Joye Rider: Never Give Up

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"You have to tap out."

I struggled against Patrick Hunter's forearm gridlocked around my shoulders. No matter how much I squirmed or tried pulling his bulging bicep loose, I couldn't release myself from his grip. He was solid as stone.

Patrick twisted his wrist to glance at his watch then finally let me go. "You would have passed out by now."

I placed my hands on my hips, my chest heaving from the workout I'd just put in trying to escape. "I'd rather be unconscious than a quitter."

"Pride versus a broken collarbone." Patrick squinted one eye, weighing out the dilemma. "Tough choice."

"Let's hope we won't be competing anytime soon." I reached down to the mat to pick up my water bottle. "Especially, since I figured out your weakness." I popped open the top and took long sips.

"And what is that?"

Still slurping, I shook my head. After I was adequately replenished, I popped the top back on. "I'd rather keep it to myself. Never know when I might need it."

Smirking, Patrick leaned against the ropes, his arms stretched against the top one. His eyes looked past me to outside the ring. "Head's up."

I turned around to see the GM of Top Tier Wrestling Gregory Copeland entering the gym of the currently empty gym of the community center that housed TTW's shows every week. It held about two hundred people. Three hundred with a tight squeeze, but they were just slightly below half of capacity most nights. Which wasn't bad for a fairly new company. They had the talent, they were just missing the buzz.

Copeland joined us by the apron of the ring slapping the mat. "Joye, a word, please?" Without waiting for a response he headed back to his office backstage. I glanced over my shoulder at Patrick who cocked a brow and shrugged. Okay. So we were both clueless.

I ducked under the ropes and jumped off the apron digging through my mind for reasons Copeland could be summoning me. Technically, I was still in training and not an active member of the roster. Maybe that was about to change.

Backstage, Copeland waited for me by the door of his office. AKA the basketball coach's office, but after the crew members move a few things out of frame of the camera for backstage segments, the viewers would never know the difference.

Copeland pushed the door open for me and I entered the room, surprised to see the new TTW Next Level Champion lounging back in one of the empty seats behind Copeland's desk. His chin-length golden hair was perpetually wet and slicked back, pinned down by iridescent aviators. His white, leather Next Level championship hung across his tie-dye shirt, gleaming under the light. I craved for the taste of a title, hungry to feel the weight of it around my waist.

"Take a seat." Copeland sat at his desk and I followed suit sitting in the crunchy, green, faux leather chair next to Riley who offered me a smile. I awkwardly smiled back. "You've been doing a great job lately. Making a ton of progress."

"Thanks. I've been working really hard." I folded my fingers on my lap trying to keep them from fidgeting. Was this it? Was he about to offer me a spot on the roster? So far, I was the only woman in the company, but maybe he found another female I could compete against. Maybe I would finally have my debut.

"It shows." Copeland leaned forward propping his elbows on his desk and resting his untrimmed, goateed chin on his knuckles. "You have strong potential and I want to give you an opportunity to prove it. That's why I'm scheduling your debut for next week."

I gripped the arms of the chair until my fingernails dug into the wood, preventing myself from leaping to my feet. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. Next week, you will be introduced to the TTW fans as Riley's manager." He glanced over at Riley. A big smile spread across Riley's face.

And I was sent crashing back down to earth watching a shower of the broken pieces of my dreams raining down on my head. Was he serious? I worked extremely hard to get here, and even harder when I got this opportunity. Now I was just supposed to let all my talent waste away by being someone's arm candy? I sat up straighter, trying to choose my words carefully. This was a step forward, and I appreciated that, but this wasn't the foot in the door I expected. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I didn't come here to escort someone out to the ring. I came to wrestle."

Copeland nodded like he understood, but his casual expression did not reflect my concerns. "I know that, and I know how good you are. But we have to be realistic here. You are our only woman competitor. You can use this opportunity to draw in a bigger fanbase of women. Women you could inspire to join the roster and eventually compete against in the near future."

I got were he was coming from, but I was having a really hard time trying to decide on whether going through with this was worth it. This was Riley Striker, the most arrogant guy in the locker room. Did I really want to attach myself to one of the biggest heels in TTW?

On the other hand, at least I'd be in the show instead of taking up one of the seats in the crowd. That was the point of coming here, right? To get my name out there. Become the best.

Wrestling was my dream. Ever since I was a kid, I imagined myself at the top of the women's division blasting fireworks across the whole world, making history. For years, I trained at an indie development company upstate, gaining all of the knowledge, moves and experience I could get until it landed me the chance of a lifetime. It got me to Top Tier Wrestling. The place to be in my hometown for wrestlers who wanted to make a name for themselves. They had connections with agents from indie circuits all over the world, and if I made a big enough splash I could land myself an opportunity at the biggest stage of them all, Brass Ring Wrestling. But first I needed to break out from behind the curtain.

Even though my debut wouldn't be inside the ring, this was my chance to show the wrestling industry who Joye Rider was and what she had to offer. Of course, I hoped it would entail more than me being someone's shiny, new accessory, but I didn't plan on staying in that position. My intention was to climb my way up to the top until I was exactly where I wanted to be and beyond. Until they had no other choice but to notice me. This was only the first stop. The introductions. Stop number two: Making them remember my name.

I took a deep breath, cementing my decision. This was going to hurt, but hopefully the pain would be awarded in the long run. "Okay. I'm in."

Copeland gave a nod. "You're making the right move." Then why wasn't that confidence showing up on his face?

Riley offered his hand, the smile on his face conveying that he knew this was too big of an opportunity for me to walk around from. I just hoped he knew this had nothing to do with him. I had my own championship to collect. "This is the start of a beautiful partnership." He lifted my hand and kissed the tops of his own knuckles before rising from his seat and walking out.

I gave Copeland a look. What did I just get myself into.

After leaving one of the most bizarre meetings of my life, I rejoined Patrick in the gym. He was doing one armed push-ups in the middle of the ring. Show off.

One he finished his set, he got to his feet, rubbing out his arms. "Good news?"

I lifted a brow and crossed my arms. "I guess we'll find out."