IWX live event...
Cyrus had shown Mia around backstage and introduced her to some other superstars. Including his brother and some of his friends. Cyrus led her down to the ring before the show to give Mia the newbie experience of seeing the arena empty. Mia walked through the curtain, and when she reached the stage, she stopped in her tracks with mouth agape. Cyrus felt her grip on his hand fall. Looking back, he saw a look of terror on her face.
“Flower? You okay?”
“What if I can’t do this?” She had never felt stage fright before, but she had never been on a stage like this before either.
Cyrus walked over, taking her in his arms and gliding a finger down the side of her face to get her attention. Making sure her eyes were on him, he tried to take away her fear. “Look at me, flower. I believe in you. The fans will love you and you have two weeks to prepare. I’ll do anything I can to get you ready, and so will Gage. He likes you. Let’s go down to the ring. You need to experience this. It may ease some tension if you see what it’s like in the ring.”
He led her to the ring and helped her in and she became speechless, taking it all in. Touching the ropes and looking around, she was like a child on Christmas morning. Full of wonder and excitement.
“This is amazing. Do you think one day I’ll stand in this ring as a real star? Maybe with you by my side?”
“I do. That’s the whole plan. Mia, are you happy?” Cyrus’s face turned serious.
Looking in his kind eyes, a sweet loving look came over her. “Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“So am I. You’re changing me. I want to be a better man for you.”
“I don’t see how you can get much better. You’re an amazing man, Cyrus Evans. Never forget that.”
Cyrus pulled her close, resting his forehead on hers with a quiet peacefulness. He wanted this more than anything.
She had wanted him to kiss her again since the stage and leaned as if to imply she wanted him to. She wanted it to be real this time. Mia could feel her heart racing while waiting for him to make a move. He leaned in, hovering his lips over her, inches away from that sweet moment of bliss.
He almost kissed Mia when a shrill, annoying voice came down the ramp.
Cyrus grunted and pulled back, rubbing his hand over his face. “Fuck. Not her. Not now.”
“Cyrus! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Kelly Kravens walked up the steps to the ring, seductively looking at Cyrus. “Wow. You look so good tonight. You get sexier every time I see you. I can’t wait for our segment.”
Ignoring Mia, she walked over and stepped in between the couple, making Mia stubble back slightly. Kelly ran her finger over Cyrus’ chest and licked her lips like a vampire ready to bite. “I was hoping we could go over our lines or something.”
“Kelly, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” Cyrus’s face was turning red with anger.
The woman turned to look over her shoulder at Mia and scoffed. “Who’s this?”
Cyrus grabbed Mia’s hand and pulled her next to him protectively. “This is my girlfriend. Kelly, can you leave us alone?”
Mia stepped up to Kelly, reaching out her hand politely. “I’m Mia. I’ll be working here soon.”
Mia was dressed in a simple white tank top, jeans, and a floral kimono, and Kelly looked at her like she was out of place. Mia thought Kelly looked like she should work at Hooters, not part of IWX.
Kelly laughed and looked past Mia to Cyrus, “This is the girl you hired to work with Doom? This? What is fatty going to be exactly? Your mascot? Wow, Cyrus, you sure are scraping the bottom of the barrel now. You still have time to have a real woman take care of things for you. For the new Doom project and otherwise.”
Cyrus moved Mia out of the way, pointing directly at Kelly’s face. The instinctive protective side of Cyrus kicked in like a turbo. “Talk about her like that again and you won’t have a job here at all. Now. When we get done tonight with this segment, stay out of my way.”
“Oh baby, a year ago you were begging me to be in your way. Remember? Does she know? That you and I had a history. Well, me and other women. Sweetie, his role as IWX manager was more than a kayfabe fiction for the show. Cyrus was the man around here for a while. Every woman wanted him, and he had most of them. Now he’s just… pathetic.” She laughed and walked out of the ring.
Mia spoke up, “I knew about you. He told me about your tawdry cheap one-night-stand. I figured he may have had the same with other women in his past, too. He is an attractive man, after all. Don’t forget he chose me. Not you. A one-night stand doesn’t compare to a real connection. Real women are worth waiting for, not easy tramps who give it away. Now leave before I throw you out of this ring on your ass. Oh, and call me fat one more time, I’ll rearrange your face. Got it?”
Mia was furious, and she took no crap from anyone. It almost reminded Cyrus of his feisty sister, Holly.
Kelly looked to Cyrus for help and saw he was mad too. She left the ring as Mia stood with her fist clenched and fuming.
Cyrus turned to look at Mia’s angry eyes that followed the woman up the ramp.
Suddenly, her angry eyes flashed to him. “How many?”
“Mia…”
“How many?” She said in a calm yet forceful voice.
“It wasn’t like that. Yes, I have been with a couple of women since my divorce. But it’s not what everyone thinks. Kelly and a couple of others. I was messed up for a few months. There were other women I dated, but I never slept with them. It was a character for this story with the Justice team. It’s not the real me. I kept kayfabe going outside the ring for the storyline, that’s all. I promise. She’s just trying to make me look bad because she’s jealous. She knew I was interested in someone because I blew her off to talk to you one night. I told her I had a more important person to talk to, and I wasn’t interested in her.”
“You could have warned me.”
“I told you, this won’t be easy. People will come to us from all sides. Over a tile belt, fame, money. I need you to trust me and be by my side. Just like I will be for you.” Cyrus shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling defeated. He worried Kelly probably ruined everything.
“Am I just… a challenge? Another notch on your bedpost? A conquest? I can’t be those women, Cyrus. I want you more than I can ever explain, but I have to stay true to myself.” Mia looked around the stadium in disbelief. “I can’t be like that.”
“Flower, you’re everything to me. Please stop thinking I am just out for sex. Of course, I’m a man. I am going to hit on you, flirt, and want to touch you. Damn woman. You’re sexy as fuck. If you change your mind, I would be glad to be the one, but I won’t force you into anything. I know what I’m doing here, just trust me.” Cyrus walked over to her, rubbing Mia’s arm. “You sure as hell stood your ground with her. I think you’re going to do just fine here.”
He laid his head on hers, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around Cyrus’ waist. “You’re lucky you’re cute or I would punch you in the nuts right now.”
“Good thing I’m cute then.”