April 23rd, 2017

AtSStormWWE: "I don't have long sideburns, but my hair's slicked back. I'm coming to your town, preferably in a blue Cadillac. ;) #NXTLive"

New tweet from user AtDirtySouthGrappleGirl:

"Honky Tonk Man, AtSStormWWE? Is AtNXT in Memphis today? Are you #CoolCockyandBad?"

Shannon responded.

AtSStormWWE: "You're very observant AtDirtySouthGrappleGirl! Good job. And yes to all three of those questions. Right, AtRealJerryLawler?"

April 29th, 2017

NXT had a live event in Jackson, Mississippi. It had been nearly a month since Shannon last saw Tyler, but she thought she recognized his car parked outside the venue of tonight's show. It wasn't his actual car as they weren't touring their circuit cities in Florida. But she traveled with him long enough to know the type of rental car vehicle he preferred: soccer mom mini-vans for leg room, which usually translated in modern times as a Honda Odyssey, and if they were unavailable, then a Nissan Quest. She was fairly confident that the one parked next to Bayley's ride was his. He was doing house shows with the main roster, so she wasn't sure why he was around. Maybe Paul gave him a break for a bit; or maybe on his day off in between heading to the next live event, he decided to catch up with everyone. And by everyone, he meant she and Bayley, who happened to be in Mississippi today.

When Shannon saw him, his back was turned and he was talking to another woman. She was heading up the hall to greet him, when she stopped mid-stride, not liking the words coming out of his mouth to her.

"I could definitely get used to seeing that everyday," said Tyler to Becky Lynch and the two exchanged a hug.

When Shannon heard those words and saw the embrace, she ran a hand through her hair and turned around to the opposite end of the hall. She had a pouch of a dried fruit and nuts mix in her opposite hand. She was going to tease him about their little playful scuffle when he offered her his snack in January at the baseball game, but changed her mind as she walked away.

Eventually she had her match on the show, but intentionally avoided Tyler the entire time at the building. But Shannon had the wrong idea. Tyler wasn't talking about exploring anything beyond a platonic encounter with Becky. Becky was telling him about Paul's idea of creating the Attitude Era Invitational Tournament that would culminate at the next Takeover, and Shannon being her partner booked to win it. When Tyler said he "could definitely get used to seeing that everyday," he was referring to consistency in good, relevant, booking in the women's division.

Later that evening on an episode of NXT TV

The first round of the Attitude Era Invitational Tournament

Although it was recorded a few weeks ago, the first round of the Attitude Era Invitational tournament aired tonight on the WWE Network. The first opening round match, which aired last week, saw Asuka and Bayley defeat the team of Alexa Bliss and Peyton Royce. The second first round match, which aired on tonight's episode, featured Shannon and Becky.

"The following contest is quarterfinals match number two of the Attitude Era Invitational, and is set for one fall," announced Eden Stiles, and the crowd cheered in anticipation of who was in the match-up.

"Wrestling out of Orlando, Florida, making her way to the ring, Cameron!" Eden shouted into the microphone and the Full Sail faithful welcomed the hometown favorite in the arena. Cameron made her way to the ring, but gestured for Eden to give her the microphone. She complied.

"This tournament is about to be on and poppin' because I'm in it," began Cameron. Apparently she was trying to get some heel heat. "And I know for certain the winners will be from the Sunshine State! We all know the sun shines brightest on the fliest!"

The crowd booed Cameron after that statement. It wasn't as treacherous as the boos she received in 2011 when she said as a contestant on Tough Enough that her "favorite match of all time was Melina vs. Alicia Fox," before revealing she never watched a wrestling product of any kind. Nor was it as bad as fans pointing out in a match against Naomi in 2014 where she neglected to remember that an opponent's shoulders had to be on the mat to obtain a victory via pinfall. Naomi was face down on her stomach, and Cameron yelled for the referee to "Count it!" It was an embarrassing moment because you could audibly hear the referee say in the Monday Night Raw broadcast, "Count what?"

Shannon thought Cameron's promo was rather poor. It was one thing trying so hard to get pops from a state you weren't even really from. It was another to try to speak confidently when the rest of your demeanor or ring style didn't exactly reflect it. Still, Shannon gave her credit for trying.

"And introducing her partners..." Eden started. The crowd grew quiet because they thought Eden misspoke when she said partners, with an S. This was a tag tournament after all. There should just be one partner.

"You're not enough for me!

Oh no!

Just another man in love with me!

Ahh, well.

Gotta' open ya' eyes and see!

That you're not enough for me!"

"Making their way to the ring, from Palatka and Miami Beach, Florida respectively, Michelle McCool and Layla El, LayCool!" Eden introduced Layla and Michelle, who received a massive pop. They were heels. But Full Sail embraced them not because they were a smark crowd, but for nostalgia of not seeing them in quite some time, in addition to being from Florida. Sure Layla was a Brit originally, but after being a Miami Heat cheerleader for numerous years, once she signed with the company, she was billed from that town. The crowd wasn't swerved and Eden was exactly right by saying partner in a plural fashion. So was Cameron when she referenced her partners and pending victory going to the Sunshine State.

"At first, I thought it was me.

The way you flip your attitude constantly.

But I think I finally figured out

You're the type of man I like to call a spout...

See I'm a lady, those girls are petty.

You just ain't ready for this woman's rock steady.

Ya' not ready. No, ya' not ready.

You're not enough for me..."

Michelle and Layla took their time twirling each other around the stage, and milking the reaction from the crowd as they continued down the ramp, and eventually the ring. Cameron smiled at her partners as they did so.

Despite Layla and Michelle retiring from in-ring competition, they still had their gear. Amy suggested Paul give them a call to see if they would be interested in helping out the NXT brand. He wanted some unpredictability during the tournament and asked what the ladies were willing to do to contribute to an angle. Thankfully, he got more than that. They were willing to temporarily come out of retirement to have a match. The fact that it was in Florida was appealing. Mark Callaway, known to many as "The Undertaker," was not only Michelle's husband, but the only other person in the wrestling business Paul respected more than his Kliq friends. Michelle understood their bond. But more importantly how much NXT meant to Paul, and what he was trying to accomplish with it. If The Undertaker could put on a Wrestlemania worthy match once a year, Michelle thought she could at least put on a solid one for this tournament. Even though LayCool were an older team, technically, they fit the bill. They debuted in 2004 and 2006 respectfully. They didn't compete in the Attitude Era, so were eligible to enter.

"And introducing their opponents. First, from Dublin Ireland, Becky Lynch!" Eden said, placing emphasis on the Y in Becky and H in Lynch. Celtic Invasion, the entrance music for Becky, started and out she came to a huge pop.

"And her partner," said Eden, but no one's music played. "Her partner...Introducing her partner." The same thing happened. Each and every time Eden announced "her partner," no music played. No titan tron started. And no one came out.

Becky shrugged her shoulders in the ring, before referee David Wuertz approached her and muttered a few words. Moments later, he sounded for the bell.

"Okay," NXT commentator Tom Phillips began after a long pause. "It appears that this match will go on as advertised with Becky Lynch squaring off against Cameron, who enters the ring first."

"I guess her partner had a layover during their flight," said fellow NXT commentator Corey Graves. "Or maybe they overslept for the booking," he joked.

"Do we even know who Becky's partner is?" asked Phillips. "Nice shoulder block by Lynch who gets Cameron on the rebound from the ropes after she attempted to follow up from grounding Lynch with a side headlock takedown."

"I don't know who her partner is," replied Graves. "You think I'm her publicist or something knowing her every move Tom? The last we've heard, weeks ago, she was trying to get under Shannon Storm's good graces, recruiting her for a partner. Who knows who she's contacted in the past 7 days? The only thing more embarrassing than being no-showed at an important match such as this, is being stood up at the prom."

Becky whipped Cameron into one corner of the ropes, and ran forward with a charging clothesline in the turnbuckle. Michelle grabbed Becky's hair and aggressively pulled her backwards. Becky sold landing on her neck and used her feet to slide a few feet backwards, away from Cameron's corner.

"Hey, hey!" shouted Wuertz at Michelle. "Keep your hands on the tag rope. This is your first warning!" Michelle grabbed the tag rope momentarily, before Cameron mounted Becky and slapped her in the face a few times. Cameron then got up and walked over to an unoccupied corner of the ring, ideally where Becky and her partner would be, to work the crowd.

"LayCool Lay Rules," yelled Cameron. "It's a Sunshine State thing!"

The fans booed.

"Get under her good graces?" questioned Phillips emphatically. "Were we watching the same interaction on NXT TV? Lynch was being reasonable. Storm certainly didn't have a welcoming attitude when Lynch made the offer."

"That's because Shannon Storm is misunderstood," Graves defended. "You're treating her like she's some conceited, apathetic person, but she's not. She's an honest woman. She told Becky she's a lone wolf, an alpha female, and tagging wasn't her style. Who doesn't appreciate honesty? It's not Shannon's fault if Becky started her partner search too late! Lynch on her feet...going for possibly that exploder suplex...no. Cameron pounds her in the back, blocking the attempt. And nails her 'Girl, Bye,' snap DDT!"

Cameron went for a cover, but Becky kicked out at two. Cameron walked to her team's corner and tagged in Layla. Becky slowly crawled on all fours, using Layla's knee pads to pull herself up. But Layla nailed a low spinning roundhouse kick to Becky's abdomen.

"Too late, Corey?" Phillips asked rhetorically. "This is NXT. Talent pops up around here out of the woodwork all the time. I wasn't aware that Becky had to formally post want-ads, or make time to schedule appointments to review resumes. El now with multiple blows to Lynch's back. That could be the target tonight...and it appears that way as she wraps her legs around Lynch's waist for the body scissors."

"C'mon ref!" Layla shouted. "Ask her!" She continued to periodically pound Becky's back as Wuertz asked Becky if she wanted to submit. She did not. Layla then extended her own arms to the lower half of Becky's face. As she pulled Becky backwards-with her legs still around her waist-Layla applied a chinlock-body scissors combination.

The referee again asked Becky if she could continue, and she gave him the nonverbal response of a nod. Becky continued to sell the drainage of the pressure of Layla's hold on her for several moments before slowly and methodically crawling, military style, to reach the ropes. When she was mere inches away, Michelle, who was 5'10, with ease extended her long legs in the ring to stomp Becky's hand. The referee spotted the sneaky tactic, which caused Layla to break the hold and confront him for addressing her team. This gave Becky a few seconds to rest.

Layla then dragged Becky to her team's corner, placing her in a seated position on the canvas, with her head resting between the bottom and middle turnbuckle. She then tagged in Michelle. Before Layla exited, still in the ring, she and Michelle delivered several stomps to Becky's abdomen. Both women held on the top rope for leverage to do so. After about twelve stomps, Cameron joined in stomping Becky's leg, before curving her own foot at a ninety degree angle so she could place it at Becky's throat to choke her.

"Oh come on now!" Phillips whined. "This is truly unfair. If Lynch happens to prevail-and I don't see how she can-she'll probably need a substitute for the duration of the tournament."

The referee gave a very lenient count of three and a half before strongly advocating Layla to exit the ring and end the double team of stomping. Of course, the closer Wuertz approached Layla and Michelle to pull them apart, Cameron smartly removed her foot from Becky's throat, so he couldn't see a triple team. The loud pop LayCool received earlier for being from Florida was long gone. The crowd embraced them as heels again once the match was well underway.

"How is it unfair Tom?" Graves asked stretching his arms as though he was genuinely confused. "It's 'the Freebird Rule.' What are they doing wrong? They're tagging in and out. Any three members can tag in and out to compete."

"Well Freebird Rule my ass! This is NXT, not the NWA Corey! This is LayCool and Cameron vs. Becky Lynch. It's not the Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs!" Phillips yelled. "And if I'm not mistaken, 'the Freebird Rule' only applies to teams of 3 or more who are defending their tag team championships on any given night. No titles are on the line here, and no other company has such a rule."

"Tom, with all due respect, I know you're my broadcast partner," Graves began calmly. "But you've never competed in the ring. I have. And I know for damn sure, you haven't seen more matches than me! Many promotions have adopted 'the Freebird Rule' from the '80s: Hall, Syxx, and Nash in the Wolfpack in WCW in 1997. Ax, Smash, and Crush from Demolition in the WWE in 1990. The Jersey Triad of DDP, Bigelow, and Canyon in WCW in 1999. In fact, they perfected the rule if you asked me-competing interactively throughout a tag match-even when titles weren't on the line. And I could go on. Keep trying to be Batman when you know you're Robin, and I'll school you every time son!"

"Fine," Phillips remarked with a grunt. "Freebird Rule applicable or not, let's call a spade a spade here! This is not a tag team contest. It is a freaking 3 on 1 handicap match. I don't even know why General Manager William Regal hasn't called this thing off."

Michelle guided Becky from their corner, and delivered a vertical suplex. She didn't attempt to cover. She opted to grab Becky by the hair and tights, and tossed her out of the ring through the middle rope.

"Michelle's uh...looks like she's directing traffic here calling the other women who are leaving the apron to follow her as she guides Becky along," Graves explained. "Cameron and Layla help hoist Lynch on Michelle's shoulders...triple powerbomb on the steel steps! And the mauling continues as the ref makes a count of 5!"

The crowd was hyped for the spot. Triple powerbombs from The Shield were getting old. It was nice to see not only one from the women, but to see it not on the typical commentary table, folding table, or in the ring itself. It was on the steps. The spot was unique.

"And here comes the cavalry!" shouted Phillips as Shannon ran down the entrance ramp, removing her vest and dropping it to the floor before quickly sliding into the ring. The audience screamed. "Perhaps a change of heart, but better late than never I suppose."

"Michelle slides in and rushes to Shannon...Storm ducks...float over neckbreaker on McCool by Shannon!" Graves said, wildly calling the action. "El comes to McCool's aide and holy cow runs right into Whirlwind, Shannon's dual jumping knee-enzuigiri strike to the temple! She could've knocked her the hell out! I mean is this even legal? We already had a match going on. And she..." Graves checked his watch. "13 minutes and 45 seconds in, wants to finally join the party?"

"Cameron trying to enter the ring for her team...but a recovering Lynch grabs her legs, pulling her back out, and slams her hard against the barricade," Phillips remarked excitedly. "Lynch reenters the ring as the ref makes a count of nine...she kicks the seemingly unconscious Layla El out of the ring, leaving just McCool on the canvas. How is it not legal Corey? Referee David Wuertz didn't suspend competition when the trio started their assault on Lynch! The odds are more favorable now. How would WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross describe a moment like this? Business is about to pick up?"

Shannon and Becky stared at each other the entire time as they circled Michelle. They were feeding off the energy the crowd provided. It was so loud that the roof sounded like it was about to come undone. Michelle, now on her knees, crawled to Becky, pleading for a way out. Becky said nothing, just stared at her with a blank face. Michelle, still on her knees, turned to Shannon's side, doing the same thing. She too, gave Michelle the same response as Becky. Michelle, then extended her arms on each side of Becky and Shannon, before folding all fingers, leaving the one in the center at each woman. With now the proverbial "Fuck You," Becky and Shannon smirked at one another, then ferociously kicked Michelle repeatedly.

It was a good thing Shannon ordered kickpads with her gear. Having kickpads may have covered more of her skin to the displeasure of male fans, but the shin bone was one of the largest bones of the leg. It wasn't anything to mess with. Nor was it fun if you shattered it. Because Becky and Shannon were really going for it with these kicks, it was imperative for their safety they had that protection. Michelle was a trooper taking them all.

"Shannon with a kick to the back...Becky with a kick to McCool's sternum...Graves began. "And they're not stopping! What is this, some sick, twisted, game of oneupmanship? Do they even care about winning the match at all?"

After receiving fourteen kicks from each woman, Michelle cowered over and Shannon ducked in between the middle ropes of Becky's corner to exit the ring. Becky was the legal opponent after all. The crowd was both excited and befuddled at the same time. Becky did a great job of selling Cameron, Layla, and Michelle's beatdown. And just when all hope was lost, her partner showed up. But it was a heel. And not just any heel. It was Shannon. The same person who practically told Becky in so many words there was no chance in hell she would team with her. So why after all of that drama, does she not only show up, but help Becky? Was this a face turn? This is exactly what Paul meant by teasing the audience.

Becky tried three times to lift Michelle from a front facelock position, and dropped her on every attempt. She then stumbled backward into her own corner, and Shannon gently tapped her on the shoulder. Becky wasn't really hurt. She was executing good ring psychology, remembering the target of her back being attacked with the body scissors from Layla, the suplex from Michelle, and the triple powerbomb from all three women. Shannon loved working with her.

"I don't know if they find it twisted at all Corey, but I find it effective," remarked Phillips as he defended the ladies. "Ahh man, Lynch rubbing her back. She still must be reeling from the earlier attack. You have to give her credit for taking them all on. She didn't complain one minute about their advantage in numbers. Oh, but she gets McCool up on the fourth attempt. That's it girl. Fight through the pain. Brainbuster on McCool!"

"Becky absolutely drilled McCool with the brainbuster...could go for the cover here, but no!" exclaimed Graves. "Shannon blind tagged Becky at the very last second though as she staggered away from Michelle a little bit, shaking off the cobwebs from this grueling contest."

Shannon climbed rapidly in the ring and Becky stared at her before shaking her head, and slowly making her way out, adhering to the referee's orders. Once in the ring, Shannon grabbed an already dazed Michelle, and carried her to the corner of the ring diagonal to the side of the apron where Becky stood.

"I'm not sure if there's a communication mix up or what between Lynch and Storm," said Phillips. "It didn't look like Becky wanted the tag."

"Want the tag?" asked Graves. "It was a blind tag Tom. She didn't even expect the tag."

After Shannon placed Michelle on the top turnbuckle pad, she backed all the way to her side, holding the top rope with her right hand, and squatted three times, squinting her eyes as she narrowed her focus on the target.

"Shannon races to the the other side of the ring...vertical leap to the top and whoah! What was that?" asked Phillips excitedly.

A portion of the crowd shouted, "Perfect Storm, Perfect Storm, Perfect Storm!"

So some of them know what's up. Love you guys. More than you will ever know.

"It seems Full Sail is more informed on the superstars than you Tom, and you're supposed to be the commentator," said Graves with sarcasm. "Sometimes I shake my head at what Hunter's given me to work with. Anyway, you heard it from the people. The Perfect Storm: Shannon's Falcon Arrow from the top is just as beautiful as she is."

It was not Shannon's first time doing the move. She debuted it wrestling Asuka the first time in Japan last May. She did it through a flaming table with Candace LaRae at one of her last indie shows this winter. But this was her first time doing it in front of the NXT audience. This wasn't a match on Pay Per View. But it was one that kicked off a new tournament. So to Shannon, it was a significant match nonetheless, that warranted a significant moment.

Wuertz made the three count, and Eden Stiles announced that Shannon and Becky advanced to the next round while Shannon's music played. Becky entered the ring and the referee stood between the two women, holding their hands up, acknowledging them as the winners officially to the Full Sail crowd. They broke apart from the referee almost instantly and stood in each other's faces, pressing their foreheads against one another. Shannon's music stopped as they argued.

"What the hell was that Storm?" Becky asked angrily. "I had the match won fella. You didn't have to do that," Becky added referring to Shannon tagging her out, so she could do a special move and get the victory herself.

"Hey, I'm the damn doctor of this team Becky," said snapped back. "I'm here to save your ass, not kiss it!"

"Becky Lynch's got a point," noted Phillips to Graves. "What happens if Shannon slipped on the sweaty ropes, fell, and possibly got injured? Would it be worth it...just to show off?"

"Absolutely!" Shouted Graves without hesitation. "Why can't she do both? Is there a crime against it? You call it gloating. I call it greatness."

The NXT episode went off air with the ladies' heads remaining in lock and yelling at each other. This was Paul's idea. He wanted the women to be victorious. But he also wanted to plant the seed of doubt in fans' minds that the unusual alliance may not be a well-oiled machine after all. And their existence as a team could end in combustion at any given moment.

May 2nd, 2017

Shannon had a few days to sleep on her behavior from observing Becky and Tyler's exchange, and realized her reaction was immature. After all, she didn't hear the entire conversation, and there was no harm behind a friendly hug. Eventually she caught up with him, and after he finished an afternoon live event with the main roster in Panama City, Tyler drove back to Orlando. He agreed to meet up with Shannon, Bayley, and Aaron at seven for a friendly competition at Big Daddy's Roadhouse, live karaoke lounge, restaurant, & sports bar. Bayley and Shannon were there months ago as a duo. Tyler and Shannon weren't a couple like Bayley and Aaron, but over time the four of them became a clique of their own.

Everyone finished their meal before coming upstairs to the karaoke lounge to perform a song. " '90s Night" was the theme for the evening. Bayley did "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls. Aaron did "Don't Wanna' Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. Tyler, who was actually in a band before and performed the vocals to his own theme in NXT, performed "1999" by Prince. Even though the song was released before 1999, Tyler argued with the owner that " '90s Night" didn't have to be exclusive to songs that came out in the 1990s, but could be those that talked about the 1990s as well. It was a clever technicality that the owner overlooked, and let Tyler get by doing it. Some of the locals knew he was a WWE Superstar, but were very impressed by his guitar skills. Shannon was no exception, as she bobbed her head getting into the riffs of his impromptu guitar solo after his song ended.

Shannon was next and performed Mariah Carey's "Sweet Fantasy." She wore one of the headset mics that she and Bayley wore when they performed as a duo because they danced in their numbers. She didn't even attempt to perform Mariah Carey's whistle note warm-ups during the introduction of the song. Those first twenty four seconds or so, she worked the crowd, urging them to put their hands together.

"When you walk by every night talking sweet and looking fine, I get kinda hectic inside," Shannon sang and pointed to Tyler. Even though it was just karaoke and everyone was in it for the fun, when Shannon saw Tyler tap his feet along to the music and smiling in the crowd, she left the stage, walked over to him, and continued to sing.

"Ooh baby, I'm so into you. Darling if you only knew all the things that flow through my mind," Shannon sang sitting on his lap. He instantly wrapped his arms around her waist and began to nod and sway her side to side in time to the music. She wasn't expecting him to do that, but embraced the moment leaning into him further for a few more seconds.

Aaron nudged Bayley looking at the two of them. "Still think they're not fucking?"

"Some people just have good chemistry," she said to Aaron with a laugh. "She's performing! Besides, if they are, it's none of my business. I still think she would tell me if they were."

"Chemistry, performance, my ass Pamela," Aaron smirked, shaking his head. "I don't buy it. If they're not fucking now, they will be soon."

"Why is it just down to them eventually sealing the deal once, Aaron?" Bayley asked. "Maybe, just maybe, they're capable of having a fling, or dare say, an actual relationship?" Bayley playfully added holding a single finger up, and raising her eyebrows like she made a magnificent discovery.

"I don't know babe," Aaron said with hesitation. "It's possible. You know we're both cool with Mattias, but he's not the committed type. I'm just getting strong vibes that they both want to bone, and badly."

"Not committed yet," Bayley said reaching for Aaron's hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aaron asked, now turning to face Bayley looking away from Tyler and Shannon.

"He's older now. Just because he hasn't mentioned any relationship specifically to you or I doesn't mean he hasn't had one recently he's kept on the down low," Bayley clarified and Aaron nodded. "It also doesn't mean he's not looking either. Men can change when the right woman for them comes along."

"And you're saying Shannon's the right one for him?" Aaron quickly questioned back with the lines in his forehead extending.

"No, I'm not saying she is or isn't," said Bayley. "Only he would know that."

"Fair enough," Aaron replied finally dropping the subject, and they continued to look on at Shannon's performance.

Meanwhile, before things became awkward as Shannon noticed the audience and her friends looking on, she rose from Tyler's lap and headed over to another section of the crowd.

"But it's just a sweet, sweet, fantasy baby. When I close my eyes you come and take me on and on. I'm so deep in my daydreams, but it's just a sweet, sweet, fantasy baby," Shannon grabbed the Fedora of a random guy, and put the hat on her head as she sang him the chorus.

Eventually Shannon worked her way to a third side of the crowd and interacted with them for the bridge and next verse. When she made it back to the stage for the final time of repeating the chorus, she caught Tyler wink at her. She gave him a smirk in return. Shannon wasn't sure what compelled her to serenade Tyler for those few moments at the beginning of the track. Or maybe she did, but didn't want to admit it.

After having so much fun from karaoke, the group decided to go a club for some dancing. Bayley being a Latina, chose Tropical Magic Fusion, a hot Spanish club in downtown Orlando, for the gang to go to. The only "Pop" artists played in this club were Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Carlos Santana, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera, and Shakira. You may have heard the occasional Hip Hop from artists such as Fat Joe or Big Punisher that had Puerto Rican ties. Otherwise, all the other musicians played were only well known in the Latin community. Shannon didn't care because she was still having fun. While Aaron danced, he didn't enjoy it as much as Bayley-at least not unless one of his favorite songs played. Tyler was not much of a dancer at all, but he still wanted to hang out with the gang. So he had a White Russian at the bar section of the club, watching everyone. Aaron, as usual, left the dance floor when he was no longer into the music, while Bayley and Shannon stayed.

Aaron went to the bar to converse with Tyler. The ladies were dancing, no more than thirty five minutes at this point, before the two men noticed something about Shannon. She was moving too quickly, and the zipper to her dress was coming down slowly and slowly as Prince Royce's cover of "Murder She Wrote" played.

"You see that?" said Aaron. "It's quite the view."

Aaron was referring to Shannon. She wore a white, faux leather heart-shaped front strapless party dress from Loli Couture dot com. The dress had a plunging neckline and zip closure at the back. Earlier when the gang was at the karaoke bar, she wore some black "Athena" pointed toe pumps by Riverberry; but she smuggled her pair of black lace ballet flats from Nordstrom in her purse. No offense at all to Beyoncé who danced in heels in all of her shows. But Shannon didn't having the luxury of canceling on Paul in the ring if she sprained an ankle, like Beyoncé could postpone a date of a world tour.

"Yeah," Tyler said, as he only half heard what Aaron said, distracted by Shannon. He returned to the conversation. "Wait, what? Isn't Pamela your girlfriend?"

"She is," Aaron nodded after downing his Blackberry Mojito. "Doesn't mean I can't look though. I'm a man first."

Tyler twisted his mouth a little at that last comment. Shannon wasn't his girlfriend. He wasn't supposed to feel offended if a man-even if this particular man had a girlfriend-looked at her that way. Yet, his eyes remained locked in Shannon's direction.

"Man, oh man!" Aaron shouted. "So damn close! Just a few more inches, and this will make my night! And it's strapless! It shouldn't be very much longer!"

That was it for Tyler. He and Aaron we cool, but right now he was finished with the asshole's small talk. The conversation leading to them noticing her was boring anyway, and goading Shannon's dress to come undone was no longer just making him uncomfortable. It was pissing him off. He finished his third straight shot of Vodka after having his White Russian earlier, and walked over to her.

"Hey Matt, where are you going?" asked Aaron. Tyler just ignored him. He needed to get to Shannon and fast.

Shannon suddenly felt someone grab her by the waist, pulling her closer, causing her to turn to them.

"Tyler, um, I thought you said you said you didn't dance?" Shannon asked. She wasn't resistant to his touch, but wondered just what in the hell was he doing.

Before he replied, he grabbed her zipper and pulled it all the way up on her dress; then gave her back a gentle tap reassuring her of what had occurred.

"Oh...my...God. Thank you," Shannon said blushing in shame.

Trying not to embarrass her in front of the other people in the club with the save, Tyler tried to play off his actions as merely wanting to ask her something. "Don't mention it," he whispered in her ear. "I wouldn't want you to give anyone a show unless you consented to it." After helping Shannon avoid disaster, Tyler started to head back to Aaron, who he was sure was going to be upset with his heroism, when Shannon grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Stay," she said. "A slow song just came on anyway. Think of me in your arms as a gift for saving my ass."

"Literally," Tyler added as he smirked.

They finished the dance and after another thirty minutes everyone was ready to go. Bayley and Aaron said their goodbyes and headed off. Shannon and Tyler walked to his car.

"Keys?" Shannon held her hand out gesturing for Tyler to hand his keys over.

"What?" Tyler said as he gave her a puzzled look. "No. It's my damn car, and besides I've got to get you home anyway."

Unnerved by his fit, Shannon walked over to Tyler, snatched his keys, and opened the door.

"You were drinking. Maybe just a few, but I'm not getting in a cab, not knowing who or what you possibly hit."

"Okay. So what now?" he replied.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm driving, so get in," said Shannon. "I'll just spend the night at your place. I don't bite. Just nibble a little." Tyler acquiesced and Shannon drove to his apartment.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," said Shannon as she looked around checking out Tyler's place.

It wasn't the first time Shannon ever came to Tyler's apartment, but the first time she was actually inside. Usually she would just drive to it and wait for him outside to follow his car to events. Sure, they were in the twenty first century, but Shannon in many ways, was very old school. She didn't trust GPS devices. After letting her down on so many trips on the independent scene leading to dead ends, she felt more comfortable either reading a paper map, or following Tyler whenever NXT left Full Sail to go on tour.

"Yep," said Tyler as he grabbed her coat and hung it up near his on the coat rack. "I've been around long enough to snag up a pretty sweet place."

Tyler had a habit of always leaving his stereo system on in his apartment. Many times as Shannon would honk the horn of her car letting him know she was outside, he would come out, but run back inside, telling her he had forgot to turn the music off. Apparently, this evening was no different. She was not sure what station he had the stereo set to, but it certainly wasn't anything resembling rock.

As she walked further in his apartment scanning the area, Usher's "Nice and Slow" was playing in the background. A few hours ago she serenaded him to Mariah Carey's "Sweet Fantasy," and now this of all songs was playing at Tyler's place. Coincidence or not, the universe needed to stop fucking with her. She didn't find this shit funny, but there went the chorus:

"Let me take you to a place that's nice and quiet.

There ain't no one there to interrupt.

Ain't gotta' rush.

I just wanna' take it nice and slow.

Now baby tell me what you wanna' do with me?

See I've been waiting for this for so long.

We'll be making love 'til the sun comes up, baby.

I just wanna' take it nice and slow.

Now baby tell me what you wanna' do with me?"

"So..." before she could finish her statement, she turned around with Tyler's lips on hers.

Tyler knew he was drinking earlier, but was very aware of what he was doing. He hoped Shannon didn't think he was drunk, and wanted to use that as an excuse to be a pig. So after a few seconds, he pulled away, praying for some sort of sign. He didn't know if it would be her smiling or slapping him in the face. They stared intently at each other for a moment before Shannon lunged for his neck and kissed him back. He got his sign, and it was even better than what he anticipated. With that, he hoisted Shannon's legs around his waist and carried her upstairs into his bedroom, never breaking the kiss.

Tyler planned on taking his sweet time with Shannon. He wasn't sure if this would become a regular past time for the two of them; so if it wasn't, they at least would end this night on a high note.

Shannon pivoted her hips forward for several minutes meeting Tyler stride for stride as he remained on top of her.

"Don't stop," Shannon begged as she dug her fingernails deep into Tyler's upper shoulder blade repeatedly. Her nails penetrated through his skin enough for him to know that he was cut; but it was a minor laceration that would not affect his rhythm, and could close up as soon as it opened.

"Oh, I don't plan on it," Tyler said with a smirk before he bit her collarbone. "Not for awhile." Shannon moaned and Tyler gripped her hips tightly, pulling her closer to him as he continued to pound away. "Let me fulfill that need Shannon," Tyler said in between a growl of his own. He leaned against her ear, "Let me give you what you want."

"Oh Ty," Shannon managed to cry in between pants. "Give me what I need. Take me there baby."

Whoah. The night was getting even better for Tyler. He did not expect Shannon to call him "baby" or any other term of affection for the record. This was just meaningless sex with someone he happened to know, happen to regularly exchange flirtatious banter with, who also happened to be a co-worker. Someone who he rode town to town with bonding over wrestling's past and present. Someone who had a habit of falling in his lap on more than one occasion. Someone he saved from a potential law suit, and possible termination from the company. But when she said "baby," it sent a wave of adrenaline in his system. He mixed up his variety to an unpredictable pace with Shannon: fast and wild thrusts, followed by slow, methodical, and rugged ones. She rolled her eyes, let out a scream, and nibbled at his ear.

"I'm...so...damn...close," Shannon said as reached under the covers and squeezed his ass, almost trying to push Tyler even further inside her which was impossible. She felt the full length of his hardness.

When Tyler heard her say how close she was to her release, he wrapped one arm around her and in one swift scoop, flipped her on top of him. "Ride me the rest of way babe," he urged. "And open up. I wanna' see your eyes."

Shannon obeyed and caressed Tyler's abdomen while he groped her breasts, circling her nipples with his index fingers. They didn't have a chance to remove her sterling silver "Storm" choker written in cursive around her neck. The clothes themselves were enough of a priority. "Now!" was all Shannon could muster out of her mouth as she came. Tyler let out a groan, slapped her ass with one hand, then squeezed her clit with the other. He hit a few hard final strokes of his own as she joined his release with her second.

He slowly removed himself from her, and Shannon slid to the other side of the bed while he got up to dispose of the condom. When he returned to her, he licked the remaining wetness from Shannon's opening, and lead a trail of kisses from her thighs, abdomen, breasts, neck and cheek, before joining her back in bed.

"I always wanted to know what it was like to sleep with a rock star," Shannon remarked after calming down from the panting.

She had only been in NXT five months and managed not to hook up with anyone in the locker room. Until now. Sure there were tempting moments, but she was here to wrestle. She was here to be a star. She didn't want to be a ring rat. She was adamant about that. Yet, here she was in bed, naked, with one of NXT's highest prospects. It wasn't that she regretted sleeping with him. Better him than anyone else there. She just couldn't believe it actually happened. Perhaps humor was the right approach for a talk. If there ever was a talk to be had.

"Well, you know," Tyler started. "Part wrestler, part rock star, part awesome. I'm like a modern day Chris Jericho."

Shannon paused, laughing to herself before she responded. "Well Chris Jericho's a rock star, but never sang his own entrance music. HBK, and you do. So you're an evolution of them both."

Tyler turned on his side in the bed to face Shannon. "You are such a fucking mark! God, I love you." He pulled Shannon closer, cuddling her against the layer of sweat on his body, before he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

It wasn't that she didn't hear what he said. She just didn't know what to make of it, or even if she should. People casually said they loved each other all the time, but not always in an intimate context. Surely, she heard of the term, "Love at first sight," but never "Love at first fuck." Was that even possible? She was too tired to think about the answer to that question, so rested her head firmly on his chest and fell asleep.

The Morning After

"So...?" asked Shannon.

"So...?" Tyler repeated.

"We've shared a ring, a match," Shannon smiled before finishing her sentence. "And now a bed."

"I mean it didn't have to be a bed," Tyler started. "I just figured you'd want to be safe and comfortable."

"Tyler we had sex," said Shannon. "You make it seem like we went rock climbing without gloves, a harness, and I had a major fear of heights." She paused while turning on her side to face him. "But I appreciate the chivalry," she added as she leaned down to kiss the dividing line of his pectoral muscles.

"Hey, if you'd rather have the floor, the kitchen, hood of my car, broom closest, bus stop, park bench, washing machine, elevator, rooftop, or airplane bathroom," Tyler said as Shannon raised her eyebrow at his last preferred venue of sexual escapades. "We can totally have that arranged for round two."

"Sounds like you've had a lot of time to think about it," Shannon stated as she looked on intently at him.

"Well that wasn't a no," Tyler said as he swiped a piece of hair from Shannon's face and tucked it behind her ear. When he noticed she didn't stop him from doing so, he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "And a man can dream."

Raising her arms to stretch, she pulled from his embrace. "A man needs to let me use his shower," Shannon responded.

"You sure you just don't want me to drop you off at your place, so you can use yours?" Tyler questioned as he sat up in the bed. "I know how you women can be, so particular, about so much."

Shannon shook her head in response, got out of the bed, walked over to Tyler's closets, and then drawers. Tyler assumed she'd likely be in search of a pair of sweats to borrow.

"Fourth drawer from the bottom for the pants..." said Tyler. Remembering that he had a certain top in another drawer, he said, "You can find shirts on the right side drawer, third from the top."

Although her back was turned to Tyler, she smirked at how perceptive he was. This was the first time they slept together, and here he already implied there would be a second time; and as if on instinct, he knew she was searching for something of his to put on before he eventually took her back to her place.

She grabbed a pair of his track pants, and was stunned when she pulled the top. It was a black crew neck tee shirt with a large grey funnel cloud in the center. There were three words, in capital letters, surrounding the funnel cloud in royal blue: "WEATHER THE STORM."

"Why is my shirt in your drawer?" Shannon asked as she turned to him.

"Well, Mark, you're not the only one who's a mark," he said. "I can assure you that is definitely my shirt. Shannon Storm. I'm a big fan of hers. She's really good. Don't be jealous though. She's probably preoccupied with some loser anyway."

Tossing the two articles of clothing over her shoulder, she walked over to Tyler, who was still sitting up in bed. She could not muster any words. Realizing Tyler already noticed her blushing as he described her, she simply walked over to him and kissed him passionately. The situation, if it even was that, was truly an unusual one. Unusually comfortable. Tyler and Shannon, who never went on a proper date, or declared any intention to explore any feelings with one another, seemed to be indirectly doing just that.

Feeling Tyler begin to pull her to him on the bed, she pulled back talking through the kisses.

"I...need...to...take...a...shower...you...do...too..." Shannon felt his hand traveling from her hip trying to grab her ass, but she swatted it away. "Stop...it..." She finally managed to get away from him, and walked to his dresser where her purse was, to search for a few travel-sized toiletries. Tyler started laughing.

"What?" Shannon asked. She missed the joke.

"You," Tyler said simply.

"Is something in my teeth? Oh God, how embarrassing," she said as she hurried to the over-sized mirror attached to another one of his dressers.

"No. You walk around naked in my place so openly and freely. It's sexy," said Tyler. "No one else I ever fuc," Tyler caught himself, knowing she was different. "No one else I've ever slept with did that. They wanted to cover up right away. They were so self-conscious. You're not."

"You said we're tag partners for life right? We were partners of a different kind last night," said Shannon with a wink. "Besides, I have nothing to hide."

Grabbing what she needed from her purse and Tyler's clothes, Shannon headed towards the direction of the bathroom. Immediately, Tyler hopped out of the bed, raced towards her, and scooped her into his arms, causing her to drop everything. She shrieked, not in fear, but in shock.

"Well in that case, you won't mind sharing your shower with me," said Tyler.

Author's Note: Well, they've finally sealed the deal! Aaron called it! Initially, when I mapped this story out in December of 2015, I didn't plan on writing any smut partly because it's not my strong suit, and this was my very first attempt. Secondly, because I didn't think it was necessary. But after a lot of contemplation, I realized that this chapter needed to end with a physical culmination after the slow, emotional build I've worked hard on to illustrate. For those of you who like smut, you're welcome. For those of you that like smut, but felt that mine was lacking, I apologize. There are plenty of other writers who are excellent at writing it, and I'm friends with some on here. To those homies, you know who you are. I don't drink, but know I'm throwing up a glass of the strongest sparkling water in your honor. :) I felt Breeze and Storm deserved some action, but I tried not to make it so over the top. Hopefully the overall story is still being enjoyed, and you continue to read on. Because I've still got some cool things planned.