Post by Alexis Terry on Jul 10, 2019 14:39:52 GMT -5
WARM TEXAS NIGHT
Raising an eyebrow, Alexis Terry leaned back further in her chair. She swallowed hard. In a way, the British beauty knew this would eventually happen but she hadn’t in a million years thought it be this soon. She ran her hand through her ear and brushed pieces of her locks behind her ear.
“You can’t be serious, Peter. What happened to the last appearance check? It was for like ten grand!”
Her words were said with both concern and contempt. Peter had been her account for as long as she had been in the States and she trusted him, more than she trusted most people. Peter ruffled through some papers before laying a lone leaf in front of her. The heading was large and in hold – MONTHLY EXPENSES. Her eyes shifted from the paper to Peter, and then back. Peter, as if he was speaking to a child, pointed to one word and then another.
“$2,000 a month on clothes. $4000 on bar tabs. $1000 for your car payment. $10,000 a month for your mortgage. Not to mention the $6000 you spend on ‘miscellaneous’ items.”
Alexis knew what he meant. He knew what he meat. Anybody who had spent any significant amount of time with Alexis knew what was meant. Pete quickly moved on as Alexis continued to listen as he ran down the amount of money she would blow in a month’s time. It all added up to nearly $30,000. If it had been 2012, that would have been nothing. She made that in a weekend. But it wasn’t 2012 and the gigs had been drying up.
“To be frank, Alexis, you are living well beyond your means. You don’t have the income anymore. I told you this would happen. I told you that you needed to slow down and look into selling the house and car, and get something more affordable. You can’t live like this on random con appearances and meet and greets. You need to find a job…”
“You know I have been trying, Peter. That’s not fair and you know it. I tried ECWF. I tried to bring back FORCE. I just don’t have the passion for it anymore. Nothing excites me.”
Peter sighed.
“Passion doesn’t pay the bills. A solid paycheck does. Wrestling use to do that but guess what? Being 45 in that business is like being 80. It’s time to move on and look for real work. I have connections and with your background, I can get you a job in communications or I know people who work in radio…”
Alexis shook her. That was the last thing she was going to do – sell out - and do some shitty job she hated. She got into wrestling because it wasn’t sitting at a desk for 8 hours.
“No, fuck that. I’ll go back to England and live off my family before I do that.”
‘Well, you are going to have to do something soon because if not, I have no choice but to file Bankruptcy. I don’t see any other way.”
Alexis gave her word that she would start looking into options but in reality, Peter knew better as did Alexis. She had no plans on looking online for work. She was going to go home, get high, and pound shots of tequila until she couldn’t remember how awful today was. It was the same routine she had adopted for most of the year. And why wouldn’t she? Ever since GIW closed, nothing really went Alexis Terry’s way. CWC was a bust for her. Her big return to ECWF was a joke. Every company she agreed to take bookings from ended up some big epic fail. Fuck it. That was her mantra. Nothing really matters.
Nothing would come close to a packed crowd on Pleasure Pier screaming her name on a warm Texas night.
Hopes and dreams were just that, mere hopes and mere dreams. But as she poured another shot and lit another bowl, something magical happened. Almost like it was written for a movie, her phone rang.
The voice on the other end was distinct and familiar. As she laid her head back and listened to the words, it was almost like it was 2012 all over again. Plans on forming a team, taking over, and running rough shot echoed in her ear.
“You need us. We need you.”
Aspen Chaud. To a lot of people, that name brings thoughts of an evil, conniving woman who will do anything to get what she wants. For Alexis, it was the name of the woman who put her on the map.
The two talked and the plan was set. Alexis would return to Valor as part of “Team Callum”. Quite frankly, the idea of working with Chris made her a bit ill. The two never really got along but she was in no position to turn something like this down. The money was good. It would allow her to continue to do what she has been doing and would get Peter off her back for at least a little while longer.
Alexis agreed to fly to Texas and meet up with some trainers Aspen set up for her. It felt like she had taken her first bump all over again. Her back hurt. Her neck was stiff. But after a few days, the ring rust wore off. Having not actually competed in a match in all of 2019, she did her best to get back to where she was.
The days continued to go on and Alexis didn’t hear from Aspen or Callum. It was radio silence. Maybe they moved on. Maybe they forgot about her. Or maybe they were changing plans. Nevertheless, Alexis continued to train and get better until one evening. Alexis had just finished showering after spending all morning working on cardio. She heard a knock at the hotel door.
She opened the door and saw a white box with a simple note attached – “It’s time”. Opening the box, she immediately knew what to do.
A single pair of brass knucks.
Those warm Texas nights didn’t seem so long ago.