NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

28. Excerpt from ROSE & THORN: BECKY/ROMAN/SETH

Author's note: Unedited, subject to change, etc. It's giving me more stress than I figured it would, so I'll have to think about it some more. Reminder: while Rose & Thorn is a series, the stories are separate from each other, so this story has nothing to do with the Becky/Roman story.

Despite having one of the best social media games in the business, Becky wasn't addicted to her phone the way a lot of the wrestlers were. Her Twitter bio was Nothing but work gets done here once upon a time and she meant every word of it. She had to rely on phones to keep in touch with her family back in Ireland, but otherwise she preferred to be active. That night, however, she was checking her phone so obsessively that even Roman commented on it when he walked past her in the hallway. "What's up, Becks? I thought you'd be long gone by now. Waiting on a call?"

Becky debated how much of an answer to give. Roman was a good friend and there was no one within earshot, but strictly speaking Rose & Thorn business wasn't supposed to leave the club. She was sure people chatted about it all the time, of course—it was human nature to be curious—but the club and its patrons were serious about privacy and security. "I was supposed to have a date tonight," she said vaguely, pulling her Rose & Thorn access card out of her pocket to show him. Even their card was discreet, a simple silver affair with the black outline of a rose and a client number but no name or other identifying information. "But he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it, so the club was supposed to contact me."

She wasn't sure if it was a stroke of good luck or bad when her phone happened to chime at that moment. Laughing, Roman took a polite step back. "I'm not going to snoop, I promise." A member of Rose & Thorn himself, he probably knew all the rules better than she did.

"It's okay. It would just be a confirmation." The club advised its members not to share contact information to avoid potential leaks, so they had a discreet app that acted as an intermediary, confirming dates or letting members ask coded questions in relative safety. Reading the message she received, Becky sighed. "We regret to inform you that your date for tonight has been cancelled," she read aloud. There was an option to reschedule, but there was little point: WWE was on tour, so she wouldn't be in this city again for months. Type Y to reschedule or type N to decline. She hit N and tucked her phone in her pocket.

Roman came back over and kissed the top of her head. "Poor Irish. If you want, I can take you." They both burst into laughter at the same time. "Not like that," he corrected quickly. There was a strange look on his face, though, like he wanted to add something else but thought better of it. "I was going there tonight anyway, so it's not out of my way. Did you need to stop at the hotel to get any... gear?"

Becky blushed a bit. Kinks weren't a requisite at Rose & Thorn, but they were a common theme. She didn't want any sex toys to be found in her bags, though—not by housekeeping staff in the hotels and definitely not by any of the girls in the locker room, because they would never let her live it down. Luckily the club had plenty of toys and equipment available to buy or rent on the premises. "No. I usually just use what's there, and I don't bother dressing up because...." She trailed off with a shrug. For some people, dressing the part was part of the fun, but she found it mostly a waste of time. Most of her day was spent dressed up in some form or another—in her wrestling gear or for interviews or photo shoots—so it was nice to just dress normally when she could.

"Gotcha." Roman kept a respectful distance, but his gaze didn't stray from her face. "Well, the offer's there if you want. Like I said, I was going anyway and I'm ready to if you are...."

"Sure." Becky grabbed her bag and followed Roman to the parking lot, saying goodbye to the backstage crew as they worked to load the trucks. Most of the wrestlers were already gone, so they didn't have to worry anyone asking them out for drinks "Thanks, Roman. I don't know if I'll find anyone else there, but I guess it's worth a shot, right?"

"What's your type?" Roman asked as he opened the back of his rental SUV and put both their bags inside. "I know, I know. What happens in the club stays in the club. But you know I'm not going to tell anyone, and I know a couple guys who are going to be there tonight. One of them might be your type."

Becky shook her head as she hopped up into the passenger seat. Between Roman and the gigantic SUV, she felt like a miniature doll. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm not into casuals as much as Charlotte is. I'd met this guy through a friend before I knew he was a member. But maybe someone I know will be there...."