“Well…” Kendra smirked, stepping back. “We already know that—”

“There she is!”

Kendra flinched at the sudden outburst and turned toward the doorway. Gordon McKinney stood just inside the infirmary, his face set in that familiar, practiced grin. Unlike most of the senior staff, the assistant producer had not embraced the tournament’s flashier theme, remaining in his usual charcoal-gray suit with a button-up underneath. He stepped forward, arms spreading slightly as he leaned to look past Kendra. She quickly moved aside, Gordon giving her a brief nod of acknowledgment before shifting his full attention to Fiona.

“I’d be lying,” he began, closing the distance between them, “if I said I expected you to win tonight.”

He folded his arms across his chest, a look of approval on his face. “But I’m not lying when I say I’m glad you did, Fiona.”

“Fiona’s been on the grind all week, Mr. McKinney,” Kendra added. “She came in tonight with a plan.”

Gordon nodded. “And that’s the difference versus Tanya who came in with a head full of steam. As she always does. You?” He gestured lightly toward Fiona. “Frankly… you’re a lot easier to work with. So again, I’m glad you got the win.”

He paused, letting the moment settle before continuing. “Now you move on to the next round; a triple-threat cage match. A shot at a title match. The first in this brand’s short history!” His grin sharpened as he looked Fiona up and down. “How are ya’ feeling?”

[i]“I mean about what I just said as well as…[/i] how’s the head?”