Disclaimer: I only own the original characters Kendra, Kaycalen, Kayleigh, Nonno, and Nonna Tolleranza. Fat Tony's is an actual resturaunt in Louisville, Kentucky owned by Lisa Marie Varon also known as the WWE's Victoria.
A/N:Words and/or sentences italicized and underlined are being spoken in Italian.
Chapter Four: Nonno's Warning
Paul parked in front of the pizzeria. They got out of the car and walked to the double glass doors. She took the key out of her pocket and pressed her hip against one of the doors before unlocking it but it opened upon contact. The bell above the door rang making the owner swiftly turn around from where she stood at the bar.
"I am so sorry. I forgot to relock the door. We don't open until elev—." Kendra heard her cousin Lisa Marie start to say apologetically but stopped when she recognized her and did a double take when she noticed Paul. "Kendra, what are you doing here? You have the day off." She asked after walking up to her. They hugged. Lisa Marie whispered "What are you doing with him? Do I want to know?" Lisa gave her a pointed look.
"It's a long story, actually it isn't but you know me, I make the shortest of stories into epics." She shrugged as she exaggerated.
"Well I have all day. My plane doesn't leave until two. I was checking up on some things before I fly down to Miami. Would y'all like something to eat or drink? It's on the house." Lisa asked. Kendra looked at Paul to see if he would object. When he shrugged she ordered.
"A pepperoni calzone and a medium Pepsi."
"Hunter?" Lisa asked a bit stiffly. She did not trust his character and trusted the man even less.
"A meatball calzone and a bottle of water."
"Take a seat and I'll be back" Lisa said before disappearing.
Minutes later, she brought them their drinks. Ten minutes later she brought them their order. She had a slice of pizza and a glass of sweet iced tea. The trio ate and talked.
"No offense, but why are you here in Louisville. I thought all of the Rumble participants had to be at the arena this morning." Lisa spoke questioning his presence, but did not speak the underlining question.
What are you doing here with Kendra?
"The rehearsal was rescheduled until this afternoon. I'm here with Kendra because—–" Paul recognized the underlining question though Kendra didn't she cut him off, anyway, afraid of what he would say.
"Lisa what do the Divas do at photo shoots?" Kendra slyly asked.
"We usually, oh my god, you're going to be a Diva?"
"Yes, I signed my contract yesterday." She ecstatically told Lisa. "But you can't tell anyone and I do mean anyone. It's supposed to be a secret."
"Paul." Lisa calling him by his given name and not his stage name got his attention "Shawn will not be happy about it." She looked directly at her younger cousin "Kendra you're going to be Paul's manager aren't you?"
"Yes, she is going to be my manager. If I have my way, she'll become the women's champion before Vengeance."
"I'm glad. Kendra deserves the best." Lisa stated using a pun, but the pun went unnoticed by Kendra.
"Kendra does deserve the best. She is my manager." Paul said stiffly, making a pun of his own.
"Kendra, nonno, will hit the roof when he finds out you're becoming a Diva. Do you want me to tell him?"
Paul frowned and asked rather stupidly "What's anonono?"
"No, thank you. You offering to tell him, means a lot to me. But no, I need to tell him." She answered Lisa while ignoring Paul's question.
A man that had seen better years walked toward Paul, Kendra and Lisa Marie.He stopped at the end of the table. His uniform consisted of creased black slacks, a tight white shirt that stretched around his ample stomach, and a spotless white apron that was equally as tight as the shirt if not more.
He looked directly at Kendra and asked in Italian "Is this your boyfriend"
Kendra looked up at the older man and replied in Italian "No, this is Paul. My father's best friend, I will be his manager" She paused but did not break eye contact. She braced herself for the argument that she knew would occur. She continued "I am becoming a Diva."
The older man narrowed his dark eyes and asked "WhatLisa Marie is?"
Paul looked at the two in interest. He understood that they were speaking Italian but he didn't understand what they are saying. He has figured out that they must be talking about him and Lisa Marie, and Kendra or Lisa being a Diva. His name and Diva were the only words that he had understood. Kendra confirmed the older man's suspensions "Yes, nonno."
The older man looked at Kendra in disgust before commanding "No, I do not want you to become one of those divas. They parade around the ring like common slutsI have tried to get Lisa Marie to quit but she is stubborn." Paul looked at the older man as if he were crazy when he heard sluts.
Lisa Marie shook her head no at Paul and mouthed "Do not get in this." The older man noticed this and took a moment to observe Paul while Kendra retaliated. Paul glared at Lisa before staring at the older man in interest as he wondered what they were talking about. Paul looked at his watch and noticed that it is 8:30.
Kendra looked hurt but retaliated "I am more stubborn. I am my mother's daughter, you had no problem with my mother, your daughter, being a wrestler. But you have everything against Lisa Marie and me, your granddaughters, being and becoming one. What is so different?"
The older man took his eyes off Paul. He looked into Kendra's blue eyes, so different from his own and the rest of the family. Some how she had inherited her father's blue eyes over her mother's dark ones.
"I did not want your mother to be a wrestler. Wrestling is a mans sport, it has always been, and should remain. But I accepted it; your mother was a true wrestler. Lisa Marie tries to wrestle, I will give her that much credit but she is disgracing herself. I am disappointed in her, she is stubborn." He pointed to Lisa Marie with out breaking eye contact with Kendra. Lisa just rolled her eyes because she had heard it so many times. He continued to rant "That company she works for is driven by money and sex. You're parents should be ashamed of you. You becoming a Diva will disgrace their legacies, especially your father's."
Kendra looked as if she were on the verge of tears. Lisa kicked Paul under the table when he was about to say something. Both Lisa and Kendra gave him a look that told him not to interfere.
The older man continued "I been watching that trash, Kendra. You will be used against your father. Does your father know that you are going to manage this man?" He pointed toward Paul then shook his finger at her while he said "You do not fool me, Kendra. This man and your father are not best friends. You know nothing about that man, you may think you do but you do not. His intentions are not good. He will use you. He has had his eye on you for a long time." Kendra looked broken. Lisa Marie looked worried at the thought of Kendra and Paul, but clearly empathetic to her cousin's situation.
"Stop, grandfather, it is rude to speak a language that everyone does not understand. Do not worry about me, and Paul. There is nothing going on between us, it is just business" Kendra tried to convince her grandfather. Lisa Marie cocked an unamused eyebrow at that; she noted hesitance at the statement. Kendra had never been able to lie to their grandfather. Paul still had no clue at what they're talking about but he did know he had something to do with it.
Her grandfather threw the towel down that was looped through his apron in anger and disgust. "You Americans have no problem being rude, disrespecting your elders, and disrespecting yourselves." He sneered. "You let people run all over you. You have no back bone. It may be business for now, but he intends for it to be more. You know what I speak of. No?" He rudely pointed his index finger in her face.
"Stop it grandfather. I do not know what you are talking about. All I have ever wanted, was to be a wrestler like my mother and father." She pleaded
"Kendrayou will not be a wrestler. You will be candy to the male eye. You will be aDiva, you will parade around the ring like a slut like every woman I see on the television each Monday night. You will become a disgrace, you will disgrace this family." She willed herself not to cry. "A bigger disgrace than Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie saved lives before degrading herself. You on the other hand have made becoming this Diva thing, your life. You will disgrace you're mother, and you will disgrace that father of yours. I think it is time that I called Michael. Michael should be informed about you, this man, and you becoming a Diva." He started walking away but Kendra stepped forward and grabbed his forearm
"Please, Grandfather, please, please, please, don't call my father. I will talk to him later today. I want to surprise him" She begged.
"It will be the surprise of his life," He predicted not knowing how true that statement would be.
"I do not like him," He pointed one last time at Paul. He looked at Kendra straight in the eye before warning her "Mark my words, Kendra Grace, he will break your heart and throw you away like you are nothing."
She stepped back as if she were burned. Her blue eyes on fire. Tears started escaping from her dark blue eyes like a never ending waterfall. "I like him. If he breaks my heart, so be it. Did I ask your god damn opinion about him or about my life? No. I am not my mother, you say I never can be her, but you always compare me to her. Sometimes I wish that I had stayed with my nonno and nonna Hickenbothom while my parents were wrestling instead of you and nonna Ranza. I love you but," She slightly choked on the Italian words. "You think you can control me. I am a grown woman. If I want to be a common slut, or disgrace this family, then it is my business. You don't have to worry about people finding out that I am related to you." She pointed a long manicured finger at him. "I have my father's surname and if it comes out that I am," She rolled her eyes. "Sherri's daughter, there will still be no connection to you because she changed her name toMartel." She looked at the older man with so much vindictiveness it made both Lisa and Paul uneasy.
Paul kept wondering why they were talking about him, Divas, and Sherri.
" Diva I will be Kendra Michaels, so any relation to the great Martellani's will not be traceable. I've had it," She threw her hands up in surrender and frustration. Hysterically she cried, "I tried, I tried to make peace with you for Nonna Ranza and Lisa Marie now I know why my mother does not wish to have anything to do with you; you are a meddling old fool."
The older man stood speechless. Lisa even more; usually she was the one that got into arguments with their Nonno, not Kendra. Kendra turned toward Lisa and Paul and started speaking in English. "Lisa, we'll talk later or tomorrow. I'll call you with my room number. Paul can we go? We have a plane to catch." She walked out of the restaurant not taking the second it would have took to look back.
A/N: Question, is anyone honestly still interested in this fic? I don't want to abandoned it but I don't think I'm doing this story justice at the moment. I'm focusing most of my attention toward work, Some Secrets Should Be Kept and the occasional one shot. I do have this outlined but the words and details are evading me. Writer's block is hell.