Voices in My Head

“You…you are possibly the best thing to happen to Orton in a long time.”

Ana’s eyes widened at the tall, built man in front of her. She had only ever met Paul once before and it had been in passing. Seeing him excited like this had her worried.

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Randy gives me crap any given day and I simply deal with it and make him be on time. What does that have to do with anything?”

His head swirled around, looking at his wife.

“Didn’t you show her the footage of the match?”

Steph yelped and they both started a shouting match. Ana took a deep drink off the wine she had been offered earlier and left the room without either of them noticing. She had a feeling that both Steph and her husband Paul, no matter what they were currently discussing, wanted her involved with Randy in some way and there’d be no way in hell she’d let that happen.

“Did you get in trouble for that cheap shot on me?”

Randy’s voice caused her to stop and stare at the built man across from her, one of his signature smirks playing on his face. Just like that, she felt the urge to repeat her earlier actions and she tried her best to maneuver around him.

“I have no idea what just happened in there, but I think ‘trouble’ is the furthest away from what those two are scheming.”

Coming to a halt and pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned around and looked up at him.

“I’m sorry for kneeing you. It’s not really something I do when I get pissed off, and I’m sorry that Cena was able to use it to get you riled up. I should have known better than to think anything backstage goes unnoticed.”

The surprised look on his face said it all: he had not expected her to apologize for her actions. He pushed his shoulder off the wall and took a few careful steps towards her, trying to gauge her current state of mind.

“Well I was scripted to lose the match either way but thanks to John, the crowd was going crazy for it. People love it when some big guy defends the honor of a woman. What did Paul and Stephanie say to you in there?”

He threw a thumb over his shoulder in the vague direction of the production office, just as the door opened and Paul stepped out. His focused shifted straight away to the couple further down the hall.

“Randy, Ana. Meeting!”

He bellowed, before stepping back into the room.

Randy gave her a knowing look before turning and walking towards the open door.

“Whatever you do, don’t reject anything that is being said or offered straight away no matter how preposterous it may sound. Ask for time to think.”

He looked sincere. Hell, he had been in this business for over a decade and he knew the ins and outs. She responded with a simple nod before both of them stepped into the small office, Randy closing the door behind them.
Ana had stopped in front of the desk, warily eyeing Steph and her husband, both smiling brightly.

She suddenly felt intimidated, unable to move until Randy pushed her down in a chair, sitting down next to her.

“How’re your balls Randy?”

Was the first thing Paul asked, Cheshire cat smile on his face. Ana felt the need to wipe it off his face, but he was her superior and Randy didn’t seem too bothered by the comment.

“Still intact I hope. Why are we here? Ana has to be out there so don’t be wasting our time, we both have places to be.”

Steph looked apologetic as her husband stood and started circling the small room, looking at both Randy and Ana.

“Enlighten me Ana, why do your friends call you ‘Riot’, I’m curious.”

Randy could feel her tighten up next to him. It was obviously not something she was willing to talk about.

“Why does it matter? Is my job here at risk?”

Was her response, hands gripping the edges of her seat painfully. Randy was about to try and comfort her as Stephanie stood from her seat and rounded the desk.

“No, your job is not at risk, the opposite! We have a proposition to both of you. Please, relax girl.”

Randy looked over to her and even though her arms relaxed, she still kept a hold on the edges of the seat. Damn, she really was new to the business.

“We’re not blind, there is obviously some kind of chemistry between you and Orton. You may be tearing him a new one at times…but it’s there. People talk about it backstage, topped by what happened tonight with Cena…it’s too good to pass up.”

About to shoot off a comment, Ana bit her tongue, remembering Randy’s words from earlier.
Randy shifted in his seat and placed his hands flat on the table in front of him.

“So I assume you have a storyline in mind? Just get out with it.”

Ana adored how he sounded so collected about the whole thing. But then again, he had probably been in this very situation many times before.

“Ana, after the reaction we’ve got tonight from Cena mentioning you, we are very keen on including you in some promo shots. You and Randy eyeing each other off, issues arising…anything. And we would like to-“

“I am not sleeping with him!”

Ana shot out and even though Randy had never thought about her that way, the tone of her voice irked him.

“Wooooa, no one is asking that of you. All we want is some backstage fighting between the two of you; we know it happens either way. We just need the cameras around for it.”

Steph assured, her hands placed on Ana’s shoulders, trying to calm her down.
Randy eyed Paul, he had been too quiet in this. He knew that something was off.

“Paul? What’s the deal? I fucking know that you wouldn’t drag me in here for this unless there was something else. This sounds like more than just some backstage story line.”

But Paul’s lips stayed sealed. Instead, he lifted a stack of papers and held it out to Ana, giving her a meaningful look as she accepted the papers and placed them on her lap without even skimming through them.

“I urge you to read our proposal carefully. Have a solicitor look through it if you feel the need. What we offer you could be a massive stepping-stone for you, not just when it comes to your bank balance but also to your already impressive resume as a professional. I know that you haven’t been with us for a long time and all of this business with story lines and backstage squabble is new to you. But we have been doing this for a long time and we know a great opportunity when we see one. My wife obviously puts a lot of trust in you and your work…so please, just consider this.”

Ana nodded and stood, pile of paper in hand. Just as she was about to leave, Randy stood and huffed.

“So what, that’s it? She gets a contract but you’re only alluding to a backstage story? Steph, come on….she has no fucking clue what’s going to happen and it’s not fair.”

Ana did stop and turned around again, fixated on the husband and wife behind the desk. She wasn’t stupid, she knew that it had to be more than just a few filmed backstage fights, the weight of the papers in her hands suggested as much.

“Ultimately, we would love to see you in a storyline that is more than what it is. But seen that Ana’s current contract is not including anything regarding on-air time…we gave her a new one. She isn’t an actress nor a fellow wrestler so this is somewhat of a first for us.”

Ana sat back in the chair she had left seconds before, stack of papers on her lap. Looking around the room, her eyes came to rest on Stephanie.

“So you’re advising me to sign a different contract which opens me up to not just do my job but adds ‘storylines’? Is that meaning that apart from doing my work, I will have to put in extra work? You do know that it will be impossible to get backstage running perfectly if I have to take time to shoot promos.”

She looked at the people across from her and Paul placed his large hands on the table with an almost kind smile playing with his lips. Randy remembered those years when he was mentored by the man and received fatherly advice.

Of course we’d be giving you concessions if you decide to go ahead and sign the new contract. Depending on how serious this all gets, we’d be elevating Brad to job share with you. I know you two have worked together before and I am sure he’d be more than able to jump in if the need arises. I want to see Randy and you get acquainted outside of work. Go have dinner together or watch a movie together or something, maybe he even lets you ride on his bus with him so you two can get some talk time away from the backstage setting. No one is asking you to climb into bed together but he would be the perfect teacher should you be on board with this idea.”

“You also know what it’d look like if she rides on the bus with me Paul, everyone would be starting to whisper rumors around the dressing rooms. You’re wanting to suggest a romantic involvement, just say it.”

All eyes were on the man and he sighed, leaning back into his chair.

“I guess that’s what I would hope to work it up to. Talk to her; explain what storylines are and how they develop. I mean, it’s a shame that she isn’t a wrestler, but she is enough of a spitfire to make this work without getting into the ring.”

Even though she was sitting right there, Ana was very well aware that the current conversation didn’t include her at all. It was about her but not with her. Looking down into her lap, her eyes scanned the top page of the stack: Contract for Creative Talent. She couldn’t deny that she was curious.

“OK. I am open to look through this and consider it. If you believe that Randy here is able to shed some light on all of the ins and outs and is OK to mentor me, I am sure we’ll be able to stop quarreling for a few hours to sit down and talk.”

Three sets of eyes were on her as she rose from her chair again and sauntered to the door. She could hear a chair scrape against the concrete floor and turned her head to see Randy scramble after her, an unreadable expression clouding his eyes as she opened the door and he followed after her.
As soon as they were further down the hallway, one of his large hands was placed over her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks and gently turning her around to look into her eyes.

“This can be great, if you’re allowing it to. Don’t be scared off by him dropping the word “romantic”, storylines like that are only on-screen and very few actually develop into something off-screen, though it does happen.”

His face was serious, but Ana couldn’t help herself and shot a small smirk his way.

“Are you suggesting that I won’t be able to withstand the Randy Orton charm? Get over yourself sweet pea, not every female with a pulse is lusting after your muscles.”

With those words, she stretched to her toes and breathed a kiss on his cheek before rounding him and continuing on her way back to gorilla position, a thick bundle of papers securely grasped in her right hand.
Randy stood in her wake, blue eyes glued to her retreating figure. His left hand rose to his face as two fingers touched the very spot she had placed her plump lips just moments before. What the hell had just happened? Shaking his head to rid himself of the sensation of slight confusion, he heard someone step next to him and chuckle deeply.

“She surely is something else, huh?”

Paul wrapped an arm around Randy’s shoulders and pulled him close in a friendly hug.

“You have no idea man. I don’t even know what it is about her, but I am itching to push her buttons and get a reaction from her, no matter what the reaction may be. She…she’s different.”

Paul was surprised by Randy’s honest words, but he agreed with his observation.

“Maybe it’s not her falling for your charms, but you falling for hers. Ah, what a time to be alive.”

He squeezed his shoulder before allowing the other man to step away from him and rubbing his hands over his head in agitation: he had to keep his cool and watch himself around Ana, there was no way he would lose his composure around her.