Voices in My Head
A Caged Viper Will Bite
“I love him.”
Ana couldn’t deny it to herself any longer. Waking up to Randy holding her… there was nothing else that had ever felt this safe and genuine. More and more nights travelling were spent on his bus, sharing his bed and even though there had been plenty of making out, neither of them had made a move to take it further just yet. And she loved him for it even more.
Letting her legs hang off the ring’s edge in the empty arena hours before doors opened, she was very much lost in her own little world. Until she heard footsteps drawing near and she lifted her head to see Steph approaching. Jumping off the boards, Ana smiled softly as her boss reached her and both shared a quick hug.
“Last day jitters, eh?”
Ana joked as she watched Steph look around the empty arena mirthfully. Steph huffed a laugh before clasping both hands and wringing them.
“It’s not that bad, I mean I’ll be back at Raw in 2 days working with Paul but this place has been my home in Vince’s absence…so yes, I guess it’s both a crying and a laughing eye.”
Ana could feel that there was more to the other woman’s sudden appearance and she eyed her suspiciously.
“There is a band going to be backstage tonight before the match, meeting with some of the wrestlers and possibly for some on-camera stuff during the show. I…I need to give you a heads-up.”
Now this was something she hadn’t expected and her brows furrowed as she wondered why Steph would come to her with this information.
“Uhm…ok? I am sure this is not something out of the ordinary? I have seen a good few celebrities walk the halls over the last few months, what’s so special about this time that I need to get a heads-up?”
The other woman looked up into her eyes with a sorry smile and Ana knew why she had come to her with this. It took her a moment to mull this over before she snapped up a breath and she slid her phone from her pocket.
“Does Randy know??”
Steph looked confused at her question, completely caught off guard.
“Randy? Yes, I am sure he does, all the guys were briefed with today’s schedule…”
Ana speed dialed Randy’s number, chewing on her lip as she waited for him to answer. After 2 rings, the call got rejected.
“Fuck!”
She cussed loudly, redialing the same digits as her glare hardened: he was ignoring her on purpose.
“Ana…why is it so…”
The call got rejected again and Ana flung the phone into the ring in frustration.
“Because he knows! I told him everything! What happened on my 1st tour and exactly why I saw myself forced to leave and…fuck! Have you got any idea where Orton is right now?”
Steph had no idea what was going on as she put a hand on Ana’s shoulder, trying to calm her down.
“Babe, if he knows about an error in your judgment from over a decade ago he will not give you shit in front of-“
“It wasn’t an error of judgment on my behalf Steph, I was raped back then. And unless I fucking find Orton before he comes within an arm’s length of Corey Taylor, I’m afraid he will leave this place in cuffs in the back of a police car before doors open to the public. Where is he?”
Her boss stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide as she stared at the woman in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she observed Ana picking up her phone and desperately dialing Randy’s number again.
“I…uh…he was in the locker room with everyone else not too long ago, Shane went through the run sheet with them. He would have told them all about Stone Sour coming through in about 2 hours time to shake hands. Randy loves this band, I thought he’d be excited to meet them again…”
Her call went straight through to his voicemail, telling Ana that he had switched off his phone altogether.
“He is ignoring me. He knows that I know, probably assumes that you would go and tell me about today’s special guests. Steph, we need to make sure that he is nowhere near this meeting and that he is kept away from this band. If not…I don’t know what he might do. Please…call Shane or someone to locate him and lure him away.”
Steph busied herself with her phone and stepped away, never stopping to pace as she barked instructions into the phone as soon as her call got answered. This repeated a few times before she lowered her phone and slipped it into the back of her jeans, stepping closer to Ana and pulling her close.
“I wish you would have told me the truth about what happened back then.”
Ana pulled her fingers through her hair in defeat, really not ready to have this talk with her superior.
“I don’t need people thinking that I am damaged goods. I’d rather have them believe that I got fired over summer fling gone badly when I was young and foolish than me having left due to…this. I have made my peace with it and I don’t need anyone’s pity and the least I need is Randy overreacting and making his threats real. I’m sorry Steph.”
She jumped as her phone went off and she quickly pulled it up to see Brad’s name on the display.
“Please tell me you know where Randy is?”
She could hear yelling in the background, clearly Orton’s angry voice.
“I locked him into the Production office. Shane is here and is about to march right through me to open the door and let him out. Please tell me you have a plan?”
Ana glanced at Steph.
“Steph is here. She knows. Put Shane on the phone, she will explain to him why Randy needs to stay in that room until further notice.”
She handed her phone to Stephanie, a pleading look on her face. The other woman grabbed the phone without a moment of hesitation and raised it to her ear.
“Hi Shane, it’s me. Yes, I know…no, he must not be let out until Ana and myself have made our way there. It doesn’t matter why; just do as I tell you! We’re on our way so don’t let anyone open that door!”
She ended the call and handed the phone back to Ana.
“OK, as his employer and only other person knowing I guess I will be taking the plunge and will go in there to talk to him. I know that you’re probably desperate to talk to him and calm him down, but I believe that at this stage, threats coming from the organization will at least take him down a nudge, before I pass him into your capable hands. And no: I will not tell Shane or anyone else for that matter: this is your secret to tell. Now come one, we have to go do some damage control.”
Steph took Ana’s hand and they hurried along to get to the production office on the fastest route.
Ana couldn’t deny it to herself any longer. Waking up to Randy holding her… there was nothing else that had ever felt this safe and genuine. More and more nights travelling were spent on his bus, sharing his bed and even though there had been plenty of making out, neither of them had made a move to take it further just yet. And she loved him for it even more.
Letting her legs hang off the ring’s edge in the empty arena hours before doors opened, she was very much lost in her own little world. Until she heard footsteps drawing near and she lifted her head to see Steph approaching. Jumping off the boards, Ana smiled softly as her boss reached her and both shared a quick hug.
“Last day jitters, eh?”
Ana joked as she watched Steph look around the empty arena mirthfully. Steph huffed a laugh before clasping both hands and wringing them.
“It’s not that bad, I mean I’ll be back at Raw in 2 days working with Paul but this place has been my home in Vince’s absence…so yes, I guess it’s both a crying and a laughing eye.”
Ana could feel that there was more to the other woman’s sudden appearance and she eyed her suspiciously.
“There is a band going to be backstage tonight before the match, meeting with some of the wrestlers and possibly for some on-camera stuff during the show. I…I need to give you a heads-up.”
Now this was something she hadn’t expected and her brows furrowed as she wondered why Steph would come to her with this information.
“Uhm…ok? I am sure this is not something out of the ordinary? I have seen a good few celebrities walk the halls over the last few months, what’s so special about this time that I need to get a heads-up?”
The other woman looked up into her eyes with a sorry smile and Ana knew why she had come to her with this. It took her a moment to mull this over before she snapped up a breath and she slid her phone from her pocket.
“Does Randy know??”
Steph looked confused at her question, completely caught off guard.
“Randy? Yes, I am sure he does, all the guys were briefed with today’s schedule…”
Ana speed dialed Randy’s number, chewing on her lip as she waited for him to answer. After 2 rings, the call got rejected.
“Fuck!”
She cussed loudly, redialing the same digits as her glare hardened: he was ignoring her on purpose.
“Ana…why is it so…”
The call got rejected again and Ana flung the phone into the ring in frustration.
“Because he knows! I told him everything! What happened on my 1st tour and exactly why I saw myself forced to leave and…fuck! Have you got any idea where Orton is right now?”
Steph had no idea what was going on as she put a hand on Ana’s shoulder, trying to calm her down.
“Babe, if he knows about an error in your judgment from over a decade ago he will not give you shit in front of-“
“It wasn’t an error of judgment on my behalf Steph, I was raped back then. And unless I fucking find Orton before he comes within an arm’s length of Corey Taylor, I’m afraid he will leave this place in cuffs in the back of a police car before doors open to the public. Where is he?”
Her boss stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide as she stared at the woman in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she observed Ana picking up her phone and desperately dialing Randy’s number again.
“I…uh…he was in the locker room with everyone else not too long ago, Shane went through the run sheet with them. He would have told them all about Stone Sour coming through in about 2 hours time to shake hands. Randy loves this band, I thought he’d be excited to meet them again…”
Her call went straight through to his voicemail, telling Ana that he had switched off his phone altogether.
“He is ignoring me. He knows that I know, probably assumes that you would go and tell me about today’s special guests. Steph, we need to make sure that he is nowhere near this meeting and that he is kept away from this band. If not…I don’t know what he might do. Please…call Shane or someone to locate him and lure him away.”
Steph busied herself with her phone and stepped away, never stopping to pace as she barked instructions into the phone as soon as her call got answered. This repeated a few times before she lowered her phone and slipped it into the back of her jeans, stepping closer to Ana and pulling her close.
“I wish you would have told me the truth about what happened back then.”
Ana pulled her fingers through her hair in defeat, really not ready to have this talk with her superior.
“I don’t need people thinking that I am damaged goods. I’d rather have them believe that I got fired over summer fling gone badly when I was young and foolish than me having left due to…this. I have made my peace with it and I don’t need anyone’s pity and the least I need is Randy overreacting and making his threats real. I’m sorry Steph.”
She jumped as her phone went off and she quickly pulled it up to see Brad’s name on the display.
“Please tell me you know where Randy is?”
She could hear yelling in the background, clearly Orton’s angry voice.
“I locked him into the Production office. Shane is here and is about to march right through me to open the door and let him out. Please tell me you have a plan?”
Ana glanced at Steph.
“Steph is here. She knows. Put Shane on the phone, she will explain to him why Randy needs to stay in that room until further notice.”
She handed her phone to Stephanie, a pleading look on her face. The other woman grabbed the phone without a moment of hesitation and raised it to her ear.
“Hi Shane, it’s me. Yes, I know…no, he must not be let out until Ana and myself have made our way there. It doesn’t matter why; just do as I tell you! We’re on our way so don’t let anyone open that door!”
She ended the call and handed the phone back to Ana.
“OK, as his employer and only other person knowing I guess I will be taking the plunge and will go in there to talk to him. I know that you’re probably desperate to talk to him and calm him down, but I believe that at this stage, threats coming from the organization will at least take him down a nudge, before I pass him into your capable hands. And no: I will not tell Shane or anyone else for that matter: this is your secret to tell. Now come one, we have to go do some damage control.”
Steph took Ana’s hand and they hurried along to get to the production office on the fastest route.