NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

32. Excerpt from ROSE & THORN: BECKY/SETH

Subject to editing, etc. Not sure where to go with this one yet, since I've already written so many versions of their pairing. Right now, it's an AU time-wise, because I know it wouldn't line up with their NXT days. The set-up will be cliche, but what's fanfic without a few tropes?

Most athletes had pre-game rituals, and even though many people—inside and outside the world of sports—didn't consider professional wrestling a true sport, wrestlers were no different. Becky Lynch knew she wouldn't be wrestling right away at NXT, but she wanted to be in fighting form. Her ring name had been finalized along with most of her gimmick—which meant she was going to have to work on her Irish jig—and she wanted to both celebrate and relax.

Sex was one of her favourite ways to do both, and finding a partner usually wasn't a challenge. She was in Florida now, though, not back home in Ireland or even in her beloved Los Angeles, where she knew enough of the scene to feel comfortable with a random hook-up. So she did what she often did when she was unsure or needed advice, something she had done since she was fifteen years old: she called Finn. He was already in NXT—almost on his way to one of WWE's main roster, RAW or Smackdown—and surely knew more about the area than she did. "Hey, Finn, I have a question," she said the second he answered his phone.

"I don't even get a Fergal? My poor shattered heart," Finn laughed. He had been Becky's first wrestling trainer—and then more, later on—and they remained close friends through all the years, travelling the world separately to hone their craft. "What's up? Isn't your first day at NXT tomorrow? You should be getting some rest. I know you won't be wrestling right away, but—"

"I can't sleep. I have too much energy," Becky replied, gripping her phone so tightly its case squeaked.

The exasperation in Finn's voice was palpable. "You're asking me to recommend a hook-up for you?"

"You know the scene here better than I do," Becky insisted. "I'm not asking you; I know you've got a girlfriend and I would never mess with that." She hadn't met Finn's girlfriend yet, but he practically glowed whenever he talked about her. "But if there's anyone you know who's trustworthy...."

"Most of the people I know over here are wrestlers, Rebecca, and you said you didn't want to get involved with wrestlers anymore, remember?" Then Finn chuckled. "I didn't mean to ruin you for all other wrestlers, I promise."

"Or maybe after you, I just decided wrestlers weren't worth the trouble," Becky retorted with a hearty chuckle. Finn would know she was joking, of course; of all her exes, he was the only one she was still friends with.

"I do set a very high standard." Then Finn sighed. "There's no one I know off-hand who doesn't have a girlfriend, but there's a club you could try. It's called Rose & Thorn. It's basically for celebrities and the wealthy to sleep around."

Becky glanced around at her tiny apartment. She had borrowed some money from her parents so she could get settled before starting at NXT, but there was no way she would be considered wealthy or a celebrity. "Not sure I qualify for either."

"I'll vouch for you. My girlfriend's cousin teaches dominatrix lessons there and she follows wrestling, so she'll know what NXT is." After a moment, Finn added, "If you don't mind having a pick-up time, I could drop you off and pick you up after. We were going to go to late dinner and a movie, so you'd have a few hours..."

A few hours was better than nothing. Becky knew sex clubs were hit and miss, no matter how stringent their screening process was. "Sure. Is there... like a dress code or anything?" She had sold most of her belongings to finance her trip to the States, so she only had basic casual clothes.

"You'll be fine," Finn told her. "Okay, can you be ready in about twenty minutes? I'll call her cousin and see if she's on shift tonight."

"Thanks, Finn. You're the best." After she hung up, Becky went over to her closet. She wasn't really the clubbing type, so she didn't have a lot to choose from. She settled on a simple black dress she had brought along at her mother's insistence; Annette said it was simple and elegant, and that it never hurt to have a dress on hand. After peeling off her leggings and t-shirt, she shimmied into the dress and then hunted for shoes to go with it. The best little black dress in the world wouldn't be able to work its magic if it was worn with a pair of ratty sneakers.