"So, you're meaning to tell me that you haven't found Flair yet?" Kenny Omega wiped remaining crumbs from his short beard, never taking a calculating eye off of Cody Rhodes.
The two men sat facing each other in their usual booth at Minnie's Diner, Matt and Nick Jackson sat between them. They seemed to be tempering an already tense situation, they tried in vain to keep the conversation light. However, their plucky comedic relief was not enough to sever the intensity that simmered between Cody and Kenny.
Cody's eyes shifted down to his half-eaten plate of ham and eggs. He half-heartedly pushed around the food with his fork, arranging the cold clumps of egg around the slab of ham meticulously. He was hoping for anything but this conversation. But when Kenny invited him to Minnie's alone, he knew that there was only one thing to talk about.
"Cody." Kenny said, the word was finite, sharp, commanding. Like a parent poised to discipline their child.
Cody's gaze drifted from his plate to the door, a light tinny jingle rang above it as a woman walked in. No doubt a stripper from her outfit. The tight grip of deja-vu came about him as he studied the woman's face. She reminded him of Brandi, just a much less classy version of her. He's seen this woman before, if only briefly in his past.
"Its not the end of the week yet, Ken. You said the end of the week. Trust me, I've got a plan." Cody said cooly. He was at ease, knowing his wife Brandi was on her way to the Shield as they spoke. If any thing was going to find out Ric Flair's location, it would be those full lips and doe-eyes hidden beneath thick lashes.
"I sure hope you do." A wicked grin played at the edges of Kenny's lips as he pushed away his empty plate.
The tension constricted around the four of them in that booth as silence filled the space. Matt nudged Nick, hoping his older brother would have something to say to ease it.
"Matt and I will take care of the check, boys. Why don't you bring the car around front, Codester?" Nick chirped as the table shook rhythmically beneath them. He clutched his brother's knee when he realized it was bouncing erratically.
"I got it." Kenny slid out of the booth and made his way to the counter, filing through the thick stack of bills in his wallet. His body tilted backwards suddenly as he felt the loss of control in his step. He was slipping, and soon to fall on the scuffed and dirtied linoleum tiles. He steadied himself quickly, and looked down to see the culprit of his misstep: two cards on the ground. It looked to be an ID and credit card. He picked them up and inspected them briefly before catching the last name on both.
Blanc.
Eyes wild, he searched the diner for the woman in the ID picture, and was pleased to find her sitting only 2 seats down on the counter.
*
"Who's Kenny talking to?" Matt asked as he slid further away from his brother in the booth.
"No idea. Maybe he's recruiting for the club." Nick replied, not bothering to stare at the two.
"I don't think so." Gravity came to Cody's voice as he watched them intently. The woman looked defensive, ready to strike, but her eyes betrayed her true emotions. She was terrified. "What ever that bastard is saying to her, is threatening. I mean, look at her."
The exchange between Kenny and the woman ended when Kenny walked to the cashier. She quickly bolted out of the diner, shaken.
"He has no regard for professionalism. This is not how a leader behaves!" Cody waved a flippant hand toward Kenny "We need someone who isn't going to fly off the handle at any moment. Someone who doesn't go up to random women and make them run away, terrified."
Nick and Matt exchanged amused looks at each other, communicating in a way only siblings can.
"You still got your panties in a bunch after Kenny pulled that gun on you huh?" Matt chuckled, standing up from the booth and loosening his belt.
"Are you kidding me? You think that was funny?" Spittle flew from Cody's lips as he eyed the brothers across from him. "I could have been killed by the maniac and you think thats funny?"
Nick threw his hands up in defense, while Matt laughed loudly, holding his stomach with his hearty laugh.
"Unbelieveable." Cody muttered under his breath, pushing out of the booth and striding toward Kenny.
"I said I would pay, Cody, no need to step up to the plate now." Kenny quipped as he retrieved the receipt from the cashier.
"Who was that? She ran out of here like she'd seen a ghost."
"That was the key to us finding Ric Flair, and subsequently that 3 million he owes us."
"And how is some random stripper going to help us?"
"You'll see in due time, Cody. No need to worry about finding him, I've gotten taken care of from here." Kenny turned to him and patted his smooth cheek stiffly, just enough to be aggressive. With that, he turned and left the diner, leaving Cody to stew in his anger.
*
"Hello? Hello? Is anyone around?" Brandi Rhodes took her first tentative step into the Shield, and was underwhelmed with the sight around her. She'd always heard Cody going on about the club had been their rival for years, but she never imagined such a dilapidated place to be in the same running as The Bullet Club. Her eyes scanned the dark and empty floor, searching for any sign of life.
She hugged her fur jacket around herself tighter, shivering from the AC on full blast in the place.
"H-Hello?" A deep voice called from somewhere in the back, Brandi squinted to see the source of the call. "Can I help you miss?"
Roman emerged from the back hallway, his eyes hit the ceiling when he saw Brandi shivering by the front door. He wasn't expecting anyone in the club for at least a few hours, and he had no idea who this beautiful woman was. His eyes traced the curve of her long legs, smooth and a deep rich brown. Next he took in her small frame, practically drowning in a white fur coat she had strapped around her tightly. His eyes lingered on the elegant lines of her face for a moment before he snapped out of his daze.
"Yes, I came for a cocktail waitress job. My name is Brandi." She rushed through the sentence.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Brandi smacked her forehead with her palm when she realized how obviously nervous she was. There was no way they were going to buy this, Cody was going to be so disappointed.
She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to channel her pageant school speech exercises.
Pause.
Breathe.
Speak.
"I'm sorry. My name is Brandi." She held out her hand to shake. "I was here to inquire about possibly cocktail waitressing?"
He took her delicate hand in his and shook, a tentative gaze met hers. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, and that firm shake sprung a coy smile to her lips.
"We erm- We don't have cocktail waiters here, I'm sorry." He frowned, still trying to puzzle why this woman was standing in the Shield, asking to work there of all things. She held herself like royalty, especially compared to the other girls that worked there.
"Oh! I should have mentioned this first, I was sent by Ric. He owed me a favor and I've been down on my luck for a while."
Roman's demeanor changed at the mention of Ric.
"Ric sent you?" He quirked a brow, offering her a seat at a nearby table. She nodded and took the seat graciously, lowering herself onto the grimy chair with the grace of a queen.
"Yeah, he said it wouldn't be an issue." She rushed on "Pressures really been on to make a decent living, especially with the baby on the way and all." She was laying it on thick, just as Cody had told her to. While she never actually acted a day in her life, she felt the rush of performance as she spun her tale.
"You're pregnant." He cast a quick glance at her torso and frowned when all he saw was the mass of fur from her coat covering it.
"Only 5 weeks. The bastard up and left when he found out, and now I need to find a way to make money, fast. Ric said I'd be welcome to cocktail here until I was able to find something a little more..." She intentionally paused and lifted her gaze from the floor to meet Roman's. Her dark lashes made her stare more alluring. "...becoming of a mother-to-be."
He cleared his throat.
"Well I guess if Ric sent you here, we can't turn you away, can we?" Roman broke into a full smile. "I'm sorry to hear about your situation, though. If theres anything I can do to help you, please let me know."
"I sure will, once I know your name, handsome stranger."
"Where are my manners? Roman, my name's Roman."
"Roman. I like it, it suits you." She batted her lashes and lightly brushed her hand along his tattooed forearm. "Well, Roman. When do I start?"
*
Humidity hung heavy in the air. A sticky film formed over all of the surfaces in Lola's apartment, and she felt as if she could barely breathe. She lay curled up in the corner of her futon, her brown face illuminated by the fluorescence of her laptop. She was typing away furiously, eyes practically crossing at how intently she was staring at the screen.
The door to her studio opened with a slow creak. She didn't bother to look up from the screen. She knew it was Seth.
"You're home late." She muttered, dragging a photo of herself to a website.
"You seemed like you needed some time to yourself." Seth's voice was quiet in the darkness. "Roman was being a bit of a dick to you."
She only snorted in response.
A small smile pulled at Seth's lips. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his slow stroll over to her, sitting down beside her as if he were trying not to stir a beast.
"Hey." He ducked his head low, hoping to catch her gaze. When she didn't turn to face him, he continued "Whatever he said, he's just not over you, you know. The guy acts like he's the big dog but you and I both know he's too sensitive for his own good. He still loves you."
And in that moment there was a brief pause in the click-clacking of Lola's keyboard. She held her breath, staring blankly at the screen. She didn't know how to process it. Because although what Seth said may have been true, it sounded less like he was talking about Roman, and more like it was Seth speaking.
This boy better not be falling for me. Not now. Not when I got shit to figure out.
"Seth, listen, I know we been living together or whatever, but-"
"I know what you're going to say... I know I joke around a lot, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about you, Lol." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I just want you to know I'm here, and I'm not letting you get evicted."
He pulled out a wad of bills and handed it to her. Her eyes widened at the sight.
"What the fuck is that?"
"Rent for this month, and next month."
"Stop playin."
"I'm not. Take it." He pressed her fingers over the bills and kissed her hand.
"Nuh uh. Where'd you get this from?" She pushed the wad back into his chest before standing and folding her arms, playing the part of a demanding mother.
"I pulled some strings, talked to Deano, and got an advance." He stood to meet her, a lazy grin came to his face. "Now will you take it? I'd hate to have to wrestle you down and make you."
She took an instinctive step back, suddenly realizing how close Seth was to her. His threat wouldn't be too hard to follow through with.
"Dean doesn't just give advances. The boy don't do favors, he does deals. Now what are you doing for him in exchange?"
"Lola, just take the money, okay? I'm trying to make sure you don't get evicted, and here you are refusing it." He held out the bills.
Lola's eyes narrowed to slits as she came to a realization.
"You selling for him?"
"What?"
"You doing his dirty work, selling that shit for him. I know it."
"He approached me after we left you and Ro to talk, its not that big a deal. Plus it will help me pay back the debt I owe the club."
Lola sighed deeply and shook her head. "Keep ya dirty money Seth, I've got a way to make rent. Don't worry."
"What? Escorting? Like that money's any cleaner."
"At least the chances of me catching a case are way lower. And I don't gotta worry about no greasy manager taking advantage. I'm going into business on my own." She smiled and lightly kicked her computer screen to face Seth. It revealed the beginnings of a profile on .
"You really think this'll work, huh?" Seth gestured to the screen.
She nodded.
In the silence Lola could hear the soft rise and fall of Seth's breath. She wasn't that close to him, but could still catch the faint scent of his Old Spice cologne. She eyed his face for any hint of what he could be thinking, and suddenly found herself bracing for criticism.
Hold up, why do I care what this clown thinks?
"Well, if you're going to go through with this, you're going to need a better set of pictures for your profile."
"Excuse me?"
Lola looked down at the screen. Her face was slightly rounder then, she'd lost some weight in the time since she spontaneously moved to LA. She was clad in a pink see-through number and a distasteful feather boa draped along her shoulders. Her body lay draped across a couch, long legs splayed open suggestively.
"You heard me, the ones you have there are at least 2 years old. I'm the one who took them for you when you first started at the club. Remember?" Seth closed the space between them in a smooth stride. Lola retreated one step.
"Of course I do, Ro broke your nose for that."
"And yet the pictures are still front and center on the Shield's website because he never took any more of you." He stepped forward again.
"Whatever. I don't need new pictures-"
He paced towards her quickly, and she back-stepped in time with him. The two looked as if they were perfectly choreographed tango dancers. The dance stopped when Lola's back was pressed against the wall, and there was no where else to go. His hands anchored on either side of her head against the wall.
"You won't take my money, so let me at least do this for you Lol. Let me take your pictures." His voice dropped into a dangerously low tone.
She gulped and tried to keep her eyes anywhere but his lips.
"Fine." She huffed, pushing him back away from her. It was a feeble attempt, but Seth took the hint and stepped back, allowing her out of the cage he made with his imposing body.