Chapter IV: Results of Mediation
Stephanie kept herself busy for the next two days. She had gotten a threatening call from her father's secretary about being in attendance Thursday but shrugged it off as always. McMahon's threats weren't much anymore and she had dealt with them for years. Therese watched the hotel room turn into an office as Stephanie set to reviewing files and making phone calls. She wished she had that much work to do. A few hours both days got her caught up. On the other hand, Stephanie stopped long enough to eat, so she stayed out of her way.
Wednesday evening, Stephanie was so absorbed in finalizing the details for tomorrow's show, she didn't notice the delivery of their evening meal. Therese spread the food out over her table since there was no uncovered surface in Stephanie's room to eat on. She knocked on the open door before speaking. "Stephanie, do you—"
"I asked for no distractions," she tersely interrupted, beginning to dial another number on her cell phone.
"If you don't want to eat, that is fine with me." Therese turned on her heels, wishing she could slam the door shut.
"Therese," she called after her in a softer tone. "I just didn't realize what you wanted." Knowing she had to apologize to this woman, she swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. You just caught me in the middle of an important moment."
Therese walked back into the room. "I put it out on my table, so you don't have to move any of your stuff." Stephanie stood and almost sent her laptop crashing to the floor. Therese reached out as Stephanie did and both caught the machine in time. "Do you do this all the time that you're on the road?"
"Yeah," she answered, sighing, and settled down at the other table. "I try to take off two days a week and stay at home, but that rarely happens, and then the day at the office. The rest of the time, well, here you have it." She swept her arm towards her room. "I do have to take a little time to shop. The billion dollar princess can't be caught out of fashion and wearing the same thing twice in a row." Therese laughed softly with her. "I love my job. I really do. It can catch up with you too fast and leave little or no time for pleasure."
"I understand," Therese commented. Between bites, the two talked about the next day at the arena, Stephanie reminding Therese what to expect and vice versa for Stephanie.
Everything went as expected…until the first two minutes of the show. They were at the arena all day and few of the staff inquired as to Therese's presence. She piddled behind Stephanie, acting like an assistant but doing nothing other than keeping her eyes open. As wrestlers began to arrive, Stephanie took to her office to sit back and watch SmackDown! evolve. And evolve it did!
"I have to go out there! He called me out!" Stephanie shouted at Therese when she told her to stay in the office instead of meeting Vince's demand that she come to the ring.
"You can't go out there without me."
"Then, let's go."
Therese grabbed her by the elbow before she opened the door. "I don't need to be out there."
Stephanie violently jerked her arm away. "I don't care what you do, but I'm going to the ring. I'm not going to cower because of those letters. Let's go."
"Okay, okay. This is what I'm going to do." Therese quickly detailed her plan, which wasn't much, as they hurried to the ring. She left Stephanie at the stairs and rushed around to the side entrance.
Stephanie's music has already begun and she took a big breath before stepping out from behind the black curtain. Coolly strolling to the ring, she glanced around for Therese as she climbed in. Therese had come down behind her inconspicuously and taken a seat on a folding chair ringside. Stephanie stood proud and defended her choice of signing Mr. America. When Hogan appeared on the Titantron via satellite, Stephanie stuck to her guns and didn't flinch at her father's words. When it was over, Stephanie waited for Vince to leave and then she and Therese walked out together, knowing the cameras were off.
Back in Stephanie's office, Therese lit into her full tilt. "Don't ever do something like that again on the spur of the moment!" Stephanie turned her back to Therese and didn't answer. "Do you hear me?"
Stephanie whipped around, anger shooting from her eyes like darts. "Don't talk to me like a little child!"
"Listen here—" Therese started but Stephanie strode across the room, less than a foot from her.
"No, you listen here. I run this show. You're job is to keep me safe while I do my job," Stephanie angrily bit out.
"I can't keep you safe when you do stupid things like that."
"Are you calling me stupid?" The brunette's eyes widened in question.
"What if I am?"
"I grew up around wrestlers. Don't start with me," Stephanie seethed, her nose less than an inch from Therese's.
"I have been trained to take down men twice my size with my bare hands," Therese slowly replied through clenched teeth. "I suggest that you don't start with me."
Therese wanted to dare Stephanie to hit her. Someone on Stephanie's own level needed to take her down with a real reason instead of just being thrown around by overgrown men—and Therese wanted to do it. For five days she had put up with Stephanie's crap. For almost over four years she had watched Stephanie, status given by virtue of her family and not merit, play the poor innocent girl who was abused by everyone and then rebelled because of the abuse. Just because of a hiatus and a divorce, she was just so respectful. Her job was the last thing on her mind as she waited for Stephanie to make the first move.
Stephanie wanted to dare Therese to hit her. She didn't know what had made that woman so bitter but somebody needed to knock the taste out of her mouth—and Stephanie wanted to do it. She had given her a simple job. If it hadn't been for her, Stephanie McMahon, that woman might not have been employed. She was paying major dollars for security and was getting nothing but a hard time. Her security needed straightening out. It was obvious to her that the coward wasn't going to move, so she drew her hand back and—
The door suddenly opened. "Have you quit answering your door?" Vince McMahon angrily asked as the two jumped apart. "Something going on here that I should know about?" The corners of his mouth turning up in a sick grin.
Therese quickly spoke up as Stephanie headed to her desk and fiddled with papers. "Stephanie had some dirt in her eye and I was trying to get it out."
"Is that what you gals call it these days?" Vince laughed.
"Here they are, Therese," Stephanie lightly called out, holding up a bottle of eyedrops. "Help me real quick." Stephanie held one hand over her left eye, gave Therese the little bottle as if nothing had ever happened, and then lounged across the couch.
"Excuse me, sir," Therese said and stepped around McMahon to "help" Stephanie.
"What do you want, Dad?" she asked, rising from the couch and wiping away the excess drops.
"Are you okay?" He bent down to look in her eyes.
"Now I am. What do you want?"
"Mr. America just—wait, who are you?" McMahon asked, pointing at Therese.
"Oh, this is my new personal assistant, Ms. Therese Blair." McMahon opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "I know the budget isn't open for her position but this is coming out of my own salary."
Vince shook Therese's hand, eyeing her suspiciously. He turned back around to Stephanie. "Mr. America just arrived."
"And you want me to do what about it?"
"I'll tell you what I want done…" And for what felt like two hours, the chairman of WWE lectured Stephanie on bringing back Hogan and what that meant legally, contractually, and financially. Therese could tell Stephanie had went into a trance, her eyes somewhere else but her face looking interested and her head bobbing at her father.
Stephanie was somewhere in the Caribbean. It didn't matter to her where and she was in a man's arms. She felt safe and secure, but most importantly, she was happy. She twirled a margarita in one hand and played in the blonde hair of the wonderful man that held her close. She turned her face up to his, eyes closed as they should be when expecting that particular kiss. When their lips parted, she opened her eyes to gaze into his face…
"Stephanie!" McMahon raised his voice.
"What?" she asked, her eyes coming back into focus.
"Did you hear anything I said?"
Unfortunately, I did, Therese thought to herself as she surfed the Internet and checked her e-mail, faking work for Vince's benefit.
"Yes, I did. I agree wholeheartedly with you, Dad. But I haven't brought back Hogan." You interrupted my daydream for that. I hadn't even decided who I was dreaming about…well, maybe I had…Shawn has been in thoughts a lot lately…
"Why do you insist on playing this charade?" Vince asked, but Stephanie didn't say another word as he turned the monitor on.
Mr. America stood in the ring with a microphone in hand, which was apparently too much for McMahon. He stormed out of the office and headed straight for him. Stephanie hesitated when Vince ordered to help him take off the other man's mask. With his arms around the man's neck, Vince tried to pry the mask off.
"Stephanie, come on," Therese called out, heading to the steps. "Just let them have it out." Stephanie wanted to intervene and play mediator. Yet, she also didn't want to have anything to do with her father's revenge, which he was obviously set on. She was about to go when Vince slammed into her from Hogan's blow. The world went fuzzy and voices became muffled.
Therese cursed under her breath as she saw Stephanie go down. She didn't know how much trouble she was going to be in for that one. Because everyone was under suspicion, she stayed with Stephanie, sending someone else into the back to tell the medics what had happened and to be ready. Hogan carried her out and Therese hovered around.
Stephanie came back to after a few minutes but the left side of her face was in a considerable amount of pain. She flew into a rage at the sight of her father and starting going off about how it was all his fault. Therese stood and only watched, poised to react if anyone, including McMahon, did anything else to hurt her.
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TBC…