Robbie swung her legs over the edge of the exam table impatiently waiting in the oncologist's office Friday morning. When she went into remission at 16 she'd fearfully go every week even though the doctor told her that it wasn't necessary, when she went to college it was at least once a month just to be safe. She became relaxed once she started training for wrestling and went whenever she felt like it which would sometimes be up to 9 months. Roman's cancer returning after 11 years scared her into doing better.
She remembered how much she despised overly dramatic doctors when hers reentered the room in silence, sat down and began looking through documents without addressing her. Leaving a patient in suspense wasn't really appropriate in this situation.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "The biopsy, scans, blood tests and samples have all come back negative. You are looking good, Ms. Nelson."
Relief washed over her, pushing her anxiety aside. "Thank you."
"I'll see you again for a follow-up appointment in 6 months," he said, writing her a slip.
"6?!" she questioned. "I need something sooner like this time next month!"
"Robyn, according to your medical records, you stopped treatments 9 years ago. In general, people return to the doctor for follow-up appointments every 3 to 4 months during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment and once or twice a year after that," he explained.
"I'm well aware of that but I used to have this paranoia about my cancer returning and now that feeling is back. You're saying 6 months but what if it returns next month and I get no signs or symptoms? And when it's time for my appointment it's spread and too advanced to be treated? Most people don't get a second chance, let alone a third chance to beat this!" Robbie was talking fast, almost babbling when she said this. She felt on the brink of a full-fledged panic attack.
"Breathe, Robyn, breathe!" her doctor commanded. Robbie complied, her chest expanding and stomach contracting as she drew in air.
"Sorry about that," she rubbed her temples.
"It's okay, fear of recurrence is a common concern for many who survive cancer but you can't let that fear stop you from living your life."
"I know, but like I said, I was doing much better with my paranoia but something happened recently with a coworker that triggered me. I know I don't have to be here every month but with the career I have, I think it's better to be safe than sorry," she reasoned.
"Well in that case, I'll see you next month," he replied.
Him: How did it go?
She had to save Roman's contact under 'Him' because of his current situation. She didn't want anyone looking over her shoulder and seeing 'Joe' or 'Roman' on her phone.
Robbie: All clear!
She decided to omit her meltdown. He was probably going through his own private fears and she wasn't going to bother him with hers.
Him: That's great.
Robbie: Yep, I'm on my way home to get my bags and head to the airport for the live event tonight.
Him: Never thought about how much I missed house shows until you mentioned it. :-/
Robbie: Oh, sorry….
Him: Lol, don't apologize. I'll be doing them again soon enough. For now I'm just doing Raw until I feel up to live events and full time travel again.
They'd been communicating all week. Tuesday and Wednesday they got to know each other better via text. Thursday he finally called and they spent hours on the phone. The call started as a general conversation but soon they were joking and soon after that he began flirting which she reciprocated.
She did have her reservations about his separation though. How did she know it was real? It wouldn't be the first time a married man lied about being separated from his wife just so he could have an affair on the side only for the other woman to find out the truth when it was too late.
Even if the separation is legit, she still saw a few problems. They still lived together so what if they fell in love again? What if Jojo found out that her parents were separated and convinced them to reconcile? What if Roman only separated because he wanted to live life as a bachelor for a while to 'find himself' before going back to Galina in the end?
Robbie shrieked when someone clapped their hands together once loudly in her face to get her attention. It was Sasha. "Huh? What?"
"We've been here for almost 2 hours and your head has been down texting the whole time," Sasha commented. "You must've found a boyfriend...or girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Robbie raised a brow. "Where did that come from?"
"The men's lockerroom," Liv replied. "Apparently you don't respond to their flirting attempts and scrolling through your Insta, you don't have a boyfriend."
Robbie cleared her throat. "I know it's rare in this social media and attention whore era but I'm just a private person. That being said, I like men and only men... just not this bunch."
"You're right about that. In the current locker room I can count on five fingers how many decent, mature, relationship worthy men we have," Alicia chimed in. "Actually, make that four because I included Roman in my head and he doesn't count since he's married."
"Speaking of Roman, I didn't notice then because I was too excited over his good news but did anyone notice when he went down the line hugging his family that his wife wasn't there?" Bayley inquired.
"I noticed but I didn't find it strange because it was a school night and from what I've noticed she usually doesn't come out unless the show is in Tampa where they live or a big pay per view like Mania or Summerslam. His dad wasn't there either. I doubt anything's wrong especially when he's still wearing his wedding ring," Nattie said. "They seem to be one of the few wrestler/outsider couples who are solid. He's a great husband and faithful. I've personally witnessed him turn down rats, overzealous fans and I'm not going to call any names or say which roster they're on but yeah, he's turned down a few of our coworkers too."
Robyn silently wondered how they would react when the man they spoke so highly of announced his divorce. She would no doubt have to face competition when it became known that he was available but by then her spot in his life should be secure.
Him: Is it over?
Robbie: Yup. Leaving now.
Him: Call me when u get to the hotel.
Robbie: Will do.
Roman walked back in the house early Monday morning after dropping Jojo off at school. His sons were asleep when he left but now they were planted in front of the television watching some children's program. He'd already packed his bags and they were still where he left them in the living room.
He entered the kitchen to find Galina standing over the stove.
Apparently she heard his footsteps because without turning around, she instructed him to, "sit down and eat before you go."
"You know, I've been thinking about something…"
"What's that?" she asked, sitting a plate of food in front of him.
He appreciated that she still did stuff like this for him because technically she didn't have to anymore. He never thought he'd be without her. As a Christian man he took his vows seriously but like everything else in life, marriage was unpredictable. The good thing was the split was mutual. They began their relationship as friends at Georgia Tech and they'd end their relationship as friends. He slept in a separate bedroom and they lived like roommates. Their children were the most important people in their lives and married or not, they would have two parents who loved each other.
"Ever since the boys were born I've been gone 4 days a week and sometimes 2 weeks straight on the international tours. They weren't used to having me all the time. With the exception of those 2 weeks I spent in Hawaii filming Hobbs and Shaw, I've been here with them for four months straight. Now I have to leave them again," he replied, feeling sadness wash over him.
"I thought about that too. After Jojo was born she had you around for years until you went up to the main roster so that bond is stable and unlike the twins, she's old enough to understand that you have to-" Galina cut her sentence short when his phone dinged and he picked it up.
R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Can't decide. You pick.
Roman zoomed in on 4 dresses of different lengths and styles laid out across her hotel bed.
Joe: Definitely blue.
R-Robbie-Robyn-Robbie: Had a feeling you'd like that one. ;-) See u tonight.
Galina cleared her throat. "I know your phone has been blowing up ever since your announcement but judging by that smirk on your face something tells me this isn't a typical, 'I'm so happy for you, welcome back' text. Girlfriend?"
"Not yet," he admitted, having no reason to lie.
"Oh, so it is a love interest?"she asked, curiously.
"Yeah, it's new. We're just talking and getting to know each other right now," he shrugged.
"Someone you met during the last 4 months?"
"No, she's backstage…"
Galina dropped her fork on the floor with a loud clank. "Please don't tell me it's someone who has been smiling in my face every time I was backstage while secretly lusting after my husband the entire time. I know we have to move on but I can't be like Amy, Corey and Carmella. Imagine unknowingly having your replacement sending birthday messages to your daughter. Yikes."
"G, no one could ever replace you after all we've been through and no, you've never met this girl," he shook his head.
"Good," she placed her hand on her chest and sighed in relief before picking up her phone. "What's her name so I can check her out on Instagram. You can date whoever you want but you can't bring just anyone around our kids. Please don't be one of those divorcees that rebound with an 18 year old who looks like a pornstar."
"Bringing her around our kids isn't even an option right now. I told you we're just getting to know each other. She's 25 and shares no likeness to a pornstar. I'm also not ready to give up the name yet. Just know that my judgement is good and as of right now, I think she's a solid person."
"That's great. I'm happy for you," she placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed. "But don't think this is over. If you and this girl are still 'getting to know each other' in a month you have to identify her."
"That's fair enough. I think it's time for me to go," he said, looking down at his watch. He motioned for her to come around the table and they hugged.
"Boys, come say goodbye to daddy," Galina called for the twins.
Roman made it to the arena and it was back to business. He was ready to get back in the ring and was told that he already had a match locked in at Fastlane. He went to put his bags down in the locker room before coming back out.
He spotted Robyn talking to one of the other NXT callups before she noticed him. The dress. It was sexy but still conservative enough to wear backstage. The dress didn't show much cleavage, which was fine because it fit snugly over her breast. The feature that got his heart racing and rushed blood to his nether regions and was the reason he picked it though was the slit on the right side that began by her knee and ended mid-thigh. Robyn briefly glanced up and caught his eye. She gave him a shy smile before averting her eyes and carrying on with her conversation. The chat didn't last much longer before she turned. He didn't know if she put an extra twist in her walk because he was watching but he liked what he saw. His eyes were fixated on her ass when he heard a throat clear.
"Life's not fair huh?" Seth asked by his side.
"W-What?" Roman was flustered knowing he'd been caught staring. Thankfully, Seth, a man he considered to be his brother wasn't going to say anything.
"For someone who looks like that to play for the other team. I thought Sonya was pretty hot but Robyn has taken the sexy lesbian crown."
"Wait, Robyn is a lesbian?" Roman's head snapped to Rollins in disbelief. She seemed legitimately interested in him so she had to be bisexual at the very least.
"Yeah," Seth confirmed with a nod. "Most of us have tried with no luck."
"So because she isn't interested she's a lesbian?" he snorted, shaking his head.
"All I'm saying is I know people have types and preferences but we literally have a guy in the locker room that fits every description: The All American guy, the black guy, the mysterious guy, the pretty boy, tattooed guy, muscle heads, you name it. The only thing we don't have in our locker room is a woman...and that's the problem," Seth concluded.
"That's ridiculous but while you ponder on that, I'm going to see what's up in catering," Roman said, walking away.
There weren't a lot of people in there because it was still early in the evening. He spotted Robyn analyzing the dessert table and casually walked up beside her. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hmm?" she seemed confused. "Are we reenacting last week?"
"No, this is something different. I just heard that you were a lesbian. How long were you going to string me along?" he queried, sounding amused.
Robyn laughed and then chuckled until she was done. "I can't even! Apparently the boys have been spreading this rumor for a while because the girls told me about it this weekend. 'How dare that new girl not make herself available to us men! She must to be a lesbian.' The entitlement is strong. Now that you've returned you really need to get your locker room back in order, Mr. Lockerroom Leader."
"You aren't the first person who has told me that," he replied.
"Excuse me guys," one of the preformers from 205 Live squeezed in between them to grab a few cookies and go.
When Roman's eyes darted around the room he saw that people were slowly starting to file in. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Joe, you've been standing here staring down at desserts for almost 5 minutes. If you walk away empty handed it's going to look suspicious," Robyn pointed out.
"Damn, between warning me about the roster approaching and this, you're really on top of our arrangement," he grabbed a slice of chocolate cake.
"Of course. It affects me too if we get outted," she replied. "And keep in mind that people are much harder on the woman than they are the man in these situations especially if they don't know the full story. My career is just starting, I'm not looking for a scarlet letter."
"Philly is a smark town, Joe so don't take it personal if you get a few boos out there tonight," a producer warned Roman in gorilla.
"I don't care about booing, never have. If they wanna boo me, boo me. I just want to be out there," he replied.
The RAW intro played and his theme hit. When he ducked in front of the curtains his reception was just as warm as it was last week. This was his first segment of the night and the goal was to, "get the band back together."
That was it, after many attempts tonight, The Shield was back together and Robyn watched from a monitor. The rest of the show came and went.
Not knowing anyone else well enough to ride with, she was still tagging along with Lacey and Nikki Cross who were already loading their bags in the trunk as she walked through the dark parking lot.
She could hear footsteps catching up to her from behind. "We've got to stop meeting like this and I don't mean that in the cute way, I'm serious. People are going to start wondering what business we have with each other if we're seen talking alone all the time."
"I think as long as we aren't making out or dry humping against the wall, they'll give us a pass seeing as the two of us have something in common that they don't. Do you want to come to my room when we make it to the hotel?"
"Whoa there!" Robyn stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she stared at him.
"Oh, no, not for that. Just to hang out. Why text or call when we'll literally be under the same roof?"
Robyn thought about it for a second and realized he did have a point. "Okay."
He slid a keycard in her hand and called out his room number. "I don't care what time you come just make sure the halls are clear."
By the time she showered, changed into pajamas and checked social media it was almost 1 AM. She stared at the card she'd dropped on her bed. A part of her wanted to go but she was still cautious as thoughts swam through her head. Phone chemistry and in-person chemistry were different. They'd had short face to face conversations but what if they didn't click in each other's company for an extended period of time. What if he wanted sex? She couldn't especially without having clear transparency on his current situation. She also wondered why he hadn't contacted her yet if he really wanted her there. It had been over an hour since they made it. The only way to get those answers and more was to go to him.
Opening the door, she peeked her head out to look both ways. It was clear. She quickly made her way up the hallway and thought she was home free until the elevator on the other end of the hall opened. Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin were staggering and holding each other up which was a sign that they hit a local bar after the show. The distance between them closed and she tried to act casual.
"Where are you going?" Corbin asked.
"I got kind of hungry so I'm about to see what's open because I want to eat," Robyn shrugged.
"In pajamas?" Drew raised a brow.
"With no purse, money or phone in sight," Baron added, giving her a knowing look.
"As a matter of fact the only thing in your hand appears to be two keycards," Drew noticed. "Hmm."
"Uh…" Robyn hesitated, trying to come up with something to say.
"Don't worry about it. We're so drunk we probably won't even remember this in the morning," Drew replied, winking.
"Can we at least watch?" Baron asked and they laughed, continuing their path down the hall. She was confused by the comment at first until realizing they probably thought she was getting ready to engage in girl on girl action. She also realized saying that she was 'hungry'and was about to 'see what's open because I want to eat' could've easily been interpreted as a double entendre or sexual innuendo in the drunken male mind.
She passed Roman's room because Drew and Corbin were not yet in there's. She rode the elevator up to the floor above and then back down. She knocked once just to warn him that she was coming in before inserting the key. Roman was sitting in bed, scrolling on his iPad. He looked tired and she remembered that he was in multiple segments tonight, one involving him taking moves. She hoped he wasn't pushing himself too hard and rushing back into in-ring action prematurely just to prove that he was okay.
"If you hear another lesbian rumor about me in the men's locker room next week, disregard it. I don't know what I have to do at this point to prove I'm straight."
"Make up a boyfriend if you have to," he shrugged. "Honestly I thought you weren't coming and I was getting ready to turn off the lights."
"Why didn't you text me?"
"Because then I'd feel like I was pressuring you into coming. I'm not going to lie though, when I asked you to come to my room earlier tonight you looked frightened and panicked so I thought, 'hmm, maybe she is a lesbian," he joked. "Then because you reacted that way when you thought I was inviting you for sex another thought was wondering if you were a virgin."
"Neither, I actually lost my virginity at 14…"
"What?" Roman's brows shot up.
"That's the age my cancer came back and my mom made me go to this teen cancer support group. A boy in the group who claimed to only have 3 months left said that his biggest fear was dying a virgin and I was like, 'omg, I may die a virgin too' so later I suggested that we lose our virginities to each other. He was my first and as it turns out I was his seventh because he went around to different groups scamming other girls too. Oh yeah, the 3 months prognosis was bullshit because he was already cured."
Roman blinked, speechless. "That's wild."
"Update: he ended up on the sex offender registry because he continued his predatory behavior into adulthood. I didn't have sex again until I was in college," she said. "But back on topic, yes, when you invited me to your room my mind automatically went to sex. I was nervous about that but not because I don't want you or anything. It's just that, I'm not sure if…nevermind."
"What? Talk to me?"
"Okay, here goes. I'm not accusing you of being a liar but I need more information about your alleged separation. Either way, I'd still be sleeping with a married man but I'd feel better knowing that you were only married on paper instead of married married if that makes sense."
"It makes sense and I understand you being cautious especially after you've been scammed this way before with that guy. I'm not about to call Galina and have her to confirm it but I'll ask you this: what time did we get off the phone Thursday night?"
She shrugged, not sure where he was going with this. "I don't know, like 3."
"Exactly, if I was a married married man and had a wife next to me in bed do you think she'd allow me to stay on the phone until 3 talking to another woman?" he asked.
"No, I'm sure she wouldn't. I didn't even think about that."
"Now that that's settled, did I thank you for wearing that dress tonight?"
"The best part about it is I stayed in it all night long and didn't even have to take it off to change into any gear! Yay! she sarcastically exclaimed.
"Do you want me to talk to Vince and put in a good word for you?" he offered. "Everything seems to be lined up already in the women's division going into Mania but there's always after."
"Absolutely not! Let's say this thing between us turns into something, I get a push out of nowhere and you get divorced. Once people find out that we're dating you already know what they're going to say. I don't want fans thinking the man I'm getting under is the reason why I'm getting over. I also don't want to be Nikki Bella'd where every feud I'm involved in you're brought up as a way to discredit me. Push or no push, I want it to happen without interference."
"I respect that," he yawned.
"One more thing before things get too deep. Are you even ready to jump back into a relationship if this turns into one? I don't want to waste my time on something you only view as casual."
"Yes," he answered before continuing. "We separated in August. Between then and October I had 2 months to make moves but I wanted to wait. When some men get out of a long term relationship they're eager to get back on the scene and make up for lost time and things they feel like they missed out on while in a relationship. That leads to them bringing home a different woman every night, hitting up strip clubs and acting like a 20 year old frat boy. Not only is it reckless, it risks ruining what could've been an amicable split from their wives and it'll sound bad in family court when she decides to take full custody of the kids. I decided to wait until the 'I'm single again' newness wore off before pursuing anything. That's when the doctors noticed something off with my white blood cell count and I found out that my leukemia returned. Now that that battle's won, I'm ready to start over and as of right now I wouldn't mind if it was with you. I-"
Before he finished his sentence, Robyn silenced him with a kiss. He laid back against the pillow bringing her with him so that she was on top. She opened her mouth to his tongue to deepen the kiss while Roman slid his hand inside her pajamas and grabbed the naked flesh of her ass.
For a moment his kiss slowed and became softer, his lips sliding across hers before stopping. There was a reason for that. When she opened her eyes she discovered that his were closed falling into a gentle sleep. In any other instance she'd feel insulted that a man went to sleep on her especially in the heat of the moment but for Joe she'd make an exception.
