Post by JaceParkerDavidson on Jul 18, 2023 18:03:23 GMT -5
Earth to Talia Skye.
Earth calling Talia Skye.
Houston, I think we have a problem.
One of the Aces seems to have gone missing, yet again. Did Elon smack her down again or did Mears simply lose her in a crowd Wal-Mart and now she can’t find her way home?
Either way, it’s been almost two weeks since the Revolution 8 card has gone live. Two weeks since you learned you’ll be teaming with your stablemate, the man that made you an Ace, Kevin Mears in the main event of the show.
And the only comments we’ve gotten out of you are the world-famous ‘Urgh Twitter is annoying’ and ‘Thank you’ with lots and lots of exclamation points.
Shakespeare couldn’t have written it better.
But in all seriousness, bitch, when are you going to remember that you have a match? At this point, Kevin Mears has been fighting two on one against me and Tolson. So much so, that he’s laid down arms and decided to spam the selfies and merchandise posts. Hell, the man is out here giving tips to other men about women.
While worthless… AT LEAST IT’S SOMETHING!
I figured you’d see Kevin as your security blanket this week. That you’d feel confident with him by your side that you would definitely shine in the main event. I figured the rebound from Vertigo would be all systems go for you.
I guess Madison not only made you lose in your home country, but she broke you too.
Poor Kevin. Talking about how you’re the tag team expert and he’s happy to get to team with you and you? Well, you’ve pretty much left him high and dry at this point. Serenity is out doing her thing in all the companies she’s in. Mears is doing normal Mears stuff. Talking about quads, money, and contracts. Yet, when this match was made? You said peace out quicker than a baby momma on Maury when she found out he’s not the father.
I mean… if this is all we’re going to get then why did you even make a new Twitter account?
Getting banned and just disappearing into the ether would have been a more respectable way to go than coming back and doing fuck all for a main event match. How many times has Kevin rang your phone in the last two weeks? How many voicemails has he left begging you to call him back? How many text messages has he sent just for you to leave him on read?
Honestly, what about any of this is the definition of an Ace? Mears I can understand, Serenity I can accept. Though, when it comes to you all I can say is WTF. At this point is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Serenity and Mears need to give the fuck up on this stable. Every single person they try to bring in is fucking cursed or worthless. The Aces are a tag team thanks to you, Talia.
All that tough talk for weeks before Vertigo. All the promises you made and now? Deafening silence. If you’re going to give up and bury your head in the sand at least let Jackson know, so possibly, he could give someone who wants to compete for the spot in the main event that he handed you a chance.
Slip your notice of resignation under the door of The Ace's locker room door and just fade into nothing more than a bad memory. Maybe they’ll finally turn to Mia and somehow convince her to compete inside the ring. Pretty girl like that and they make her just an interviewer? The only bag they fumbled harder was making you an Ace.
Fuck… why? Why not just swallow your pride and come out to say you’re calling it a career? Admit that you just don’t have it anymore to compete at this level. No one would fault you for that. No one would say hey, that Talia Skye is a piece of shit.
Well… I might.
But others? They would respect that. They would remember you and your career fondly. Instead, you’re choosing to just skirt town in the middle of the night never to be seen again just like your horsewomen friends.
All this time, all this experience in the business. And you can’t fucking pull yourself back to your feet after one loss to a rookie. It’s not like you were winning all the fucking time before then. I’m giving you three more days to remember that you have a voice. Three days to remember how your fucking fingers work.
If we don’t hear from you by then?
I’m just going to go to Jackson and request he turns this match into Kevin Mears vs. Jace Parker Davidson II with Samantha Tolson as the special guest referee. Or to give Serenity your spot in the match since you know. Sandy Vagina epidemic and all.
At least then… people will care. At least then Mears will feel like he has a shot at victory instead of taking a blind eye to the current status of his own group while clutching that guaranteed title shot like grandma’s pearls.
I stated before that people need to compete at a level that I see fit.
Maybe if you plugged into anything UPRISING lately once a fortnight, you’d know that, Talia. You’re competing far below my level of acceptance. You’re competing far below Kevin’s level of acceptance. He’s just too nice and far too embarrassed to tell you that to your face.
Or maybe he just can’t fucking find you to say it to your face.
Where the fuck is Unsolved Mysteries when you need it?
When the weak and cowardly as scrambling for the exits doors to places where accomplishments are handed up like Halloween candy.
When UPRISING needs it’s true stars to step up and shine the most.
You’re nowhere to be found.
Three days, Talia. Don’t make this worse than it already is.
-----
I have watched the match back plenty of times. I’m watching it now again and by Revolution 8? I’ll have probably watched it plenty more times. Was I obsessed? Maybe, a little bit. Annoyed was a more fitting description. The more I see what happened, the more I think about the fact that I could still be undefeated.
Hindsight is a bitch.
But I watch it anyway, I continue to watch it over and over again. I want to be able to view the entire thing in my head as I lay down to sleep effortlessly. I could easily let it roll off of my back. I could pull what a small portion of the UPRISING roster does and not acknowledge that it ever happened. That is not what an elite talent does. That is not what a man in the middle of a war does.
Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, I will know my enemy.
Attention to detail matters, however, when Samantha walks into the room the sound of her groaning loudly pulls my attention away from the screen.
“Why are you still watching that?!” She asked, exasperated. “You need to let it go!”
“You should be the one sitting here watching this.” I countered. “And I won’t let it go because this is my motivation now.”
"You think I haven't watched this, over and over again, looking for tendencies and tells?" She stepped behind him, rubbing his neck muscles. "Can we at least have a beer while we watch?"
“Something a little stronger than a beer for me.” He requested. “Hell, bring snacks if you want to. Wait, is it Monday? Nevermind!”
Samantha leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "It's Tuesday, my love…and tell me what you want to drink and I will happily fetch it for you."
“Rum and Coke sound good, thanks.” He reached over and swatted her on the butt as she turned to walk away. He turned back around to look at the screen with a bit of a frown on his face. He knew that Revolution 8 against both Mears and Talia would be a totally different beast. Regardless of the fact that Mears has a guaranteed title shot or not.
Samantha returned a few moments later with a bottle of beer in one hand, and a glass with Jace's requested Rum and Coke in the other. She sits down close to him, holding out his glass. "One rum and Coke, heavy on the rum as I know you like it."
“Thank you, my dear.” He accepted the glass and took a sip of it. “Have you noticed how since we posted our response to his explanation that Mears hasn’t said a fucking thing back? However, he’s managed to tweet every single day about his selfies or merchandise.”
"Gotta keep up with the legend of Quadzilla, after all. But his merchandise is, admittedly, quality. I got a shirt back when times were different between us all. Like most, I cut off the sleeves for workout gear." Samantha leaned against Jace as she took a drink. "Speaking of merchandise, I really should try to expand on PLMM, but I'm not wanting to take focus away from this." She motioned at the screen in front of them.
“Worry about expanding your merchandise sales once you’ve retained the UPRISING World Championship and season 3 has ended,” Jace recommended. “You don’t want to end up like Kevin, a legend in your own mind. A man that cares more about money, guaranteed handouts, and new followers than he does the work inside of the ring.”
"The work I do both inside and outside of the ring is what led to PLMM becoming a thing. I never dreamed of having a line of workout clothing, and then a pitch was made." Samantha put a hand on Jace's leg casually, more for relaxation than anything else. "The ring always comes first. The only thing that means more to me, Jace, is you. And I mean that with every fiber of my being. Wrestling has always come first because it has opened the door to all the other opportunities."
“Fucking sappy ass.” Jace scoffs but leans down and kisses the top of her head. “I don’t have some fancy pedigree. I didn’t come from money. I just knew I wanted this and the fact that my life has been one huge fight after the other is just a bonus.” He paused to take another sip of his drink. “I don't look at companies out there and go ‘I bet I can make a lot of cash there’ or ‘If they guarantee stuff I’ll sign immediately.’ It’s just fucking the fight. I look at a roster, I see people I want to either punch in the face or compete against and that’s what drives me.”
Samantha giggled softly. "Call me sappy all you want, love, but I only speak the truth. When I started this, it was a means to an eventual end for me. I put every dime I could into savings and investments, knowing what my end goal was. I never dreamed I'd be addicted to it, now so much so that I've put my original goal so far on the back burner it's getting icy.”
Samantha continued thoughtfully. “It was about the money, but only so I could adopt and never have to be worried about money. Now, though, it's about kicking ass and winning." Samantha took a drink from her bottle. "I'm not ashamed to say that it was about the money at one time, either. You know why I ran as hard as I did at one point. But now, I have nearly everything I want, and the one last thing can wait until I can't fight to my standard any longer. That's when I know it'll be time for that."
“Kids.” He blurted out the words and then immediately regretted it. Not so much the thought of adopting a child with Samantha. More so that the word immediately made him think of Knox and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. “You know, Brendan really likes you. It’s a shame that I’m so busy currently that I can fly him out here more often. The holidays are coming up sooner than we think, though. I’ll have to arm wrestle his mother into letting me take him off of her hands.”
The thought of one day, potentially, being Brendan's stepmother made Samantha melt a little inside. "I like him too, a lot. He's a very good boy, very smart." She took a deep breath and began again. "You know, honey, we do own a private plane. I am more than willing to send it for him any time he wants to come here. Aside from matches and games, I'd clear my calendar for him."
“That would be amazing.” He sighed, however. “It’s just his mother isn’t exactly what you would call friendly. I have to jab with her a little bit before she gives in but I’ll definitely keep that as an option.” He points at the screen to take the conversation off of such a heavy subject. “What is it about him? He thinks he’s God’s gift to wrestling and yes, he is talented. But to need a guaranteed title shot? That’s just fucking tacky. You know what? I’m going to call Kat.”
I reached into my pocket with my free hand to fish out my phone. A quick scroll through my contacts and soon I was calling Kat’s number. I put the call on speaker phone and waited for my #1 best frenemy to answer.
“Hello?” Kat’s voice echoed from the phone. “Hey, Kitty Kat! It’s me and Samantha, I had a quick question for you.” There was a brief silence before Kat spoke up again. “Go ahead.” She said with some slight concern in her voice. “Kevin Mears, I know he considers you his agent and everything.” A loud ugh was heard on Kat’s end of the line.
Samantha heard Kat's groan and chuckled, nudging Jace just a little. "I heard that, dear. Is he being a difficult client?"
“Aren’t all clients difficult?” Kat responded. “Wait…” Jace interrupted. “Are you calling me difficult?” “Is that a serious question?” Kat injected. “Rude as fuck!” Jace shouted. “You can’t see me right now but just know that I am shrugging just like in the GIF.”
“Focus you two.” Samantha lectured. “We want to know if you negotiated the new contract in UPRISING for Kevin Mears. Since he claims he has a guaranteed shot at my title in said contract.”
“Kevin met with me over lunch a while back. I’m sure you both remember that.” Kat answered in an angry tone that makes Jace slouch a little bit. “We talked a little business but nothing was ever set in stone. Being as busy as anyone in this business is, we just lost touch for a good while there. However, he then reaches out to me out of the blue asking for my help with his UPRISING contract. Was pretty upset that Brad Jackson wasn’t bending to his demands.”
“Fucking demands.” Jace chuckled a bit. “That’s what we wanted to talk to you about. Like did you or did you not get him the deal he wanted in UPRISING?” “I did,” Kat admitted. “Only because I felt bad for the shit storm that happened because of certain people… Jace… decided to comment on my love life and just who and who isn’t in it.”
Samantha, however, was in her thoughts, Solstice III was coming up fast. "I swear to God…" She paused, not wanting to upset or offend her friend on the other end of the line. "I will beat him over the head repeatedly if you’ll forgive him long enough to give us more details." Samantha drained her beer bottle, raising her arm to chuck it at Jace’s head. Common sense took over, briefly, and she held on.
“You know you’re not going to injure me before our match.” Jace patted Samantha on the back. “So, explain this negotiation, Kitty.” A pause and then Kat began to speak. “It was quite tedious from the very start. He just kept going on and on about what he had done for UPRISING. How he was the company’s biggest star. That Jackson would be an idiot for letting him or his Aces walk. He felt like the offer that they gave him was a lowball sign of disrespect.”
“Typical Mears, always about money.” Jace chuckled a little bit more. “Does he not realize that UPRISING is a small company that can only afford to run shows outside of Reno a few times a year?” “I tried to tell him that!” Kat exclaimed. “What? Did he expect an NFL-type of money?” Jace questioned. “Some multi-million type of deal with guaranteed money that would make sure he’d be in UPRISING for years to come?”
Samantha bristled visibly at the conversation, taking her chance to chime in. "What he's done for UPRISING? The biggest star in the company?!" Samantha fidgeted angrily as she sat next to Jace. "The fuck he thinks I've been doing for three years? No, this isn't what he's done for Jackson, it's what Jackson did for him. No one knew of Kevin Mears until he signed a contract with UPRISING. The company made him a big name, not the other way around."
Samantha stood up, flushed in the face. "I'll be right back, Kat. I need another fucking beer after hearing this shit. Just know I don't blame you for any of it, OK?" She walked away briskly, her voice echoing. "The fucking nerve of some goddamn people!!!"
Jace couldn’t contain the full-blown fit of laughter that overcame him before composing himself long enough to continue the conversation with Kat. “I think she may murder him once Revolution 8 rolls around,” Jace stated obviously. “Careful, or she just might start with you first.” Kat mused before exhaling. “All I know is that his demands were weird, some of them downright terrifying. He kept on and on about the money and the only thing that would shut him up and make him sign the contract was that guaranteed title shot.”
“So, it’s real then?” Jace inquired. “It is, indeed,” Kat replied. “But as his agent on that occasion, I didn’t exactly play hardball with Jackson over the minor details.” “Hold up…” Jace pulled the phone a little closer. “How come you’ve never gotten me any guaranteed title shots in my contracts?!” “Are you saying you that guarantees in writing to put gold around your waist?” The classic Kat sarcasm. “No, I don’t.” Jace shot back. “No need to be brave around me,” Kat said with a fake sound of concern in her voice. “If you need that crutch then I would be more than happy to give it to you.”
Jace grumbles under his breath. “This is where the enemy in our friendship comes from.” Kat laughed but then continued. “I did the favor and now I’m washing my hands clean of the situation.” “You’re canning him as a client?!” Jace interrupted. “Look,” Kat said in a stern tone. “He’s not signed up with CCPE. He’s a guy that wanted me to negotiate for him after we became pretty much strangers. I did what I did out of generosity. He’s already asked me about doing another contract for him. I told him that I took a personal day.”
“But you didn’t really take a personal day, did you?” Jace teased. “Oh, I did,” Kat revealed. “I took a personal day away from all the idiots on Twitter that aren’t worth my time thinking about.”
Samantha walks back in with a new bottle of beer, still angry as she sits down next to Jace again. "Sorry, Kat. Drank another beer while in the kitchen. I swear to God I'ma hurt this child." She takes a long gulp of her beer. "Ooooh….this shit makes me wanna murder him." She looks at Jace, trying not to speak in a seething voice. "Anything I miss?"
“Oh, basically just Mears is a gold-digging egomaniac that thinks he’s worth more than his shoe size and height combined.” Jace raised the phone back toward Samantha. “Thanks for the info, Kitty Kat. I won’t hold you on the phone anymore. I know you’re a busy woman.” “I am,” Kat answered. “And I’m saying it right now. No more brownies for you until you stop getting your ass in trouble. Oh, and good luck at Revolution 8 against Mears.”
"Trust me…if he somehow survives this tag match, he'll rue the day he came after me and my title." Samantha finally began to soften as she leaned back against Jace. "I love the brownies, but waiting for this one not to get in trouble is like asking him not to breathe. Thank you, Kat, and take that well-deserved break from baking."
“Fuck you, I need the brownies!” Jace argued. “Bye, guys!” Kat shouted before the call ended. Jace put his phone back into his pocket and went back to his Rum and Coke. “Even if he somehow survives the tag team match and even if you retain the title against him. That won’t be the end of it. Not with that ego and not with his little group's desire to be the best.” Jace gulped down the rest of his drink. “Things are going to get ugly, Sam. I need to you leave the ‘Aunty’ at home once this war goes off the rails.”
Samantha sighed before finishing off her third bottle of beer. "When Kevin fails, Serenity will come for me next. She's gotten quite the taste for gold." She turned to look Jace right in his eye, a look on her face that was both serious and deadly. "That's when she learns the last thing I can teach her. That's the final lesson because everything will likely be sideways."
“No holding back, take no prisoners,” Jace said as he looked back at Samantha.
"No quarter given, none expected as she learns that the taste of gold only goes so far when she's in the ring with someone like me." Samantha kept her look firmly focused on Jace. "Yes, she beat me once, but as the old adage goes…I may have taught her what she knows, but she's a long way from knowing what I know. Then, perhaps, this roster will finally believe me when I say I will hold onto the UPRISING World Championship by any means I deem necessary."
“To The Kingdom.” Jace raised his empty glass into the air.
Samantha grinned seductively, clinking her empty bottle against his empty glass. "Long will we reign," She leaned in and gave her boyfriend a soft kiss, a gentler side than she had shown during the call with Kat. Both continue to watch the tape as the scene fades.
Earth calling Talia Skye.
Houston, I think we have a problem.
One of the Aces seems to have gone missing, yet again. Did Elon smack her down again or did Mears simply lose her in a crowd Wal-Mart and now she can’t find her way home?
Either way, it’s been almost two weeks since the Revolution 8 card has gone live. Two weeks since you learned you’ll be teaming with your stablemate, the man that made you an Ace, Kevin Mears in the main event of the show.
And the only comments we’ve gotten out of you are the world-famous ‘Urgh Twitter is annoying’ and ‘Thank you’ with lots and lots of exclamation points.
Shakespeare couldn’t have written it better.
But in all seriousness, bitch, when are you going to remember that you have a match? At this point, Kevin Mears has been fighting two on one against me and Tolson. So much so, that he’s laid down arms and decided to spam the selfies and merchandise posts. Hell, the man is out here giving tips to other men about women.
While worthless… AT LEAST IT’S SOMETHING!
I figured you’d see Kevin as your security blanket this week. That you’d feel confident with him by your side that you would definitely shine in the main event. I figured the rebound from Vertigo would be all systems go for you.
I guess Madison not only made you lose in your home country, but she broke you too.
Poor Kevin. Talking about how you’re the tag team expert and he’s happy to get to team with you and you? Well, you’ve pretty much left him high and dry at this point. Serenity is out doing her thing in all the companies she’s in. Mears is doing normal Mears stuff. Talking about quads, money, and contracts. Yet, when this match was made? You said peace out quicker than a baby momma on Maury when she found out he’s not the father.
I mean… if this is all we’re going to get then why did you even make a new Twitter account?
Getting banned and just disappearing into the ether would have been a more respectable way to go than coming back and doing fuck all for a main event match. How many times has Kevin rang your phone in the last two weeks? How many voicemails has he left begging you to call him back? How many text messages has he sent just for you to leave him on read?
Honestly, what about any of this is the definition of an Ace? Mears I can understand, Serenity I can accept. Though, when it comes to you all I can say is WTF. At this point is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Serenity and Mears need to give the fuck up on this stable. Every single person they try to bring in is fucking cursed or worthless. The Aces are a tag team thanks to you, Talia.
All that tough talk for weeks before Vertigo. All the promises you made and now? Deafening silence. If you’re going to give up and bury your head in the sand at least let Jackson know, so possibly, he could give someone who wants to compete for the spot in the main event that he handed you a chance.
Slip your notice of resignation under the door of The Ace's locker room door and just fade into nothing more than a bad memory. Maybe they’ll finally turn to Mia and somehow convince her to compete inside the ring. Pretty girl like that and they make her just an interviewer? The only bag they fumbled harder was making you an Ace.
Fuck… why? Why not just swallow your pride and come out to say you’re calling it a career? Admit that you just don’t have it anymore to compete at this level. No one would fault you for that. No one would say hey, that Talia Skye is a piece of shit.
Well… I might.
But others? They would respect that. They would remember you and your career fondly. Instead, you’re choosing to just skirt town in the middle of the night never to be seen again just like your horsewomen friends.
All this time, all this experience in the business. And you can’t fucking pull yourself back to your feet after one loss to a rookie. It’s not like you were winning all the fucking time before then. I’m giving you three more days to remember that you have a voice. Three days to remember how your fucking fingers work.
If we don’t hear from you by then?
I’m just going to go to Jackson and request he turns this match into Kevin Mears vs. Jace Parker Davidson II with Samantha Tolson as the special guest referee. Or to give Serenity your spot in the match since you know. Sandy Vagina epidemic and all.
At least then… people will care. At least then Mears will feel like he has a shot at victory instead of taking a blind eye to the current status of his own group while clutching that guaranteed title shot like grandma’s pearls.
I stated before that people need to compete at a level that I see fit.
Maybe if you plugged into anything UPRISING lately once a fortnight, you’d know that, Talia. You’re competing far below my level of acceptance. You’re competing far below Kevin’s level of acceptance. He’s just too nice and far too embarrassed to tell you that to your face.
Or maybe he just can’t fucking find you to say it to your face.
Where the fuck is Unsolved Mysteries when you need it?
When the weak and cowardly as scrambling for the exits doors to places where accomplishments are handed up like Halloween candy.
When UPRISING needs it’s true stars to step up and shine the most.
You’re nowhere to be found.
Three days, Talia. Don’t make this worse than it already is.
-----
I have watched the match back plenty of times. I’m watching it now again and by Revolution 8? I’ll have probably watched it plenty more times. Was I obsessed? Maybe, a little bit. Annoyed was a more fitting description. The more I see what happened, the more I think about the fact that I could still be undefeated.
Hindsight is a bitch.
But I watch it anyway, I continue to watch it over and over again. I want to be able to view the entire thing in my head as I lay down to sleep effortlessly. I could easily let it roll off of my back. I could pull what a small portion of the UPRISING roster does and not acknowledge that it ever happened. That is not what an elite talent does. That is not what a man in the middle of a war does.
Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, I will know my enemy.
Attention to detail matters, however, when Samantha walks into the room the sound of her groaning loudly pulls my attention away from the screen.
“Why are you still watching that?!” She asked, exasperated. “You need to let it go!”
“You should be the one sitting here watching this.” I countered. “And I won’t let it go because this is my motivation now.”
"You think I haven't watched this, over and over again, looking for tendencies and tells?" She stepped behind him, rubbing his neck muscles. "Can we at least have a beer while we watch?"
“Something a little stronger than a beer for me.” He requested. “Hell, bring snacks if you want to. Wait, is it Monday? Nevermind!”
Samantha leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "It's Tuesday, my love…and tell me what you want to drink and I will happily fetch it for you."
“Rum and Coke sound good, thanks.” He reached over and swatted her on the butt as she turned to walk away. He turned back around to look at the screen with a bit of a frown on his face. He knew that Revolution 8 against both Mears and Talia would be a totally different beast. Regardless of the fact that Mears has a guaranteed title shot or not.
Samantha returned a few moments later with a bottle of beer in one hand, and a glass with Jace's requested Rum and Coke in the other. She sits down close to him, holding out his glass. "One rum and Coke, heavy on the rum as I know you like it."
“Thank you, my dear.” He accepted the glass and took a sip of it. “Have you noticed how since we posted our response to his explanation that Mears hasn’t said a fucking thing back? However, he’s managed to tweet every single day about his selfies or merchandise.”
"Gotta keep up with the legend of Quadzilla, after all. But his merchandise is, admittedly, quality. I got a shirt back when times were different between us all. Like most, I cut off the sleeves for workout gear." Samantha leaned against Jace as she took a drink. "Speaking of merchandise, I really should try to expand on PLMM, but I'm not wanting to take focus away from this." She motioned at the screen in front of them.
“Worry about expanding your merchandise sales once you’ve retained the UPRISING World Championship and season 3 has ended,” Jace recommended. “You don’t want to end up like Kevin, a legend in your own mind. A man that cares more about money, guaranteed handouts, and new followers than he does the work inside of the ring.”
"The work I do both inside and outside of the ring is what led to PLMM becoming a thing. I never dreamed of having a line of workout clothing, and then a pitch was made." Samantha put a hand on Jace's leg casually, more for relaxation than anything else. "The ring always comes first. The only thing that means more to me, Jace, is you. And I mean that with every fiber of my being. Wrestling has always come first because it has opened the door to all the other opportunities."
“Fucking sappy ass.” Jace scoffs but leans down and kisses the top of her head. “I don’t have some fancy pedigree. I didn’t come from money. I just knew I wanted this and the fact that my life has been one huge fight after the other is just a bonus.” He paused to take another sip of his drink. “I don't look at companies out there and go ‘I bet I can make a lot of cash there’ or ‘If they guarantee stuff I’ll sign immediately.’ It’s just fucking the fight. I look at a roster, I see people I want to either punch in the face or compete against and that’s what drives me.”
Samantha giggled softly. "Call me sappy all you want, love, but I only speak the truth. When I started this, it was a means to an eventual end for me. I put every dime I could into savings and investments, knowing what my end goal was. I never dreamed I'd be addicted to it, now so much so that I've put my original goal so far on the back burner it's getting icy.”
Samantha continued thoughtfully. “It was about the money, but only so I could adopt and never have to be worried about money. Now, though, it's about kicking ass and winning." Samantha took a drink from her bottle. "I'm not ashamed to say that it was about the money at one time, either. You know why I ran as hard as I did at one point. But now, I have nearly everything I want, and the one last thing can wait until I can't fight to my standard any longer. That's when I know it'll be time for that."
“Kids.” He blurted out the words and then immediately regretted it. Not so much the thought of adopting a child with Samantha. More so that the word immediately made him think of Knox and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. “You know, Brendan really likes you. It’s a shame that I’m so busy currently that I can fly him out here more often. The holidays are coming up sooner than we think, though. I’ll have to arm wrestle his mother into letting me take him off of her hands.”
The thought of one day, potentially, being Brendan's stepmother made Samantha melt a little inside. "I like him too, a lot. He's a very good boy, very smart." She took a deep breath and began again. "You know, honey, we do own a private plane. I am more than willing to send it for him any time he wants to come here. Aside from matches and games, I'd clear my calendar for him."
“That would be amazing.” He sighed, however. “It’s just his mother isn’t exactly what you would call friendly. I have to jab with her a little bit before she gives in but I’ll definitely keep that as an option.” He points at the screen to take the conversation off of such a heavy subject. “What is it about him? He thinks he’s God’s gift to wrestling and yes, he is talented. But to need a guaranteed title shot? That’s just fucking tacky. You know what? I’m going to call Kat.”
I reached into my pocket with my free hand to fish out my phone. A quick scroll through my contacts and soon I was calling Kat’s number. I put the call on speaker phone and waited for my #1 best frenemy to answer.
“Hello?” Kat’s voice echoed from the phone. “Hey, Kitty Kat! It’s me and Samantha, I had a quick question for you.” There was a brief silence before Kat spoke up again. “Go ahead.” She said with some slight concern in her voice. “Kevin Mears, I know he considers you his agent and everything.” A loud ugh was heard on Kat’s end of the line.
Samantha heard Kat's groan and chuckled, nudging Jace just a little. "I heard that, dear. Is he being a difficult client?"
“Aren’t all clients difficult?” Kat responded. “Wait…” Jace interrupted. “Are you calling me difficult?” “Is that a serious question?” Kat injected. “Rude as fuck!” Jace shouted. “You can’t see me right now but just know that I am shrugging just like in the GIF.”
“Focus you two.” Samantha lectured. “We want to know if you negotiated the new contract in UPRISING for Kevin Mears. Since he claims he has a guaranteed shot at my title in said contract.”
“Kevin met with me over lunch a while back. I’m sure you both remember that.” Kat answered in an angry tone that makes Jace slouch a little bit. “We talked a little business but nothing was ever set in stone. Being as busy as anyone in this business is, we just lost touch for a good while there. However, he then reaches out to me out of the blue asking for my help with his UPRISING contract. Was pretty upset that Brad Jackson wasn’t bending to his demands.”
“Fucking demands.” Jace chuckled a bit. “That’s what we wanted to talk to you about. Like did you or did you not get him the deal he wanted in UPRISING?” “I did,” Kat admitted. “Only because I felt bad for the shit storm that happened because of certain people… Jace… decided to comment on my love life and just who and who isn’t in it.”
Samantha, however, was in her thoughts, Solstice III was coming up fast. "I swear to God…" She paused, not wanting to upset or offend her friend on the other end of the line. "I will beat him over the head repeatedly if you’ll forgive him long enough to give us more details." Samantha drained her beer bottle, raising her arm to chuck it at Jace’s head. Common sense took over, briefly, and she held on.
“You know you’re not going to injure me before our match.” Jace patted Samantha on the back. “So, explain this negotiation, Kitty.” A pause and then Kat began to speak. “It was quite tedious from the very start. He just kept going on and on about what he had done for UPRISING. How he was the company’s biggest star. That Jackson would be an idiot for letting him or his Aces walk. He felt like the offer that they gave him was a lowball sign of disrespect.”
“Typical Mears, always about money.” Jace chuckled a little bit more. “Does he not realize that UPRISING is a small company that can only afford to run shows outside of Reno a few times a year?” “I tried to tell him that!” Kat exclaimed. “What? Did he expect an NFL-type of money?” Jace questioned. “Some multi-million type of deal with guaranteed money that would make sure he’d be in UPRISING for years to come?”
Samantha bristled visibly at the conversation, taking her chance to chime in. "What he's done for UPRISING? The biggest star in the company?!" Samantha fidgeted angrily as she sat next to Jace. "The fuck he thinks I've been doing for three years? No, this isn't what he's done for Jackson, it's what Jackson did for him. No one knew of Kevin Mears until he signed a contract with UPRISING. The company made him a big name, not the other way around."
Samantha stood up, flushed in the face. "I'll be right back, Kat. I need another fucking beer after hearing this shit. Just know I don't blame you for any of it, OK?" She walked away briskly, her voice echoing. "The fucking nerve of some goddamn people!!!"
Jace couldn’t contain the full-blown fit of laughter that overcame him before composing himself long enough to continue the conversation with Kat. “I think she may murder him once Revolution 8 rolls around,” Jace stated obviously. “Careful, or she just might start with you first.” Kat mused before exhaling. “All I know is that his demands were weird, some of them downright terrifying. He kept on and on about the money and the only thing that would shut him up and make him sign the contract was that guaranteed title shot.”
“So, it’s real then?” Jace inquired. “It is, indeed,” Kat replied. “But as his agent on that occasion, I didn’t exactly play hardball with Jackson over the minor details.” “Hold up…” Jace pulled the phone a little closer. “How come you’ve never gotten me any guaranteed title shots in my contracts?!” “Are you saying you that guarantees in writing to put gold around your waist?” The classic Kat sarcasm. “No, I don’t.” Jace shot back. “No need to be brave around me,” Kat said with a fake sound of concern in her voice. “If you need that crutch then I would be more than happy to give it to you.”
Jace grumbles under his breath. “This is where the enemy in our friendship comes from.” Kat laughed but then continued. “I did the favor and now I’m washing my hands clean of the situation.” “You’re canning him as a client?!” Jace interrupted. “Look,” Kat said in a stern tone. “He’s not signed up with CCPE. He’s a guy that wanted me to negotiate for him after we became pretty much strangers. I did what I did out of generosity. He’s already asked me about doing another contract for him. I told him that I took a personal day.”
“But you didn’t really take a personal day, did you?” Jace teased. “Oh, I did,” Kat revealed. “I took a personal day away from all the idiots on Twitter that aren’t worth my time thinking about.”
Samantha walks back in with a new bottle of beer, still angry as she sits down next to Jace again. "Sorry, Kat. Drank another beer while in the kitchen. I swear to God I'ma hurt this child." She takes a long gulp of her beer. "Ooooh….this shit makes me wanna murder him." She looks at Jace, trying not to speak in a seething voice. "Anything I miss?"
“Oh, basically just Mears is a gold-digging egomaniac that thinks he’s worth more than his shoe size and height combined.” Jace raised the phone back toward Samantha. “Thanks for the info, Kitty Kat. I won’t hold you on the phone anymore. I know you’re a busy woman.” “I am,” Kat answered. “And I’m saying it right now. No more brownies for you until you stop getting your ass in trouble. Oh, and good luck at Revolution 8 against Mears.”
"Trust me…if he somehow survives this tag match, he'll rue the day he came after me and my title." Samantha finally began to soften as she leaned back against Jace. "I love the brownies, but waiting for this one not to get in trouble is like asking him not to breathe. Thank you, Kat, and take that well-deserved break from baking."
“Fuck you, I need the brownies!” Jace argued. “Bye, guys!” Kat shouted before the call ended. Jace put his phone back into his pocket and went back to his Rum and Coke. “Even if he somehow survives the tag team match and even if you retain the title against him. That won’t be the end of it. Not with that ego and not with his little group's desire to be the best.” Jace gulped down the rest of his drink. “Things are going to get ugly, Sam. I need to you leave the ‘Aunty’ at home once this war goes off the rails.”
Samantha sighed before finishing off her third bottle of beer. "When Kevin fails, Serenity will come for me next. She's gotten quite the taste for gold." She turned to look Jace right in his eye, a look on her face that was both serious and deadly. "That's when she learns the last thing I can teach her. That's the final lesson because everything will likely be sideways."
“No holding back, take no prisoners,” Jace said as he looked back at Samantha.
"No quarter given, none expected as she learns that the taste of gold only goes so far when she's in the ring with someone like me." Samantha kept her look firmly focused on Jace. "Yes, she beat me once, but as the old adage goes…I may have taught her what she knows, but she's a long way from knowing what I know. Then, perhaps, this roster will finally believe me when I say I will hold onto the UPRISING World Championship by any means I deem necessary."
“To The Kingdom.” Jace raised his empty glass into the air.
Samantha grinned seductively, clinking her empty bottle against his empty glass. "Long will we reign," She leaned in and gave her boyfriend a soft kiss, a gentler side than she had shown during the call with Kat. Both continue to watch the tape as the scene fades.