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Chapter 1

Lariat: Slade and Candy's Story (Book 2)
Candace, aka Candy, adjusted her newest pastel candy-colored ring gear. Her current image was very much a throwback to a nineties club-kid and Harajuku girls. Part candy addiction, part living doll. Her long cotton candy pink hair flowed down her back, making her stand out amongst the crowd, and everyone backstage couldn’t help to look her way when she walked into the room.
Candy was a low-level jobber wrestler at International Wrestling Xtream and despite having to wear the campy look, she loved her job. Professional wrestling circles considered what they called jobbers to be slightly inferior talent, only used to make big stars look their best. She didn’t mind being at the bottom of the totem pole, but wanted more, and worked hard to make it happen. Her early years at the rival company, Wrestling Masters, gave her the start she had been needing to get noticed. But her time there didn’t give her the ring experience she had hoped for.
Candy had yet to make it to the main stage in either promotion, but her skill in the ring was getting noticed, regardless of her position. Davis Preston, the IWX owner, was working overtime to find her a more updated look, revamping her childlike character to something more alluring to universal fans. Over the past few months, they booked her for pre-show matches and a few filler spots. Fans drew to her quickly, pushing IWX staff to take notice. She hadn’t booked to win, regardless of her talent, but was paying her dues to make it happen.
Pulling on her ring boots to go on stage with her best friend Sahara Sands, she was geared up for her pre-show match. Sahara, a beautiful, tall African American woman, was friends from the first day they met. The girls were inseparable, meeting three months prior during Candy’s tumultuous first day at work. It was now three months at IWX and not much had changed since her first day. Even now, lacing up her boots, she almost expected the day to end badly.
Everyone knew IWX to have a reputation backstage for drama. Wrestlers knew IWX to have some tough cookies backstage, and Candy was not immune to the rabid crew of tormentors. Lucky for her, she was tough too and knew how to hold her own.
Earlier that evening she had just had a run-in with one of the head guys on the roster while meeting the new girl, Isis, at the start of the show. Gage, from the Justice faction, was a great guy, but lately, something was off, even to his friend Candy. Taking the time to welcome the new girl, she offered some friendly advice before heading to prepare for her match. She remembered her first day and hoped to make sure Isis knew she had someone on her side.
“Hey Candy! Girl, check out your new gear! You always have the coolest ideas for your look.” Sahara sat down with her tray in catering, grabbed a grape from Candy’s tray while sticking out her tongue.
“Hey! Stop that.” Candy giggled.
“Where were you earlier? I was looking everywhere.”
“Talking to the new girl. Gage is giving her a rough time. Maybe you can talk to your boyfriend and ask him to make him back off a little. Since they are in the same faction, maybe Gage will listen to him. She was crying, Sahara. It was so sad.”
“That’s awful. Poor kid. I saw the opening segment on the monitors backstage. She's beautiful. I liked her outfit, too. You’re right, Gage can be a jerk sometimes. I’ll talk to Drake and tell him to get him to back off. It’s crazy because when I first started here he was super nice until his divorce.”
“Gage is cool. He’s just going through a hard time. Something must be bothering him for him to act this way. Anyway, he’ll come out of it,” Candy said, popping a grape in her mouth.
“I hope so, or the new girl is going to have a hard time here. Gage already seems to not like her. So, I have juicy gossip. Have you heard that the boss’s daughter and Jason Maxx are dating? I just caught them making out in the hallway. That girl never stays with a guy for long.” Sahara said, pretending to gag. “So nasty. It looked like Jason was eating her face. When he took me on a date when I first started here, he kissed me. He can’t kiss for shit. It’s like being devoured by a slug. If Davis catches them, he’ll flip his lid.”
“I thought she and Slade Logan were together?” Candy asked, rolling her eyes. The thought of the man infuriated her just by the mere mention of him.
“Nope. Jenna told me a few days ago they’re just friends now. They broke up a little over a month ago and just kept it quiet for kayfabe for the show. She said it didn’t work out. Apparently, Jenna thinks he’s into someone else on the roster now anyway, but she didn’t say who.”
“Poor girl. If his new potential fling is lucky, the girl will lose her hearing on the first date. I would figure that is the only way I could tolerate his big mouth. He’s such a dick. It’s like all the faction guys have some stupid chip on their shoulder,” Candy grumbled.
“Slade’s hot and you know it. I don’t see why you two hate each other because you seem to have a lot in common. I know you hate that idea, but it’s true. Secretly you like him, don’t you?” Sahara teased. She knew Candy couldn’t stand him, but it was funny to tease her about it.
“He’s a total prick. I would rather spend the rest of my lonely life with a broken vibrator. One that kept losing charge before orgasm, rather than five seconds alone with Slade Logan.”
“That’s harsh. Wait… So, there’s at least that five seconds you could tolerate getting down and dirty with him?” Sahara laughed.
Candy grunted and looked at her friend with a scowl, unamused. After focusing back on her food, Candy heard a group of guys chattering as they made their way into the catering area. She looked toward the doorway, watching as the Retribution team sauntered in, joking around, and laughing. The sight of them making her cringe.
“Jeez. Speak of the devil. Here come the three musketeers with their faithful leader, little lord douchebag.” Candy tried to revert attention to her food once again. She wasn’t in the mood for Slade’s snarky attitude tonight and would do her best to avoid him.
Slade “The Slayer” Logan strolled by her table, noticing Candy avoiding eye contact. His secret pleasure lately had been finding more interesting ways to piss her off. Since the day she arrived, they were like oil and water.
“Well, if it isn’t stripper Rainbow Bright. I hear Davis is going to put a pole in the ring for you tonight, Candy. You can make a little extra cash shaking that ass,” he taunted, pretending to dance around.
“Nope. The idea fell through. He didn’t think the stage crew could pull the pole out of your ass in enough time for the show. I hear ya stuck it up there pretty deep this time,” Candy snarled, glaring at him.
Slade’s best friend cracked a smile, giving a quick chuckle. Glancing at Colt, the look of annoyance was clear toward the second in command of the bad boy group.
“Sorry, Slade. But you have to admit, that was funny.” He tried to hide his smirk from his friend with his fist.
“You know, you might actually get laid if you weren’t such a bitch all the time, Candy. It may loosen you up a bit,” Slade snarled back.
Candy stood, leaning over the table to look him in the eyes. “Never call me a bitch. I’ll take that ball bat you carry around the ring and stick it right up your pompous ass.”
He leaned over to meet her with a taunting smirk. “Bitch.”
Candy quickly grabbed her cup of water, throwing it in his face.
“What the fuck?” Slade jumped back, wiping his face.
Slade lunged to grab her when a gruff voice almost yelled behind him. “What the hell is going on here?”
The two stopped in their tracks at the rumbling sound coming from the intimidating voice. The owner of IWX crossed his arms over his chest, not approving of the day’s spectacle. The handsome, greying older man in the three-piece suit waited for a reply, tapping his foot on the ground.
Candy stood up straight, with a look of guilt all over her face. She knew she was in trouble, and not for the first time.
Taking a deep breath of disgust, Davis shook his head as Slade tried to speak. He just rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath, waiting for their daily excuses to roll out of one of his top fighters’ mouths.
“It’s nothing, Davis,” Slade mumbled.
“Doesn’t look like nothing. I’ve had just about had enough of you two. This constant bickering and foolishness need to stop. I am at my wit’s end. I think my whole damn roster has lost their minds lately and you two are the worst of them all. It’s like dealing with a group of preschoolers.”
Candy spoke up, saying, “He started it! I was just sitting here eating and he —”
Davis looked at her and an almost growl came from deep within the older man. “I don’t care who started it this time. If it’s not one of you causing this idiocy, it’s the other. Candy, go get ready for your match. Slade, I don’t know what is going on with you two, but you better figure out how to get along before the pay-per-view on Sunday. Start getting your shit together, or you both will have me to deal with. Understood!”
Slade huffed, glaring at Candy. “Yes.”
“Candy. Understood?” Davis scolded.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now try to keep away from each other tonight. I don’t have time to answer questions from the cops if you kill each other.” Davis fumed as he stomped away.
Candy grabbed her tray and looked up at Slade with a little hurt in her eyes. Shaking her head, she sadly went to throw away her trash. She knew if things kept going this way, she’d never get on the main roster. Davis warned her before about their actions and it was only getting worse.
Slade looked around the room at everyone who was watching the drama unfold. They all looked annoyed at the two as much as Davis was. The entire roster was sick of them acting like children and it showed.
He walked out, following her into the hall, yelling, “Candy! Wait...”