Lass Ride: Changing Gears

Chapter 6

Becky's first week back was almost like a second vacation. It wasn't as relaxing as going to the beach and hanging out with friends, but since Randy Orton had taken some time off to spend with his daughter, she didn't feel like she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Working on the upcoming feud with Sonya was invigorating too, and she found herself showing up early to events just so they could run new ideas by each other. In the end, it would be up to Creative—which always boiled down to Vince—but at least they were asking the women for their input. It wasn't that long ago that they cared more about the women's bra sizes than their opinions.

"Hey, Becks!" Sonya hopped down off an equipment truck when she spotted her. "So glad you're back!" She gave Becky a warm hug before handing her a coffee. "Last week Creative wanted me to bring in the fact that you dated that MMA guy, but I told them I wouldn't. Not my style."

"Thanks." Becky took a long sip from the coffee and motioned for Sonya to walk with her as she took her bag to the locker room. "Yeesh. Gone for one week and they're already regressing. Give it a month and they'd have us back in bra-and-panty matches."

Sonya made a disgusted face. "Yeah, I can't say I miss those days at all. I don't think I would have tried out here if I thought that's how things were going." Then she brightened up, giving Becky a friendly punch to the shoulder. "Look at you, though! You look so relaxed. And a proper tan too! Did you have a good time? I saw Naomi and the Usos earlier and they looked so chill. I'm envious."

"Yeah, I did. It was really relaxing. I don't know if it was the smartest move, though," Becky confided, "since I haven't been back all that long. Did any of the girls seem pissed off?" Becky hadn't wanted or expected special treatment when she came back to the WWE, but she knew some of the women on the roster hadn't seen their parents in almost a year. Just getting a random week off might not sit well with the others.

"I don't think so." Sonya shook her head. "It's not like you were gone for a month or anything, and we all know you've been through a lot lately. As long as you aren't doing it every month, I don't think anyone's going to raise a fuss."

Becky laughed, even as it stung. She would be lucky if a getaway like that could be arranged once a season. "Not likely to happen. Not if I ever get my hands on the gold again. Then just try getting rid of me." In the women's locker room, Becky greeted the girls who were getting ready and left her bag in her regular spot. "Be back in a few, ladies. Good luck out there."

Sonya paused outside the locker room door and then turned towards Catering. "I've been snacking like mad today. I don't know why. I'll have to double up my workouts pretty soon."

"Could be the weather," Becky remarked as she loaded up a small plate for herself while still nursing her coffee. With her birthday coming at the end of January, she wished the week in Florida could have been planned for then. What a present that would have been! she thought, chastising herself almost immediately. The week itself had been a gift, one that was wholly unexpected, and she was grateful that it happened at all. She just wished she didn't have a winter birthday, especially if she was going to have to spend it away from her closest friends.

"Yeah. You stayed at the Usos' family place, right? I was talking to Jey and he said the whole family bought some old hotel to fix up for family gatherings or something." Sonya grabbed two bottles of water and then headed towards a table, greeting people on the way.

Becky hadn't plannedg to share details—she didn't trust herself not to say too much, especially to someone like Sonya, who she liked talking with—but since Jey had apparently mentioned some of the basics, she figured it was safe. "Yeah. It was really neat. If Ireland were bigger, I'd say my family should do the same. And it's not even really in bad shape. It needs some general updating with bathrooms and all that, but the building is solid and it has this great courtyard with a pool. I swam every day and you can holler across at someone on the other side. Great fun. It was like summer camp for adults."

"Or what it would be like if WWE sprang for housing and we had dorms." Sonya laughed and then shuddered. "Except with my luck, I'd get the worst roommate." They chatted for a while as they ate, switching between their upcoming storyline and swapping stories about their favourite vacations.

"Welcome back!" Becky had heard it often enough that day, but this particular voice made her look up and smile. Cesaro was standing beside her with a take-out coffee cup in hand—he was enough of a coffee snob that Catering's basic brew didn't cut it for him. "Did you have a good vacation?"

"Really good, yeah. It's going to make it feel like an extra long stretch to the next one, though. I should have spaced them out better." Cesaro was smiling, but there was something about his body language that made Becky wary. "What's up?" He was her friend, sure, but he was also a liaison—or a buffer, depending on the day—between her and Hunter, and she hated the strain that put on him. He was too talented a wrestler to be a glorified babysitter.

"I was told that you're supposed to go to Hunter's office." Cesaro held up his hands as a show of innocence, nearly spilling his coffee. "I don't know why. One of the McMahons' interns found me and told me to pass the message along."

Becky fortified herself with another gulp of coffee, though now that she could smell Cesaro's, hers seemed bland in comparison. "Okay." Tapping the table, she stood and smiled apologetically down at Sonya. "I hopefully won't be too long. Catch up with you later?"

Sonya nodded. "Of course. Hope it's nothing serious."

Cesaro reflexively fell into step with Becky. "Er . . . the intern also said I couldn't go in with you." He was normally one of the most eloquent people Becky knew, so his uncertainty spoke volumes.

"That's okay. If I'm in trouble, it's my fault, not yours." Then she grinned. "Did you enjoy your week off from babysitting duty?"

"Come off it, Lynch." Cesaro gave her a friendly shoulder bump. "You know I don't think of you like an assignment. I missed you. All the baristas asked why I was only ordering one drink."

Becky had to smile at that. Cesaro was on a crusade to educate her coffee palate, so whenever they went to a new city, he always looked for a proper cafe and had her try a different drink. "Well, as long as I'm not in shit, we can go out for coffee after the show, unless you're busy."

Cesaro shook his head, stopping a few doors down from Hunter's office. "Sounds great. I'll catch up with you later."

Between Sonya and Cesaro and a few others, Becky's later was sizing up to be quite busy, but she wasn't too worried. She only had a promo that night, not an actual match. Getting back to her regular routine would be good too. Get my head out of the clouds, she thought as she knocked on the office door. When no one answered, she called out, "It's Becky!"

She knocked a second time and started to twist the doorknob when she finally heard a faint reply. "Come in."

Maybe he's on a call, Becky thought as she opened the door and pushed it inward. Or maybe he's sick.

Or it just wasn't Hunter at all. Randy Orton was leaning against the wall, wearing his trademark smirk, and behind the desk was Stephanie, not her husband. "Hello, Becky. You look well rested. Did you have a nice vacation?" Stephanie's eyes glinted like the unforgiving steel in a cage match as she turned her laptop to face Becky. "It sure looks like you did."

The pictures were blurry—either taken from a distance or in a hurry, possibly both—so Becky had to go further into the room than she wanted. The second she had seen who was inside, she wanted to turn around and leave. Now that she was looking at the photos, she wished she had followed her gut. There were no photos of her and Seth, thankfully, but someone had gotten plenty of her, Bayley, and Sasha while they were dress shopping for Dean and Renee's wedding, as well as one from the mini-golf course and one of her on a morning stroll with Charlotte. "The Samoan dynasty is starting to look a little white," Randy remarked, eyes narrowing.

Stephanie barely shot him a glance. "My father doesn't know about these. Neither does Hunter. Not yet, anyway. If you want to keep it that way, pull up a chair and we'll talk."