X: The Hard Knocks Complete Story (33 page)

I take the paper, and there’s a list of times and places written on it. “Mine?”

He nods and adjusts the white plastic sunglasses sitting on top of his mullet. “X texted me and asked that I show you the ropes while he’s not here.”

“That’s kind of you, Jimmy.”

He shrugs. “He’s paying me, so don’t think too highly of me.” He glances down at my bag. “Well, I’ll let you get settled in. As usual, dinner in the hotel restaurant is on
Tension
. Come down when you’re ready.”

“Okay.”

Jimmy begins to walk away.

I throw out another, “Thank you,” which only results in him raising his hand into the air in a weird wave while his back is still to me.

I sigh as I get on the next open elevator. This experience is so different from when I travel with Xavier. I can’t wait for him to get back on the road with me.

A
fter dinner
, the next thing on the agenda was a meeting with the wardrobe department. I knock on room 507, and a little black lady with short-cropped hair and glasses answers the door.

She smiles, making her appear warm and inviting. “Anna Sweets, it’s lovely to finally meet you. I’m Pearl, the entire wardrobe department. Come on in.”

“A one woman show?”

“Exactly,” she says.

I laugh as I step into the hotel room and notice that it’s packed with suitcases full of fabric. A compact sewing machine sits on the desk with a wrestler’s costume.

“You weren’t kidding. You really are a one-man band. You make everyone’s costumes by hand?”

She nods. “I do. Every outfit you’ve ever seen on
Tension
over the last fifteen years has been one of my designs. That brings me to you. I can’t have you out there, on the air, wearing just a plain old T-shirt and jeans.”

I grimace. “You can’t? I really don’t plan on being in the ring much.”

She lifts one eyebrow. “That’s not the word that has been passed down from the top of the
Tension
chain. From what I hear, you’ll be making an appearance on every show for the next three months, maybe longer, on Rex’s arm.”

I rub my forehead and squeeze my eyes shut. “Oh no.”

She pats my shoulder. “X is gonna have to get over it, honey. If he wants you to keep this job, he knows better than anyone that you’ll have to play along with whatever the big boss wants. Mr. Silverman has really been pushing the idea of a huge rivalry over you between X and Rex.”

“Any idea what they want me to do when I’m out in the ring?”

“You’re asking the wrong person for that. I only make the clothes for the storyline. They don’t divulge more than minor information to me when it comes to the plot so I can make sure the outfits are correct. I’ve been asked to prepare a costume for you that goes along with Rex’s.”

The idea of matching Rex makes my stomach turn a bit. “This is going to end so badly.”

“Maybe it won’t. X is a smart guy. He’ll get over it if he wants to keep you.”

“Thank you.” I sigh. “I guess we’d better get to work then.”

Pearl takes a few minutes to measure every inch of my body, and then she sits on the side of her bed and begins sketching on a pad. Within a few moments, the vision she sees in her head for the outfit she wants to make for me comes to fruition on paper. It’s basically the same as jeans and a T-shirt I usually wear. This time though, the outfit consists of tight pink leather pants and a white blouse with bright pink sequins that say
Anna Sweets
on top of a frosted cupcake.

I laugh. “Cute.”

“Thanks.” She smiles widely at her own artwork. “I think it plays up the whole sweet thing pretty well.” She hands me the pad, so I can take a closer inspection. “You like it?”

I nod. “It’s really great.”

She smiles. “Good. Then, I’ll get to work and have this ready for your appearance tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?” My stomach flips again. The idea of being out in front of that crowd without Xavier terrifies me. “That soon?”

“You’ll be great,” Pearl encourages. She glances down at her watch. “Okay, it’s almost time for my next appointment. I’ll find you backstage to give you this outfit before you go live.”

“Sounds good.”

We exchange cell phone numbers, so she can text me when the costume is ready, and then I head back to my room.

While I wait on the elevator, I check my cell. I haven’t had a chance to read messages since I texted Quinn and Xavier to tell them I’d safely landed in Seattle and got checked into my room. I have four missed texts.

I click on the message icon and chuckle. Quinn was the last person to text me, and without even clicking on the full message, I can see she’s waiting on me to call her.

Quinn: Hello?

Quinn: Call me every day while you’re on the road. Does this ring a bell?

I shake my head as I type my reply.

Anna: Sorry. Busy schedule since I landed. Heading to bed now. Will call in the morning.

Even though it’s only eight in the evening here on the West Coast, I’m still on Detroit time. I yawn as I click the next message. It causes me to bite my lip with anticipation since Xavier and I didn’t exactly part on a happy note.

Xavier: Glad you’re safe. Hope Liv found you okay.

Xavier: Going to bed. Totally beat. I know the time change sucks for you, but if you need to talk, call anytime. Love you.

His words make me smile. Even when we fight, he’s still sweet, making me miss him even more. If I were back in Detroit, I would have him cornered by now, forcing him to spill whatever it is that he’s been hiding from me, the thing that’s caused this weird rift between us. Once whatever it is comes to light, I know we’ll be able to fix it together.

I shoot a reply to him, wanting to let him know I’m thinking about him.

Anna: I’ll call you tomorrow. Get some rest. You looked beat today. Miss you like crazy and love you.

I stuff my phone into my back pocket as the elevator stops on my floor. I’m exhausted myself and can’t wait to lay down. I fish my room card out of my pocket, and when my eyes snap up to read the numbers on the doors, they lock on Rex’s dark eyes.

My back stiffens when I see the one man I’ve been dreading to face ever since I discovered I would have to come on the road without Xavier. Rex’s long dark hair is pulled back into a low ponytail. A yellow hue tints the underside of his eyes, a remnant of Xavier breaking his nose, and several small bruises are on his chin and arms. Other than that, he appears to be in pretty good shape. Rex should be thankful
Tension
’s bouncer, Freddy, was there to pull Xavier off of him before Xavier could inflict a lot more damage.

His eyes twinkle as an evil smile dances across his lips. “There’s my girl.”

“Stop it,” I order. “I’m not your girl.”

His smile widens. “Of course you are. For the next three months while Xavier is gone, you’ll be on my arm while on camera…and off camera, too, if you play your cards right.”

I roll my eyes as I attempt to step around him in the hall. “You disgust me.”

“That’s interesting.” He smirks. “Xavier can fuck half the women in this company, yet I’m the disgusting one. I find that a little hypocritical coming from you.”

Even though I know it’s probably true, the mention of Xavier being with a lot of women turns my stomach. I don’t enjoy that thought being thrown in my face. In some ways, I’m just as bad as Xavier when it comes to the jealousy department.

The thing about this conversation though, is that I know Rex is trying to mess with me in a lame attempt at pushing Xavier’s buttons even though he’s on the other side of the country.

I try one more time to step around Rex, wanting nothing more than to get away from him. “Would you please stop getting in front of me?”

Rex defensively throws his hands up. “All you have to do is say please. I like it when beautiful women beg. It’s my weakness.”

I shove past him and don’t even bother to engage in an argument.

I swipe my key in the door and then shove down the handle.

“Oh, Anna,” Rex calls in a singsong voice, “I’ll be right next door if you want to work on that kiss of ours that’s happening tomorrow night.”

“Fuck you, Rex.” I square my shoulders and march into my room, cutting off my contact with the man that can get under my skin quicker than any other man I’ve ever met.

I waste no time in getting ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day, and I know I’ll need all the sleep I can get if I’m going to survive it.

I set my alarm on my phone for eight in the morning, and just before I place the phone on the nightstand, I notice a new text has arrived. I click on the phone and gasp.

It’s been a long time since that name has shown up on my phone. My hand trembles a bit as I pull the screen up for a closer inspection. After I left him without so much as a word, Jorge is the last person I ever expected to hear from again.

Out of everything I left behind in Portland, the one thing I regret is the way I left Jorge. Even though it was obvious we didn’t love each other the way we should have in such an involved relationship, I did care for him, and he deserved at least an explanation from me. I wouldn’t blame him if he hated me.

As I click on his name, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the scathing message.

Jorge: I heard you’re in Seattle. If I drive up there, will you see me?

My heart does a double thump against my ribs as I read over his words more than a dozen times. I’m not sure what he’ll say to me, but whatever it is, I need to woman up and hear him out. I owe him that much.

Anna: I’ll be here until Wednesday morning. I have shows tonight and Sunday, but I have downtime on Monday until I do Tuesday’s show.

I chew my bottom lip as I hit Send and wait on his response. The phone chimes again, alerting me to a new message before I’ve even had the chance to set the phone down.

Jorge: Dinner on Monday night? We have many things to discuss.

Anna: We do. Monday sounds great. I’ll text you my hotel information, so you can pick me up.

I send the information and lay the phone down on the nightstand. A sliver of light from the evening sun creeps through the crack in the curtains and streaks across the ceiling as I stare at it. So many things roll through my mind all at once. I find it difficult to focus. It almost feels as though everything is coming down on me at once—being on my own at the show, being away from Xavier, dealing with Rex, and now facing the messy past with Jorge.

I hope I can handle all the pressure because now is not the time for me to crack.

T
he driver pulls
through the gated section of the arena and stops near a back door where I recognize Freddy, the
Tension
bouncer who pulled Xavier off of Rex.

I push open the back door and slip out of the SUV.

I head toward the door. Freddy is standing there with his eyes are trained on me as I near him.

Immediately, his gaze checks behind me. “I see X took the suspension seriously since he’s not with you.”

I step up next to him, and his nearly seven-foot frame towers over me. “He did. He’s still back in Detroit.”

Freddy raises his dark eyebrows and writes something down on his clipboard. “I have to say, I’m a bit surprised that X didn’t attempt to bend the rules, like he typically does, and show up with you here anyway. I expected that actually.”

I shrug. “He knows this is only temporary. Hopefully he trusts me. There’s no need for him to violate the terms of his suspension.”

“X might trust you, but I know he sure as hell doesn’t trust Rex. I don’t care what line of bullshit the public relations department fed the press about the fight between them onstage being a part of the show. I’ve gotten between the two of them too many times for me to believe it wasn’t real. Rex has been taunting X for far too long. It was all bound to come to a head at some point.”

My lips pull into a tight line. “You’re right, but if the story keeps X out of jail, I’ll go along with it any day.”

Freddy gives me a pointed look. “Is that why you agreed to the whole love-triangle thing with Rex?”

I tilt my head to the side. “How do you know about that?”

“Everyone does. This is Tension, Anna. Everyone knows everyone’s business here.” He sighs. “It doesn’t help that Rex has been bragging about having you on his arm to everyone either.”

“Great,” I mutter. “I suppose he’s already in there?”

Freddy nods. “He is. If he gives you shit, come find me.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Not a problem,” he replies coolly. “X is a good guy, and I know he only did what he did because he had been pushed, so I’d like to help him out as much as I can.”

“You’re a good guy, Freddy.” I pat the smooth brown skin on his forearm.

He smiles. “I try. Now, let’s get you back there before you’re late.”

He presses a button on the walkie-talkie hanging over his shoulder. “Security needed at the back entrance. I’m escorting talent into the building.”

The radio squawks to life. “Copy that.”

Freddy nods toward the door and then heads inside with me on his heels.

Backstage is the same as every other time I’ve been back here. Men and women of all shapes and sizes, wearing T-shirts with the word
Tension
on them, are buzzing around, pushing equipment in every direction.

Freddy stops at a set of open blue doors. “Catering is in here. I’ll radio the writers and tell them where you are. I’m sure they’ll send someone for you shortly.”

“Thanks, again, Freddy.”

“No problem, Anna Sweets. Take care of yourself.”

When he leaves me standing there, I wrap my arms around myself and head into what Xavier loves to refer to as the Snake Pit. As always, several women dressed to kill are gathered around one of the tables, no doubt plotting on how to get their hooks into a professional wrestler.

Not one friendly face is to be seen in the place, so I make my way over to an empty table and sit down. I drag my phone out and dial Xavier’s number, but the line simply rings a few times before going straight to voice mail.

I wonder where he could be?

When the tone sounds, I leave a quick message. “Hey, it’s me. I’m at the show and really missing you. I’ll try to call you again later. Love you.”

My heart sinks a little. It would have been nice to hear his voice and find a little encouragement or last-minute pointers from a guy who’s been through this hundreds of times.

I sigh and then quickly dial Quinn’s number, desperately needing the sound of a friendly voice to help me not feel so alone right now.

Quinn answers on the second ring. “Hey, chica! Nice to see you’re taking my threat of calling me every day a little more seriously now.”

I smile but roll my eyes. “When have I missed a day of talking to you?”

She clears her throat. “I can think of a few when you were with Mr. Sexy all the time. Speaking of, how did it go with him dropping you off at the airport?”

I nibble on the corner of my bottom lip as I fight back some tears. “It was rough. I hate fighting with him all the time. It’s been extra hard, being here and knowing that there’s this weird tension between us.”

“When you get home, I’m sure he’ll finally come to his senses and figure out how to be more open with you.”

“I hope so,” I mumble.

“He’s not an idiot, Anna. He knows you mean business now because you set your foot down. You’re demanding respect from him. He’ll come to his senses. He’s a man, and sometimes, men are a little slow at figuring things out. Hell, look at how many times Brock and I fought over when we should get married before he came around and compromised with me.”

My eyes widen as she lets me see a glimpse of something they fought over. She was always so secretive about it before, so it takes me aback that she blurted it out like that.

“Wait a minute,” I say as things click. “Are you telling me that all the fighting between you and Brock that I witnessed at Larry’s was over setting a wedding date? Quinn, I didn’t even know you were engaged then.”

“We weren’t engaged until recently. Our fights were about that very thing though. I left him there for a while to pound it into his head that if he wanted to keep me around, he would need to really commit to me. That’s when we got back together, when you first got here. I give you props, Anna, for standing up to X and sticking to your guns. We women need to stand up to our men and make them understand what we need in order to be happy.”

The mention of Xavier causes me to wonder again where he might be. We haven’t spoken, except through our texts, since he dropped me off at the airport. I miss him terribly, but if he needs some space from me, I have no choice right now but to give it to him, seeing as I’m on the other side of the country.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of thoughts of Xavier before I break down into a puddle of tears with Quinn on the other end of the line.

I need to change the subject. “I got an interesting text last night.”

“Oh?” Quinn says. I can tell her interest is piqued. “From whom?”

“Jorge,” I reply simply.

“What? Oh my God. What did he want?”

“He somehow knew I was in Seattle and asked to meet while I’m close to home. He says we have things we need to discuss.”

“Are you serious? You’re not going to see him, are you? X will shit a brick if you’re out with your ex-fiancé.”

I run my fingers through my hair, pushing it back from my face. “I know, but I feel like I owe it to Jorge to hear out whatever he wants to say to me. He was my friend, one I was promised to marry, and then I ran out on him without any explanation. He has a right to be upset with me.”

Quinn sighs into the phone, and it’s not hard to tell that she doesn’t exactly agree with me. “You’re a better woman than me, cuz. The best I would’ve agreed to would’ve been a phone call. I don’t think I could bear to see an old boyfriend face-to-face, but your situation is different. Jorge wasn’t just some guy you dated for a while who cheated on you or something.”

“He’s actually a great guy. He’s just not the man I’m meant to be with, and I should’ve had the guts to tell him that before I left, but I didn’t. I need to make things right between us. I need that closure.”

“That’s what makes you such a good person, Anna. You really do care about people.”

“Thank you. I don’t always feel that way about myself. Father always made me feel like I was the evilest thing in the world.”

“Pfft,” Quinn huffs. “Uncle Simon needs a reality check. By being his crazy, uptight self, he’s missing out on what an extraordinary woman you have become. It’s his loss, Anna, and you have to stop believing that what he said is true. He’s the one who’s wrong when it comes to how strict he’s been with you. Hopefully, one day, he’ll wake up and give you the apology he owes you.”

I release a slightly bitter laugh. “That’s never going to happen, Quinn. You and I both know Father doesn’t work that way.”

“You never know. He might surprise you after he realizes that you’re not going to bend to his will anymore.”

I open my mouth to repeat again that Father will never apologize, but the sound of my name being called over the low murmurs in the catering room catches my attention.

“Anna Sweet?”

“Right here.” I raise my hand and then whisper into the phone, “Got to go, Quinn. I’ll call you soon.”

“Okay, love you,” she says before we end the call.

I shove myself out of the seat and then follow the guy wearing a
Tension
T-shirt out of the room. I recognize the man as one of the stagehands. When the show goes live, he is responsible for fetching the talent to get them ready to head out and face the crowd.

We make it back to a set of closed blue double doors, and the man raps his knuckles on the steel just below a piece of paper that says
Writers
.

He twists the knob and then pops his head inside. “Anna Sweets for you.”

“Send her in, Al,” a female voice on the other side calls.

I instantly know I’m about to face Vicky.

Al turns to me with an expression on his face that can only be described as worry as the corners of his mouth pull down. “Good luck.”

I lift my chin and step through the door, unsure of what I’m walking into.

The writers’ room is set up identical as it was in Atlanta with the folding tables side by side and four writers sitting next to each other, typing furiously.

“Have a seat,” Vicky orders. She doesn’t bother to glance up at me from her computer.

My eyes flick to the blue plastic chairs in front of Vicky, and there, with a smirk on his face, sits Rex.

I sigh as I note he’s strategically placed himself in the middle seat, leaving me no choice but to take a chair next to him.

He wiggles his eyebrows and pats the empty seat to his right. “Saved you a seat.”

I roll my eyes and plop down on the edge of the seat next to him, doing my best to scoot away from him. He throws his arm around my shoulders, and my skin crawls.

“Ugh.” I throw his arm off me. “Please don’t touch me.”

This amuses him. He leans in toward me and whispers, “Come on, Anna. You need to get used to me touching you because I’ll be doing it a lot on camera.”

I want to argue with him and tell him that there’s no way that’s going to happen, but Mr. Silverman has already made it perfectly clear that a romance with Rex on camera is in the cards for me.

I twist my head away from Rex, and he chuckles darkly as he settles back into his seat.

“Okay, Anna,” Vicky says as she swivels her chair to face me. “I’m sure you know why you’re here, so let’s get right down to the storyline, shall we?”

“Okay.” I fold my arms across my chest, knowing full well that I’ll absolutely hate whatever comes out of her mouth.

“Tonight, we’re going to send you out with Rex and another lady we’ve brought on as an employee. Rex informs me you’ve already met Deena.”

Great.

When I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Deena gets thrown into the mix.

Vicky awaits a response from me, but when she sees that she won’t be getting one, she adjusts her black-rimmed glasses and continues, “The two of you ladies will accompany Rex out to the ring, and you both will be a part of the Fire Phenomenal X support group, being sympathetic to Rex. The three of you will be leading a fictional protest to get Phenomenal X out of
Tension
for good.”

My mouth falls open. “That’s the most absurd idea I’ve ever heard. The fans will hate that, and I will not—”

“Need I remind you, Ms. Cortez, that you are under contract? You must follow the script we provide, or we will have cause to remove you from the company.”

Her threat is clear. I need to go along with this or get fired. And if I’m fired, Mr. Silverman will not allow me back into the building when Xavier’s suspension is lifted.

I take a deep breath. Being a part of a group in this scenario is better than being in a fake relationship with Rex.

I clear my throat. “So, I just walk into the ring with Rex and Deena and stand there? Is that all I do?”

“For now,” Vicky replies coolly. “Feel free to improvise if you think something will strengthen the plotline for the rivalry between X and Rex. We need to get the fans excited about an epic showdown between the two.”

“Got it,” I answer solemnly. “Anything else?”

She eyes me over the top of her glasses for a moment and then shakes her head. “That’s it. You may go.”

Without another word, I hop up from the chair and race through the door, relieved a little that I won’t be kissing Rex tonight like he threatened, but I still have this looming feeling that I’ve only temporarily escaped it.