Wrestlemania was in the history books. Whether the two night show had been the best ever in terms of the in ring action, Jay wasn't sure. But what he did know for a fact was that it had broken all kinds of financial records. Ticket revenue, advertising revenue, merchandise sales, it went on and on, as Erin had excitedly told him.
After the show, they had gone back to their hotel suite to change quickly, even in Erin's case, for the after party that would already be underway in a large function room that had been rented by WWE for the night. Food, drink and music were all going to be laid on by the company to thank everyone for their hard word over the past year.
"Okay?" Erin asked, meaning to ask him if she looked good in the outfit she had quickly put on.
As if there was any doubt, Jay thought, eyeing her up. She looked like an absolute meal, dressed all in black leather. She was wearing long boots, a short skirt and a revealing sleeveless top that pushed up her breasts. Naturally, she had completed the look with matching gloves. These were regular ones rather than elbow length, which was maybe the only improvement he might have been able to suggest.
"Absolutely mind-blowing," he assured her.
"Thank you. And you look very smart. Your suit game is on point."
Jay certainly hoped that was the case. He was wearing a brand new suit that had cost a lot of money.
"You know what I noticed at the Hall of Fame?" she had continued.
"No, what?"
"Pretty much everybody was mingling as a couple, whereas we did it separately. You were right when you said we should go around and enjoy the party with people tonight instead of staying on the top table like we did last year. We should do it together. What do you say?"
"I say I like that idea a lot. Anyone I don't want to talk to, I can leave them with you."
Erin giggled. "Idiot. Give me a kiss."
He was happy to do so, but he wasn't done there. "Don't drink too much tonight. You keep wearing these stupidly sexy outfits all the time, so I want some fun when we get back."
"Some fun or some sex?" she asked deadpan, putting him on the spot.
"Some sex. In fact not some, a lot."
Erin gave him an alluring smile. "I'll see what I can do."
As Jay had previously suggested, Erin was going to formally start the post-Wrestlemania party with a short speech. They had been by no means the first to arrive, and the eating and drinking had already started before they got to the function room.
There was a stage at the front of the room. Erin stepped up there, provided with a microphone by the DJ who had been hired for when the music and dancing kicked in after people were done eating.
"Can I have everyone's attention please?" she said. Jay noted how she only had to ask once for near silence to fall upon the room. The closeness he wanted people to feel towards her, as they surely would if they got to know the 'real' Erin, might not be there yet but respect certainly was.
"Thank you," Erin said. "I just wanted to say a few words before we got the night started. It seems some of you were way ahead of me, so I guess now will have to do."
A ripple of laughter went around the room.
"The reason I'm up here is because this has been a huge year for WWE. We continue to go from strength to strength, breaking all kinds of records in the process and putting out some of the best content of all time. That's not because of me, it's because of the blood, sweat and tears that each and every one of you put in. You sacrifice your bodies and your time with your families to be a part of this crazy journey, and I want to make sure you all know how much I appreciate it. You're all amazing people, and I'm damn proud to have you working for me. Now, let's have a great time tonight, nurse our hangovers in the morning and come back tomorrow night for Raw, where it all begins again!"
Good speech, Jay thought proudly as he joined in with the applause that filled the room. Short and to the point, it hadn't exactly shown them Erin, but it had shown them they had a boss who valued them and cared about them. That was an important message to get across.
Erin returned to the table and Jay greeted her with a warm smile. "Great job, honey. Very well said."
"Hear, hear," said Lucy Thorne. She and her husband were sharing the top table with Jay and Erin.
"Thank you. I think I got over what I wanted to. Now it's time to have something to eat. I'm half starved. A glass of wine feels in order too."
The meal proved to be delicious, as expected considering the food was provided by a top level catering company. Jay found that the conversation flowed surprisingly well around the table too. He could hardly have had less in common with Lucy Thorne, an upper class English businesswoman who knew little about wrestling, or her husband who knew nothing at all about it. But they were good company nonetheless. Nice people, he decided.
When they were done eating, it was time to mingle. What surprised Jay was that he was almost looking forward to it. He also knew where he wanted to go first.
"Want to go have a walk around?" Erin asked him, making ready to leave the table.
"Sure. I'd like to check in with Clem."
"Good idea. We can start there."
It didn't take long for Jay to spot where Clem and Alexa were sitting. They happened to be sharing a table with Raquel and Zelina.
"You can do all your mingling at one table," Erin said quietly as they left the table, with humour.
Jay laughed. "That's right. You're on your own from here. Hey, you could always pull Z aside and ask her to tell you all about her rubber gloves."
Erin laughed loudly and looked at him with wide eyes. "Why would you say that?"
"To get a reaction like that," he said, laughing even louder.
"I'll remember that, mister! Wait until we get back to that suite later."
"Oh, I'm already waiting. And looking forward to whatever you've got in mind. We've just had this conversation walking across a function room by the way."
Erin laughed once more. "You're right. Hopefully no one heard much of it. Now shush," she added before they reached the table where Clementine, Alexa, Raquel and Zelina were sitting.
Subtly hanging back a little, Jay let Erin go in first. He wanted to see how people reacted to her and spoke to her, even if two of them were her friends.
"Hey everyone. How did you find the food?" was the opener Erin went with. It was a safe one since everybody at the table had cleared their plate.
Somewhat predictably, the others let Clem speak first. "Hey, Erin. It was delicious, thank you. Could have eaten twice as much."
Erin, Jay noted. He was used to hearing Clem call her boss. It showed that there was now starting to be a distinction in people's minds between Erin and the boss depending on the setting and context of a conversation. That was excellent news.
To his surprise, Alexa got up, looking at him. "Can I get a word with you, Jay?"
"Uhm, sure," he said, joining her in stepping away from the table. His first thought was a worrying one. Was this going to be bad news about Clem's health? Specifically her knee?
"Jay, I've not been able to stop thinking about last night. How you were after the match with Clem. It's effected me deeply, knowing how much you love and care for her. Thank you. That's not enough, but thank you. I'll never forget that moment."
"You don't need to thank me," he said, feeling touched. "Both of you guys mean a lot to me."
"The feeling is mutual, Jay. I just want you to know that."
"Thank you, Alexa. You have no idea how happy that makes me."
"Let's go back to the table?" she suggested, looking over to where conversation was in full swing. Now that she had said what she had wanted to say, she seemed keen to move on, which was perfectly fine with him. He nodded and followed her back to the table, where she sat back down.
"Everything okay?" Erin asked. "We're talking injuries."
"Yes, everything's good," he told her. He wanted to elaborate on what Alexa had said to him but this wasn't the time or place. He would tell her later. "Injuries, huh? We've got quite a collection here. Clem, how's the knee?"
"Not as bad as last night, thankfully. Ice and rest have helped it. So glad I'm getting the surgery next week."
"Pleased to hear you're not struggling as much. The surgery will help a lot," he promised her, not for the first time.
"How about you, Z. Are you in much pain?" Erin asked.
Raquel and Zelina had both been involved in separate matches earlier that day, Wrestlemania Sunday. After catching a kick in the face, Raquel had a black eye that was rather impressive already, whereas Zelina had sustained a suspected fractured wrist after an awkward fall out of the ring. Dr Mikami had put it in a bright red cast for her for now, and a hospital visit for further assessment would be required.
"No, I'm fine. The pills I got are keeping it in check," Zelina said.
"That's an impressive shiner," Jay said to Raquel.
"Right? Somehow I seem to get smashed in the face a lot. I'll look like the elephant man by the time I retire."
They all laughed, but Zelina was quick to counter. "That's definitely not going to happen. You'll always be gorgeous no matter what people do to you."
The conversation went on for several minutes. Before moving on to speak to other people, Jay let Clem and Alexa know that they were not going to be needed for the following night's Raw episode, meaning that they could head home whenever they wanted. He went on to make plans with them to meet up at the hospital where Clem's knee surgery was going to take place the following week.
With that, Erin told the group she hoped they would enjoy the rest of the evening. Jay began to follow her away from the table, but Raquel got up and stopped him, wanting to give him a hug.
"Everything you've done this weekend, I'm really proud of you," she said quietly as they embraced.
"Thank you," he replied. He appreciated the kind words, but the best thing about the way his brain reacted was that he was starting to feel like he didn't need to be told. He knew he was doing good things for people, and he was getting used to that being the case. He knew the people close to him were proud of his growth and the way he was now living his life.
Far from needing Raquel's praise, he wanted to give her some of his. She was an absolute warrior who seemed to be able to take all kinds of accidental injuries in the ring and swat them away without a second thought. He recalled an occasion where Clem had kneed her straight in the face during a match and it had barely staggered her when it would have knocked most people clean out. Today she had been kicked just below her eye, and had continued the match seemingly without giving it a second thought.
"I'm proud of you too, mami. You're a badass through and through. And such a good friend. Better than anyone could ask for."
He got the impression she didn't know what to say to that because her only reaction was to hug him tighter for a few seconds. But that was all the reaction he needed.