Best for Business

I walk into Stephanie and Hunter’s office. They’re sitting at a desk, talking to each other. Stephanie has a thick stack of papers in her hands. She’s talking to Hunter, who has his hands folded together onto the desk. A lopsided smile frames his face. After hearing his wife tell him no, he insists it’s what he wants to do. Stephanie rolls her eyes at him, but she’s wearing a big smile. I don’t want to interrupt my boss and the cute moment she’s having with her husband, but I have to. She called me and told me to come in at my earliest convenience.

I knock on the doorframe. I step inside the office as my bosses acknowledge that it’s me who is here. “Hey, guys,” I smile and take the open seat in front of me.

“Hello Shay. How are you today?” Steph asks. She sets her paper stack down. It lands on the desk with a heavy thud.

“I’m well. How about you?”

Hunter grins back. “Glad to hear it. As you know, you recently made your debut on the WWE. We gave three weeks of you in matches to see how you did, as well as how the fans reacted.” I nod, straightening up in my seat. I know I’m doing well, but I don’t know if the company feels the same way. He continues, “You’re great. You’re a true athlete and exactly what we need in the Divas division right now. There’s a few things we need to talk about today.”

A feel a big weight come off my shoulders once he says this. “Which are?”

“Your character here in the WWE. We have good girls, bad girls, and some girls that fall right in the middle. We want to go a little out of the box for you. I’m actually really excited for this, so hopefully you’re on board.”

“I’m down for anything. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. As long as I’m fighting in the ring, I really can’t complain.”

“And we love that enthusiasm about you,” Stephanie grins. “Right now we’re at a crossroads. There will be a lot of change in the business, and we’re going to reestablish a lot of the Superstars’ characters. We need a power couple in the WWE. It’s something we haven’t seen on screen in years. We would like you to take part in a power couple role.”

“Really? With who?” Part of me is nervous, but a lot of me is excited, too. I haven’t gotten to know many of the Superstars in the locker room. This is a great opportunity to befriend people I wouldn’t become acquainted with as quickly.

“Seth Rollins. As you know, he’s currently in a hated, bad boy role. We would like to modify that. To pair you together is essential. You have such a good girl look to you, and the fans will see you differently to be with such a bad boy. In the same light, it will also soften him up to the WWE Universe. This is a great opportunity for you as well, Shay. We want a true power couple. He’s the champion now. We want you to get a title opportunity, and hopefully you can come home with the Divas belt around your waist. That’s the goal here. We want you two to work together and take over the roster.” Stephanie pauses so I can soak up all the information she just provided.

I’m almost winded once they tell me who my love interest is. Seth Rollins? I’ve seen him from time to time backstage, but we’ve never said a word to each other. I won’t lie, he’s gorgeous. I could’ve been paired with a man I have no physical attraction to, which could’ve made this much harder.

Do I want to be a bad girl in the WWE? Seth has more people booing him than cheering him on. I know they’re trying to change that, but would I be treated the same as him? I almost feel horrible for thinking that because they just told me they’d like to make me champion. I’m less than a month into my debut on Raw, and my bosses see more potential in me than I do right now.

“I just have one question,” I finally say. Hunter asks what it is, so I ask. “Does he know? Is Seth on board for this?”

Hunter chuckles, looking from Stephanie to me. “We talked briefly about this to him. He expressed that the bad reputation is really taking a toll on him and asked for a small change. We feel obligated to do so, because he has been in this role for longer than most people. Stephanie asked how he would feel about a love interest on screen, and he said he wasn’t against it. If you could come in for the show on Thursday in Maine, we’d like to address you both together.”

I tell both that I’ll be here, and Hunter tells me to be there a little before the show - thirty minutes before, to be exact. They’d like to discuss this before the show starts. He also says that I’ll have an interview to introduce me to the Smackdown fans, and possibly a match. I thank Hunter and Stephanie for the opportunity. I get up to leave, but Hunter tells me to wait a minute. “I just have one other question.” He grins at his wife, then looks straight at me. “Should I grow my hair back out again?”

Stephanie rolls her eyes, and I can’t help but laugh. That’s more than likely what the two were talking about before interrupted them earlier. “I think that you should do whatever makes you happy. But, I’m not going to lie, long hair makes me think you’ll get back into that ring again.” Stephanie burst into laughter, commenting on how he’s past his prime. Now Hunter rolls his eyes, and makes a comment on how the ratings would go way up if he were to wrestle again. I walk out of the office, in complete awe of the conversation that just took place.

I recently just started in the WWE. I’ve been wrestling for years, but I just made it to the main roster. I’ve had three matches so far and won each of them. For anybody, that’s a big deal. For a Diva, I especially know how important that is. Fans seem to react to me well. My debut has been incredible, and I can’t be more proud of myself.

This meeting just verified my thoughts. Stephanie and Hunter see potential in me. It was talked over with the whole company, and they already see me as a frontrunner. I’m elated, and I can’t wait to share this with my friends.

I walk out of headquarters and grab a taxi to get to my hotel. On the way, I phone Brie. Brie is the first friend I’ve made in the Divas division. I trained with her and her sister a few years ago, and she and I have remained in contact ever since. Now that I’m on the main roster with her, we’ve been reunited, and our bond has been stronger than ever. I can’t imagine sharing this news with anybody else right now.

She picks up on the third ring. “Hey Shay. What’s up?”

“I have the best news!” Brie asks what it is right away, and I inform her about my conversation with the bosses. “I have to go to Thursday’s show to work out the details, but will you keep this on the down low for now? I don’t want anybody to know until it’s worked out. Anyway, I just got out of my meeting with Steph, and they already decided they see great potential in me. They were talking character development, title opportunities, and a possible love interest. They want to make a power couple out of me.”

“No way! I’m so happy for you! Who’s the guy? Did you know I met Brian through the same kind of thing? I didn’t date him until we were put together. This could be so great for you!”

“Seth Rollins,” I say, bracing myself for her reaction.

“Oh... really? He’s so, you know, antisocial. I’ve hardly even spoken to him, and he’s kind of... an asshole.” I had a feeling her reaction would be what she’s giving me. Her and I have had discussions about the men on the roster. I know Seth is far on her list of guys she’d like to see me with. A lot of people feel the same way she does. Seth has never shown interest in any of the Divas. I don’t know for sure, but I do know that since I’ve been here, he hasn’t said a word to me. Everybody else seemed to be very friendly and welcoming. Brie and a few of the other girls said that it was similar for them and to not take it personally. So, I haven’t.

“I’m just hoping for the best. I’m not going to write it off, because I don’t know him. Everybody deserves a chance, you know?” Brie agrees. I ask her if she’s coming to the Thursday show. She declines, saying that her and Brian have the night off, so they’re going to have a date night. I tell her that I’ll let her know how the meeting goes, and she wishes me good luck. We talk a little longer, letting the other know about our day.

Even though Brie isn’t excited about the whole plot and character given to me yet, I can’t help but remain hopeful. Things are going well for me, and I can’t pass up on any opportunities given to me. Thursday night can’t come soon enough.