ππ¨π₯. π: ππ¦ππ«π ππ§ππ - #π ππ¨π° ππ‘ππ?
Oct 22, 2021 8:58:58 GMT -5
Carter Shaw, Trey Bouchet, and 2 more like this
Post by ππππ‘ππ«π’π§π πππ¬ππ’π§π π¬ on Oct 22, 2021 8:58:58 GMT -5
 Despite only knowing Zooey Deschanel for a few months, sheβd already proven to be a good friend of mine. Sheβd left Sam doing some more promotional work for Die Hard to take me out to brunch - how lovely of her. I would say Iβm not quite at my normal upbeat self. Iβd only checked into my hotel late last night, having just returned from Europe after defeating Brick Hauser in our PWV match. The win itself was great, and in the process, Iβd become the number one contender for the Spirit of the Fight Championship - which helped lessen the pain of losing the Television Title. But when things were looking up, another blow had struck. Iβd hoped to travel from Romania to London to finally meet my niece, but quarantine laws in England prevented this - therefore I must wait longer to finally grab that cuddle. At this rate, I wonβt get to meet Katie until I compete at the Royal Albert Hall in late January - I presume I wonβt have to quarantine then? Itβs a sports event after all. We sat together in the garden of a chic, Californian bistro. I myself was famished, Iβd struggled to eat consistently during my travels, therefore I happily tucked into the closest thing resembling a good old English breakfast on the menu. It was lovely, but Iβd learned upon arriving to America that the bacon wasnβt quite the same - and no one had brown sauce. Zooey ate her salad, and together, we shared a pot of tea over small talk. She was excited for Sam; Die Hard had proven a big success and had rejuvenated my fellow Brit. He was just as much a good friend to me as was Zooey. I had adopted the role of their βlittle sisterβ; I felt that I was somewhat of a surrogate for Zooeyβs sister, Emily - from my understanding their relationship was still on the mend. Soon, Zooey started asking, probing, albeit nicely, about my personal life. βSo hun, youβve been here now for what, three months?β she pushed her salad around her plate as she contemplated her next words, then she looked up at me. βWhen are you gonna put yourselfβ¦ out there, yβknow?β I chuckled, trying not to choke on the streaky bacon. I took a sip of my tea to wash it down before replying. βOut there... like as in dating?β Zooey smiled warmly, βWell maybe, but not just dating... living!β, she said passionately. βYouβve been all work and no play since you arrived here. Itβs great youβre so dedicated to your craft, but now you're no longer the Television Champion - perhaps nowβs the time to let your hair down?β She was right; Iβd been going so hard in the gym that perhaps I had neglected my personal life. My phone screen lit up upon receiving a message. Zooey asked, βLook there, that might be some guy who wants to take you out on a date?β I picked up the phone to see who had messaged me. I chuckled again as Zooey waited anxiously to learn who had sent the message. After a moment, I realised that she was waiting, and I laughed as I put the phone back down on the table. βOh, that? That was Spencer Adamsβ. Zooey appeared to think for a second before she asked, βIβm not sure if heβs dating anyone at the minute?β I laughed once more before putting her out of her misery, βNo itβs not like that. I have a FightSmart business call later. He was checking in to see if I could still attendβ. Zooey ate another mouthful of salad before asking enthusiastically, βHowβs that going for you? I think Sam has a meeting scheduled with them tooβ. I was cautious with my response, the FightSmart deal was going really well - Spencer had pulled me aside at Execution to inform me that they were giving me my own line of apparel, and a large hike in royalties. I wasnβt sure if Sam would receive the same deal. βI think itβs going well, I think they are going to be increasing my royalties,β I replied, it wasnβt a lie. Zooeyβs face is filled with another large, warm smile, βHey, thatβs great news!β We continued our cosy brunch together until it was time for me to take Spencerβs call. Zooey had achieved what sheβd aimed to do - cheering me up. I couldnβt stand the thought of spending the night sitting alone watching Netflix in my hotel room. Iβd already managed to binge-watch both The Squid Games and two seasons of You between the trip to Cluj and now. Mick had sent me several hours of match footage featuring Bryan Williams; whatβs better - watching that or starting the third season of You? No, I needed to get out of my room. Brunch earlier with Zooey had done me good, and she was right, I needed to start living. Since moving to America, and after becoming Television Champion; I had become consumed with work, maybe it was time I let my hair down a little - yes. So I decided to be brave and leave the safety of my hotel room, and Netflix, behind so I could venture down to the hotel bar. I was hardly dressed for the occasion, I hadnβt packed anything particularly fancy. Iβd been living out of a suitcase now for well over a week, having travelled straight to Europe following Execution, and then a very long flight to California via a quick changeover in Ireland - I didnβt have space in my suitcase for a nice dress. βOh come on, love,β I muttered as I looked upon myself in the bathroom mirror. At least I was wearing a nice pair of jeans I guess? My vest top wasnβt appropriate to wear alone, should I just chuck on my FightSmart hoodie? Yes, Iβll have to. And my hair, let me quickly throw it up into a messy bun or something. I applied a small amount of make-up and finally exited my room. I liked this hotel; it was secluded, and what made it even better, it was situated next to a wine vineyard within San Joaquin County. I finally made my way into the bar, it was low-key, yet some kind of corporate function was ongoing, and the bar itself was filled with a variety of well-dressed businessmen, and a few women dressed in expensive-looking outfits. I quickly looked down at my own attire and suddenly felt very underdressed for the occasion. Should I quickly retreat back to the safety of my room? I could probably squeeze in two episodes of You this evening. No, I need to start living, remember. I quietly slipped into the bar without trying to draw too much attention to myself. Noticing a free booth in the corner, I meandered past the party and went and took a seat. Laying on the table was a fancy leather-bound drinks menu. I scanned the pages and baulked a little when I saw the prices - I guess I didnβt need to worry so much now about the price of wine considering I was due to receive a large royalty check from FightSmart. But still, Iβd always been cautious with money, I hadnβt been well off at any point during my adult life. Who knows how long this dream of mine, competing for Action Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Valor, how long would it all last? A waiter soon approached my booth, βGood evening maβam, would you like to order a drink?β he asked me. βOh, hello,β I replied. Iβd been so taken back by the prices that Iβd actually forgotten to make a choice. I quickly rescanned the pages before making my decision, βIβll have this one, pleaseβ. I dare not butcher the pronunciation of the posh wine, instead, I pointed to the Sauvignon. βVery good choice, maβam,β he remarked. βWould you like a 6oz or 9oz?β he asked. I pondered his question for a moment as I scanned the room. βTell you what, Iβll go wild, make it a 9oz. Thank you so muchβ. I smiled at him as he left to go pour me my fruity red wine with hints of dark chocolate. I tapped the table in excitement, Zooey was so right, living is fun. But then my phone vibratedβ¦ I leaned to my right as I reached behind and pulled out my mobile phone from the tight back pocket of my jeans. I glanced at the screen, Johnny was trying to call. We hadnβt spoken in a while, not since before Execution. Heβd gotten so entrenched with his war against Philidor, against Lissie that Iβd felt him drifting away slightly. And with the ongoing bickering between Lissie and Team Johnny, I was somewhat beginning to feel like a piggie in the middle, and it was beginning to wear me down. Iβm not doing this tonight, Johnny, I thought to myself as I let the call ring out. I turned my phone onto night mode, no more notifications would come through, and I returned it to my back pocket. Besides, your friends hate me, maybe weβre not meant to be friends after all? I soon stop thinking about the now-former Hardcore Champion as the waiter returned with my glass of wine. Glass? It was more like the whole bottle. βWow, thatβs sure going to go straight to my head,β I joked as he placed the glass down in front of me. I could immediately smell the strong undertones of berries and dark chocolate and knew that this was the wine for me. As I enjoyed the glass of wine, I reminisced about my short time in the business, about the friends I had already made. I observed the behaviour of the occupants of the bar; watching the drunk businessman loitering over their outnumbered female colleagues. Maybe if I wasnβt such a scruff, one of them would wander over here? Would that have even been a good thing? Iβm not so sure. Then I heard a very distinctive voice coming from the bar. It sounded so familiar, I knew Iβd heard it before, and a lot. I couldnβt see where it came from, the bar was full and loud. I lifted my feet onto the chair, and I kneeled up from the booth. Iβm sure it would have just been easier to stand, but I was trying to be sleigh, you know? And I finally saw him, sitting by himself at the bar. His back was facing me, yet I could see he was drinking whiskey, perhaps it was that fancy looking Californian whiskey I saw on the menu? He was dressed smartly; wearing a dark collared shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, and freshly pressed dress trousers. Despite being surrounded by men in suits, his presence, and his large muscular frame, helped him stand out far above the rest of the room. I felt a fluttering in my stomach, oh bloody hell this isnβt secondary school, we are all adults here. I quickly pulled out my phone once again to look at my reflection. I am in such a state - I quickly removed the baggie FightSmart hoodie and released my hair from the messy bun. βYou donβt look so bad,β I quipped to myself. "Be brave - live!" Zooeyβs words repeated in my head as I plucked up the courage to finally clamber out from within the booth and walked over to the bar. What's my plan? Go and talk to him? Or just sit at the bar and see if he makes the first move? But even before I arrived at the bar he stood from his stool and turned to face me. I could feel his sparkling blue eyes locking onto mine, now what? As we continued to stare at each other, the barman asked my observer a question, βAnother drink, Mr Shaw?β  |
