Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016

"Jade! How's it goin'?"

"I'm good, dad. How are you?"

"Fine, fine. You did great last night. What a pop!"

"It was awesome. It felt good out there."

"I know, darlin'. I could tell. You did your ol' dad good out there with that Sweet Chin Music."

"Thanks. Hey, sorry I didn't call you back last night."

"Don't worry about it. I know how it is. Bet you were out with the boys. Well, the girls, I guess. No boys."

"C'mon, dad."

"I mean it."

"Yeah. Well, anyway, it was a long day, and by the time I was in my room, I had –"

"Don't worry about it, Jade! I mean it! I'm just glad you called now."

"Yeah."

"You in Tampa yet?"

"Got here about 20 minutes ago, think I'm gonna crash for a bit."

"Did you talk to your mom?"

"I just did."

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's just – well, she loved it. It was nice to hear since she usually, you know, doesn't."

"That's great. So happy for you.
Hey, they asked me again about the angle."

"What?"

"The angle. Between Ric and Ashley and us. I think it could work."

"Who asked you?"

"Hunter."

"We'll talk about it, dad. You know how I feel. Seems a little quick."

"I know. Think about it. And hey, I'm proud of you. So proud."

"Love you, dad."

"Love you too, darlin'. Keep workin' hard."

Saturday, February 26th, 2016

It had been a long week. After filming Smackdown on Tuesday and running a gamut of training sessions and other appointments, Jade was enjoying her downtime. It was the first day she had to herself since moving up to the main roster, and after going to the gym, she planned on relaxing.

Jade hadn't seen Jon since he swooped in to 'save' her at the bar on Monday night. He had been around, but their paths never crossed, and Jade didn't go out of her way to find him. Her crazy schedule didn't leave her time to worry about a particular person and their flirtatious advances on her. Her phone buzzed in her hand as she entered her hotel room, today in Austin, Texas, and she threw her gym bag onto her bed before looking at it.

Hey! Want to go shopping? Paige is here too.

Victoria was a cool chick. After their match on Tuesday they had spent quite a bit of time together. Paige and Vicky were best friends, so it made sense that Jade would like her. Despite that fact, she was tired and wanted to crawl into bed and watch TV. She debated for a moment and decided to meet up with the girls. A nap could wait until later.

Sure. Where should we meet? I'll be ready in ten.

Jade glanced in the mirror and winced at her greasy hair that was up in a bun and her smudged makeup. She needed to shower after the workout she just put in before anyone could see her like this. She quickly sent another text before running into the bathroom.

Make it 30.

"How the hell did you spend four hours shopping?" Matt's voice on the other end of Jade's phone made her roll her eyes. The guy may have been Prince Pretty, but he related to her hatred of shopping despite his character choice.

"I dunno. Victoria couldn't find the right shoes." She answered.

"Insane. Call me later." He said before hanging up, and Jade slammed the door of her rental car closed. She was in the parking lot of the hotel wearing a pair of jeans and an old Pink Floyd shirt determined on getting something to eat after a long day spent with the girls. After sticking to a pretty good diet, she decided to treat herself with a greasy cheeseburger from the first place she drove by.

She pulled out of the underground area and onto ground level and began to drive down the dimly lit streets. They were staying near the arena that Monday Night Raw would be aired from, and Jade had been to Austin man times in her life, but she had never really explored this part of town before.

"Bingo." She said pulling into a Burger King after driving for a few minutes. She could feel her stomach growling as if on cue and she quickly parked and exited her vehicle.

She ran inside and ordered her food to go before making her way to her car with keys in hand. Sitting down inside and smelling the delicious aroma, Jade decided she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel. She had to devour this burger right now. Grabbing it out of the greasy paper bag, she took a bite and let her eyes roll back into her head. The workout she would put in tomorrow morning would be totally worth it because of this.

Halfway into her meal, Jade jumped in her seat when a strong knuckle rapped on her window. She glared through the glass, craning her neck up to see who the incredibly tall culprit was. Almost dropping her burger, she jerked back when he stooped down to her level, his face inches from hers through the window.

"Hey." Jon's voice was muffled through the closed door, and Jade gave him a look as she swallowed the mouthful of food in her mouth.

"Hi." She glanced around her looking for the button to roll down the window and finally did.

"Hungry?" He leaned in and nodded at her hands, and she sheepishly set the burger back in the wrapper on her lap.

"What are you doing here?" She asked wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Hey, Jade!" Colby's familiar voice rang out behind him, although she wouldn't have guessed it was him with his hood up like that.

"Hey." She waved at him and returned her gaze to Jon who was still staring at her. "So, uh, you guys –"

"What are you doin' later? Besides inhaling that cheeseburger." He interrupted her. He ran a hand through his hair flashing his bright eyes at her as he leaned farther in her car taking a look around.

"Not sure. Sleeping?" She shrugged watching him glance through her vehicle.

"You're a funny guy. I get it." He nodded. It looked like he was trying to play it cool, and Jade couldn't help but smile as he cleared his throat like he was some kind of bad boy.

"What are you doing later?" She finally indulged him.

"Oh, me? Nothin'." He said shrugged lightly. "Maybe you can come hang out. If dinner plans don't keep you, that is." He pointed down at the wrapper on her lap with a grin.

"Maybe." She tried to find something to look at besides him, the smell of his cologne wafting into her vehicle and catching her attention. He smelled so good.

Her phone was in the handle of the door, and Jon didn't hesitate when he noticed it sitting there. Snatching it into his hands, he held it out to her as she watched in disbelief.

"Unlock it." His voice was stern but gentle, and she furrowed her brow a bit.

"Why?"

"Just do it." He wiggled the phone in his hand again until she flicked the screen and entered her passcode. She really didn't know why she did it, but his charm was emphatic, and she couldn't help but feel a bit speechless when he was around.

He was finally satisfied, his fingers tapping furiously on her phone as she tried to peer at the screen. He leaned away and grinned before finishing and setting it back in the door.

"Text me." With that he pushed himself to his feet, Colby sticking his head out the door and yelling at Jon to hurry the fuck up and order so they could leave.

Jade smiled as he walked away. Something about this guy made her nervous and intrigued, a combination she had never really felt before. He was nothing like Finn, and for that she was thankful, but it had been a while since she had even thought about having feelings for anyone else.

"God." She groaned to herself as she rolled up her window and started the car. Colby waved at her as she drove by, Jon already inside the building at that point, and she exhaled deeply. A guy like Jon Good was dangerous. It was the last thing she needed while trying to focus on not fucking up on her new position in the company. But the ball was in her court, something she liked about his whole approach. She could text him if she wanted, and she reminded herself they were just coworkers. There was no harm in spending some time getting to know him and whoever else would be around.

And just like that, Jade had convinced herself it wasn't such a bad idea. It was Saturday, after all.

"Scott Hall." Jade repeated for the second time. Colby, John, and Paige all were listening intently to her story over a round of drinks, Colby making her repeat his name to make sure he heard her right.

"You had to forgive your dad after that." Colby laughed as Jade shrugged her shoulders. It was a funny story she loved to tell from way back in the day. She was ten years old, and her dad promised he would take her trick or treating that Halloween. When he couldn't show up, he sent Scott in his place, the guy actually doing a decent job taking her door to door.

"That's amazing. Who else has a story to tell like that?" Paige smirked taking a sip of her drink.

"Scott's kids." Colby laughed. "Maybe Shawn took them out that year."

Jade laughed and glanced over at Jon. He had been pretty quiet since they arrived at the pub a while earlier. She had texted him shortly after getting back to the hotel asking if Paige could come along, to which he responded the more the merrier.

"My parents were wrestlers, too, but you've never heard of the babysitters they had for me." Paige quipped as the waitress came by to drop off another round.

"Hey, you got any whiskey?" Jon asked suddenly earning a look from the girls.

"Sure do. Four?" The waitress asked.

"No!" Jade called out. "I have to function tomorrow."

"C'mon." Colby egged her on. Paige shrugged and Jade let out a sigh.

"Fine."

"Four of your finest whiskey." Jon held up four fingers as the waitress walked away, and he downed the last gulp of beer in his bottle before grabbing a fresh one. Jade had a feeling tonight would be one of those nights judging by how much they were all drinking. Thankfully they didn't have much to do tomorrow work-wise, and a hangover could be easily cured by Monday.

"So you guys okay hanging out? I mean, Jade is gunning for that belt, Paige." Colby poked earning a smile from the girl.

"I think we'll be fine." Paige laughed. Jade was trying to seem interested, but she could feel Jon boring a hole in the side of her head. She had caught him staring more than a few times since they arrived, his eyes tearing from hers whenever she did. Paige kept tapping Jade under the table when it was happening, although it wasn't as subtle as she liked to think it was.

"All I gotta say is you girls are both great champions, true ass kickers. The WWE needs that in their women's division." Colby leaned back in his seat and took a drink of beer. The waitress arrived and set the full shot glasses in the centre of the table, Jon sliding them towards everyone before she had a chance to.

"To doing what you love." Jon said raising his glass. Everyone smiled and raised theirs along with him before throwing it back. Jade first tapped the bottom of her glass on the table, the sound of Jon doing the same causing her to glance up at him, and she suppressed a grin as she swallowed the strong alcohol. It burned her lips and throat, and she tried not to gag too visibly, but Jon smiled back obviously amused by her.

"Let's get some food." Paige suggested standing to her feet. An old country song hummed in the background, and she danced for a moment before bursting out laughing and walking to the bar to order a plate of nachos. The booze was already hitting Jade, and she assumed it was doing the same for Paige.

Colby stood and followed her. There weren't many people in the pub, meaning there was no reason to not sit and wait for the waitress to come by and take their order, but something told Jade the two of them wanted to be alone for a bit. The tension between them could be cut with a knife sometimes. After tonight she would prod Paige and see what was going on, but for now she found herself alone with Jon.

"So what brought you to wrestling? I mean, besides your dad." He said leaning closer to her across the table.

"I've just always loved it." Jade admitted. "My dad had a lot to do with that, of course."

"Of course. But you want something else." He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to answer. Jade felt vulnerable, and she didn't really know why, but she also felt like Jon was the kind of guy she could talk to. Maybe he would become a friend to her over the years, and this was just his way of getting to know people, being overly flirtatious with them.

"I want to be Jade. Not Jade Michaels, just Jade. But for now, I'm okay with where I am." She smiled over at him and took a drink of her beer. The whiskey was hitting her now, along with the beer she had before this one.

"I'm okay with it too." He nodded leaning back in his chair. She couldn't help but think he was extremely sexy, his black t-shirt tight around his biceps that seemed accentuated in the dim bar lighting. His ripped jeans and combat boots completed the ultimate bad boy look, one that Jade found herself completely smitten by.

"Are you always this way?" She suddenly asked. It seemed like a fair question to her, but he frowned and leaned forward.

"Excuse me?

"Are you always this, I dunno, flirty? You seem pretty confident that you're hot shit." She leaned forward and crossed her arms mimicking him, her face close to his as she pouted her lips like he did in the ring. Jon laughed and leaned back not taking his eyes from hers.

"Only when I see somethin' I like." He grinned.

"You have no idea who I am." Jade shook her head lightly as he lifted his arm to rest on the back of Colby's empty chair.

"You're Jade Wood." He was so matter of fact, the determination on his face making Jade scoff out loud.

"So you learned how to use Google. Good for you." She chuckled taking another drink.

"Harsh." He couldn't stop smiling, something that seemed so foreign to someone like Jade who only ever saw his maniacal expressions on TV. Maybe the guy wasn't as loose a cannon as she thought. His promos back in the day for CZW, IPW, and other organizations when he was Jon Moxley were over the top, to say the least, and also degrading to women in some instances. It was a stark difference from the character he used to be.

"Tell you what. You keep bringing me out to places like this, and Colby and Paige can keep ditching us, and you can get to know me real well." She laughed.

"I'll just take you out myself. Colby's just a chatty fuck anyway." Jon took a drink and leaned forward again.

"He seems nice." Jade added.

"He's a great guy. Good friend. You seem to know Paige well." He glanced at the bar where the two of them were already eating the nachos and deep in conversation. "Would you look at that?"

Jade looked over her shoulder and watched them for a moment. It looked harmless, but they both knew there had to be something there. Their demeanour as soon as they reached the bar totally changed, and it was odd that the two of them would want to be alone.

"I think he likes her." She said with a shrug.

"Of course he does." Jon stared at her for a moment, the look on his face like he was about to say something else. Before he could, Colby and Paige got back to the table with a giant mound of nachos ending their privacy, and Jade tried to act like she wasn't disappointed.

Monday, February 28th, 2016

It was only 9 at night, and Jade was already exhausted and ready for bed. Saturday hadn't gotten too crazy, and Paige and Jade made it back to their room by 1 in the morning to crash. Sunday was spent recuperating, and today had been a whirlwind since it began.

Her new target was Paige, but as with every new competitor, you had to work your way up the ranks in order to earn a title shot. At least in most cases you did. Paige dodged that bullet by becoming champ on her debut night, but that wasn't going to happen for Jade. Tonight she fought Naomi and won, and they were both pleased with how the match went off without a hitch.

"Tell me you'll come hang out with me tonight." Matt followed Jade down the arena hallway towards the back parking lot where her car was parked, and she smiled and shook her head.

"I dunno, Matt. I'm so tired." She sighed.

"We're all tired. We always are." He had a point, and Jade shrugged as she pushed the large metal door open into the warm Texan night air.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked taking her keys from the valet who rushed over to them.

"Grab something to eat, because I'm starving, and then maybe rent a movie in your hotel room?" He suggested. Jade unlocked her car as they approached it and threw her suitcase into the trunk.

"Fine. But we'll have to watch it in yours. Paige and I are rooming together, and I think she's gonna want some privacy tonight." She said quietly. Matt frowned at her as he opened the passenger door and sat down inside.

"Why?" He asked once she entered the vehicle and slammed the door behind her.

"Just because." She decided not to elaborate but knew he wouldn't let up.

"C'mon. What's going on? You two not getting along?" He glanced over at her.

"No. It's nothing like that." She sighed as she drove out of the parking lot and waved at the attendant.

"Then what's up?"

"It's not my place to say. Besides once one person knows it's like everyone in the whole damn roster does." She stopped at a red light and turned on the radio for some background noise.

"Your secret is safe with me." He sounded convincing, and of all people Jade knew she could trust him. He had never blabbed anything she had told him before.

"I think Colby and her have a thing. I dunno. I may be wrong, but we all went out on Saturday, and I got the vibe." She felt bad talking about it behind Paige's back, but it wasn't anything she hadn't said to her face already.

"The vibe?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." The light finally turned green and she stepped on the gas. "I asked her about it yesterday but she didn't have much to say about it. And I know they all made plans to hang out."

"Who's they? I know Victoria will be there." He said glancing out his window.

"Vicky, Paige, Colby, Joe, Jon." She paused at his name for a moment as she turned into their hotel underground parking and saw Matt shoot her a look from the corner of her eye.

"Jon's a piece of work." He scoffed and shook his head.

"You don't like him?" She prodded. He had never come up in conversation before, and she was curious what her friend thought of him.

"He seems a bit full of himself. I haven't spent much time with him, though." Matt said with a low voice. "I've noticed him staring at you an awful lot."

"What?" Jade scoffed as she parked the car. "He does not."

"Yesterday at the gym I saw him drop his weights when you walked in. Nothing makes that guy stop his workout." Matt chuckled.

"He's harmless." Jade shook her head. She knew Jon was in the gym at the same time that she was but didn't know he had noticed her. Her stomach fluttered as she thought of his smile and blue eyes.

"Just be careful." Matt said softly. She smiled over at him and nudged his elbow until he finally looked at her.

"You worry too much." She said popping her door open. "Now let's go get something to eat.