Rushing from the ring, Sam Marlowe only paused long enough to tear off the striped shirt that she had worn to referee the mixed tag match and toss it into a garbage bin nearby before heading to the garage. Approaching her car, she slams a hand against her head as she turns realizing that she has forgotten her keys.
Turning back to the locker room hallway, she debates heading back to get them but stops and moves farther into the garage upon seeing Christian walking along. Deeper in the garage, she finds a quiet spot to sit and hangs her head onto her lap. This is where she is found by Pussy Willow who leans against the stairs that Sam has perched on.
“How you doin’ Sammi?” she asks the redhead who slowly looks up and offers her friend a sad little smile.
“I ain’t great Pussy,” Sam replies. “I guess that is what you get when you get to watch two of your best friends go at it in the ring and you are the one that has to make the three count.”
Pussy looks around the area where the two of them were and shrugs. “Guess that is why you are hiding out here. Looks pretty depressing so must be matching your mood. If it was me I would be getting ready to head home…ya know.”
Sam can’t help but nod slowly, a grimace of embarrassment flashing across her face as she rests both arms on a drawn up knee. “I would have been gone already but silly me, I forgot my car keys and bag in the locker room. And I saw Christian walking along the hall and well, let’s just say that one encounter with him was one too many tonight.”
Pussy lays her hand on the shoulder of Sam in sympathy as she remains silent. Suddenly, she brightens and straightens up. “Listen Sam, why don’t I go get your stuff and you can head back to Vegas?” she offers which brings a smile to the face of Sam. “Don’t go anywhere, I will be right back,” adds Pussy as she rushes off.
Sam gets to her feet and watches as her friend moves down the hallway. Keeping to the shadows, she keeps an eye out for Pussy who disappears into the bombshell locker room then opens the door to return, a familiar bag over her shoulder. As she is making her way towards the garage, she is stopped by Christian. The two appear to talk and the body language of Christian implies his not being too happy about what had gone on earlier. Sam watches as Pussy says something else and the answering snap from Christian before Pussy nods and walks away. Christian only watches her for a moment then walks off himself.
Sam sees Pussy coming closer and moves out of the shadows. “Wow, looks like Christian wasn’t too happy to talk to you,” says Sam with a look of surprise on her face.
“Well considering that he is the boss and all that jazz, and the fact that I said it was pretty low what he did to you earlier,” begins Pussy only to be interrupted by Sam who stops her.
“You didn’t get yourself into trouble did you?” asks a worried Sam as she looks in the direction that Christian had gone. “I am going to go talk to Christian and tell him that you were only sticking up for me and that…”
Now it is Pussy’s turn to stop Sam. “Sammi, it is all good. I mean he wasn’t too happy to hear it but that isn’t the only thing we talked about. Seems he has some booking ideas for next week and well, he did say that he was a bit impressed on how well you did and that he was going to reward you.”
Sam’s eyes narrow slightly at that comment. “Reward me for being forced to referee that match? Okay, lay it on me, what kind of reward is he thinking about?” Sam demands, her arms crossing over her chest as she shoots a hard look at Pussy.
“He said he is putting you in a match that is right up your alley,” replies Pussy as her hand moves to tease through her hair, “taking on two bombshells that you have beaten before. Something along the lines of payback and it being a bitch he implied. Listen, I understand where he is coming from but you gotta know that maybe you need this match to start your comeback with a win for the final show of the year.”
Sam lets her head fall forward allowing her red curls to hide the eye roll she does at Pussy’s comment. “So you going to tell me who I am facing next week or will I have to wait?” murmurs the redhead.
“Oh yeah, Christian said you are facing Jessie Salco and Mikah in a triple threat and if you remember from last year, this is the show that gets all these crazy Christmas stipulations. I can’t wait to see what kind of match you are going to be in,” teases Pussy as she pulls Sam’s bag off her shoulder and holds it out to Sam.
The talk of stipulations brings Sam’s head snapping up to give Pussy a surprised look. “I totally forgot about that,” offers Sam slowly as her look changes to one of concern. “And I bet you that no matter what will happen in that match, it is going to be brutal. After all, I am sure that Mikah and Jessie are both still smarting from their title losses and think that they are going to work out that frustration on me because I decided that I want to work my way back to the title instead of doing what they did and demanded their shots. What am I going to do Pussy?”
“You can’t ask me that Sammi, I ain’t a wrestler. But hypothetically, kicking their ass might be the thing to do,” jokes Pussy which only draws a glare from Sam as the pair begin to walk towards Sam’s car. “What, I said it was hypothetical.”
“Seriously Pussy, it wasn’t funny. Just for that, no cookies for you next week,” jokes Sam as she reaches her car and pulls the keys out of her bag. Sliding the key into the lock, she opens the car door and tosses her bag inside then turns back to Pussy who has pouted her bottom lip out at Sam’s comment. The stern look on Sam’s face melts into a smile as she holds up her hands in surrender. “Okay, maybe one gingerbread man…”
Pussy reaches towards Sam and pulls her into an impromptu hug. “Yay cookies!” Pussy exclaims as she releases Sam allowing the redhead to climb into the car and start the engine. As Sam begins to pull out of the parking slot, Pussy waves for her to roll down her window. “Listen Sam, I know this week was hell but it will get better…it has to right?”
Sam tilts her head slightly and sighs. “As much as you say it, let’s hope it does. But if not, let’s hope we stay out of Christian’s way from now on until he returns to the way he was. And Pussy, thanks for the chat, made me feel a bit better,” says Sam as she waves before pulling away to leave Pussy watching her drive away.
Moments later, Sam Marlowe is on the road heading towards Vegas, music muted as she drives but the redhead isn’t singing along with it. Rather, she is talking to herself, giving voice to some kind of promo for a match that is taking place on the next Climax Control.
“I’m in a triple threat match that will see Mikah and Jessie and yours truly in the ring facing each other and with all three of us looking to end the year on a high note. As much as I want to say that I am a shoo in to win it, I can’t honestly say that I will definitely win because I am in the ring with someone who can legit claim to be the workhorse of SCW and the other has the record for dominating the Bombshell championship,” offers Sam as she checks into her rearview mirror before sliding along the lanes towards the interstate highway onramp.
After merging into the sparse traffic this late at night, Sam continues to speak to herself. “Now I could go off on both women and be justified in what I could possibly say but then again I have to sit here and be honest. Take Jessie for example. I mean this is a woman who goes all out week in and week out and she isn’t a slouch in the ring. And I am sure that she’s going to say that she wants the win badly because it would give her a reason to go to the boss once more and ask for another shot at the title. And she could legit do that should she win this match. And should she get the win, she will use it to go and ask for that shot I bet. But no matter what I think, or say for that matter, Jessie is definitely a threat in the match and I for one won’t be taking her lightly. And then there is Mikah…”
Sam sighs as a car zips up behind her, the halogens of the headlights forcing Sam’s eyes to squint. Finally she rubs at her eyes to remove the faint glow left as the car passes her. “Mikah, the most dominant bombshell I have ever faced in the ring and once more she is back and with championship aspirations to once more wear that title that I beat her for,” muses Sam as she signals and changes lanes, her foot depressing the gas pedal slightly to speed up. “Mikah is one hell of a competitor and practically has owned everyone she has faced. And I am sure that she is expecting to do so in this match too. And if I am honest, now that she has found her desire to win attitude, the odds favor her.”
Sam shakes her head, a soft chuckle escaping her as she taps at the steering wheel. “Oh em gee, if they could hear me now, what the hell would they all be saying?” wonders Sam before answering her own question. “They would be saying that you aren’t going to win Sam, you are too nice and a sweetheart and I have to say, they probably would be right.”
Sam stops and looks at herself in the mirror only to find staring back at her, a redhead with a half-smile but a look of sadness crossing her face before fading to a look of determination. “You know what, I just realized Sammi that you give everyone the win because you have been burned one too many times because you are a nice girl. Well missy, that is going to change this coming week in the ring because this week is when you are going to finally do something for you and that is give yourself permission to go all out to win this match,” she says as she points at her reflection. “You Sammi are going to gift yourself something for Christmas and that is to finish the year with a win!”
Looking out the windshield, Sam spies the sign for Vegas up ahead and looks over her shoulder to check before sliding across the lanes of traffic and hits the offramp. As she turns along the road, she reaches for the radio dial as Nine Lives by Def Leppard begins to play. As it does, the redhead shifts from her promo talk to singing out with Tim McGraw as she drives into the night heading home.
Pulling up to her home moments later, Sam is quick out of the car and slams the door behind her. With her keys in her hand, she approaches a door that looks like it has been holding back from a Christmas explosion with a tasteful wreath in shades of silver and gold. Sliding her key in the lock, she pushes it open and disappears inside.
