* * * * *
“Joey, I don’t feel good about this,” said Jade. Unlike Joey, she was completely dressed, having been up since dawn. Joey had awakened at nine, gone downstairs in his briefs, and leisurely told her all about his trip to Key West from the kitchen table, with a glass of juice and two slices of toast in front of him.
“I know it sounds weird, but I’m telling you, Goliath is fine with everything,” he said. “We had a wonderful conversation over dinner. I honestly think the guy is excited that things turned out this way because we stand to make so much money.”
“It just doesn’t sound like him,” said Jade. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping on a glass of ice water. “He’s the proudest person I’ve ever met. I was sure he was going to be pissed when he finally came around. This was the first major injury he’s had in his career. And with all the shit that went down, I just...wow. You think you know someone.”
“I know. I was shocked too. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. It’s like Max said. It’s almost like Shakespeare in its tragedy. What started as a little mistake, me kicking Goliath in the head, turned into this huge wrestling empire quickly falling apart. By that last taping of Burn, well you know, we watched it, the whole company had gone to hell. Now we’re going to finish that fight that started all of this, and we’re going to tell the story that happened in between. The fans will eat it up, and we’ll make a shitload. Goliath might be pissed that I kicked him in the head, but he’s perfectly willing to forget about it since my little mistake is going to make us each half a million dollars.”
Jade raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Gosh,” she whispered. “Who ever would have predicted this?”
“It’s crazy, I know,” said Joey.
“So what else is going to happen at this pay per view?” said Jade.
“I have no idea. On Saturday, I’m going to get a script for my promo on Riot. Maybe I’ll learn more then.”
“A script? As in, someone is actually going to plan out a little bit of the show before it happens? That’ll be a change.” Jade had a hint of sarcasm in her voice. It was true that towards the end, Burn was going on the air with little or no advance planning.
“Jade,” said Joey, “I thought of something when I signed that contract. I ultimately didn’t do anything, but I bet I could.”
“What is it Honey?” She could tell something substantive was on his mind.
“Do you want me to push for a spot for you in this company, or would you rather wait for them to call you?”
She smiled, then took a drink from her glass. “You’re so sweet,” she said.
Joey was relieved she didn’t seem patronized by the question.
“Honey, I’ve been thinking.” Jade pulled back a chair and sat with Joey at the table. “Maybe I don’t want to go back to wrestling just yet.”
“Okay, sure,” said Joey, doing his best to empathize. He could immediately see where she was going. Their last few weeks in the GWA, particularly Jumbo’s piss, had to leave her sour toward the business.
“I don’t know, maybe...” she looked out the window behind Joey as if to gather the words, “maybe I don’t want to go back ever.”
“Okay,” said Joey. He wondered if he should get up and put his arm around her or something.
“It’s just...I don’t know...it’s hard for me,” she said. “I have enough money to live on until I’m old. This house is paid for. And these past two weeks, just being here, in one place, with you, they’ve been...wonderful. Have you enjoyed yourself?”
“Of course I have,” said Joey. It was true. He was as happy as he had ever been.
“Well, I’ll certainly have to give it some more thought, but I think I really am ready to hang up the boots. I mean, wrestling’s really important to me. Hell, it’s been my life. It’s what I’ve always wanted. But it’s also been shit. Even when I was at the top it was shit. And I don’t think that’s going to change for me, even in a new company. There are people, ruthless sharks of people, who’ll do anything to get to the top, including ruining your life. And I’m not bitter, well, okay, I am bitter, but I’m not speaking from a bitter place here. It’s just true.”
“I understand,” said Joey. “You’ve got to do what makes you happy.”
“Yes, I do. We both do. That brings me to what I really want to talk about.”
“What’s that?” said Joey.
“Us.”
Uh-oh. ‘Talk about us.’ It was always the start of something bad.
“Sure, sure,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Well, I’m older than you.”
“Yes.”
“And even though we do great together, I wonder if we’re in the same place in our lives.”
Joey didn’t like how this sounded at all.
“Anyway, Joey, I’m ready to settle down. I’m ready to stop traveling for 300 days out of the year. I want something real.”
Joey’s face must have conveyed the fear he felt, because Jade’s tone quickly switched to reassure him.
“It’s okay, you don’t need to be scared. All I’m saying is...well, if you’re going to be wrestling and traveling, and I’m not, is this still going to work? I just wonder. I think we started this thing between us when we were in one place in our lives, both of us traveling together and living the life, and now we’re someplace else, or at least I am. I want to know where you are.”
“I’m...right here,” said Joey, totally flustered.
Jade laughed. “I’m sorry. Maybe this isn’t the right time to talk about this. You’ve got big things going on.”
“No, no, I’m the one who’s sorry,” said Joey. “I’m ready to talk--”
“Honey. It’s okay. You’re not ready to talk about this, so you shouldn’t have to.”