The Contender (Wrestling Diaries #1)

by Sarah Bale

  Me: Oh?

  Mesquite: Yeah. She seemed to understand. No tears, so that was good

  Mesquite: What are you up to?

  Me: Just going through some stuff for work

  Mesquite: On a Thursday night? Woman, why aren’t you out having fun

  This made me laugh.

  Me: Not every one lives a glamorous life like you

  Mesquite: LOL. Yes, I’m so glamorous. Right now I’m waiting on the airline company to find my lost luggage

  Me: That sucks

  Mesquite: Tell me about it. I forgot to pack extra clothes in my carry-on

  Me: What’s in you carry-on then?

  Mesquite: Wrestling gear. Might have to resort to wearing that if they don’t find my bags

  Me: Poor baby

  We ended up texting late into the night. The airlines eventually found his bag, which he sent me a picture of. Who knew Mesquite was such a goofball?

  May 30

  Today my co-workers kept asking me who the new man was. When I asked what they meant, one rolled her eyes.

  “Jamie, we haven’t seen you smile this much in a long time. Whoever he is he must be special.”

  Was it that obvious how happy his texts were making me?

  June 3

  Him: Wish you were here

  Me:

  Him: Did I wake you?

  Me: It IS three a.m.

  Me: What are you even doing up?

  Him: Traveling to the next city

  Him: Don’t worry. I’m not texting and driving

  Me: That’s good

  Him: I mean it… I wish you were here

  June 4

  We talked on the phone for hours tonight. He called as he was leaving the arena.

  “Little Pasty,” he greeted.

  “Little Pasty… what in the hell does that even mean?”

  He laughed. “You’re the palest girl I know of. I thought it fit you.”

  “You realize that: A) that’s insulting. I can’t help it that I’m fair skinned. B) A weird nickname. People are going to think it means something else entirely.”

  Like the kind of pasties a stripper wore. Guessing by his chuckle he’d thought of that, too.

  “Still gonna call you that.”

  I rolled my eyes, though he couldn’t tell. “Fine. I get to give you a nickname then.”

  “Give it your best shot.”

  Hmmm. I’d have to think of something good.

  I changed the subject. “Where are you headed tonight?”

  “I think Johnson City, Tennessee.”

  Ah, another house show. That made sense. The non-televised events tended to be in smaller towns.

  “When are you going to come see me?”

  I replied, “Well, I looked at the schedule online today and it doesn’t look like you’re in my neck of the woods for a few more months.”

  While looking at the schedule I had even contemplated traveling several states to go to an event, but I didn’t want to appear clingy. Because I wasn’t, dammit.

  “How are things at home?”

  What I really meant was how were things with his ex-fiancée.

  He must have known my true question because he said, “Good. I haven’t run into the ex yet. She’s supposed to pick up the rest of her things and leave her key while I’m gone this week. And the ring is already in my safe, so that’s good. It’s the most chill breakup I’ve been through.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  We ended up talking until he got to his hotel room in Johnson City. The last thing he said made me smile.

  “We’ll have to work on getting you to a show, Jamie.”

  At least he made me feel missed.

  June 13

  Him: I want to show you why they call me the Accumulator.

  Me: I think I have a good idea why

  Him: You’ll have an even better idea when I’m making you come.

  Oh my god!

  I shifted in my seat and crossed my legs. He was killing me. And I kind of loved it.

  Me: This isn’t fair. You know I’m in a meeting.

  Him: I’m not going to stop until you agree. And I can really heat things up…

  Me: I can’t just meet you in Ohio. I have a job. I have bills.

  Him: I said I’d take care of it. Come on Jamie.

  Guess that meant I was headed to Ohio… I mean… I needed to find out why they called him the Accumulator and all…

  June 14

  There was something magical about seeing someone you admire naked for the first time. I mean I knew he’d have a great body, but Mesquite was AMAZING everywhere. And right now he was upholding a promise and about to make me come. Again.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  He caught my lips in a kiss. Our tongues danced together and my entire body shook as I climaxed.

  “And you, sir, are amazing.”

  “Is that my new nickname?”

  I shook my head. “Not even close.”

  He pulled out and my body was sorry for the loss of connection. Funny thought to have in the moment and I shoved it aside. He got up and went to the bathroom. A moment later he came back with a damp washcloth. I was touched by his consideration.

  “Want to take a bath?”

  I nodded and we went into the large bathroom where the bathwater was already running. Turning, I found him watching me with a heated gaze. My brain screamed ‘danger’, but my body screamed ‘more’.

  Guess which thought won?

  June 15

  Different city. Different hotel. Same results. I swear to god, this man knew my body like no other. We got caught making out in the elevator by some of the talent. They ribbed him and he took it all in stride. When they got out of the elevator he picked me up and pressed my back against the wall as we kissed. It was one of the single hottest moments of my life.

  June 16

  Was I surprised when I teared up at the airport? A little. What was more surprising was the hug Mesquite gave me at my gate.

  “I wish you’d just come home with me.” His blue eyes were sad as he looked down at me.

  I needed to make this moment not so personal. We were moving too fast.

  “I’m sure my boss would love that. It’s only going to be two weeks. You’ll survive.”

  What I really meant was I would survive not seeing him. Hopefully.

  He brushed the hair from my face and I wanted to cave in so badly. I couldn’t give in. If I did I would be making whatever we had more than it was. It was too soon for it to feel like this, dammit.

  I hugged him. “It’s time for me to board. Text me when you get home, Mesquite.”

  I didn’t even look back once as I walked away even though it killed me not to.

  June 25

  He hasn’t texted today and I realized that was the longest I’d gone without hearing from him since we started texting. I don’t like how this feels.

  Update: He texted around eleven. Guess he lost his phone and had to get a new one. I told him I was glad he hadn’t forgotten me. He laughed. I was serious.

  June 30

  Denver, CO

  I knew where he was before I even saw him. A large group of people surrounded someone by the luggage claim. The airport wasn’t that big, either, so he stood out like a sore thumb. He was doing his best to ignore everyone, looking down at his phone with his headphones in.

  Pulling my phone from my pocket, I texted him. His entire face lit up as he typed a reply.

  Him: Where are you?

  Me: I’m coming down the escalator.

  Him: How many bags do you have?

  Me: Just my carry on. We can leave if you’re ready.

  He looked up and winked at me. God. He looked so good in his dress pants and button-down shirt. We match, both wearing grey. It was kind of cute.

  When I reached the bottom of the escalators, Mesquite stood and pushed past the group of people.

  Pulling me into his arms, he
said, “There’s my girl.”

  I caught the surprised looks on some of the female’s faces and had to hide my smile against his shoulder. I had come to learn that Mesquite had a reputation for being an asshole toward aggressive or pushy fans and I recognized a few of said fans in the crowd. So these people probably didn’t understand why he was being nice to me and not them.

  He took the handle of my carry on and began pulling it alongside his own designer luggage. He’d been on a kick about getting me luggage to match his own, but I had been firm in my refusal. I didn’t want gifts from him. Gifts made what we had feel like a business transaction and I wasn’t a whore.

  Outside, he slowed his pace and said, “Sorry about that. Damn ebay-ers piss me off. One asshole had six things for me to sign and when I refused he had the nerve to call me out.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “At least my day is better now that you’re here.”

  He leaned down and caught my lips with his own. His kiss sent the pit of my stomach into a wild swirl. Oh, how I had missed him. Our kiss ended too soon when someone cleared their throat behind us. Denver, another wrestler, stood with his arms crossed across his chest.

  He smirked. “If you two are finished I’d like to get to the arena before we’re fined. Again.”

  “Denver has been tagging along with me since his visa hasn’t been approved yet. I hope that’s okay with you?”

  Ah, so Denver’s British accent was real then. I had wondered after hearing him speak on TV.

  I nodded. “It’s fine with me.”

  As Mesquite put our bags in the trunk, I asked, “What did Denver mean about getting fined again?”

  Mesquite laughed. “We were late to a couple of the shows last week and got a fine. No big deal.”

  Denver called out, “It was a big deal. I’m not a main eventer like lover boy. Five grand is a lot for me to swallow.”

  “Five grand!”

  Holy shit! I was on Denver’s side with this one.

  Mesquite’s cheeks darkened in a blush. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Besides, I paid for Denver’s fine, too, since it was my fault.”

  “Yeah because you drive like an old man.”

  Well, that was the honest to god truth. I voiced my thought, which caused Denver to laugh until tears streamed down his face. I could already tell that this was going to be a memorable trip.

  July 1

  Traveling with Denver proved to be awesome. He had an amazing sense of humor and made the long drive fly by in a blur. At the hotel, he went to his room leaving Mesquite and I to enjoy our own privacy. I noticed that three girls followed Denver, though. Oh well. To each their own.

  Mesquite was still sore from his last match so we ended up cuddling in bed. I was so horny, though.

  Running my hands down his muscular chest I watched as goosebumps popped up on his tan skin. Exploring lower I found him responding to my touch. His gaze met mine and I could see fire building in the depths.

  I leaned forward and kissed the head of his cock. The tip glistened and I licked it slowly, loving the burst of salty flavor. He said something under his breath and encouraged me to go on. I took more of him into my mouth and moved my head back and forth.

  His eyes closed and I increased my pace. His hips lifted instinctively and I took him further in. He had to be touching the back of my throat now, but I didn’t stop. His hand wrapped around my hair and he guided the pace. I let him. I couldn’t have stopped even if I wanted to because I was under his spell.

  He cried out right before he came. My throat worked around him, swallowing until there was nothing left. When his body stopped shaking, I sat up and smiled.

  His eyes were bright with arousal. “That was… damn. Thank you.”

  “No, thank you, Mesquite.”

  I snuggled up to him and closed my eyes feeling truly happy.

  July 2

  Mesquite returned the favor to me before we left the hotel. There’s nothing quite like being woken up because you’re being eaten out. I swear to god, I climaxed four times. He was still too sore from his wrestling injuries to have sex, but he assured me it would be worth the wait. I already knew when we did have sex that it was going to be earth shattering.

  We met up with Denver in the lobby.

  “I don’t even want to know what took you two so long.”

  I laughed and didn’t answer. Hey, a girl had to have her secrets.

  July 3

  Mesquite and I had the same flight part of the way home. He had my ticket upgraded so I could sit next to him. The flight attendant commented on what a lovely couple we were and Mesquite thanked her.

  As the plane took off, he said, “See, if you lived in Florida we could do this all the time.”

  “If I lived in Florida would you really want me to come on the road, too?”

  “Well, yeah.” He responded as if his answer was obvious.

  “Wouldn’t you get tired of seeing me all the time?”

  “Jamie, that’s never going to happen.”

  I didn’t reply, but rested my head on his shoulder. He gave a girl a lot to think about.

  July 19

  Denver stood holding a sign that read: Mesquite’s Woman. I walked up to him and hugged him before asking what his sign meant.

  “Now that I know your diary secret, I’m going to start calling him by his code name.”

  Denver had been tickled to discover that I still wrote in an old fashioned diary, lock and all.

  “You realize you have a code name, too, right?”

  At first both Denver and Mesquite had been worried what would happen if I lost my diary. I assured them I had taken that into consideration, thus the code names.

  He nodded. “Mine is way better. Denver. Sounds rugged. His sounds like a sauce.”

  I playfully swatted him. “I told you, the code names are the cities I met you in.”

  We were almost out the door when a fan stopped us, asking Denver for a picture. I took it for them on the fan’s phone and then waited as Denver signed a magazine cover.

  When the fan was gone I asked, “Does that ever get old?”

  “Nah. It’s pretty cool, really. I used to go to wrestling shows across the pond and do the same thing. I used to appreciate the ones who would take the time to talk to me.”

  “So you’re paying it forward then?”

  “Something like that. Don’t get me wrong; I have my moments when it annoys the hell out of me. Like if I’m taking a piss. It’s hard to be nice when my wanker is in one hand and they’re trying to shake the other.”

  I laughed at the visual he painted.

  We reached the rental car and I asked, “Where’s Mesquite?”

  “He had some promo stuff to do. I dropped him off and he left me the keys to the car.”

  I eyed Denver.

  “Did you get your visa yet?”

  “No, why?”

  I held out my hand. “Hand ‘em over. I’ll be driving.”

  He groaned, but put the keys in my hand. “Mesquite said you’d probably want to drive.”

  I shook my head and started the car. We got to the arena fairly quickly and I parked near the door. Since Mesquite would be the last match of the night I didn’t have to worry about being blocked in. Hopefully.

  Denver got his bag from the trunk and we walked inside. The arena was older and I was pretty sure the scent I kept getting a whiff of was mothballs. Yuck.

  “There’s someone I want you to meet. I think you’ll like her.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, she’s an old friend of mine. Currently she’s dating one of the guys, but I don’t hold it against her.”

  We followed the signs for the talent, which were taped to the wall. Normally, I wouldn’t be allowed backstage, but Mesquite said it didn’t matter since we were at a house show and none of the bigwigs were around.

  We finally found the common area for the talent and Denver led me toward the most beautiful woman I’d ever
seen in my life. Even from a distance I could tell she was a bundle of energy and I knew I was going to like her right away.

  She jumped up from her seat and threw herself into Denver’s arms. Hmmm. Had they always been friends or had they been more?

  He said, “LaTonya I’d like you to meet Jamie.”

  She grinned at me. “You’re Mesquite’s friend, aren’t you. I’ve seen you around. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  Her caramel skin and bright green eyes were hypnotic. Was she the model I’d seen on TV?

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  Denver bowed. “Now that I’ve done my duty, I must take my leave and go find a tanning salon.”

  LaTonya waved her hand as if shooing off a fly. “Go on, dork. I’ll take care of Jamie.”

  When he was gone she said to me, “I think we’re going to be great friends.”

  July 22

  LaTonya was right. We were going to be great friends. We had so much in common and spent most of the weekend getting to know each other. She was dating Richmond, who was one of the top guys in the company. In fact, Richmond and Mesquite were set to feud each other after the next PPV, which would put one of them in running for the title - the number one contender.

  LaTonya and I ended up hanging out on Richmond’s tour bus during the shows. It was a nice change from having beer spilled on my clothes by excited fans that didn’t put their cups down before jumping around.

  When I stated that LaTonya said, “Or being thrown up on. Believe me - that was the worst!”

  After the show, Mesquite and Richmond met us on the bus and we traveled to the next city. Not having to watch the road in the middle of the night was a relief. Denver seemed happy to have a car to himself though I was pretty sure he’d have some sort of female company with him.

  Richmond proudly showed off all the amenities on his bus. It was really like a traveling hotel room. He even left his clothes on the bus on his off days and someone made sure they were laundered.

  Mesquite sat back on the leather couch and said, “Damn, I really need to invest in one of these.”

  “It’s worth it, man.”

  Mesquite had a far off look in his eyes. If I knew this man as well as I thought I did then I’d bet he would have a bus of his own very soon.