Complicated

Contingency Plans

"No," I said emphatically, crossing my arms for effect.

Hunter stared back at me, expressionless. I guessed that he was trying to decide between yelling at me until I agreed or keeping a level head. I knew that yelling was not going to work for him.

"Savannah," He said my name slowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. I felt like I was about to be yelled at by my father. I crossed my arms like the rebellious teenager he was treating me like.

"It is just a story line."

"Well it's a dumb one." I said.

He just stared at me for a moment. I knew I was going to lose this argument. He was, whether I liked it or not, my boss and the one that could make me do this.

"Why don't you like it?" He asked. Apparently he was trying the compromise approach.

"Because I make a horrible heel. Literally no one believes that I am mean."

Hunter pursed his lips and his eyes twitched as though he stopped them midroll.

"You don't have to turn heel. Priest is...unofficially turning babyface."

"Unofficially?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms.

"Well," Hunter started with a sigh. "Gargano is a heel that everyone hates. But Priest is a heel that is liked by some and not by others. We think he will make a good inbetween for, at least, as long as this storyline is a thing."

I nodded. "Okay," I was out of reasons not to agree.

"Great. You will have a script in hand by the end of the night." He said the words as he disappeared down the hall.

***

I sat in the screening room reading through the script that had just been handed to me. I had a promo to go shoot in five minutes and I was trying to remember the gist of what I was supposed to say. The bullet points were minimum. I was usually allowed to come up with the majority of my promos since I was good at them. I just had to lean into the direction of the storyline set up by Creative.

"Savannah?" a female producer with her hair in a tight ponytail called me from the door. "They're ready for you."

I picked up the Women's NXT Championship and followed her out of the room and down the hall toward the screening setup.
The match between Candace and I at Takeover 31 had been set already. And the match between Priest and Gargano had been set. I wasn't sure exactly how this mixed tag match had gotten set up earlier in the night. That part wasn't in my script and this change in storyline was the definition of a contingency plan.

Damian Priest stood next to Sarah...more like towered over her.

"You stand there." the producer said and pointed next to Sarah, across from Damian.

I took up the space and positioned the title over my shoulder and the producer quickly pulled my hair over my other shoulder.

"There you go." she smiled.

"You ever get tired of being primped and prodded before a promo?" Damian asked with a smile.

Sarah and I both laugh.

"You get used to it." I said and Sarah nodded in agreement.

"You're live in 3." Another producer said and I waited patiently for Sarah to begin. She began her run down of the Gargano's versus us then turned to Damian.

"How are you feeling going into this match against NXT's power couple?"

Damian gave a sarcastic laugh. "Power couple, heh, that's cute. You know what, they can keep that. Cause come Takeover, I'm keeping my championship. See, tonight's a preview of Takeover." He nodded toward me. "The NXT Women's champion." Then glanced back to his on title on his shoulder. "The North American Champion. The rock stars of NXT."