The door opened and a tall, well-built man made his way in.
"Drew… Vince wanted to see you right now. He's in his office." A deep, English accent echoed in the ambience of the small locker room.
Drew took off his cowboy hat, placed it down on the small table beside his thigh, and lifted his head to see one of his best mates, Wade. "He say what it's about?"
"No. Went in to have a look at my schedule for next week... We still on for drinks tonight?" Wade asked while digging into his luggage for a clean towel.
"Aye. Make sure Sheamus knows. Fella's been talking about pints day and night." Drew chuckled to himself while getting to his feet. He then exited the locker room.
He turned the corner, continued down the hall, but stopped at a shiny surface that provided a clear reflection of him. Since he was fifteen years old, he always imagined the days he'd be a part of the WWE. What he didn't envision was himself roaming backstage in leather pants, sun glasses, and a bandana tied around his forehead. Creative had him working a "rocker" gimmick along with Slater and Mahal. He didn't mind working with the two. He recognized passion for this business was the same for them as it was for him. It was just the gimmick itself that was falling flat for some fans.
He was a heavy hitter. He was sinister. His eyes were piercing. He was a "grizzled young vet." These were what the fans were accustomed to when it came to Drew. Despite the confusion around the new gimmick, Drew was making the most out of it. He was, indeed, a huge GNR fan. He figured why not channel Axl Rose. He dressed up as Axl once in high school.
"Drew?" He recognized the lady's voice. "Drew? Is that you?" Her English accent, just as strong as Wade's, was approaching him closer by the second. He turned around to greet Luna. Luna was Wade's wife. She was petite but feisty and managed to keep Wade, as "alpha-male" as he was, on his toes.
"Hey Lu." Drew let out as he exchanged a hug with the lovely Brit. She wasn't alone. Beside her stood a caramel-complected curvaceous young lady whose eyes avoided him.
"This is Marie. She's a talented artist. She's helping me out with my galleria." Luna stepped away as Drew lent out his hand to this beautiful stranger.
"Hi. I'm Drew." Marie took his hand and shook it, still avoiding eye contact. She tried to focus on his forehead. The oldest trick in the book but she wasn't fooling anyone. Drew started to think there was something on his forehead. He ran his free hand over his forehead to make sure nothing was actually there. "Very nice to meet you, Marie."
She smiled softly and replied, "Nice to meet you too, Drew." She always found herself shying away from strangers. It was her nature. She dreaded meeting people. She dreaded being in public places. They were "infested" with people. She was an introvert; little short of being anti-social. His Scottish accent didn't help her one bit. She was a sucker for foreign guys.
"I've got to get going now. I'll see you gals later." Drew slowly let Marie's hand slip out of his warm grasp. He turned on his heels and walked away.
Marie couldn't help but take in the glorious sight leaving her. He was her ideal man but she wouldn't let that be known off the bat. Though her eyes hadn't met his, she felt captured.
She was known by her closest friends for the raunchy, sex-driven jokes and innuendos. She wore "cheeky" very well and that's exactly what kindled Luna and hers friendship, aside from their love of art. Those who knew Marie well knew she was a fireball. They could see past her guarded posterior. She was much more than the timid girl she'd be recognized as in an initial meeting.
She was a "world-war waiting to happen" if provoked. At the same time, she was the sweetest girl ever. Maybe it was the Gemini in her. She was the good, the bad, and the ugly. She'd stress the ugly part. It was a coping mechanism. She found it easier to critique herself than to ever let another person bring her down. The majority of the time, she preferred to lay low instead of aim high. Maybe it was insecurities. Maybe it was her conscience looking out for her. She didn't know what it was but she felt a change coming.
"I need my coffee! I can't function!" Luna dragged Marie's arm towards the catering room, waking Marie up from the trance Drew left her in.