Stuart Slane's Job Interview w/ Amelia Abernathy
Jul 5, 2020 19:56:22 GMT -5
Carnivore, Stuart Slane, and 2 more like this
Post by Amelia Abernathy on Jul 5, 2020 19:56:22 GMT -5
*****
*****
Abernathy Estate*****
Greenwich, CT
Stuart sat in the large room twiddling his thumbs. The interview with Amelia Abernathy was set for one o’clock yet the Billionaire Bombshell was already tardy by forty minutes. Bored, he stood up to stretch his legs and gave her seemingly mute bodyguard, Red, a nod.
Stuart: Just going to have a walk about. Ms. Abernathy must be tied up with something. She’s late.
The massive man grunts.
Red: Ms. Abernathy is never late. She is always precisely on time. You are simply expecting her early.
Slane was about to show him evidence to the contrary he had on his phone but decided against it. Any type of negativity, like a confrontation with Red, could hamper his chances of landing the one million dollar job he was so very close to getting.
Red: But you can tour the room. Just don’t touch anything.
Stu nodded and perused the confines, marveling at the art and relics affixed to the walls. He made his way to a wall covered in plaques of recognition for the services her family had done for communities and charities.
He continued on his trek, stopping at what seemed like a wall of memoriam for Amelia’s deceased little brother, Logan - The death that led to her crusade against professional wrestling.
A huge singular portrait of Logan stood dominant on the wall, surrounded by smaller pictures of the Abernathy family in various locations across the world. Stu noticed in every picture Logan was clung to Amelia like he was an extra appendage of hers.
One frame particularly caught his attention. It was a grinning Amelia decked in graduation attire inside a robotics lab. Next to her was a humanoid size robot that looked liked something birthed by Skynet minus the evil terminator murder-bot vibe. To her other side was Logan, who was looking up at her with eyes and smile wide with wonder and awe of her. Stu strained his eyes to make out the item being proudly displayed in her hands.
Carnegie-Mellon University awards Amelia Abernathy th-
The door opened, pulling his attention from the wall to the stunning woman who’d plunged scores of wrestling promotions into oblivion. Her strides were marked with purpose as she took to her desk and sat down, offering no apologies for her extreme lateness.
Amelia: Sit please.
He sat across from her and afforded her a nod and polite smile.
Stu: Thank you for inviting me. Amazing place yo-
Amelia: Before we begin your interview I’d like to lay out a disclaimer. I do not like you. If you play your cards right and walk out of here one million dollars richer with the trainer job, just know I can end the contract at a moment’s notice if you get out of line with me, and I can sue you to recover the money I’ve spent at a prorated base. Understood?
Slane’s expression hardened.
Stu: I am offering to be your trainer; not your vassal. If we have a contract, it will need to be fair for both parties. That said, you can expect me to fulfill any obligations we agree to.
She countered his expression with one of indifference.
Amelia: Mhmm. We’ll see. Now, I’m about to ask you a series of questions, and it will behoove you to choose your answers carefully. Is this understood, Boy Scout?.
His eyes narrowed at her.
Stu: You can call me Mr. Slane or Stuart or even Stu, Ms. Abernathy.
Amelia: Okay, Scouty McScouterton…
Now she was just being a bitch, testing him to see how far she could go. He knew this and bit down on his tongue.
Amelia: Have you ever trained anyone?
Stu: At a very basic level, yes. Based on what I’ve seen of your performances in the ring, the basics are where we should start.
She nodded, impressed.
Amelia: How do you plan on training me given the one year timeline and your own schedule, plus your rather foolish journey for a tag partner?
Stu: I’ll make time.
Amelia: Aww, you’ll make time for lil ole me? Restructure your prior obligations for ole Amelia here? You made me feel special just now.
The condescending nature of her expression spoke what was hidden in her words.
Stu: I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you were special, Ms. Abernathy.
Amelia: And what exactly makes me so special, hmm?
Stu: You’re a billionaire heiress ordered by the courts and your father to compete in a sport you wish to destroy. Even in this business that’s remarkable.
She scoffed at him.
Amelia: Your business is full of druggies, dime-a-dozen psychopaths, loony time travelers, goat-dog-maNATEe men, extraterrestrials, and zombies who choke people out with their own intestines. My situation is far from remarkable. I am special though, because -
She didn’t continue. Instead she gave a dismissive gesture about the issue and leaned back in her chair, where she studied him with those hypnotic ocean-blue orbs for a moment.
Amelia: On a scale of one to ten how attractive do you find me?
Stu’s brows arched at the unexpected question.
Stu: There’s different kinds of attraction. There’s physical. There’s inner beauty. There’s overall beauty. Which one are you hinting at?
Amelia: Stop tip-toeing, choirboy. Answer it.
Stu: One. You’re a pretty girl with a rotten, damaged core. I have no prurient interest in you. I’m not here to ‘groom’ you into becoming any kind of partner to me. Scout’s honor.
He casually held up three fingers. If looks could kill, Stuart Slane would’ve been nuked right there in his chair. Never had Amelia been so insulted by a low rating like that! Several silent moments passed as she had difficulty coping with his answer, but finally she huffed and adjusted herself in the chair.
Amelia: Well then…. At least you’re honest. That was actually a good answer. I know you won’t catch feelings for me, so there will be no complications there. I would’ve put you at a four though, but whatever.
She just had to get her shot in before moving on.
Amelia: Anyway, so, yeah.. due to safety concerns you will only train me here at the gym on this property, is this understood?
Stu: That will hinder your development. If you want to learn, you must be willing to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. That includes using facilities that are available when we’re touring with Action.
She threw her hands up in exasperation.
Amelia: Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for me? Red has stopped knife and glass bottle attacks against me while merely traveling from a hotel to a meeting.
He tried a rebuttal but she cut him off with a gesture.
Amelia: I stand corrected. You don’t know how dangerous it is for me. How could you know? People just looooove you. You know what though? FINE! I’ll hire more security and purchase specific gym times that’ll only allow me and you to be there. Sound fair? Huh? Sound reasonable Mr. Clean Cut?
Stu had brought up a valid point and she damn well knew it, but the Scourge of Professional Wrestling wasn’t going to give the due without a backhand attached.
Amelia: You know what? John Thomas brought up some interesting points that we must address. Why exactly did you agree to do this? You’re such a white bread cookie cutter good guy with an overdeveloped sense of honor, so surely you didn’t compromise your entire belief system for one million dollars. Are you plotting on me, Boy Scout?
She pinned him to the chair with her prying blue eyes. Stu could even feel Red’s intense stare bearing down on him from across the room.
Stu: It’s not just about the money, though it is an important factor. One million dollars is more than I’ve made in my entire wrestling career. It would help me and mine immensely. That said I’ll confess to two other reasons for wanting to train you. First: to shut Carnivore out of the job. You worry about my motives; you should be terrified of his. Like all of his charismatic cult leading brethren he seeks to get his hooks into people and use their resources to further his agenda. You would be quite the catch for the so-called Apex Predator, given your bank book. Part of my motive is keeping you and him far apart. Another is, I’m willing to train you because I don’t want to see you die.
He paused to study Amelia’s reaction to the bluntness of his statement. She leaned toward him with keen interest and curiosity, and motioned for him to continue.
Stu: You do realize your death in the ring is a distinct possibility, right? The entire sport of professional wrestling hates you because of your crusade. How simple would be for one of the many psychopaths that make up our roster to take liberties with you during a match; leading to serious injury or worse. And don’t think he-
Slane bobbed his head in the direction of Amelia’s bodyguard.
Stu: -can save you. Only you can save you, Ms. Abernathy. So unless there is a reason you want to suffer, or be put out of your suffering, while between the ropes, I suggest you learn how to take of yourself therein.
He let the veiled accusation hang there between them. Amelia bolted to a stand angrily, her ridiculously pretty face made ugly by the unpleasant sneer etched into her countenance.
Amelia: Well thank you Captain Obvious! I am well aware of what those knuckle-dragging neanderthals want to do to me, why do you think I cheapened myself by offering this job to one of you (conjures a mock redneck voice) rasslers?!? You know what? I can’t even deal with you right now..
All her life she’d held all the cards, but for once she didn’t have a card to deal with despite her efforts to the contrary. Stu knew it and she knew he knew it. She rummaged her desk and pulled out two stacks of paper and slid them rudely across the desk to Stuart.
Amelia: There! Okay? There! You’re hired! There’s your conditional offer of employment and the legal contract. Take a few days to look over it or have your attorney do it for you, then sign it and fax it back to me or hand it over at the next Clash we’re booked on.
Stuart collected the papers unread, not trusting her to be straight with him or himself in being able to sort through the legalese of the contract’s fine print. He was going to have to splurge on an attorney to look over the deal. He rose from his chair.
Stu: Thank you. Hopefully by next week we’ll have this matter settled, and we can begin instruction. Ms. Abernathy, Mr. Red.
He gave both a cursory nod, and saw himself out. As soon as the door closed behind him, Amelia threw an angry punch in the air at Stu’s presumed location.
Amelia: What a prick!
End.
OOC: Big thanks to Stu for helping write this.