[Ben Jordan]

 

The afternoon sun beats down on the roof of a burgundy colored 2016 Porsche Cayman S, a car owned by SCW tag team champion, Jamie Dean. The camera cuts to inside the car, where Jamie sits behind the steering wheel, wearing white, Khaki shorts and a bright purple, button up shirt open just at the sternum, while his tag team partner, Ben Jordan sits in the passenger seat wearing a silver suit and white shirt. Jamie keeps his eyes on the road as he talks to Ben. A camera in the car records their conversation.

"So how was London?" Jamie asks.

"Wasn't bad" Ben says with a shrug "Rained a lot, got warm a lot, had storms and the usual shit. The beer was better than over here as usual. Good old birthday drink for someone, bit of a hangover the next day. Pretty much the usual."

Jamie turns the car around a corner, slowing down behind a car in front.

"Thanks for getting me from the airport and letting me crash at yours for a couple of days." Ben says sincerely. "I didn't fancy a walk from the airport"

"One day you might buy a car of your own." Jamie comments.

"No point mate." Ben fires back "I don't live here. I'm not in London enough to have a car there, don't really need a car in Havana, everything I need is on my doorstep really, and I ain't in America enough to really own one. It'll just sit there getting all dusty."

"Ever thought about getting a place in America?" Jamie asks

Ben runs his fingers down his suit jacket.

"Not a point at this time mate." Ben says back slowly "I'm only contracted for SCW until after Summer XXXTreme IV, you know what's been whispered about concerning the tag titles, so I don't know my future at the moment."

Jamie rolls his eyes.

"People do need to keep their noses out." Jamie says firmly "But you've been offered a new contract right?"

"Yeah." Ben quickly replies, running his fingers through his hair "Christian ain't mucking around with me at this point. Last time, ran in to the last few weeks of my deal, and by the time we was done, I wasn't in the ring for a bit at the start of the year, but he let me be on the show. This time with a month or so to run, firm offer on the table and with no need to really sit down and discuss things. Contracts a good un son."

The car accelerates, overtaking one in front.

"So why haven't you signed it?" Jamie asks "It's not like you're in a bad spot right now with the company, well respected and people seem to be drawn to you lately."

A smile crosses Ben's face.

"Drawn to me?" Ben responds innocently.

"I see the way Sammi looks at you, I see the way Evie flirts with you." Jamie starts "Plus I've seen that woman on Twitter keep asking you out for dinner every chance she gets. You could be a right dirty dog."

Jamie wipes a fake tear from his eye.

"I could be so proud of ya." He says with a mocking tone of sadness, causing Ben to smile.

"Turn it in son." Ben says cheerily. "Sammi and I are friends, Jade who keeps asking me to dinner seems nice, but I don't know her."

"And Evie?" Jamie says.

"Evie..." Ben starts before trailing off "Evie kinda reminds me of like an east end bird, with an Aussie accent. She's fun, she's bubbly, she has no filter and that's what women are like back in the east end boozers. She reminds me of home, but I'm sure it's a front and no interest in me like that, she's just a banter bird, and what Cockney don't like a bit of banter?"

"And that's it?" Jamie asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I am a man of the people." Ben says "I like talking to people, that's it really."

"You was both in London at the same time...." Jamie comments, while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Not gonna lie." Ben starts "I did see her for about an hour. SCW are smart old dogs and set up a signing over there, and while we was both there and we ran in to each other but that was about it. Stop it now, or you're gonna give Tommy Knocks more to talk about."

Ben laughs and Jamie smiles.

"So how's things been here since I've been gone." Ben asks.

A moment of silence fills the car as Ben looks at Jamie.

"I'm getting there." Jamie says solemnly

"Well if you need to get away for a bit..." Ben starts "Come on over to Cuba, spend all day on the beach looking at geezers in Speedos all day."

An approving nod comes from Jamie's head as he looks towards Ben as Jamie stops the car at a traffic light.

"Trust me mate..." Ben starts "There would be no Cuban safe when you get out there in Havana."

Another nod of approval comes from Jamie's head as he turns the corner.

"Anyway, are you sure it's all good to hang at yours?" Ben asks.

"That's like asking if the sky is blue." Jamie replies quickly. "Besides, I have a surprise for you."

Jamie stops outside of a large, three story brick building in the heart of the historic district of Pacific Palisades. A building surrounded by the city life of this suburb of Los Angeles, and which housed Jamie’s home, a 1,000 square foot loft that, unlike some of the others in the Academy Lofts, Jamie did not rent, but owned outright. Jamie was not a fan of narrow spaces, nooks and crannies, but preferred open space. Plus, he just loved loft homes, much more so than an actual house.

Ben could admit he saw why Jamie favored this way of living, given the neighborhood and the quaint, old world style style to the building.

"A surprise?" Ben asks with a raised eyebrow

Jamie smiles widely at a confused looking Ben.

"Your biggest fan is inside waiting for you." Jamie says with a huge grin on his face.

Ben closes his eyes, breathing deeply as Jamie laughs at him.

"Please tell me you're having a bubble?" Ben says slowly.

"A what now?" Jamie asks inquisitively.

"A bubble bath." Ben says "Cockney for a laugh."

"Oh..." Jamie trails off "No, she's there waiting for you. I told her you was staying with me and she wanted to be here to greet you."

"Ah mate" Ben says throwing his arms in the air "You saw what she was like last time. I nearly gave the woman a heart attack or something."

Another smile crosses Jamie's tanned face.

"Oh it wasn't that bad." Jamie argues "You can't help it if you're that popular."

"But.... But...." Ben stumbles out.

Ben sighs deeply

"You remember what happened..... Right?" Ben says slowly.

"Oh I remember...." Jamie replies



You know that fancy temporal stasis thing that Ben Jordan does? The time freeze people, the time freeze! Sheesh! Try and discuss science with a bunch of kids! Well we're about to see yet another talent bestowed upon the many within the world of wrestling -- the time rewind. Yes, flashbacks can be quite beneficial when linking the past to the present to better tell a story, so let's do it to it, shall we?

Los Angeles, California, thirty minutes outside of Jamie's own coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.

"So, mind telling me what we're doing here on this detour instead of heading straight to your place?" The voice of Ben Jordan asked as the wine colored 2016 Porsche Cayman S pulled into an empty parking space just outside of a spacious apartment community.

"We're here to meet some friends of mine." Jamie answered with a coy wink as he turned the engine to his car off, and reached for the door handle. "I have a surprise for one of them, and you're it."

Ben gave Jamie a shifty look as he followed suit and stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him. With a flick of the thumb on his keys, Jamie locked his vehicle and set the alarm before heading for the gated community with Ben following suit. As Ben observed his surroundings, he noted the plaque on the front of the gate, reading "Orsini Apartments." There had to be at least four three story buildings behind the gates, safe and secured. As Jamie slid a key card into the slot of the lock on the left side of the gate, he gained access and held the door for the awaiting Cockney King.

"After you!"

"Sneakin' for a look at me arse again, aren't ya?"

"Well Christ Ben," Jamie chuckled as he stepped into the community, allowing the gate to swing shut behind him. "If you already knew that then why act so surprised?"

The SCW World Tag Team Champions maneuvered their way around the paths within, walking past no less than two heated swimming pools and a large gym and picnic area. Palm trees seemed to be the motif as they appeared to be -- everywhere -- on this property, but never the less, the clean land and flora everywhere impressed Ben as he observed, "Nice place."

"Just let me know if you see Justin so I can hide."

Ben almost came to a stop as he turned a side eye to his friend and partner and cocked an eyebrow, "That guy lives here too?"

"Yes." Jamie sighed. "But don't worry. He has nothing to do with this surprise."

Satisfied, Ben nodded as the pair arrived finally at a particular apartment door on the second floor of the third building where Jamie knocked hard. Jamie turned to ben and smiled, "Word of warning. Kathy is the only wrestling fan in this little group and her favorite just so happens to be..." He twirled his finger in the air and poked Ben lightly on the chest.

"Ah," Ben nodded with a smile of his own. "A lady of taste."

The pair could hear footsteps from behind the door and only a moment later, the door swung open and a short but stocky woman with rather butch qualities was standing before the two. She was older than Jamie by about a fair fifteen years if Ben would hazard a guess, which he never would being a gentlemen and all. Her dark hair was cut short and she wore a pale blue tank top and white shorts. If Ben had to guess, he'd bet this woman could handle herself in a scrap, and she could. Jamie had once told him his friend Sandra was a bouncer at the nightclub he worked at. But the sparkle in her eyes lit up her face as she laid eyes on Jamie told him all he'd need or want to know about the woman.

"Sweetpea!" Sandra called aloud as she reached her arms out and drew a willing Jamie into a tight embrace, even lifting his buddy off of his feet in the process, causing Ben's eyes to widen just a hint. Jamie laughed as she gave him a squeeze and set him back down onto his feet.

Jamie turned to Ben and set a hand on his shoulder, introducing the pair, "Ben, I want you to meet probably my closest friend, Sandra King. Or as I like to call her, 'Ma!'" Jamie draped an arm around the woman for a quick cuddle and Jamie followed up, "Ma, this is Ben Jordan."

Sandra smiled and took Ben's already outstretched hand and said, "Well any friend of Sweetpea's is a friend..." Then the name hit her, also with the familiarity of Ben's handsome face. She blinked and her eyes opened wider, "Oh shit!"

"Beg pardon?" Ben looked at her quizzically before he found himself pulled inside of the apartment, with a smiling Jamie following suit and shutting the door behind him. It was a very nice apartment, Ben observed. Large, open space with bright colors and a soft carpeting. Tasteful and not overdone, Ben decided. But he was drawn from his private observations with Sandra's words...

"Kathy is going to...!" The older woman almost seemed a giddy schoolgirl in her bubbling excitement. She turned around and called out, "Kathy! Get out here!"

"What is it!?" Another woman's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.

"We got company!" Sandra answered back. These boisterous shouting matches must be the norm, and judging by Jamie's smile, he was fully inoculated to the habit.

"Oh for..." And a woman stepped out of the kitchen, drying a dish in her hand with a colorful rag in the other hand. She was taller than Sandra, a bit leaner too with red hair. Her eyes fell on Jamie and like Sandra, her face lit up and she smiled, "Hi Sweetpea! I..." Then she noticed the man standing at Jamie's side and her face went slack, as did her fingers as the plate fell from her grasp and broke on the dining room's tile floor! Jamie erupted into a fit of laughter as he danced around like a little boy on Christmas morning. Ben turns his head towards Jamie, his eyebrow raised before looking back at the woman, slowly raising his hand in a hi signal, his face in a state of confusion.

"Oh GOD it was worth it!"

"Ahhh!" Kathy suddenly broke into a sprint and dove onto Jamie, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist! Sandra barked out a fit of laughter and Ben backed up a number of surprised steps so as not to get bowled over by the woman's enthusiasm. "I LOVE you!" She loudly proclaimed!

"DO YOU LOVE ME!?"

"I LOVE YOU!"

"How MUCH do you love me!?" Jamie yelled back, not even having to hold onto her as her arms and legs were woven tightly enough around him to support herself. Ben was surprised enough that his friend was able to remain upright and not be knocked to the floor by the woman's enthusiasm.

"Is this normal?" Ben scratched behind his ear as he murmured to Sandra. She just chuckled and answered, "For these two? Yes."

Finally Kathy unwrapped her legs from Jamie's waist and her feet again landed on the floor. She turned to ben with a smile that rarely was seen aside from the youngest adn most heartfelt of fans. It was like staring into the face of a little girl who also so happened to be a fan of his.

"Ben," Jamie started to introduce. "This is Kathy Greene. Kathy?" She looked to him with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes. "I don't imagine I have to tell you who this hot piece of tail is."

"Hot piece of..." Ben shook his head at Jamie's way with words and approached the duo with his hand offered. "Kathy? Nice to..." And Ben suddenly found the woman jumping on him, wrapping him up much like she just did to Jamie! Ben waves his arms around wildly behind the woman’s back, his eyes on Jamie, mouthing inaudible words towards him, before slowly patting the excited Kathy on the back softly.

And what would a visit be without some friendly socializing? A bit of time had passed, and as soon as Jamie and Sandra could pry Kathy from off of Ben, the four found themselves seated in the women's living room, snacking on fruit salad and drinking coffee.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier." Kathy smiled, although she was feeling a hint of embarrassed remorse over her reaction to meeting her wrestling idol. "It's just that you're my favorite and the first wrestler I ever met!"

"A-HEM!" Jamie frowned, clearing his throat quite audibly. "What about me?"

Kathy waved him off, "You don't count."

"Well fuck you!" Jamie laughed.

Kathy turned and took up the gauntlet in good humor, "No, fuck YOU!"

"You couldn't handle the ride." Jamie reached for his coffee and sat back with satisfaction.

Kathy turned to Ben who was taking a drink of his own coffee, and she quipped, "Shit, I can't even handle the thought."

A splutter comes from Ben after taking a sip at the wrong time, coffee running over his face as he slowly shakes his head.



"The woman wouldn't let me go." Ben says to Jamie with a chuckle

"And there's me thinking you was a people person" Jamie retorts with a cocked lip.

"I am" Ben admits "But mate, I usually take a selfie, say how ya doing and I'm on me merry way. Mate, she was looking at me like a dog who's just seen the juiciest bone in the world"

Jamie tilts his head as he looks at Ben, waggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Yeah, poor choice of words" Ben says slowly "Regretted it as soon as it left my mouth."

"Look on the brightside" Jamie starts "There's not many hardened lesbians that would look at a man that way."

"I take that as a compliment" Ben says with a smile "Anyway my old son, we have a camera in here so time to do the old promo thing I think before we head up in there and I end up as a chew toy."

"Can I do the clicking thing?" Jamie asks, looking at the people walking around the outside of the car.

Ben shrugs his shoulders and Jamie clicks his fingers. And immediately the world outside sped up like it was on a racetrack on hyper speed! Jamie cast a sidelong glance to Ben and asked, “That’s not right, is it?”

"Jesus christ man" A shocked tone dripping from Ben's voice "This looks like I've just taken a bad pill."

Ben quickly kicks his finger and the scene outside the car stops.

"That was like an acid trip." Ben says with a laugh. "Right now watch and learn the art of a promo. I know this isn't how you usually do it but sod it."

Ben looks down the camera mounted in the front of the car.

"Just straight down the camera and confident" He says before clearing his throat "And always start with a hook line"

Ben straightens his collar

"Alright people" He says with a smile.

Ben fires a quick thumbs up

"It's been a crazy ol' week for me, being back home and now here where me tag partner here has picked me up so that we can focus on one thing." He says holding up one finger "And that is focusing on getting ready to defend our tag team championship against."

Ben looks towards Jamie.

"What's his name?" Ben asks

"Jon Dough" Jamie says dryly.

Ben rolls his eyes.

"Not that one" Ben says sarcastically "The other one with the funny name."

"Eyesnsane" Jamie pronounces perfectly, forcing Ben in to a confused look.

"Isatope?" Ben responds

"Sure buddy" Jamie says "You can call him that if you want."

Ben scratches the side of his head.

"I'll just call him Dave." Ben says with a shrug "Everyone knows a Dave, so he's now Dave"

Jamie nods in agreement, humoring his tag team partner.

"I'ma go ahead and talk about Jon first." Ben decides "A lot of people don't know this but I've known Jon Dough for a while backstage, he's been around for a bit and I got mad respect for the man for being a tag team champion in the past."

"Mad respect?" Jamie asks with a lowered eyebrow.

"It's a London thing" Ben explains "It means I respect him."

"Still, mad respect." Jamie says with a sharp turn of his head.

"I'm just gonna ignore the plonker in the driving seat there." Ben says with a hand up to Jamie. "But I respect any fella who goes out of his comfort zone and teams with people he don't know and wins a championship not just once, but twice. Lethal Lottery was a thing back then so to team with both Aaron Matthews and Lucian Frost and still win, it makes this geezer dangerous. It makes this geezer set and ready to go, got the championship experience, so I will not be taking Jon lightly at all, but what makes him more dangerous is the simple fact that he's teaming with a mate, someone he can trust."

Jamie listens to Ben, slightly nodding his head, agreeing with his assessment.

"So anyone out there who thinks it's a guarantee me and JD are gonna walk through this match with ease, needs their head testing." Ben says with a calm manner. "This is why the next few days, me and him and gonna work our bollocks off to make sure that we walk out of here with our championship belts. It ain't gonna be easy, we know this because we are more than aware of what Jon can do."

Ben quickly turns his head to Jamie.

"Which reminds me." Ben says to Jamie "Did you get the tapes of Jon Dough matches?"

Jamie rolls his eyes.

"Tapes?" Jamie says with a cocked eyebrow "What is this? 1980? I have Jon Dough matches up there"

"Ok, good." Ben says "See, this is how determined we are to show you all we're ready to go above and beyond. We will be watching every tape.... Well video to see every weakness you have Jon and show you that we can exploit 'em and go on and keep the titles. We worked our arses off to get them, worked even harder to go through hell, getting smacked around with all kinda weapons from Raab and Samuel, and dear god did they hit hard. We walked in to their den and walked out battered and bruised, but the titles were pulled out with us Jon. We know you're good, we're not stupid enough to think otherwise, but we will walk out with our titles again. We know you got something decent about ya, but so have we. We're the champions for a reason and we will stay as champions Jon. I look forward to facing ya, but sorry old mate, the belts are coming home with us."

Ben tilts his head confidently and Jamie quickly gives him a thumbs up.

"And now you Dave." Ben says scratching the side of his head.

Ben frowns.

"Now I admit..." Ben starts "I admit that I know very little about you pal. I did however jump on the good ol' SCW site on the way over and grabbed your bio, and mate, I get it, you're a confused soul. Teaming with a good guy, but a bit of a loose cannon, ready to fire at any time."

Ben holds his finger up to Jamie.

"No jokes please." Ben quickly says.

A disappointed Jamie turns away.

"You are a bit of a loose cannon." Ben says confidently "You are the guy that no one knows what's about to happen next, no one knows how far you're willing to go, and this is what makes facing you like stepping into the unknown. Plus we know that this is your first title shot here in SCW and you will be willing to go that extra mile, just to add your name to the long list of champions in SCW, but going into the unknown is nothing new to us. We have all bases covered because the SCW tag roster has exploded. We haven't faced The Acquins, or Bad Company before. Going into a match with them is us stepping into the unknown, and we are more than ready for this Dave, we are prepared to take on the world. You might be the craziest person in the tag team division, you could be ranked near the top of the crazies in SCW, and there's a lot of them, but Dave mate, I'm gonna be honest with ya. When it comes to these tag titles, I will do what I can to keep my hands on them, I will hold on until my fingers bleed. Crazy or not mate, we're champions for a good reason. We're champions because we're the best at what we do and we will walk out on Sunday with the championship belts still in our possession."

Ben turns his head to Jamie

“Your turn son” He says to Jamie. “Be confident and talk straight at the fans and opponents as if they’re right there listening.”

Ben wags his finger at the camera

Jamie shrugged, then started to speak, “Well I don’t know what I can add to what you’ve already said Ben. My first instinct was to make light of the fact that Jon and Eyesnsane only got one win before they were given a title shot, but then I remembered that I got one in my first match back. So that shot that plan in the ass.”

Ben snorted back a laugh as Jamie went on.

“We’ve seen Jon. Hell, as I recall, Jon Dough was my opponent in my second ever match in SCW. My first match was against…” Jamie jetted a thumb ironically towards his now tag team partner. “And I remember that match against Jon. I remember he’s a hard striking S-O-B, but I also remember that it wasn’t his arm that got raised at the end of the night. Back then, Jon was where I am now; one-half of the Tag Team Champions.”

Ben added, “And still you won.”

Jamie nodded, “Still I won, but the guy didn’t make it easy then, and I don’t doubt he won’t make it easy now. Guy like that? No face, no memory? He has everything to gain and everything to lose, which just makes him all the more dangerous to handle inside of the ring. Still, this time won’t be any different than the last, save for the fact that he has someone at his back, and so do I. The prospects just make things more exciting, and hell, even when they go down…” jamie waggled his eyebrows. “... in defeat ya pervs, Jon boy still has another chance to get a shot at Summer XXXTreme IV in that tag tourney they have going to see who’d be our best challenger. So no hard feelings, Jon.”

Ben sighed and shook his head, “Do all your promos have these double meanings?”

Jamie gave Ben a funny look, “Have you met me?”

“Touche’!”

Jamie went on, “But that Eyesnsane guy?” He shook his head. “I’ve got almost nothing on him, except the simple fact he led his team to a win over the Acquins. Joshua and Austin have to have been the best bet going into that one, so beating a brother combination with that kind of experience together speaks volumes for teamwork and capability. Plus, if I’m going to be honest?”

Jamie gave Ben a sidelong glance and used a free hand to twirl a forefinger around his ear.

“Not sure he’s all there, which makes him an even bigger wild card. It’s all good, though. I’d say the best laid out plan would be to keep him out and Jon in. Devil you know, am I right? But still, if Eyesnsane does manage to make his way into the match, and he will, well that’s where Benjamin and my experience will come into play.”

Ben mouthed ‘Benjamin?’ …

Jamie said, “Strike hard, strike fast. And if he wants to play dirty, which I suspect he has no qualms against, then fine. Ben and I won’t cheat outright but teamwork and fighting fire with fire will teach the lad a lesson as to why we’re the champs, and he and Jon will be going back to the drawing board to try and get another chance.”

Jamie looked to Ben with his eyebrows raised questioningly, “How was that?”

Ben jetted out a bottom lip and nodded, “Not bad.”

Jamie sighed in relief, “That’s good, because where promos are concerned, I suck.”

Ben turned to Jamie with a mocking, misty eyed expression on his face, “Why Mister Dean, that’s the best straight line I think you ever gave me.”

Jamie huffed, “I didn’t mean it!”



Inside of the building on the floor that housed Jamie’s home, the cage elevator came to a stop and the door slid open. Out stepped Jamie first, followed by Ben who was carrying his luggage behind him. The pair walked down the narrow corridor to a door that Ben was quite familiar with. Inserting the key into the lock, Jamie gave it a twist, and was about to open it when he paused.

Turning aside, he took hold of Ben by the shoulders and positioned the confused Cockney King in front of the door and stepped casually to the door frame’s right side. With a flick of the door knob, Jamie called out, “We’re…”

And an enthusiastic Kathy Greene jumped into Ben’s arms, taking  the surprised Mister Jordan to the floor!

Jamie continued, “... here!”