A crowd of around 200 people were surrounding the small stage that had been set up for the opening of Desmond Tower. Only seven of the floors were actually being used at the current time, not including the bottom floor containing security and two receptionists.
“What the fuck do I put in this tower of mine? That’s the question?”I muttered to Freddie who shook his head.
“Everyone’s demanding space in this building Rick. Two of the seven floors contain a rather exclusive all day strip club as well as an all day bar, people want to work here. Although I am not sure people are going to love the ride up 46 floors to get to the strip club.”
“Well I don’t want people getting any ideas that these women are in any way working for my dating agency. Ethics, morals and all that jazz.”
Four of the floors were dedicated to the expanding dating agency, one of which was a restaurant/cafe for the singles to meet. God I’m having fun. It’s like playing a real life game of Monopoly and I just landed Mayfair and Park Lane.
“First things first Fred, I want you to find a gym looking for space. Allow them two floors, one for the gym, one for showers, massage room, sauna etc. This place needs to be THE place to be.”
Oh god, it was time for my speech.
I adjust my tie, I wish I could stop doing that.
Before clearing my throat and beginning to proclaim down the microphone.
“Today marks the day that Desmond industries becomes a force. Desmond tower is merely the start of this. The foundations in which all of you can create a dazzling business. There is of course a long way to go, but the greatest way that this place can succeed is by all of you becoming a part of it! There are people that will burn this place to the ground with their words at the first opportunity they have and I want it to be made clear that they can make a run at me or the people that work for me, the people who adore me, or the people who enjoy the fun that I create. Ultimately though, good shall prevail because it always does.”
I looked out the crowd to see Lenny standing tall above the rest he applauded and smiled, but winked at me as we locked eyes.
“The greatest weapon is what I speak with now and if you hear anyone bad mouth Desmond industries, then I urge you to convince them otherwise because YOU WILL be rewarded.”
It’s funny that people suck in all of this bullshit. As if there was any chance at all of me knowing whether people defended Desmond industries or not. Yet they all stood clapping like hypnotised seals, except Lenny who was merely a show seal without a ball balanced on his nose.
Things were taking off for me though, investors were coming in left, right and centre. I had been trying to get hold of John Ross after my disappointing defeat to him. He hasn’t been answering though, and it figures, since I may have accidentally lost my temper with him after our match. He probably didn’t feel like speaking to me.
I bowed my head before heading into the tower. The crowd continued to clap, I must admit that Lenny had got to me at least slightly. Readjusting my tie, I got into the elevator, but half way up it came to a sudden halt.
Darkness surrounded me all of a sudden.
A voice begun to echo around the confined space. I fell back against the side of the elevator and dropped to one knee and gasped.
“Did you think that I would forget?”It was an eerie whisper.
“Did you think you could simply walk away?”
“No one walks away from me.”
“You shall pay the price.”
“All men must fall, but not me. I always rise, stronger. Now be on your way, continue to do what’s best for business because eventually, reality shall swallow you whole.”
The lights flickered before the elevator headed straight up to the floor with the bar on.
I was shaken up but as the doors opened I stood up as boldly as a peacock before adjusting my tie and heading straight to the bar.
“Dale, isn’t it?” I asked him as he turned around with and did a weird dorky gun sign that irritated me slightly. I tried to ignore it, he was clearly embarrassed.
I offered my hand, and he seemed confident enough. The man wearing a waist coat and suit trousers poured me a Jack Daniels honey whisky with no rocks. How did he know?
Finally. Some time to myself.
I hadn’t really reflected on me taking out my frustrations on the innocent John Ross who had merely defeated me in a wrestling match.
Sometimes those that are undeserving and inferior come out victorious. I knew that though. This was wrestling after all. That happened.
Yet the thought of him pinning me. One. Two. Three. Replayed in my head over and over again and every single time, I got angrier and angrier.
I looked down at my watch. Jenna was fucking late.
Easily irritated and equally impatient, I headed down to the office to see what had her delayed.
I entered the room to see Fred arguing with the manager, Michael and Jenna crying.
“Rick,”she said as quietly as a mouse.
I rushed to her faster than Usane Bolt on speed.
“Tell me now, did you touch her!?” I had never seen Fred as angry as he was then. He grasped Michael by his tie and slung him against the wall.
“Get off of me, or I will get you done!?”
“Jenna what happened?!”
“That creep tried to lift up my dress! It was in his office!”
“There’s a camera in there. Fred go and speak to security,”he looked at me all of a sudden then brushed himself off. He brushed Michael off with a grin then leant in with a punch, but feigned it. Michael nearly shat himself as Fred and I laughed.
“Sit down…NOW!” I bellowed, and he just fell back against the wall, sitting against it.
There was a long awkward silence throughout the office. The only thing that could be heard was alcoholic Micky coughing and spluttering into his handkerchief. At least he had the decency to use a handkerchief, he never used to.
Fred came rushing up with Bill from security. I turned on the television and Bill placed the DVD into the DVD player. Everyone watched like they were finding out who murdered Lucy from Eastenders (British joke, look it up). Bill sped up to midday, when the alleged incident occurred.
The footage showed the two rowing. Michael claimed that Jenna was being treated kindly simply because she was shagging the boss. Which in fairness, was entirely true but then again, who gives a fuck?
He then got up, and closed the blinds and locking the office door before grabbing her by the shoulder and leaning for a kiss. She slapped him across the face and ran for the door but obviously couldn’t get out.
Now, do I risk assault?
Or do I force this man to go to trial?
Oh what the fuck?
I grabbed Michael by the head with a smile and threw him head first into the television, it shattered into pieces.
“Bill, get this cunt out of my building.”
Jenna ran up to me and hugged me whilst Fred and the rest of the office watched on smiling.
Alcoholic Micky begun to sing“Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye!”But no one joined in. I was 90 percent sure that he wasn’t even drunk as well, that’s the weird thing.
“I suppose, I need another fucking manager. Dennis, you’re in charge when Fred and I aren’t here. Jeff, I need to talk to you as well, I have a proposition, Jenna this requires you as well. Fred get things back to normal here and then join us if you get a chance.”
I headed straight upstairs and calmed myself.
Sitting down, I raised one arm in the air and simply held up four fingers. Dale came rushing over with four honey whiskeys
“Dennis, I want you to take over as building manager, Jenna I want you to be his assistant. I don’t care if people question how you both got these jobs, I trust you both and that is what I want, do you both accept?”
They both looked overwhelmed but pleased. Turning to each other, they smiled.
“Where do we sign?”They said in unison.
“Perfect.”
“Oh shit.” Fred said as he walked into the room.
“What now?!”
"Check this out!"
I already knew what it was.
“You made a sex tape didn’t you?” Fred asked Ricky, Jenna begun to blush immediately.
Dennis looked flabbergasted.
[color=#32CD32]“Oh shit.”
“Someone’s hacked into your computer, this video of you two has gone viral…”
“Brilliant. And what the fuck do we do about that!?”
“Well for a start, I am having the video removed. Also, I will have one of the IT guys try to back channel to find out who hacked into you. It might be an idea to go through your own security system though, it definitely needs looking at. You’re big now Ricky, we can’t afford to have any mistakes.”
“Yes Fred, I get it, I fucked up! Half the fucking planet has probably seen me going at it.”
Dennis was peering over Fred’s shoulder who still had the video open.
“Close that will you!?”I pleaded as Jenna gasped in the video.
“Well it seems as though there’s more than one Desmond tower,”Dale joked. Fred held his breath for a moment and then burst into tears. He and Dennis were cracked up laughing.
I merely sat there staring at them, they eventually stopped.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Yes you fucking will be if you’re not careful.”
“Oh come on Rick, you’re over reacting, you both look like porn stars if anything.” Fred tried to say before I interrupted him.
“Enough!”I shouted.
At least I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of.
“God I hope my parents haven’t seen this.”
Suddenly my phone vibrated and lit up. I lifted it up and sighed.
“Of course.”I said to myself.
“What does it say?”Fred asked.
“That’s my boy! Get in there! The apple obviously doesn’t fall far from the tree. Hope you’re well, love Dad.”
Fred and Dale looked at each other for a moment and then begun to fill with air for bursting into tears once again.
If this was anyone else I would be in fucking hysterics.Why is it always me?
“Oh I have more news for you Rick!”Fred said with glee.
I sighed again and simply nodded.
“You’re in a tournament next week on Warfare! The winner becomes the Intercontinental Champion! In the first round you’ve got Aaron Underwood!”
“Right, research whoever the fuck that is. Now all of you leave, except you.”I pointed at the camera man, there were certain things I needed to say before I decided to end this promo.
They all scurried off, I sat back and turned around and stared into the camera lens.
“There’s some nostalgia in the Intercontinental Championship belt. There’s something about it that for me, makes it more prestigious than even the Universal Championship. There’s something about it that connotes greatness. Perhaps, it’s just because when you look back in time at the former champions including Ric Flair, Triple H, Steve Austin, I could go on. There is a heritage there that goes on and on and on. A legacy that I would like to become a part of.”
“I want to quickly say that I condemn who ever hacked into my computer and uploaded the video of me and my girlfriend having sex for the pathetic world to see. Now I have got to deal with the image of nerds, their feeble cocks and their tweezers doing fuck knows what. What does it matter though? Every time one of you sad cunts watch that video is just another reminder of how much better I am than every single one of you.”
I hold up my iPhone 6 and begin to play a small part of Cain’s recent promo and begin to laugh.
Quote:"You see, I know nothing about either of these men but I can guess that they are two young up and comers in this company. They probably know plenty about me, or at least they assume that they do. The young and dumb ones always do. There is one..." he holds up a finger. "...simple fact that both of these men should realize. Whoever wins? They face me. So in reality, the winner loses. It may be best for them if they just sit this one out, because I will not show mercy for rookies with gay soap opera names."
“Oh Cain. You know this shows just how unprepared you are. How naive you are. Perhaps you don’t know who I am, but some people are calling me the king maker. It was I who put Steve Davids on top of the mountain. Do you remember that guy? That guy who has dominated you through your career, well I am the one who made HIM great! He won the Universal Championship from Theo Pryce because of me. Maybe you should start paying attention because if our horns do meet on Wednesday, well there will be no happy ending. It will end the same way as every match between you and Davids did. With you being pinned. One. Two. Three. Also, rookie? Rookie? I am a rookie? Well, Cain, maybe you can say that to me when you have actually accomplished something yourself, you know. I haven’t had many matches around here, but for fuck sake don’t be a naive, ignorant little demon now will you? Gay soap opera name? Your insult has hurt me so deeply. I mean Cain is such a great name. Is that your full name by the way? Just Cain? Kinda like candy cane? You’re adorable.”
I lift up my phone again.
“Austin Fernando, this was supposed to be your promo… but it seems you may have forgot to mention me? I hope you’re not implying that I am irrelevant because I would hate to prove you so awfully wrong. Bravo on your performance in that rumble by the way that was watched by all of 12 people, you must have been so proud to put all that graft in for absolutely no reason. Then again, that’s the story of your life isn’t it?”
“Underwood. Oh, Underwood. I pray for you, I really do. Just do us all a favour, don’t bother showing up. Let’s face it, no one even sees you as a threat because well, because. Is there any reason for us to be scared of you? Where’s Mastermind when you need someone to fill in a spot in the card? I thought that was why he was here? Or is that Justin Sane’s job?”
“I won’t go on too much just yet, I await eagerly to see what my opponents might say. Really though, I’m excited, because never, in my whole career, I have I been more confident of breezing my way past the first round and being completely fresh to take on whoever awaits me. Best of luck guys.”
I wink sarcastically to the camera and blow a kiss before spinning around and finishing off my whiskey.
The shot fades.
Or so I thought... A silhouette of a bearded monster emerged in the shot, and the camera crackled before actually cutting.