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Steve_Justice · (07-30-2019)

Steve Justice sat at a small cafe amidst the bustle of downtown London. He was wearing a pair of black basketball shorts; green Converse Chuck Taylor’s; black Rayban Wayfarers sunglasses and a grey Wednesday Warfare shirt. It was a warm day but the sun was hidden behind a grey sky. The cafe had a large area of iron wrought tables and chairs painted green. Steve had a steaming, white porcelain mug of tea sitting in front of him and a blueberry muffin. His stomach was aflutter with more butterflies than he felt before a match usually. He had agreed to meet his ex-girlfriend Ivy at this cafe and had no idea what to expect. His speculation was cut short when the crowd parted revealing his ex.

[Image: the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo.jpg?resize=960,540]

[Image: the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo.jpg?resize=960,540]

She smiled and waved and he returned the gesture. She made her way through the crowd and they hugged before she sat in the chair opposite him.

“Hi there. It’s nice to see you. You haven’t changed much since I last saw you.”

“Neither have you. It’s nice to see you too. What’s new and exciting?”

“Oh, I’ve been keeping busy. I do photography now. Nothing too major yet but it helps keep my bills paid. I see that you’re still involved in the wrestling business.”

Steve laughed sheepishly.

“Yeah, I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.”

“You’re just passionate about the business. You always have been and you always will be.”

Steve took a sip of his tea.

“I made a lot of mistakes when I was young and hungry for fame and money. I’m really sorry if some of those decisions hurt you in any way.”

She laughed and raised an eyebrow.

“We were both young a more than a little crazy. We both said and did some stupid things. So are you a part of this event at Buckingham Palace?”

“Yeah, pretty unbelievable huh? I don’t know what strings were pulled but I’m really looking forward to this craziness. Only my second match and I’m already in a title match.”

“Really? I guess you haven’t lost your touch. Are you worried about it?”

“Well I’m always prepared for the worst case scenario but I’m not losing much sleep, honestly. This guy hasn’t shown me anything that I don’t have an answer for.”

The waitress came over and Ivy ordered a cappuccino with biscotti. They continued talking for the better part of the afternoon. They shared stories of their time on the road wrestling in small towns for gas money. They talked about the time they were apart and filled each other in on their lives. Finally, after they had finished their drinks, they parted ways. Ivy stood to leave.

“It was nice talking to you again. I’m glad you reached out to me again.”

“Come to the card on Sunday. I’ll have a ticket left for you. It might be fun to see a big show like this.”

“Sounds fun. I’ll bring my camera. Take it easy, Steve. Be careful.”

They embraced warmly again. Steve sat down and smiled like a cat that ate the canary watching her leave. He had a good feeling that his life was looking up for a change.

Later that evening, Steve was sent to a TV studio for an interview on a sports show. The set was a raised platform with two comfortable leather office chairs; a small coffee table with mugs on it. Sitting in one chair is the host Arjun Singh in a smart dark suit and navy tie. As the show’s theme finishes, he makes his introductions.

“My guest this evening is a professional wrestler from the XWF who will be holding a show at Buckingham Palace this Sunday. Please welcome Steve Justice!”

Steve emerges in a black suit and tie with a black bowler hat and an umbrella. He shook the host’s hand and took the empty seat.

“Well Steve, I can see you have become acclimated to London. That’s a great hat you’ve got there.”

“Well thank you Arjun. Thanks for having me.”

“So what can you tell me about the upcoming Buckingham Palace show?”

“It’s going to be a great show. We are actually holding the event live on the grounds of the freaking palace! The card is packed with exciting matches from top to bottom and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”

“What do you think of the news that your opponent, Tommy Wish, has gotten himself in trouble with the law?”

Steve let out a long sigh.

“You know, I’d like to say I’m surprised but I’m not. I think this is just a tactic by Tommy Wish to give himself an excuse for when he loses. I don’t really care about his personal problems, as long as he brings himself to the ring on July 28th with my Xtreme Title in his hand so that I can take it off of him. Like I’ve always said, guys like Tommy Wish are a dime a dozen. There are a million guys like him who don’t invest in ring gear; they just show up with their trailer park denim shorts and t-shirt. They don’t know anything except jumping through tables and bonking people with chairs and, unfortunately, these people get the opportunity to make a living in this business. And that pisses me off to no end. I’ve worked very hard to learn this business and tried really hard to set myself apart from other people with my work in and out of the ring. So it doesn’t shock me that this bum is self-destructing especially with the way I’ve gotten into his head and live rent free there.”

“Explain the rules of this match to me. What exactly does falls count anywhere mean?”

“Well, it pretty much means what it says on the tin: the match isn’t limited to the ring. It could go anywhere in the city of London. I feel like I’m going into this match like a big game hunter. I’m going to have to track Tommy Wish down and set up a trap for him if I want to beat him. He’s starting to feel the pressure of the deadline now as we’re coming into the last few days. He’s getting more desperate and crazy like a cornered animal. So I’m prepared to see him to do anything and everything to try to beat me and I’m going to be ready for wherever this match takes me. Tommy Wish is acting like the rabid dog of the XWF right now and I’m going to be the one that puts him down.”

“Don’t you think that this title match is a little premature? A case of too much too soon?”

Steve shot an icy glare at the interviewer for a long moment.

“Hell no. I have worked long and hard in this business to get to the point I’m at now. Atticus Black is just smart enough to see the value that I bring to the XWF. He put his faith in a thoroughbred; a blue chip athlete that knows how to handle business inside and outside of the ring. I’m being given exactly what I deserve and I’m going to give all of the fans who buy a ticket their money’s worth. Tommy Wish? You need a bar of soap; a hot shower and a change of clothes. You invited me to break one of your limbs? You might regret that once you’re actually in the same ring as me. Because at Leap of Faith, your only two options are going to be tap or snap. Tommy Wish, I am not just going to beat you, I’m going to break you. And when I leave you a broken heap somewhere in England, you will never, ever be the same again.”

“Well, thank you very much for joining us, Steve. Best of luck to you on Sunday. Coming up next, we’ll be looking at the brackets for the International Dodgeball Championships. Don’t miss it!

Fade out.

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