Tuesday morning 7am
Beth and Ricardo were sparring with Natalya and Tyson, and the conversation turned to Beth's displeasure with the direction WWE had taken with the Divas division in recent years.
"I just want to do some real wrestling. I'm tired of just pulling each other's hair and doing cheerleader moves."
"So you want to wrestle men?" Tyson asked.
"Yeah, why not? I'm almost the exact same size as Rey Mysterio."
"Beth," Ricardo pointed out, "If you were a man you wouldn't be a power slammer."
"The glam slam is pretty ugly."
"Against someone who weighs 120 pounds, yeah. But what if you were going up against somebody like Kane? I'm not even sure you could slam me with very much force."
"Is that a challenge, Rodriguez?"
"Don't push her Ric." Natalya laughed. "She's stronger when she's pissed."
She set up for the glam slam, but he countered by reversing it and doing her own move on her.
"You've got to try a different approach. A man your size would be expected to fly all over the place, not pick people and body slam them."
Saturday 2:45 p.m. Milwaukee Wisconsin
C.M. Punk sat talking to Kofi Kingston while on break during an autograph signing the day before a pay-per-view.
"It's not like I want her back or anything, but it's so obvious that guy's just using her."
"No, it's almost the other way around. He follows her around like a puppy."
"Please, it has to be an act. His career is probably going to go nowhere with him stuck in that ring announcer role, so he's using Beth to get a push. Think about it. He's weird looking, and they use him for comic relief."
"Did you hear that Beth wants to start wrestling men?"
"Why would she want to do that?"
"She says the Barbie doll girls aren't that much of a challenge anymore."
"Well, who do you think put that crap in her head?"
"She and Ric have been working on some sort of dream match that he has. Basically, the idea is that she's an alternate version of his guy, the Chimaera, and in a way he is able to wrestle himself. "
"He's probably planning on promoting this down in Florida or on NXT or something."
"Really? Beth said it's because a man her size would have to know aerial moves and fly around the ring like Rey Mysterio."
"Women don't really belong in the ring with men. It gets too rough."
"Beth said that's not why you refuse to fight her. Beth says it's because there's fine line between grappling and groping, between fighting and sex. Basically sparring turns her on."
"From what I hear, everything makes her horny these days."
"Jealousy does not look good on you, Phil" Beth said as she approached.
"I'm not jealous. I'm with Amy. Where's your pet?"
"He's not my pet, he's my boyfriend"
"You are far too good for some second-rate masked wannabe, Phoenix."
"You should have said that when you dumped me on my birthday."
"You cannot honestly tell me that you have real feelings for him, or is it just a sex and candy relationship? A diversion?"
"It's only been a month. It's really too soon to say."
"Ha, if you were really serious about him, you'd have said yes without hesitation. You know he's pushing this clone match of his to further his career. It's not just practice or whatever he's calling it."
"It's not a match, Punk. It's me wanting to learn how to wrestle like a man. It's about me wanting to take my career to the next level."
"Beth, let's face it. You're vulnerable right now. You just don't want to be alone."
"That's bullshit and you know it. If you never loved me, why are you telling me all this anyway?"
"Because I don't want to see you taken advantage of by some guy who only cares about being famous."
Later that night
"Are you going home for Christmas?" Ricardo asked Beth.
"I hadn't planned on it. I'm not sure if there will be enough time. You?"
"I was hoping you'd be able to come home with me, and meet my parents and stuff. I know they'll love because I love you."
The words hit her like a truck. Three simple words, but she knew he meant them when she looked at his face.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't do this anymore. "
"Can't do what."
"You, me, this. It's weird."
"Weird?"
"I'm having fun, don't get me wrong, but it's only been a month. Already you're talking about me coming home with you for Christmas and meeting your family. I'm just not buying it anymore."
"Beth, I'm serious. I love you."
"No, you couldn't possibly. You don't know me well enough to love me. You managed to get to me while I was down. You helped boost me back up, and made me believe I was special. But you're just doing all this to try and push your little dream match through."
"Where did you get that idea?"
"I heard it around."
"Beth, you're the most beautiful and talented woman I've ever met. I'm only teaching you that routine because you said you wanted to wrestle like a man your size. It was all just for fun." He was near tears.
"I really just can't believe that. I've got to go."
"Beth, please," he called after her to no avail.