Okay peeps, I've got another update for you. Not a double this time, sorry but I figured one would be better than none. Thanks for the reviews and the favorites. Please keep them coming, I'd love to hear your ideas for what you'd like to see as well as your opinions on what you have seen. Enjoy!
Chapter 35…
Monday…
"Heard you were lookin' for me, boss lady," Jordan knocked on the door of the conference room the creative team was using as a work space. Stephanie was in the room alone, rubbing her temples as she looked down at a stack of papers in front of her.
"Hey," Stephanie looked up. "Sorry, I'm just dealing with the third rewrite of tonight's show."
"Ouch," Jordan winced. "Anything I can do?"
"Write me a perfect angle for the main event at Hell in a Cell," Stephanie sighed.
"John's elbow really threw you guys, huh?"
"It absolutely screwed us," Stephanie admitted.
Jordan bit back a comment about it not being so much fun for John.
"I'm not trying to be insensitive," Stephanie ran a hand through her hair, crossing off something on the sheet in front of her. I'm just stressed. I need that spa day."
The spa trip they'd planned for her birthday the week prior had to be postponed due to a last minute meeting.
"We'll get it rescheduled soon," Jordan said, sitting down, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'll take care of it."
"Thank you," Stephanie tapped her pen on the table. She looked over at Jordan, "What do you think of Antonio Cesaro?"
"I think Claudio's great," Jordan answered. "I was a huge fan of his back when he was in ROH."
She was about to continue but she stopped herself, shrugging.
"But…" Stephanie gestured for her to continue.
Jordan wasn't really sure why Stephanie was asking her this, she didn't normally ask her such specific questions but she obviously wanted a real opinion.
"I think keeping him with Aksana will keep people from taking him seriously," Jordan admitted. "She's not very good on the mic so having her be a mouthpiece for him makes him look even worse. He's a fantastic worker. I think if you're gonna put him with someone, it's gotta be a more capable talker."
Stephanie nodded, scribbling a circle on the paper.
"So did you have Dylan come find me so you could ask me about Claudio?" Jordan smirked.
"No, sorry," Stephanie shook her head. She smiled, her expression relaxing a bit, "I had a couple things to discuss with you."
"Okay," Jordan waited.
"You did some work in media training when you were at Northwestern, right?"
"Yeah," Jordan nodded. "I worked with the football and basketball teams and the school's PR department. Why?"
"Hunter brought up the idea of doing media training with some of the talent down in NXT," Stephanie explained. "We've got some people coming up soon and he thinks it would be a good idea. We both thought you would be a the obvious choice to do it."
"I can do that," Jordan agreed. "I wanted to talk to you about going to NXT anyway. I thought we might do some features on the talent there for the show. I think it'd be a great way for people who don't watch it on a regular basis to get a bit of a preview of the workers there before they make their main roster debuts."
"I was thinking the exact same thing," Stephanie smiled excitedly. "We're on the same page."
"Awesome, when do you want me to go?"
"Probably in a week or two, we'll set it up it with Dylan. I know you've got the Complex shoot next week."
"Is it weird that I'm a little nervous about that?" Jordan asked.
"Is it weird that you're nervous to get all dolled up and have your picture taken?" Stephanie smirked. "Yes, that's weird."
Jordan laughed, "I'm scared to eat for the next week. I feel like it's all gonna go to my ass."
"You'll be fine. I promise," Stephanie assured her. "Now the other thing I want to discuss is the first episode of your show."
Jordan was happy to talk about it. She had several ideas for what she wanted to do.
"We need to guarantee big ratings for the premiere episode," Stephanie began. "I made some calls and I got you a great first feature."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Dwayne Johnson," Stephanie explained. "He agreed to let you shadow him for a day and then do a full interview. It'll air in part on your show and we'd also like to do a portion as a print interview to appear in WWE magazine."
"That's great," Jordan said, her excitement evident. "When?"
"We're still coordinating the schedules, I'll let you know by the end of the day. But I couldn't wait to tell you."
They spent the next 20 or so minutes discussing other segments that could air on the show. Eventually, Stephanie looked down at her watch and sighed, "The rest of the writers will be back soon and I have to try not to fire them all."
"You can do it," Jordan patted her on the shoulder, as she got up. "I'll get out of your way. I'll see you later."
Stephanie waved. Jordan headed to the door but stopped, turning around, "Hey Stephanie?"
"Hmm?"
"You want me to cover Phil's DVD premiere on Thursday, right?" she asked. Stephanie hadn't mentioned it at all.
"Yes, of course," Stephanie nodded. "I'm sorry, did I not mention it before?"
"No, you didn't," she said. "No worries, you have a lot going on. I just wanted to make sure."
Stephen hefted his gym bag up onto his shoulder as he walked backstage. He'd just finished a TV appearance and was arriving to the arena a little later than he liked. As was his recent routine, he scanned the throngs of people working, hoping to avoid Sloane. His eyes stopped on Arden's copper locks. She was standing with Dylan and Eve. She looked over her shoulder just as he spotted her and offered a bright smile in his direction. She turned, excusing herself from the conversation and walking toward him. He waited for her to catch up before he started walking toward the locker rooms.
"I was looking for you earlier," she poked him in the arm.
"Were you?" he smirked. "What for?"
"Because I haven't seen you since last week," she shrugged.
"And?" he gestured for her to continue. He knew there was more to it. Stu had shared with him that Arden was concerned with the way he'd been acting as of late.
"And I'm worried about you," she admitted, standing in front of him to stop his walking. "Something's wrong and you're not talking about it."
She looked up at him with earnest green eyes and he felt a little guilty that she'd been so worried.
"Arden, I'm fine," he put a steadying hand on her shoulder.
She crossed her arms, giving him an incredulous look.
He chuckled a bit, "I'm just a little frustrated with myself. I made a mistake. I'll get over it."
"I find that hard to believe," she narrowed her eyes. "You never make mistakes."
He laughed, "Well I appreciate that faith in me."
"Whatever it is, you know you can tell me about it," she offered.
"You know, for someone who was so concerned about making friends, you're very good at it," he said, pulling her into a hug. "Really, I'm alright. But if I do decide to open up for a little girl talk, you'll be the first person I call."
Sloane searched through her purse as she walked, trying desperately to find some Ibuprofen. She had a raging headache after her first marathon session of Raw rewrites. Stephanie had warned her that Mondays were intense but she was not prepared for the real thing. Someone with less fortitude probably would have walked out of that room and never looked back. She was tougher than that though. She didn't work her ass off just to get to the big leagues and walk out. She probably would need to get some sort of a prescription if these headaches were going to become a regular part of her life. She stopped, walking, setting her purse on a trunk, nearly jumping for joy when she finally found the medication. She pulled out the bottle and then looked around. There were coolers all over the place with water, she just had to find one. As she was searching, she caught sight of Stephen Farrelly and all thoughts of water were forgotten. She felt terrible that he was so upset with her. That night at the bar, she'd been very close to telling Stu who she was when he first started flirting with her. He was a good looking guy but she wasn't really interested and it seemed like as good a reason as any to stay his advances. Then, he brought her over to meet Stephen and all of her rationale flew out the window. He was so funny and charming and..sexy. She knew the next morning that she'd made a pretty imbecilic mistake but at that point, there was nothing she could do to fix it. And he clearly wanted nothing to do with her thanks to her omission of truth.
He was talking to Arden, the redhead producer. Sloane couldn't quite figure out the dynamic between the two of them. From what she'd gleaned at the bar that night, Arden and Nick had recently begun dating. But in the short time Sloane had been working, she primarily saw her with Stephen and Stu if she wasn't with Jordan. She wondered if there was something going on between her and Stephen. There was an affection in the way that he looked at her but it could have just been friendly. Arden was good looking but Sloane would describe her as more cute than sexy.
"You okay?"
Sloane jumped, nearly dropping her ibuprofen when she heard someone behind her. She turned to see Bryan Danielson looking amused but apologetic.
"Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out."
"It's okay," she shook her head. "Apparently I'm a bit jumpy today."
"Happens when you're staring and forget your surroundings," he suggested.
She wasn't sure if she appreciated the matter of fact way he called her out but she couldn't deny that he was right.
"I was just thinking," she attempted a lie.
His smile was good natured and he shrugged, "Sure. Listen, I don't like to beat around the bush and a lot of people around here are talking about you but no one's saying anything to you. I just have to ask, why didn't you tell anyone about your job when you met us at the bar?"
She was caught off guard. He was certainly right about people talking behind her back. She'd definitely noticed several conversations stop cold when she came around. She was trying not to let it make her uncomfortable.
"Honestly? That was my last night before starting what's probably the most important job I've ever had. I was just trying to have fun. I was already a little drunk when you all got there and I didn't expect anyone to come over and start talking to me. Once it happened..I don't know I guess the fan in me took over a little bit. Ask any fan what they'd do if they got the opportunity to hang out with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk and Sheamus. They'd lose their minds."
"Yeah but you're not just a fan anymore," he reminded her. "You work with us. There has to be respect, especially with you being a writer. People around here are gonna be wary of you because you made yourself look like a liar."
What he said stung a bit but she could tell that he was trying to be kind.
"I know, it was stupid," she sighed.
"It'll get easier. Everyone around here has done something they regret at some point or another," he said. "Except Phil."
She laughed, "He doesn't strike me as a regretful person."
"It'll take some time but people will get past it."
She looked over at Stephen and Arden again. He had put his arm around her shoulders. She was walking ahead of him and when he tugged at her ponytail, she turned fighting off laughter as she attempted to scold him.
Sloane sighed, "I hope so."
Arden leaned against the makeup counter, having recounted her night for AJ, who was getting her makeup done. Jordan was next to AJ with Felicia flat ironing her hair. She'd already heard the story twice.
"So he just stayed, like, and hung out with you and your mom?" AJ asked.
"Pretty much, yeah," Arden nodded. "He was certainly more entertained by her than I was. He didn't leave until almost 1. He listened to all of her stories and laughed at her terrible attempts at jokes."
"Isn't it adorable?" Jordan smiled.
AJ agreed, "Ziggles is a keeper. I probably wouldn't listen to my own mom talk for that long, let alone someone else's."
Arden smiled, fiddling with her watch band. She had been rather impressed that he stayed after her mother encroached on their evening. When she called him the next morning to profusely apologize, he'd assured her that he didn't mind and seemed completely sincere. She hadn't seem him yet that day, he had a late morning flight and then an autograph signing before the show.
"There is one more thing," Arden said, still looking down at her watch. She hadn't mentioned this part to Jordan earlier. "Before he knew Odette was my mom, he may have, sort of, called me his girlfriend."
Arden scrunched her eyes closed when she first said it. Neither of her friends responded. She opened her eyes to find Jordan's mouth forming a perfect 'O' and AJ was holding the makeup artist's wrist to keep eyeliner away from her face.
"You did not mention that earlier," Jordan gave her an accusatory glare.
Arden shrugged, "It's probably nothing. He was just being protective and I'm sure it just slipped out and it's nothing."
"Well if you're so sure it's nothing, why don't you just ask him about it?" Jordan asked.
"Because I don't wanna look silly for bringing it up," Arden admitted. "He probably doesn't even remember saying it."
"I'll ask him," AJ, who had allowed the makeup artist to resume her work, raised her hand.
"You will not," Arden ordered. "Neither of you will ask him anything. We are not in middle school."
"So you're saying you don't want us to make him a little origami note asking whether or not he likes you?" AJ asked.
"Because we will totally do that," Jordan agreed. "I'm pretty sure I can find some gel pens around here somewhere."
AJ nodded enthusiastically and Arden sighed, "You two are terrible."
"We'll leave it alone. I promise," Jordan said.
"I don't," AJ said. "Sometimes my inquisitive nature gets the best of me."
Arden laughed, rolling her eyes. She knew she could trust both of them not to ask Nick anything she didn't want them to.
"So when do you think your mom is gonna leave?" AJ asked.
"I have no idea," Arden sighed. "But I'm not upset that I won't be home much the next couple weeks. She still won't tell me why she showed up but she keeps texting me and asking if she can use all of my stuff, although I'm sure she's already done so."
Arden's phone buzzed and she rolled her eyes, "This is probably her now."
She unlocked her phone and, fortunately, she didn't have another text from her mother.
"Dylan just forwarded the confirmation for our flights on Thursday. And the itinerary for Friday," she told Jordan as she read through the information.
"Okay," Jordan shrugged. Then, she suddenly sat forward in her chair, pulling the flat iron and Felicia's hand with her, "Wait, what day?"
Jordan apologized to Felicia before turning her attention back to her friend, "Did you say we leave Thursday?"
"Yeah, Thursday afternoon," Arden nodded. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Shit," Jordan shook her head. "I can't leave Chicago on Thursday."
"Why not?"
Jordan turned when she heard Stephanie's voice. Stephanie was coming toward them and handed them each a printout with the layout for the night's show.
"How else do you plan on meeting Dwayne at 5am on Friday?" Stephanie laughed.
"Stephanie, Phil's DVD premiere is Thursday night," Jordan reminded her.
"Right," Stephanie nodded. "We're gonna send a camera crew and one of our associate producers to cover it."
"I thought you wanted me to cover it."
"I did but then the only day Dwayne had available was Friday and we had to book it," Stephanie explained. "I'm sure Punk will understand. We've gotta do whatever it takes to make sure the show hits the ground running. This is important, Jordan."
"I know," Jordan sighed, resigned to her fate. She knew that Stephanie was right. It was important. She just hoped her boss was right about Phil understanding.
"Listen, hon, I'm sorry for the dates working out the way they did," Stephanie assured her, looking remorseful. "But you're only missing one night. I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Right," Jordan nodded, absently playing with the bottom of her shirt. "Thanks."
"I'll see you all later," Stephanie said.
Stephanie walked away and AJ shivered, "Well that was cold."
"I'm sorry about Thursday, I didn't know," Arden apologized.
"Nothing you could do about it anyway," Jordan shrugged. "It's okay. I mean, he can't be mad at me, right? It's work."
"Right," AJ said. "Because Punk's never been irrationally angry before."
Jordan glared at her friend.
"Sorry," AJ put up her hands. "I probably could have chosen better words there."
"Are we sure this is the final script?" Randy asked Hunter, who had come to let him know that his match with Cody had been changed and he would be facing Alberto Del Rio.
"Looks like it," Hunter sighed. "But it seems we can never be sure."
"You know, if Steph is having that hard of a time figuring out who to put in the cell against Punk," Randy smiled. He was half joking. He knew after his suspension, he wasn't exactly first in line for a title shot. But he also knew he should be soon.
"We're going with Ryback," Hunter said, taking off his suit jacket and draping it on the back of a chair before he sat down.
"So she's trying to get Punk hurt so he doesn't make it to Survivor Series?" Randy asked. Ryan, better known as Ryback, was a nice enough kid but he wasn't exactly the best worker in Randy's opinion. He certainly wouldn't choose to put him with up against their prized champion.
Hunter laughed a little but he had to try and seem neutral. He shrugged, "Ryback is hot right now."
Randy shrugged, "Not everyone has good taste."
"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you..How's Cena doing?" Hunter changed the subject.
"From what he tells me, the recovery is going pretty well," Randy answered, wondering why Hunter would ask. The company got reports from John's doctors, it's not like they were in the dark. "He says he'll be back by Survivor Series."
"I wasn't talking about his arm," Hunter said. "I meant with the divorce, everything with Ashley."
"Ah," Randy nodded. Hunter and John weren't exactly the best of friends but they got along fine. Stephanie had always been closer friends with John. Still, Hunter surely wasn't the only person in the company curious to know how John was handling his divorce.
"He's doing as well as can be expected of a man with a crazy ex trying to take half his money," Randy answered.
"Half?" Hunter stared. "I thought she signed a prenup."
"She did," Randy confirmed. "Apparently her sharks are trying to find a loophole."
"I hope his lawyers are better than hers," Hunter sighed.
"So why are you asking?"
"Steph's been worried about it," Hunter admitted.
"Worried as a friend or as a McMahon?" Randy raised an eyebrow. He knew Stephanie cared about John but the Stephanie he knew cared about business a lot more.
"A little column A, a little column B," Hunter smirked. "You know my wife."
"He's getting through it," Randy said. "I've been trying to get him hooked up with Layla but he's not cooperating as much as I would like."
Hunter laughed, "You know it's okay if he doesn't jump right into another relationship, right?"
Randy shrugged, "I know that. I'm just trying to help him move on, you know? Get over that Ash. That relationship was never healthy. It should be easy to get past."
"Sometimes the unhealthy ones are the hardest to get over," Hunter shrugged. "Maybe you should just let him do it in his own time."
Randy nodded, "Maybe you should tell your wife that."
"What does that mean?" Hunter frowned.
"Just means that I think Steph may have the same idea I do, just with a different person."
"And who do you think that is?"
Randy smiled, "Who do you think?"
Jordan laughed as Bryan slapped at Stu's hand as he forked a piece of broccoli off of Bryan's plate.
"There is food right over there," Bryan pointed.
"Yeah, but I'm not that hungry," Stu shrugged.
Phil plopped down into the chair beside Jordan's, drinking a bottle of something very unappealingly green.
"Good, now you can eat Phil's food," Bryan said.
"Fuck that," Phil pulled his plate out of Stu's reach. "You wanted to marry each other; you have to deal with the consequences."
Jordan pushed her plate of chicken and vegetables toward Stu, "Go to town, buddy."
"I see now who my real friends are," Stu said, taking a piece of cauliflower. She should have set limitations. The cauliflower was her favorite.
"So which NXT guys are you gonna be working with when you get to Florida?" Phil asked, leaning back in his chair and looking over at her. She'd informed them earlier of her conversation with Stephanie from earlier. She hadn't told Phil yet about their second conversation but she would get to that. Eventually.
"I don't know yet," Jordan shrugged. "She didn't say."
"Are you worried about it at all?" he asked, a smirk playing at his lips.
"No, why?" she raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was getting at.
"It's just that…you've said a couple of things about a few guys down there that you may have never expected to have to answer for," he shrugged.
It was funny; the days when she and Matt recorded their podcast seemed so far away with everything that had been going on lately. She hadn't really thought about it. She didn't have much of a filter when it came to recording the show which is part of what made it so popular. But now that he mentioned it, there were any number of things that had come out of her mouth that could get her into trouble.
"Who are you talking about?" she asked.
"You don't know?" he smirked.
"It could be anyone," she shrugged. "Come on, seriously. What do you think is gonna be a problem?"
"Nothing," he shrugged, trying to hold in his laughter.
"Damn it Brooks," she shoved at his chair with her foot. "Tell me what I said."
"Oh no, sweetheart," he shook his head. "You're on your own."
"God damn it," she wracked her brain, trying to think back to over a hundred shows worth of her ridiculousness.
"Don't mind him, Jordan, he's just trying to ruffle your feathers," Stu advised. "You had nothing but good things to say about me."
"I thought you hadn't heard the show," Jordan smirked. When she'd first started there, he told her he'd never heard it.
"I went back and listened," he explained. "And I was quite pleased to find out you're a member of the Barrett Barrage."
"I don't think I said that," Jordan shook her head. She did always speak extremely highly of him but she hated the term Barrett Barrage.
"You may as well have," he winked at her.
"He's trying to flirt with you so he can get on your show," Phil warned her.
"That's okay," she playfully winked back at Stu. "It's working."
Phil shoved her chair with his foot and she laughed, kicking his back.
Bryan coughed loudly and nodded toward the door, just as Layla and Beth walked into the catering area. Layla smiled, waving at them. Beth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, walking past Layla. Layla gave them an apologetic look before following the blonde toward the food.
"Well," Bryan sighed. He smiled at Jordan, "She didn't look like she wants to kill you that time."
"She definitely seems to have settled down from murderous rage to seething hatred," Stu patted Jordan's hand.
"Thanks guys," Jordan wiped away an imaginary tear. "Your support means so much."
"So I hear you two are gonna be in the ring together tonight," Bryan pointed at Jordan and Phil.
"We are?"
"Somebody clearly didn't read their script," Bryan laughed.
Phil looked over at Jordan. She laughed, "I'm replacing Michael Cole, bringing out JR for Jim Ross Appreciation Night. You get to interrupt me and tell me to get out of the ring."
"I'll make it fun for you," Phil smirked.
"Are you kidding? I'm gonna be in the ring with Paul Heyman and Jim Ross for two seconds, I'll already be having fun."
Jordan's phone started ringing and she saw Bob's number on the screen.
"I gotta take this. I'll be back," she got up, winking at Stu, "I'll see what I can do about getting you on the show."
Stu laughed and Jordan turned to leave when she felt a tug at the back of her shirt. She turned, giggling at Phil as he pulled her close to him, "You're gonna make me miss-"
He cut her off, pressing his lips to hers. She was surprised by the kiss but she returned it quickly before pulling away, "I'll see you guys later."
Later…
"Can you put those away for me?" Phil handed Jordan his headphones. She unzipped his bag, putting them away as he pulled on one of his t-shirts and a hoodie. His phone beeped and he opened the text, laughing when he read it.
"Colt says he invited your dad to the comedy show on Wednesday," he smirked. He'd agreed to be a part of an improv comedy show that some friends were doing. All of the proceeds were going to charity.
Jordan laughed, "I'm pretty sure he has a prior engagement."
"I hope Harry realizes he's never gonna be rid of Scotty Goldman."
"I don't think he has any idea," she laughed, standing in front of the mirror and running her hands through her hair.
He walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand sliding under the hem of her shirt, "You sure you can't come and watch me make a fool of myself."
"I would if I could," leaned back against him. "I'm sorry."
He understood why she couldn't make it. The comedy show sort of came together at the last minute and Jordan was doing one of her final episodes of her show on The Score with Jason and Matt. He knew how sad she was to be leaving. He couldn't ask her to miss that.
"It's not a big deal," he kissed her shoulder. "You'll be there Thursday."
She opened her mouth but didn't say anything, letting out a sigh instead, her mouth twisting into a weird shape.
"What?" he asked. Something was obviously up.
She turned around, pulling herself to sit on the counter, "Umm.."
"Jordan," he looked her in the eye, crossing his arms.
She looked to her right, sighing deeply, "I'm not coming on Thursday."
"What?" he frowned, not sure he heard her correctly.
"I'm sorry," she looked up at him apologetically. "I can't. I just found out today."
"What do you mean you're not coming?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I am just..not there," she said, wringing her hands. "They're gonna send an AP and a camera crew to cover it."
"And where exactly are you gonna be?"
"On a plane to New York," she explained. "For the first episode of the show, Stephanie wants me to do a profile on The Rock. I've gotta be in New York Thursday night. I have to meet him at 5am Friday."
Phil let out a bitter laugh, "Let me get this straight: You're being pulled from an event for the WWE Champion to interview a guy that doesn't even really work here anymore?"
She winced, "I knew you weren't gonna be happy about that. The timing sucks but there isn't anything I can do. I'm sorry."
"Did you even try to change the date?" he asked. He couldn't hide his frustration. He didn't often ask anyone for anything but he'd asked her to be there for this.
"Of course I tried," she insisted. "But Stephanie said there was nothing that could be done. He only has Friday available and I can't fucking teleport, so I'm gonna have to fly out Thursday. Why are you getting mad at me? This isn't even my fault."
"Right, you're right," he said, not wanting to talk about it anymore. He was just getting more and more annoyed and he still had the segment with JR and a main event tag team match. "It doesn't matter. Whatever."
He walked over to his bag, picking up his belt and walking out the door, slamming it shut behind him. If she had anything else to say about it, at that moment, he didn't want to hear it.
Arden sat beside Kofi, watching as the main event started. Nick and Phil were 'reluctant' tag team partners against Team Hell No. Nick was in first for his team and Glenn stepped into the ring to face him. She was having fun chatting with Kofi until Nick sold a clothesline so hard it made her cringe.
"He's gotta stop bumping all over the place like that every night," Kofi shook his head. "He's gonna hurt himself."
Arden didn't necessarily disagree. Nick was fantastic in the ring but he didn't work like someone who was trying to preserve their long term health. Arden looked down at her phone for half a second when it alerted her to an email from Dylan. When she looked back up, Nick took a boot to the face and, once again, sold like he'd been shot. This time, though, when he hit the canvas, his neck was at an awkward angle and it was immediately clear that something had gone awry.
"Well now I feel like an asshole," Kofi winced.
"Tell me he's just overselling again," Arden pleaded with Kofi as Nick writhed in pain, struggling to get to the corner and tag Punk in.
"Doesn't look like it to me," Kofi shook his head. "It's okay though. He's getting to the corner. It can't be that bad if he's gonna finish out the match."
Arden tried to be comforted by Kofi's words as Phil leaned over the top rope, roughly slapping Nick's shoulder before getting into the ring. Nick dropped down to a knee once he was on the ring apron and Arden could see Vickie go over to him. Soon, Paul Heyman interfered in the match and AJ's music started, the small brunette skipping down to the ring. Despite her tension, Arden almost laughed as AJ gleefully had Paul ejected from ringside. She loved watching her friend work. AJ was great at playing crazy. Once Heyman was ejected, Vickie absolutely lost it, screaming a bunch of incoherent nonsense in AJ's face. AJ then ordered Vickie to the back as well and Nick jumped down from the ring apron, grabbing his Money in the Bank briefcase and following Vickie up the ramp, both of them yelling at AJ as they left. Nick was trying to stay in character but she could tell from the way he kept wincing that he was in pain.
"He's gonna be headed to the trainer," Kofi advised her.
"You think I should meet him there?" she asked.
"I wouldn't advise against it," Kofi smirked, pointing her in the right direction.
By the time she got the trainer's room, the door was closed and Vickie was sitting outside.
She smiled kindly at Arden when she saw her, "He's in there. Just knock before you go in."
"Thanks," Arden said gratefully before knocking lightly on the door.
The door opened and when the trainer saw her, he looked a bit confused.
"It's okay," she heard Nick's voice. "She can come in."
He opened the door wider and Arden rushed to Nick's side. He was holding the side of his neck but he forced a smile for her, "Just can't stay away from me, can you?"
"How are you?"
"I'm okay," he winced. "Right doc?"
"That remains to be seen," the trainer said, coming over with an ice pack. He handed it to Arden, "Hold that on it for me."
Nick moved his hand and Arden winced at the angry red shade of the skin on his neck and shoulder. She held the ice pack on his neck and he leaned forward, resting his forehead on her shoulder.
"Do you think you need to go to the hospital?" she asked.
"No, no, I'll be fine," he insisted. "It's just gonna be sore for a few days."
She ran a hand lightly over his good shoulder, hoping her presence was comforting to him.
"You're worried," he observed. "It's cute."
"Of course I'm worried," she insisted. "Look at you."
He sat back, smiling at her, "Are you worried enough to stay with me tonight? Strictly for my health, of course."
Arden blinked, unsure of what to say.
"Proposition your girlfriend on your own time Ziggler," the trainer came over, taking the ice pack from Arden.
"I'm gonna get him wrapped up," the trainer explained. "Why don't you come back in about 10 minutes, take him off my hands?"
"Okay," she nodded. "I'll be back."
"So…" AJ looked over at Jordan as they packed up to leave. They were the last women in the locker room. Jordan had to stay late to film some things for Backstage Fallout and AJ had stayed behind to check on her. Jordan appreciated her friend but a part of her just wanted to be by herself.
"Do you need a ride to the hotel?" AJ asked. "I'm riding with Bryan and Stu. You can come with us. Or are you riding with.."
"I don't know if he's even still here," Jordan answered, changing into a pair of gym shoes. "He's not exactly speaking to me."
"He'll get past it," AJ assured her. "He's just mad right now."
"Yeah, I gathered that," Jordan brushed her hair up into a ponytail.
"If you want we can…"
AJ trailed off, looking over Jordan's shoulder. Jordan followed her gaze to Phil who was standing at the door. He looked tired. He had his gym bag on his shoulder.
"Hey," Jordan waved awkwardly. "What's up?"
"You ready to go?" he asked.
She was surprised at first but when she thought about it, she should have known he wouldn't just leave her there. Still, he didn't look particularly excited to be there.
"Uh, yeah," she nodded, getting up quickly.
"AJ, you want a ride?" he offered.
"No that's-"
Jordan turned, bugging her eyes out at AJ.
"Yeah, I would love a ride," AJ quickly changed her tune.
"Alright, we'll be outside," he said, walking away.
"Why am I going with you?" AJ asked.
"Because we won't fight with you there?" Jordan shrugged. "Call it operation human shield."
"You're lucky I can't say no to the idea of such a comfortable ride," AJ pointed.
Both women gathered up their things and followed Phil out to the bus.
Jordan patted Denny on the shoulder as they climbed on, "Denny, this is AJ. AJ, this is the infamous Denny."
"Infamous?" Denny chuckled.
"You know what I'm talking about," she teased, leading AJ through the bus.
Kofi smiled when he saw them, "Ladies."
"Where's Phil?" Jordan asked.
"In back," Kofi pointed with his thumb. "In a delightful mood, if I might add."
"Yeah, that's her fault," AJ pointed.
"Dude," Jordan gave her a look.
"Sorry," AJ cringed.
The ride to the hotel was rather uneventful. Phil stayed in the back, Kofi and AJ talked and Jordan worked. Once they were there, everyone shuffled off of the bus, Phil bringing up the rear. AJ and Kofi couldn't seem to get away fast enough. Jordan and Phil ended up in the elevator alone.
Jordan sighed. She hated awkwardness and tension.
"Do you wanna talk?" she asked.
"Talk about what?" he asked. "Everything's fine."
The elevator stopped and she followed him off, "Okay you're obviously not fine. I get it. You're mad."
"Do you understand why I'm mad?" he turned to her.
"I get that you don't like that I'm covering him instead of you but-"
"Is that really what you think the problem is?" he asked. "You think I'm jealous?"
"Are you gonna let me talk?" she felt herself getting angrier.
"You know what? I don't wanna talk about this anymore," he put his hands up. "I'll see you in the morning."
Before she could say anything, he was heading down the hall.
She rolled her eyes, turning and heading toward the room she was sharing with Arden. Apparently it was a good thing they hadn't changed their hotel arrangements yet. She walked toward her room, stopping when her phone chimed. She half expected a text from Phil. Instead, she had a message from Arden.
Staying with Nick tonight. Not like that. Keep your mind out of the gutter.
At least someone was going to have a good night.
"I can't believe you wouldn't let me carry my own stuff," Nick opened the door to his room.
"You were told not to put any strain on your shoulder for a few days," Arden reminded him. "Carrying this would have been the definition of strain."
She put his things down and then picked up the ice bucket, taking the extra room key as well, "I'll be right back."
"You are all business, aren't you?" he smirked.
"Always," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.
He wrapped his arm around her before she pulled away, "I'm gonna take a shower. Why don't you just stay and join me?"
She was surprised at his suggestion. Until then, he hadn't been so forward. Maybe it had something to do with the painkillers he'd been given. They were probably to blame for the awful singing she'd had to endure on the drive to the hotel.
"The doctor told you to take it easy," she reminded him.
"And nothing would relax me more," he said, kissing her softly.
She gave in to the kiss for a few seconds before gently untangling herself from his embrace, holding up the ice bucket, "I'll be right back."
She left the room, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in her stomach. She wasn't quite ready for things to get intimate with Nick and, until now, they hadn't really broached the subject.
When she got to the ice machine, she saw a familiar set of broad shoulders and red hair.
"Fancy meeting you here."
Stephen turned when he saw her and she cringed at the dark bruise surrounding his left eye.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he assured her, stepping aside so she could fill her bucket. "Are you?"
"Of course," she nodded. "Nick hurt his shoulder. I'm just getting him some ice."
"Things getting serious between you two?" he asked.
"I don't know if serious is the word," she said. "But I like him. A lot. And he met my mother and didn't run away."
"You introduced him to your mother?" he seemed surprised.
"Introduced is a strong word," Arden smirked. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."
"I can't wait to hear it," he laughed.
"Are you ready to tell me what's been bothering you yet?" she asked, leaning against the ice machine.
"I'm not sure you wanna know," he said.
"I already told you, you can tell me whatever it is," she reminded him.
He took a deep breath before looking her in the eye, "Alright. Fine. I slept with Sloane."
Arden was stricken by the admission, "Sloane?"
"The night we met her at the bar, before we know who she was," he admitted. "I was as shocked as anyone else."
"Wow," Arden said. She didn't know what else to say.
"I've just been really uncomfortable since I found out," he explained.
"Well," she sighed. "You don't plan on doing it now that you know, right?"
"No, that's not in the cards," he shook his head.
"Then you don't need to worry," she patted him on the shoulder. "Just, you know, avoid her until the awkwardness goes away. I guess."
"You should probably get back to your boyfriend," he reminded her.
"I should," she looked down at the ice bucket. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Can't wait," he smiled. She turned, walking quickly back to Nick's room. When she opened the door, she was met with steam coming from the bathroom. Nick was rifling through his bag, a towel wrapped around his waist. She tried not to stare but it was completely impossible. His body was immaculate.
When he saw her he smiled, "Welcome back."
She cleared her throat, moving to place the ice bucket on the bedside table, averting her eyes from his near nakedness.
"Arden, you've seen me naked before, remember?"
"Yeah but that was before I knew you," she said.
"It's only gotten better since then," he touched her shoulder, turning her to face him. He still had the towel on and he held a t-shirt and some shorts in his hand, "You can wear these."
"Thanks," she smiled, taking the clothes, forcing her eyes to stay on his face. "I'm gonna go change."
She went into the bathroom to change, looking at herself in the mirror. She changed into his t-shirt, which fit her like a dress. She took off her skirt, replacing it with the shorts that were way too big for her. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was there to help him, nothing more. Arden had always taken sex very seriously. She'd only been with a few men and she always thought things were very serious. She liked Nick a lot but she just wasn't sure she was ready to go there with him yet. She was just going to have to harvest her willpower. She grabbed a hand towel before she left the bathroom.
Nick was lying on the bed in a pair of sweatpants. Arden walked over to the ice bucket, filling a small bag with ice and then wrapping the towel around it.
He had turned the TV on but when she looked over at him, she found his eyes on her.
"How's it feeling?" she asked, climbing into the bed with him. She sat on her heels beside him, placing the ice on top of his shoulder.
"It's okay," he answered. "The painkiller is definitely helping."
"Good," she smiled at him.
He sat up, taking the ice pack from her hand and setting it down on the bed. He tucked her hair behind her ear and then leaned forward, kissing her lips softly. Arden melted into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his lips against hers. He teased her mouth open and she welcomed his tongue. He pulled her onto his lap and she could feel him getting aroused beneath her. One of his hands was on her knee and he slid it up over her thigh, underneath the shorts. He cupped her ass firmly in his hand and Arden gasped. He laughed a little, trailing his lips down to her neck and across her collarbone. Arden could feel that willpower she was trying to harvest slowly slipping away. He leaned back, pulling her with him. When his back touched the bed, he must have moved the wrong way because he inhaled a sharp breath, his face twisting into a grimace. Arden was immediately concerned, scrambling to get off of him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, picking up the ice pack.
He nodded as she placed the ice on his shoulder, "Yeah, I'm fine."
He tried to kiss her again but she giggled, shaking her head, "I don't think so. I'm here to play nurse, not doctor."
John was jarred out of his sleep by the sound of his phone ringing. His arm throbbed and he used his other arm to reach for the phone. He was exhausted after rehabbing all day and planned to ignore the call but when he saw Jordan's number, he picked up, "Hello?"
"Guess who's on my TV right now," she said cheerfully.
"Tommy Lee Jones?" he suggested, resting back against his pillows.
"Understandable guess, but no," she laughed. "The correct answer is one John Cena."
"What are you watching?" he chuckled.
"12 Rounds is on," she said. "I have to say, in my opinion; this is your finest work as an actor."
"Thanks," he said. "I can't be upset about a woman telling me she's watching me in the middle of the night."
"I'm just wondering..if this movie is supposed to take place in New Orleans, why is there not a single person with a Louisiana accent?"
"You really wanna hear me do a Cajun accent?" he asked, incredulous.
"Mm, good point," she said. "So what are you doing since you're not watching this cinematic masterpiece?"
"Well I was sleeping but then someone called and woke me up," he teased.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I was hoping you were up. I'll let you go."
"No, no, it's okay," he stopped her.
"I'm sure you'd rather be sleeping than listening to me babble," she laughed.
"I like listening to you babble," he smirked.
"I'm glad someone likes me," she sighed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, though, from her tone, he had a feeling he could guess. There had to be a reason she was up calling him in the middle of the night instead of spending her time with Phil.
"Oh nothing," she said. "Phil's just not super happy with me right now."
"Are you two ever not fighting?" he asked, sitting up, resting his back against his headboard.
"Sometimes," she sighed.
"Whose fault is it this time?" he asked, concerned. He didn't want to assume Phil was to blame.
"I don't really know," she answered honestly. "We had a disagreement and..you know what, it's not important. I don't wanna bore you with our drama."
"You're a lot of things but you're never boring," he laughed.
"Thanks I think," she giggled.
"It's a compliment, I swear," he smiled.
"I'll choose to believe you on that," she said. "How much stunt work did you actually do on this movie?"
For the next hour they talked, at first about filming 12 Rounds. Then, as most of their conversations did, the subject evolved into something else, and something else after that. He never did find out exactly what she and Phil were fighting about but she didn't seem to want to get into it. He tried to stifle a yawn, not wanting her to think he was bored.
"I should let you get back to bed," she said, sounding tired herself.
"You feel a little better?" he asked.
"Yeah, I do," she answered. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I'm gonna need you to get your whole arm thing together so you can be back on the road full time," she said. "If you had been here, you could have watched 12 Rounds with me."
"Next time," he assured her. "I'll be ready to go after Hell in a Cell."
"Good," she said. "Now go get your rest. I'll see you next week."
"See you next week."
When he hung up the phone, he tossed it back onto the table beside his bed. Just as he started to fall back to sleep, the phone started ringing again. He laughed, sitting up, expecting Jordan. When he saw Ashley's name on the screen. His first instinct was to answer it but then he thought about Jordan. If she had been there, she would have thrown his phone out the window. He laughed at the image and ignored the call. He would sleep better knowing that Ashley was probably supremely annoyed.
In the next update...
Layla and John have their first date (Sorry, it didn't fit into this update)
Jordan makes an important decision
Phil makes a big statement
Arden decides to take the next step