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Joseph thrusts his hips forward. “Oh, you mean buckles like this beaut here? Quite the fashion statement and a great conversation starter at cocktail parties.”
I really laugh. Cheyanne rolls her eyes. I quickly glance away again.
Oh, my God, what is wrong with me? I’m acting like a schoolboy around this woman.
“Man, look at that. That’s from the 1999 Championship, isn’t it? I watched that meet on TV as a kid. I loved your Quicksilver character. It was that fight that made me want to get into this game. I wanted to be you.”
Joseph’s cheeks blush this time. It’s clear that I’ve won over his heart. But I can’t say the same for Cheyanne. She’s shifting her stance like she’s bored.
Why doesn’t she want to bang me like the rest of the female human race?
I side-eye my chest and slide my tongue along my razor-sharp teeth. No meat sinews stuck in my teeth. I’m sweaty from the meet, but I rock sweat! This chick should be all over me. Why do I attract the Dee Dee’s of this world and not the Cheyenne's?
Then it strikes me. Of course! Why would a wrestler care for another wrestler? I’ll bet I’m as boring as hell to her since there’s no intrigue left. I breathe easier, my confidence restored.
But Cheyanne O’Malley isn’t boring to me. Just her fiery red hair alone draws my eye, not to mention the rest of her. And those freckles. Damn, they’re adorable. I just want to take a green Sharpie and link them up, one by one, all the way down…
“Ronan, are you still staring at my buckle? You can try it on if you like.” Joseph unbuckles the silver monstrosity and hands it over. His bellowing tone wakes me up. Thank God.
Tracing freckles with a Sharpie? Was I concussed in that last match-up? Daredevil Stevens and that little guy, Mickey Mouser, they can hit. Note to self, get checked out physically, too.
I accept the buckle and turn it around in my hands. The thing weighs a ton. I have to wonder how Joseph’s pants don’t crumple with the weight. Again, I stifle a laugh. It’s the visual, thinking his butt is as shiny bald as his head.
“It is a beauty alright, Joseph. They don’t make them like this anymore. That’s solid silver, that is. All they have in the championship now is silver-plated. Too much pawing and the silver wears right off. As fake as the industry who makes it, I guess.”
“Hey, now there, son. You can make your brand as genuine as you want, the industry be damned.”
I exhale. Finally, someone gets me. “Between us and those empty seats, I’ve wanted to take my Lawless character in a new direction. I want to be more of an everyman’s hero, you know.”
Joseph's eyes sparkle, and I swear I see the cogs in his brain churning. I look over at Cheyanne as if somehow I need her approval. And what do I see? Is that shock? Disgust even? Cripes. I should write a book. 101 Ways To Not Impress a Girl. It’d be a smash hit.
“Why would you do that?”
Oh, great. Now Cheyanne finds her voice.
I let out a stealthy sigh. “I guess, well…”
“Tell me, tell us.”
Now she’s aggressive all of a sudden. Geez.
“Well, like I was going to say. I want a change. I’ve been the villain for so long now. I memorized all the evil looks, all the devious takedowns. It’s like I’m sleepwalking through the shows. Eventually, the fans will sense it. Briarwood is covered in sensitives. And when they do, well, ticket sales will plummet. If I don’t hold passion, nobody will.”
There. My reply sounds intelligent, worldly, and grand even. She has to be impressed with me now.
“Oh, you two are a pair. You want to be a hero, and Cheyanne here is jonesing to be you. She’s been working hard on developing a new alter ego.”
“Interesting. What’s her name?” I truly am interested now. I lean in and actually mean my expression for once.
Cheyanne whispers. “Disastra.”
I lean in close. “Sorry, say that again.”
Cheyanne clears her throat. “Disastra.” I see her recoil like she thinks I’m going to laugh or something.
“Cheyanne, that’s a perfect alter ego name. I love it. Disastra. Rolls right off the tongue, and we orcs have big tongues, let me tell you.”
Cheyanne laughs. A truly genuine laugh. Finally, I’ve struck her funny bone. I laugh right back.
