Anyway back to the present. I rolled myself back out to the main room and my coworker Elise shoved a newspaper in my face. I batted her hand away and went back to cutting the knots out of Daisy, a small shihtzu. Daisy's owner was our best customer. She brought Daisy in once every two weeks to be trimmed because Daisy was a pageant dog and she always paid double what we usually charged.
"I guess you don't want to find out that the WWE is hiring a dog groomer" Elise said setting the paper down and picking up her 3rd mug of coffee for the day. She had been on a Starbucks coffee kick ever since her sister took her there. I personally hated coffee but I could drink a cappuccino every once in a while.
"What do you mean the WWE is hiring a dog groomer" I asked turning to her "why in the hell would they need a dog groomer".
"Apparently they have a French poodle on one of their shows" she looked at the paper "Smackdown it says, and they need someone to keep it looking good for their shows".
Fifi, I thought to myself. I was a big WWE fan and kept up with every show and pay per view. I couldn't believe my luck. Fifi was on Smackdown, the show that has my number one crush John Cena. If I got the job I could be working right alongside John. I immediately grabbed the paper and looked at the ad. Apparently all applicants had to show up at Stamford offices on April 23rd. That was 4 days away. I wrote down that I was going to be off that day in the log we kept and made plans for what I needed to carry.
All this time Elise was watching me with a small smile on her face, once I caught sight of it I questioned her on it. "Oh I'm just watching you run around for no reason".
"No reason" I questioned her "I have to get a resume together, decide what I'm going to wear, and the ad said I have to bring two dogs to groom right there for them to judge my skills".
She handed me a piece of paper. I looked down and it was my resume. She must have done one for me when she did hers. I looked at her and smiled.
"Wear that dark pair of khaki pants you have with the blue shirt and black shoes, take Muffin and Sadie" she smiled at me and went back to her coffee. Man, if she wasn't a girl I'd kiss her.
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'I'm so nervous' I thought to myself as I made my way through the airport. I went to the taxi rental and got a ride, I asked the driver to help me collect my bags and the dogs carriers before showing him how to fold up my chair and getting in the back seat. On the way over I kept my mind off of being nervous by talking to the dogs, telling them to be on their best behavior and to not make me look like a fool. I wasn't too worried though because they were two of the best ones we groomed.
We pulled up to the building. It was huge. It seemed like it was all glass and steel. I felt intimidated just looking at it. I had the driver help me with my bags and all and I paid him before he took off and I was all alone in the waiting room. I went over to the reception desk and smiled at the lady sitting behind it "hi I'm here for the dog grooming position" I said trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.
"Ok, I'll tell them your here, but between me and you you'll probably get the position because no one else has applied and they're kind of desperate" she leaned in real close when she was telling me this and she whispered like she wasn't supposed to be saying anything. She phoned back to tell them I was here while I went and put the dogs on leashes so I wouldn't have to fool with their carriers. After I did that I picked up my supplies and waited til she told me I could go back.
After a few seconds she put the phone down and looked over at me "they're ready for you just go down the hall to the elevator, take the 11th floor and turn right go all the way down the hall and its the last door on the left".
I followed her directions, pulling the two little terriers alongside me, and came to a big oak door. I tentatively knocked and waited for someone to tell me to come in. Right after I knocked the door was opened. I looked into the smiling face of Stephanie McMahon "Hi" she said "come on in". I rolled myself in and saw Shane McMahon and Rene Dupree sitting at a small table at one end. The three of us exchanged pleasantries and I wheeled over to where Stephanie showed me the grooming table was. I placed my bag down and thought about how I was going to do this, I had never groomed two dogs at once.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by Rene's voice "you want me to take one of them so you can do the other then switch" he suggested. I looked over and saw that he was standing next to me. I nodded and thanked him before handing over Muffin. She happily skipped right along with him over to the chair he had previously been sitting in.
I looked down at Sadie and said "alright Sadie girl lets get ya looking spiffy again". She just looked up at me with her brown eye and blue eye and wagged her tail. I guess she was up for it. I picked her up and set to work. She basically just stood there and let me do what I wanted to her. As I was working on Sadie she looked over toward Muffin and let out a little bark. Muffin barked back from the confines of Rene's arms and Sadie turned her back toward Muffin. All of us laughed and I looked at Sadie "did you and Muffin have a fight" I asked the little dog" is it cause she's over with Rene and you arent? Are you jealous? Well dont worry your gonna be over with him in a minute I'm almost done". This seemed to passify the little dog and she turned back around. I heard the others snicker and it put a smile on my lips. I quickly finished up with Sadie and Rene came over and we switched dogs.
Muffin was a bit more difficult to cut, she kept wiggling around and trying to lick my face. "Muffin, sweetie, baby, you need to cooperate ok" I said talking baby talk to her "I can't cut your hair and make you beautiful if you keep squirming". She seemed to understand because she immediately sat still for me. I finished her up rather quickly and looked over at the three in the room when I was done.
Stephanie spoke up "I think I can safely say you got the job, you seem to have a great knack for working with dogs". She looked over at Rene and he nodded.
"I agree I think you are the perfect person to work with my Fifi" I smiled when he said 'my Fifi' because it showed that he really cared for the dog. I can't believe they chose me. Granted I was the only one who applied but I figured that my handicap would hinder my chances but apparently not. Stephanie told me that Rene was going to go with me to get my stuff then we were going to fly out together to Austin, Texas where Smackdown was being held. I agreed and Rene helped me put the dogs in their carriers and we said bye to Stephanie and Shane before leaving to catch a cab.
On the way to the airport Rene and I chatted with each other. "So how long have you been a dog groomer" Rene asked me as he let Muffin lick his fingers through the bars of the carrier.
"About five years now" I replied "I started after I took the community college classes I needed which only took a year and I met the owner of the place I was working at before I got this job and he offered me a job so I took it".
"Cool" Rene replied giving Sadie the same attention he had been giving Muffin.
"How'd you get started in wrestling" I asked looking at him, a small smile on my face at his attention to the dogs.
He stopped his actions and looked me in the eyes. "Well, my father was a wrestling promoter and I have pretty much always been around wrestling. Well when I turned 18 I decided I wanted to become a wrestler and he put me in touch with a guy named Frederic Rougeau, he took me under his wing and taught me everything I know and a year after that I was signed by the WWE".
"Wow" I said "good story".
We got to the airport and Rene helped me with my stuff. I learned that we were taking the company jet. Man I felt special. We went on the jet and I looked around in awe. It was bigger than my apartment. Rene noticed my looking around and laughed at me. I mock glared at him and we got situated so the pilot could take off.
The flight was pretty boring actually. Rene and I talked a bit about our lives. I told him I was gay and surprisingly all he said was 'cool'.
Nothing of any importance happened at my house either just the usual chit chat and I gathered a couple of bags. I had Elise come and pick the dogs up and Rene and I hopped back on the jet to go to Texas for Smackdown.