for his sunglasses before he realized they were still in the console up front. Roman quickly, yet calmly, went up to the front and grabbed his sunglasses.
"You alright over there uce? You seem flushed." Jey said as he saw Roman's reaction to her.
"Nah, that's that trainer thirst," Jimmy said as he snickered. "Heeeeeey! Come on over, I have someone I want you to meet." Jimmy said as he motioned for her to come over.
"What are you doing?" Roman said through his teeth after he put his sunglasses on. "We need to go inside and now you have her- on second thought, this is worth it."
Jimmy caught her attention causing her to change directions and head towards them. She looked at Jimmy and Jey with excitement as she didn't know many people here yet. It was always good to see familiar faces. She had met them at a live show but hadn't met the third man before. She looked on as she walked closer, squinting behind her sunglasses. The man ducked behind the SUV before she could catch a glimpse of his face but when he re-emerged, she saw his trademark tattoo and knew it could only be one man. His hair was pulled back into a smooth bun with freshly trimmed sides. His beard was full and thick this time, very different from his usual look. His large biceps glistened in the sunlight as he stood talking to the twins. His snug tank left little to the imagination as the outline of his muscles peeked through. She had had a crush on this man ever since he had emerged on the FCW scene as Leakee. She tried to keep her cool, her inner fan girl was losing its mind, as she finally made it over to them.
"Hey, guys! How are y'all doing? Are Y'all ready for the show tonight?" she said as she finally made it over to them.
Jimmy responded, "Hell yeah, we are gonna snag that dub tonight and show the world just how we get down. We at home tonight and getting mad love from the hometown crowd. Pops out there with the rest of the bloodline, big uce over here gonna snag his own dub, we're taking over NXT. They ain't ready for us. Oh, where are my manners? This is my cousin, Roman. Don't mind him, he ain't really got many people skills. That's why they always make him ride solo. He has been that way since we were kids, Roman speak up man!"
Roman stood there silently, admiring the beauty of the woman in front of him. He was enamored by her and didn't even know her name yet. "Sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Roman, can I get yours?" he said confidently as he tried to compensate for his silence.
"Its okay. Silence speaks volumes at times. My name is Draya. I'm a new trainer here. I have seen a few of your matches and I must admit I was very impressed. You have a really sick finisher. It's one of my favorites." Draya said through a large smile.
"Oh really?" Roman said as his eyebrows lifted in surprise and his lips formed a sincere smile. "The moment of silence? That was something I added for fun. I thought it was a cool way to end the match with impact. Hmmm, do you have any other suggestions that you would like to add? I'd love your input." Roman said as he looked down at her in deep thought. He didn't want to stop talking to her but he needed an idea to snag this one before someone else did.
"Yes, the moment of silence! It's my favorite finisher by my favorite superstar!" Draya said with a whimsical wink. "I honestly have loved watching your career unfold in FCW and can't wait to see what you have in store. I'll definitely be watching closely." She said as she bit her lower lip before breaking into a large smile.
The twins eyes widened as they looked between the two. They looked at each other before looking at Roman with a suggestive smirk. Jey whispered to Jimmy, "Oh shit, look at Roman getting his little mack on with the trainer. Come on big uce, you better make ya move man!" Jimmy looks back at Jey, " the charisma flows through our veins man, he bout to hook line and sink that shit! Get her!!!" he whispered as the two continued to look on.
"Dr-Draya? Can we get a bite to eat sometime if your not too busy, maybe?" Roman stammered over his words as he looked at Draya's soft eyes somewhat visible through her large sunglasses.
"You know, I just go-" she started before she had a moment to think. She thought to herself, "THIS IS ROMAN FREAKING REIGNS!!!! If you don't say yes!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!" Her inner voice screamed out as she rethought her response. "I would love to. Here take my number down and let me know when's a good time to meet up." She said as her full lips curled up into a smile.
"It's oka- wait really? Hold that thought," he said as he looked for his phone in his luggage. He rummaged through several pockets in his luggage before he remembered where he had left his phone. He reached down into his short pockets and pulled it out. "Now, where were we?" He said with a charming smile. She continued giving him her number and he entered it into his phone.
"Draya! Hurry up, we need to get the trainer's room stocked up for the show. there's a segment in there we have to prepare for!" one of the producers called out to her.
"I'm sorry, I have to leave but definitely hit me up and let me know when you want to hang out." Draya said as she turned to head towards the arena.
"I definitely plan on it, ah yes sir!" Draya laughed at his cute gesture and headed towards the arena to the trainer's room as Roman's eyes stayed fixed on her until she was out of sight.
He looked down at his phone as they all stood silent. "Real smooth there cuz, Dr-Draya can we go out to eat maybe?" Jimmy said in a mocking tone. Jey burst out in laughter as they continued to mock Roman's mannerisms around Draya.
"Look, it worked. I got her number. Wait, how do Y'all know her? Where was I when- why Y'all just telling me about her?! We could have been talking!" Roman said in an astonished tone.
"Man, trust us it was a process. We had to scope her out for a little bit, make sure she would get the stamp of approval! You know how your mom is sometimes. She used to cheer with Naomi in Orlando. They grew up together and when she took the job here, she reached out to Naomi. Draya let it be known that she was ready to meet some new people. Naomi actually had the idea for us to introduce y'all. We all hung out together a few weeks ago and we told her about you. Naomi told her all about you and pressure me into setting this whole little thing up. Don't worry, Draya is a good girl. Y'all probably end up together soon. You one of those faithful, romantic types. She like that shit." Jimmy said confidently. "Come on, before they on our ass for being late," Jimmy continued as he tossed Jey his bags before picking up his own. Roman shook his head and put his headphones in before grabbing his own bags. He locked the SUV behind them and set the alarm before they headed off into the arena.
The guys entered the arena as a small crowd had already begun to form to get pictures of talent before the show. They waved to the fans and took a few pictures before heading back to the locker room. The trio went to the locker room to drop off their stuff before heading out to catering.
" I don't know about y'all, but I'm starving. I can't work under these conditions." Jimmy said as they turned the corner down the hall from catering.
"I'm hungrier than a locked jaw buzzard out here in these streets," Jey said as he patted his stomach slightly. Jimmy and Roman paused as looked at him, which in turn made him stop as well.
"What the hell does that even mean?" Roman said with a puzzled look on his face.
"I don't know. I'm delirious as hell cause yo ass wouldn't stop at the Burger King so I could load up on the combo meal. You thought I was sleep. I wasn't sleep, I was malnourished from starvation. Wasting away cause of your lack of care about my health," Jey said as he inhaled deeply catching a whiff of the aroma from down the hall. "Whatever they made smells good in here! GOOD LAWD, we have been blessed!" He continued as they approached the catering room.
"I didn't know you were talking, I had my headphones in to cover the snoring. My bad bro. Now, let's eat." Roman said with a laugh as he tried to hide the fact that he just didn't feel like busting the u-turn for the Burger King.
They picked up plates and silverware at the beginning of the buffet. They piled their plates to their heart's content before placing their stacked plates on the table and getting drinks. Roman walked back to the table with empty eyes as his mind wandered elsewhere. He thought back to seeing Draya and couldn't help but think about the possibility of them being together. The feelings he felt upon meeting Draya we're different from the feelings he had ever had for anyone else. He started eating his food as he toyed with the idea again. "What if meeting Draya was a sign of better things to come but what if it all went down like the last time that I thought it was love? I mean, I did just meet her but the chemistry feels insane. She's been watching me since FCW. What if she's just another groupie using her job as a dating pool. Nope, she doesn't give off that vibe. Naomi wouldn't recommend that we talk if she was like that. I'm sure Jimmy probably mentioned Lisa to her by now. Everyone brings up Lisa. That was a big mistake but am I truly ready to date again? I'm over thinking this way too much. It's just a date. Wait, is this even a date? What did she say when I asked her that the first time? Damn, too much time has passed, I don't remember what she said." He thought to himself as he continued to eat.
He was silently lost in his own mind when he saw Jimmy's hand reach in front of him and heard a loud snap.
"What the f- what the hell is wrong with you?" Roman eyes narrowed as he looked at Jimmy sternly.
"Uh huh, over there so lost in thought you didn't even hear this man call your name. That girl got you sprung before the first date. Man, he trying to tell you what's happening in your match tonight." Jimmy said before he continued to chow down on the tasty grub alongside Jey. Roman stood up and wiped his mouth with his napkin as he swallowed the last bit of food.
"Reach over here again and I'm kicking your ass, how about that?" Roman said as he sternly looked at Jimmy. "I'm serious about my food man." He said as he walked backward towards the producer.
"Ro, why you gotta be so serious all the damn time? You the one over there in la la land I'm trying to help you out!" Jimmy said with a large smile in between bites.
Roman held up two fingers up to his eyes then back to where he had left his plate. He mouthed," I will fuck you up!" as he turned back around to meet with the producer.
" Okay Roman, your match is closing us out, we need you to be ready because its gonna be a good one. You're gonna face The Miz. It will set the tone for the rest of the program that we have in store for you two. Your matches have been stellar so far so keep up the good work. There will be an interview for you to address what Miz said at an event. You state what you feel then there's a break. Your match will be after the Usos," the producer said as he gently tapped Roman's arm.
Roman nodded as he said,"thanks for the heads up". He smiled to himself before heading back to the table to finish his food.
Jey and Jimmy looked up as Jey asked,"what was that about uce?" "Oh, just who my opponent is tonight, that's all. I'm facing The Miz and they wanted to set up a long feud between us. I'm doing an interview to hype it up. The usual. It's all good." He said before he continued eating his meal.
Once the boys finished up, they headed to the locker room area as the time for the show drew near. The brothers went to go play a quick game of NBA2K. Meanwhile, Roman had just finished up his shower to freshen up after the drive. He had his music playing as he wrapped a towel around his waist. His hair was still dripping as he let it hang down to dry a little bit. He went over to his bag to look for his NXT T-shirt and wrestling gear. As he searched his bag, his mind ventured out on its own journey. He couldn't decide if it was too early to text Draya, given the fact that they just met today but at the same time he was excited to find out more about her. She sparked an interest that he couldn't ignore. On the other hand, being too eager would drive her away. He contemplated reaching out repeatedly with no definite decision. He wrote grabbed his phone numerous times and typed the message out several times before deleting it in fear of her reaction. The indecisiveness was eating at him in the hours since they had seen her. This was completely throwing Roman for a loop. How do you let go of past hurt and embrace even a remote chance at happiness? A heart hardened by past abuse is harder to open. His palms started to sweat as he held the phone in his hands, trying to gain the courage to text her.
Roman: Maybe if you aren't busy after the show, we can go grab a bite to eat at Nick's Boathouse?
He looked down at the phone in his hands and watched cursor blink as he finally mustered up the courage to ask Draya out. He tossed the phone to the side to distract himself from waiting hopelessly for a reply. Roman continued looking in his bag before he pulled out an NXT t-shirt out of his bag with black wrestling tights. He placed the shirt over his now mildly damp hair before pulling it down over his body. He slipped on his underwear before sliding on the tights. He pulled on his knee pads before putting on his socks as his phone vibrated. His eyes widened as he rushed over to see who it was, just as the Usos walked in. Roman froze as he realized they had entered. He looked at them as they stared him down.
"What did you do?" Jey asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, why you standing over there like that? You look like you just got caught stealing out the cookie jar. Speaking of delicious treats did you text her yet?" Jimmy asked as he walked in.
"Uh, yeah I did. She just answered." Roman said as his head hung down looking at his lock screen.
"What did she say that got you looking like somebody stole your lollipop?" Jey asked with a slight grin.
Draya: Sounds great! I can meet you after the show and we can ride over! So glad to hear from you! Good luck tonight.
He read the message quietly to himself again before he smiled shyly. He sat down to lace his boots up as he nodded his head in approval.
"Oh shit! The real Roman is back baby. That's that smile that's been missing for so long. Man, you in there! I knew she was digging you! So what you got planned for Miss Sweet Thang?" Jey asked as he leaned all his weight on Roman's back playfully.
"You gotta go all out! The whole nines for the one who's finer than all the finest wine!" Jimmy said with a loud laugh. "Ya feel me dog, you gotta be real with that one cause I know some out there just waiting in line."
"Alright, alright! I got an idea but I'm not telling you or you cause y'all gonna mess it up. Just know, I got it under control." Roman said with a confident nod. "Ah, yessir! It is in the bag baby! I'm coming strong with this one." He smiled proudly as he sent a message back to confirm the date.
Roman: I'll see you then! Can't wait! Thank you so much for the well wishes!
He texted before tossing his phone back into his bag. He dabbed up his cousins before heading to the backstage area to go watch a little bit of the show.
Draya received Roman's message and instantly checked it from her Apple watch screen since the show had already started. She desperately tried to contain the excitement as she watched the show from the training room. Draya heard a soft knock but before she could answer, Naomi entered. Naomi's smile was big and bright as the Glow Queen immediately came over and hugged Draya.
"I heard that someone has a date with a certain someone else thanks to her best friend in the world. Now I wonder, who could it be behind this match made in heaven?" Naomi said playfully as she pulled away from the hug.
Draya bashfully replied, "Shhh, keep it down! I don't want anyone to know yet. I'm still in disbelief myself! What should I wear? Oh my goodness, he looked amazing in just a basic outfit. I was so lost in those big brown eyes and that smooth skin. His chiseled good looks, mmmm! Thank you for setting up the introduction. I know this seems psycho but I think he's the one that's going to change my life. Something about us being around each other just felt right. You know how I can get sometimes." Draya said with a hopeful smirk.
"Well, you know he's family and I'll only hook you up with the best. I've known you since our days playing hopscotch outside your grandmother's house. You know I had to hook it up. Some little birdies told me he is just as excited as you are. I hope tonight goes well. You better tell me about it too girl, I'll be up! Be safe and enjoy the show ma!" Naomi walked away still smiling over how well her first stint as a matchmaker was going.
The show was going smoothly so far as Roman watched in the backstage area. Josh appeared next to him.
"Are you ready to shoot the interview?" he asked as the crew came close around them.
"Yeah, let's do it," Roman said as he stood with his hands on his hips. He pushed his hair back as he looked down thoughtfully.
"Cameras rolling, let's go!" the cameraman said.
A clip from an interview that Miz shot during a promotional event plays as the two stand there. In the clip, an audience member asks The Miz what he thought about some of the other wrestlers in the locker room.
"You know that's an interesting question, I have the perfect example of a non- talented overrated muscle-bound freak that steals attention from much more deserving superstars because he fits the mold that people see as successful in this company. See, the people in charge love to push guys that have a certain look that satisfies whatever sick fantasy that they have in there head. Roman Reigns fits that mold. He's another corporate creation being pushed for his good looks and ability to turn on female audience members to move merchandise. He has a limited skill set and an even more limited ability to speak. He hasn't done anything in his career as of yet that I am impressed by. As far as I am concerned, he's not worthy to be in the same conversation as me, let alone share the same ring with me. I give it a year tops. A year before he is scrapped and jobbing to local competitors or back in Pensacola working some minimal wage job wrestling on the weekends in some high school gym. This is NXT, a branch of one of the most well known wrestling companies in the world. This isn't for pretty boys. This is for guys who have made their lives revolve around wrestling. I didn't become a wrestler on a whim because I had nothing else going for myself and called up some of daddy's buddies to get me a job. No! This has been my life. I dare him to enter the ring with me and we see who emerges victorious! You can bet your ass it will be ME, CAUSE IM THS MIZ AND IM AWE-SOME, " he said as he casually tossed the mic to the side before exiting the stage.
The clip ends as the Roman appears on screen with Josh Matthews. Josh begins, "Based on what we just saw in that clip, it's clear that The Miz has a problem with you. What do you think brought this on?"
Roman replied as Josh tilted the mic towards his mouth. "Yeah, I guess you can say he does. I think it stems from insecurity. I came through FCW and killed it there. It's now NXT and there is still a buzz around me because of my dominance there. The Miz came through a different path and is one of the more experienced competitors. Facing The Miz tonight will have its degree of challenges much like any other match. He is a high caliber athlete and I am by no means intimidated. Miz has made the grave mistake of making this matter personal by mentioning my family. I'm not a carbon copy of anyone. I make my own path to greatness and if that means I have to go through The Miz to get where I need to be then so be it. However, if you have something to say to me Miz, you make damn sure you can back it up in the ring. I don't tend to beat around the bush, handle your problems one on one in the ring instead of hiding behind a camera for social media attention."
Josh looked back at the camera awkwardly as the animosity was made evident.
Roman suddenly drops down cradling his knee as The Miz stands tall over him after a malicious cheap shot targeting the back of Roman's knee with a steel pipe. He continued to strike Roman's knee with the pipe as Roman writhed in pain. Roman took slow deep breaths to ease the pain. The pain radiated up his leg with each movement. He desperately tried to make it to his feet using the stage equipment for support. He planted his left leg firmly as he, gingerly, tried to place little weight on his right leg. Even touching the tip of his boot to the ground was too much for him to bear at the moment. This strategic movement provided the perfect opportunity for Miz to knock Roman back down with a vicious shoulder block to the knee from behind. The Miz carefully watched as he continued his methodical attack.
Roman screamed out, "Aaaah G- Aaah, man!"
The Miz looked down at his handy work before picking up Roman's legs and spreading them apart. He stood between each leg and began stomping Roman's midsection, driving the air out from Roman's lungs. He coughed violently and breathed heavily as Miz delivered another devastating blow. Roman acted on instinct and started punching at The Miz's legs trying to break free. This angered The Miz more as he bent Roman's right knee around his own leg and placed Roman's left leg behind it to lock in the Figure Four. The pain forced Roman to sit straight up as he roared in pain. He pulled at his own hair as he tried to fight through the pain. He sat up and tried punching at The Miz's knee to force the break. Just then the Usos rounded the corner and broke out in a sprint towards Roman.
"AWWW, HELL NAW!!!" Jimmy screamed out as he lifted his foot to kick The Miz square in the jaw while Jey pulled Roman away, breaking the hold. The Miz fell back from the impact of Jey's kick. He scrambled away holding his jaw.
"YOU'RE MINE TONIGHT, I WILL EXPOSE YOU TO THE WORLD AS THE PHONY YOU ARE ROMAN!" Miz yelled from a distance as referees came from no where to force him away from Roman. "Did you see what that psycho did to my face?! Where the hell were you all then?" He said as he pulled away from the referees' grip.
"MOVE! AHHH, SHIT! GET OFF ME!" Roman screamed out as he jerked away from the referees. "DON'T TOUCH MY LEG, I WI- YOU BETTER NOT!" He said in a low grumble.
The pain coursed through his leg as a result of the brutal hold. The relief from the pressure felt amazing but the help from Jimmy and Jey did nothing for his damaged pride. All he could think about was the embarrassment that he was served at the hands of The Miz, the rest of his family watching this from ringside, and getting his hands on that coward. The Usos surveyed the area as the monitors cut to the replay of the vicious assault.
Just as the replay ended, the fallout showed on screen. "About damn time Y'all asses show up, if we hadn't of gotten here in time Miz punk ass would still be trying to rip his leg off," Jimmy snapped at the crew.
Jey looked on with his hands on his hips, "Yo, Ro! You good man?"
Roman shook his head no as he laid writhing in pain. His face flushed as the sweat poured out.
"Nah, man. It feels pretty bad." Roman said as he held his knee in anguish. He slowly removed his knee pad to decrease the pain while breathing heavily. A loud groan escaped his lips as he clutched his knee and rolled over to his side.
A trainer rushed to his side to assess the damage. He haphazardly placed his hand on Roman's knee, thinking it was all a work. Roman withdrew quickly. "DON'T TOUCH ME," he screamed sternly. This caught the twins attention as they realized it could have been something more serious.
"Move yo ass out the way, you doing more harm than good! We got him. We'll take him back there." Jimmy reached out his open hand and grabbed Roman's arm as Jey did the same on the other side. Roman pulled himself up carefully with the help of his cousins and slowly stood to his feet. He exhaled sharply as he felt the jolt of pain in his knee. The twins threw his each one of his arms around their necks and slowly walked with him to the trainer room.
"Take your time man. We have to make it all the way down this hall. You good or you need a break?" Jey said as he felt Roman slow to a stop. They held him up there as he breathed heavily.
The cameras faded to the commentary team, which consisted of Michael Cole and CM Punk. Michael and Punk looked into the camera with solemn expression.
Michael stated, "Thinking back to what we just saw, you can't help but wonder will Roman make it to the match scheduled for later tonight after that savage beating at the hands of The Miz. His family joined by his father, Hall of Famer Sika, in the audience. It was truly a despicable act. We will have more on Roman's status here tonight later in the program."
Now that the cameras were no longer rolling, Roman begged to go back to the locker room. "I cannot, I can't... I can't let her see me like this, man. I can go to the locker room and just chill there." He pleaded as he let go of Jimmy to push his hair back out of his face.
"Man, are you serious right now? You worrying about that right now when you can't even stand on your own?! Bruh, we taking you to the training room. Jimmy, don't pay this fool no mind. Not going to no damn locker room, you need to get your head checked too. Talking all that nonsense, you are not gonna have Aunt Patti coming after me then I need a hospital room next to you," Jey continued as he shook his head, "No, Lawd! Not tonight!"
The trio slowly started back up again and made it to the training room as Draya waited anxiously. She had watched the attack and started prepping the exam table for his arrival. Jimmy and Jey entered the room somberly as they took Roman over to the exam table. He held his right leg stiffly as let go of the Usos and leaned on the table. His silence broken by an agonizing groan as he tried to get himself seated on the table. Draya quickly filled a large plastic bag with ice as she hurried to his side. She brought the bag over to the examination table as he carefully lifted his leg up onto the table. He grimaced with clenched teeth as he slid back against the wall.
Draya placed the ice in his knee as she warned him, "It'll be a small shock then it'll start to numb the pain. Try to keep it still and I'll get something to support it." She went over to the clear bins and pulled out a soft wedge. She walked back over with the wedge as she spoke to the Usos, "I need y'all to hold his leg up while I slide this under it. I don't want to torture him by making him do it himself."
The twins obliged and helped hold his leg up slightly as she placed the wedge. He winced slightly as they lowered it back down to the wedge. She repositioned the ice and proceeded to untie the laces on his boot. Once she slid the boot off, Draya carefully slid off his knee pad. He let out an unexpected groan that startled her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. That just felt really good to get that off." Roman said with a slight chuckle.
"I figured it would. It's definitely swollen up pretty bad. You really took a beating," she said with a concerned look. "Is it okay if I touch it?"She asked as Roman nodded. She gently palpated his knee as she continued to assess the damage. He tensed up slightly as she touched the most tender spots. Once she reached the source of the pain, he groaned loudly through clenched teeth. She looked up at his face, now contorted with agony. He struck the table with his fist to keep from making another loud outburst.
Draya looked into his anger filled eyes as she began,"Roman, I don't think it's a good idea for you wrestle The Miz until you have this checked out. From what I can tell, it can be something serious. It's swollen, you can't really put much weight on it, the possibilities are endless for what it could be. How about you rest here and think things over before going through with the match? Once you make a decision, I can tape it up for you." She said as her eyebrows raised slightly with concern.
"Okay," he said with a heavy sigh. He ran his hands down his face as he dropped his head back against the wall. "I'll trust your opinion," he said quietly. He ran his hands back through his hair as his cousins looked on.
"Aight, we are gonna be back, uce. We have our match out next, I'll let Aunt Patti and Unc know what's up. You're in good hands so I trust you'll be aight,"Jimmy said with a wink.
"Yeah, man! Listen to her and we go get this dub. You still have an ass kicking to dish out to The Miz for this bullshit!" Jey said as he dabbed up Roman.
"Alright, I'll see y'all,"Roman replied before looking back at Draya.
Once the twins left, silence filled the room. Roman closed his eyes briefly to let the ice work it's magic. Draya prepared a heat pack before sitting down next to Roman. He heard the chair squeak a little and opened his eyes. He looked at her beautiful face and thought to himself,"you're wasting your chance! Say something!" He nodded reassuringly and decided to listen to his gut.
"Hey, I know this should probably be the furthest thing from my mind but with so many questions about tonight, as far as me wrestling and what this injury is, I would love to hear a little about you. I mean, if you'd like to share. I'm not going anywhere for a while,"he said with a weak smile.
Draya looked at him and smiled meekly. "I guess that's a good way to fill the time. Where should I start?" She said as she looked around in search of an idea. "Well, I am a former dance team captain for the Orlando Magic and Naomi was one of my best friends growing up. We worked together for about 3 years and I used the money I made there to put myself through school for athletic training. I worked alongside the Magic's trainers during school to get my credits. Once I graduated, Naomi called me up and told me about the opening here, knowing how much of a wrestling fan I am. She thought it was perfect. She was definitely right. I love it, I get to watch the events and interact with you guys. I never thought my career would bring me here but I'm glad it did." She laughed a little as she bit her lower lip before she looked back at Roman and commented,"Okay, Mr. Powerhouse, spill it. Tell me the juicy deets."
Roman's eyes opened wide," Juicy deets? Uh, let's see. Well, I'm 24 also. I kind of grew up around the business but never saw myself becoming a wrestler. I thought I could just go off to college and graduate then find a job at some big financial corporation. You know, one of those fancy Wall Street dudes. Instead, I found a job as an intern for a small local bank here in Pensacola. It started off great but the more I worked the less satisfied I felt. I was sinking financially and emotionally. It was a lot going on and I turned to wrestling as my escape. I took it on as a hobby until the old man told me that I needed to make a choice, and I chose to pursue wrestling wholeheartedly. That led me to trying out for FCW and now NXT. I feel genuinely happy after all the hell it took to light that fire under my ass. It was some other factors in there as well but those are stories for a later time." He said with a slight chuckle as he look back at her, now relaxed, face before he continued. "You know, I don't know exactly what you're looking for right now but I am glad that we are talking. There's something about you that intrigued me." He said as he lifted his hand to his beard pensively.
Draya's eyes widened as she laughed at his comment,"Y'know I get that a lot, I really do! To answer your question, I feel like I'm ready to date again. I put that on the back burner to focus on my career and now that I have my dream job, I'm ready to share this journey with someone else. Now, it's my turn to ask what are you looking for?" She asked boldly.
"Wooo, it's a little hot, do these tables come with heated seats," he asked jokingly in response to her serious tone. "Before getting into wrestling and all this stuff, I was in a long term relationship with my childhood sweetheart. Lisa, was the woman I had envisioned sharing the rest of my life with. Honestly, I never saw myself doing anything without her. We just seemed to go through a rough patch after graduating college and never recovered from it. I spiraled out of control not being able to work through the pain. I became an asshole, I'll admit it. I didn't care about anything or anyone after going through that relationship. I just wanted the hurt to go away, which led me to work out constantly and study moves in the ring. I got in front of the crowd to wrestle and all of that melted away. The anger and pain is gone. I am open to finding someone else now. I realize that it just wasn't meant to be. I accepted that fact, now I'm deciding to let it go to make room for something else to grow." Draya looked up, blown away by the maturity of his words and the conviction in his eyes.
Roman shifted slightly, wincing as he struggled to get comfortable. Draya removed the now melted ice pack and replaced it with a heat pack to relax the pain away. "How does that feel?"she asked sweetly.
"It's still pretty tender, I think I should be able to make it through tonight. What do you think,"he asked with a small bit of hope in his voice.
"We can test it out by having you stand on it a little bit. In my opinion, I think you should take it easy. But, knowing how bad you most likely want to get some revenge on The Miz in your hometown, I can clear you for the match. I will tape it pretty heavily though and place the knee pad over it."
He nodded as he thought over the options she listed. "I'll get up, are you sure that you can handle it alone? I can wait for those two knuckleheads to come back." He replied in a concerned tone.
"Yeah, I got you." She said as she held out her hand for him to take.
He grabbed her hand and pulled himself up to a fully seated position. He carefully lifted his leg off the wedge and shifted his weight so his legs dangled off the side. He took her hand again to help him push off the exam table as he planted his left foot on the ground. He stood up and placed his right foot on the ground with limited weight on it. He grimaced slightly but as soon as Draya looked up, he laughed nervously.
"I'm fine, I'm good." He said as he pounded his chest a little bit.
Draya drew closer in case he needed more support than he was willing to admit. He smiled as he felt the warmth of her body brush past his. "How do you feel on your feet?" She asked before letting go gradually. He shifted his weight and tried to walk a small distance. He had a very noticeable limp and was definitely walking slower than normal.
"I think I'll be okay for tonight. I know it'll be a huge bullseye but I'll work smart." He said confidently.
"Aight, I'll tape it up then. Here sit on the table again." She said as she patted the spot.
He leaned and scooted back on the table enough for her to start wrapping his knee. Draya bent down to one knee as she carefully began to wrap the knee with white athletic tape until it ran out. She secured the tape before she grabbed his knee pad to slide over her handy work.
"Okay, this is gonna be extremely uncomfortable while I put this on. Let me know if you need a break." She looked up at him for confirmation before starting.
"Trust me, I'll be fine!" He said with a confident smirk, trying to mask the nervousness he felt on the inside. She started to slide it up, taking her time as she approached the most tender spots. He groaned slightly in discomfort as she managed to get it into place.
"Thank you so much!" He said with a sharp exhale as she stood back up. He stood back up and Draya quickly offered herself as support. His knee gave a little as she stood next to him. He grabbed her instinctively, bringing her closer. The two stood closely looking into each other's eyes longingly unable to pull away. The connection between them was stronger than they both were ready for. It was as if their souls remembered meeting each other in another life. The energy filled the room with warmth as they continued to stand there.