Meant to Be:
Chapter Ten
… It's beginning to get to me.
(05/09/05) Raw – Nashville, Tennessee
John left the medic room after receiving the all clear, he was surprised not to have seen Ella there waiting for him like she usually did, as a matter of fact he'd not seen her at all backstage that evening which was strange as she could usually be seen darting around between promos making sure things were running smoothly. Knowing he wouldn't be needed again until the dark match that evening he took it upon himself to find the elusive Miss. Lewis and find out what it was she was up to.
He was amazed to find her in the empty backstage area that had been closed off to the Raw crew, she was perched on top of one of the packing crates tapping away furiously at her laptop. He sat himself next to her atop of the crate and tried to crane his neck to see what it was she was working on.
"Hey." He greeted her; she lifted her hand up for a quick wave but continued to tap away at her laptop. "I was surprised you weren't in the medic room tonight." He was actually disappointed not to have seen her – they hadn't spoken since their late night dinner the week before.
"Hmm." She replied still not taking her eyes away from the screen. "You ok?" Even though she was concerned, what was on the screen in front of her was pulling her attention away from anything else and John.
He rubbed his head where Tomko's boot had connected with his skull. "Yeah, still seeing stars but I'll pull through."
"Don't worry John you still look pretty." Ella replied patting him on the shoulder still not taking her eyes off the screen for one second.
"Thanks." He replied dismally, he knew she was busy but he couldn't help but feel like the cold shoulder she was giving him now was a result from something he might have done, but he couldn't understand what it could've been.
Ella noted the dejected tone of his voice and looked up from her notes, he had his eyes on the baseball cap in his hands, and Ella could tell he was debating on whether to stay or to go.
"I'm sorry John." She sighed and closed the laptop, "I'm just really busy at the moment – they've cut down the promos for the next couple of weeks so they've piled up all my other work, I'm just a little stressed at the moment. I'm sorry."
"It's cool."
"No its not, I was rude. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry." He shrugged looking over at her she did look drained. "It's alright Ella, you're working I should have left you alone." Ella noted the use of her first name; she hadn't heard him call her Ella in ages.
She noticed that his hair was no longer long and he'd gone back to the short crew cut style, she was disappointed to see that he'd had it cut.
"You cut your hair."
"Yeah," He ran a hand through what was left of his hair. "Management didn't want me looking," He quoted with his fingers, "pretty."
"Oh."
"Not thuggish enough." He shrugged and glanced at Ella who looked like she was off on another planet. "Ella, are you alright?"
She quickly snapped back to reality, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine – just a little tired that's all. Nothing I can't handle."
John slid off the packing crate and pulled his cap back on.
"I'll leave you to it."
"Ok." Ella opened her laptop and waited for it to reboot. "I'll catch you later."
John gave Ella a wave but knew she didn't see it as she was already back tapping away at her laptop. He walked off disconsolate about Ella's behaviour, he knew that she was busy and had a job to do but he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she may be avoiding him due to something that had something to do with last Monday night. He made a mental note to catch up with her later on that evening to see if she was okay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ella re-clicked the save button several times just to make sure that the document that she had been working on all evening was absolutely secure and saved on her laptop's hard drive. She waited for the laptop to shut down before closing it and placed it back in her briefcase. She slipped off the large packing crate and brushed down her trousers. It was an unconventional working space but she had to finish some important papers which had to be sent to the Stamford offices and didn't want any interruptions so she had chosen to abandon her office in favour of a quiet portion of the arena backstage.
She didn't know how John had managed to find her, straight after her segment with Kurt Angle she'd informed one of the assistants that she was going to do some work and could be reached on her cell phone if needed before the last promo of the evening. From the announcement she'd just heard from the ring it was Shelton Benjamin versus Rob Conway and still had quite awhile before she was needed to film Chris Master's interview.
She was due to turn left to her office when she heard an argument coming from the corridor on her right, she turned to see the back of a man who looked very familiar but she couldn't make out who it was and in front of him she could clearly see both Ashley and Torrie who didn't look too pleased at all. Ella took a step back and listened in on the argument and as soon as she heard his voice she knew who it was straight away, Rudy one of the writers on the creative team. He was someone who had was a bane to all who had the pleasure of working with him, he constantly felt the need to make others aware of his presence and throw his weight around. The only trouble was that he was quite low on the creative hierarchy – almost at the bottom and Ella was in charge of creative while on the road and had to deal with him on several occasions about rising above what was required of him and his job backstage.
Ella listened as he shouted at the two woman claiming they were a disgrace to the company and that the match they had put on had been a mess and a shame to all those who worked there. Ella had heard enough when she heard Torrie try and argue her point across; Rudy slighted her and told her to 'shut up'.
"I think that's enough." Ella said sternly as she rounded the corner.
Rudy turned and sneered at Ella, she certainly wasn't his favourite person, he'd been working hard for several years and believed that Ella had walked in, pushed Nick out and got the job without even working for it at all.
"Well Miss. Lewis, I think this is a matter that doesn't concern you."
Ella laughed humourlessly; she wasn't in the mood for this. She placed her bag onto the floor and approached the trio.
"I think you'll find it concerns me Rudy when you're shouting abuse at people and acting outside what is actually your job. Forgive me if I'm wrong you are a writer? Yes?" He didn't answer he just continued staring a hole through Ella. "Which means your only concern is making sure people follow the script, not telling those involved what they should and shouldn't be doing. It's not your job to disparage people for what they've done out in the ring."
Rudy was silent and Ella watched him seethe.
"You think you're so clever don't you? Strutting around like you own the place when in reality all you did was walk in a suck up to management so you could push Nick out of his job and smooze with talent backstage."
"Oh really Rudy are we always going to go back to this? When will you grow up and realise that your 'buddy' Nick couldn't do the job and that's why he's gone."
"You really have no idea do you Ella?"
"Rudy I don't want to hear it, this is the last straw! I'm sure Vince would love to hear your views on the match that took place and I suggest you see him immediately and make sure he listens. I'm sure he'd be happy to hear your thoughts about how you could do better booking a far more entertaining match."
Rudy was ready to explode; Ella was readying herself for an outburst and was thankful when none came. Instead Rudy stomped off down the corridor hitting and kicking everything in his path. Ella turned around and picked up her briefcase swinging it onto her shoulder.
"Thanks Ella." She turned around to see Torrie who gave her a bright smile, "I know we haven't spoken much since you've been here but, thanks."
"It's no problem Torrie." Ella smiled unenthusiastically, "Just doing my job. Will you guys be ok?"
"Yeah." They both replied nodding both looking slightly happier than moments before.
"If Rudy gives you anymore grief tonight let me know." Both women nodded and headed off in the opposite direction of Ella, this was another problem she really didn't need that night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ella ran a tired hand through her hair; she wasn't in the mood to be backstage at all that night. It'd been a rough couple of days what with management breathing down her neck to get paperwork finished well before their deadlines and to make sure creative was running efficiently. The pressure was really on. Now she had the added issue of Rudy finally stepping way over his mark and Ella had found Steph backstage and had to relay to her what had happened. Steph had assured Ella she would handle it, and even though it was out of her hands now Ella was sure it was something else she would have to sort herself in the end.
She flipped through several pieces of paper as she oversaw her final promo of the evening, Chris Masters and Todd Grisham and Ella wanted to be anywhere but there. The whole night had been a nightmare from start to finish. From phone calls from management at Stamford to the crew being late setting up for promos, understandably Ella couldn't wait for the night to be over. She hadn't visited any of the wrestlers in the medic room that night, Ella was realised work was more important and avoided the medic room all together, she needed to if she wanted to get things done on time.
The promo wrapped and Ella breathed a sigh of relief, though her work might not have been over all her promos for that night were over and done with, and that meant she could leave. She usually stayed around backstage toiling over her paperwork and other bits that needed completing because she was never in a rush to disappear at the end of the night. Technically she could go to the hotel and complete her work there, having never deciding on this option before she was taking advantage of it now. She informed those who needed to know she was leaving and quickly grabbed her belongings from her office and made her way out to the back entrance where she knew there'd be a cab waiting for her, the prospect of working in her hotel room with her pyjamas on and some room service pleased to her no end.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John threw the towel he had in his hand over his shoulder, he'd just finished his dark match against Kurt Angle and was on the look out for Ella. He'd left her alone for the rest of the evening after finding her backstage and had busied himself by ringing various family members and catching up with those backstage, anything to keep him away from Ella long enough so that when he caught up with her at the end of the night she might be in a better mood.
He quickly rushed through the locker room only stopping long enough to run the shower over him briefly before changing into his sweats grabbing his bag and running out down the hallway to Ella's office. He knew where it was, as he'd made sure to find out from one of the crewmembers earlier telling them he had some important information for her. He finally found himself outside of her door; he ran a hand through his hair before knocking. He was bewildered not to hear a response from the other side. He knocked again, and still no reply.
"If you're looking for Ella, she's gone already."
"Huh?"
John turned around to see one of the crew assistants walking off down the corridor back towards the main backstage area. John kicked the door out of frustration, he didn't know where she was staying nor did he have her cell phone number to leave a message either, before he left he kicked the door again for good measure. He knew he wouldn't be seeing her again until the next live Raw show knowing she had meetings in Stamford between travelling with the Smackdown team. He was just going to have to wait to see what was really going on with Ella.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(06/09/05) Smackdown – Atlanta, Georgia
Dave found Ella perched on top of an over turned trashcan talking vivaciously on her cell phone, and from hearing Ella's ferocious outbursts it didn't seem like a pleasant conversation. Dave decided to turn around and walk back to the locker room but instead found himself turning back to watch Ella. He leant up against the wall and watched as she threw her arm in the air and tapped her foot, from what he could see, she evidently didn't agree with whatever was being said on the other end of the phone.
"No I can't have it completed tonight. Why? One because it's not due until next week and two I have promo's to film, so if you excuse me I'm going to do my job if that's all right with you!"
Ella muttered several obscenities as she pulled the phone away from her ear, which amused Dave no end. Pressing the 'end call' button as hard as she could she was tempted to throw the phone at the wall in front of her.
"I wouldn't if I were you."
"Huh?" She turned around to see Dave who stood up from against the wall he was leant on.
"It's not as satisfying when you have to find a new phone and try and salvage what numbers were on the pieces of the old one." Ella looked sheepish as she pocketed her phone in her jacket; she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Bad day at the office?"
"You could say so." She noticed he was dressed for his match, "When's your match? I've lost track of things this evening."
"Not for another half an hour."
Ella paused for a moment remembering the outburst of his she heard the week before, she'd forgotten about it until now, but after the previous weeks incidents over her overhearing that first argument she decided it was best left alone and she pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn't need to go starting more tension backstage again.
"So what kind of match is it?" She asked remembering someone saying something about a gimmick match earlier that evening.
"Bull rope match."
"Huh?" Ella didn't have a clue what a bull rope match was.
"Bull rope, you know, a strap match." Ella still looked confused. "You're tied together by a rope."
Ella nodded slowly; it was still making no sense to her.
"Why's it called a bull rope match?"
"Because we use a bull rope."
"Ok. So what's the point?"
"You've both got to hold on to each end of the rope at all times, then. Hang on a minute." Ella watched him struggle with the black tape he was trying to wrap around his wrist for support as he explained what the match involved.
"Come here." She took the tape off of him and held out his wrist so she could start wrapping it around his hand.
"Thank you. So where was I?"
"Umm, something about holding onto both ends of the rope."
"You then have to touch each turnbuckle one after the other without interruption to win."
"Oh, I see. But you have to battle against the other person who's pulling you away."
"Exactly."
"There you go." Ella said as she finished strapping his wrist. "All done, nice and pretty."
"Thanks. Look we match!" He said admiring his taped wrist.
"Too bad yours isn't pink. Would have suited you." Ella laughed as she held up her own-strapped wrist in comparison.
"You think?"
"Uh huh."
"When do you get the bandage off?"
"In a weeks time the doctor reckons. I can't wait to get it off. I'm running out of clothes to match it with."
Dave laughed, "You fancy walking me out for my match?"
"Down to the ring?" Ella asked puzzled which only made Dave laugh more.
"No, to the entrance ramp."
"Ohh, I see. I don't see why not."
Picking up her bag she walked with him back down the corridor towards the entrance ramp.
"Did you have a good time in Florida?" Dave asked.
"Yeah I did thank you. I got to spend an extra day there with my brother, it's been ages since I'd seen him and I got to spoil my niece and nephew."
"Glad you had a good time."
"It was nice to stand still for longer than five minutes knowing no one needed something from me or that I had to run to catch a flight."
"Things are busy then?"
"Yeah." Ella sighed as they came to a stop at the entrance ramp. "But it's the territory that comes with running creative production on both Raw and Smackdown I suppose."
"Dave you're up." The pair turned around to see one of the assistants ushering Dave to the entrance ramp.
"Thanks for the help Ella."
"No problem."
Ella watched as he gave her a quick wave before walking through the curtained entrance and was slightly disappointed not to have heard one of his ego boosting lines. She'd grown accustomed to their banter between matches. She needn't of been too disappointed because no sooner had she taken two steps away she heard him shout from around the curtain.
"I hope you're watching me on that monitor Miss. Lewis."
Ella turned around to catch a quick glimpse of him before his entrance music started. Laughing to herself she shook her head and continued walked down the corridor, one thing Ella was sure about was that life was never boring working backstage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Again Ella was glad to see the end of the night, she'd kept herself busy with the odd promo here and then and the mound of paperwork that seemed to have found her desk, but her feet ached and her head was pounding, she wanted her bed. She made sure to close her office door behind her, turning around to leave she found Dave waiting for her.
"How you getting back to the hotel?" He asked as they both fell into step as they headed for the back exit.
"I'm catching a cab." She said pulling her jacket on as they walked.
"Why don't I give you a lift?"
"You sure?"
"Positive, I'd feel bad if I didn't."
"Thank you."
"Come on, I'm parked out back."
The pair made their way across the parking lot and Dave opened the trunk; throwing in his own things he took Ella's bag and placed it in with care. Ella climbed in and buckled herself in. They were leaving the parking lot before Dave started talking.
"So how's it going on Raw?"
"Not too bad, busy, but it's running smoothly at the moment."
"Anyone giving you trouble? I know Flair can be a handful." Dave laughed recalling some of the trouble Ric would cause for Nick in the past.
Ella laughed, "No, he's been a sweetheart. Though albeit slightly suggestive at times, he's been fine. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. How about everyone else?" He snuck a quick glance at Ella, "Cena?"
"John?" She asked, surprised that he'd ask about him.
"Oh, you know, new guy and all, has he settled in?"
"Yeah, he seems at home there."
"Good to hear."
"I feel kinda bad actually."
"Really? Why's that?" Dave asked he was interested to hear why.
"I had a really shitty night last night and John kind of caught me at the wrong time. And needless to say I didn't come across that nice."
Dave changed gears as he looked over at Ella she was biting her nails. "I'm sure he knew you were busy and that you weren't being funny with him."
"I know, but after the week before, it's not really the nicest thing to do, ignoring him."
"Why, what happened the week before?" Dave asked trying not to sound too inquisitive.
Ella sighed shifting in her seat, "We went for dinner after Raw, nothing too exciting. He most likely thinks it's got something to do with that." She sighed.
Dave changed gears again, this time with a little more force.
"A date?" He shot a look at Ella who was now staring out the window.
"Yeah… well no. I don't know what it was. Dinner between friends I thought."
"So you think maybe he thought of it more than just friends."
"No, just maybe he thought I was off with him because of." She paused trying to thing about what it could be. "Well I don't know what."
"I'm sure he's ok."
"You think?" Ella asked as they pulled into hotel.
"You know what I think?" Dave said as he switched off the engine, "You worry too much."
Ella gave him a meek smile.
"I know." She ran a hand through her hair, "I just can't seem to stop myself."
"It can be a horrible habit, but at times it serves its purpose. We're all guilty of worrying about things too much. Just try not to let this get to you Ella. You'll see him Monday won't you?" Ella nodded and Dave took a deep breath before continuing. "Speak to him then."
Ella looked over at him and smiled, "Thanks Dave I appreciate it."
"No problem."
Dave sat still as Ella climbed out of the car, the slam of the door closing brought him back and he quickly climbed out and opened the trunk for Ella who graciously thanked him as he handed her bag to her.
They walked across the lobby together to the lifts.
"What floor you on?" He asked.
"Umm, seven I think." She pulled her key card out to check, "Yep, seven."
"Same here, come on I'll escort you to your room."
"It's alright you don't have to."
"I insist, after you." He waited for her to enter the lift before he did.
They walked in silence from the lift to Ella's hotel room, Dave could tell Ella was deep in thought and didn't want to interrupt what was mulling over in her mind. Ella stopped outside her door and pulled out her key from her pocket.
"This is me. Thanks for walking me Dave."
"No problem. Where you heading off to this week?"
"Well I'm flying to Stamford tomorrow morning for meetings then I think I'm back with you guys for some promo stuff at the end of the week."
"No rest for the wicked then?"
Ella smiled, "No rest here."
Even through her smile Dave could tell she was still thinking over what he'd said about John, she was obviously feeling guilty for brushing him off the night before His hand went immediately to his cell phone in his pocket, he knew he had John's cell phone number stored in there somewhere. Taking a second glance at Ella he decided against it and dropped it back into his pocket.
Instead he reached over and gathered her hands in his, "Ella, don't worry. It'll be fine." He did something Ella definitely didn't expect; he planted a kiss onto her hand before letting go. "Goodnight Ella." And with that he left her outside her hotel room wondering what had just happened.