Post by biggs on Jul 2, 2010 3:01:49 GMT -4
Thursday, June 24
Saskatoon, Sasketchewan, Canada
Right after Overdrive goes off the air
Another Thursday night, and another successful Thursday Night Overdrive. I'm walking through the hallway, making my way to the my office to take care of the business end of being the General Manager of APW. Tonight's show went a long way in selling the Test for the Best pay per view we have coming up on July 4th, and I'm eager to get a look at the revenue we pulled in for the night. When I get to my office, I walk in, and sit behind the sensibly sized mahogany desk that's been set up for me. I could have gotten a bigger desk, but since it travels with the company, I figured that the ring crew would appreciate the more compact model I picked out.
As I sit down, I hear the shower going behind me. ”It must be Cyrus,” I think to myself, because I know it can't be Ellie. Right as soon as her match was over, I had a driver take her to the airport to take my private jet down to Stanford, California, to be with her family. Tonight was her first night back on the road with us since John's heart attack, and while I know she was excited to get to see everybody again, I could tell she was really worried about her father the whole time. Heck, I'm worried about him too, but as the General Manager, I'm too vital to APW to take some time off. As much as I hate to say it, Ellie's not too terribly important in the bigger picture of APW. I love her to death, and enjoy having her around, sure, but the fans wouldn't lose any sleep if she decided to call it a career tomorrow. I'd miss her, though. Heck, I already miss her right now. Still, I have a commercial flight scheduled six hours from now, so I've got plenty of time to attend to my duties before packing it in and calling it a night.
At this point, the shower stops going, but I heed it no attention, instead pouring over the numbers on my computer screen. The show was completely sold out, and so far the numbers on the merchandise stands are going swell. The conversion from Canadian dollars to US dollars may fudge the numbers a bit, but thank goodness it's not my job to make those conversions. Regardless, it's been a good night financially for Action Packed Wrestling. As I'm focused on the numbers, the lights suddenly dim.
”C'mon, Cyrus! Don't screw around with me right now, bud. I got work to do.”
”I'm not Cyrus.”
”Oh crap!” I think as I turn around in the direction of the dimmer switch, and see Sally Talfourd standing there, clad in a terry clothe robe that doesn't go down very far at all. Her hair is still wet, and matted to her head, and her eyes are sparkling. I take one glance and let it stay for a bit longer than I'd care to admit, before turning my eyes the other direction. I place one hand over my eyes, not wanting to see Sally in this state of dress, or lack thereof.
”It's okay, Biggs. You can look. I wouldn't be standing here like this if I didn't want you to look.”
”Believe me, I don't want to look. What I want is for you to get out of my office, this instant! If you do not, I will have no choice but to report you for sexual harassment.”
I hear her footsteps coming closer, trying my hardest not to move my hand to sneak a peek. I can hear her breathing as she gets closer, getting right behind me. She places her hands on my shoulders, and begins to massage them deeply.
”Report me, then. You know that this is what I want, Biggs, and I'm sure that you'd want it to if you just knew what you'd be getting. Doesn't it feel good?”
”Well yes, it does...NO! This isn't right! Please stop it this instant!”
This only prompts her to rub harder.
”You're too tense. Ease up a bit.”
”Not a chance. I asked you to leave, so please do so.”
At this point, the massage stops, but I feel my her turn my chair around before she places her hands on my hand, pulling it down from my eyes. She's inches away from my face, and has a sultry grin on her face.
”You know, it's kind of cute how hard you're trying to resist me, Biggs.”
”It's not meant to be cute, Sally. I literally have no interest in quote/unquote hooking up with you, not now, not ever! I'm engaged to be married to Ellie! I love her, and I don't want to betray her trust.”
”But don't you think I'm pretty?”
”Well sure. In fact, I think you're drop dead gorgeous. You're a very attractive woman, and that's precisely why I need you to leave right now. I won't ask again!”
”Good.”
Sally pulls the chair closer to herself, and plops down on my lap, straddling me. The robe rides up a bit, and is just barely covering her unmentionables. By this point, I'm really struggling to suppress my desire. She gives me a playful peck on the cheek before moving down to nibble a bit on my neck. I can't help but feel aroused. I let her do what she will for a few moments, but as soon as I realize that my hands are now at her waist, I let go and roll the chair back a bit, causing her to lurch back.
”What did you that for? Weren't you enjoying yourself?”
”I can't lie, I did. But the fact of the matter is that I can't do this with you, Sally. As beautiful as you are, I can't do this to Ellie. I just can't. Now please get up and get off of me.”
She doesn't pay attention to what I'm saying at all. Instead, she gets an even more sultry look on her face, and leans in closer, whispering into my ear.
”Ellie doesn't have to know...”
I've had enough at this point, and I violently shove her back, knocking her to the floor. She isn't phased by it at all, and begins to chuckle a bit.
”So you want to play rough, eh? I can do rough!”
I get up out of my chair, and by now, I'm livid. I can't believe how stubborn she's being.
”Listen, Sally, you need to stop this right now! Yes, it's obvious that there's a mutual attraction between the two of us, but we don't have to act on it! In fact, I'd rather that we just forget about it! The fact is that I am engaged to marry a woman whom I deeply love, and we've made the decision to live an abstinent lifestyle until the night we get married. I don't take this commitment lightly, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take it lightly either! The fact is that I don't love you, Sally Talfourd, and anything between us would just be a product of lust, not love. And no matter how much I'd enjoy fooling around with you, no matter how much pleasure it would bring, it would only be temporary at best, and I know for a fact that I'd regret that decision for the rest of my life! So I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to leave my office this instant!”
Sally has a hurt look on her face as she sits on the ground, dejected. She looks like she's on the verge of tears, and I can't help but feel a little sympathy for her. I reach down my hand and offer to help her up. She takes it, and as she gets up to her feet, she surprises me by lunging in, and locking me in a deep embrace! She then looks up toward me, looking me right in the eyes. I can tell that she doesn't want to let go, and by this point, neither do I. I return the hug, and as I do so, she reaches up with her hands, and draws my face close to hers. Before I know it, we're kissing one another passionately, and it's then that I think, ”Ellie doesn't have to know.”
***
”NO!”
I wake up with a start, and have no idea where I'm at. It just seems like mere seconds ago that I was in the deep embrace of Sally Talfourd's arms.
”Are you okay, sweetie?”
It takes me a moment to realize that it's Ellie talking to me, but I still don't respond, still trying to gather my bearings as to where I'm at.
”Are you okay?
She snaps her fingers in front of my face a couple of times, and the familiar inside of my private jet comes into focus. Ellie has a very concerned look in her face. She moves the armrest between us up so that she can lean over without driving into herself.
”Yeah, yeah, I'm okay...Where are we? What time is it?”
”It's about four am. The pilot says that we're over Idaho now, and that we'll be to California in a few hours. Did you have a bad dream or something?”
”Yeah, I guess so...”
”What was it about?”
”I'd rather not talk about it.”
”But maybe talking about it might help you out somehow,” she chirps, obviously wanting to help me to deal with my nightmare. I don't respond, instead turning towards the window to look outside. The moon is illuminating the forest below, and it's reflection off of the lake is absolutely beautiful, but I can't enjoy the scenery, and I sure as heck can't talk to Ellie about my dream. Because it involved me cheating on her. With Sally Talfourd. She can never hear about this. And I can't talk about this with Chris Cyrus, because he'll just call me a lucky son of a gun to have two gals going after me. And I most certainly wouldn't dream of talking about this with Sally Talfourd, either. The last thing she needs to hear is that the interest is there. I'm still not sure if she's actually interested in me, or if she's playing mind games, but either way, I have to admit that it's working on some level. But I need to talk about it with somebody. I can't just let these feelings fester inside of me, I have to let them go somehow.
”Gary? Gary?! Earth to Gary!?”
”Sorry, I was just thinking to myself.”
”About your nightmare? Why don't you just talk about it with me?”
”You don't want to hear about it, trust me. In fact, I'm trying to forget it myself.”
”If it's that bad, maybe you do need to talk about it with me.”
”Okay, okay. If you must know, you get really hurt in the dream. I don't want to talk about beyond that, alright?” I tell her a half-truth, hoping that she won't probe any further.
Of course, she does, asking, ”How do I get hurt?”
”It's just a dream, it doesn't matter. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Dwelling on thoughts of you being in pain is the last thing I want to do, okay?” I snap at her. I instantly regret it, as she appears to be upset by my tone of voice. ”I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that with the situation with your father, and the horrible dream I just had, emotions are high. Still, it's no excuse for the way I just talked to you.”
”I understand,” she says, but in a way that lets me know she's still hurt by my outburst. Tears start to well in her eyes, and I wrap an arm around her, trying to comfort her.
”It's okay, Ellie. I know that I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. It's okay to cry a bit if you need to.”
She's trying to speak through her sobbing, and her voice cracks a bit as she talks. ”It's not that. I've just realized how selfish I've been the past few weeks, how ever since my dad had the heart attack, all I've been doing from you is take, take, and more take, expecting you to be strong for me, expecting you to carry me through this ordeal, without stopping once to think about how you're handling it! I'm sorry!”
I'm stunned by all of this that's coming from her mouth right now. Yeah, I kind of understand where she's coming from, but I certainly don't feel like she's been selfish. I keep my arm over her shoulder, and try some more to console her. ”Listen Ellie, not once through this entire process have I thought you to be selfish or self-centered. Your dad, John, had a freakin' heart attack! It's more than understandable that you'd be emotionally shaken by it. In this situation, it is my role to be strong for you. There will be times where I'll need you to be the strong one. But that's the great thing about being in love with somebody is that you have some one else to help carry your burdens when you're not strong enough to do it on your own. Let's look at the positives here. Firstly, it was a minor heart attack, and your dad has already been sent home. Secondly, the doctors have given him the best care possible, and have him on a heart healthy diet now. Thirdly, you've gotten to spend more time with your folks than you have in some time. I know that the circumstances surrounding this aren't the best, but we can at least be grateful for the blessings we get out of bad situations, because sometimes it's those blessings that are the only things that will get us through the said situations. No matter what, sweetie, if you need me to be strong for you, then I will be strong for you, because I know that you'd do the same for me. I love you, Ellie, and I'm here for you.”
”I know that what you're saying is true, but it's just so hard to believe that right now. I mean, my dad's too young to have a heart attack! He's only 51!”
”I agree. And I know what you're going through. My uncle passed away from a heart attack at the age of 36. Sometimes it doesn't make sense as to why things happen, but when they do happen, we should trust that those who are close to us will do anything they can to help. I know that I want to help you so much. If I could carry the pain for you, I would do it in a heart beat.”
She looks up at me, and I can see that my words had a positive effect. She manages to get out her infectious giggle, although it's tinged with sadness, and rests her head on my chest.
”I know. Thanks for being my rock.” She has a really tired sound to her voice by this point.
”Well, we still got a few hours to go, so you should probably try and get some sleep while you can,” I tell her, thinking that some rest would do her good. Also, it'll prevent me from having to talk to her about my dream.
”You'll be right here until we land, right?”
”I won't move a muscle. I swear.
”Cross your heart, hope to die?” she asks sleepily.
I respond softly, ”Cross my heart, hope to die.”
”Okay...”she says through her yawning, ”I could use some shut eye.”
She quickly falls asleep with her head nestled on my chest. I give her a kiss on the forehead, and think about how angelic she looks. And at this moment, I know that I'm the luckiest man in the world, and that there's nothing that anybody could ever do to make me think differently. Before long, I nod off myself.
***
Stanford, California
Ellie's Parent's house
8:15 in the morning
Ellie and I arrived at her folks' place at about 8 in the morning, and John's already seated on the couch, with an ottoman propping up his feet. He's clad in some Harley Davidson pajama pants with a red bathrobe and white t-shirt. He's unshaven, and has a mess load of pills within easy reach, but otherwise, he seems to be in good spirits. Carol is understandably a bit more haggard, as she's not only had to deal with taking care of John, but has neglected taking much care of herself. She looks incredibly tired, and has bags under her eyes. As soon as Ellie and I are settled, we talk to Carol in the kitchen. The kitchen is surprisingly clean considering how hard Carol's had to work to keep everything up. In fact, the entire house is just as immaculate as ever. Still, it's taking its toll on Carol.
”You know what, Mom, you've been taking care of dad so much, you could use a day off. Why don't you let Gary and I take care of dad today?
”Yeah. You've been at this for the better part of a week and a half, and we'd be more than happy to do it.”
Carol doesn't even hesitate with her reply. ”Absolutely not. I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't want to impose on you two. He's my husband, and I've got to see him through this. He's my responsibility.”
”We wouldn't offer if we didn't want to help you, mom. You've been so strong throughout this whole stupid situation, but you don't have to carry the burden all by yourself.”
As we're talking, we hear John yelling from the living room, ”Hey, could somebody please grab some batteries for my remote!? The clicker's not workin'!”
Carol starts to get up, but Ellie gets up quicker, putting her hand on her mom's shoulder. ”I got this, mom! They're still in the junk drawer, right?”
”Yes they are. Thanks, honey.”
Ellie smiles. ”No problem, mom!”
As Ellie gets up to get the batteries, I turn to Carol. ”Carol, I can understand how you feel like you have to be the one who has to be strong right now, that you feel like you can't let John see you as being weak, but I'm sure that if I asked him about it, he wouldn't mind seeing you just break down and cry every now and again. This heart attack didn't just affect John, it affected you too. Please, I'm asking you to let Ellie and me take care of John today. In fact, why don't you and Ellie go have a mother-daughter day! I know that both of you have been emotionally, mentally, and in your case, physically drained by these unfortunate circumstances, and the both of you could use a day off. Plus, it'd be good for me to get some more bonding time with John. Please, let me help out with this.”
Carol looks down a bit, obviously showing signs of feeling guilt. I place my hand on her shoulder.
”There's no need to feel guilty about this, Carol. You need to take care of yourself too, if you're going to be able to continue to take care of John. I'm asking you to please do this, guilt free.”
Carol thinks about it for a little bit, and Ellie makes her way back into the kitchen as she responds. ”I think I'd very much like that. Thank you, Gary. I guess I should go freshen up a bit.”
Carol gets up from the table, and goes into the living room to tell John what's up, while I tell Ellie the plan. About half an hour later, Carol and Ellie are ready to go. John's still seated on the couch while Carol gets me up to speed on his routine, his diet, and some quirks he's developed since the incident, like the twitch in his left arm. After the brief rundown, she gives me a big hug, and thanks me again, before going and kissing her husband. Ellie follows suit, hugging me, and then her dad, giving him a peck on the cheek. John looks like he's in seventh heaven as Carol and Ellie wave goodbye and head out the door.
I take a seat in the easy chair adjacent to the couch where John is sitting.
”It's about time that Carol went out to do something for herself! I've been trying to tell her that I'm fine, that I can handle things by myself now, but she won't have any of it! I love her, but I swear, sometimes that woman just doesn't listen!” John exclaims, with a chuckle in his voice.
”She's just concerned for you, my friend. And I'm sure that the doctors told her that she'd need to keep an eye on you intently, especially considering how it's only been about a week and half since the heart attack. Your new lifestyle hasn't necessarily become habit yet, so I could see why they'd want somebody around with you.”
”Sure. It makes sense. But I'm a grown man, for crying out loud! And while I would kill for a piece of fried chicken right now, I know that I'm not able to have it with my heart condition, at least not for the foreseeable future. I just wish she'd quit coddling me like a delicate little baby, y'know!?
While I know that Carol is only coping in the way that she knows how, I can see why John would be irritated with the arrangement. Thankfully I really haven't been in a situation where my life drastically changed overnight, so I don't really know what he's going through, but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be wake up in the morning and not be able to do the things you're used to doing. I just smile, and noddingly agree with John, seeing no point in disagreeing with him or trying to explain how the other people in his life are responding the only way they know how. Like he said, he's a grown man, and I'm sure he realizes this. Still, it's not stopping him from complaining. And I'll admit, it's certainly entertaining to listen to him. He goes on and on about how he's not even allowed to go to the bathroom by himself quite yet.
”The thing I hate the most is how she forces me to sit down, even if I just have to take a leak! Part of the joy of being a man is that you can relieve yourself standing! Am I right, or am I right!”
”Hear, hear!” I jokingly respond.
“Speaking of which, I kinda got to go now. You're not going to come in there with me, are you, Gary?”
”Only if you absolutely need me to, which considering what you've just told me, you're gonna say no. But just so that Carol doesn't think I'm some kind of bum, I'll be right outside the door if you need anything.”
”Fair enough, I guess.”
I help John up to his feet, but let him walk himself to the bathroom. I stand right outside as he does his business, and before long, he's back out in the hallway. On our way back to the living room, I decide that I want to talk with him about the inappropriate dream I had.
”Hey John, there's something I have on my mind that I just need to talk with somebody about, and I can't talk with Ellie about it. Would you mind hearing me out?”
”Man-to-man? No problem! Let's just get seated first.”
We make it back to the living room, and he sits down on the limegreen couch, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV. I take my place back in the easy chair, and begin to talk.
”Now I know you and Carol probably didn't watch last week's show, but I'm sure that you two, or at least Carol, is familiar with the female wrestler Sally Talfourd.”
”That gal that's been hitting on you, right?”
”Yep, that's the one. And as you've seen, she's been awfully persistent. Now let me assure you that I would never, ever under any circumstances even try to do anything with her to ruin my relationship with Ellie, but on the way here, I had a very disturbing dream involving Sally.”
I go on to tell him about the dream, making sure not to spare any detail, while pausing every few seconds to reassure him that my intentions are pure, and that I merely want to get this dream off of my chest. He strokes his chin stubble and nods a lot.
”The fact is that I feel extremely guilty about having this dream, because even though I know you don't really have control of your dreams, it seems to reveal a suppressed desire within my subconscious to try and have a go at Sally. I won't lie, she's a very attractive woman, not at Ellie's level, that's for sure, but there's still an electricity there. Logically and emotionally, I know that following up on this would be the last thing I would want to do, especially considering the consequences. I love Ellie too much, and know that I want to be faithful to her, yet I feel just the aspect of having this dream has made me unworthy of her, y'know?”
John sits there for a moment, and then gives his reply, ”If you ask me, there's nothing wrong with these feelings you have. You know the old expression, 'Boys will be boys?' Well, this seems to me to be a case of boys being boys. You're a man. You can't help it that you're attracted to another woman! But just because there's an attraction doesn't mean you have to follow up on it. I will admit, there's been quite a few times where Carol has caught me oogling some hot little thing while we're out and about, but she knows that while I may look at other women, she has my heart. She's a-okay with it, because it's just normal for guys to have wondering eyes! There's no shame in it so long as you only look, just don't touch!”
”I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you there, John. No offense, but I want to only have eyes for Ellie. In fact, I want to only have eyes, ears, nose, heart, you name it, for Ellie. But I feel that right now that's not where I'm at. I am certain that I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. That's the easy part. The hard part is controlling the baser instincts that kick in whenever I'm around Sally, be it in the ring or backstage. I'd never admit it to Ellie, but there's something about Sally that just drives me a bit wild inside. But the only way that I can get her out of my life is to fire her, which I have the authority to do, but that'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
”I know the feeling. I had this gal that worked with me in my painting business who did the same exact thing with me. She'd flirt and be all fun and perky, and I'll be perfectly honest, it was very distracting. I even fantasized about her from time to time. But I never acted upon it. Carol knew about it too. I didn't tell her, but one of my co-workers did. Let me tell you, that was one of the worst fights we've ever had, but in the end, Carol came to realize how much I truly loved her by staying faithful to her, even with this gal practically throwing herself at me. Now I won't tell Ellie about this talk at all, heck, I won't tell Carol, but if you really feel so bad about it, maybe you need to talk to Ellie about it. I don't think that you do, but that's just my opinion. Still, I appreciate the fact that you'd want to talk with me about this. It shows real character on your part, that you want to deal with your issues rather than just letting them build up. Just know that whatever you do, if you ever do anything to hurt my daughter, I don't care how weakened I am from my heart attack, I rip you a new one!”
”I believe you, John! And don't worry, I don't intend on it!”
”You'd better not!” he laughs. I join in on the laughter. While I may disagree with his stance, it's nice to know that my soon-to-be father-in-law has my back. Plus, talking about the dream was quite freeing. I'm still not sure whether I want to talk with Ellie about it or not, but just getting it out there, I can already feel the weight of it lifting off of my shoulders. I just hope I don't have it again.
***
Airing on Friday, July 2nd
Depeche Mode's “Spacewalker” plays the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background. The footage shifts to Biggs in his old First Contact set, complete with the blue leather couch and large LED screen behind him. Biggs is in his ring gear, complete with his fancy jacket and signature shades. Biggs is standing slightly to the left of the couch. The music fades as he begins to speak.
Biggs: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a very special edition of Biggs' First Contact. That's right, folks, it's the Test for the Best edition of the #1 Wrestling Web Show on the Internet!
The chorus of Joe Esposito's “You're the Best Around” plays real quick as Biggs strikes a cheesy pose before getting back to speaking.
Biggs: And just like last year, your's truly finds himself as one of the entrants in the prestigious Test for the Best Tournament, and while I had a respectable showing last year, this year, I'm out to win it! Quite simply put, I am the best candidate in the field of eight to go on to Shockwave to fight for the APW Heavyweight Championship! But before I tell you all about why I'm the best, allow me to take the time to run down my opponents, and show why they aren't worthy for the opportunity that is at stake in the tournament!
First, let's take a look at the new blood, namely Blade. Now Blade made his APW debut in the Last Chance Battle Royale, and ended up being one of the three winners of the match. But the simple fact of the matter is that he could have won it outright had he not been so clumsy! Had he not slipped off the apron, then he would've claimed victory when he launched Cassidy into me. As great as I am, I can't really defy the laws of physics. But it seems like Blade can't figure out the laws of common sense! I can appreciate the fact that he was trying to get his name out there last Overdrive by distributing his T-Shirts, but not only did he interrupt the opening match, not only did have the audacity to try and give me one of his shirts, but he totally dropped the ball for his team by being pinned by Young Mannie in the 8 Person Tag Match. Now Blade, I know you're new here, I know that you're trying to make a name for yourself, but the fact of the matter is that if you want to be known, you do it by winning. Blade, you're reckless in the ring, and while it can be somewhat fun to watch, it doesn't help you to actually attain victory. You just don't seem to want to win, and if I meet you in the tourney, I'll have no problem making sure that your will to lose is satisfied!
Moving on to the other new comer, “The Second Coming” Criss Cassidy, I just got to say this man, the whole Jesus freak gimmick doesn't really do it for me. Granted, I can appreciate your faith, but I think the last way God is trying to advance his kingdom is through violence. Yes, the Bible does say that his kingdom will be advanced forcibly, but not in the wrestling ring. Violence is not a means of evangelism, plain and simple. And while I'm currently on hiatus from religion, I can't help but feel that you're giving God a bad name with your M.O. Still, Test for the Best isn't about your beliefs, it isn't about your faith, it's about proving you are the best wrestler in APW! And while I know that you have a high octane offense that isn't easy to predict, that same offense could very well be your undoing. I've heard your style be described as controlled chaos, which quite frankly is an oxymoron. There is no way you can control chaos, at least not completely. And if you're not in complete control of your actions in the ring, especially against competition of my caliber, you don't stand a chance. You can pray all you want, Cassidy, but even if you somehow have God's favor with your flawed perspective, it won't help you against me.
Next up, let's talk about another person of faith, Leila Farrahi. Now Leila, I have nothing but respect for you. While I may disagree with the specifics of your faith, I do not disagree with your convictions. You truly live by what you believe, which is a very admirable trait. You don't compromise your beliefs, no matter what the circumstances. But as I mentioned with Cassidy, this is Test of Faith, it's Test for the Best! And while you are very adept at the submission style, you seem to have almost a tunnel vision at times. There are times where you seem to make your game plan in your mind, and stick to it, even if it's not working. That's how Sally was able to beat you at Mayhem in May. You're just as stubborn with the way you execute your plans in the ring as you are with holding to your faith. You're inability to adapt will hurt your chances, particularly because none of us know who exactly we're facing! If you can't figure out a way to overcome this tendency, you won't be able to go far in the tourney.
Young Mannie, I've got to say, you are easily the most talented member of the Red Shield Mafia. It's just too bad that saying that is like saying that your second cousin is the best kisser in your family. I gotta say, I like the idea of the Mafia, that any one of you three can fight in a match at any time, but so far, it really hasn't worked for you here in APW. Honestly, Mannie, I feel that Kingston and Valentine are holding you back. You are so much more than the sum of the parts of the RSM, but you have to want to break away. But in order to make that decision, you'd probably have to be in a proper state of mind, which considering your drug habits, those instances are probably few and far between. Sure, the high you get from them makes you impervious to pain, it also dulls your brain to the point where you can't make quick decisions in the ring. And since in this business, a match is determined in 3 seconds, any extra time needed to plot your next course of action is time that you don't have. Actually, I think I understand why you hang out with the Red Shield Mafia, it's because they make you feel better about your own pathetic existence. You could be so much more, Mannie, but in this case, you are your own worst enemy.
Up next is “The Showstopper” Shaun Kilgore. Now had you come into the tournament undefeated, I may be worried about the prospect of facing you. But thanks to Leila, we all know that you're human. We all know that you can be beat. You like to talk about how you're willing to do whatever it takes to win this tournament, and I believe you, but just because you're willing doesn't necessarily mean that you're able. You're good, Shaun Kilgore, I'll give you that, but are you really the best? Not when I'm in the tournament. Especially when you mistakenly think of me as a nice guy. I may have a sense of chivalry and propriety that the general populace lacks, but that hardly makes me nice. I have an aversion to hitting women not because I'm a nice guy. If I were a nice guy, I wouldn't even hit men. But my Machiavellian nature dictates that the end justifies the means, even if it means compromising my morals. And let me be the first to assure you, Shaun, that just like you, I am willing to do whatever it takes to win this tournament, but unlike you, I'm also able to.
Speaking of not being able to do things, how about that John Green! Really, John, what else is there to say about you that hasn't been said before. Not that not having anything to say has ever stopped you from rambling on and on and on and on. You may be a former APW Heavyweight Champion, but let's be honest, Green, your best days are long behind you. Your constant efforts to try and retain some of your past glory border on pathetic. Actually, I'm being to kind, they are pathetic. You proved that you couldn't get the job done against Pence at Mayhem, what makes you think that you could win against either Bryan Payne or Level-One? If you were to somehow miraculously win the tournament, it would be an even bigger waste than the BP oil spill. But the likelihood of you pulling off that feat is about as likely as Bill Clinton staying faithful to Hilary! John, you can talk the talk, quite copiously, in fact, but as always, when it comes to big matches, you can't walk the walk. I hope that you could prove me wrong one of these days, but I don't see it happening at Test for the Best!
Finally, that brings us to Sally Talfourd. If there's anyone in this tournament that I do not want to face, it's her. But not because I think that she can beat me, because let's face it, she got lucky on Overdrive a few weeks ago, but because I'm worried that she'll try some more of that funny business that she's been pulling on me as of late. If I've told you once, Sally, I've told you a thousand of times, I am not interested in you. I don't want to “hook up,” I don't want to have anything to do with you! I am in the best relationship of my life. Sure, it's the only serious relationship I've ever been in, but the fact is that I am perfectly happy with Ellie. I don't want to test the waters, I don't want to dip my toes into somebody else's ocean. But personal issues aside, Sally, you seem like the kind of girl who is used to getting what she wants, and I know that you want to win the Test for the Best tournament, just like you want me. But just like you won't get me, you won't be getting the Test for the Best crown, not if I have anything to say about it. Because even though you may have gotten the best of me on Overdrive, the fact is that the first time jitters won't be there again if we end up meeting in the tournament. Like I said, I'd rather not face you, but if it comes to pass, I'll do what I have to in order advance in the tournament, even if it means breaking your pretty little face. Don't say that I didn't warn you.
At this point, Biggs removes his shades, and cracks his trademark smirk.
Biggs: The fact is that all of you all are at an extremely distinct disadvantage when it comes to the tournament, because you all have deal with me. Four of your will be lucky, because you'll be eliminated before you face me, but for three of you, you won't be so lucky. For the three of you that will face me at Test for the Best, let me tell you what you can expect. You can expect to face the single greatest wrestler alive today. You can expect to face a man who is capable of adapting to any circumstances. And you can expect to be beaten. Because as much as each of you may want to win the tournament, I want to win it that much more! As I said earlier, I'm a Machiavellian by nature, which means that I am capable of anything if it will advance my cause. And my cause is to be not only the greatest APW General Manger ever, but also the only man to be both the GM and the APW Heavyweight Champion concurrently. Granted, as General Manager, if I simply appointed myself the number one contender, the outcry would be deafening. And while I know in my heart that I am more than worthy of becoming APW Champion, I am not willing to discredit my integrity as General Manger. But by winning the tournament, nobody could question my worthiness to challenge for the belt. When I win Test for the Best, my worthiness wouldn't be a matter of opinion, rather it would be objective fact. And let's fact it, we all know that the whole point of this tournament is the APW Heavyweight Championship. All I've heard from my opponents is that they're going to win the tournament, but their view of things is shortsighted. Winning the Test for the Best tourney is meaningless if you can't seal the deal and claim the Championship for your own! And is there really anyone else in the tournament besides myself who could feasibly go on to become the champion? We already know that John Green messes up every title opportunity he gets. Cassidy and Blade are unknown commodities, Young Mannie's too high to care, Leila can't adapt, Kilgore isn't as good as he thinks, and Sally's more focused on flirting than winning. Each and every one of my possible opponents in the Test for the Best tournament have a significant character flaw that hinders them from being able to capitalize on winning the tournament. On the other hand, I am not only the prototypical athlete, not only am the most skilled technician the ring has ever seen, but I carry myself like a champion. If my Overdrive Title reign proved anything, the Overdrive Championship didn't make me, I made it. And I'm sure that when I get my shot at the APW Heavyweight Championship, not only will I win it, but I will go on to be the absolute best APW Champ this company has ever seen. And you know why? It's because I'm quite simply out of the this WORLD!
Biggs puts his shades back on as “Spacewalker” begins to play again. First Contact fades to black, and the APW logo and copyright appear in the corner.
Saskatoon, Sasketchewan, Canada
Right after Overdrive goes off the air
Another Thursday night, and another successful Thursday Night Overdrive. I'm walking through the hallway, making my way to the my office to take care of the business end of being the General Manager of APW. Tonight's show went a long way in selling the Test for the Best pay per view we have coming up on July 4th, and I'm eager to get a look at the revenue we pulled in for the night. When I get to my office, I walk in, and sit behind the sensibly sized mahogany desk that's been set up for me. I could have gotten a bigger desk, but since it travels with the company, I figured that the ring crew would appreciate the more compact model I picked out.
As I sit down, I hear the shower going behind me. ”It must be Cyrus,” I think to myself, because I know it can't be Ellie. Right as soon as her match was over, I had a driver take her to the airport to take my private jet down to Stanford, California, to be with her family. Tonight was her first night back on the road with us since John's heart attack, and while I know she was excited to get to see everybody again, I could tell she was really worried about her father the whole time. Heck, I'm worried about him too, but as the General Manager, I'm too vital to APW to take some time off. As much as I hate to say it, Ellie's not too terribly important in the bigger picture of APW. I love her to death, and enjoy having her around, sure, but the fans wouldn't lose any sleep if she decided to call it a career tomorrow. I'd miss her, though. Heck, I already miss her right now. Still, I have a commercial flight scheduled six hours from now, so I've got plenty of time to attend to my duties before packing it in and calling it a night.
At this point, the shower stops going, but I heed it no attention, instead pouring over the numbers on my computer screen. The show was completely sold out, and so far the numbers on the merchandise stands are going swell. The conversion from Canadian dollars to US dollars may fudge the numbers a bit, but thank goodness it's not my job to make those conversions. Regardless, it's been a good night financially for Action Packed Wrestling. As I'm focused on the numbers, the lights suddenly dim.
”C'mon, Cyrus! Don't screw around with me right now, bud. I got work to do.”
”I'm not Cyrus.”
”Oh crap!” I think as I turn around in the direction of the dimmer switch, and see Sally Talfourd standing there, clad in a terry clothe robe that doesn't go down very far at all. Her hair is still wet, and matted to her head, and her eyes are sparkling. I take one glance and let it stay for a bit longer than I'd care to admit, before turning my eyes the other direction. I place one hand over my eyes, not wanting to see Sally in this state of dress, or lack thereof.
”It's okay, Biggs. You can look. I wouldn't be standing here like this if I didn't want you to look.”
”Believe me, I don't want to look. What I want is for you to get out of my office, this instant! If you do not, I will have no choice but to report you for sexual harassment.”
I hear her footsteps coming closer, trying my hardest not to move my hand to sneak a peek. I can hear her breathing as she gets closer, getting right behind me. She places her hands on my shoulders, and begins to massage them deeply.
”Report me, then. You know that this is what I want, Biggs, and I'm sure that you'd want it to if you just knew what you'd be getting. Doesn't it feel good?”
”Well yes, it does...NO! This isn't right! Please stop it this instant!”
This only prompts her to rub harder.
”You're too tense. Ease up a bit.”
”Not a chance. I asked you to leave, so please do so.”
At this point, the massage stops, but I feel my her turn my chair around before she places her hands on my hand, pulling it down from my eyes. She's inches away from my face, and has a sultry grin on her face.
”You know, it's kind of cute how hard you're trying to resist me, Biggs.”
”It's not meant to be cute, Sally. I literally have no interest in quote/unquote hooking up with you, not now, not ever! I'm engaged to be married to Ellie! I love her, and I don't want to betray her trust.”
”But don't you think I'm pretty?”
”Well sure. In fact, I think you're drop dead gorgeous. You're a very attractive woman, and that's precisely why I need you to leave right now. I won't ask again!”
”Good.”
Sally pulls the chair closer to herself, and plops down on my lap, straddling me. The robe rides up a bit, and is just barely covering her unmentionables. By this point, I'm really struggling to suppress my desire. She gives me a playful peck on the cheek before moving down to nibble a bit on my neck. I can't help but feel aroused. I let her do what she will for a few moments, but as soon as I realize that my hands are now at her waist, I let go and roll the chair back a bit, causing her to lurch back.
”What did you that for? Weren't you enjoying yourself?”
”I can't lie, I did. But the fact of the matter is that I can't do this with you, Sally. As beautiful as you are, I can't do this to Ellie. I just can't. Now please get up and get off of me.”
She doesn't pay attention to what I'm saying at all. Instead, she gets an even more sultry look on her face, and leans in closer, whispering into my ear.
”Ellie doesn't have to know...”
I've had enough at this point, and I violently shove her back, knocking her to the floor. She isn't phased by it at all, and begins to chuckle a bit.
”So you want to play rough, eh? I can do rough!”
I get up out of my chair, and by now, I'm livid. I can't believe how stubborn she's being.
”Listen, Sally, you need to stop this right now! Yes, it's obvious that there's a mutual attraction between the two of us, but we don't have to act on it! In fact, I'd rather that we just forget about it! The fact is that I am engaged to marry a woman whom I deeply love, and we've made the decision to live an abstinent lifestyle until the night we get married. I don't take this commitment lightly, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't take it lightly either! The fact is that I don't love you, Sally Talfourd, and anything between us would just be a product of lust, not love. And no matter how much I'd enjoy fooling around with you, no matter how much pleasure it would bring, it would only be temporary at best, and I know for a fact that I'd regret that decision for the rest of my life! So I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to leave my office this instant!”
Sally has a hurt look on her face as she sits on the ground, dejected. She looks like she's on the verge of tears, and I can't help but feel a little sympathy for her. I reach down my hand and offer to help her up. She takes it, and as she gets up to her feet, she surprises me by lunging in, and locking me in a deep embrace! She then looks up toward me, looking me right in the eyes. I can tell that she doesn't want to let go, and by this point, neither do I. I return the hug, and as I do so, she reaches up with her hands, and draws my face close to hers. Before I know it, we're kissing one another passionately, and it's then that I think, ”Ellie doesn't have to know.”
***
”NO!”
I wake up with a start, and have no idea where I'm at. It just seems like mere seconds ago that I was in the deep embrace of Sally Talfourd's arms.
”Are you okay, sweetie?”
It takes me a moment to realize that it's Ellie talking to me, but I still don't respond, still trying to gather my bearings as to where I'm at.
”Are you okay?
She snaps her fingers in front of my face a couple of times, and the familiar inside of my private jet comes into focus. Ellie has a very concerned look in her face. She moves the armrest between us up so that she can lean over without driving into herself.
”Yeah, yeah, I'm okay...Where are we? What time is it?”
”It's about four am. The pilot says that we're over Idaho now, and that we'll be to California in a few hours. Did you have a bad dream or something?”
”Yeah, I guess so...”
”What was it about?”
”I'd rather not talk about it.”
”But maybe talking about it might help you out somehow,” she chirps, obviously wanting to help me to deal with my nightmare. I don't respond, instead turning towards the window to look outside. The moon is illuminating the forest below, and it's reflection off of the lake is absolutely beautiful, but I can't enjoy the scenery, and I sure as heck can't talk to Ellie about my dream. Because it involved me cheating on her. With Sally Talfourd. She can never hear about this. And I can't talk about this with Chris Cyrus, because he'll just call me a lucky son of a gun to have two gals going after me. And I most certainly wouldn't dream of talking about this with Sally Talfourd, either. The last thing she needs to hear is that the interest is there. I'm still not sure if she's actually interested in me, or if she's playing mind games, but either way, I have to admit that it's working on some level. But I need to talk about it with somebody. I can't just let these feelings fester inside of me, I have to let them go somehow.
”Gary? Gary?! Earth to Gary!?”
”Sorry, I was just thinking to myself.”
”About your nightmare? Why don't you just talk about it with me?”
”You don't want to hear about it, trust me. In fact, I'm trying to forget it myself.”
”If it's that bad, maybe you do need to talk about it with me.”
”Okay, okay. If you must know, you get really hurt in the dream. I don't want to talk about beyond that, alright?” I tell her a half-truth, hoping that she won't probe any further.
Of course, she does, asking, ”How do I get hurt?”
”It's just a dream, it doesn't matter. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Dwelling on thoughts of you being in pain is the last thing I want to do, okay?” I snap at her. I instantly regret it, as she appears to be upset by my tone of voice. ”I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that with the situation with your father, and the horrible dream I just had, emotions are high. Still, it's no excuse for the way I just talked to you.”
”I understand,” she says, but in a way that lets me know she's still hurt by my outburst. Tears start to well in her eyes, and I wrap an arm around her, trying to comfort her.
”It's okay, Ellie. I know that I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. It's okay to cry a bit if you need to.”
She's trying to speak through her sobbing, and her voice cracks a bit as she talks. ”It's not that. I've just realized how selfish I've been the past few weeks, how ever since my dad had the heart attack, all I've been doing from you is take, take, and more take, expecting you to be strong for me, expecting you to carry me through this ordeal, without stopping once to think about how you're handling it! I'm sorry!”
I'm stunned by all of this that's coming from her mouth right now. Yeah, I kind of understand where she's coming from, but I certainly don't feel like she's been selfish. I keep my arm over her shoulder, and try some more to console her. ”Listen Ellie, not once through this entire process have I thought you to be selfish or self-centered. Your dad, John, had a freakin' heart attack! It's more than understandable that you'd be emotionally shaken by it. In this situation, it is my role to be strong for you. There will be times where I'll need you to be the strong one. But that's the great thing about being in love with somebody is that you have some one else to help carry your burdens when you're not strong enough to do it on your own. Let's look at the positives here. Firstly, it was a minor heart attack, and your dad has already been sent home. Secondly, the doctors have given him the best care possible, and have him on a heart healthy diet now. Thirdly, you've gotten to spend more time with your folks than you have in some time. I know that the circumstances surrounding this aren't the best, but we can at least be grateful for the blessings we get out of bad situations, because sometimes it's those blessings that are the only things that will get us through the said situations. No matter what, sweetie, if you need me to be strong for you, then I will be strong for you, because I know that you'd do the same for me. I love you, Ellie, and I'm here for you.”
”I know that what you're saying is true, but it's just so hard to believe that right now. I mean, my dad's too young to have a heart attack! He's only 51!”
”I agree. And I know what you're going through. My uncle passed away from a heart attack at the age of 36. Sometimes it doesn't make sense as to why things happen, but when they do happen, we should trust that those who are close to us will do anything they can to help. I know that I want to help you so much. If I could carry the pain for you, I would do it in a heart beat.”
She looks up at me, and I can see that my words had a positive effect. She manages to get out her infectious giggle, although it's tinged with sadness, and rests her head on my chest.
”I know. Thanks for being my rock.” She has a really tired sound to her voice by this point.
”Well, we still got a few hours to go, so you should probably try and get some sleep while you can,” I tell her, thinking that some rest would do her good. Also, it'll prevent me from having to talk to her about my dream.
”You'll be right here until we land, right?”
”I won't move a muscle. I swear.
”Cross your heart, hope to die?” she asks sleepily.
I respond softly, ”Cross my heart, hope to die.”
”Okay...”she says through her yawning, ”I could use some shut eye.”
She quickly falls asleep with her head nestled on my chest. I give her a kiss on the forehead, and think about how angelic she looks. And at this moment, I know that I'm the luckiest man in the world, and that there's nothing that anybody could ever do to make me think differently. Before long, I nod off myself.
***
Stanford, California
Ellie's Parent's house
8:15 in the morning
Ellie and I arrived at her folks' place at about 8 in the morning, and John's already seated on the couch, with an ottoman propping up his feet. He's clad in some Harley Davidson pajama pants with a red bathrobe and white t-shirt. He's unshaven, and has a mess load of pills within easy reach, but otherwise, he seems to be in good spirits. Carol is understandably a bit more haggard, as she's not only had to deal with taking care of John, but has neglected taking much care of herself. She looks incredibly tired, and has bags under her eyes. As soon as Ellie and I are settled, we talk to Carol in the kitchen. The kitchen is surprisingly clean considering how hard Carol's had to work to keep everything up. In fact, the entire house is just as immaculate as ever. Still, it's taking its toll on Carol.
”You know what, Mom, you've been taking care of dad so much, you could use a day off. Why don't you let Gary and I take care of dad today?
”Yeah. You've been at this for the better part of a week and a half, and we'd be more than happy to do it.”
Carol doesn't even hesitate with her reply. ”Absolutely not. I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't want to impose on you two. He's my husband, and I've got to see him through this. He's my responsibility.”
”We wouldn't offer if we didn't want to help you, mom. You've been so strong throughout this whole stupid situation, but you don't have to carry the burden all by yourself.”
As we're talking, we hear John yelling from the living room, ”Hey, could somebody please grab some batteries for my remote!? The clicker's not workin'!”
Carol starts to get up, but Ellie gets up quicker, putting her hand on her mom's shoulder. ”I got this, mom! They're still in the junk drawer, right?”
”Yes they are. Thanks, honey.”
Ellie smiles. ”No problem, mom!”
As Ellie gets up to get the batteries, I turn to Carol. ”Carol, I can understand how you feel like you have to be the one who has to be strong right now, that you feel like you can't let John see you as being weak, but I'm sure that if I asked him about it, he wouldn't mind seeing you just break down and cry every now and again. This heart attack didn't just affect John, it affected you too. Please, I'm asking you to let Ellie and me take care of John today. In fact, why don't you and Ellie go have a mother-daughter day! I know that both of you have been emotionally, mentally, and in your case, physically drained by these unfortunate circumstances, and the both of you could use a day off. Plus, it'd be good for me to get some more bonding time with John. Please, let me help out with this.”
Carol looks down a bit, obviously showing signs of feeling guilt. I place my hand on her shoulder.
”There's no need to feel guilty about this, Carol. You need to take care of yourself too, if you're going to be able to continue to take care of John. I'm asking you to please do this, guilt free.”
Carol thinks about it for a little bit, and Ellie makes her way back into the kitchen as she responds. ”I think I'd very much like that. Thank you, Gary. I guess I should go freshen up a bit.”
Carol gets up from the table, and goes into the living room to tell John what's up, while I tell Ellie the plan. About half an hour later, Carol and Ellie are ready to go. John's still seated on the couch while Carol gets me up to speed on his routine, his diet, and some quirks he's developed since the incident, like the twitch in his left arm. After the brief rundown, she gives me a big hug, and thanks me again, before going and kissing her husband. Ellie follows suit, hugging me, and then her dad, giving him a peck on the cheek. John looks like he's in seventh heaven as Carol and Ellie wave goodbye and head out the door.
I take a seat in the easy chair adjacent to the couch where John is sitting.
”It's about time that Carol went out to do something for herself! I've been trying to tell her that I'm fine, that I can handle things by myself now, but she won't have any of it! I love her, but I swear, sometimes that woman just doesn't listen!” John exclaims, with a chuckle in his voice.
”She's just concerned for you, my friend. And I'm sure that the doctors told her that she'd need to keep an eye on you intently, especially considering how it's only been about a week and half since the heart attack. Your new lifestyle hasn't necessarily become habit yet, so I could see why they'd want somebody around with you.”
”Sure. It makes sense. But I'm a grown man, for crying out loud! And while I would kill for a piece of fried chicken right now, I know that I'm not able to have it with my heart condition, at least not for the foreseeable future. I just wish she'd quit coddling me like a delicate little baby, y'know!?
While I know that Carol is only coping in the way that she knows how, I can see why John would be irritated with the arrangement. Thankfully I really haven't been in a situation where my life drastically changed overnight, so I don't really know what he's going through, but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be wake up in the morning and not be able to do the things you're used to doing. I just smile, and noddingly agree with John, seeing no point in disagreeing with him or trying to explain how the other people in his life are responding the only way they know how. Like he said, he's a grown man, and I'm sure he realizes this. Still, it's not stopping him from complaining. And I'll admit, it's certainly entertaining to listen to him. He goes on and on about how he's not even allowed to go to the bathroom by himself quite yet.
”The thing I hate the most is how she forces me to sit down, even if I just have to take a leak! Part of the joy of being a man is that you can relieve yourself standing! Am I right, or am I right!”
”Hear, hear!” I jokingly respond.
“Speaking of which, I kinda got to go now. You're not going to come in there with me, are you, Gary?”
”Only if you absolutely need me to, which considering what you've just told me, you're gonna say no. But just so that Carol doesn't think I'm some kind of bum, I'll be right outside the door if you need anything.”
”Fair enough, I guess.”
I help John up to his feet, but let him walk himself to the bathroom. I stand right outside as he does his business, and before long, he's back out in the hallway. On our way back to the living room, I decide that I want to talk with him about the inappropriate dream I had.
”Hey John, there's something I have on my mind that I just need to talk with somebody about, and I can't talk with Ellie about it. Would you mind hearing me out?”
”Man-to-man? No problem! Let's just get seated first.”
We make it back to the living room, and he sits down on the limegreen couch, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV. I take my place back in the easy chair, and begin to talk.
”Now I know you and Carol probably didn't watch last week's show, but I'm sure that you two, or at least Carol, is familiar with the female wrestler Sally Talfourd.”
”That gal that's been hitting on you, right?”
”Yep, that's the one. And as you've seen, she's been awfully persistent. Now let me assure you that I would never, ever under any circumstances even try to do anything with her to ruin my relationship with Ellie, but on the way here, I had a very disturbing dream involving Sally.”
I go on to tell him about the dream, making sure not to spare any detail, while pausing every few seconds to reassure him that my intentions are pure, and that I merely want to get this dream off of my chest. He strokes his chin stubble and nods a lot.
”The fact is that I feel extremely guilty about having this dream, because even though I know you don't really have control of your dreams, it seems to reveal a suppressed desire within my subconscious to try and have a go at Sally. I won't lie, she's a very attractive woman, not at Ellie's level, that's for sure, but there's still an electricity there. Logically and emotionally, I know that following up on this would be the last thing I would want to do, especially considering the consequences. I love Ellie too much, and know that I want to be faithful to her, yet I feel just the aspect of having this dream has made me unworthy of her, y'know?”
John sits there for a moment, and then gives his reply, ”If you ask me, there's nothing wrong with these feelings you have. You know the old expression, 'Boys will be boys?' Well, this seems to me to be a case of boys being boys. You're a man. You can't help it that you're attracted to another woman! But just because there's an attraction doesn't mean you have to follow up on it. I will admit, there's been quite a few times where Carol has caught me oogling some hot little thing while we're out and about, but she knows that while I may look at other women, she has my heart. She's a-okay with it, because it's just normal for guys to have wondering eyes! There's no shame in it so long as you only look, just don't touch!”
”I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you there, John. No offense, but I want to only have eyes for Ellie. In fact, I want to only have eyes, ears, nose, heart, you name it, for Ellie. But I feel that right now that's not where I'm at. I am certain that I want to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. That's the easy part. The hard part is controlling the baser instincts that kick in whenever I'm around Sally, be it in the ring or backstage. I'd never admit it to Ellie, but there's something about Sally that just drives me a bit wild inside. But the only way that I can get her out of my life is to fire her, which I have the authority to do, but that'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
”I know the feeling. I had this gal that worked with me in my painting business who did the same exact thing with me. She'd flirt and be all fun and perky, and I'll be perfectly honest, it was very distracting. I even fantasized about her from time to time. But I never acted upon it. Carol knew about it too. I didn't tell her, but one of my co-workers did. Let me tell you, that was one of the worst fights we've ever had, but in the end, Carol came to realize how much I truly loved her by staying faithful to her, even with this gal practically throwing herself at me. Now I won't tell Ellie about this talk at all, heck, I won't tell Carol, but if you really feel so bad about it, maybe you need to talk to Ellie about it. I don't think that you do, but that's just my opinion. Still, I appreciate the fact that you'd want to talk with me about this. It shows real character on your part, that you want to deal with your issues rather than just letting them build up. Just know that whatever you do, if you ever do anything to hurt my daughter, I don't care how weakened I am from my heart attack, I rip you a new one!”
”I believe you, John! And don't worry, I don't intend on it!”
”You'd better not!” he laughs. I join in on the laughter. While I may disagree with his stance, it's nice to know that my soon-to-be father-in-law has my back. Plus, talking about the dream was quite freeing. I'm still not sure whether I want to talk with Ellie about it or not, but just getting it out there, I can already feel the weight of it lifting off of my shoulders. I just hope I don't have it again.
***
Airing on Friday, July 2nd
Depeche Mode's “Spacewalker” plays the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background. The footage shifts to Biggs in his old First Contact set, complete with the blue leather couch and large LED screen behind him. Biggs is in his ring gear, complete with his fancy jacket and signature shades. Biggs is standing slightly to the left of the couch. The music fades as he begins to speak.
Biggs: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a very special edition of Biggs' First Contact. That's right, folks, it's the Test for the Best edition of the #1 Wrestling Web Show on the Internet!
The chorus of Joe Esposito's “You're the Best Around” plays real quick as Biggs strikes a cheesy pose before getting back to speaking.
Biggs: And just like last year, your's truly finds himself as one of the entrants in the prestigious Test for the Best Tournament, and while I had a respectable showing last year, this year, I'm out to win it! Quite simply put, I am the best candidate in the field of eight to go on to Shockwave to fight for the APW Heavyweight Championship! But before I tell you all about why I'm the best, allow me to take the time to run down my opponents, and show why they aren't worthy for the opportunity that is at stake in the tournament!
First, let's take a look at the new blood, namely Blade. Now Blade made his APW debut in the Last Chance Battle Royale, and ended up being one of the three winners of the match. But the simple fact of the matter is that he could have won it outright had he not been so clumsy! Had he not slipped off the apron, then he would've claimed victory when he launched Cassidy into me. As great as I am, I can't really defy the laws of physics. But it seems like Blade can't figure out the laws of common sense! I can appreciate the fact that he was trying to get his name out there last Overdrive by distributing his T-Shirts, but not only did he interrupt the opening match, not only did have the audacity to try and give me one of his shirts, but he totally dropped the ball for his team by being pinned by Young Mannie in the 8 Person Tag Match. Now Blade, I know you're new here, I know that you're trying to make a name for yourself, but the fact of the matter is that if you want to be known, you do it by winning. Blade, you're reckless in the ring, and while it can be somewhat fun to watch, it doesn't help you to actually attain victory. You just don't seem to want to win, and if I meet you in the tourney, I'll have no problem making sure that your will to lose is satisfied!
Moving on to the other new comer, “The Second Coming” Criss Cassidy, I just got to say this man, the whole Jesus freak gimmick doesn't really do it for me. Granted, I can appreciate your faith, but I think the last way God is trying to advance his kingdom is through violence. Yes, the Bible does say that his kingdom will be advanced forcibly, but not in the wrestling ring. Violence is not a means of evangelism, plain and simple. And while I'm currently on hiatus from religion, I can't help but feel that you're giving God a bad name with your M.O. Still, Test for the Best isn't about your beliefs, it isn't about your faith, it's about proving you are the best wrestler in APW! And while I know that you have a high octane offense that isn't easy to predict, that same offense could very well be your undoing. I've heard your style be described as controlled chaos, which quite frankly is an oxymoron. There is no way you can control chaos, at least not completely. And if you're not in complete control of your actions in the ring, especially against competition of my caliber, you don't stand a chance. You can pray all you want, Cassidy, but even if you somehow have God's favor with your flawed perspective, it won't help you against me.
Next up, let's talk about another person of faith, Leila Farrahi. Now Leila, I have nothing but respect for you. While I may disagree with the specifics of your faith, I do not disagree with your convictions. You truly live by what you believe, which is a very admirable trait. You don't compromise your beliefs, no matter what the circumstances. But as I mentioned with Cassidy, this is Test of Faith, it's Test for the Best! And while you are very adept at the submission style, you seem to have almost a tunnel vision at times. There are times where you seem to make your game plan in your mind, and stick to it, even if it's not working. That's how Sally was able to beat you at Mayhem in May. You're just as stubborn with the way you execute your plans in the ring as you are with holding to your faith. You're inability to adapt will hurt your chances, particularly because none of us know who exactly we're facing! If you can't figure out a way to overcome this tendency, you won't be able to go far in the tourney.
Young Mannie, I've got to say, you are easily the most talented member of the Red Shield Mafia. It's just too bad that saying that is like saying that your second cousin is the best kisser in your family. I gotta say, I like the idea of the Mafia, that any one of you three can fight in a match at any time, but so far, it really hasn't worked for you here in APW. Honestly, Mannie, I feel that Kingston and Valentine are holding you back. You are so much more than the sum of the parts of the RSM, but you have to want to break away. But in order to make that decision, you'd probably have to be in a proper state of mind, which considering your drug habits, those instances are probably few and far between. Sure, the high you get from them makes you impervious to pain, it also dulls your brain to the point where you can't make quick decisions in the ring. And since in this business, a match is determined in 3 seconds, any extra time needed to plot your next course of action is time that you don't have. Actually, I think I understand why you hang out with the Red Shield Mafia, it's because they make you feel better about your own pathetic existence. You could be so much more, Mannie, but in this case, you are your own worst enemy.
Up next is “The Showstopper” Shaun Kilgore. Now had you come into the tournament undefeated, I may be worried about the prospect of facing you. But thanks to Leila, we all know that you're human. We all know that you can be beat. You like to talk about how you're willing to do whatever it takes to win this tournament, and I believe you, but just because you're willing doesn't necessarily mean that you're able. You're good, Shaun Kilgore, I'll give you that, but are you really the best? Not when I'm in the tournament. Especially when you mistakenly think of me as a nice guy. I may have a sense of chivalry and propriety that the general populace lacks, but that hardly makes me nice. I have an aversion to hitting women not because I'm a nice guy. If I were a nice guy, I wouldn't even hit men. But my Machiavellian nature dictates that the end justifies the means, even if it means compromising my morals. And let me be the first to assure you, Shaun, that just like you, I am willing to do whatever it takes to win this tournament, but unlike you, I'm also able to.
Speaking of not being able to do things, how about that John Green! Really, John, what else is there to say about you that hasn't been said before. Not that not having anything to say has ever stopped you from rambling on and on and on and on. You may be a former APW Heavyweight Champion, but let's be honest, Green, your best days are long behind you. Your constant efforts to try and retain some of your past glory border on pathetic. Actually, I'm being to kind, they are pathetic. You proved that you couldn't get the job done against Pence at Mayhem, what makes you think that you could win against either Bryan Payne or Level-One? If you were to somehow miraculously win the tournament, it would be an even bigger waste than the BP oil spill. But the likelihood of you pulling off that feat is about as likely as Bill Clinton staying faithful to Hilary! John, you can talk the talk, quite copiously, in fact, but as always, when it comes to big matches, you can't walk the walk. I hope that you could prove me wrong one of these days, but I don't see it happening at Test for the Best!
Finally, that brings us to Sally Talfourd. If there's anyone in this tournament that I do not want to face, it's her. But not because I think that she can beat me, because let's face it, she got lucky on Overdrive a few weeks ago, but because I'm worried that she'll try some more of that funny business that she's been pulling on me as of late. If I've told you once, Sally, I've told you a thousand of times, I am not interested in you. I don't want to “hook up,” I don't want to have anything to do with you! I am in the best relationship of my life. Sure, it's the only serious relationship I've ever been in, but the fact is that I am perfectly happy with Ellie. I don't want to test the waters, I don't want to dip my toes into somebody else's ocean. But personal issues aside, Sally, you seem like the kind of girl who is used to getting what she wants, and I know that you want to win the Test for the Best tournament, just like you want me. But just like you won't get me, you won't be getting the Test for the Best crown, not if I have anything to say about it. Because even though you may have gotten the best of me on Overdrive, the fact is that the first time jitters won't be there again if we end up meeting in the tournament. Like I said, I'd rather not face you, but if it comes to pass, I'll do what I have to in order advance in the tournament, even if it means breaking your pretty little face. Don't say that I didn't warn you.
At this point, Biggs removes his shades, and cracks his trademark smirk.
Biggs: The fact is that all of you all are at an extremely distinct disadvantage when it comes to the tournament, because you all have deal with me. Four of your will be lucky, because you'll be eliminated before you face me, but for three of you, you won't be so lucky. For the three of you that will face me at Test for the Best, let me tell you what you can expect. You can expect to face the single greatest wrestler alive today. You can expect to face a man who is capable of adapting to any circumstances. And you can expect to be beaten. Because as much as each of you may want to win the tournament, I want to win it that much more! As I said earlier, I'm a Machiavellian by nature, which means that I am capable of anything if it will advance my cause. And my cause is to be not only the greatest APW General Manger ever, but also the only man to be both the GM and the APW Heavyweight Champion concurrently. Granted, as General Manager, if I simply appointed myself the number one contender, the outcry would be deafening. And while I know in my heart that I am more than worthy of becoming APW Champion, I am not willing to discredit my integrity as General Manger. But by winning the tournament, nobody could question my worthiness to challenge for the belt. When I win Test for the Best, my worthiness wouldn't be a matter of opinion, rather it would be objective fact. And let's fact it, we all know that the whole point of this tournament is the APW Heavyweight Championship. All I've heard from my opponents is that they're going to win the tournament, but their view of things is shortsighted. Winning the Test for the Best tourney is meaningless if you can't seal the deal and claim the Championship for your own! And is there really anyone else in the tournament besides myself who could feasibly go on to become the champion? We already know that John Green messes up every title opportunity he gets. Cassidy and Blade are unknown commodities, Young Mannie's too high to care, Leila can't adapt, Kilgore isn't as good as he thinks, and Sally's more focused on flirting than winning. Each and every one of my possible opponents in the Test for the Best tournament have a significant character flaw that hinders them from being able to capitalize on winning the tournament. On the other hand, I am not only the prototypical athlete, not only am the most skilled technician the ring has ever seen, but I carry myself like a champion. If my Overdrive Title reign proved anything, the Overdrive Championship didn't make me, I made it. And I'm sure that when I get my shot at the APW Heavyweight Championship, not only will I win it, but I will go on to be the absolute best APW Champ this company has ever seen. And you know why? It's because I'm quite simply out of the this WORLD!
Biggs puts his shades back on as “Spacewalker” begins to play again. First Contact fades to black, and the APW logo and copyright appear in the corner.
