Common Grounds

Chapter 2

"I fucked it up. I'm sure of it." Becky supposed it was ironic—or maybe poetic, or just fitting—that she was staring down into a cup of coffee from 392 Davenport while lamenting the fact that she had most likely blown the interview. Her friend Ryan had picked her up from her morning interview at the cafe and treated her to lunch before driving her to another interview that afternoon, that one at a hotel. When he had suggested a cup of coffee for the way home, Becky didn't want to venture back into 392 Davenport, so she told him what she wanted and hunkered down in the passenger seat, hoping none of the cafe staff recognized her. She wished she had been confident enough to go back inside, though. It could have shown interest in the company and the product—or, on the other hand, looked desperate and overbearing. That toast is worth looking desperate for, though, she thought idly. She had never seen a cafe that featured toast, let alone a glorious toast bar, and she had thought that was a sign. Or at least until she did until she realized Seth Rollins was part-owner.

"Which one are you talking about?" Ryan was sitting across from her, taking a break from packing. Not long after Becky had made her way to Davenport, he had gotten a great job offer in Chicago, so he was going to be gone before the end of the month. He wasn't being annoyingly paternal about it, but Becky knew he was hoping she could find a steady job before his departure so she could afford the apartment he was transferring to her. "The cafe gig or the hotel one? The hotel one probably has better long-term prospects," Ryan said, "but I doubt Iowa is your end goal. The cafe won't pay as well, but the hours will be more flexible, so you could always find a side gig. There's more opportunity to network there too. You never know who you might meet at a cafe, especially one owned by a wrestler."

"Partially owned," Becky corrected. The distinction seemed important. If she was hired, she hoped it was based on her merit, not because she was a former wrestler. She also hoped it didn't put her out of the running either. I really should have done more research, she thought as she sipped her coffee. She had been watching WWE ever since she was a kid—back when it was still WWF—and she knew about The Shield and that Seth was from Iowa. Somehow she had never made the connection until she saw him in the cafe. "I just hope they don't think I'm some sort of groupie trying to get close to Seth." She didn't even feel right using his real name.

Ryan gave her a look. "Becks, that's not your style. You didn't even really date wrestlers when you were a wrestler."

"You know that. I know that. They don't know that." Becky set down her coffee and sighed. "I'm sure they get all sorts of fans in there, hoping to take pictures with Seth. Same with his wrestling academy. I mean, sure, it's not my life's goal to be a barista, so I wouldn't be there forever, no, but if I got the job, it would be because it interests me, not because of who owns the company. Partially owns," she corrected quickly. Part of her wished she had retreated to her room and called Finn, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know if Seth had called to verify her story.

"You sounded really positive about the interview before." Ryan shrugged as he nudged a box with his foot. "You looked happy after it. When I picked you up from the hotel interview, there was no light in your eyes."

Becky snorted in frustration. "You were just saying that the hotel job would have better... how did you word it?" She tapped her chin as she pretended to scour her memory. "Long-term prospects, I think was the term you used."

"Sure. I'm sure it does. But like I said, I doubt Iowa is your end goal. So right now, if I were you, I would focus on a job that can pay the bills, yes, but the next consideration would be the one that makes you happy, or at least a job you don't dread going to." Ryan leaned across and patted her knee. "You could come back to Chicago, if you wanted. I know you wanted a change of scenery, but Chicago's a big city, and the house is in a completely different area. If you didn't want to go back to bartending, I'm sure there are cafes and hotels hiring there too."