Post by alyadmirer on Apr 13, 2017 1:46:19 GMT
FAWN CORPORATE OFFICES, ORLANDO, FLORIDA…
“Ms. Duffy? Ms. Christian will see you now…”
SIDNEY DUFFY
Sidney Duffy stood up from what had been a quite comfy chair, and stifled a small grimace from a twinge of pain in her chest. Her long-sleeved blouse, perhaps a shade too heavy an article of clothing for the Sunshine State’s heat and humidity, nevertheless did an admirable job of hiding the tape encasing her torso—a parting gift from Eden Isherwood’s assault at the end of the Proving Ground show. After losing her match on that card—or, more accurately stated, had her victory stolen from her in a puff of glitter—Sidney hadn’t expected to hear from FAWN again for probably a couple of years, at least…
A call from the offices came in 48 hours later, followed shortly thereafter by emailed boarding pass for a flight to Orlando.
Now, she found herself coming face to face with arguably the most powerful executive in women’s wrestling…
BETHANY CHRISTIAN
“Ms. Duffy,” Bethany Christian said, greeting her, rising from her chair behind her desk. The older brunette was only three inches taller than her, still Sidney could not shake the feeling that she somehow seemed even taller. “How are you feeling?”
Like I went through another car accident, Duffy thought, but did not say. “Sore,” she instead replied. “But recovering.” Bethany motioned for Sid to take a seat at the desk, which she did. “The docs say I should be good to get back in the ring in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Returning to her seat, Christian asked, “… and you intend to do that in Sacramento?”
Sidney kept herself from blinking.
There was likely only one reason Bethany Christian would bring her out to Orlando, and then ask that particular question. But better to play it cool…
“And where else might I do so?”
Bethany smiled, apparently pleased with Duffy’s response. “While it’s true that even I cannot be everywhere, Sidney, I DO have eyes everywhere. A few of my talent evaluators were on hand, just putting the finishing touches on their personnel profiles, for whoever won their contracts. A number of them told me that, even taking into account the biases of the local fans, YOU were the star of the night. And, having watched the tape, I can’t say that they were wrong.”
Christian sat back, lacing her fingers together as she regarded the younger woman across from her. “So, after that, I made myself a little more familiar with you, and your work. Clearly, you were cheated out of a victory by Ms. Brooks. And clearly, from your other matches I’ve seen, that victory you should have had would have been no fluke.”
Bethany’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
“And, if I was the cold-hearted, insensitive, cynical bytch others have accused me of being, I might note that your quote unquote tragic backstory, properly exploited, would be a license to print money.”
“IF you were a cold-hearted, insensitive, cynical bytch,” Duffy echoed, her tone managing to remain respectful while nevertheless conveying just where she found herself leaning on that issue, during her first encounter with the executive.
Bethany nodded.
“So, you called me here to offer me the deal I had won at the Proving Ground show…?” Sidney asked, maintaining a measured tone.
“No,” Christian replied, her smile momentarily widening. “Don’t get me wrong: you SHOULD have won that contract. But do you have any idea how many women could have made careers for themselves based on matches they SHOULD have won against me? The fact of the matter, Ms. Duffy, is that you DIDN’T get the job done when it counted—and that is the mark of a woman who still needs seasoning. So, what I AM prepared to do…”
The sound of raised voices outside of her office caused Bethany to pause for a moment.
“What I am prepared to do,” Christian repeated, “is offer you a developmental deal, and a spot in the Jungle. From there, you can prove whether or not you belong in FAWN prop...”
Suddenly, the office door was THRUST open, nearly hard enough to remove it from its hinges. “CHRISTIAN,” a voice bellowed, “I want wha…”
EDEN ISHERWOOD
The horror of the hardcourt’s voice trailed off when Isherwood saw that she and Bethany were not alone. For her part, Sidney jumped out of her chair, again stifling a wince—which did not escape Eden’s notice. “What are YOU doing here?” Duffy asked the towering, smirking blonde.
“What am I doing here?” Eden scoffed at the question. “Who the f*ck even ARE you, again? Sneezy? Dopey? Oh, no, wait, that’s right… Sleepy.”
Sidney took a step toward the imposing blonde, until Bethany’s voice froze BOTH women. “Ms. Isherwood, Sidney is here to sign a developmental contract. But, as the young lady asked, what are you…”
“SHE’S being offered a deal???” Eden interrupted. “Where the f*ck is mine? Did you see the way I DOMINATED that cun…”
“Ms. Isherwood,” Bethany snapped, raising a hand. “There’s a distinct difference between Ms. Duffy’s match and yours. Sidney lost her match because she failed to properly account for her opponent’s duplicity. YOU lost your match because of your own ego and your idiocy. One of those can be more readily trained out of a competitor than the other.”
“Listen, you washed up, dried out bytch,” Isherwood barked. “If THIS skank deserves a FAWN deal, then dammit, so the f*ck do I. And I don’t intend to walk out of this building without…”
“Isherwood,” Bethany said, slamming her hands on her desk as she got to her feet, “trust me when I tell you I do NOT respond well to demands. And until a couple of seconds ago, I would have been content to call security to escort you out of the building.”
Christian moved out from behind her desk…
“But I think I should show you just how washed up and dried out I…”
“Ms. Christian!”
All eyes in the room turned to the nearly forgotten woman in the room. “I’ll sign your contract,” Sidney Duffy said, “but on one condition.”
Bethany blinked. “Ms. Duffy, I’m not sure if you just heard me or not, but I’m not sure you’re in any position to be making demands…”
Duffy raised her left hand. “Hear me out, Ms. Christian. You see, the way I see it…”
Sidney nudged her thumb in Isherwood’s direction.
“I owe this bytch an ass kicking. But, if I sign your contract, it’s going to be YEARS before I get the opportunity to repay that debt.”
Duffy looked past the executive, over to Eden, before adding, “And if I had to place a bet on the likelihood of her sticking to it on the indies long enough to earn a FAWN deal, I bet I’ll NEVER get her in a ring… unless you sign her with me.”
Sid could see the wheels turning in Bethany’s mind, but she couldn’t get a reading on just what sort of computations they might be making. But finally, the statuesque brunette returned to her desk and picked up the phone. “Ruth,” she said, “have Legal draw up a standard developmental deal for one Eden Isherwood. Thank you.” Hanging up the receiver, Christian fixed her gaze on the former basketball phenom. “My secretary will escort you to Talent Relations. They’ll have paperwork ready for you to sign very shortly.”
Eden gave her new boss a small nod, but then turned toward the woman who had convinced Bethany to hire her. “You REALLY are f*ckin’ moron, aren’t you?” she asked. “You were THIIIIIIIS close to having your dream, and to NEVER having to deal with me again. You think you can kick MY ass, bytch? Imma DESTROY you, skank!”
“That a fact?” Sidney asked, stepping closer to the blonde amazon.
“Stone cold lock,” Eden confirmed. “I’m gonna leave your dream as dead as your sister.”
Shea London herself wouldn’t have been able to cover the distance from Bethany’s desk to these two women in time to keep them separated. With a howl of primal rage, Sid charged the bigger woman, lowering a shoulder and DRIVING it into Eden’s stomach. Legs churning, Duffy managed to drive her foe back into the wall, Isherwood’s back slamming into it with enough force to send a couple of framed photos falling to the floor. Straightening up, Duffy started firing punches, targeting the baller’s abs and chest, and landing several…
… until Eden slammed her hands into Sidney’s chest, the smaller woman groaning as an EMPHATIC shove sends Duffy tumbling to the floor. The Kid scrambled off the floor, but Bethany wrapped two arms around her waist, keeping her restrained as a couple of security officers enter the room and grab hold of Eden’s arms.
“Escort Ms. Isherwood to Talent Relations,” Christian instructed the guards, “and then get her the HELL out of my building!” But, as furious as the CEO might be, the thought of the money these two might be able to generate for her soothed some of that anger.
“Ms. Duffy? Ms. Christian will see you now…”
SIDNEY DUFFY
Sidney Duffy stood up from what had been a quite comfy chair, and stifled a small grimace from a twinge of pain in her chest. Her long-sleeved blouse, perhaps a shade too heavy an article of clothing for the Sunshine State’s heat and humidity, nevertheless did an admirable job of hiding the tape encasing her torso—a parting gift from Eden Isherwood’s assault at the end of the Proving Ground show. After losing her match on that card—or, more accurately stated, had her victory stolen from her in a puff of glitter—Sidney hadn’t expected to hear from FAWN again for probably a couple of years, at least…
A call from the offices came in 48 hours later, followed shortly thereafter by emailed boarding pass for a flight to Orlando.
Now, she found herself coming face to face with arguably the most powerful executive in women’s wrestling…
BETHANY CHRISTIAN
“Ms. Duffy,” Bethany Christian said, greeting her, rising from her chair behind her desk. The older brunette was only three inches taller than her, still Sidney could not shake the feeling that she somehow seemed even taller. “How are you feeling?”
Like I went through another car accident, Duffy thought, but did not say. “Sore,” she instead replied. “But recovering.” Bethany motioned for Sid to take a seat at the desk, which she did. “The docs say I should be good to get back in the ring in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Returning to her seat, Christian asked, “… and you intend to do that in Sacramento?”
Sidney kept herself from blinking.
There was likely only one reason Bethany Christian would bring her out to Orlando, and then ask that particular question. But better to play it cool…
“And where else might I do so?”
Bethany smiled, apparently pleased with Duffy’s response. “While it’s true that even I cannot be everywhere, Sidney, I DO have eyes everywhere. A few of my talent evaluators were on hand, just putting the finishing touches on their personnel profiles, for whoever won their contracts. A number of them told me that, even taking into account the biases of the local fans, YOU were the star of the night. And, having watched the tape, I can’t say that they were wrong.”
Christian sat back, lacing her fingers together as she regarded the younger woman across from her. “So, after that, I made myself a little more familiar with you, and your work. Clearly, you were cheated out of a victory by Ms. Brooks. And clearly, from your other matches I’ve seen, that victory you should have had would have been no fluke.”
Bethany’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
“And, if I was the cold-hearted, insensitive, cynical bytch others have accused me of being, I might note that your quote unquote tragic backstory, properly exploited, would be a license to print money.”
“IF you were a cold-hearted, insensitive, cynical bytch,” Duffy echoed, her tone managing to remain respectful while nevertheless conveying just where she found herself leaning on that issue, during her first encounter with the executive.
Bethany nodded.
“So, you called me here to offer me the deal I had won at the Proving Ground show…?” Sidney asked, maintaining a measured tone.
“No,” Christian replied, her smile momentarily widening. “Don’t get me wrong: you SHOULD have won that contract. But do you have any idea how many women could have made careers for themselves based on matches they SHOULD have won against me? The fact of the matter, Ms. Duffy, is that you DIDN’T get the job done when it counted—and that is the mark of a woman who still needs seasoning. So, what I AM prepared to do…”
The sound of raised voices outside of her office caused Bethany to pause for a moment.
“What I am prepared to do,” Christian repeated, “is offer you a developmental deal, and a spot in the Jungle. From there, you can prove whether or not you belong in FAWN prop...”
Suddenly, the office door was THRUST open, nearly hard enough to remove it from its hinges. “CHRISTIAN,” a voice bellowed, “I want wha…”
EDEN ISHERWOOD
The horror of the hardcourt’s voice trailed off when Isherwood saw that she and Bethany were not alone. For her part, Sidney jumped out of her chair, again stifling a wince—which did not escape Eden’s notice. “What are YOU doing here?” Duffy asked the towering, smirking blonde.
“What am I doing here?” Eden scoffed at the question. “Who the f*ck even ARE you, again? Sneezy? Dopey? Oh, no, wait, that’s right… Sleepy.”
Sidney took a step toward the imposing blonde, until Bethany’s voice froze BOTH women. “Ms. Isherwood, Sidney is here to sign a developmental contract. But, as the young lady asked, what are you…”
“SHE’S being offered a deal???” Eden interrupted. “Where the f*ck is mine? Did you see the way I DOMINATED that cun…”
“Ms. Isherwood,” Bethany snapped, raising a hand. “There’s a distinct difference between Ms. Duffy’s match and yours. Sidney lost her match because she failed to properly account for her opponent’s duplicity. YOU lost your match because of your own ego and your idiocy. One of those can be more readily trained out of a competitor than the other.”
“Listen, you washed up, dried out bytch,” Isherwood barked. “If THIS skank deserves a FAWN deal, then dammit, so the f*ck do I. And I don’t intend to walk out of this building without…”
“Isherwood,” Bethany said, slamming her hands on her desk as she got to her feet, “trust me when I tell you I do NOT respond well to demands. And until a couple of seconds ago, I would have been content to call security to escort you out of the building.”
Christian moved out from behind her desk…
“But I think I should show you just how washed up and dried out I…”
“Ms. Christian!”
All eyes in the room turned to the nearly forgotten woman in the room. “I’ll sign your contract,” Sidney Duffy said, “but on one condition.”
Bethany blinked. “Ms. Duffy, I’m not sure if you just heard me or not, but I’m not sure you’re in any position to be making demands…”
Duffy raised her left hand. “Hear me out, Ms. Christian. You see, the way I see it…”
Sidney nudged her thumb in Isherwood’s direction.
“I owe this bytch an ass kicking. But, if I sign your contract, it’s going to be YEARS before I get the opportunity to repay that debt.”
Duffy looked past the executive, over to Eden, before adding, “And if I had to place a bet on the likelihood of her sticking to it on the indies long enough to earn a FAWN deal, I bet I’ll NEVER get her in a ring… unless you sign her with me.”
Sid could see the wheels turning in Bethany’s mind, but she couldn’t get a reading on just what sort of computations they might be making. But finally, the statuesque brunette returned to her desk and picked up the phone. “Ruth,” she said, “have Legal draw up a standard developmental deal for one Eden Isherwood. Thank you.” Hanging up the receiver, Christian fixed her gaze on the former basketball phenom. “My secretary will escort you to Talent Relations. They’ll have paperwork ready for you to sign very shortly.”
Eden gave her new boss a small nod, but then turned toward the woman who had convinced Bethany to hire her. “You REALLY are f*ckin’ moron, aren’t you?” she asked. “You were THIIIIIIIS close to having your dream, and to NEVER having to deal with me again. You think you can kick MY ass, bytch? Imma DESTROY you, skank!”
“That a fact?” Sidney asked, stepping closer to the blonde amazon.
“Stone cold lock,” Eden confirmed. “I’m gonna leave your dream as dead as your sister.”
Shea London herself wouldn’t have been able to cover the distance from Bethany’s desk to these two women in time to keep them separated. With a howl of primal rage, Sid charged the bigger woman, lowering a shoulder and DRIVING it into Eden’s stomach. Legs churning, Duffy managed to drive her foe back into the wall, Isherwood’s back slamming into it with enough force to send a couple of framed photos falling to the floor. Straightening up, Duffy started firing punches, targeting the baller’s abs and chest, and landing several…
… until Eden slammed her hands into Sidney’s chest, the smaller woman groaning as an EMPHATIC shove sends Duffy tumbling to the floor. The Kid scrambled off the floor, but Bethany wrapped two arms around her waist, keeping her restrained as a couple of security officers enter the room and grab hold of Eden’s arms.
“Escort Ms. Isherwood to Talent Relations,” Christian instructed the guards, “and then get her the HELL out of my building!” But, as furious as the CEO might be, the thought of the money these two might be able to generate for her soothed some of that anger.