Contagious (7 page)

It was a good day. Ava was grateful that with the way it started, it just got better. Not once during the seminar did the kids call or text. There was no call from the school or the police. Rosie didn’t bother her, but then again, Ava didn’t expect her to. Not until she needed more money.

Running into Rayniac the wrestler made it all worthwhile. The poor man was simply heartbroken and his pain was palpable. He ended up being a focus at the seminar. Of course, Ava had to giggle because she kept thinking Semora was using Rayniac as an example just as an excuse to touch him.

Rayniac wasn’t a national superstar, but locally any true wrestling fan of the independent circuit, worshiped him. He carried Cleveland bragging rights.

She had lunch with him, posed for selfies, and got a lot of knowledge, along with a book from Semora Love.

The Seminar was better than she could have expected, with helpful tips that were common knowledge, but
also ones she never thought of. Ava took notes on her tablet.

The Seminar ended just before three. Ava kind of thought it would end earlier. It was obvious Semora was under the weather. But she was a trooper, pushing through, despite her sniffles and coughs.

It was funny when the manager Joel came in to retrieve Rayne and Semora gave him a hard time.

The manager didn’t back down.

Semora told him, “If you want this man to work well for you, he needs to finish this seminar.”

“I don’t care how he works, all he has to do is fold his arms and look mean.”

“Its expectations like that, Mr. Carson, that have given this man a complex.”

“Ha, he goes by the name of Rayniac the Wrestler. I think his complex started way before he knew me.”

“Surely, this one hour is not as important as his wellbeing.”

Joel, the manger gave up, waving out his hand with a groan and saying, “Fine, keep him.”

The seminar cheered.

Semora rubbed his chest again, stating something about Rayne’s heart.

The song was a nice final touch, Semora wrote it. Well, the words, at least. They sung it to the tune of
America, the Beautiful.

Oh, beautiful for what I see, when I look into the mirror

And all my weaknesses will leave, I will not live in fear.

I love myself, I love myself

I’ll find my inner cure

I’ll find the freedom from my chains

And emotionally soar.

Rayne had a nice singing voice. He obviously felt better and held his head up.

“Thank you.” he told her as they left the seminar. “This was just what I needed.”

“You’re welcome. I know the hurt is there, and it will be for a while.” Ava told him. “But this stopped it for a few hours, right?”

“Right. And I have a clearer head for this special security detail.”

“Sounds exciting. Can you tell me what it is?”

“JJ Wylde is staying here with his people.”

“I thought he had his own security.”

“I’m here for the hotel against him.”

“Oh, good idea, he pees in plants. Good luck. I’ll be in touch.” Ava reached out and shook his hand.

Rayne leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then smiled. “You’re a good woman, Ava. Your husband is very lucky.”

“I’m gonna hold you to telling him that when you come for dinner.”

On an ‘up’ Ava started to leave and her day got better without even leaving the hotel. She didn’t have to stop and rent movies. A woman at the seminar had told her about three really good ones that were on demand. Then before she walked out the door, the manager stopped her. He wanted to thank her for helping Rayne, even though she made him late for work.

Since he overheard them at lunch and heard Ava stating she was going to be making pizzas with the kids, he gave her two pizza kits from the kitchen.

Bonus, she could go straight home and avoid any extra time that could breed trouble.

She hit every green light, and didn’t even get angry when Darren called her and complained that he was upset she ‘posted’ pictures on line of her and a
Neanderthal.

“Take them down, my reputation is at stake. How do you think that makes my wife look?”

“Considering your first wife is a meth addict, pretty much anything I do short of crack makes me look good. Just show them pictures of your first wife.”

Darren didn’t like that and told her so, then simply ordered her again to take them down.

Ava stayed calm, said she would but had no intention of doing so. She shook off any residue of bad energy from the Darren call—something she learned from Semora—grabbed her pizza kits and went to the house.

Before she stepped in, she prepared herself for hell. After all, the twins were home with Landon. Knowing how their moods were going to be after a brief look at Rosie, Ava braced herself and stepped inside.

She didn’t expect what she got.

Excitement.

“I saw your picture,” Calvin explained. “How cool was that? We love Rayniac.”

“I know
,” Ava said. “He made you a video.”

Landon tugged her pant leg. “Is he big mommy? He looks big.”

“Huge.”

Cassie came barreling down the stairs. “Did you get his autograph?”

Ava looked at her. She was smiling. A seldom seen look on Cassie’s face. “No, I didn’t but … he’s coming for dinner next week.”

“What’s that?” Calvin asked of the items she carried.

“Oh, pizza kits from the hotel. A gift because, you know, I helped Rayniac.”

“Whoa
,” Landon said. “You helped him?”

“I think I did.”

Suddenly, surprising Ava again, Cassie let out an excited, not angry, shriek as she looked at her phone.

“What? What is it?” Ava asked.

“Oh my God, he chirped about you! Look.” Cassie held up her phone. “He mentioned you on his Chirp account. You are gonna get so many followers.”

Ava was stunned. Absolutely stunned. In the years she had been with the kids, never had she experienced them all being nice and happy with her.

She reached out to make a difference in the life of a stranger who sulked by a garbage dumpster and instead, he made a difference in her life.

Even if it was only temporary, Ava was going to bask in the first true feeling of family she had with the kids.

No fights. No cops pounding at the door, or juvenile delinquent tactics. Just laughter and smiles. The world could fall apart around Ava, and at that moment, she wouldn’t care. Nothing could happen that would take the moment away.

<><><><>

If Joel had the ability to record a saying and press a button to repeat it all day, that saying would be, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

First the triple shot of vodka, early bird special Bloody Mary for the woman who didn’t drink. Then Rayne crying by the garbage dumpster and his attendance at the seminar. Not to mention the loud singing of a new rendition of America the Beautiful.

All that was topped off, just after the seminar, when a woman named Felicia introduced herself to Joel as the road rules manager for JJ Wylde.

Joel responded to that with a ‘hmm.’

In her forties, the attractive and olive complexioned woman tucked one side of her short bobbed hair behind her ear and wore a business skirt suit. She carried her attitude more blatantly than she carried her clipboard.

“Who uses a clipboard?” Joel asked. “I can’t recall the last time I saw someone with a clipboard.”

“Mr. Carson, please.”

“I’m joking.”

“I don’t joke.”

“Oh, then you need to meet Walter.”

“Who?” she asked.

“Head of hotel security.”

“Oh, then I will.” She made a marking on the clipboard. “Why are two of your floors still available for guests?”

“Because you booked three floors and that leaves two.”

“These floors need to be cleared.”

Joel laughed. “There was nothing about that in the agreement. I want a full hotel.”

“Well, JJ will pay for the un-booked rooms. We need them empty.”

“All right. However, there’s no discount rate here on them. I want what I would get if I booked them. What’s the big deal, anyhow?”

“Groupies. Crazed fans. People that want him dead.”

“Like a teenager would pay that much a night.”

“When I found out you had rooms available, I instructed your staff to turn people away.”

“You can’t instruct my staff, they’re
my
staff. And I’m pretty positive we don’t have people beating down the doors for the last fifty rooms.”

“Have you looked outside?”

Joel was going to answer, but instead, because they were so close to the lobby, decided to take a peek.

He didn’t even need to get to the front doors to hear the commotion. “What the hell?”

“They’re waiting for JJ.”

Joel picked up his radio. “Walter, where are you?”

“Trying to disperse the crowd. The police won’t send any more cars over. They said to deal with it.”

Joel heaved out a breath.

“It will be like this all weekend.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it.” Joe headed to the doors and stepped out. The moment he did a loud eruption of screams rang out.

‘Good God,’ He thought. ‘I know I don’t look like JJ Wylde.’

They weren’t near the doors or on the driveway, they had been moved to the grass part. Joel headed their way.

“May I ask what you’re doing?” Felicia questioned.

“Getting rid of them.”

“It can’t be done.”

“Watch me.” Joe walked to the line of girls blocked by a simple police tape.

“Who are you?” One yelled out. “Do you know JJ?”

“I’m the hotel manager.”

The girls screamed. Joel blocked off one ear. “Yeah, I do.”

Another round of screams.

“Go on, Mr. Arrogant,” said Felicia. “Get rid of them.”

More than one person yelled out, ‘When does he arrive?’

Joel visually scanned the girls. He spotted one, about sixteen, crying as she held a homemade sign professing her love. She jumped up and down with excitement and Joel approached her.

“You with a group of friends?” Joel asked.

Excitedly, and laced with a scream the girl replied. “Yes. We love JJ.”

“How long will you wait?”

“Forever.”

“You seem like nice girls
,” Joel said.

“We are.”

“That’s what I thought. So …” Joel leaned to her and whispered in her ear.

Her eyes widened, Joel stepped back. The young girl turned to her friends and within seconds, they were breaking the confines of the two hundred plus crowd to get away.

“What did you say?” Felicia asked.

“Watch. It will be a domino effect.” Joe said.

And it was.

It started in the back of the crowd, they started to leave in a rush. The wave of people turning and running, rippled toward the front until everyone was on their way out.

“How … how did you do that?”

“I told her she looked like my niece and I hated to see her waste her time. JJ Wylde and crew are actually staying at the Marriott, ten miles away.”

“Amazing.”

“Yep
,” Joel said with an exhale. “And that ...is why they call me Mr. Arrogant.”

He went back inside, wanting to stay clear of Felicia and the JJ Wylde situation until he absolutely had to be involved. After all, it was going to take over his life. He had to stay in the hotel the entire time the JJ crew was there.

By the time he made it to his office to take a breather, Walter arrived.

“Why’d you hire him?” Walter asked as he stepped into Joel’s office.

“Have a seat.” Joel held out his hand. “Who are we talking about?”

“Raymond.”

“Who?”

“Raymond. His middle name is my name. I don’t like that.” Walter sat down.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Raymond Nee.”

“Oh.” Joel sat back. “Rayne. Yeah. He’s just temporary.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“He doesn’t need to know what he’s doing, he just has to look mean.” Joel reached for his phone when it rang. When he saw it was from his wife, he cringed, then answered. “Yes, Dear. No. I won’t be home. I told you I am staying all weekend. No, you can’t come up. No. You can’t … fine. Come to the hotel. Stay.” He hung up. “Oh my God.” He rubbed his temples.

“Your wife is joining you?”

“Yes. Maybe I can talk her into making that kid wear pants that fit.”