Chapter XXV: Downgraded to Catering
Early Thursday evening in Columbus, Ohio, Stephanie sat at her desk and doodled flowers and hearts across a sheet of paper on a legal pad. All of her work was caught up with, except for what could only be done in the progression of the night. She had thrown herself in her job to try to take her mind off of how much she was missing Shawn Michaels. The heartbreaker had kissed her good morning and apologized for leaving so early to meet Scott Hall for breakfast. She had dismissed the apology since she had made it possible for him and Kevin to spend the next few days with Scott.
Therese was no different as she stared blankly at the wall, her stomach attempting to digest the butterflies that had Kevin's name written all over them. Her doubts that she loved him were gone and she never gave another thought to the fact that he was not in love with her but with what she had projected as Stephanie's assistant. The blonde was currently lost in their last morning together after what could have been called their first fight. Kevin had asked her the previous night about how she had gotten the cut on her face and she muttered something about another scuffle with Sable. Being at the party, he didn't tell her what he had wanted. While she was checking out the new scar in the mirror in the morning, he told her, as nicely as such a big, gruff guy could, that she shouldn't be fighting Stephanie's battle and should just leave Sable alone. Words were exchanged and then they made up with one another, especially to each other's delight.
The alarm of Stephanie's phone went off, reminding her it was time to make her rounds to ensure the smooth running of the show. Therese snapped out of her reverie to accompany the GM. Her eyes were peeled and mental notes were made. Stephanie still barely ventured more than a few feet from her security specialist. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back, turning to watch Therese as the blonde paced inside the circle of arena security. Stephanie admired the woman in her element as she confidently carried herself as their boss and carefully chose her words about the reason any suspicious action from men matching a particular description should be reported to her. The staff suspects were now narrowed down to five men who worked as stagehands but she would not give any names yet.
The show began with a Vince McMahon tirade. Now his focus was turned to Kurt Angle being barred from helping out Brock Lesnar in his match. At the mention of his name, Lesnar came out and basically challenged his boss to a match. Surprisingly, McMahon accepted but for another night. Stephanie had been searching her mind for days as to how to respond to Hulk Hogan being fired. Now that it seemed McMahon was concerned about other things than Mr. America, maybe she wouldn't have to do anything about him. The GM scratched Hogan off her list and turned her attention to Sable. She took Therese with her to hunt the woman down. If she didn't confront her before Vengeance, it would look like she was running away instead of standing up to defend herself. By the end of the first match, her opponent was nowhere to be found.
Returning to her office, Stephanie found Vince in her chair with his feet propped up on her desk and using her phone. She purposefully strolled over and glared down at him until he hung up the phone and stood. The GM immediately started in on Sable's whereabouts. McMahon said that she was being kept somewhere to protect Stephanie and then he presented her with what he called a peace offering from Sable—a box of Midol. The brunette jerked it from his hand with a 'go to hell' stare and stalked off.
Therese said nothing and followed her out the door to find a makeshift office. John Cena watched them pass by but didn't stop them. He was upset with Stephanie for not telling him the truth. The rumor had quickly spread around the backstage about her and Shawn's relationship. He decided that if the bad boy kind of guy was what she wanted, he would treat her that way instead of attempting the wining and dining approach.
The GM was able to locate a vacant room and then had the crew set up a monitor. Borrowing the small notepad that Therese carried in her pocket, she returned to making lists and carrying on what business she could. When her father's music sounded from the television, the brunette jumped up from the desk. "The office is empty, let's go," she exclaimed and literally dragged Therese from her seat and down the hall.
In her office, Stephanie turned up the sound on the television and the two women began packing up their things as quickly as possible. McMahon threw out some threats and stupidly pointed out that Sable was in the Presidential Skybox to keep Stephanie safe since Sable was such a hellcat, vixen, and predator. Vince's next subject was Gowen and the GM regretted not being able to help him much more now that the young man's boss was indeed McMahon. If she could get beyond this mess with her father's mistress, then she would do what was possible to offer some aid to Zach.
Picking up the box of Midol Sable had left with McMahon, Stephanie felt an immediate desire to confront her now that she knew the woman's location. The bitch had watched the entirety of SmackDown! to this point from the luxury seating, guarded by two members of security that Therese had not seen. Therese stopped Stephanie at the corner of the hallway and advanced on the men. "Excuse me, gentleman. I'm the assistant to the Vice President of the Nationwide Arena. It's seems that you two are possibly out of place. Have you checked with Therese Blair about this?"
Both the men looked over at each and then one spoke. "We've been warned about her and we don't take orders from her. Only Mr. McMahon."
"Ah, I see. So, what are you orders?"
"No one is allowed into the Presidential Skybox except for Miss Sable, Mr. McMahon, and the hospitality staff."
"Thank you, gentlemen. You've done a fine job," Therese said with a bob of her head. "The Vice President will be glad to know that you take orders so well."
Stephanie had stayed out of sight but kept her eyes peeled for anyone else since she didn't have her security agent watching for her. Because of that, she missed everything that had passed between her and the guards. When Therese explained, the light bulb over her head almost blew from the brilliant idea that hit. The blonde didn't have to ask because she was thinking the same thing.
Part of Therese's job was to know the lay-out of the arenas. She contacted each one over a week in advance so she could receive a blue-print of the forum and plan her security in advance. She led Stephanie away through some corridors and then doubled back on herself by another means, ending up at the entrance to the main area of hospitality. Several women were scrambling around with the catering, all dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a black and gold checked vest. Stephanie sized up the women and then pointed one out. "She'll do."
Therese caught the woman and pulled her aside to Stephanie. "If you will let me have your outfit, I will offer you more money than you make in three months."
The dark-skinned woman's eyes lit up but then her face dropped. "I will be fired if I don't have on my uniform."
"You tell me who your boss is and I will take care of everything. Take the night off and enjoy yourself," she smiled and Stephanie looked over at Therese to whisper, "Write her a check now."
"I don't have your checkbook."
"But you have yours. I will give it back to you later tonight." Stephanie turned back to the woman. "Is there somewhere we can go to change?" Not long after, Stephanie was dressed as one of the staff of the arena's hospitality. She stood in front of the mirror and laughed, "Choker on or choker off?"
"Without knowing that's a uniform, that really looks good on you. I'd stay with the choker, makes it look classy, but why are you asking the advice of a woman who doesn't wear pink?"
"Sorry I said that," she said apologetically.
"Because of that, I'll wear it the next time I see Kevin," she defiantly replied but then broke out into a smile. "Which will be God knows when."
"It's less than two weeks. We can make it. Now, I have a little bit of vengeance to exact."
Stephanie casually passed through the main room of catering, her head slightly down, and winded her way through the back halls to Sable's skybox. Therese was stopped by a man similarly dressed as the staff and asked what she was doing there. "Oh, I'm the Vice President's assistant and I was asked to walk through hospitality and see how things were going. So far, so good," she smiled and strolled on.
The skybox had two entrances, one guarded by security and the other for the catering. The men in yellow shirts had no clue that Stephanie had just entered the other door where Josh Matthews was interviewing her opponent for Vengeance. She was at Sable's side with the glass of wine but moved to stand in front of her. "Here's your wine, Sable," she said with malice and poured the glass over her head. The blonde was aghast at her actions and pushed the GM over an arm chair, sparking a cat fight. Therese watched from the foyer of the box, leaving Stephanie up to whatever she desired, as the women fought at each other like schoolgirls. Throughout the entire fight, she wanted to yell at Stephanie to wrestle, to fight back like a real woman. Sable hoisted Stephanie up onto the food bar and proceeded to cover the brunette in food. Matthews attempted to intervene but received a slap across the face from Sable. When she turned around, Stephanie grabbed her by the neck, threw her down, and smeared the leftover food on the blonde.
Therese's phone rang again and the ID registered the same number. "This is Blair," she whispered and turned away.
"Why aren't you stopping her?" Aaron Pendleton yelled at her.
Josh Matthews stumbled by an unaware Therese still on the phone explaining the situation and alerted the two members of security to what was going on. They rushed in and both pulled Stephanie away from Sable. Sable continued to attack Stephanie and they couldn't get her out of the room, so one let go of the GM to hold the blonde back.
When Therese heard the men in the room, she hung up on Pendleton and then rushed to push the security guard out of the way, pulling Stephanie away herself. The brunette struggled against her and she yelled, "Stephanie Marie McMahon, stop it now!" Stephanie's eyes went wide and she straightened her posture. "Look at you. Stop it now."
Now that Stephanie had quit trying to get at Sable, the guards let go of her and she dashed at the two women. Therese kneed her in the stomach and flipped her over in a snapmare. Stephanie darted at the prone woman but Therese stepped in the way, her back to the charging woman. Stephanie pivoted around her but Therese was too quick. She backed her into a corner, still facing the guards. "Get that woman out of here. You may think you don't take orders from Therese Blair…" She let the words sink in, where they registered on the men's faces. "That's right. You told me exactly how to get Stephanie in here." She shifted again and squashed the woman back in the corner as gently as possible, which wasn't exactly gentle. "If you don't get her out of here, I will let Stephanie go and you'll have to tell McMahon why the two of us beat his precious bitch black and blue."
Stephanie slid down the wall and attempted to slide around the blonde's leg. Therese slid down with, pushing her into the suffocating corner where she could barely even twitch. The agent didn't move, even after Sable had left the room. Stephanie had finally stopped struggling and whimpered, "Can I go now?"
"Are you done acting like a little kid?"
"Yes," the brunette sniveled.
"Are you mad at me for holding you back?" Therese asked, still unmoving.
"No," the GM sighed.
"Promise not to do anything to me?"
"Yes," Stephanie quietly answered and Therese moved away. "I know, I know. I'm a grown woman who should act like it." They walked away together, one arm around the other and Therese covered in half the food that had adorned Stephanie.
They found the now deserted women's locker. "Oh, wise one, who has now realized her great mistake, what do I do know?" Therese joked as she looked at herself in the mirror and brushed off what she thought might have been cake at one time. "At least you have your clothes you changed out of."
"Just get in the shower and get that mess out of your hair," she replied, toweling her own dry. "I'll find something."
"Don't go out of this room."
"I don't have to because I've got my cell phone."
As Therese stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, a knock sounded at the door. Stephanie set down her brush to answer it. "I'll get it," Therese said, wrapping the towel tighter and picking up her Beretta. "Who is it?"
"Kurt."
"Kurt Angle?" she whispered to Stephanie.
"I told you I would get you something," she answered. Therese shook her head and undid the dead bolt to open the door to the wrestler still wearing his ring gear.
"Someone told me you were in need of a bit of help," he said and held out his warm-ups.
Therese had no choice and took them from him. "Thanks, Kurt. I owe you so much I'll never be able to repay you."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that Stephanie's got a friend like you to help her out. See you next week," he said and waved at the brunette inside.
Therese pushed the door to and turned around, holding up the warm-ups. "There is no way I'm going commando in these. Well," she sighed, "Team Angle, here I come."
As Shawn and Kevin were flying to Los Angeles, California, Stephanie and Therese were flying the other way to Stamford, Connecticut. Linda McMahon had some major business on RAW, dealing with Eric Bischoff's demand that Steve Austin be fired. She would be out there two days and had scheduled business meetings all day on Monday before knowing that her presence was required on the Monday show. Linda couldn't cancel the meetings but couldn't be there either, so she called Stephanie to ask her to sit in on them and take care of her business. The GM of SmackDown! saw this as an opportunity to return home and was now making the trek.
It was late in the evening before Stephanie could call Shawn to wish him a 'happy birthday.' She did the same with him that Therese had done with Kevin and gave him permission to open up his presents, but the largest one first. "That's backward. You open the smallest one first."
"Just do it," she ordered and then listened to the sound of paper ripping. "I noticed that the last time you were beating up on Triple H, you lost yours," she explained as he admired the expensive watch. "What exactly do you get the guy that has everything?"
"I don't have you," he suggestively replied.
"I don't know about that. Open the next one." Shawn lightly laughed as he pulled out a lacy, see-through negligee. "You bring that the next we see each other and I'll definitely bring myself."
"You've got it, princess," he sexily growled. Unfortunately RAW was about to start, so Shawn made a few bedroom promises and they hung up.
The two women settled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch the show. They laughed as Linda put Eric Bischoff in his place and Stephanie was already mentally writing him a sympathy letter. Of course, HBK's match was intense and they verbally added their thoughts when Flair and Orton interfered, which eventually led to him losing the match.
RVD and Kane's match began, Stephanie asked, "What do you think of Rob Van Dam? Think I should steal him from RAW?"
"Why not? Evan would love it if you brought him over."
They discussed the pros and cons of signing the limber wrestler but stopped in dead silence as Linda McMahon unwisely appeared on the ramp. She seemed to have come out to persuade Kane to stop his assault on RVD. Stephanie yelled at Kane to leave her mother alone but, after a failed attempt to stop him by Lawler, the Big Red Machine dropped Linda onto the stage in a piledriver.
"I have go to her. We have to…go pack while I call…" Stephanie seemed to go in a thousand directions.
Therese took hold of her the shoulders. "Go pack and I'll get us a flight."
By the time the plane landed and Shawn and Kevin picked them up at the airport, Stephanie's mother was in a private hospital room guarded by two police officers. Therese went in with her but stayed at the door in the shadows. Stephanie stood beside the bed and took Linda's hand in her own, stroking her mother's forehead. After a few moments, the brunette pulled up one of the chairs to the bed and sat down, taking the older woman's hand in hers again. The door swung open and missed Therese by centimeters. Shane McMahon rushed in and Stephanie enveloped him in a hug. He dragged the other chair to where Stephanie's was situated and they sat together. Therese stepped forward and placed a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "I'll be in the waiting room with Shawn and Kevin. Call me on my cell phone and I'll come get you when you're ready to leave if Shane's not here."
"Thanks," she whispered and squeezed the other woman's hand.
Therese left strict instructions with the police officers regarding Stephanie's safety and then found Kevin and Shawn in the waiting room quietly talking. She cuddled up in Kevin's lap and laid her head on his chest. He stroked her hair and, after a few moments, she slipped off into the chair beside him. "Sorry your birthday turned out so bad," she whispered to Shawn and leaned her head against Kevin's shoulder before she drifted off to sleep.
Stephanie was asleep also, her head lolled sideways on the back of the chair. She suddenly woke, thinking she had heard her mother call her name. Her watch told her that she had been there for a few hours. "Steph," the voice from her dream croaked. Her head jerked up to see Linda mouth her name again.
"Momma," she breathed and sat down on the side of her mother's bed.
"Water, please," Linda hoarsely whispered. Stephanie quickly poured her a cup and helped her drink it since she was in a neck brace. "I'll be fine, baby. You don't have to stay here," she said, her voice coming easier now.
"I want to be here. I want to make sure you're alright," the daughter pleaded.
"I am. I want you to go find a bed and get some sleep."
"But—"
"No, buts. Wake up Shane so I can send him out too," her mother interrupted and added a weak smile.
Linda was released from the hospital two days later with a good prognosis. Stephanie and Shane left her bedside long enough to eat and catch a few hours of sleep. The guys stayed around the extra couple of days but the ladies sent them packing, knowing that Shawn was missing promised time with his family and Kevin was spending his few days off with them. That was not counting that they only seemed to see them at meal times.
Both siblings were livid at what Kane did and Stephanie was planning to make his life hell. Shane was adamant that Stephanie was to do nothing but concentrate on acting as a general manager. He himself was going to take care of Kane. "You have a wife to worry about. You can't do that," Stephanie ordered.
"'Rissa's already told me I could return to the ring."
Stephanie glared at him and replied, "I don't like it but, if she says so, I guess I don't have a choice. Give me a hug and get Mom back home safe okay."
"You stay safe too," he said, then hesitantly started again. "There's something you need to know. Someone told me something about Shawn Michaels and, well, you should know that he was at a strip club last Sunday night and was quite enjoying himself." Stephanie stared at him with a confused face. "I called the club to see if…this person was lying and they weren't. I'm sorry to tell you, but I don't want my sister dating someone that gets his kicks at a topless bar."
"Thanks, Shane," she replied, not knowing what else to say. He hugged her and then shook Therese's hand, thanking her for taking care of his sister. Neither of them had told him about the attack on the fourth of the July. He waited until they disappeared inside the airport before leaving. They had also discussed whether they should fly and deal with the hassles that came with that or make the six-hour drive. The flight won out.
As soon as Shane was out of earshot, Stephanie spilled the beans. Therese was amazed at how stone-faced the woman was as she explained what he had told her. She didn't want to talk to Shawn until she felt she could confront him and made Therese promise not to say a word to Kevin. The blonde didn't know how she was going to do it but agreed, but not before protesting. "Maybe somebody took him to the club for his birthday as a joke."
"If they did, he still enjoyed it more than he should," she replied and kept walking.
"Are you sure you don't want me to found out what happened from Kevin?" Therese asked, catching up with her.
"He was probably encouraging him," the brunette flippantly answered. The other woman didn't bother to respond and nothing else was said again until SmackDown!
Stephanie believed it best to start off the Fresno edition with a statement by the GM herself. Kane needed to see that she was still strong and he couldn't get to her family. Sable needed to see that Stephanie was not intimidated despite their regression into teenage girls. She took off her matching blue jacket and laid it across the chair. After checking her hair and make-up in a compact, she said to Therese, "Let's go do this again."
Stephanie took a stroll around the ring a couple of times before beginning. "Well, it's been a pretty tough week but I'm gonna try not to let my personal life affect business. And since my father is where he should be, taking care of my mother, tonight I'm taking back SmackDown!" The part about her father was not a lie that she knew of. Shane had called last night to let her know that Vince was indeed at the house but revealed no more. His daughter blindly assumed that maybe he still had some feelings left for his wife. She then announced the six-man main event to make up for Vince's lop-sided ones. She followed with a warning to Sable about her Vengeance match and told her that she would treat her like the bitch she was.
John Cena's music then blasted from the sound system and Mr. Thuganomics strutted down to the ring. He apologized for interrupting before making a several rhymes about her body, Freudian slips everywhere. Stephanie would normally have been angry at his comments, but, since he had been trying to get her to go out with him, she was quite taken with this new approach. She was pissed at Shawn and jealous, even though she would hardly admit the jealousy. So when Cena asked if he could smack her ass, she asked him if he was serious. "Hell, yeah," he responded.
"You wanna put your money where you mouth is?"
He looked shocked at her words. "Are you serious?" he croaked out.
"Do it. I dare you," she answered, thinking to herself about this was hopefully making Shawn jealous. Cena almost couldn't believe this was happening. She turned around and stuck her butt out. With a little boy's glee, he popped her across one cheek.
But then it was all quickly over as Sable's music came on over the speakers. The blonde bimbo didn't bother to come to ring and her image was on the Titantron. She threw out some insults before calling for the footage of the food/catfight to be replayed. After the clip, Sable then brought up what happened to Stephanie's mother. "You take care of you mother," she said and brushing her hair back across her shoulders, "because I'll be taking special care of your daddy." That comment sent Stephanie's anger sky-high.
"Don't talk about—" she started.
Sable railroaded over what the GM was about to say. "You know where I am, Stephanie, and you don't have to wait 'til Vengeance. If you want a piece of Sable, you come get some."
Stephanie threw down her microphone and stormed out the ring and into the backstage. She had almost attacked Torrie Wilson before she realized that the blonde hair didn't belong to Sable. She continued stalking on, calling the other woman's name. It wasn't until after the first match that she found her waiting in the parking lot by a limousine. Stephanie charged after her, slamming Sable's head into the dark window and then throwing her on the trunk. The blonde woman kicked her off and dashed for the car door. Stephanie grabbed at her, ripping her shirt and throwing her down to the ground. When Sable made for the door, she reached for her again, this time the shirt coming completely off and baring her breasts for the arena and television audience to see. She made it into the limo and the GM pounded on the door, screaming, "Let me in."
Then Stephanie noticed a metal pipe sticking out of a trash bin. She reared back for a baseball swing but Vince McMahon jumped in front of her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What the hell are you doing? You supposed to be at home taking care of your wife, my mother," she shouted at him.
"I don't answer to you and I sure as hell don't answer to your mother, okay? You should have one thing on your mind and that's your match with Sable at Vengeance. Because if you're not careful, you're going to wind up incapacitated just like your mother." Vince stalked away and Stephanie threw the pipe in the other direction and screamed at him.
Therese had followed her every step, staying out of the way but being close enough to come to the rescue. With everyone having deserted the parking lot, she persuaded Stephanie to go back to her office and calm down. The GM proudly held up her head as she made her way back. Stephanie opened the door to Vince flipping through some of her official papers on the desk. Therese could see the spark in her eyes before she rushed at her father. McMahon backhanded her, sending her flying. Therese was slamming the door shut and locking it to keep out the cameraperson on the other side and she didn't catch Stephanie before the woman hit the wall. Vince slowly advanced towards her and Therese was finally through with his crap. She was be damned if he hit her again.
TBC…