Sweet Talkin' Woman

"So, are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Jake questioned as he watched Tania putting the last of the equiptment back into the tool case. He had seen the entire scene unfold, and though he was halfway across the ring, he could still see her smile. Tania didn't usually socialize, especially with strangers. "Talking to Dave and Randy?"
"It was nothing really, they were trying to be nice and make conversation."

"And since when did you make conversation back?"

Tania sighed, sometimes Jake could be such a nosey little bugger. But he was sweet, and she loved him for it. He was one of the few people she'd actually be willing to spend time with outside the business. They often went on little shopping trips together from time to time as well. Just as something to do to pass time. "I was just being nice."

"Tania. Nice. Can they fit together in the same sentance. Poilite and quite, yes. But Tania and nice is a definate no."

"First time for everything." She chuckled.

Jake didn't let her get off that easy though. "They are a couple of lookers though, aren't they?"

Tania decided it best to ignore that comment as she let the lid fall close on the tool case. She had no idea where Jake was going with that comment and she didn't care to find out either. It was a one time thing. Because Randy and Dave had approached her first, she had decided to entertain them for a few mintues. She wasn't a cold-hearted bitch. More of a 'stick to herself' kind of girl.

"I wouldn't have flirted it up."

"First of all, I don't 'flirt it up' as you like to call it." Tania suddenly jumped in, a little annoyed now. Jake knew her enough not to make those kinds of accusations. "And secondly, even if I were to those guys are way out of my league. Not to mention one of them is happily married with kids." It was the truth, even if she hadn't thought about it. Besides, like Tania acutally had any time to date. She'd be better off with one of the guys on the road crew. More time to bond.

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night sweetheart." Tania wanted nothing more then to wipe that smirk away form Jake's face, but decided not to. She still needed a friend around the place, despite the fact that they could be an asshole at times. And he was teasing her, something that everyone was entitled to once and a while. Humor made the day go by so much faster.

Sitting up on the box once she had securely shut the lid, Tania smiled. "Jakey babe..."

"What did I do now?" Jake knew that tone in her voice all too well.

"Can I fly?" She knew that all she would be able to, but she always liked to ask. Most of the crew usually went along on the road, but on occasion if they needed some extra down time or a few more hours of sleep they would take a jet to the next location. That was the thing about the crew usually driving, it allowed some people those extra few hours. And since Tania knew that her shower would be postponed and there would be a little more clean-up than normal, it would only work to her benifet.

"You certaintly can. Can you stay a little later tonight then? Let some of crew get on the road a little earlier?" Jake compromised. They could leave the little things for he and Tania to finish up since it would only take them a couple of hours to fly out.

"I'm sure I might be able to. Ask me then, it will depend on how dead I am."

"How many hours sleep are you running on?"

Glancing up Tania huffed. "Talking in the last 72 hours?" Jake nodded. "I'd be lucky if it were anymore than 6."

Jake frowned and shook his head. "You work too much." She was always the first one there and the last one to leave. Even if she wasn't getting paid any overtime for it. First one to arrive and usually the last on to leave. He could always count on her, and in a way, it was a bad thing. She wore herself down way too much and never allowed for any real her time. "Take a vacation."

"And do what?"

"I don't know, write the knowledge quiz of the application maybe? Get a real job."

"I happen to like my job, thank you very much." Tania warned, her eyes narrowing into slight slits and she looked up at Jake. It was a very physically demanding job that she had, and it kept her on her toes and in decent shape. Better then being behind some desk all day. And when she was ready to move on and pursue something else then she would. On her own time, not when someone else told her.

"I'm not quite sure why." Rolling his eyes, Jake's attention seemed to focus on something else. Something behind her. Spinning around, Tania saw that Randy Orton seemed to be heading towards the two of them. "Must have been some conversation if he's coming over here to talk to you again." Picking up one of the boxes that needed to be loaded onto the truck, Jake simply smiled before making his exit. It was almost as though he knew he had one that little argument before it had ever had the chance to occur.

Turning back to Randy, she watched as he approched and jumped up to sit on the box next to her. "Hi."

"Uh, hi." Tania was a little confused when it came to why Randy was there. Expression fading, Tania turned her attention back to the ring almost dredding to know whether it had a giant hole it it or not. Seeing the fabric still intact she let a sigh of relief slip. "You and Dave done?"

"We sure are." Randy smiled, a row of pearly whites flashing and capturing Tania's attention almost right away.

"And since there's still quite a bit of time before the show starts I figured I'd come and say hi." Randy pointed out, letting his head swoop to the side as he glanced around the empty arena. The next time he walked out to that ring, he knew it wouldn't be quite so quiet or emtpy. "Is that alright?"

Tania shrugged a bit, pretending for a moment to actually think about it. "I suppose I can deal with that." Heels bouncing off of the side of the box, Tania couldn't help but notice the silence starting to form. It was as though she wasn't at all concerned with him being there and Randy wasn't quite sure what to say or do. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't suprised, though."

"Why?" Randy looked up, a little confused.

"It's not that often that the wrestlers will chat it up with someone on the construction crew. Unless they are discussing certain stunts they'd like to do." And that was hardly every. The superstars just usually did their own thing with what they had anyhow. Whether it was structurally safe or not. Especially when it came to the security rails. Those things sure as hell took a beating some days.

"You're personality intrigued me. And you looked like you needed a little company."

"I had company. Jake."

"Yeah, but by the look on your face a moment ago I'm sure you would have rather found other company. You didn't look all that pleased about whatever the two of you were talking about." Was Tania that much of an open book to read. And since when did people take such care to notice what was going on in her little world. Suddenly Tania's defences were up, something just did not feel right about the whole situation. She wondered if Randy was just being a nice guy or if there was an alterior motive somewhere. "Am I right."

"If it makes you feel better, then yes. Jake was starting to get on my nerves."

"Am I that bad that you wouldn't want to talk to me?"

"I never said that." Tania defended, rolling her eyes at the bad acting Randy was trying to put on with his whole pouting routine. "I never said I didn't want your company...just that I was suprised." Glancing down at her jeans, Tania began to tug slightly at the piece of electrical tape that was stuck to them. It was a vice of hers, finding somethign to pick at when she was nervous or shy.

"New fashion statement?"

Shrugging Tania pulled the tape free from the denim and stuck it to Randy's arm. "Walk out to the ring like that and see. If people are coming to the shows wearing electrical tape the you'll know."

"I don't know...duck tape might stand out a little more." Randy teased, running his fingers over to the tape to ensure that it would stay stuck. He'd walk around all night like that if he knew that it would annoy her, or get a laugh. When Randy had told Dave he was coming over to talk to Tania, he had given him a strange look. And he couldn't blame the guy, but for some reason he felt that there could be a good friend just wating for his company. "Got a roll of that."

"I'm more than sure that we have a roll of it around here if you so desired."

"Then I'll know what pretty lady to hunt down when I need some." Tania looked away when she saw Randy's smile once again. There was something about it that made her feel almost embarassed. Plus there was the whole fact that Randy had just called her 'pretty'. Not something that she was used to at all. "What do you say we go get a coffee?"

"I'd say lead the way. You have no idea how in need of one I am right about now!" Anything to keep her awake. And she still had another six hours to try and keep herself awake for.

"That tired, huh?"

"You have no idea Randy." Tania chuckled. She knew if she wanted to, she could crawl onto one of the containers and easily fall asleep despite the show that would be going on around her. "I think I might be overworking myself a little." She finally confessed with a quick glance around. She didn't need for Jake to be around when she said that. He'd have her on a plane heading back home in no time.

"Then take time off."

Shaking her head, Tania let a smile play at the corner of her lips. It always seemed to easy when you were discussing with people. You would always get the same answer no matter who you talked to. The only thing was, if they were able to step into her shoes for a minute they'd realize that it wasn't that easy. "I work to take my mind off of my life. If I were to take time off then for sure you'd find me in some nut house."

"That bad, huh?"

"You try being 26 and still having ot listen to your parents constantly asking when you are going to actually decide to do something your life. Your mom having one expectation for you while your father wants you to do something completely different. And on top of all that what you really want to do you can't because you're too stubborn to actually do anything to make a step in the right direction." Tania pointed out, with a slight realization of how pathetic her life seemed at times. "At least when I'm here I forget about all that crap. All I have to focus on is getting all this shit," she gestured to the ring and all the equiptment, "from one town to the next."

"Point made."

Slipping off the box, Tania turned around and waited for Randy to join her before heading towards the back. "Either that or deep down I have a fear of settling down in one place."

"Must be something to do with being young. I'm like that. I'd rather deal more with travelling around and amusing the world then anything else really. Why should I want everything to be the same when I still have so much ahead of me. If I were to end up working in some nine to five desk job with a wife and two kids at home before I turned 25 I'd scream."

Letting out a small chuckle, Tania really had to know the rational behind that one. It just wasn't something you heard all the time. "And why is that?"

"Because I still have at least 50 more years of that ahead of me. That's not living. I don't care who you are." Randy seemed almost petrified at the thought of living that kind of life and it amused Tania. She herself didn't think it would be such a bad life to live. She'd almost bet that there were thousands of people out there that would give anything to have the life that Randy just described.

"I wish that were my problem." Though she had intended to mumble it under her breath, the comment came out a little louder then what she had expected. Thankfully, Randy didn't ask for her to elaborate upon it.

Slipping her hands into the pockets of her jeans, Tania couldn't even remember the last time she had done something like this. Just walked around and talked like with someone, acted like a normal human being. It was nice. "What were you singing earlier?"

"Earlier when?" That was a stupid question, and Tania knew it. The moment that Randy went to even open his mouth Tania held up her hand in an attempt to silence him. "Forget I asked. It was Super Tramp."

"Good band. An old one, but still good none the less." Randy grinned. "You have a great voice, by the way."

"You mentioned." Tania smiled, remembering the rather embarassing meeting that her and Randy had earlier. "But I can never get enough of hearing something like that."

Tilting his head to the side, Randy looked at Tania with curiosity. "Every thought about singing? Professionally I mean. Starting a band, trying to get a demo out or something?"

With a shake of her head, Tania realized it was something she had never really thought about. "Too many other things that I would rather do before that. Besides, I wouldn't want tons of people knowing who I was then giving me no privacy whatsoever. No offense to you or anything. I just couldn't handle it."

"Hey, it's not a walk in the park for me all the time either. There are some moments where I'd trade it in for a new life where no one knew my name." Randy reassured. He never did though, he loved the job far too much.

"Besides, there is too much bubble gum pop out anymore. I'm sorry, I'd never be able to do any of that shit. That's seriously wrong. For people to listen to it. I don't understand how they can stomach some of those songs anyhow. They are garbage. Just a stupid little beat that they can repeat over and over."

"Popular music is all about the image. If people like how the singer looks, then you can almost bet they will buy the album like it or not. It's the same with working here. It all comes down the image and how well you're able to sell it."

"And you would know all about that now wouldn't you Mr. Legend Killer."

Turning the corner, Randy was certain that Tania knew exactly who he was. Not that it would be strange since they worked together, but at the same time...he wasn't sure she had recognized him. "It ain't my image that keeps people coming back. The hunnies want me and their boyfriends want to be me. It all comes down to the abs and the ass.

That was it for Tania. She couldn't hold the laughter in anymore, as much as it was going to hurt when Randy found out the truth. "I hate to be the one to inform you of this Randy...but you don't have an ass!"