"Listen, Kevin," I said, "I can't talk about why right now. I'm at work and we're going to be on the road for almost a month. Can you please just get my stuff out of his apartment and put it in my storage unit while you're in St. Louis? I promise to explain it more when you join us back on the road."
I was walking into the arena, talking on my phone as I flashed the security guys my WWE id.
"Yeah AJ. I guess so. I just don't understand. You and Kyle seemed so-" Kevin started to say.
"Kevin Robert Kiley Jr., I swear on everything holy. If you were just going to say perfect I will beat the living daylights out of you. Nothing about that relationship was perfect. Thank you for doing this. I really do have to go though. The show starts in like 4 hours and I still have a lot of stuff to do. Call me when your flight gets in and I'll pick you up from the airport," I hung up the phone and walked around the arena.
The first thing I do every time I walk into an arena is inspection. Locker room situations need to be the same on the doors as on my papers or the guys could get mad. The ring had to be put together before everyone got there, in case they wanted to work on their spots. All of the light and sound systems had to be set up properly.
I was heading to my next stop, the production manager's make-shift office, when I heard someone calling me by my full name.
"Ashtyn Joy Orton," right away I knew who it was, I cringed and walked faster.
"Don't pretend you didn't hear me little girl. The security guard told me you were talking to Kevin about your douche lord of a boyfriend. I don't get why you waste your time and energy on him," my brother said as he caught up to me.
"Randall Keith Orton, I swear, if you yell my full name out like that one more time I'll send someone out to beat the crap out of you. Furthermore, it is none of your business why I wasn't my time and energy on anyone. And for your nosey information, Kyle and I are done. Over, kicked his ass to the curb. Well, actually I'm moving out but whatever, same diff. Now if you're done criticizing me, I have to get back to work. I'm getting this place ready for Raw tonight and if anything goes wrong I'm blaming you."
I left my older brother standing in the middle of the hallway with a dumbfound look on his face. It was the face I'd grown up with and you couldn't not love it.
"Hey, don't call me Randall, Ashtyn," he yelled after me.
I shook my head. "Don't call me Ashtyn, Randall," I yelled back without looking at him.
I laughed as I walked Raws production manager's office.
"Hey AJ. I figured you'd be around soon. What's so funny?" he asked as he looked up at me.
"Randall," I told him. It was all I needed to say and he knew what I meant.
"Hey yelled your name across the arena again didn't he?" he laughed as I nodded my head.
"Every damn night," I smiled.
It was a well-known fact around our friends and co-workers that Randy and I don't go by our full names. It's not that I didn't like my name, it's the simple fact that ever since he started acting, people liked to call me Ashton Kutcher and that really pissed me off.
"Do you have the paperwork for the guys and gals ready for me?" I asked him. He handed the box to me and I was on my way. My first stop is the production booth. I grabbed my headset, walkie talkie, and clip board. I cleared my mind of absolutely everything that was going on in my life outside of this arena. My job was demanding and needed my full attention.
I walked back toward the locker room area just as the Superstars and Divas were arriving.
"AJ!" I heard a voice behind me, "How long have you been here, ya overachiever? Please don't tell me you've already got your work mind on."
"Hey Miz. I've been here for almost two hours, ya slacker. And yes, it's locked in place until about an hour after the show. One of us has got to be responsible," I told my best friend Mike Mizanin, winking at him, "I'm going for a run when I get back to the hotel, wanna join? Maybe you'll actually be able to out run me, but I doubt it."
It was an ongoing challenge between us and I knew he wouldn't turn it down.
"Ouch, Mike. Looks like you're going to get your ass handed to you by a girl," this came from none other than John Hennigan.
"Again," I added, "Anyway, I've got your next round of spots and matches and what not. Look them over and memorize them. Talk to the guys you have matches with and work them out."
"Yeah, yeah. We know the drill, AJ" I head my cocky brother say.
"Apparently I'm not the only Orton who has their work mind on," she told Mike and John before slipping away to hand out everyone else's stuff.
I was almost done handing them out when a voice came over my walkie talkie telling me there was an issue in wardrobe. For the rest of the night I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, making sure things ran smoothly, the Superstars and Divas had everything they needed, and checking the trainers to see if anyone had gotten seriously injured.
When the show ended I helped the crew tear down and headed to the hotel to check in. I grabbed my bags and rode the elevator up to the fifth floor. I changed from my black Raw brand t-shirt and jeans to black tank top with a red sports bra underneath and black shorts. I was sitting on the bed tying my shoes when I heard a knock at the door followed by "AJ are you coming or not? I know I'm intimidating and all, especially after my kick ass match earlier, but you initiated the challenge so lets get a move on. If I backed out on an awesome night at the club for you to back out I'm gonna be pissed."
I opened the door to see Mike leaning up against the wall beside my room. He looked me up and down as I secured my phone and room key in my bra strap near my collar bone.
"Stop gawking, Miz. I'm not that good looking. Actually, keep it up, it'll be easier to beat you. I wont even have to try," I told him and watched his face turn red.
Mike and I had been hired into WWE around the same time. We both had to prove ourselves to the others. Eventually we worked our way up the ladder and worked our asses off. When we met, we were just young kids trying to live our dreams. We promised each other that no matter what, we'd always be friends.
"I'm not gawking," he scoffed, "I'll face you to the elevator." He took off before I could say anything and was in the elevator when I got there.
"I'll race you to the lobby," I said as I ran to the stairs laughing.
When I got to the lobby there was no sign of Mike and I celebrated my victory. When I saw him stop out of the elevator I laughed hysterically at his defeated face.
"It went up," he said angrily, making me laugh harder.
"Ashtyn, please tell me you are not racing with Mike again tonight. We need to celebrate," my brother said coming up behind me.
"Randall, I am racing. We can celebrate when I get back. Then again when Miz gets back ten minutes later," I told him.
"Don't call me Randall."
"Don't call me Ashtyn."
"Okay, sibling fight over. I will not be getting back ten minutes after you. And what are we celebrating?" Mike asked.
"Not fighting," Randy told him, "Celebrating that AJ finally dumped that douche face of a boyfriend."
"Wait, what? When? Are you alright?" he asked then seeing the look on my face, he played dumb, "I thought you guys were suppose to be like perfect for each other or whatever."
"Michael Mizanin, I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Kevin, if you ever use me, Kyle, or perfect in the same sentence, I will murder with your bare hands," I told him.
"Okay, okay. Jeez, I didn't know the imperfection was such a sore spot. My bad," Mike said, giving me that look that told me he knew what was going on.
"Whatever, no biggie. Things just weren't as awesome as everyone thought," I told him, mocking his catch phrase.
"That's it. We need to run. Bye Randy. We'll see you in a few-" Mike stopped when he saw I'd already taken off out the front doors.
"You're cheating AJ. So not cool," I heard him yell after me.
We ran for about 15 minutes before I stopped to turn around. I gave him a look that told him to get ready.
"What's the grand prize?" he asked me with a smile on his face.
"Well, my back is pretty tense right now. So winner gets a back rub after celebrating with Randall?" I suggested.
"You are so on," he replied.