Author's Note: Hey everyone. I hope you are all doing well. If you're new here, welcome. I've been brainstorming this story for a couple months now. WWE's four horsewomen will always be iconic, but if there's one girl of that group who's always been a favorite of mine, it's Bayley. Her return is definitely a major reason why I wanted to publish the first chapter of this new fanfic. I hope you enjoy. It takes place in the same universe as my one-shot 'Foxy Orange Valentine's', although it is not necessary for you to read that story first. Just know that story takes place before this one. This might also be my last update for a little bit. I might be able to add one more for Aftermath, but I'm not sure. Please do review if you can. It shows me people enjoy my stories, which is always nice. Thanks again for reading. Without further delay, please enjoy!
I do not own the characters in this story. They belong to WWE, as well as other wrestling promotions. This story is entirely fictional.
Rating: M, for violence, course language, and mature themes/events that will appear throughout this story. Remember, this is femslash, so if that's not your thing, you may not enjoy this story.
Pairings: Bayley & Zelina Vega/Thea Trinidad, Foxy Orange [Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox], others over time.
Queens of Fire
A Bayley/Zelina Sci-Fi Romance by JurassicFatt
Chapter 1: Unanticipated Funny Observation
No One's Pov, Unknown Desert Location, Night
Vroom! A large convoy of military trucks disturb the tranquility of a dirt road. The sand flies into the air as the vehicles speed their way through the desert, passing by cacti and boulders alike. As the vehicles reach the checkpoint, two guards with assault weapons drawn asks for credentials. After showing them, a guard waves his hand forward, as the fence gates open and the vehicles continue their way towards the base.
Fighter jets, transport aircraft, APCs, and guard towers litter the landscape, all surrounding a large air base. The base's main building, an enormous square complex with blacked out windows, is incredibly busy, with soldiers, people in lab coats and vehicles going in all directions. Intercom is on, calling for generals and high-ranking personnel to room 116.
Suddenly, a helicopter, blue and white with the Presidential coat of arms, lands on a helipad. Four men in suits open the doors, and a tan-skinned man wearing a blue suit and tie with black glasses gets out, running towards the elevator.
"Mr. Secretary, welcome to Obediah Air Base. It's an honor, sir." a man in a black suit, holding a tablet, says out loud.
"What's the situation?" the unknown Secretary asks, getting onto the elevator with the tablet man and his personal guards.
"Three of our geospatial satellites were destroyed in the last 24 hours. No one's claimed responsibility. Every agency is on it, trying to determine who, or what, is the cause."
"I know. The Oval office is on full alert. People in Indiana and Idaho lost internet access for a few hours, so the media's already jumping on the case. The President has already addressed the issue, but he wants to know why this happened all of a sudden?"
"DOD and NSA say it's too early to determine who's behind it. CIA is quoting full coop, but no word yet. Generals are having a closed-door meeting right now to discuss the issues. And," the man lists off, before noticing something on his tablet, "seems like some new information has come to light."
The elevators open, and the young man and Secretary quickly walk into the board room. Loads of voices can be heard, their discussions mixing into a chorus of noise. The Secretary walks to the table, and the Generals and officials go quiet, some staring while others salute the man. The officials are sitting around a large circular table, staring at multiple screens: one radar of green and red dots; a digital map of the entire U.S., including states and territories; pictures of the satellites on screen, with before and after pictures; and a screen with the presidential symbol. A short gray-haired general, with multiple insignia and stars across his green uniform, shakes hands with the high official.
"Secretary of Defense Melvin."
"General." The two men shake hands, then turn to the room.
"Please be seated." a tall female official in military garbs states. The officials follow the instructions, sitting while the aids stand on the side of the room. He sits at the head of the room, speaking into a microphone on the table, using a clicker to change slides on one of the screens. "At approximately 0-800 hours, long-range sensors and satellites picked up an anomaly on the far side of Coranis, a large space asteroid flying passed Earth. Two hours later, one of our geospatial satellites suddenly stopped working. Then, not three hours after that, two more satellites went down. Sensors suggest a sudden electric surge fried each satellite, to the point where experts are calling them, and I quote, "metal soup". Camera feed from the I.S.S. has been recovered, which will be shown on screen C." she explains, before clicking the button.
The screen shows video from the International Space Station (I.S.S). It shows a blur fly across the screen in the distance, before changing to different light spectrums. The satellites, once hot in the distance, heat up rapidly and then go dark, as if they were shut off.
"What in God's name?" a man says, before another official asks. "What the hell is that?"
"We don't know. Whatever it was, we can't detect it using any of our spectrums. It's vanished off of our scanners for now." the woman explains.
"Hold on a second. Coranis? Isn't that the asteroid whose debris caused the meteor shower in Yosemite not three weeks ago?" the Secretary asks.
"Uncertain, sir. What we do know is whatever it was, it knocked out three of our satellites and then disappeared completely. Faster than any spacecraft known to us, to date." The officials look around the table, while the generals whisper amongst themselves. "That is all we have for now, sir."
The Secretary stands up. He points to the screen. "I want to know what 'that' is, and how it's connected to our satellites going down. I need to go brief the President. Until we find who or what is behind this, none of this information leaves this room. Am I understood?" he exclaims with authority. The soldiers and officials all say 'Yes, sir', before leaving the room. One of the secret service agents bends down and whispers in the Secretary's ear. He nods, before going into the elevator, the doors closing as we look at the screen once more, the blurred image from the I.S.S. feed being looked at by several people.
Bayley's Pov, Friday, Los Angeles, California, Zenith Towers, Evening
Oh, what a day! You know, if there's one thing I've learned about working for Pierce Publishing, is that sometimes, two weeks of long hours can help get the job done quickly. But that also means you'll be dead tired by Friday. Luckily, my employer, Mr. Pierce, made sure I wasn't worked too hard today since I'll be in tomorrow's competition, but I still feel a bit winded from the previous days.
My name is Pamela Martinez, but given almost all of my cousins are also named Pamela, most people call me by my middle name, Bayley.
Right now, I'm eating a bowl of one of my favorite desserts: cinnamon maple quinoa with almond milk. It sounds weird, but trust me, it's actually a real good alternative to those extremely sugar filled cereals you see in supermarkets. With Carlos, my golden lab, by my side, I wait for the Zoom call to start. One of my best friends on the East Coast is about to call me. Her name is Rebecca Lynch, but everyone calls her 'Becky' or 'Becks'. I met her in Ireland on a trip years ago with my friends Charlotte and Sasha, while we were students at the University in Connecticut.
Mercedes Sasha Varnado, or as most people called her, 'The Boss', was studying music and acting, wanting to become both a singer and actress. Ashley 'Charlotte' Fleihr, daughter of Pro Wrestler Ric Flair, was studying business, hoping to build a sports and athletics company with a few partners. I was going into broadcasting, business and communications, since my dream was to host my own show. We were living in an apartment over a dorm room, meaning that we had our own kitchen and bathrooms opposed to the communal ones on campus. The only thing was that it was a bit of a distance to get to class, but we managed. Sasha and I were roommates, while Charlotte was on the same floor as us. We started hanging out, going to different cafeterias and restaurants near campus. We bonded over our love for spicy wings, pizza, anime, gaming, and hot athletes. We never really went to campus events, as we'd rather make our own fun. Sasha and I both love gaming, so we ended up trying to one-up each other in Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat. Char isn't really into it, but we were able to convince her to play as Princess Peach a few times.
During Spring Break, everyone was ready to go the Caribbean, but Sasha, 'Charbar' and I stayed behind and kept studying, since our midterms ended up after the break. That didn't stop us from fooling around on campus. There is a small window in an abandoned building that may or may not have our initials and blood on it (it was an accident, I swear). On the last Saturday before classes returned, the three of us also went to the most popular club in town, after most of the reserved spots were made available. Sasha was able to nab three of them through her friend. A night on the town in a place we never thought we'd get a ticket to. We wanted to look our best. First time I ever let Charlotte do my hair for me. She got me to remove my usual ponytail and headband, and helped me straighten my hair to give my face more definition. I'm not sure how she got through all my complaints, but in the end, I looked really good. Sasha even whistled her approval at Charbar's handiwork.
We dressed up pretty well, considering our student budgets. Charlotte was in a sparkly white dress with white high heels and a new golden hand purse. Sasha went in a blue strapless dress, with black heels and a black purse she used daily. I went in a simple black dress and black pumps with a small brown purse I got a few years back for my birthday. We went into a private booth, got our drinks and let the blaring music take our worries away. Sasha's friend was also able to get her a cigar filled with weed, or 'blunt'. Another first time for me. We smoked, I'd say a good three quarters of it, then went to the dance floor. My whole body was tingly, especially my hands and face. We stayed there for hours, dancing and laughing with each other, only stopping to drink more.
At one point, everything got fuzzy. I remember leaving the club, Charlotte almost falling over, Sasha hailing a cab and the three of us laughing in the backseat. Pretty much blank after that. The next day, the apartment was a mess. Our books had been moved to the closet, although a few were on the ground. The window was open, but a towel had been placed over it like a drape. One of our drawers was stuffed with pizza, and a few candy bar wrappers were littered on the floor. Charlotte's stockings had somehow landed on the ceiling fan, and were moving in a circle with it. Dresses littering the floor and makeup all screwed up, the three of us woke up in bed together, sweaty, naked and cuddling. I was in the middle, with Charlotte on my left and Sasha on my right. We pretty much froze the minute we all came to, unable to remember what had happened the previous night. Charlotte kept saying "Fuck!" over and over again. Sasha froze with wide eyes, not knowing what to say. I was too hungover and still processing my first high, but you better believe I did a double take when I saw two shades of lipstick on my ass in the bathroom mirror.
Sasha and I cleaned up the room, with Charbar helping. Then we separated, just to give ourselves time to try and remember what happened. We didn't really speak until after midterms, but once they were finished, we knew we had to deal with this. When we met up at a café the following Tuesday, none of us could remember much of what happened. Sasha took full responsibility, blaming herself for bringing weed in the first place. Charlotte and I both told her we knew she didn't intend for this to happen, so she shouldn't beat herself up. The most shocking part about it was when Sasha revealed her phone had turned on at some point, and while it was facedown, had recorded a portion from the night before. Charlotte wanted it deleted immediately, as did Sasha and I, but we were all curious as to what happened. I had a pretty good idea, considering I was a little 'tender' in certain areas (as were Charlotte and Sasha, I would later learn), but was too shy to ask if we should listen. Sasha was the most curious of everyone, since her underwear had somehow been torn and she really liked that pair. Charlotte was the most hesitant, but after a bit of coaxing, also admitted she had 'a very little bit of interest' in the recording. I told them that no matter what we heard, it wouldn't change anything between us, and that I still wanted to hang out with them. Charlotte admitted later that was what led her to agree, as she didn't want to lose us over this. We swore never to tell anyone, and agreed that we'd listen to it one time before Sasha deleted it.
Charlotte came to our room, and we all sat down near the bed. Sasha asked if we were ready. Charlotte told us to wait, before telling us we were her best friends, that she loved us and wouldn't let 'one drunken high' break us apart. Sasha said she wanted us to stay friends even after we graduated, and that she'd always be here for us if we needed her. I told them I was happy they got me out of my shell and into the world, and I'd never let anything break us apart. We all took a breath, and then Sasha pushed play. Nine minutes and 45 seconds had been captured before Sasha's phone finally lost battery. The minute it started; we all knew what was happening. It sounded like the most intense threesome porn you could ever imagine. Kissing, slurping, moans and cries of pleasure. Hearing ourselves use the lewdest dirty talk in breathy, drunken voices. We were all red as tomatoes by the end, still processing what we just heard, before Charlotte broke the silence and said "Okay. So… Now we know. Can we please delete it now?" Sasha response was unexpected: "Holy shit! Bay ripped my panties?! Fuck, we sound so hot!", before she started laughing hard. That caused me to laugh, and Charlotte asked what was the matter with us, before following us into full on belly laughs. We kept at it until our sides started to hurt, then Sasha finally deleted the video. We sometimes tease each other about it, but I'll never forget that day.
After first year, we tried hard to keep our lease. Charbar ended up getting an apartment in another building, but basically slept over with Sash and I a bunch of times. When summer came around, we saved up and went to Europe… although we couldn't afford London, so we went to Dublin instead. When we met Becky, we knew it wasn't a mistake. The four of us instantly bonded, and she spent most of her time showing us around, bringing us to the best historical sites, lakes and pubs. Sasha and her would butt heads, but always in good fun. It was three weeks of magic that flew by quicker than we thought. We legitimately cried at the terminal when we said goodbye, but we promised we'd keep in touch with Becks. And from that point on, we all, either individually or together, would speak on Facebook and Facetime just to keep our friendship intact. Becks and Charbar really hit it off, even going on virtual shopping sprees together. Charlotte also went to visit her a few times, since her dad could afford to send her.
When Becks moved to the U.S., we helped by sending her whatever we had on hand after graduation. Sasha and I even went to help her move, which mostly led to Sash and Becks 'bantering' back and forth about where to put the furniture. Ironically, Sasha was the first to defend her when Charlotte and Becky broke apart. It was an argument that spiraled way out of control, turned into a fight and ended up costing them their friendship. Sasha and I tried to get them to talk, but to no avail. They both agreed to stay cordial if they ever met again, and that they wanted to stay friends with us regardless of their mutual distrust of one another. I can't get involved, because I love them both too much to give either of them up. My only hope is that one day, we can all hang out like we used to. I'm just glad they decided to keep us in their lives. Charlotte's getting married in a few weeks to this handsome Mexican man named Andrade. I'll be seeing her tomorrow when we compete in an athletics competition for our companies. Meanwhile, Becks is in Westbury with her girlfriend. I wonder what's taking them so-
"Bay Bay!" I hear Becky's familiar Irish accent ring out. I see her brown eyes, orange locks and teal t-shirt on screen, watching her wave at me as I've been let into the Zoom meeting. I turn the microphone on before speaking.
"Orange!" I call her, and she laughs out loud.
"Why do you keep calling me that? You know this hair color isn't really mine. Speaking of, you got your hair cut. Looking sexy, Bay." I went to a salon and got my hair cut from down my back to shoulder length, and had it styled to frame my face. I think I look pretty good.
"Thanks, Becks. Orange suits you, though. I remember when you rocked the brown locks, but this was a great switch."
"Thanks Bay Bay. Where's my nephew?" I bring Carlos up onto the bed and fix the laptop so the webcam catches him. "Hi buddy! Auntie Becky misses you. Do you miss me?" He just pants. "His tail's wagging, so he must be happy to see me."
"Okay boy, down you go. I'm happy to see you too, Becks, if it's any consolation." I murmur sarcastically.
"I like seeing you too, Bay. I love seeing that big smile you have." I hear someone scream 'motherfucker' off screen, and see Becks turn towards the sound. "Don't mind the noise. Alicia just discovered there are small mosquitoes near her purses. We think they may have bred in some still water left outside by one of her neighbors. She's sprayed her whole apartment with Raid but the damn things keep showing up."
"Did she plug up the crevices, especially near the windows?"
"Yeah, but they're finding new ones. Got to be careful when we open the windows. Hey Licia, Bay's on the screen!" she yells. I hear footsteps before a curly haired girl with hazelnut skin and beautiful hazel eyes graces the screen. She's wearing a Nightmare on Elm Street tee.
"Hi Pammy!"
"Hi Licia! I hear you have a bug problem?"
"Argh! These blood suckers are getting on my last nerve."
"Do you want me to help you after?" Becky asks.
"Nah. Gabrielle's got it covered, Xena. I just might need someone to cuddle with after all this is done."
"Sure thing." I look at her strangely as Alicia walks off screen. "What?"
"Xena?" I ask.
"She watches way too much of that show, I swear."
"You do look like Xena! Big arms, pretty face and intense gaze." Alicia yells from somewhere.
"And you're cuter than Gabrielle!" Becky yells back.
"Thanks, babe."
"You two are the cutest loud couple I've ever seen." I admit.
"Aw, thanks Bay Bay. Hey Licia, Pammy thinks we're a cute loud couple!"
"Thanks Pammy! I always liked you best!"
"You say that to Sasha too?" I ask.
"Sorry, can't hear over the love I have for you, Pammy!"
"Ass." I whisper quietly.
"So, Bay, are you ready for tomorrow's competition? Sasha told me she was going to bet on who's going to win. I'm rooting for you all the way." Becky tells me.
"Thanks Becks. I always knew you'd have my back."
"Yeah, unlike 'some' people who bet against you!"
"Licia, you bet against me?!"
"I deny everything!" I hear her yell, causing us all to laugh.
"Who'd she bet on?"
"Some girl from Cleveland. Alexa Bliss, I think." Becky explains.
"Really Alicia? You going to do me dirty like that?"
"I still love you the most Bayley." Alicia exclaims, then flops down next to Becky. "Okay, now that I've washed the bug spray off my arms, I can see your pretty face."
"Still mad at you, Licia." I tell her.
"Damn it. Can sweets fix our friendship?"
"Depends. How much did you bet?" I ask, curious.
"Um…"
"250$." Becky answers simply.
"250? Licia, how could you?" I ask her.
"Look, this girl Alexa has a great track record. And I'm not sure… if you do, especially in track and field." Alicia explains.
"BETRAYAL!" Becky screams, causing Alicia to glare at her.
"I'm telling Becky about us." I tell her.
"What are you talking about?" Becky asks.
"There's nothing to tell." Alicia rebuttals.
"Oh yeah? What about those gummy bears I sent you?" I tease. Alicia's eyes go wide.
"What gummy bears?" Becky asks, dumbfounded.
"You wouldn't." Alicia mouths.
"Becky, Licia had a whole 3 boxes of special flavored gummy bears I sent her for her birthday. Did she share any with you?"
Becky blinks a few times. "No, she did not."
"Busted." I say out loud.
"Wait, Becks, I can explain-"
"She was so happy, she promised she'd give me 'very steamy nudes' in return. Shower. Fingers. Even some with her 'rocking the vibe.'" I say in air quotes, trying to stifle my giggles.
Becky's eyebrows raise, and she turns her head to Alicia, whose mouth is opened in shock. Becky sits up and crosses her arms.
"Uh, there's a second Alicia-"
"Can it." Becky cuts her off, before pointing a finger. "Are there any gummy bears left?"
"Like, maybe half a box." Alicia murmurs.
"Bring 'em here. I'm going to make you watch me eat most of them." Becky orders her. Alicia puts her hands up.
"Becks, please."
"Bring them or no cuddles." Becky says forcefully. Alicia just pouts. "You're still the captain, but the first mate needs to make sure she steers the ship well and doesn't eat all the rations."
"Yes, commander." Alicia says with a small voice, getting up and walking out of sight. She comes back momentarily with a half-eaten box of sugar-coated space gummy bears. Becky opens them up and begins munching loudly, much to the dismay of Alicia, who just stares in horror.
"These are really good!" Becky admits, taking another fistful.
"All is forgiven Alicia." I say, causing her to look at me, cross her arms and pout.
"No fair. I hope Alexa wins the whole thing." she responds somberly. Becky swallows before whispering into Alicia's ear. A few seconds later, Alicia's eyes bulge out. Becky pulls away and kisses Alicia's cheek, causing her to blush and giggle.
"What time ish the event tomorrow, Bay?" Becky asks slowly, covering her mouth while still chewing a new batch of gummy bears.
"10 AM. I hope I get some more sponsors for Ding Dong Hello through this."
"Trust me, it'll go well. We love that show. Maybe Chick-Fil-A? Or Trader Joe's? Will you be alone tomorrow, or are some of your family going to be present?" Becks responds.
"Thanks, you two. My folks will be watching online, and Ricky is flying from New Orleans to support me, so it'll be good to have someone in my corner."
"Is the whole Yosemite thing going to cause problems?" Becky teases. A couple of days ago, Yosemite's volcano and some of the rocks in the park were seen expelling blue fumes. Authorities say it has something to do with geothermal activity, but military patrols have been set up to keep citizens out of certain sections of the park, while scientists observe the phenomena. Some people on social media are convinced it'll cause another shutdown.
"I live in L.A. That is miles away from Yosemite. I'll be fine, Mom."
"Arsehat. And what about the realm of love, Bay?" Becky asks. I knew she was going to, but I was hoping she wouldn't. I was engaged some months back, but my fiancé and I decided to call it off, citing distance. He works for a consulting company, and my job makes me move too, so we could never find time for each other. The pandemic grounded me, so I decided I was going to work on my brand more and worry about dating later. It's also been a while since I actually got approached or did any approaching, myself. It does feel lonely at times, though.
"Nothing really. I've been working, mostly."
"No one?" I shake my head. "But you're such a great catch!" I just shrug.
"I guess some people don't see it."
"Don't see it? Don't see it?!" Becky exclaims rapidly.
"Oh boy, here we go."
"You are so goddamn talented! So goddamn intelligent! So goddamn beautiful! Successful business woman with her own brand and Twitch stream. Works for a large publishing company. You are anyone's dream partner." Becky turns to Alicia. "Am I right, Licia?"
"Hell yeah. You're like the whole package."
"See? Have you been going out?" Becky questions.
"Not really. Except for work and groceries."
Alicia and Becky look at each other. "Have you gone to the beach?"
"Only really early to avoid people."
"But seeing people is what you want to do, right?" Alicia asks me.
"Well, I wouldn't mind dating, it's just that no one seems to be interested."
"What time do you usually go to the beach?" Becky asks.
"Like, at dawn. Just to walk around." I tell her.
"Great, go at 12 on a Saturday. All the boys and girls from every continent will be after you."
"But I don't need 7500 prospectors! I need one lucky guy or gal." I shout.
"Yes, but the only way to do that is to get out there and approach. It's not about finding the exact 'great' person right off the bat, although it could happen. It's about approaching or getting approached, feeling them out, going for coffee and seeing if you click. If you don't, okay, it's not your fault or theirs. Just a mismatch. You go out and keep doing that, and trust me, someone will bite. If I have to go down there to get you out of that office and to a pub, I will."
"No, Mom, I'll be fine. They won't be looking for me anyways, Becks."
"The hell they won't! They'll be running to see you." she retorts.
"Bay, you could go to any place in the entire California state and have people wanting to talk to you." Alicia states.
"How can you be sure?" I ask.
"Ah, for one, you have a killer personality. Two, you're gorgeous. Three, you have just the right amount of attitude and are successful in nearly everything you do. And most importantly, your ass is the eighth wonder of the world." Alicia says, counting off her fingers. I laugh.
"Oh, stop. Like Becky and you don't have great asses."
"We do. It's just not like yours." Becky explains, shrugging.
"Seriously, it's like a work of art." Alicia whispers.
"Right?" Becky responds. "Bayley, I need to be real with you right now. I keep mentioning the beach because it's absolutely stunning down there." she says.
"Agreed. West coast is pretty awesome."
"East is too. Anyways, if you go to the beach on a Saturday, in the day, in any kind of clothing. Yoga pants, sweats, a blazer-"
"A two-piece lime green bikini and G-string." Alicia explains.
"Fuck yeah! You will have everyone drooling on the Cali sands, OK? There will be people fighting in a beach brawl to talk to you." I giggle, which makes Becky smile.
"All rules go out the window." Alicia states.
"Men and women will be kicking each other's arses. Low blows, boob slaps, pepper sprays. Hell, people will be using parasols and surfboards to get to that booty." Becky explains, making me laugh harder.
"There will be blood." Alicia says with a dark tone of voice, causing Becky to snicker.
"And by the end, only one person will be left standing." Becky tells me.
"The lucky one. If it was me, it'd be no holds barred. I'd go Jason Voorhees on a bitch if it means I can slather that cake in oil and grind on it until I see stars. Or drizzle some honey on it and map every inch of that booty with my tongue. Bet it's just as good without it." Alicia argues, staring dreamily into space. I laugh and look at Becky, who turns to Alicia with her eyebrow raised. Alicia looks at her with a smile. "How's it going, Becks?"
Becky shakes her head. "Either way, they'll be one guy or gal left. And when they ask you out, you-"
"Call the police." I state simply.
"What? That person just won a beach brawl for you! The least you could do is go get a soda and talk with them." Becky asserts.
"You guys are something else." I smile.
"All fun aside, we really want you to find a special someone, Bay Bay." Becky answers. "You know, someone to support your goals and dreams, hold you tight, play jokes on you, watch movies with, and be there when you need them."
"Someone to make you sweets when you're sick or overworked. Someone to vent to about the latest episode of their favorite show or movie." Alicia adds on.
"Someone who's funny." Becky says.
"Dependable." Alicia continues.
"Someone you can travel the world," Becky adds, "and have lots and lots of sex with!" they say in unison. My sides are hurting from how much I've been laughing. Goddamn these two!
"*Deep breath* Okay, okay, haha! Ahem! *Sigh* God, my sides." I whisper.
"You okay, Bay?" Becky asks.
"Yeah. Catching my breath here. Look, Becks and Licia. I love you girls, and I appreciate your support in this. And I'm going to keep my eyes open. Not sure when that special someone will show, but they will. All I can do is go out more and keep myself open to meeting new people."
"That's the spirit. Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone tomorrow at the event?" Becky suggests.
"Oh, I'm not so sure. Tomorrow is going to be intense. Hundreds of companies are sending people to compete and publicize their brands. I don't think they'll be worried about who to date."
"You never know, Bay Bay." Becky singsongs.
"That booty needs love. People will come." Alicia exclaims. We all share another laugh, before I yawn.
"Oh, that's our queue that Bayley needs sleep." Becks argues.
"What? But we just got on! And I *yawn* have a bit of time left. We haven't even talked about what you guys are up to?"
Becky shrugs. "Same old same old. Working two jobs while Licia got an A in one of her interior design classes."
"Hey, that's wonderful!"
"Yeah. I'm super stressed over another final I have. I'll get it done, but the whole 'long haul' process makes me uncomfortable." Alicia explains.
"I know you can do it, Alicia. You've got an eye for that stuff."
"Thanks, Bayley." she says.
"See? You should have bet on her." Becky asserts. Alicia groans as Becky takes another few gummy bears. "We better go. Licia looks like she needs cuddles and you definitely need sleep. I can tell from the bags under your eyes you've been working hard, and you need all the strength you can muster before tomorrow. You can message us after you win!"
"Thanks Becks. Love you. Love you too, Licia!"
"Love you, booty chop!" she responds.
"Go win me some money!" Becks screams in a gruff voice, causing us all to laugh. "Bye Bay."
"Bye." I finish with, before exiting the meeting and turning off my laptop. Placing it on my desk, I quickly get ready for bed, brushing my teeth and putting on my lotions before getting beneath the covers. Let's hope I can get some new sponsors for Pierce Publishing and my talk show, tomorrow.
Bayley's Pov, Saturday, Bank of California Stadium, Noon
Waiting outside for Charlotte and Andrade, I check my phone for messages. I'm wearing a pair of black and gold gym shorts, a 'Pierce Publishing' tank top that hugs my form, a pair of white runners and a 'Ding Dong, Hello' armband on my left forearm. I just put on some basic makeup and a bit of black eyeshadow to bring out my eyes more. She texted a few minutes ago that she just parked and is on her way. This place is getting pretty packed and you need to get scanned before entering the arena, so I waited to avoid getting separated from them.
"Bayley, over here!" I hear a familiar voice call, and turn around. I see three people walking up to me from across the street. First is Charlotte. The 6ft. Flair daughter has put her long blonde hair in a pony tail. She wears purple yoga pants, black runners and a pinkish-purple tank which has the logo of her business, 'Flair's Fitness' on the front, in white and black writing. Her makeup is consists of purple eyeshadow, mascara and pink lipstick to finish the look. To her right is her fiancé, Manuel Andrade Oropeza, a 5ft.9 lightly tanned athlete and gym instructor, who comes from a long line of luchador wrestlers. He's also wearing a Flair's Fitness shirt, although this one is a dark burgundy color, along with burgundy shorts and black sneakers. His black hair has been tied in a bun, to avoid getting into his face, and he's sporting, as usual, his beard. The third person is a 5ft. woman. She has a beautiful caramel skin tone, big brown eyes and raven hair going down her back. She's wearing a dark red and black tank, with the logo 'Omega Software' in red font, alongside black shorts and sneakers. She's put mascara onto her thick lashes, as well as this light brown eye shadow and lipstick, which fades beautifully onto her pouting lips. She's absolutely stunning. I put my phone away, my gaze still focused on the mysterious woman.
"Hey Charlotte. I see you brought some company." I tell her.
"Yep. We've got at least two athletes running for the Queen's company. You look stunning." she states.
"Hola, Bayley. Yes, way to put your brands on the map." Andrade says in his broken English. Charlotte is fluent in Spanish, but he's learning more so he can get more work here in the U.S. and for Char, which I find so cute.
"Thanks, Charbar. And thanks, Andrade." He nods, before motioning to his friend.
"Bayley, este es mi amiga, Thea (Bayley, this is my friend, Thea)" he tells me, motioning to the woman next to him.
The newly named Thea puts her hands on her hips and looks me in the eyes. "So, you're the big publisher who helped Andrade and Charlotte with their logo design?" she asks in a playful tone. I feel her eyes on me, and suddenly, I'm at a loss for words. Doesn't sound like she's from Cali. Her accent is so much different than Charbar's North Carolina, but not exactly like Sasha's Boston one. Quickly snapping back to reality, I answer.
"Yeah, t-that's me. I'm Bayley." I stutter out, putting my hand forward. She smiles sweetly, her pearly whites bringing out her eyes. God, she has a nice smile. Her small hand grasps mine, firmly shaking it. Not that I could notice with how soft her skin feels. "Omega Software, huh?"
"Yes. It's a medium-sized Indie game company from the East Coast. I also work in other companies as side hustles, but Omega Software is definitely the best job of the bunch. We work in three cities across North America, but when my bosses heard I was in Cali to help one of our smaller offices, they were able to snag me a ticket to compete."
"Wow, that's actually really cool. So, where are you from originally, then?"
"Brooklyn. I know, I've got the 'New Yorker' accent down to the T, which not everyone is accustomed to." Thea explains, bringing out her accent more.
"You might stick out a bit, but if you're as good an athlete as Charlotte or I am, it won't matter." I tell her.
"Oh yeah? Is that a challenge, Bayley?" she asks, biting her lip.
"We all know Flair's Fitness is going to win, Bay Bay. Sorry, Thea." Charlotte proclaims cockily, before frowning at the smaller brunette. Thea taps on her chin for a second.
"Okay. I see how it is. Best not to count this dog out of the fight too early, Charlotte. I'll be the one holding the gold star by the end of this." Thea sasses, shrugging at Charlotte as Andrade laughs, before turning to look at me. Charlotte just smiles at her. Giving me a onceover, Thea turns and starts walking towards the entrance. "Better catch up, Bay Bay. Don't want you getting left behind now." she coos.
I can feel my pulse quickening as she passes me by. I run and catch up to Thea, and we wait for Charlotte and Andrade when we reach the security checkpoint. The four of us go through security and pack up our belongings into lockers, then go into the main waiting area to be called on stage. They say there are thousands in attendance. Alright, Bayley, time to show this crowd what you are really made of.