It was overcast in Philadelphia the day Selena arrived.
After so many years away from the wrestling business, Selena was surprised at how natural it felt to slip back into road mode. It felt like she hadn't missed a step. Like clockwork, Selena got off her flight, claimed her bag, and beelined to the rental car counter to claim a vehicle for the week. On her way there, she was stopped by fans for autographs and selfies. She got to see her Hall of Fame T-shirt in person for the first time. Nervously but happily Selena obliged the fan requests. People congratulated her on her upcoming induction, along with some small talk about the travel. Now that wrestling's Super Bowl was a two night stadium extravaganza, it seemed like more people than ever were flying in for the week. Some told her about some independent shows and conventions in the area as well, and Selena realized that WrestleMania week had become an ecosystem for a lot of other promotions as well.
While she waited for her car, Selena sent her sister a quick text message to let her know that she'd landed in Philly safely, and that she could be reached if anything went wrong while she was gone. Ally was nervous about handling the paperwork, but Selena had made everything foolproof on her way out. Claiming her car, Selena dropped her bag into the trunk before slipping into the passenger's seat. She typed in the hotel's address into the dashboard GPS. She was eager to get there, check in, unload her bag, and relax. Before she knew it, she was going to be back to the grind, reuniting with old friends and introducing herself to new faces.
Yawning into the back of her hand — she'd forgotten just how long and tiring flying cross-country could be — Selena found herself becoming a gigantic bundle of nerves as she got closer to the hotel. But in that nervousness, there was a spark of excitement, a beautiful little thrill that made her heart beat a little quicker. For the past few months Selena had been catching up on the product, using Wikipedia and Shane to fill in whatever knowledge gaps she had. In the years since she'd retired, Selena was happy to see the women's division was the best it had ever been. Rhea Ripley was a commanding presence, and Selena found that she loved everything about her, from her music to her look to her power. She liked Liv Morgan, and Bayley, and Naomi. Bianca Belair was a natural Superstar. The saga of Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus captivated her. She'd watched their cage match — a recommendation from Shane — and she'd marveled at Trish's ability to still perform at such a high level so long after retiring.
During the course of her career, Selena had stood across the ring with a lot of incredible talent. Trish. Lita. Victoria. Michelle McCool. Molly Holly. Eve Torres. Melina. She wished they'd all had the opportunities the new crop of women had. When she'd lamented about it to Shane, he'd divulged that it wasn't an easy path to get there, that the fans had all but revolted to get the women these spots. However the changes came to pass, Selena was just happy to see it in her lifetime.
Iron Woman matches. I Quit matches. Steel cages. Hell in a Cell. The Royal Rumble. Selena was excited to see it all. She couldn't say that she was mourning the loss of the bra and panties match. Or the evening gown match. Or the mud and pudding matches.
The hotel Selena had booked was nice, a tall rust brick building with tall white windows, well-manicured shrubbery, and American flags. The lobby was classy but casual, with stone floors, an electric fireplace, and red velvet loungers. The black and glass coffee table was cluttered with different magazines. A pretty brunette was stationed behind the desk, dressed in a pressed uniform, her dark hair pinned back. She typed at the computer as Selena walked into the hotel and strolled across the lobby, wheeling her suitcase behind her. The name-tag on the left side of the girl's chest read LISA. She looked up and greeted Selena with a smile.
"Hello. Checking in?"
"I am. Morrissey. Selena."
Lisa typed at the computer while Selena leaned her bag against the counter. She reached into her bag for her wallet, producing her credit card and identification for Lisa, who slid Selena registration paperwork in return. Picking up the pen on the desk, Selena quickly began to fill out the forms while Lisa verified the information on the reservation.
"Are you here for one of the wrestling things?" Lisa asked. Selena nodded.
"Yeah. It should be a pretty good week. I haven't been here in years."
"You're a wrestler?"
"Used to be. I'm actually here for the WWE Hall of Fame."
"Selena? Oh, man, yes! I was hoping you'd be staying here!"
Turning her head, Selena recognized Tegan Nox. Tegan was leaned against the front desk, dressed in a Captain Marvel themed leather jacket over a white tank top and dark blue jeans. Her rainbow hair was tied back in a messy ponytail. The women smiled at one another as Selena signed her signature at the bottom and slid the paperwork back to Lisa.
"Tegan!" Selena greeted as she took the card machine from Lisa. She quickly punched in her information. "I was hoping I'd get to run into you. I wanted to thank you for all the really nice things you said in that video package."
"I meant every word. Congratulations on your induction. I can't believe I get to be here for this."
"You and me both," Selena laughed. She took her key-card and together, Tegan and Selena listened to Lisa give the spiel about hotel amenities, locations, and the directions to her room. Selena thanked Lisa and reached for her suitcase.
"Before you head up to your room…would you mind if I get a picture?" Tegan reached into the pocket of her jacket for her phone. Selena laughed.
"Not at all! I'd be honored." She took her place beside Tegan and grinned. Once the picture was taken, the two women straightened their posture and started walking towards the elevator. Selena was on the third floor; Tegan divulged she was on the fifth. Tegan pushed the button on the elevator, and the two of them stood waiting for it to come back down to the lobby from the top floor.
"What's your socials?" Tegan asked. Selena blinked.
"My socials?"
"You know…Instagram, Twitter…?"
"Oh. I don't have any of that. I'm old-school, I guess."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Seriously."
"Oh, we need to change that while you're here," Tegan told her. "If you want, I can help you out with that."
"I don't know…"
"Trust me, Selena, it's a good idea, especially with all of…" Tegan made a motion with her hands, "this going on. Even if you don't plan on using it much, or at all, it'll at least be verified so people aren't being duped by scammers."
Selena clamped her mouth shut. She supposed Tegan was making a good point. She'd never really given thought to anyone impersonating her online, but she supposed it's probably happened over the years. The elevator doors opened with a soft ding and the two women stepped inside, Tegan hitting the buttons for their floors.
"Are you going to the NXT show this weekend?"
"I think Shane mentioned there was a ticket for me at ringside. I'm not sure, though. There's been a lot to remember the last little while," Selena admitted sheepishly. "I should be hearing from him pretty soon, so I guess I'll have the itinerary soon enough. I think he mentioned there was some interviews scheduled for me, too."
The elevator stopped first on Selena's floor. She walked off the elevator. "It was nice meeting you, Tegan. Hopefully we'll run into each other more this week."
"Oh, we will. I mean it. We're gonna need to get those socials up." The elevator doors closed and Selena made her way down the hall, towards her room. Sliding her key into the slot, she opened the door and stepped inside, letting out a sigh of relief that she'd finally made it.
Given that she was set to stay in Philadelphia for the week, she'd booked herself a room with a kitchenette. The room was spacious, the giant windows providing a lot of natural light. The carpet was a light gray, the walls a pinkish shade of beige. The queen sized bed was by the wall and the air conditioner, made in white, the headboard white and wood trimmed. Beside the bed was a beige leather sofa with geometric cushions. The coffee table looked like it had been made from the remnants of an old door. The kitchenette area was tiled, the walls a lighter shade of beige, almost white. The counters and cabinets were wood, the appliances sleek and modern and shining. There were two stools against the island counter. She was happy to see the room had a dishwasher. Somehow, the room looked even nicer than it had on the site when she'd booked.
Staying for the week meant she could put down some roots. Selena began to unpack her suitcase, looking to make the room her own for the coming days. Toiletries in the bathroom, clothing in the drawers. She'd have to go shopping later on. When she was finished, she slipped her suitcase into the closet, where she'd also hung her Hall of Fame dress. She reached out and touched the bag. There was a pang of self-consciousness. Ally had loved the dress, but maybe it was too short…
She heard her phone buzz inside her purse. Crossing the room, she dug through it for her phone, smiling when she saw it was a text message from Shane. She quickly responded, telling him where she was staying and in which room. Tossing the phone on the bed, she went to the kitchen area to make herself a cup of tea and relax.
The tea was steeping when she heard knocking at her door. Selena approached, looking through the peephole before she flung it open. Shane stood on the other side, dressed in a gray suit with a white button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone. She smiled, standing to the side to allow him access. Once the door was shut, she launched into him, hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see you," she greeted.
"It's been a minute," he said with a laugh, hugging her back. They untangled from each other and she went back to the kitchen.
"I just made myself a cup of tea. Did you want me to make you one? Or I can put a pot of coffee on…?"
"I'm good, Selena. Thanks, though. I just wanted to stop by and be the first to greet you."
"Well, you're a little late for first," Selena said with a laugh as she tore two packs of sugar open. She dumped them into her teacup. "I wound up meeting Tegan Nox down at the front desk while I was checking in."
"Oh yeah? How did that go?"
"Good. She seems nice." She exited the kitchen, sitting down at the other end of the sofa. "She's trying to talk me into setting up some social media accounts. Something about cutting off scammers or something."
"It's not a bad idea to get some socials," Shane told her. "And I mean, I can't think of a more perfect time. You could use it to document your weekend."
"Ugh. That does actually sound like a good idea," Selena conceded.
"I've been known to have a few of those in my lifetime," Shane told her. She shot him a weary look, which he returned with a grin, and she found herself laughing. "How's it feeling being back?"
"So far, so good, I think. Maybe ask me again in a few days when I'm in the thick of things," she told him. There was a long beat between them. Selena sipped her tea. "How's your speech?"
"Been written for weeks now. What about yours?"
"It's pretty much finished, but I've been tweaking it here and there," Selena confessed. They fell quiet again. After a few moments, she sighed. "I'm nervous about all of this, Shane. I don't even know why I'm nervous, but I am."
"Nerves are natural, Lena. I think you know that better than anyone. I think a lot of this is because you've been gone so long and so much has changed." Selena nodded. "Just…do me a favor this week and enjoy yourself, okay? Don't second guess any of it. Just like everyone going in this year, you earned this."
"I should probably ask what this week is going to entail," she told him.
"Well, you and I have a dinner date tonight." Selena cocked an eyebrow.
"Do we now?"
"Moderated by Corey Graves." Selena nodded.
"So…cameras."
"Cameras," Shane confirmed. "On Friday morning, there's Hall of Fame rehearsals. Then there's SmackDown, followed by the ceremony. Saturday you've got a ringside seat at NXT to take in the new talent. Then there's WrestleMania in the mid-afternoon. We're gonna do the Hall of Fame recap on Sunday somewhere. Then, there's the after party and then the Raw and SmackDown after WrestleMania."
Selena blinked. "Jesus. And I thought this was the busiest time of the year in my era," she mused, grimacing. Shane laughed. "Oof. So…where am I meeting you for dinner?"
"We've got something set up. A car should be around to pick you up at about seven." Shane looked over at her. She was cupping her tea close to her, taking a small sip from her mug. "It's good to have you here, Lena. You've been away too long."
"I had to."
"I know. I get why, but it doesn't mean you haven't been missed."
"Thanks." She looked around the hotel room, her lips pursing into a thin line. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss all of this. I've built something really good back home, but you know how it is once this thing is in your blood." Shane nodded. "Ally's been worried about me doing this. She thinks I'm setting myself up for some kind of disappointment or something."
"She's just looking out for you," Shane assured her. Selena nodded.
"I know. Don't get me wrong — I appreciate it. Going into business with Ally kept me moving at a time when I really didn't know what I was going to do." Selena leaned forward, placing her mug down on the coffee table. "I never stopped missing this."
"I know."
They fell quiet. Shane's phone rang. He checked it. It was a message from Hunter. "I should get going." He stood. "I'll see you in a couple hours."
Selena stood, rounding the coffee table to give him a hug. "I'll see you then."
Pulling back, Shane beamed at her as he made his way towards the door. On his way out, he turned back to her. "Welcome home, Selena."
Then, he was gone, leaving Selena alone with all her conflicting feelings.
