Title: The Road Less Traveled (11/?)
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thank you, thank you for the other review! Jeff prepares for his match with the Un-Americans. Andrew takes an interesting call. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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Jeff dropped his bag on the bench in the locker room. When he arrived earlier, he thought he would be sitting this episode of RAW out just like the others, but he was happily surprised to find the writers had worked him into the Un-Americans' storyline. He would be in a six-man tag match with Booker T and Goldust against Drew, Lance and Jay.
He had already met with all of the other wrestlers involved to discuss the moves of the match. Jeff's team was scheduled to win by disqualification when Drew's character hits him with the ring bell.
Whistling softly to himself, he undressed and got ready for his match.
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"Now don't take your Rio frustrations out on Jeff, Drew," Jay warned his large partner. "I do NOT want to have to explain to Matt why you put his brother on the injured list."
Andrew gave Jay a sardonic look, not even dignifying the remark with an answer. He turned to lace up his boot and caught Lance's worried gaze.
"What?"
"You better listen to Jay, man," Lance replied. "This is not a game."
"I'm not going to hurt him!" Andrew growled. "I really just thought he could use a storyline."
Lance looked unconvinced, but let the matter drop.
Just as Andrew finished lacing his other boot, he heard his cell phone ring from his gear bag. He absently picked it up, thinking it was probably his mother.
"Hello, Mom," he greeted her heartily.
"Your mother calls you before your matches?" inquired a soft female voice in a Russian accent. "That is very sweet."
Andrew froze and caught his breath. Rio called him? HIM? How did she get the number? Not that he minded. He would take her call any time. He looked across the room and saw Lance and Jay watching him curiously. He suddenly got the urge to leave the room, but knew that Jay would follow and find out who was speaking to. Jay was nothing if not tenacious.
"Rio?" Andrew finally asked cautiously.
"Yes?" she replied amused. "Are you surprised to hear from me?"
"Uh . . . yeah," he returned. "Stunned, actually." He saw Lance turn to Jay and mouth 'Rio' with a shocked look.
"You are wondering how I obtained your phone number, are you not?"
"Well, it crossed my mind, but I'm not complaining," Andrew said smoothly.
"I have my contacts," she said. "I was calling to tell you that I will be watching you and Jeff on TV tonight."
"Oh," he said dryly, instantly annoyed at the mention of Jeff's name.
"I do not want to see any real damage done tonight . . . to either one of you," Rio said firmly. "Am I making myself clear?"
"Yeah," Andrew said dejectedly. "Sure."
"Do not sound like that, I am worried about you," Rio purred.
Andrew perked up. "You are?"
"Yes," she said. "You could end up hurting yourself, or Jeff, ending either career, if you aren't careful. I do not want to see you hurt. Nor do I wish to see what happens to your self-image if you hurt someone else."
"My self-image?" Andrew queried doubtfully.
"Hurting someone seriously is not as easy to live with as you think," she said softly.
Andrew's annoyance melted. 'How does she do that?' he wondered.
"I promise, I won't hurt Jeff, or myself," he said. "Are you going to call him next?"
"I had not planned to," she answered. "Why? Do you think I should?"
"No!" he said, all too quickly. He smiled when he heard Rio's gentle chuckle.
"All right then," she said.
"Wait! Rio!" Andrew said.
"I am still here, Andrew," she said.
"Will you keep in touch with me?" he asked hopefully.
Rio paused for a moment, then said, "Sure, but I do not know how often."
"That's okay," Andrew said, smiling. "Whenever you can."
"Good bye for now, Test."
Andrew heard a click, then turned off his phone and looked up into Lance's ever more serious expression. Jay stood worriedly off to the side. For once, his smirk had forsaken him.
"This is a very dangerous game you're playing, Drew," Lance said carefully.
Andrew stood and adjusted his elbow pad. "I'm not playing any games, Lance."
"Please just stick to the script," Jay pleaded.
"I will," Andrew assured him. "Rio made me promise."
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thank you, thank you for the other review! Jeff prepares for his match with the Un-Americans. Andrew takes an interesting call. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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Jeff dropped his bag on the bench in the locker room. When he arrived earlier, he thought he would be sitting this episode of RAW out just like the others, but he was happily surprised to find the writers had worked him into the Un-Americans' storyline. He would be in a six-man tag match with Booker T and Goldust against Drew, Lance and Jay.
He had already met with all of the other wrestlers involved to discuss the moves of the match. Jeff's team was scheduled to win by disqualification when Drew's character hits him with the ring bell.
Whistling softly to himself, he undressed and got ready for his match.
--------------------------------------
"Now don't take your Rio frustrations out on Jeff, Drew," Jay warned his large partner. "I do NOT want to have to explain to Matt why you put his brother on the injured list."
Andrew gave Jay a sardonic look, not even dignifying the remark with an answer. He turned to lace up his boot and caught Lance's worried gaze.
"What?"
"You better listen to Jay, man," Lance replied. "This is not a game."
"I'm not going to hurt him!" Andrew growled. "I really just thought he could use a storyline."
Lance looked unconvinced, but let the matter drop.
Just as Andrew finished lacing his other boot, he heard his cell phone ring from his gear bag. He absently picked it up, thinking it was probably his mother.
"Hello, Mom," he greeted her heartily.
"Your mother calls you before your matches?" inquired a soft female voice in a Russian accent. "That is very sweet."
Andrew froze and caught his breath. Rio called him? HIM? How did she get the number? Not that he minded. He would take her call any time. He looked across the room and saw Lance and Jay watching him curiously. He suddenly got the urge to leave the room, but knew that Jay would follow and find out who was speaking to. Jay was nothing if not tenacious.
"Rio?" Andrew finally asked cautiously.
"Yes?" she replied amused. "Are you surprised to hear from me?"
"Uh . . . yeah," he returned. "Stunned, actually." He saw Lance turn to Jay and mouth 'Rio' with a shocked look.
"You are wondering how I obtained your phone number, are you not?"
"Well, it crossed my mind, but I'm not complaining," Andrew said smoothly.
"I have my contacts," she said. "I was calling to tell you that I will be watching you and Jeff on TV tonight."
"Oh," he said dryly, instantly annoyed at the mention of Jeff's name.
"I do not want to see any real damage done tonight . . . to either one of you," Rio said firmly. "Am I making myself clear?"
"Yeah," Andrew said dejectedly. "Sure."
"Do not sound like that, I am worried about you," Rio purred.
Andrew perked up. "You are?"
"Yes," she said. "You could end up hurting yourself, or Jeff, ending either career, if you aren't careful. I do not want to see you hurt. Nor do I wish to see what happens to your self-image if you hurt someone else."
"My self-image?" Andrew queried doubtfully.
"Hurting someone seriously is not as easy to live with as you think," she said softly.
Andrew's annoyance melted. 'How does she do that?' he wondered.
"I promise, I won't hurt Jeff, or myself," he said. "Are you going to call him next?"
"I had not planned to," she answered. "Why? Do you think I should?"
"No!" he said, all too quickly. He smiled when he heard Rio's gentle chuckle.
"All right then," she said.
"Wait! Rio!" Andrew said.
"I am still here, Andrew," she said.
"Will you keep in touch with me?" he asked hopefully.
Rio paused for a moment, then said, "Sure, but I do not know how often."
"That's okay," Andrew said, smiling. "Whenever you can."
"Good bye for now, Test."
Andrew heard a click, then turned off his phone and looked up into Lance's ever more serious expression. Jay stood worriedly off to the side. For once, his smirk had forsaken him.
"This is a very dangerous game you're playing, Drew," Lance said carefully.
Andrew stood and adjusted his elbow pad. "I'm not playing any games, Lance."
"Please just stick to the script," Jay pleaded.
"I will," Andrew assured him. "Rio made me promise."