So I wrote this some time ago. It was unfinished for a long time and I had originally planned it to be a one shot. However, now I'm extending it to a two-shot at it got away from me and it will flow better that way. I hope you like it. Some of the situations are slightly older and it takes place a couple of years back. Looking forward to reading the reviews to see what you guys think. Thanks!
"So, does everybody have their schedules for this evening? Shane isn't here tonight and I'm sure Bryan would really appreciate it if the show would run without too many teething problems," the clipped tones of Emery's English accent rang through the hallway.
Staff meetings were always the bane of her existence but when Shane was absent from the arena on live show nights, he'd designated this task to her. It was her least favourite part of her role as one of the Senior Managers for the Smackdown brand. Her nightly routine usually consisted of relegating herself to the shadows and supervising her team to ensure the show ran as smoothly as possible. When she had to step up to the plate and manage the entire backstage personnel, she felt way out of her comfort zone. She loathed the feeling the formed within her when she thought about how she was coming across to the rest of the staff. She did not want to be one of those bossy bosses; the ones who thought that they were above the rest of their staff, or who thought that they could order the employees around and force them to do whatever they saw fit. Emery thought herself a fair manager, one who could be tough when the situation required it but who could also roll her sleeves up when the need arose.
Everyone nodded affirmatively to the question that she had asked, and she glanced down to the clipboard that she held, running one French tipped fingernail down the list.
"Our opening segment tonight is going to be with Ambrose and Styles hammering out the issues they have with each other before they sign the contracts for the pay-per-view. Following that we've got Becky Lynch who is going to be versing Natalya in a non-title match in which Alexa will cost Becky the victory. That's going to create some nice tension going into the pay-per-view between the two women. Thereafter is the tag-title tournament to crown the new number one contenders. Bryan is going to have a couple of backstage segments and so will Ambrose. We've got a second women's match between Naomi and Carmella. Nikki is still on the lookout for her "attacker" so she's going to be ringside for this one. The New Wyatt Family is going to have a big section in the back half of the show; the boss is keen on these guys getting a real push, especially with the edition of Orton to the fold. We're going to close the show with Styles offering an open challenge to anyone who thinks they can beat him. If they can, they'll receive a future title shot against him. I believe Ambrose and James Ellsworth are going to be causing a few issues for our champion tonight as well," Emery finished up as she read all of the notes for the show from the clipboard.
"We had a couple of issues that need following up. Cerys!" she continued. "There's a list of superstars who haven't signed their new contracts. Talent has passed this onto us tonight, so can you take care of that for me, please?" Emery asked, eyeing the younger blonde woman who was nodding at her. "If you just pop them on my desk before the end of the night, I'll get them sent away to Stamford, thank you! We also had a few problems with the pyro for tonight. To my knowledge the shipment hadn't arrived yet when I got here. Darryl, if I give you a number for a local company, do you think you could chase that up for me? And, guys, we just need to make sure that all the superstars are signing the check in sheets. It's imperative that we know who's in the building and who is not! Anyone got anything for me?"
As everyone remained silent and shook their heads, Emery shrugged, grinned and sent them off on their way. She let out the breath that she had been holding, her eyes meeting Bryan's as the crowd of staff dispersed from around her.
"You did great!" Bryan praised her. "Honestly, it's okay to breathe now," he laughed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You shouldn't be so nervous around everyone, Emery. If Shane didn't think you were the right fit for this job, then he wouldn't have hired you."
"I know, I get it, I get it. I just don't like to make anyone uncomfortable. I hate the feeling you get when it feels like you're ordering someone around," Emery replied, her upper middle-class accent clashing with Bryan's rounder, deeper tones.
"And I'm quite sure that you didn't come off like that. I was watching the whole time," he placed one palm over his heart. "And I honestly didn't feel that you said anything that was out of place," he tried to reassure her. "What happened to that confident woman who I interviewed with Shane?" he eyed her suspiciously. "Was that all an act that you were putting on?" there was a sly smirk creeping onto his face.
"No!" Emery insisted, fixing one of the rolled-up cuffs of her crisp white shirt. "You've seen me speeding around the arena sorting out all of the problems. It's just running staff meetings that leave me a little nervous," she laughed.
"A little nervous?" Bryan raised his eyebrows at her as they walked down the corridor.
"Okay, like, totally terror-stricken," they both laughed at the panic in her voice. "But the point is that I'm trying to make is..."
Emery stopped mid-sentence when she noticed that they had attracted the attention of none other than the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Allen 'AJ Styles' Jones.
"I'm sorry," Bryan apologized for the interruption and then turned to Allen. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Allen?" he asked politely.
The Georgian native shook his head and then reached up to run a hand over his brown hair.
"I was kind of hoping that I might have a word with Emery, actually?" he asked, his thick, Southern accent skewing the words slightly. Emery felt her stomach drop as he asked to talk to her, and a feeling of uneasiness settled in her stomach.
"Oh yeah, no problem," Bryan replied, both of his hands swiping in the air slightly. The on-screen General Manager looked to Emery. "We can continue this later, right?"
"Of course!" she gulped, her voice coming out higher than usual. Taking a deep breath, Emery held it as Bryan strolled off down the corridor, leaving her all alone with Allen. "What can I help you with?" she turned to the veteran athlete, forcing herself to make eye contact with him.
"I'd prefer to do this in private if you don't mind," Allen responded, turning and walking down the corridor.
Emery walked briskly behind Allen, her toes pinching in her shoes as she tried but failed to keep up the pace with him. His long legs helped to elongate his strides, taking him further in a shorter space of time. He opened a door to his left and stepped inside, using his arm to invite Emery in once she had caught up to him.
She cringed as she heard the door closing and what sounded suspiciously like a lock clicking into place. Rounding on him, Emery folded her arms across her chest, staring him down in a far more confident manner than she felt inside.
"What is this about?" she questioned, raising one perfectly groomed eyebrow at him.
"This is about you telling me what in the hell that I have done to make you avoid me?"
"I-I'm not avoiding you," Emery told him, shaking her head rapidly. "I mean, I don't avoid you," she clarified. "So, if that's all then I'd like to go," she took a step toward the door. "I don't know why we had to talk about this in private," she added.
"I'm not a big fan of liars, Emery, and that is exactly what you're doing right now." Allen stepped in front of her, blocking her exit from the room.
"Allen," Emery sighed his name out. "I don't know where you're getting the idea that I am avoiding you. I think you'll find that I do nothing of the sort. But I do have a show to run and I would like to be doing that right at this moment."
Allen's eyes roved over her from top to bottom. She wore a crisp white shirt with a couple of buttons open at the top. It exposed a hint of her white bra and cleavage, giving him a teasing glimpse of what lay underneath. It was paired with light acid wash jeans that clung to every curve of her body, outlining her long, slender legs perfectly. The hem of her shirt was tucked into the jeans, showing her slim waist and she wore a pair of black suede pumps, boosting her height by a couple of inches.
"What about the first time we were introduced?" he asked, not willing to let the subject drop.
"What about it?" Emery returned, defiantly.
"So, this is the way to the gorilla position," Shane explained, guiding a newly employed Emery down the hallway of the arena.
"The gorilla position?" Emery asked, questioning her new boss as she followed him. Shane turned to her, scratching the back of his neck with one hand. He smoothed a hand over his silvery hair and smiled at his new employee.
"It was named after..."
"Shane!" a thick voice bellowed out behind the two of them and both Shane and Emery turned in the direction of the noise. Emery's breath caught in her throat as she saw AJ Styles approaching them. Admittedly, Emery wasn't a massive wrestling fan, but she knew the veteran wrestler, having done some extensive research.
"Allen, it's good to see you," Shane reached out to shake the other man's hand. AJ returned the favour, a broad smile on his face. He turned his eyes to Emery, and she met his gaze. She cringed as she felt heat blooming on her cheeks. "Oh, Allen, this is Emery Thomas, our new Senior Manager for Backstage Relations," Shane introduced the two of them.
"Please to make your acquaintance," he told her. "I'm Allen," he stuck his hand in her direction.
"Pleasure," Emery managed to force the single two syllable word out, shaking his hand quickly and then breaking contact. She looked to Shane. "Will you excuse me for a moment. I'm just going to nip to the loo," she walked off, heading back in the direction that she and Shane had come from.
"So?" Emery shrugged, glaring at Allen. "I had to use the bathroom," she told him, her language having changed slightly she became more accustomed to living in the US.
"Fine," he drawled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as if he didn't really believe her. "How about the night of the brand split?"
Emery took the last seat at the table in catering, joining Jon, Renee, Becky, Colby, Joe, Randy, Kofi, Austin, Bryan and Brie at the table. Picking up the green apple she had chosen at the counter, she took a bite from the succulent fruit, quickly catching a drop of the juice that began to run down her chin.
"That good?" Jon asked, a knowing smirk on his face.
"Oh, sod off," she mumbled around a mouthful of the fruit, a blush forming on her cheeks as she finished the piece of apple. "You're such a pain in my arse!"
"You love it," Jon rasped teasingly, nudging her in the side with his elbow.
"Like a hole in the head, mate," she shot back, her accent effecting the way the words sounded.
Allen's chuckle came from above her. She whipped around to look at him, the rest of the table falling silent. Her eyes ran the length of him, and she gulped audibly as she met his gaze. He was dressed in his ring gear; the black tights with the blue and white accents, black P1 shirt and the blue gloves. He also had his hat pulled backwards over his hair and his boots on too.
"Allen! Come and join us," Becky told him, her thick Irish accent also sounding very foreign when she was surrounded by the Americans and Canadians at the table.
Emery watched as he looked around the table, a funny noise coming from the back of his throat when he realised that there were no seats. The brunette stood from the table, smoothing her hands down over her grey plaid pencil skirt.
"You can have my seat, Allen. I've got somewhere to be," she lifted the rest of her apple and walked off before anyone could say anything to her.
"I'm not crazy," Allen insisted. "I know that you're avoiding me, but I can't think of what I've done to offend you."
"Honestly, you haven't done anything to offend me," Emery turned away from him.
"Hell no!" He grabbed her arm, turning her around. "You don't get to make me think this is all in my head, darlin'. What about the night I won the title? Huh?" he questioned. Emery looked up at him, gulping at the look in his eyes.
An excited buzz thrummed through the backstage area. The infamous AJ Styles had just made a childhood dream come true and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The fans were going insane out in the arena and a group of superstars had gathered backstage to congratulate the new champion.
Jon was first to step through the curtain whilst Allen was still out celebrating in the ring. Emery watched from the back of the crowd as Renee practically jumped on him, comforting him through his loss. The two shared a loving kiss before Renee excused herself to go and host the after show live on the WWE Network.
An arm brushed against Emery's shoulder and she looked up to see Shane standing there.
"Hey," she smiled, bumping her arm against his. "You here to congratulate the new champion?" she asked him, her eyes alight with humour.
"Of course. Here he comes now," Shane pointed to the curtain as Allen emerged through it. He shook his long hair back, his mouth curved into a large grin. Lifting the title up, he let out a rip-roaring cheer, the sheer happiness he felt evident on his features. He received a huge round of applause from everyone present in the gorilla position. Shane moved forward and promptly shook the Georgian native's hand, clapping him on the back with his other hand. They exchanged a few words before Shane excused himself from the area, letting Emery know he would see her during Monday morning's board meeting.
"Are you going to come out and celebrate tonight?" Becky sidled up next to her. Her bright orange hair was thrown up into an unkempt bun, several tendrils dropping down to frame her face. She still wore her ring gear, but she had removed the coat, her goggles and her boot covers.
"I'm not really sure," Emery confessed, her eyes drifting around the gorilla position, watching everyone congratulate the new champion.
"Why don't you just tell him?" Becky asked, shocking Emery. The Englishwoman turned to look at her friend, her eyebrows raising.
"Tell him what?" Emery asked, forcing her features into an expression of bewilderment.
"That you like him," Becky told her. "I mean, it's obvious to everyone, Emery."
"What's obvious to everyone?" Allen asked, having finally reached the little corner where Emery and Becky were standing.
Emery looked to Becky and Becky looked to her. The brunette felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She prayed to all that was holy that Becky wouldn't let her secret out of the bag.
"How awesome you look with that belt, of course!" Becky grinned, reaching forward to thump him on the shoulder gently. Allen laughed and hiked the belt higher on his bare shoulder, gripping the belt tighter with one gloved hand. "Congrats, man. So, are you going to join us for drinks tonight to celebrate? I know you're teetotal, but you can hardly say no as you are the champ now!"
"Uhm...yeah, I suppose," he replied, seemingly a little nervous. "Who's going?"
"ME!" Becky replied excitedly, earning a laugh from Allen. "I think Jon, Renee, Austin, Nikki, Brie, Bryan, Lexi and Matthew and... Emery, too, right?" Becky looked to her, nudging Emery with her elbow. She moved her eyebrows up in down in a comical fashion, sending an inconspicuous wink to her.
"You're coming out with us?" Allen asked, surprise registering in his tone. She'd never joined them for drinks the entire time he'd been with the company. He looked over at her. Emery licked her lips, unsure what to say. She wanted to agree to go out, but she didn't want to be around Allen for a prolonged period.
"I... I can't," Emery told him lamely. "I've got a board meeting in the morning and I need to be clear headed. Thanks for the invite though," she began to walk away but turned around at the last minute. "Congratulations, by the way," she added, her eyes meeting Allen's.
Emery let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping, her forehead almost coming to rest against his chest. Allen placed his hands on her upper arms, dipping his head to try and get her to look at him.
"I really wish you'd just tell me what the problem is. If I know, I can fix it," he pleaded with her.
"It's not what you think," she whispered, unable to stop a nervous laugh escaping her as she looked up at him through dark lashes. She opened her mouth to speak but then her brain kicked in. "I honestly don't have an issue with you. You're putting two and two together and coming up with five," she laughed it off.
"You're in damn denial, Emery!" Allen snapped, throwing his hands in the air. "What the hell is so bad that you just can't-"
Unable to hold her resolve anymore, Emery pushed herself onto her tip toes and pressed a kiss to Allen's lips. She placed her hands on his face, his soft beard grazing her fingers. As she stepped back from the chaste kiss, she confessed in a tiny voice "The only problem I have is that I can't control myself around you."