Checkmate in Waiting

[RockRye]

For ADarlingDucky

Avery Merritt prided herself on many things: her beauty, her wit, her talent, and above all, her ability to control any situation and only let the most relevant matters truly occupy her mind. But Jamie Harper's proximity to her new life had become a glaring exception to that rule in the last few weeks, and it infuriated her.

It wasn’t just his ambush in the training room that had rankled her, though that inept display of bravado had certainly grated on her nerves. It was the mere reminder of his existence, a lingering reminder of a time so plaguing to her that she would rather eat a box of rotten caviar than revisit it. Avery had moved on, reinvented herself, become a paragon of elegance, power, and allure that people fawned over. She had left behind the weakness, the mistakes, the nights when she let her power slip from her fingers in moments of indulgence. Jamie Harper was a relic from that past, and worse, he was a relic with access to memories she’d buried deeply.

No, he hadn’t caused her stumble all those years ago. She wouldn’t give him that much credit, and logically, he could have never had access to much of what had leaked. But his presence was an itch she couldn’t scratch, a gnat she couldn’t swat away. He didn’t belong here, and certainly not when Avery was on the cusp of solidifying herself as LAW’s hottest, most unshakable commodity. If Jamie thought he could disrupt that, he was gravely mistaken.

That was why she had a plan.

Avery adjusted her posture, shifting her weight to one hip as she leaned casually against the wall of the dimly lit side hallway. Her arms crossed over her chest, her manicured nails tapping against her biceps, a rhythm that mirrored the impatient tapping of her heel on the tile floor. The hallway was silent except for her measured movements.

She had set this up perfectly. A few well-placed calls, some careful manipulation of LAW’s business-side workers, a few men and women alike who couldn’t help but trip over themselves for a chance to please the Queen of Diamonds as her fans, and a handful of discreet financial incentives had been all it took. The messages to Jamie had been simple: an official-sounding note summoning him to this apartment for some vague but important meeting to discuss bedroom matches. Knowing him, he would leap at the opportunity.

The stage was set. Now, she waited.

When the metallic rattle of the door handle echoed down the hall, Avery tilted her head, her blonde hair cascading over one shoulder as she pushed off the wall with deliberate grace to peep around the corner. She would wait until concern with the empty room had struck him, and then? She would strike.

[ADarlingDucky]

Jamie's boots clicked on the polished wooden floor of the apartment building, the effeminate man holding the piece of paper that he'd been given as he scanned the apartment numbers passing by, searching for the one that matched what he was looing for. Looking down again, he'd take a quick pause to re-read the note that he'd been given, a message by LAW staff to meet them within the apartment to discuss bedroom matches, something that Jamie had looked into, but never quite engaged with himself! Still, looking at the note, something tickled the back of his brain, a subtle itch that kept wondering why the LAW staff would want to meet him in an apartment building to talk about such things! If Jamie were any less relaxed than he usually were, he might have looked more into where it came from, but he had simply decided to show up with no research regardless!

Stepping down the empty hallway, Jamie would eventually spy the number that he was looking for, stopping in front of it and giving the paper another once over, before casting his gaze down either side of the hallway. No people... another oddity, but he was already here, and so it simply wouldn't do to turn back now! Brushing his raven black hair out of his face, Jamie would adjust his gear ever so slightly before grabbing hold of the door handle and turning it, before pushing the door open wide and stepping into the room!

Spoiler

...A room that was completely empty.

Jamie took a few more steps inside, observing his surroundings. The floor of the apartment was mostly entirely covered in mats, designed for wrestlers to be able to take falls even here without the risk of injury thanks to an un-padded floor. The only real piece of furniture that sat in the room was a lone couch in the middle of it, some other pieces of dressing here and there around the edges, but nothing to make the space feel like it was actually lived in. And most notably to Jamie, the lack of any other humans within it, no LAW staff waiting to speak, just an empty room, something that felt like it shouldn't be empty at all given what they were typically used for! It was clear as day, something was off here!

"Huh... so, anybody here? Maybe someone looking to settle some sort of score? I'd like to just say, whatever you think I did, I didn't." Jamie called out to the open space. Despite his joke, however, the effeminate man was on high alert, circling around the couch and positioning himself behind it to keep something between him and any potential attackers, while he continued to search for anything out of place, trying to see who had set this up, and why!

[RockRye]

Seeing the way Jamie Harper's eyes darted around the room, the way his shoulders seemed to tense at every faint noise, Avery Merritt couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. Let him stew. Let him worry. This game was hers to control, and she had set the board perfectly.

It had been weeks since their last encounter, enough time for her to carefully curate her next move while leaving just enough space for the memory of their clash to either fester or fade. For Jamie, she hoped it was the former. Avery, of course, hadn’t forgotten. She was incapable of forgetting things like this, unresolved matters that scratched at the edges of her meticulously crafted life.

But even as she stood waiting in the hall, it occurred to her that she might have been overthinking him. Perhaps Jamie Harper didn’t deserve so much of her attention. The very idea that he might have held sway over her mental processes, even fleetingly, was almost insulting. He hadn’t earned the right to disrupt her thoughts, which were far better spent deciding on life’s finer pleasures: caviar or Iberico ham, diamonds or sapphires, silk or cashmere.

Still, this merited addressing, if only to silence the buzzing gnat in her ear once and for all. The door was closed, the bait set. It was time to act.

Her heels announced her presence before her voice did, the sharp staccato tapping across the hard floor echoing like a drumroll. She stepped into the room with an air of unshakable confidence, her every movement deliberate and dripping with authority. When she finally spoke, her voice was smooth and sharp, like polished marble.

“So you are a liar, Jamie,” she began, her words carrying an edge of mockery. “If you can stand there and claim you’ve never done anything to anyone, well…” She trailed off, supposing the message was clear.

The sight of her as she fully entered the room was something out of a dream, or perhaps a nightmare, depending on one’s perspective. She was dressed in a divine white gown, its plunging neckline daring yet impossibly elegant, the bare back a striking contrast that exuded sophistication. It was reminiscent of something she might have worn in the days when Jamie had first known her, a subtle nod to the woman she had been and a firm statement of the one she had become. Women disinterested in attention had work gowns. Women interested in attention, as she had been the night they met, had worn only lingerie.

Avery

She moved with purpose, crossing the room with deliberate strides before stopping at the edge of the couch where he sat. Her long leg extended, propping a stiletto-clad foot onto the couch cushion beside him, the motion commanding attention as much as it emphasized her dominance.

Her gaze pinned him as she spoke again, her tone brooking no argument. “Sit down and listen, Jamie. Closely.”

There was no question, no invitation. This wasn’t a conversation. It was a decree. Avery Merritt didn’t negotiate, and she certainly didn’t let old ghosts dictate her present.

[ADarlingDucky]

Scanning the room for any signs of incoming attackers, Jamie would find that the empty space was exactly that, a completely empty space with nobody inside of it, something that still continued to confuse him until he heard the sound of incoming footsteps! The loud clicking of heels would slowly get closer and closer, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the person on their way was likely the one who had set up this entire trick, as well as someone who had business with Jamie, whatever kind it may be! The pretty boy eyed the door with a look that bordered somewhere between concerned and curious, wondering who would make such a show out of tricking him! Of course, the moment that they rounded the corner, all the little details would make sense as the culprit was revealed, the woman that Jamie had tracked down himself only a few days ago, none other than Avery Merritt!

The blonde, large and curvy and just as gorgeous as always, certainly knew how to make an entrance, the entire scheme to allow for as much tension as possible before she came into view, and even then, plenty of tension afterwards! Given the way that their last encounter had ended, with a furious Avery making it clear that she wanted to keep far away from Jamie, the fact that she had led him here didn't bode very well! In fact, it was highly likely that this was some sort of scheme that was going to leave Jamie hurting by the end of it!

All things considered, it should have triggered a panicked response from the raven haired man! But... it didn't.

A few things Jamie noticed would take some attention away from what should have been a fear response, as after a cursory glance, it became clear that Avery was donning a very special outfit for this occasion! The skimpy white dress she had worn when they first met, a clear and conscious callback from the blonde that would bring a smirk to Jamie's face! It was clear that Avery remembered the night clearly, even if she had sworn to him that she was trying her best to never recall it again, and something about that fact put him at ease!

Even as she entered the room and taunted him, he'd meet her with a smirk as she did so, watching as she walked all the way up to the couch and raised her name, planting it on the couch in a showy gesture! Her command that came next was just as flashy as she was, but it was clear that she had something to say, and at the risk of taking a beatdown if this was a trap, Jamie decided he'd still be curious enough to play along!

"Well, if you really insist..." Jamie said with a wry smile, slipping around the couch and moving to sit down on it, before reclining fully! He'd take a relaxed position and wait for her to continue, still being a bit of an instigator all the while!

[RockRye]

Avery’s piercing glare bore into Jamie, her composed expression a thin veneer over the storm of contempt brewing behind her sharp, icy-blue eyes. The smug tilt of his lips, a smirk that practically dripped with unearned confidence, stoked the fire of her anger. She almost admired the audacity. Was it sheer arrogance that kept him so composed, or had he spent his life skating by without consequence, shielded by luck and his irritating charm? Either way, the sight of him lounging so comfortably, as if she didn’t have the power to crush him here and now, made her blood boil.

But no. She had resolved long before stepping into this room that she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her cool. She was here to control, to dominate, to leave no question as to who held the upper hand in this "relationship" he seemed to believe persisted. Let him smirk; she would wipe it from his face soon enough.

With slow, deliberate steps, she crossed in front of him, her heels echoing sharply against the polished floor. As Jamie sat back, that smug expression still plastered on his face, she turned sharply, the hem of her pristine white dress swishing elegantly with the movement. Without hesitation, she slammed the pointed heel of her stiletto down on the cushion of the couch, between his legs and far too close to his masculine pride to comfort.

The force of the motion made the cushion dip slightly, the proximity undeniable. Her eyes locked onto his, her gaze daring him to even think about reacting. She loomed over him, her posture exuding power and control. The plunging neckline of her dress, the grace in her poise, and the sharpness in her glare combined into a vision of refined dominance.

"Comfortable, Jamie?" she began, her voice smooth but dripping with venom. "Good. Enjoy it while it lasts."

She tilted her head slightly, an elegant gesture that belied the sharpness of her words. "Let me make one thing abundantly clear," she continued, her tone icy yet commanding. "I take back not a single word I said to you the last time we had the misfortune of crossing paths. Except, perhaps, for one thing."

Her lips curved into a small, cruel smile as she leaned forward slightly, her heel pressing just a fraction deeper into the cushion. "I was far too kind to you. Too generous to even imply that you might have been the leak. Because, Jamie, that would require a level of cleverness and significance you could only dream of possessing."

Her words cut like a blade, each syllable precise and deliberate. "You’re not worth that much credit."

She straightened, her smile fading into a cold, emotionless mask. "So, take that as me accepting your unspoken apology. And keep your precious little memories," she spat. "Cling to them. Let them be a reminder of the opportunity long lost. Because that woman is dead."

It was no accident that she had chosen a dress so similar to the one she had worn the night Jamie first laid eyes on her, before she had changed and approached him, giving into his charm. Back then, she had been a weaker woman, and not just in spirit. The Avery Merritt he had known was more slender, her lines softer, her makeup less striking. Her hair had been longer, styled with a flouncy, almost whimsical air. And her body had lacked the divine, powerful musculature she now carried. Now, she filled out the dress more beautifully than ever, its fabric stretched perfectly over curves that spoke of both allure and strength. This dress, like the woman wearing it, was no longer for pleasing others; it was a weapon, a declaration of superiority. The comparison was stark, and she knew it. That Avery was gone, and in her place stood a goddess of her own making.

Her gaze narrowed further, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "And the one standing before you now? She doesn’t tolerate loose ends."

[ADarlingDucky]

Cornered by Avery, Jamie considered his options. It was clear that she had brought him here for a purpose, but until any actual action happened, he wouldn't be sure what the purpose was, though all signs pointed towards something none too pleasant for the effeminate man. Still, to actually get out of here without figuring out what it was she wanted to do would mean getting around her and out the door, then out of the apartment building as a whole, and it was doubtful that she'd let him go without issue. Running wouldn't get very far either, as she was much larger, and with such long legs, discarding her footwear would be all she needed to catch up to him quickly. But the biggest factor of all? Jamie was intrigued, curious as to what was in store for him, probably against his better judgement! And so he would opt to stay, moving to take a place on the couch!

He spread out upon it and took a relaxed position, gazing up with a smirk at Avery, an action that he anticipated would no doubt grind a few gears, and was proven right when she lifted a foot to bring it down where he lay! Her heel came so very close to his groin, and the movement quite nearly made him flinch, but as with most things Avery did, it was a show for now, something to perform! Jamie understood the message, and so he stayed put as she made her grievances known, watching on as the busty woman began to speak!

And speak she did. Avery would let another tirade unleash on Jamie, her pent up feelings over the leak of their very first meeting still being as raw as ever, making certain that he knew how she felt about it. At the very least, she noted that she didn't believe he was responsible for it coming out, which was better than the last time they met, but just a little bit! She'd finally conclude with a declaration of her old self being dead, and this new version of her being here to tie up what she considered a loose end! Jamie paused to consider it all, fixing her with a somewhat amused look before finally answering.

"That's a shame. I liked that woman quite a bit." It wasn't a lie either, Jamie had been rather fond of Avery when the two met, likely why their first meeting had been the way it was. Still, now there was a woman much more serious, committed to a goddess-like persona standing in front of her, and Jamie was very clearly a loose end in her mind!

"So, if I'm a loose end... how do you intend on tying me up?" Jamie asked, tilting his head slightly against the couch as he gazed up at her with an inquisitive look, as if challenging her! A bold thing to do given his position, but he was seemingly dead-set on challenging Avery in every way that he could, knowing that the busty blonde had her reasons for bringing him here today! And he wasn't leaving until he found out what they were!

[RockRye]

Avery's blue eyes stayed locked on Jamie with a penetrating intensity. Even as the words left her lips, a nagging awareness lingered in the back of her mind. What did she truly want from him? Jamie could give her some empty agreement, a promise to heed her warning that she knew he might never honor. It would be predictable and dismissive, and she'd already prepared herself to deal with him should he remain a thorn in her side.

A flicker of darker satisfaction crossed her thoughts: Jamie outright and blatantly ignoring her warning. It would be the easiest option, wouldn’t it? She’d relish the excuse to escalate things, metaphorically and literally crushing him under her heel. But there was a sliver of something softer in her, a part she buried deep and ignored whenever possible. That part didn’t want it to come to such extremes. It whispered that tying up loose ends didn’t always have to end in ruin, that maybe Jamie could have his uses, so long as he stayed at arm’s length... or further. She refused to examine it too closely. Such sentimentality was inconvenient and, at the moment, unproductive.

Jamie’s voice interrupted her thoughts, his cocky tone making her regret every indulgence she’d ever shown him.

"Of course, you liked the old me," she said, her voice dripping with disdain, though her tone carried an edge of triumph. "Congratulations. That proves you're not an imbecile. I paid you attention. I fed into your sense of self-worth." Her lips curved in a cruel smile. "That doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. My sense of self-worth has changed."

Of course, he had to press, to prod, to ask his question about her "tying up his loose end" in a way that turned her warning into an innuendo. She stared at him for a long moment, her lips pressed in a thin line, before replying with calculated coolness.

"As for your loose end..." Her voice turned pointed, every syllable precise as she let the weight of her words sink in. "Literally tying you up is an option. Believe me, it’s crossed my mind." She leaned closer, looming over him just enough to make her presence feel suffocating. "And it wouldn't be nearly as fun as you're imagining. But I think it’s up to you to decide. You can agree to keep your distance and your mouth shut about my past, which would be the smarter choice. I can even find it in me to be cordial if you're obedient."

Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, her golden hair tilting toward one shoulder. "Or you can keep testing me. Just don’t complain when you find out how that ends."

She stepped back just slightly, giving him room to respond, but the tension remained thick. Avery waited, watching him with an unblinking gaze, ready to pounce on whatever he dared to say next.

[ADarlingDucky]

And just like that, Avery had stomped into the apartment room that she had trapped Jamie inside and delivered an ultimatum, something he had a feeling she did a lot more these days than when the two had initially came into contact with one another. She was dripping with venom and bristling at every single comment that he made, innocent and otherwise, and even his comment about enjoying the old her had brought forth another string of insults, ones that he brushed aside with a light smile and a flip of his hair. He always was the type to skate by without a real care of what others said about him, but that didn't mean that Avery was going to keep trying of course. Still, he would let her get it out of her system in order to make some actual progress, with her eventually moving onto the more interesting topic, that being the idea that he was a loose end!

He didn't quite feel like he needed tying, but Avery might have felt different, and it was clear that she was considering a few different options on how to best deal with him, including literally tying him up, as she claimed! But eventually, she did indeed reach the ultimatum, one that involved him staying far away from her and letting her live out her LAW career with no more meetings. It wasn't nearly as tempting as the alternate, and Jamie knew it. The question was if Avery knew so as well, deep down, or if she truly wished for an end to things.

Only one way to find out.

"You know what I think?" Jamie sat up as he said so, before standing from the couch and leaning towards Avery. In a second, all of the space she had just given him was taken back up. "I think you're bluffing." A bold claim from him, and certainly a button pusher.

"I think the lady I met all that time ago is still around. I think she's closer than you think too. So as far as no more testing goes? I'll have to respectfully decline." Well, it was certainly an answer, just not the one that Avery was looking for! Jamie let his words hang in the air, seeing just what sort of response they'd provoke, prepared for mostly everything under the sun! After all, had proven herself to be quite the unpredictable woman!

[RockRye]

Avery watched Jamie with icy precision, her sharp blue eyes narrowing as she read the faint flickers of thought passing through his expression. She could almost see the gears turning in his pitifully deluded mind, the internal debate he thought himself clever enough to keep hidden from her. Her gaze hardened, daring him, challenging him, to make any choice other than the one she expected him to make.

The more he lingered in his indecision, the more her patience eroded. If he would only heed her words, give her the space she demanded, and exhibit even a glimmer of good sense, perhaps, just perhaps, she might someday entertain the notion of acknowledging his existence once more. She might tolerate the shadow of his presence darkening her typically locked door, her quiet and immaculately ordered life. But seeing him stand, Avery knew he wouldn’t choose that path.

Her arms folded tightly beneath her chest, lifting her bust as if to shield herself from the foolishness she knew was coming. Her heel tapped a sharp, irritated rhythm on the floor, and her expression turned cold and distant. She stared through him as if preparing herself for the disappointment she anticipated.

And then he spoke.

His answer sent a flash of heat straight through her, a searing rage that tightened her jaw and stiffened her spine. Her shoulders squared, and her nostrils flared as the implication of his words sank in. He dared to imply that she was bluffing? After she had specifically called him here for this exact conversation? The mere suggestion made her blood boil, and the veins in her arms and neck flared visibly as her posture straightened with rigid anger. She wanted him to believe the truth in her words. She needed him to believe it.

“I. Do not. Bluff,” she answered, her voice cutting like a blade. Each word landed with icy precision, cold and firm and unwavering. Her fingers curled into the flesh of her arms as if anchoring her composure. Her foot stopped its tapping, the stillness more foreboding than her earlier impatience.

He kept talking. He dared to suggest that the Avery Merritt of old, the one who had let herself fall from her rightful pedestal, might still exist. Her fingers twitched at her sides, and she nearly struck out at him. Her heeled foot hovered momentarily, her knee subtly rising as if preparing for a kick, but she stopped herself just short.

No, she wouldn’t stoop to that, not yet.

Instead, she stepped forward, her posture towering and commanding as she extended a perfectly manicured finger directly into his face. Her nail, pristine and sharp, hovered inches from his nose as her voice dropped, low and venomous.

“This Avery,” she said, her tone laced with barely contained fury, “will crack your precious little skull wide open if you even think about calling this a bluff.”

The next words that poured out surprised even her. "And I don't want to."

[ADarlingDucky]

Each round of dialogue that went back and forth between Avery and Jamie would only further amplify the clear tension in the room, the two of them slowly getting closer and closer each time that they responded to one another, Jamie now rising off of the couch to stand and address her! His words, cool and calm in the face of her building anger, would no doubt draw an adverse reaction out of her, but at this point, Jamie had stopped trying to keep a cool head on the woman who had brought him here, instead focusing on the feelings that lie underneath her words. There was something about this that certainly didn't add up, given that a woman who wanted to stay so very far away from him would be seeking him out in this fashion, wearing what she wore when they met, a dress showing so much of her skin, something he was also familiar with. It was all so deliberate, and Jamie knew that there was something different lurking underneath the surface, he was simply waiting for a sign, some sort of slip that would bring it to the forefront.

And then, she gave it to him. After stepping forwards to jab a finger very nearly into his face, her next threat would come out, along with a surprising admission, something he wasn't expecting. She didn't want to act on it. For a woman who was so gung-ho about throwing out every insult under the sun, along with threats of crushing his skull, it was an odd thing to voice. But it put a wide smile on Jamie's face, as he looked up the length of her arm all the way to her eyes, meeting them with a cool smile. He had already made his next move just from that alone.

"Well, it sounds like I only really have one option here. And since you're so insistent, I suppose I'll just have to go with it." Jamie mused to himself, before suddenly, he'd reach out and snatch Avery's wrist. In one, swift motion, he would pull her in, lean up on his tip toes to take away some of the height difference, and plant his lips directly on hers! It was a firm kiss, passionate and as long as it could be, before he'd break away, fixing her with an annoyingly smug smile.

"I'll have to take my luck with the skull crushing!" With that, Jamie would take a quick step backwards, up and onto the couch, before hopping entirely over the back of it to land on the other side, putting that only piece of furniture between him and Avery! If he got the reaction he expected to get from the surprise smooch, he would need to dodge a furious incoming amazon, darting to whichever side of the couch she didn't go, in an attempt to keep the furniture between them while she raged!