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Post by Tayler Parks on Oct 23, 2020 13:08:41 GMT -5
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Seattle, WA. Friday, October 23.
“What do you mean ‘delayed’? There’s not a cloud in the damn sky!”
Tayler Parks stands at the ticket counter, backpack slung over her shoulder. She has her sunglasses pulled up and resting on top of her head, keeping her hair pulled back in the process. The airline employee, wearing a nametag with the name “Doris” on it, speaks up.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but there have been some issues not far from here and we’re unable to take off for a little while. We do anticipate being able to take off soon, but it will be long enough that we don’t want to keep everyone on the plane. I apologize for the inconvenience...”
“Whatever the reason, I need this plane to take off now. I don’t think you understand what kind of time crunch I’m under. This is a MASSIVE inconvenience.”
Doris, just doing her job, attempts to comfort Tayler.
“Ma’am, I do apologize. FAA regulations...”
“Fuck FAA regulations. If the sky is clear, why can’t the plane take off?!”
Tayler slams her hands down on the counter in frustration. She turns to storm off, nearly running into the line of people behind her, all of whom are undoubtedly asking the same questions. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone. Trudging towards the waiting area outside the gate, she begins scrolling through her device. She flings her bag down in front of an empty seat and begins dialing a phone number.
“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, my flight is delayed. *pause* Yeah, I don’t know. Something about FAA regulations and some issue not far from here. *pause* I KNOW! It’s actually sunny here. If flights couldn’t take off in rain, there would be no airport in Seattle, am I right? *pause* So I don’t know what time my flight is going to arrive. Hopefully they can make up some time when we’re in the air. But I’ll be there to sign the contract. *pause* Yeah, my lawyer looked over everything. *eye roll* Everything looks good, just ready to get back in there.”
She has a smile on her face for the first time. However, that smile quickly fades.
“What do you mean I have a match? And who am I supposed to be facing? *pause* Oh, so now you’re going to withhold info from me. Now, of all times. You know what? Fuck you. That’s pretty shady man.”
She stands and kicks her bag, then bends over to pick it up.
“No, I don’t wanna hear it. Play your little games. I am onto you. You’re the only person in the entire damn company I’ve even talked to, but now you want to play puppet master. I don’t play games, I kick ass. You go ahead and tell whoever it is that you just got them hurt.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LaGuardia Airport. Queens, NY. Friday, October 23.
Tayler slams the trunk of the navy blue Toyota Camry and moves around to the passenger side. Her driver, who stayed by the driver’s door, slips back into the car and puts his seatbelt on. She opens the door and climbs inside, noticeably eager, yet still frustrated with the delayed flight.
“So, anywhere you need to stop before we head to... the PWS Arena?”
He glanced through the rearview to see her shake her head.
“Alright, should be there in about 30 minutes. Hopefully we dodge some of the traffic. Bad time for your flight to get in.”
“You’re so right there.”
“My name’s Kevin. And your name, miss?”
“Tayler.”
“Nice to meet you Tayler. Hope I don’t seem rude, but that’s a lot of luggage for just a short trip. How long are you planning on being out here?”
She looks up from her iPhone, which has been glued to her hand since sitting down in the backseat.
“No idea. Hopefully a while.”
Kevin nods, then answers.
“Here for work?”
“You could say that.”
“And what do you do?
Kevin, a chubby, middle aged man with a kind smile, likely making some extra money driving for Uber, adjusts in his seat. He keeps looking through the mirror, watching Tayler rather intently.
“I’m an athlete.”
“I should say so. You’re pretty... intense, I guess would be the word I was looking for.”
“You don’t know the half of it, Kevin. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while.”
“Well it sounds like you’re in the right place for you. You ever been to New York?”
Her face is buried back in her cell phone, but she still responds.
“A time or two. I used to do a few tours here every so often.”
“Well you know what they say, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Maybe a fresh start here and you’ll find your success.”
Kevin is weaving in and out of traffic, continuing to speak at Tayler and her exchanging polite, yet short responses. She is staring out the window, looking at the passing buildings and cars with a bit of wonder. Her phone vibrates in her hand, alerting her attention back down to her device. She opens the text message.
“You’ll find out who your opponent is when you sign the contract. I’ll forget about your little hissy fit. You may call yourself ‘The Mosh Pit Princess’, but you’re no princess here. Remember who brought you in.” ------------------------------------------------------------------- PWS Arena, New York, NY. Friday, October 23.
Kevin pulls up to a stoplight adjacent to the PWS Arena. The red light seems to take forever as Tayler shifts in her seat, ready for the moments ahead.
“This the place? Not too shabby!”
Tayler chuckles. She knows nothing of what the next few minutes will bring. On one hand, she’s set to sign a deal with this company she knows nothing about. But on the other hand, she recognizes the opportunity she has in front of her and knows she needs to get off on the right foot. She tosses a $10 into the front seat, eliciting a “Wow, thanks!” from Kevin. He pops the trunk as she flings open the door and slides out.
“Thanks for the ride, Kevin. You should come to a show here sometime.”
“For you, Tayler, anything. Consider me your first fan in New York. You know, I used to go to shows down at the Garden all the time with my dad and brothers. Maybe this will be something I can take my kids to and bond with them.”
Tayler, outside the car at this point, but with the door still open, pokes her head back inside.
“I don’t know if it’s anything like you used to watch, but if I’m on the card, you’ll definitely see a good match.”
“I’m sure I will.”
She retrieves her bags from the trunk. Her backpack is draped over one shoulder as she fumbles for two large suitcases. She gets her bags from the car and closes the trunk, and within seconds, Kevin pulls away. She hops onto the sidewalk, her large bags in tow. She starts to follow the crowd when they cross the street, keeping her eyes fixated on the arena.
She stops to look around after crossing the street a second time. Taking in the sights, she pulls her phone out of her back pocket and opens the camera app. She starts to take a selfie, but after a few seconds, gives up. She looks at the clock on the home screen and begins to look frantic.
The bags barely touch the ground as she starts running towards the door. Her flight, which was supposed to leave at 6:45, didn’t leave until 7:30. The five hour flight got her to New York at just before 4 PM. The Uber ride took longer than expected, putting her just under her 5 PM deadline to meet with her contact. Her backpack is swinging wildly, dangling from one shoulder, as she sprints towards the building. When she gets to the front doors, reaching for the handles, her worst fears are confirmed.
Locked.
Desperate, she reaches back into her pocket, frantically swiping through her device, searching for something. She takes a deep breath as she puts her phone to her ear.
“Hey, it’s me. I’m just outside. Wasn’t sure which entrance to use. *pause* No, no, no. You said 5 PM. But you never said where. I’m literally outside as we speak. *pause* No, you can’t do this to me. I have everything I own with me right now.”
She’s turned back towards the street as she pleads her case. She leaves her bags by the door and starts to pace.
“No, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Because I’m 2 minutes late. Do you know how hard it is to get your bags off the plane at LaGuardia? It’s a goddamn joke. You can’t be serious right now!”
She sits down on the concrete planter, under the tree in front of the arena. Her head is down, defeated. One hand covers her face, rubbing her temples as she continues to try to save her job.
“I’ve given up everything to get here. And now, because of a delayed flight, you’re giving up on me?!”
“Relax, Tayler. It’s a joke.”
She hears a voice, but not through her phone. Her head snaps back towards the building. The door is open and summoning her inside is Levi Russow. Relieved but still highly annoyed, she stands back up, ends the phone call, and starts towards the building. Levi grabs her suitcases and pulls them into the breezeway.
“Tayler, it’s good to finally meet you. I’m Levi Russow. We’ve spoken...”
“At length. Why would you do that to me? You had me worried sick!”
“Ah, it’s no big deal. If I didn’t think you could handle it, I never would have done it. And the same goes for this. If I didn’t think I was bringing in one of the best talents in the business today, I wouldn’t do it.”
They continue down the concourse, passing various food vendors, all shut down.
“But of course, you know this won’t be easy. If you thought getting here and being ready for the debut of PWS: Apex Riot in the new PWS Arena was tough, I can’t imagine how tough you’re going to find some of the talent we have here. And that goes double for your first opponent.”
“Yeah, you keep mentioning him. What is he, some kind of psycho? Some world class wrestler who can stretch me a million different ways? A champion? I need to know about him. I’ve only got a few days to prepare.”
Levi looks at her and laughs.
“Unfortunately, I’m not sure you’d have had enough time to prepare even if I told you a week ago. He’s... unstable. Yeah, let’s go with that.”
“Well, aren’t we all to some extent?”
“Not like this guy. But enough about him. Tell me about you. I mean, I have heard what you’ve said about yourself and seen your work from Seattle and the pacific northwest, but I don’t know much about YOU.”
They arrive at a set of double doors, which Levi flings open. Tayler follows him down the hall and into an office. He pulls her chair out and retrieves a folder off the desk in the corner of the room. He sits down across from her.
“Well, if you’ve heard me say anything about myself, you’ve heard the truth. I moved out when I was 16, got mixed up in the sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle. I like to say that I didn’t quit my family, they quit me. I didn’t fit their mold, and I never wanted to. I always liked rock, I always liked wrestling, I always liked being a bit of a tomboy. I was always getting into fights. My dad, he worked for a tech company, made good money. My mom, the stay at home type, was likely drunk off her fifth glass of wine by dinner, or pilled up on Valium, she wouldn’t do anything to encourage me or my hobbies growing up. She wanted me to be a proper lady, but that just isn’t me. So I got out of there.”
Levi has opened the folder and grabbed a pen from his suit jacket. He flips to the last page of the document and scribbles his signature, then slides it across the table.
“And all that got you into wrestling. Well, it sounds so Disney. You can see how the ‘wah, my parents don’t love me, they never understood me, so I’m going to be my own person’ story seems so fake, right? I mean, as much as I believe it, it all seems just so damn... contrived.”
“Contrived? That’s literally been my life. I’ve been a fighter ever since I can remember. Even when I got into the music business, I had to fight. Not many female guitarists in the business. Not many getting record deals. Playing in dingy clubs, shady drunk fucks around you every night, not knowing whether you were going to get assaulted at the merch stand or your gear was going to be stolen from the van when you’re getting gas. Unless you’ve been there, you have no idea just how much you have to do to survive on the road, especially as a woman in a man’s world.”
She takes a quick look at the contract, flipping through the pages one by one. She flips to the last page and hastily signs.
“I’m not trying to take anything away from you, Tayler. I appreciate it. Everyone’s felt like the black sheep at one point or another. But it all seems so perfect. It’s too pretty for it to be punk rock, you know.”
“Oh, pardon me, Mr. Russow. I’m sorry my struggle doesn’t adequately relate to an on-screen story you and your crack announce team can flaunt about me. You asked about me. You got me. You wanted me. This is me. I don’t know how else to put it.”
“Well, I’m convinced. I’ve seen a lot in this business. I’ve been around a time or two. I’ve seen a lot of the greats...”
“I’m going to stop you there, Levi. I know who you are. In fact, you’re the reason I even agreed to come here. I looked up to you for your work in Total Sports Enterprise and Sports Entertainment Enterprise. You did great work. You helped train guys. I’ve followed your career for a while. I respect you. But you know I’ve been around too, so save it. I’ve seen your type do this every time. You always follow what you’re saying with some speech about the brass ring, or how ‘the sky is the limit’ for me, right? I know what I am capable of. Now it’s time I show everyone. So I’ve got three days to prepare. Who am I proving myself against?”
Levi, stunned, stands up from the table. He goes to the wall and turns on the television. YouTube is pulled up and the name “Kazimir Moskovitz” is typed into the search bar.
“Tayler, for your first match, we wanted you to show the aggression you’re known for. Management though of nobody any better than Kazimir Moskovitz. *presses play on the first video* I’ve told you a bit about him already, but this is going to be your introduction to him. He’s unstable, as I have said, but he’s also incredibly talented and unwilling to surrender. You will not have an easy time in this match. He’s done some stupid things, in my opinion, to try and punish himself and his opponents. I don’t know if he likes the pain, but I know he doesn’t seem to feel that much of it.”
“So this is what you brought me here for? Some guy who likes to take too many risks and hurts himself just to feel alive? And you think this is the best use of my talent? Well, okay. Seems a bit shortsighted of you all to have me run through a guy like him in my first match, but I’ll play along. I told you about myself, my ‘Disney’ story as you put it. What’s his? Everyone’s got one, just not everyone’s strong or smart enough to tell their story.”
Levi skips to the next video, which shows Moskovitz doing more outrageous spots.
“Orphaned. Conscripted. He’s ex-Russian military. Served in Serbia. You won’t find anyone tougher on this roster. You won’t break him so easily. You won’t just run through him like you think. Don’t take him lightly.”
“Some military service is supposed to scare me?”
“None of it is supposed to scare you. But have you ever served in the Russian military? Have you ever had to survive a Serbian winter? Have you ever found out your kid sister has been adopted by an American family and rushed to immigrate to track her down? You think you’re tough for going through what you’ve been through, and Tayler, you’re right, I don’t know what that feels like. But my guess is there’s nothing worse than having a loved one pulled from you by the government and given away to a family thousands of miles away, while you’re being tortured in some of the harshest environments in the world. Something tells me your angsty punk rock lifestyle would be a cakewalk for him. I’m not telling you he’s unbeatable. I’m telling you he is talented, and he is motivated, and he is driven. He will do whatever it takes to win. He’s not just fighting for himself, which makes him much more dangerous than I think you know.”
The final video Levi shows Tayler is of the bed of nails spot. Tayler noticeably cringes. Levi, feeling like he’s proven his point, shrugs his shoulders.
“Now, anything else for me before I get back to work? Not that I don’t totally enjoy sitting here talking to you about Moskovitz, but I do have other things to get accomplished today, and I’m already on overtime.”
“This isn’t a Russian military camp. This isn’t a boot camp. This is my reality. This is what I’ve been working on for the past 13 years. I’ve experienced more tragedy and triumph, more injuries, more bloodshed, and more brutality in the past 13 years than he will ever know. I have wandered in obscurity for 13 years, trying to reach this point. And it’s going to take more than a crazy Russian with a death wish to stop me.
If it’s a fight he wants, if it’s pain, he’s going to get it. I’ve dealt out more than my fair share of that to guys a lot bigger and a lot tougher than he is, and I’ll gladly do it again. He may look across and see a woman who calls herself a princess, but I’m anything from a Barbie doll. I’m anything from a damsel in distress. I’m a badass fighter who knows how to get the fucking job done, and he will know I mean business soon enough. So tell him. I don’t care. You obviously know him better than I do. Tell him I’m coming for him. Tell him I’m bringing the attack to him. Hardcore, street fight, weapons, tables, thumbtacks, none of that will scare me. I’ve seen scarier things in bed next to me after a show than he can ever bring at me, so why am I going to back down from this guy?
You say he’s here for his sister. *Levi nods* Well, I truly hope he finds her. I’m an only child, so you’re right, I’d never know what it’s like to lose a sibling. I’d never know what it’s like for my perfect family to be broken apart like that. So yes, I do hope he finds her, and he has that happy ending to his story. Because he won’t find one when he steps in the ring with me.”
Tayler stands up and slides the contract across the table back towards Levi. He catches it before it hits the floor. He flips to the last page and double checks the document is signed. He smiles and nods at Tayler, and she returns the favor.
“Well then, it appears we’re in business. On behalf of the rest of the PWS management, welcome!”
He extends his hand, and she reaches to shake it. At the last second, he pulls his hand away.
“One more thing. I see you’ve got all your bags here. Why didn’t you go to an apartment or hotel first? Don’t you have a place to stay?”
“Not yet. I was in a hurry to get here, I guess I’m kinda homeless for the time being.”
Levi smiles even bigger and sticks his hand back out.
“Well, I think I know of a home for you, if you’re interested.” -----------------------------------------------------
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