"Let me call you back, I have to get my makeup done" Rhea says as she rounds the corner hanging up her phone.
I pretend to not notice her presence until she approaches the table.
"Hey! Ready to get started?"
"Sure, I see you already have some ideas?" She asks pointing toward my iPad propped open with a look I designed, hoping she'd like it.
"Yeah, so I went through some of your past looks and came up with a few ideas, just let me know which-"
"Let me stop you right there. I hate to interrupt, but you're the professional. You do what you think would look best. You've clearly done your research."
Oh. Should I be... insulted? Was that supposed to be a low blow or a compliment? I push the thought away and get to work.
"I can do that. What's your skin type?"
"My... what?"
"Your skin type. Like, dry, oily, combination..?"
"Oh. Dry, but I sweat a lot in the ring"
What did she think I asked? "Okay, I can work with that."
I just finished her base makeup and was about to start her eyeshadow. We haven't said a word to each other the entire time, Rheas just been on her phone scrolling through TikTok.
As if the universe was against me, one of MY special effect looks I did on myself pops up. I pretend not to notice, but she clearly did.
"Holy shit. You did that?" She turned her phone towards me to show me the video I totally wasn't glancing at the whole time.
"Oh that? Yeah I was just messing around. I tend to do that when I get bored" omg Ashley shut up she doesn't care. She literally does not care that you do that when you're bored. I once again push the thoughts away.
"That's pretty awesome, you should do some horror makeup. I'd pay you to do something for me on Halloween"
"Thank you, I haven't explored much of the special effect world but I would always love another canvas to try things out on" omfg did I just call Rhea Ripley a CANVAS?? What the actual hell is wrong with me... wait is she- she's laughing.
"Dude honestly I'd love to." She followed me on TikTok "are you just doing Raw, or are you covering all the brands?"
"Im covering all the brands, at least for now. I'm heading straight to the next city for smackdown tomorrow. At least I think tomorrow, I haven't gotten my travel arrangements yet." Now that I think about it, I haven't gotten my hotel arrangements for tonight yet either. I take a mental note of it and finish up Rheas makeup.
"Well I have a dark match at smackdown this week, me and the boys are just driving to the next city, if you need a ride just let me know."
"Well thanks" I definitely would not be taking her up on that. This conversation has been embarrassing enough for me.
I hand her my small mirror, "here you go, I can change anything you want to, especially the lips. I can cover the joker smile aspect of it and-"
"I love it." Rhea says lowering the mirror. "Can I give you some advice?" She asks
"Um, sure! I always appreciate feedback."
I was expecting her to say something about the makeup, and I tried to calm myself down. Feedback always makes me nervous. Especially coming from first time clients.
"Have some more confidence in your work. You're the best makeup artist I've ever seen, you should act like it"
Oh- I didn't know what to say. Before I could come up with a response her phone rang, she handed me my mirror and walked away answering it.
The next few hours flew by with multiple makeup looks and touch ups throughout the show. What Rhea said kept crossing my mind. Was she serious that I was the best MUA she had ever seen, or was she just being nice?
A deep voice interrupted my thoughts while packing up. "Ashley, I hate to tell you this, but because of the short notice we weren't able to get you your own hotel room, but we did have someone willing to share!"
She walked up behind Triple H with her bags in hand already changed into black sweatpants and a motionless in white hoodie.
"Are you okay with sharing a room with me tonight? I can go sleep in the room with one of the guys and let you have my room if that's more comfortable for you"
"Thanks Rhea that's really nice, but I'd hate to inconvenience you. I'm really tired anyway, I'll probably just go straight to sleep" that was a lie.
"It's no big deal, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to. Cmon, you can ride with me to the hotel. The guys left a few minutes ago."
I didn't want to argue, I was already overthinking about this hotel situation so I followed quickly behind Rhea.
In the parking garage, we were approaching a black mini van parked next to a black truck. I started walking towards the black truck assuming that's what Rhea would drive.
"Where ya going silly?" Rhea says grabbing my bags from me and putting them in the back of the van.
Silly? Did she just call me silly? Don't overthink it Ashley.
"Sorry, you want me to drive? I'm sure you're exhausted after your match tonight"
"Thanks Ash, but I'm good. You can take shotgun"
Ash? Did she just- did I like it?
I hopped in the passenger seat and put my seatbelt on.
"You can play something, I'm sure you won't like my taste in music" Rhea says
"That's okay, I'm not picky, and I have some emails to read anyway." Another Lie. I had no emails to read. I just didn't want Rhea knowing I liked her taste in music, let alone that she introduced me to it. I pushed the thought aside as Rhea pulled out of the parking garage.
A few minutes later Rhea spoke pulling me out of my focus on my phone, "Motionless in White fan aye?" She asked with an amused expression on her face. What? How did she? I quickly realized that while scrolling through instagram, I subconsciously started singing along to Thoughts and Prayers she had turned on by Motionless in White.
"Oh... yeah" I said with a chuckle, trying to brush off the embarrassment and apparently failing.
"Don't be embarrassed, it's kinda cute. How did you find them? I didn't really take you as someone who'd like that kind of music"
Cute?? Did Rhea Ripley just call me.. cute? I can't tell her that she introduced me to them years ago, that would make my whole night awkward. "Um, I don't remember. I've been a fan for a while"
"Yeah? Who else do you like?" Rhea asked. I can't tell if she's just trying to make small talk or if she's genuinely interested.
"Um, I mean besides Motionless in White I'm a huge Falling in Reverse fan, then there's Pierce the Veil, Bad Omens, Alter Bridge.." I was interrupted by Rhea chuckling in the drivers seat while backing into a parking spot at the hotel.
I couldn't help but stare it her one handed steering while backing up. Why do I find that.. attractive? I quickly pull myself out of my thoughts. "What's so funny?" I say with a small chuckle myself.
"Alter Bridge huh? How'd you find them?"
Shit. I really set myself up here. They sing the judgement day theme song. I can't tell her that, Jesus what have I done. "A friend in college introduced me to them" I can't tell her that this "friend" is her former coworker.
"Oh cool" Rhea said climbing out of the van. I followed and met her behind the van to get my bags, but she was already grabbing them.
"I can get my bags, it's no big deal" Why was she carrying my bags? Maybe she was just being nice. I'm overthinking, right? Shes most definitely not flirting. Not at all. God Ashley snap out of it.
"I wouldn't want to get that pretty face all sweaty" Rhea said walking towards the staircase into the huge hotel.
Did she just call me pretty? I brushed off my ever growing thoughts and followed her into the hotel. Man she walks fast.
YOU ARE READING
Beautiful Brutality
FanfictionAshely, a 25 year old who gave up her steady job to become a makeup artist, is finally getting what could be her big break. Absolutely nothing is going to stop her from succeeding... hopefully. Anxiety. It's always stopped her from doing what she l...
