Chapt. 7

"Um, excuse me, I'm sorry," Claire said, stumbling over her words. He was huge. Tall, dark, tanned skin, and damn it all he was gorgeous in a way that the filmed segments she'd watched didn't convey. And then he smiled.

He was looking down on her and he let his tongue slowly glide over his lips. His smile never faded. "It's quite alright ma'am. Excuse me," he said in a slow, deep drawl that wasn't quite southern, but was still obviously from the south.

He stepped around her to walk toward the locker room, but she remained rooted to the spot that she stood. Her head turned slowly, against her will it seemed, following him as he walked away. Oh, yes, he ladies would love him, she thought. Before she could force her eyes away from him he turned, glancing back over his shoulder at her. His hand ran though his long dark hair, brushing it out of his face. It must be a subconscious thing, she'd seen it many times on his working video, and yet it hadn't had this same effect. His eyes connected to hers and that slow and easy smile of his came back. He gave her a wink and then he walked away. He left her feeling some sort of way that she just could not identify.

That night, after a long day of watching talent at the performance center, Claire found herself joined by Matt at Full Sail. They were settled in to watch the taping of the NXT show, and the main event for the night was a three way dance for the NXT title currently held by one Seth Rollins. His opponents? Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. There was a sold out audience tonight but she would be watching with a different perspective than the rest of the crowd. Her legal pad was sitting on her lap and her pen was tucked behind her ear. She had all she needed to work tonight and having Matt there was an added plus. He would be great to bounce ideas off of.

"So, how was the weekend on the road? Things go well?"

Claire looked up at him and smiled. "Well, I mean, it would have been better with you there but it was okay." She laughed, low and soft. "No, really though, it was good. I didn't talk to Stephen at all, barely even saw him actually. Nic and I got to spend some time together. We had a blast. He was a great distraction."

Matt let his hand fall to rest on Claire's knee. "I'm glad that it went good and you were able to avoid any uncomfortable situations. I really just hate that you have to go through this at all. I mean, with all that you've already been through you deserve something to work out in your favor ya know."

Claire covered his hand with hers, let her fingers lace with his and smiled at him. "Don't you see that so much has gone right? I mean hell if it wasn't for Logan I would have never moved here. That means that I wouldn't have the greatest friend in the universe sitting beside me right now. I'd be missing out on a job that I actually love. Matt, so much might have gone wrong, but all the wrong led me to the right things that I needed to grow and achieve all that I have. Don't worry about me, I'm just where I need to be."

"And you are the strongest damn person that I've ever met." His smile shined on her like the sun and he could see himself reflected in her eyes and for one brief moment he wished that he had the ability to love her as a man should love a woman. "Have I told you how blessed I am to have a friend like you lately?"

"Well yes, yes you have. And I am just as blessed to have you in mine."

Then the show started and Claire focused all of her attention on the action in the ring. She loved this profession, a fact that was surprising to her, considering her past. She surprised herself with her love for this world of brutes and beatings. She found herself taking notes on various up and coming superstars. She knew that they weren't her clients at the moment, but she knew as well that she never knew when they would be. Finally, an hour into the show, the main event came up. She sat up a little straighter and scooted to the edge of her seat. Her full attention was now on the ring and those who were about to occupy the space.

When the match was over Matt looked down at Claire's notepad and chuckled. "I don't know that I have ever seen you write so much, so fast."

"When I'm working I'm in this zone. I don't even realize what I'm doing," she laughed. "You don't mind waiting on me? I need to talk to my new client for a few minutes."

"Not at all babe," he said smiling at her.

She jumped up then and smiled at him. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Claire walked to the back and began her search for the tall, dark man who she's literally ran into earlier. It didn't take her long until she saw him. He was standing right outside of the café that kept those who were in the performance center fed, sipping a coke and talking to Dean. Walking up to him, Claire cleared her throat. "Excuse Mr. Reigns, I hate to interrupt but can I please steal a few minutes of your time?"

His friend gave him that raised eyebrow and smacked his shoulder in that way that guys did. "I'm betting you can get more than a few minutes."

Claire felt her cheeks flush. "I can assure you that it is purely business."

The tall Samoan rolled his eyes and motioned me away from his friend. "Ignore this guy, he's not used to being near ladies apparently."

She laughed and blushed again. "Yes sir. If you'll just come with me? I need to speak to you in my office."

He smirked in a way that was ridiculously sexy and ran his long fingers over his facial hair. "Why do I feel like I'm being called into the principal's office?"

She laughed as she led him into her office and motioned for him to take a seat across from her. "So, what do you prefer, Joe? Roman?"

"Joe is fine, but it's whatever you're the most comfortable with in the end darling."

Claire pulled up his file on her computer without a word and shuffled around some papers on her desk to look occupied. "Well then, Joe,, you should know that I've been assigned to your character's development in the hopes of getting you to the main roster. Sooner rather than later." He sat up a bit straighter. She could tell that she had his full attention. "Now, here's my take on things. You're gonna be huge. You have all that it takes to get to the top. You've got the size, looks, grit, heart, and most of all you're hungry for it all. In watching your tapes it feels like there's something, what that is I have no idea because I honestly can't put a finger on it, but there is something that's missing right now. I am however determined to figure that out. I've been watching your tapes and I was here tonight to watch you live, but there was a specific reason that I chose tonight to observe you."

"You have my attention, go on," he said with a look that said he wasn't put off by anything she was saying, but rather that he was ready to hear it all so that he could get to work on fixing whatever could be wrong.

"Well, I've been watching Rollins and Ambrose as well, their tapes and such. People seem to think I'm crazy, and hell, I may be with this stress I've been under emotionally, but I feel like the three of you could be a big deal. However, I think to be that big deal right now, it has to be as a team, for you to build on each other and to help grow the other two."

He raised one eyebrow and leaned back with a smirk. "I can see how some would think that you are crazy now. Just what kinda stress have you been under lately? I mean don't get me wrong, I like those two, we're all great friends, brothers almost, but to work together and it make sense? No way."

"How about hearing me out. I even have a working idea typed up that I plan to give you, so that you can take it and read it over, bring your thoughts back to me next week. I'm thinking of an enforcer type faction, one that comes in like a tornado causes a stir in silence for a few weeks and then finally speaks out about how the WWE has become a hot bed of unfairness and so on and so on. You guys would stand up for those who are mistreated or misused and enforce a fairness of sorts."

He squinted as though trying to actually see the vision. "So basically we'd be righting wrongs as we see it?"

Claire smiled big and nodded. "Yes, that's a great way to see it all. Now, I've not spoken to the other two so keep this file between you and me. It's got the official write up of the gimmick and what it would be. Read it over, my contact information is in there as well, if you'd like to discuss it at all. I'm here Wednesday through Saturday as well so feel free to swing in anytime at all." She stood and extended her hand to him. "It was wonderful to speak with you, and so nice to see that you get the vision, even if it's just a small glimmer of understanding. I look forward to our next meeting."

He stood and took her hand in his. His skin was heated, or was that hers, and he noted she had a firm grip. She was intriguing to him, her eyes held untold stories that he felt could break a man, and make a man fall hard. He sensed that there were walls there though, that'd she'd be a tough nut to crack as his uncle used to say. "Yes, ma'am, I look forward to it as well. I'll be in touch." He let her hand go slowly and wondered what this feeling was she had him feeling. He smiled and left her office, not seeing her sink into her chair and letting out a breath that it seemed she had been holding since he entered her world.