THE QUEEN'S GAME

Chapter 4

"The Nature Boy, Ric Flair" was called out and the crowd went wild. It was intimidating for Charlotte. Would their home town love her the way they did him?
"Don't be anxious." Adam could more than likely feel the shivers of her skin and gripped her hand. "You're going to be great. They're going to love you, and if they don't they're dumbasses."
"How do you always know the right thing to say?"
Charlotte offered him a genuine smile and he kissed the side of her head. He truly did always say and do the right things. With Adam things were so uncomplicated. He was a good guy on and off screen, and he'd treated her well. He never pushed, he never demanded, he just was. They just were.
"I don't, but you make things so easy. Being near you is as easy as breathing."
She felt the same way. There was a certain comfortability with him, like they could talk for hours and she'd never once lose interest. She felt like a giddy teenager around him.
"You're so damned cute."
The way he smiled at her made her feel as if she was in a free fall. She hadn't noticed just how much he'd gotten to her until Chyna pointed it out. He was a contender. He just wasn't the only one, and that really baffled her.
How could a guy like Adam and a guy like Hunter have equal footing in her life? They were so different, so utterly and completely. Hunter made demands and issued ultimatums whereas Adam just stood beside her and made each day more fun than the last.
The one thing they had in common was the innate need to protect her at all costs. Adam made it no secret amongst the locker room that messing with her was off limits. Surprisingly it earned her more dirty looks from her favorite duo. The guys just made the joke that she was halfway to the alter. Another miscalculation.
Looking up as applause rang out once again and her dad's music hit, Charlotte quickly removed her hand from Adam's and saw when his expression dropped. Dammit. But she couldn't spring any incomplete relationship on her dad. These were his friends and mentees. Only she could find romance or a semblance of it a place where her father was like a king amongst men.
"Dad!" She shouted when she saw him, she didn't expect to be this overwhelmed with joy. She'd missed him.
He rushed to her and she fell into his arms. "I missed you, sweetheart. How are these people treating you?"
Ric was undoubtedly eyeing the close proximity of Adam. He looked poised for questions when the most uncomfortable situation arose. Hunter came out and hugged Ric, and Charlotte just cast her eyes downward. Ric caught on instantly.
"You two have always been just a little weird, but this is a new low. Who did what to whom?"
Charlotte opened her mouth and closed it when Chyna's music started.
"My match is coming up. Go grab your seat, dad."
"Okay." Ric tossed a glance between the three of them and shook his head. "You're here to work. Remember that."
His warning was clearly felt throughout the small space and neither party said a word. Charlotte just took her place at the curtain, and Adam walked behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back.
"Good luck out there. I'll see you soon."
"Thank you."
She smiled at him, touched his face, and danced her palm down his stubbled cheek. In the corner of her eye she caught Hunter's glare. He wasn't happy she hadn't done as he'd demanded. Things between all of them were advancing quickly. She couldn't seem to slow it down. From the moment they arrived at the arena and Adam sought her out to apologize for not being well the previous night she'd seen a side of him that was starting to tug at her heart strings. That was the last thing she wanted, but surprisingly not scary at all.
By the time her music started, Charlotte had pushed thoughts of everything but giving her all to a performance out of her mind. Chyna was there, a heel in all her glory, and when she looked into the crowd she saw her biggest fan, her dad. He was on his feet, screaming her name, and when she looked to the spot Mickey should have been in, his seat was vacant. Thank God for small favors.
The match took off without a hitch almost instantaneously. They both gave as good as they got. Charlotte broke the pedigree with ease just as they had practiced, and went into her knife edge chops. Just as she was leaning into the web, Chyna shouted to her that this was it. The utterance was almost enough to knock Charlotte off her game, but she held it together.
She finished out the moves they'd practiced and when she looked up to see Hunter blending into the crowd, she climbed to the top ropes and landed her first televised moonsault. The crowd went crazy. Ric was crying, and once the ref counted to three in her favor, he took Chyna's belt and presented it to Charlotte. She was now for the first time ever, the WWE women's Champion.
Hunter was clapping so hard when she looked over to him, and Chyna, even in heel form managed to sneak in a smile. The arena was in pandemonium, but when she heard someone in a mic call out her name she froze. This couldn't be happening.
"Charlotte Flair. Charlotte "Daddy's little girl" Flair. You're celebrating this win, exciting isn't it?"
Tears, anger, outrage, and even in a room full of people, fear filled her. She thought she'd taken this power back from him. Mickey was speaking to her in what was apparently supposed to be a kayfabe adlib to add that layer Chyna spoke of, but this was a cruel twist. They hadn't known, they couldn't know the terror she faced at his hands, but the one man that did wasn't amused. In fact, he had a chair in his hands, heading to the ring.
Mickey stepped inside the ring with her, and she just stood frozen. Chyna had rolled out a while ago, but also caught wind of Hunter. She rushed at him, Edge's music began, but it was all too late. Hunter's chair smacked Mickey and all she could think was what would this mean for him? He could lose his career, he could lose everything for her.
Hit after hit reigned down on Mickey, and by the time Edge arrived, his words made sense to Charlotte. He was meant to rescue her from a heckler and more than likely become her onscreen love interest. Hunter had put a stop to that, unknowingly. He was usually so in control of his character, but for the first time she'd seen him break it. He wasn't Hunter just then, he was Paul. And Paul was pissed.
Edge managed to grab Paul and pull him away, but as he was dragged from the ring by every official known to man, Paul screamed to Mickey that if he ever saw him near her again he'd kill him. He meant it.
The oblivious crowd regarded this as the best segment of the night so far, but all Charlotte could do was cry. Her whole body shook violently, and Ric was there, he took her into his arms.
"I have no clue what that was—what any of that was, but don't you let it ruin this for you. You've accomplished so much in so little time. And that move! Where on earth did you learn that? I've never seen it before."
"I've been practicing. Hunter..." Just as she said his name he walked through with security surrounding him. "Paul!"
She wasn't thinking, she wasn't even sure she was breathing. She just knew. In that moment it was like a bus speeding toward you. Like a missile detonating and heading your way. This man would do anything—would risk everything for her.
"I'm sorry." It was all he could get out before they were ripped apart.
Ric was looking at them, but in that moment she knew he'd discovered her secret. The whole company had. She had an audience—they were shaking their heads at her. Now she was the scandal. Good thing for Chyna, she'd taken the number one spot on the gossip trail.
"Daughter." Ric grabbed her, ushering her away from the prying eyes. "Now I thought I picked up something between you and Adam, but Hunter's display out there, I'm realizing wasn't planned. Do you want to tell me or will I have to guess?"
Again, Charlotte attempted to tell her father uncomfortable news and was stopped when she heard raised voices.
"You brought him here! That's what the fuck happened. How dare you?"
"Hunter, calm down."
Chyna was pleading with him, but even she wasn't able to talk him off the ledge. He needed her, and Charlotte knew. She walked over, hugged him, and felt his arms close around her. He needed to feel her safe in his arms, and she needed him to know that she was.
"I'm okay." Her assurance seemed to be enough. He let go after close to a minute of holding on to her. It was as if they were the only two people in the room. Placing his forehead to hers he exhaled before breathing in her scent.
"They never should have done this."
"They didn't know."
"Just what didn't we know?"
Now, not only was Hunter contending with security and Shane McMahon, but Vince had arrived. Charlotte could see him aching to give them all a piece of his mind. She couldn't deny him this. It could be the way to save his career and any further legal action.
"Mickey isn't just an ex. He used to hit me. All the time, everyday, just because. Seeing him made Hunter snap. It's not his fault, it's mine. I'm sorry."
The hushed whispers around them all went silent. Even Vince was taken by surprise. After a few silent moments, he spoke.
"Well alright then. Shane, get legal on the line. Have them offer Mickey a settlement and a gag order. If he ever breathes that this wasn't scripted then his ass will be dragged into every court I can find. I'll invent a charge if I can't find something to slap on him. Ashley, I'm sorry. This will never happen again."
Vince walked down the hall and paused. "I want whoever came up with this angle in my office now."
With her arms wrapped around herself, Charlotte closed her eyes. She had revealed her darkest secret in front of people who either hated her, were jealous of her, or loved her so completely they took her pain into themselves. It was scary to imagine how each individual would react. Out of all the reactions, she feared her father's the most. He would feel as if he failed her. All he had wanted was to always protect her.
She was crying, rightfully so, and Ric embraced her. "I know it hurt, but you did what you had to do. You got out of there, but you should have told me. I really wish you had, he wouldn't be on this earth."
"I didn't want to worry you, and I really didn't want that."
"And you told Hunter?" She nodded and he swept a hand over her face. "You trust him. I could see that something was different when I arrived. But I know you also have another choice to make."
Both she and Ric looked over at Adam and her heart went out to him. For the first time he seemed to realize what so many others had picked up on, he wasn't the only one. She didn't want to hurt him—either of them, but this was a situation where someone wasn't going to get what they wanted. A part of her wanted to duck and hide, but the other part wanted to decide who the someone was that was going to be her focus.
"I do." She finally admitted.
"Well I don't want to sway you either way, but he's a good guy, and probably what any father would want for his daughter." He pointed at Adam. Before she could speak he turned her head toward Hunter. "His life is messy and full of turmoil, but he was going to destroy the scum that put his hands on my baby girl and the entire creative team because they allowed him in the same building as you."
"So the good guy who would probably give me the world, or the asshole who would bring that same world to a screeching halt to rescue me."
"Exactly."
"What do I do?"
"Invite them all over for dinner. We're having a cookout."
"I don't feel like partying."
"It's not optional. Come and have a drink and food with your family. I invited everyone. Your brother, your sister, the kids, your boyfriends."
"Dad!"
"Date both. Decide later." He shrugged.
He had a novel idea, but would that really work? Could she string both of them along? Would they even want her after realizing she was attracted to both?
While pondering the thought she heard her name being called along with Adam and Paul's. This couldn't be good. She hoped they weren't all getting fired. Their women's, WWE, and Intercontinental Champs all embroiled in a scandal.
Sauntering into the office, Charlotte took a seat in between the two guys. Preparing herself for her possible release she was surprised with what really happened.
"So tonight was as far off script as we've ever been. This situation actually upstaged our main event. Normally we would be livid about this, but after securing our gag order against Mr. Jackson, we realized we could capitalize on this." A gag already? That was fast. Vince moved quickly.
"Capitalize on her abuse? No way." Hunter rebuffed.
"Not her abuse, never that. We had no idea, and if we had we would have never... We were going for the shock factor, we wanted her reactions to seem real and Mr. Jackson assured us everything was amicable. We should have ran the story by her, that will forever be our mistake. It was a last minute change that should have been communicated."
"You're damn right it should have." Hunter was in no mood. It was present in his tone. "He could have tried anything. If he was bold enough to approach her on live tv, he's obviously unhinged."
The creative team didn't seem the least bit upset by Hunter's tone or disposition. In fact, they seemed impressed.
"Is there a point to this?" Charlotte knew she needed to take control of this situation to alleviate any further risks to Hunter's future.
"Edge was going to be your onscreen savior and love interest, but with what happened tonight we have to go a different route."
"Spit it out." Adam finally said something, bringing her attention to him.
"This heat you three have, it's a story we should showcase. Our WWE and Intercontinental Champs vying for the love of our Women's champ. It incorporates our three biggest titles, and quite frankly you guys have a chemistry we couldn't recreate even if we wanted to."
"Art imitating life," Adam joked, dryly.
"Oh, this is... ok. This could work. As long as the three of you agree that it won't affect your working relationships, we will push all of you to the forefront. This could mean more endorsements, a boost in merchandise, and more speaking engagements."
"I can keep it professional." Hunter was surprisingly the first to agree.
"Adam, Ashley?"
"I'm able to do what needs to be done," Charlotte agreed.
"Well I guess I don't have much of a choice in the matter." Adam was pissed. "Sharing her on and offscreen."
"Onscreen." Hunter corrected as he stood and walked out of the room.
Stunned, caught off guard, and downright confused, Charlotte followed suit and walked out behind him.
"Paul..."
He grabbed her. There was nothing gentle or sweet about this kiss. It was all passion and fire. Her skin tingled, her lips felt numb. She held onto him as he snatched her legs around his waist. He pinned her to the wall and she wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent herself from turning into a puddle right there.
Pressing his hips to her core, he gave her a preview of where his mind was. She couldn't deny the pulsating heat between her legs. Smirking as he slid her to her feet, he gave her forehead a kiss and ran a finger down her lips.
"I won't let him have you."
He left her there, she could hardly stand. She'd lost all train of thought until a throat was cleared behind her.
"What?" She turned around.
"So I guess I was right on both fronts?" Trish crossed her arms.
"Right about what?"
"You want them both and they clearly both want you. This is going to get messy."
"I know." Charlotte agreed.
"The best kind of messy, though. You have two gorgeous men fighting over you. It could be worse."
"How?" Charlotte couldn't imagine it being worse than having to hurt one of these guys.
"You could be like Ivory and Terri and have no prospects or business of your own."
She knew they were standing there. They'd come up behind Charlotte and Trish was being needlessly vicious. Damn, she loved her friends.