Best for Business

I walk around the venue in an attempt to find my closest friends. Lana is the easiest to find. Her loud, infectious laugh fills the room. She’s in the middle of getting her makeup done, and when she sees me, she throws her hands in the air. “Shay! Where have you been?”

“I had a meeting. When you’re finished, text me. I have some news.” Lana’s face perks up at the sound of news. I’m surprised she doesn’t question me further. She instead turns back to the stylist and continues the conversation she was having before I interrupted.

I find Nikki a few seconds later. She’s talking with her boyfriend, John Cena. Her arms are wrapped around his torso, and her head rests on his chest. “Hey, guys,” I say once I get close to them.

Nikki and John look up with smiles on both their faces. “Hey, girl! What’s up? How was your meeting?” Nikki was one of the only people who knew about my meeting. I like to keep things like that lowkey, since I never know what kind of news I’ll receive.

“Good, I think. Once Lana comes over, we should get Brie on Facetime. That way I can tell you all together.” Nikki’s sister, Brie, isn’t on the road with us anymore, because she’s recently discovered she’s pregnant. She’s staying home to help ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy. She’s my closest friend, so I couldn’t imagine her finding out after everyone else.

“It must be some big news then,” Nikki rests her head on John’s chest. “Do I get a hint, at least?”

“It’s about a storyline,” I laugh.

“That’s not even a real hint! Of course it was about a storyline,” Nikki sighs dramatically, but she’s still smiling.

Once Lana joins us, John excuses himself from the group. He gives Nikki a quick kiss before walking off. Nikki grabs her phone from her pocket and connects with Brie on Facetime. When everyone is ready and at attention, I explain what happened a few minutes ago. “So, my meeting with Stephanie and Mick went well, I think. They like the direction my character is going, but they want to make an adjustment. They’re going to put me in some kind of love scenario.”

Lana’s face scrunches up. She doesn’t say anything yet, but I can tell just by looking at her she’s recalling her own experience.

“That’s great! Those can be fun sometimes,” Nikki says.

“I agree. I did meet Bryan through a storyline, and we’re still together,” Brie encourages. I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by women who have been in similar scenarios, so I’ll have opinions from all sides. Even though every situation is different, it may help guide me into whatever choice I make.

“Who is it with?” Nikki asks.

“Seth Rollins.” I glance at their faces while they soak up the news, but none of them look happy. It’s quiet, almost awkward while I wait for someone to say something.

I don’t know a lot about Seth. He doesn’t hang out with a lot of people, from what I can tell. He keeps to himself. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, him keeping to himself, but maybe he has some personality flaw that leads people to avoid him? The look on my friends’ faces make it seem this way.

“Oh. It can’t be that bad, I guess. He’s really cute.” Nikki tries to sound happy for me, but falls short.

“You’re just saying that because he’s never talked to you before,” Brie laughs.

“He’s a little standoffish, but Rusev likes him. I’ve had a few conversations with him. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just not as social as we are,” Lana says matter-of-factly. She holds one of my hands, a big smile on her face. “I don’t necessarily like romantic storylines, for obvious reasons, but this could be good for you. It can lead to some great opportunities, and you’ll be the first of any of us to work alongside Seth. You can get to know him and let us know if he’s as bad as Nikki thinks he is.”

“Thanks, Lana.” I squeeze her hand in reassurance. I then explain Stephanie and Mick’s stipulations. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen yet. He might not be on board, especially with how private he is. It’s one thing to be on TV, but it’s a totally different thing to hang out with me outside of work for the sake of believability.”

“Who knows, maybe he’ll fall in love with you, and he’ll have no choice but to do all of those things anyway,” Brie winks.

“Yeah, maybe,” I say, even though I don’t believe it. It’s not that I think I’m unlikeable, it just seems unlikely. A guy like that could have hundreds of admirers, some maybe from the locker room. My friends aren’t big fans of him, but that doesn’t mean other girls aren’t, too.

“What are you going to tell Dolph?” Brie asks.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious he likes you,” Nikki adjusts her hat. “I would know, I dated him.”

“We’re just friends. I’ll tell him exactly what I told you guys, but only if it’s confirmed.” I insist.

“Maybe that’s a better idea. I’d hate to see you break Dolph’s heart.” Lana teases. She takes a look at her phone. “I need to finish getting ready for Rusev’s match. Tell me how everything goes.”

“I will,” I promise. As soon as Lana leaves, I focus my attention on the twins. “I guess I should get ready, too. Our match is going to be soon.”

Nikki nods. She tells me she’s going to finish up talking to her sister, but she’ll see me later. We’re facing each other tonight, and we’ll be able to talk more then.

I wish my friends were more encouraging, but I appreciate their honest input. I know Seth might not be the easiest person to work with. Lana’s words repeat in my head - this is a good thing, the best career move. Her verification helps convince me that it’s worth it to invest in this. I just hope Seth feels the same way.