Chapter 54
Ronnie paused for a moment as she stepped up onto the front porch of the tan coloured brick home. She glanced briefly at her surroundings, strongly debating whether she was doing the right thing. She looked down at the package in her hand; it was going to change everything. Still, this is what she had agreed to do and she was a woman of her word. However, she certainly had not counted on once again falling in love with her target either.
Ronnie looked at the solid wooden door in front of her, then turned around and looked at the black rental car she had parked on the side of the road. For a moment she thought about just dropping the package on the ground, ringing the doorbell and sprinting back to her car before the door opened. After all, once she delivered the package it would only be a matter of time before Matt would discover who was behind it. Then any chance Ronnie thought she might have with him would go up in flames. As Ronnie looked around the neighbourhood to see if anyone was watching, a small brunette opened the door. Ronnie mentally kicked herself for taking so long to make her decision. Now she had no option but to go through with the delivery personally.
"Can I help you?" Traci declared with a frown on her face as she watched Ronnie nervously look at her.
Ronnie cleared her throat and tried her best to put a smile on her face. It was hard though, considering Traci looked less then impressed to see her on her doorstep.
"Um, Traci, hi" she stuttered, still looking around to make sure no one was watching. The street was empty from any pedestrians, and only an occasional car drove past the house. She heard Traci clear her throat and tap her fake nails on the doorframe in annoyance. Ronnie shifted her weight from foot to foot. She had wrestled in front of huge crowds in both Tokyo and Mexico, but she was petrified of this tiny woman in front of her!
"I haven't got all day Ronnie, what do you want?"
"I was actually hoping I could talk to you for a minute," Ronnie said nervously, avoiding eye contact with Traci. Traci just raised her eyebrows in curiosity. She had no idea what Ronnie could possibly want to talk to her about. They had never exactly been friends, or acquaintances for that matter. She looked down at the package in Ronnie's hands.
"Come in then" she replied, stepping to once side to allow the other woman inside. Ronnie flashed a quick smile before stepping through the door.
"You want a coffee or something," Traci said as she led Ronnie into the main room.
"No, I'm fine" Ronnie replied as she surveyed the room. It was painted a dark red, and was adorned with creamy white furniture and a chocolate coloured carpet. Traci obviously had a good eye for interior decorating.
"So what brings you to my home?" Traci questioned as she signalled for Ronnie to take a seat.
"I think there is something you should know about Matt," Ronnie announced before looking down at the package in her hands, "Well, actually there is something you need to see"
She watched as Traci raised her eyebrows, her face portraying a mixture of surprise, then anger. Ronnie bit her bottom lip as she watched Traci's eyes shift from meeting her own to the large yellow envelope that was resting on Ronnie's lap. Maybe she would have been better starting the conversation with a bit of small talk first, rather then jumping straight into it.
"What's in that envelope?" Traci finally said, looking up to meet Ronnie's eyes.
"A dvd that has been shot over the last couple of weeks or so" Ronnie replied softly, unsure of how to react to Traci's sudden blank expression.
Traci sat back in the leather chair and watched as Ronnie placed the envelope on the glass coffee table that was separating the two women.
"What exactly does mine and Matt's relationship have to do with you?" she questioned, her eyes narrowed and her voice bitter.
Ronnie just looked up at Traci. There was something in her voice that suggested that maybe she didn't need to see the DVD to find out what kind of man she was dating. Then if she did know what kind of man Matt was, then why was she still with him?
"It doesn't have anything to do with me……………."
"Then why are you sticking your nose in our business?" Traci snapped harshly. Ronnie stared at her wide-eyed.
"Because I don't like seeing people being played for fools Traci! And Matt is playing you for a fool – why can't you see that?"
Traci sat forward in the chair. Why is it that everyone else in the locker room seemed to think they knew more about her relationship then what she did? Roderick's little comment at Lockdown about Matt having a roving eye certainly had not slipped her mind. They all needed to butt out of her business and worry about their own problems.
"Traci, you need to dump his ass. There are better men out there then him. One's who certainly wouldn't cheat on you all the time and use you as a shield in the ring."
Traci stood up and walked over to the chair Ronnie was sitting in. She put a hand on each side of the chair and leaned in until her face was inches away from Ronnie's. She smirked as she saw fear present in the woman's eyes.
"You wanna know what I see? What I see is a jealous old hag who would like nothing better then to destroy my relationship so she can jump on my man. You know, maybe if you had paid this much attention to your own relationship you wouldn't need to steal other people's men. Now I suggest you get out of my house before I give your saggy ass a beating it will never recover from!" she hissed as she stepped back and allowed Ronnie to stand up. "And if I ever see you near my man I will give you a beating you will never forget – understand?"
Ronnie shook her head at Traci before making her way to the front door. She was going to let those snide little comments pass for now, simply because she knew Traci was using them as a defence. A stranger was bringing her problems to the forefront – and Ronnie knew from experience that it was humiliating to have someone you barely knew telling you that your relationship was on the fast track to hell. She had been through the same experience herself with her relationship with Steve Corino.
Traci watched as Ronnie made her way to the front door. This woman had no right to come in here and stick her nose where it did not belong. She watched in anger as Ronnie paused with the door half open.
"Please, just watch the DVD for yourself. I know you're a beautiful person deep inside, and you deserve to be treated better," she said before walking out the door.
"So how did she take it?" Scott questioned as he watched Ronnie pace around the room. There was about an hour until the Slammiversary pay per view began and Scott had called Ronnie in early to find out how her mission was going. He was anxious to get the plan completed because Petey had been getting restless, which made him even more annoying to be around then usual.
"Not too well actually, she sorta kicked me out of the house after threatening to give me a beating I'd never forget. I'd really like to see her try after those comments she made," Ronnie replied in a huff.
Scott smiled – that was a match up he would like to see too.
"Comments?"
"She just made a few snide remarks about my relationship with Steve. So what do you thinks going to happen now? I mean, I doubt she's just going to come running into Petey's arms proclaiming her love for him," she continued, finally sitting down on one of the steel chairs that populated the locker room.
"Patience Ronnie, of course she's not going to come running to Petey. She's going to want to extract bloody revenge upon Matt first – and that's how we will get them together."
Ronnie just looked at Scott as if he was speaking a different language. While the man was a mastermind when it came to plotting and scheming to get what he wanted, he never was one to give out too many details until he deemed it necessary. Still, she had just given up her chance to make Matt hers once more, so there was no way she was going to allow him to sit here and feed her some coded garbage like that.
"Exactly how are you going to get them together Scott? You know damn well I'm not a patient woman, I want answers now!"
Scott sat back in the chair, smirking as he watched Ronnie glare at him. She was agitated, and there was something clearly bothering her.
"Scott, dammit I'm serious!" Ronnie exclaimed as she watched him just sit there and smirk at her, "I didn't give up my chance at…." She quickly shut her mouth as she realised she had said too much.
"Give up what Ronnie?" Scott questioned in amusement as he watched her look away with her hand covering her mouth.
"Nothing" she said quickly, getting up and walking to the other side of the room. As he watched her, it suddenly clicked.
You have to be kidding me! She has actually fallen for the prick.
"You've fallen for Bentley, haven't you!" he mused as he stood up and walked over to where she was standing. She was biting on her nails and did her best to avoid his eyes. "Ronnie?"
"It's none of your business Scott, and besides it doesn't really matter now anyway. Once he finds out it was me who gave the DVD to Traci he's going to kill me," she said sadly.
Jack just shook his head in disbelief. This is not cool at all.
"Austin, dude I thought you'd moved past this!" he exclaimed as he watched Austin pace the room with a huge grin on his face.
"No, I just said I was going to leave it alone if she was happy, but I know for a fact that last week she seemed anything but happy," he declared as he stopped right in front of Jack.
Jack just shook his head; the man in front of him was not the same man he had known for the last three years. What the hell was wrong with everyone? Roderick had turned into some sick, perverted nutcase, Alex had suddenly become nothing but a lackey and Austin had lost his mind. Jack sighed; maybe Roderick had been right in the sense that Madison was the worst thing that had ever happened to Generation Next. While things may not have been perfect before hand, they had certainly been better then what they were now.
"Dude, she was injured last week, and besides what did she say – exactly?" he pointed out. Austin just growled at him and restarted his pacing.
"I know what I heard Jack."
"What about all those dates you went on with Nikita while she was in town? I thought there was something there," Jack continued.
"She's off to the WWE so what's the point? Besides, it was just a distraction. I still care about Maddy Jack, what am I suppose to do – just ignore it?" Austin claimed, finally planting himself on a nearby chair.
"You're going to have to dude, because from what I can tell her and D'Amore obviously still love each other. I mean I definitely don't see someone like Low Ki coming between them again anytime soon, so you're just going to have to deal with it."
Austin snapped his head up at the last comment. Someone to come between them, now that was a good idea! Austin grinned as he sat back in the chair. Jack noticed this and narrowed his eyes.
"Austin……"
"What?" he replied innocently.
"Dude I know you better then that, what are you planning now?" he replied wearily. Whatever it was, Jack knew it was not going to be good.
Before Austin had a chance to reply there was a knock on the locker room door. Jack glared at him before turning around to answer it. It was one of Dixie Carter's assistants.
"Jack, Ms Carter would like to see you please" the young man said. Jack turned back to Austin who was still grinning at him.
"Whatever you're thinking about doing, don't man," he warned.
"I'm not going to do anything!" Austin insisted. Jack sighed and followed the assistant out the door. Once the door clicked shut Austin dug through his bag until he found his phone. It was time to call in a few favours.
Alex smiled as he watched Jackie enter the cafeteria. She looked stunning in her tight jeans and green tank top. Then again, she always looked a vision of beauty to him. He looked around the room – now was his chance. There was no one else around to interrupt him. He slowly approached the table she was sitting at and cleared his throat.
"Hey Jackie, my you look beautiful today" he declared, pulling up a chair at the table. Jackie looked up at him and scowled.
"What do you want Alex?" she muttered as she looked back down at the magazine she was reading. She had done her best over the last couple of weeks to avoid the man in front of her. He always seemed to show up everywhere she would go. It was becoming a little disturbing.
"Well, I was just wondering if maybe you would like to come to dinner with me tonight after the show?" he said with a big grin on his face. Jackie looked up at him in surprise. He has got to be joking, right?
"Your joking, right?" she blurted out.
Alex was taken back for a moment.
"No, I'm serious Jackie. There's this really nice little………."
"Alex there is no way in hell I would go out with you!" she interrupted angrily.
"Why not?" Alex stated, hurt clearly present in his voice. Jackie laughed.
"Why not? Because you are a sick little freak, that is why! Do I really need to explain all the shit you have put my friend through with your stupid little camera? You have done nothing but ruin every aspect of her personal life, with absolutely no remorse whatsoever, and now you want me to go out with you? Sorry Alex, but you obviously have no idea how to treat women, so until you grow a sense of decency about you, then there is no way I'm going anywhere with you," she declared.
Alex sat in silence for a moment, not really having an answer for her. What could he say? He had in effect ruined Madison's personal life, for a while anyway. She looked pretty happy now though.
"Jackie, how exactly have I ruined her personal life? That video if anything has brought her and Scott back together by making her get everything out in the open!" he replied.
Jackie looked up at him angrily for a moment before pausing. The boy had a point.
"Granted, it has brought them closer, but that's not the point Alex. You invaded her personal life to gain revenge for reason's I still cannot work out! You just cannot do those sorts of things! What about turning Steve and Low Ki against her? Or ruining her friendship with Allison? How do you justify that?" she demanded.
"She lied to us Jackie, that's the reason why. Moreover, for the record, bringing Steve and Ki in was not my idea at all. Roderick did all of that behind my back" he muttered.
"She lied to everyone Alex, but we all got over it! I don't see how her personal business had anything to do with you anyway!"
"So you won't even give me a chance?" Alex finally replied after considering what Jackie had said. Jackie stood up and shook her head.
"I'm sorry Alex, but while you're hanging around that asshole my answer is definitely no," she said before walking out of the room.
Alex sat back in the chair, feeling as if someone had kicked him repeatedly in the stomach. AJ Styles had once told him that his Shelley Cam would be the end of him. Well it had just cost him something just as important – a shot at the woman he had been in love with since he started in TNA. Jackie had just enforced something that he had been thinking for the last couple of weeks though – things with Madison had definitely gone too far. Something needed to be done to end this conflict once and for all – before he lost his chance with Jackie permanently.
As he stood up to leave his mobile phone started vibrating on the table. Picking it up he quickly checked the caller ID. What on earth? Shaking his head, he flipped the phone open.
"Hello."
"We need to talk," said the voice on the other end of the phone.
A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I've been busy preparing for my final uni exams. Anyway, I know I haven't answered the cliffhanger from the last chapter, and I've left one this chapter too, but I promise both will be answered in the next one! Anyway, who do you think called Alex? It's someone I don't think you would expect...don't forget to review :)
