Nerdy Girl Nation (Nerdy Girl #1)

by Lindsey Gray

  “It’s been too long.” Terrance stood and took Emma into his arms. He pulled back from her and noticed the slight redness around her eyes, something he had never seen before. “Are you well?”

  Emma stepped out of his arms and waved him off. “A long day and I didn’t get much sleep last night.” She sat down in the chair he pulled out for her.

  Terrance sat down in his own seat. Emma wore her poker face well, but those moments were when things were off. He almost hated the sight of her pleasant face in those moments because he knew her expression wasn’t real.

  “I’ve ordered your favorites. I hope they will suffice?”

  Emma glanced over at the tray the waiter had brought out and her visage cracked a bit. Terrance smiled and relaxed.

  “Wonderful. I can’t eat everything, but I’ll try a little of each.” The genuine smile on Emma’s lips made Terrance’s heart melt. The issues bothering her seemed to slip away.

  The waiter served their dishes then took his leave.

  Emma moaned after her first bite of her favorite shrimp dish. “I forgot how good this was.”

  They made small talk throughout their meal and Terrance felt his old friend come back to him again. Their time together began to run short and he needed to make his reason for their lunch clear.

  Terrance reached across the table and took Emma’s hand in his like he had done so many times before.

  “Emma?”

  She put her other hand over his. “Talk to me, Terrance.”

  “You have been a joy to have at my side in my business and as my friend. Lydia and I have considered you another daughter.”

  Hurt fell across her face and she ducked her head.

  “No.” Terrance put his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her head up to meet his gaze. “We love Irene despite everything she has done, but that will never change how Lydia and I feel about you.” Terrance squeezed her hand. “I found out why she wanted you gone.” He laughed, but a pain seared his chest at the same time. “She wanted to take your place on the deal because she was pushing for more screen time.”

  “Screen time? Are you kidding me?”

  “Evidently, she convinced Troy making you look bad would increase the ratings and get rid of her haters. They knew about your contract so they never thought it would be permanent. It was all to stir up drama and Irene wanted the London commission to buy some house in Maui.”

  Seventeen million dollars would come Emma’s way with the success of the deal. The deal was worth over a billion, so the pay was relatively low. The work needed to secure the deal was priceless, so Emma deserved every cent.

  “I have no idea where we went wrong. Irene was good at her job and was making plenty of money on her own.”

  “So, Troy was the reason she was such a bitch?” Emma whispered to herself, but Terrence heard her loud and clear.

  “He contributed to her attitude, I’m sure. Once I came back from your mother’s funeral, I began to investigate all your projects to see what needed to be done. Irene volunteered for the London deal right away. I was instantly suspicious. She never volunteered for anything, so I told her to give me a few days to decide. I met with your assistant and together we pieced together a trail. Irene had been swapping her name and signature with yours on several documents. She wanted the credit for the work. On paper, everything seemed like she had brokered the deal by herself. Thankfully, between my assistant and yours we had all of the originals with your signature.” Terrence shook his head. His own daughter had spiraled out of control and he had no idea. “I flew out to London before I got back with Irene. I closed the deal without her. When Irene found out, she went ballistic. It took a while to sort everything out, but I eventually got the truth out of her. I just wish I figured it out sooner.”

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t know what they were up to.” Emma’s decision about the series Troy offered the night before was no longer an issue. She would never work with him again after this.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did your job and did it well. Which brings me to this.” He pulled an envelope out of the inner breast pocket of his jacket and handed it to her.

  Emma opened the envelope and scanned the documents. Her breath caught and eyes widened. “No.”

  “Yes.”

  The documents detailed the transfer of the seventeen million dollar commission as well as a thirty-three million dollar bonus. The number was triple what the paperwork faxed to Harry stated.

  “Fifty million dollars? This is way more than I expected.” Her hand shook while she lowered the papers to the table.

  “You earned every cent. For every missed birthday and holiday. For the twenty hour days and last-minute flights around the world. Emma, you are priceless to me. This is the least I can give you, plus an annual donation to the Nerdy Girl Nation.”

  “Terrance.” Emma stood and pulled him up into her arms. “Thank you.”

  “You are very welcome.”

  “I haven’t done anything with my accounts since I moved.” She whipped a few tears from her cheeks and laughed.

  “The number of the best financial advisor in Boston is in there. I’ve worked with him before and trust him implicitly.”

  “I’ll give him a call next week.” She laughed again and shook her head. “Fifty million dollars. Who’d have thought I’d ever be in this position?”

  “Elaine and Mick always knew you could set the world on fire. I knew you could.” They smiled at each other and Terrence placed both of his hands on her face. “Want to know another thing I’m sure of?”

  “What?”

  “You’re going to look fantastic with a tag team champion belt around your waist.”

  She hugged him tight and laughed like he’d never heard before. Best sound ever.

  Rob used the keycard Emma gave him to enter her hotel room late Saturday night. He heard the sound of running water in the bathroom and assumed Emma was in the shower. The thought occurred to him to join her, but he was sure she wasn’t ready.

  He heard the water turn off and decided to get comfortable. While he unbuttoned his shirt, he noticed papers on the nightstand with the Hunt logo on them. Curious, he sat down on the bed and picked up the papers.

  “Kind of scary seeing so many zeros?” Emma asked when she stepped out of the bathroom in a blue top and blue plaid ladies boxers.

  “Is this for real?” Emma was a wealthy woman, but adding another fifty million to her already hefty bank account intimidated him more than a little bit.

  “Yes. Terrence explained everything over lunch.” She sat next to him and picked up the papers with a sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with it all.”

  “You can buy a lot of Legos.” He took the papers from her and placed them back on the nightstand.

  “I can have my own personal Legoland,” she laughed.

  He pushed her down on the bed and hovered over her. “We can build our own castle and live the rest of our days as the king and queen of our own nation.”

  “The Nerdy Girl Nation?” she asked and slid her arms around his neck.

  “Of course. We’d live off frozen meals Louisa would leave for us on the drawbridge and spend our days in bed watching Doctor Who marathons.”

  “Heaven.” She lifted her head and met his lips with her own.

  “You, my Queen, shall want for nothing.” He would worship her until the day he died if she’d let him.

  Rob stared into depths of her ice blue eyes. He told himself from the moment he reconnected with Emma he was in it for the long haul. At that moment, the meaning of their relationship hit him full force. He saw their relationship in the abstract sense, sharing his life with her someday. Their day finally arrived.

  “And my King will always be satisfied.” She moved her hands to grip his backside and wrapped her legs around his thighs.

  He grunted and pressed his erection against her. “With you, I could never be anything else.”

  “This last mont
h has been an interesting challenge.” Emma stood tall in front of the IWA roster at their meeting a half an hour before the Breaking Rules event began. “I never expected to be in this position tonight, but I’m so grateful for such a terrific and talented group of people to work with and support. Let’s go out and have the best pay-per-view event ever!”

  The wrestlers and staff responded with thunderous applause.

  Emma felt a wave of relief crash over her, the weight of the last month lifted off her shoulders. The card for the night was scheduled out to the minute. If the night wasn’t as perfect as she planned, it wouldn’t be for her lack of trying.

  Cherry rushed to her side. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “Surprise?”

  “Come on.” Cherry pulled Emma away, but not before she took a glance over at Aaron.

  What seemed like a mile away through the halls of the arena, Cherry and Emma arrived at the costume area.

  “Millie, tell her,” Cherry urged the IWA’s costume designer.

  “I came up with another design for the two of you, a backup just in case. Cherry thinks you should wear these instead.” Millie turned to show her the outfit hanging on the nearest rack.

  “Oh, wow.” Emma moved over to feel the stretchy leather-like material between her fingertips.

  The original costume matched Cherry’s signature jean shorts and fitted tee shirt. A distinct zing rocked her back on her heels when she realized how much more she liked the new outfit.

  The shirt was a combination of purple and black leather with a built-in bra. Black strips crisscrossed between the breast and shoulder blades in front and back. The shorts were the same material and seemed like they would hit her mid thigh. Knee high black boots with built in shin guards and knee pads completed the ensemble.

  “What do you think?” Millie asked.

  “I love it. Can I try it on real quick?” The outfit was almost identical to what she had envisioned herself wearing one day.

  “I can do you one better.” Millie pulled out a purple wrap dress with a flourish. “You can wear this over it. I swear you’ll be comfortable. You can come backstage to take the dress off before your match and switch out your shoes for your boots and kneepads.”

  “And see, I match.” Cherry slid the robe she wore off. Her outfit was like Emma’s except the placement of the purple and the black was the opposite.

  “I pray I look as good as you do in mine.” Cherry was close to Emma’s stature, but Emma had what she called a little extra junk in her trunk.

  “You’ll be stunning. You’re not even wearing this yet and guys are already drooling.” Cherry motioned her head toward the wall where Aaron stood with Chance.

  Emma rolled her eyes at the sight of Chance’s uplifted eyebrows and slacked jaw. She had one more night to keep herself in check. Al and Ben would be home in their beds and she would be off to Atlanta with Rob. She’d survive for a few more hours.

  “Bobby, a minute please?” Aaron asked Rob when he entered the secluded dressing room with Chance.

  “Sure.”

  Aaron and Chance sat on the couch across from Rob and got comfortable. “There are going to be a few changes tonight.”

  The way Aaron spoke made Rob feel uneasy. “And?”

  “After your match, win or lose, you and Chance will be in the ring when Emma enters. Instead of a gracious defeat or being presented with the belts, you are going to grab Emma and kiss her.”

  “What? I don’t think she’d be comfortable—”

  “I discussed this with her. This is what we’ve been building up to for weeks. Emma will take it from there.” Aaron winked at him.

  Emma admitted to Rob, even before the attack, public displays of affection were difficult for her.

  Why didn’t she tell me about this?

  “Now, you won’t need to sneak around anymore.” A wide grin spread across Aaron’s face. “I happened to see you slip into a different room late last night.”

  Rob had no response except to grin right back.

  “Tonight will all work out for the best.”

  “You are one lucky man, my friend,” Chance said then took a swig of water.

  “Don’t I know it?”

  Emma spent the majority of the night at the announcers’ table with the commentary team. Once a championship match was decided, she presented the winner with their championship belt.

  A video montage and a segment with Aaron gave Emma enough time to get backstage to get ready for her match.

  Emma met Millie and Cherry in the hallway. She loosened the ties to her dress and slipped it off while she flipped her heels from her feet. Millie took the dress. Cherry pushed Emma down on a chair and helped her into her boots.

  “Nervous?” Cherry asked while she forced Emma’s foot into the boot.

  “I feel like I’m going to throw up if I don’t get out there soon.” With the realization her match would actually happen, panic began to set in.

  “You’ll do fine. You’re ready. You know. I know. Most of all, Lazlo knows.”

  Emma nodded. Cherry was right. All of their training sessions flipped through her mind like an old filmstrip. They would do it.

  “You’re right.” Emma got her other boot on and secured the ties.

  “Come here.” Cherry pulled Emma up from the chair and put their foreheads together. “Tonight, Betty and Wendy are all those bitches who doubted us. We are here to show the world never to underestimate us. You ready?”

  “Yes,” Emma said with a note of confidence she didn’t expect.

  I can do this. I will do this.

  “Cherry!” a stagehand called.

  “I’ll see you out there.” Cherry brought Emma into a quick, tight hug and went to make her entrance.

  Cameras were arranged in front and behind Emma to catch every possible movement.

  “Here. This will help.”

  Emma turned to find Kelly with a phone in her hand.

  She took the phone and brought it to her ear. “Hello?”

  “How you doin’, Princess?”

  “Dad,” she sighed. She felt the tears well but tipped her head back to halt the fall. “I’m waiting to go out.”

  “You’re gonna be wonderful. Remember to use your momentum. Don’t waste any opportunity.”

  “I know, Dad.” She wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “Lazlo has drilled it all into me. I’ll do my best.”

  “I love you. Call me as soon as you can.”

  “I will. Give my love to everyone.”

  “Just a second.” She heard the sound the phone made when switched over to speaker mode.

  “Good luck, Emma!” The sound of the whole bar yelling at the same time filled her with the jolt of confidence she needed.

  “Be safe. I love you.”

  “I will, Dad.”

  She heard her brother, Annie, and Nell yell out their love before she hung up and handed the phone back to Kelly.

  “Thanks.” Emma smiled, her nerves left behind her.

  “So, what you gonna do now?” Kelly asked with a wicked twinkle in her eye.

  “I think I have some ass to kick.”

  The familiar sounds of the electric guitar rang throughout the arena and there was no turning back.

  Emma went out and stopped at the top of the ramp. The crowd erupted in a hail of cheers and hollers. She did a little spin to show off her new gear and they all seemed to approve. Her music continued while she basked in the energy ricocheting off the walls of the arena.

  Instead of her usual casual walk down to the ring, she decided the time had come to show the world she meant business as a member of the Bombshell division. Emma ran down the ramp at full speed and slid under the bottom rope into the ring. She rolled and flipped herself up to stand next to Cherry. They held their hands up and played to the crowd for another minute before Emma’s music faded out.

  “Go time,” Cherry said while she pulled Emma into a tight hug. “We got this.” Cherry
moved back to grasp Emma’s chin and turned her head toward Wendy and Betty. “They got nothing on us. Those bitches are going down.”

  “Hell yeah!” Emma squeezed Cherry tight before she slid between the middle and top ropes to stand on the apron of the ring.

  The bell rang.

  The match started out as planned. Cherry attempted a pin within two minutes of the start. Betty took out her fury on Cherry after a kick to the face. Things went south after that. Betty put Cherry in a submission hold she wasn’t supposed to until further on in the match. Cherry got out of the hold and tagged Emma in.

  Betty tagged in Wendy and Emma realized their original plan wouldn’t work.

  Time to fight dirty.

  “This is how it’s gonna be?” Emma asked while the two of them stalked each other around the ring.

  “I told you we wouldn’t hold back because you’re the boss.” Wendy cracked her knuckles in an attempt at intimidation.

  Emma laughed. The sound didn’t go over well with Wendy, who lunged at Emma full force. Emma side-stepped and let Wendy bounce off the ropes. She wrapped her arm around Wendy’s neck from behind and threw her down hard.

  “Just because I’m the boss, doesn’t mean I’m not gonna kick your ass.” Emma gave her a kick to the ribs for good measure.

  Wendy got back up and they went at it. Emma got her bell rung when Wendy threw her down face first into the ring floor. When she had the strength to get up, Betty had taken Wendy’s place.

  Emma didn’t let the urgency of the match dissipate and went at Betty with an unspoken rage.

  Kick.

  Jab.

  Punch.

  Slap.

  Pull.

  Push.

  Bounce.

  Jump.

  One last dodge had Wendy eager to tag Betty’s outstretched hand.

  Emma changed Wendy’s attitude toward her. She wondered if Betty might be impressed at Emma’s performance so far.

  Their back and forth was more than a little brutal and Betty got Emma into a strong submission hold. Emma was able to reach for the rope and the referee pulled Betty off.

  Emma did a quick roll across the ring and tagged Cherry in.