The final Monday Night Raw episode before Wrestlemania was hours away from beginning. Jay had chosen it as the occasion for Alexa's first in-ring promo. There would have been no shortage of people willing to tell him it was too soon to put her in front of a crowd of thirteen thousand people in the heat of Wrestlemania season, but he believed in her and trusted her to make the most of the opportunity.

Having summoned Alexa to see him in his office backstage – a recent addition that Erin had granted him due to the significant responsibilities he now had - Jay sat thinking about how best to approach breaking the news to her, given the inevitable nervousness it was going to cause.

The answer became obvious to him. He was giving this segment to her because he believed in her and trusted her, so that was exactly what he ought to say. The simplest and least stressful way to communicate with Alexa was to tell her what he was thinking and why. That way he couldn't ever appear dishonest to the human lie detector machine.

A knock came on his door.

"Come in, Alexa!" he called out.

The door opened and the diminutive blonde walked in, dressed ready for that night's show in a smart black suit and a light pink blouse.

"Hi, Jay. You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Yes. Have a seat."

All that Jay had in his makeshift office was his office chair, a desk, his laptop and two metal folding chairs for anyone he might need to speak with. It was a simple setup for the backstage crew to prepare each week.

Alexa walked over and sat on one of the folding chairs.

"The reason I wanted to see you is I'm sure you've looked at the format for tonight's show."

"I have. I'm only in one scene, a short backstage segment with Raquel and Kylie. Clem's not used at all."

"Right. In storyline, Clem's not here tonight. In part that sells the ass kicking Maya gave her last week, and in part it continues the theme of Clem not showing up to work often."

"Okay," Alexa said simply. She was smart enough not to complain about her fiancée flying across the country for a show that she wasn't going to be used on. She had plenty of leadership responsibility in the locker room to warrant her attendance.

"So you've seen that there's an in-ring promo for Maya. I want to change that up and have you go out there with Raquel and Kylie to interrupt her. I've written some lines for you." He slid a sheet of paper across the desk which he had printed out in the writers' room.

Alexa had a look on her face that seemed to convey surprise and nervousness, as he had expected. "You want me to go cut a promo in the ring?" she asked as she picked up the paper. "I'm still doing promo classes twice a week."

"I know you are. They send me some of the footage," he said calmly. All of the promos that trainees did in class were performed in front of a camera so that there was footage to use for analysis either with the trainee or at a higher level within the company if necessary. Jay had actually not been strictly honest with Alexa for the first time. The truth was he had been sent all of her footage so that he could track her progress himself.

"Oh, they do? Then I take it you think I'm doing okay?"

"I think you're doing very well," he corrected.

Alexa sat and read the lines she had been given. Then she looked at him. "You're sure about this?"

What she really meant was she wasn't sure about it. This was the moment to assure her, again as he had expected.

"I'm giving this to you because I think it's the best way to wrap up the build for Wrestlemania. And I'm giving it to you because I trust you and I believe in you. You'll smash it out of the park, Alexa. Trust me, but more importantly trust your own ability."

A smile appeared on her face. "That's some pep talk. Thank you for that, and for the belief you've put in me. It means the world to me."

Jay felt a bit embarrassed by that. "You're welcome. My advice is go practice the lines with Clem. Actually, practice them with Maya. That's a better idea."

"I'll do that," she promised.

"Okay, off you go. Oh, and Alexa?" he added, stopping her after she got up.

"Yes?"

"Enjoy it out there. Performing in front of a crowd, especially as a heel, is a lot of fun."

"That's what Clem says too. I think I need to get my first promo done before I can think about that."

"Makes sense. You've got this," he said as his final send off, again signalling his confidence.

Alexa nodded, then left the office. When she was gone, Jay sat back in his chair. He truly did have confidence in her, but as always there was that annoying negative part of his brain that wanted to know what he was going to do if she flopped and Erin had to read him the riot act for sending her out there.

That night, an hour into the Raw episode, Maya was out in the ring cutting her promo. The fans were well and truly on her side, showing that they were invested in Jay's storyline as performed by the talented women involved.

Jay was in the production area behind the curtain, along with Raquel, Kylie and Alexa. Clementine was notable by her absence, which Jay actually liked. She was showing that she trusted her fiancée not to need her to rely on like a crutch. But he was also conscious that his first signing was about to take the second major step in her fledgling career. He wanted to show her some support and confidence once again before she entered the arena.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her quietly.

"My heart is pounding," Alexa admitted.

"You practiced with Maya earlier as I suggested?"

"Yes. She spent nearly an hour with me, which was kind of her."

"Okay, so you know how it felt to deliver the lines to Maya. And she thought you did a good job, right?"

"Yes, she thought so."

"Okay, what I want you to do is go out there and give the promo to Maya exactly as you did earlier. You've got this," he told her again, as he had earlier in the day. This time he added a hug, the first time he had initiated one with her. She reciprocated, hugging him quite tightly. That told him she appreciated the gesture.

As the hug came to an end, Jay made eye contact with Erin over at the production desk.

"Well done," she mouthed silently, her expression also showing appreciation for his talent management. As much as it meant a lot to Alexa that he believed in her, in turn it meant a lot to him that Erin believed in him.

Moments later, Erin cued the entrance music for The Clementine Empire, rather than Clem's individual music, interrupting Maya mid-sentence. The crowd erupted into boos due to the unique dynamic that Clem's group were heels but she herself would still be cheered purely based on her star power.

Alexa walked to the ring, flanked by Raquel and Kylie acting as her bodyguards. It was a good image, especially since Alexa walked to the ring like she owned the place. There was no definitely doubt about her ability as an actress. She had the mannerisms and expressions down already. Now it was all about how she would deliver her promo.

The trio got into the ring, which didn't stop Maya from standing in the centre of it, making it clear that she wasn't intimidated at all.

Kylie went and fetched a microphone from the ring announcer and reverently handed it to Alexa, demonstrating that there was a clear pecking order.

Here it comes, Jay thought, now feeling nerves of his own. If Alexa was going to flop, it was going to happen in the next few seconds.

Alexa stepped closer to Maya, looking at her like a lump of dog shit she had stepped on while wearing brand new shoes. When she spoke, she left spaces between her words to make them sound incredibly condescending.

"Who the hell... do you think... you are?"

The fans booed her, while backstage Jay clenched a fist in celebration. The tone fitted her character, and the crowd had given the right reaction. He had seen and heard enough. She was going to do just fine.

He looked at Erin again and she smiled again, nodding her approval. Her opinion was the same as his. The signing of Alexa Bliss was going to pay off.

Five minutes later, because it hadn't been a long promo segment, Alexa was the first to come back through the curtain, with Raquel and Kylie right behind her. As the show was on a commercial break, Erin was able to get up and come around the production desk.

"Great job out there, Alexa. Really well done."

Jay watched the two women hug, followed by Raquel and Kylie passing on their own praise.

While that was going on, Clem had made an understated arrival, now standing beside Jay.

"She was great. I'm so proud of her," Clem said quietly.

"Me too. Never doubted her."

"Can't tell you what it means to me that you made all this happen. I'll never forget it, Jay," Clem promised.

Before he had a chance to reply, Alexa noticed that Clem was there. "Clem!" she exclaimed, rushing to her fiancée.

"Lexi! You were amazing, babe," Clem said as they hugged each other. "I'm so proud of you. Proud beyond words."

"Thanks so much. I love you."

They exchanged a brief kiss, then Alexa turned her attention to Jay. The way she looked at him told him that she possibly valued his opinion of her work most of all.

"Excellent job. I knew you'd do well."

"Thanks so much," Alexa said, hugging him.

Jay smiled, feeling both proud and happy. There was a level of satisfaction this job could bring that was way above anything he had experienced as an active wrestler. And it was all thanks to Erin, who had seen the talent within him to see talent in others, and supported him in taking on a role that was built around supporting others and helping them to fulfil their potential. What a leader she was. And what a partner.

It dawned on him in that moment how annoyed he was that multiple people had the wrong impression of Erin. That was something that needed to be addressed.

Wrestlemania week was at hand. Actually running Wednesday to Monday, the period referred to internally at WWE as Wrestlemania week was a five day period in which they would make the kind of money that made Jay feel uncomfortable thinking about it. Tens of millions of dollars at least. Maybe hundreds.

While thinking about all of that wasn't something he wanted to do, there was a positive reason to think about money too. Recently, Raquel had told him that she had been doing some volunteering for a charity that looked after military veterans. He had felt motivated to help the cause his friend was invested in, and had come up with an idea to raise money.

Wednesday and Thursday of every Wrestlemania weekend were devoted to multiple meet and greet sessions at a convention centre in whichever city the big occasion was taking place. The convention centre would be filled with stages where WWE stars would appear, two on each stage, and meet fans. The fans had an opportunity to have their photos taken with the wrestlers, and to have one item signed if they brought one with them.

Additionally, there were several VIP stages at each session. These were where the top stars appeared. Fans could purchase a wristband for each stage, at a cost of two hundred dollars each. It was an insane amount of money to spend on meeting someone for thirty seconds in Jay's opinion, but the events were always sold out.

Jay's idea had been for a unique meet and greet session. For one time only, fans would have a chance to meet not just him, but Erin as well. Meeting Erin Voight was a chance for the public to meet wrestling royalty. Usually, seeing her going in or out of a hotel or making her way through an airport was the only chance to even come close. That probably explained why the limited number of wristbands for their meet and greet had sold out fastest of all, even faster than the one for Clementine and Alexa at the same session.

The proceeds from the Jay and Erin meet and greets were going to the charity Raquel had talked to Jay about, rather to WWE. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Erin hadn't hesitated when Jay had pitched the idea to her. In fact she had been enthusiastic, saying meeting the fans would be a new experience and 'a lot of fun'. Jay didn't necessarily subscribe to that, but he was committed to giving the paying customers a good experience with him. As Clem had said to him when they had discussed the idea: "For you it's person after person like they're on a conveyor belt. But for each of those people, the few moments they spent with you and the picture they get is something they'll remember for the rest of their lives."

Now, the meet and greet session was moments away from beginning. Indeed, the fans would already be in the huge hall at the convention centre, waiting for the wrestlers to arrive. Jay and Erin were backstage, ready for the security team to lead them out.

"Are you sure I look acceptable?" Erin asked him.

Jay looked at her. She was wearing black leather pants, a dark red leather sleeveless top that showed some cleavage, and matching red leather gloves. That addition amused him, but he knew the gloves made her feel sexy, plus on this occasion they would prevent direct contact when she had two hundred hands to shake.

"Acceptable? No, you don't look acceptable, you look gorgeous. And you wore the gloves to turn me on." He knew that wasn't the reason, nor did it particularly turn him on, but he was getting used to saying things like that to fire her up.

"Hey, guys. You both look excited," came Clementine's voice. Jay turned to face her as she approached, with Alexa by her side.

"Clem, Alexa," Jay said pleasantly. "Likewise. I know you like meeting fans, Clem. You looking forward to it, Alexa?"

Clementine was dressed in a smart shirt and pants, not too dissimilar to Jay's own attire. By contrast, Alexa had black pants and a simple yet somehow very attractive pink top on.

"Can't wait. But I am nervous too. Does that make any sense?"

"It does," Erin said. "Actually, I feel the same way myself. I'm about as experienced with this kind of thing as you are."

"You'll do fine, boss," Clem said. Jay was pleasant that there no longer seemed to be any coolness between them.

"And you look great," Alexa added. "Your outfit's unique, in a good way. The gloves complete it."

Jay had to actively avoid smiling as he waited for Erin's cheeks to go red. Somehow, they did not.

"Thanks, Alexa. Looks like they're about ready to lead us out. You guys have a good time."

"Catch you later," Clem said, exchanging a quick hug with Jay before heading off with Alexa by her side.

"How you didn't go red then I'll never know," Jay whispered in Erin's ear.

She playfully elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up! I can't believe she said that though. You were totally right to bring her in, Jay. She's got a real look for TV, and she did so well Monday night. Plus they look perfect together don't they?"

"Second best looking couple in WWE."

Erin giggled, knowing who occupied the top spot in his mind. "A distant second."

"Right," he laughed. "Come on, let's get out there."

Accompanied by security staff, Jay and Erin followed Clem, Alexa and a several other wrestlers out into the convention centre's main hall. Glancing at Erin, Jay's mind was far from meeting fans.

"There are better things I could be doing with you in that outfit."

"Oh, really? Hold that thought. We're only here a couple of hours. By the way, you've not seen my outfit for the Hall of Fame tomorrow night yet."

"The mind boggles," Jay said. It was true. If she wore something this sexy to a meet and greet session, what would she wear to a red carpet event?