That tour was something else, I can tell ya, being back home with Os, Charley and Kenz made us all see what we was missing a little bit, showed us you can take people out of London, but you can not and will never take London out of the people. Don't buy that home is what you make of it bollocks, home is always where the heart is and my heart is always having a trot down Bethnal Green Road, popping in to the bookies, Kelly's Pie and Mash shop and a couple of pints in The Old George. This whole tour made me see that a lot. I'm sure Ben Jordan would give his left nut to wake up on The Isle of Dogs, pop to the shop for a paper and head down to The Ferry House or Ship for a pint, I'm sure every non American talent would love to put their feet on their own turf and do the simplest things they took for granted all those years ago.
That's what this tour did for me.
It made me see that my feet missed walking the dog shit covered, hoodies with their jogging bottoms half way down their arses, streets of London more than I thought.
It was eye opening because now it left me with one hell of a decision to make. Wrestling has grown on me and me and the rest of the mob wanna stay involved, but here's what happens when the lights go out. I end up back in the Casino working. For six and a half days a week, I end up working, the other half day, I'm doing wrestling related stuff.
I want the freedom to go home when I want, just pack up and piss off. Outside the Casino and SCW, I ain't exactly being held here and SCW is fine with people going where they want to live, but the Casino keeps me here.
It's time to delegate a bit more or thank America for the money you've given us, that has already help improve the east end of London a lot, and I can sell the Casino for about 50 million more than I paid for it. Land of opportunity has worked out well for us.
Give people more responsibility or close it down... I'll deal with that later but for now, I'm fucking starving.
*******
Wednesday lunchtime.
The camera cuts in to the office of Daniel J Morgan as he sits at his desk, the Casino buzzing behind him, barely visible from the top windows of the office, a place he can stand and see everything going on.
It's been a while since Daniel had the chance to sit in his own chair above his million dollar empire, watching the tourist pile through the door, abandoning the Vegas strip for something just a little bit off piste, hoping to catch an Sin City Wrestling or Sin City Underground star on a day off, spending their hard earned - well some hard earned, others around the places just for the money - pay directly from the bank of Mark Ward or Christian Underwood, or from the approval signature of Tad Ezra, which begs the question there, who actually OWNS SCU? Either way, the Casino linked to these two federation was a boom for business as people shuffled in, hoping to catch a glance of Dani Weston behind the bar, or Fenris trying hard to put on a poker face, or SCU's The Bad Boys drinking away, or a glance at Stewart Mason at the blackjack table. Many shuffled through the Casino on a daily basis to head towards the sports bar of the Casino, named E14, just hoping to catch their eyes on Kate and Teddy Steele watching a Chelsea Football Club (Football, as in real football, not what you yanks call soccer!) game - If you can call Chelsea a football team these days, Sarri-ball my arse. Ahem. Some shuffle in to hope to see Mark Cross, Kelli Torres or Valentina signing autographs.
Either way, in Daniel's absence, business was still good, but for just half an hour, Daniel's attention was focused on something different.
"Now this Os, is one of the greatest sandwiches known to man." Daniel says as he lifts his head, looking towards Osbourne.
Osbourne stands to the side of Daniel's desk as Daniel tilts his head towards the bigger man, Osbourne dressed impeccably in a silver suit and white shirt, his sunglasses covering his eyes. His blank stare through the tinted glasses towards the black suited Daniel urges him to continue.
"Salt beef is the food of the God's" Daniel tells him. "Runs a close second to pie and mash, but it's bloody impossible to find over here. Just finding this place that does this creation of God, is a miracle. It's worth the hour drive."
The camera cuts down to see a well stacked sandwich, salt beef piled on to the point of falling out the side of the french bread foot long length sandwich.
"Salt beef, pickles, mustard, what more could this bloke need?" He asks rhetorically.
Daniel reaches his fingers around the bread and lifts it to his mouth, his face inches from it, but a knock on the door forces him to stop. Being the well mannered man that his was brought up to be, Daniel lowers the sandwich back to the table, letting out a sigh.
"Come in." He lets out of his exhaled sigh.
Charlotte and Mackenzie walk in to the room, both in blue jeans and black heels. Charlotte wears a sleeveless, black shirt, held up by spaghetti strings, while Mackenzie wears a white buttoned up blouse.
"Something I can help you with?" Daniel asks them as he tries to focus away from the food in front of him.
The two women approach the desk, standing in front of Daniel.
"Actually yes." Charlotte says with a slight apprehension in her voice. "It's about Kate Steele."
Daniel looks towards Osbourne, a look of bemusement on his face, not matched by the stone faced bodyguard. Daniel looks back at the women in front of him.
"I know you two got kinda pally with her on the tour but she ain't exactly got a lot to do with me." Daniel tells them. "To be honest, I don't think I've had a conversation with the bird. We don't exactly run in the same circles, she yells about hair and things on Twitter and I don't."
"She has a problem we can help with." Mackenzie tells her boss. "And she's worth a few quid too."
"She also says cheers a lot where it makes no poxy sense to say cheers." Daniel says with a smile. "Cheers is not an acceptable way to say hello, thanks, but not hello. That should show ya she ain't all there."
"She has family issues." Charlotte says, while Mackenzie turns to hide a smile at Daniel's words. "She has this relative who killed a relative, who now wants to kill her."
Daniel can't help but break out in a wide smile as he looks at Charlotte.
"Who writes this shit?" Daniel asks. "I mean seriously, who comes up with this utter nonsense? How does she know she's a got a killer relative who killed her relative? Gives my arse a headache just saying that?"
"She was convicted." Mackenzie chips in.
"What she do? Climb over the wall?" Daniel says sarcastically. "Smuggle herself out in a laundry basket? Drug the guards? Come on!"
"I don't know." Charlotte admits. "Kate don't really know I don't think. Just a note and a warning."
"Milkman coulda wrote that note." Daniel tells her with a laugh. "Look, if she's hiding from a loon presumably from England, right?"
Both Charlotte and Mackenzie nod their heads at Daniel.
"Then even released, she'll never get in to this country with a conviction like that." Daniel tells them. "Would need fake passport and documents to do that. I will have a word with people in London when you get a description of this bird and see if anything clicks that someone's got her a fake passport. Till then, if ya that worried, put her in a wig, teach her how to deal cards or clean tables and put her to work down there where you can keep an eye on her."
Charlotte and Mackenzie nod towards Daniel.
"Fair enough." Charlotte comments. "Better get back to work."
Daniel nods as the two women walk towards the door and Daniel reaches down to the sandwich again, but as Charlotte and Mackenzie leave the room, Nick George walks in to the room, moving swiftly towards Daniel's desk. Daniel rolls his eyes as he looks at Nick, looking longingly at the sandwich as he puts it down on the desk.
"Lemme guess." Daniel says towards Nick. "You got someone trying to kill your mates too and you want me to help."
Nick moves towards the desk, sitting on the corner of it.
"There's always someone trying to kill my mates, but sod them, didn't like them much anyway." Nick says with a smile towards Daniel.
"Unless your arse has polish on it, remove it from my desk." Daniel tells Nick, pointing to where he's sitting.
Nick springs to his feet and looks towards Daniel.
"Nah, no polish on there." Nick says with a shrug. "But I'll remember it for next time. I wanna ask ya something."
Daniel waves his right hand in a circle, trying to get Nick to hurry up with his request.
"I was watching the SCW show the other night, and I want in." Nick tells him.
"Want in what?" Daniel says slightly confused. "It takes a long time to train to do what we do in that ring."
"Nah, I don't wanna be getting up close to fellas covered in baby oil and fighting for belts when they clearly have no jeans." Nick tells Daniel. "I wanna be your manager."
"No." Daniel tells him blatantly.
"Why not?" Nick says pointing out his lip. "I was watching and I saw that Gamer Inc got a manager, some orange haired weird looking guy who looks like he got beat up with every branch in the ugly forest and thought if that guy could get hired looking like that, I can do it too, cause I'm so much more better looking than him, plus it seems like everyone and their dog has a manager."
"You know why people have managers Nick?" Daniel tells him. "Because managers historically talk for their clients on screen, yet no one ever does. Everyone has managers and they are pointless, they add nothing, Gamer Inc's manager adds nothing, we don't need to add a manager and I don't think it would suit you."
"I can add something to the group. Hey, if that orange haired cartoon character can be a manager, why can't I?" Nick asks "He looks like the only fight he's ever had was a slap fight with his sister over who gets to play with Barbie first."
"Barbie's not so great. If she was then why do you have to buy her friends?" Daniel says with a smile. "Fact is Nicky, don't need a wrestling manager, because you'll be too busy stepping up in here."
"I will?" He asks. "Can I have a desk next to yours and make some office changes?"
"I can't deal with this bollocks right now." He says, rubbing the side of his head. "I need to get out of this place."
Daniel stands up, picking up the sandwich and handing it to Osbourne.
"Crack on." Daniel tells him. "I ain't gonna get no peace while I stay in this office. Nick, tell Dani to meet me at that burger bar down the road in 20 minutes."
Daniel walks around the desk, walking towards the door as Nick looks at the sandwich Osbourne is holding. Nick points at it.
"Halfsies?" He asks
*******
Twenty minutes later.
The clanking of plates can be heard as the scene fades in to a busy diner scene. The camera turns to focus on Daniel sitting at a table alone, just the remains of a burger can be seen on his plate. Daniel reaches down and picks up the last of the burger and puts it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing before leaning back on the booth seats, stretching his shoulder muscles out. He reaches down for a glass of dark liquid and takes a gulp, stretching his neck muscles backwards as his eye glance towards the door. The figure of Danielle Weston, former SCW Bombshell champion stands in the doorway, her eyes looking around for her boss at the Golden Ring Casino. She turns her head slightly to the left to see Daniel in a booth alone. Dani makes her way through the crowd to get herself towards Daniel. Daniel stands up politely and points towards the seat opposite him and Dani shuffles down the seat to the middle and Daniel sits back down.
"Can I get you anything?" Daniel asks as he points towards the menu.
Dani shakes her head, shuffling slightly nervously in her seat as she looks across at Daniel, not completely meeting his glare. Daniel tilts his head slightly as he looks at the obviously intimidated young woman.
"Something wrong?" Daniel asks her as he keeps a cool, calm stare on his face.
"No." Dani replies softly. "I'm just not used to having meetings with my boss in a loud diner, especially when we wasn't meant to meet for a few hours and I... I..."
The left side of Daniel's lip curls downwards as he looks at Dani turning her head to stare aimlessly out of the long diner windows.
"Well just breathe for a start." Daniel tells her. "You're no used to me or anyone else if you pass out."
Dani turns her head back towards Daniel, a half hearted nervous smile on her face.
"Couple of reasons why I got you here to a busy place like this rather than the office to talk to you about a couple of things is because one." Daniel holds a solitary finger up. "The office today was like a cattle market, noisy and busy. It was like someone had put a revolving door on my office and it just wouldn't stop spinning and two, I was bloody hungry and couldn't get any peace in that office to even sit there and take five minutes to eat."
"Oh..." Dani says, grasping the situation.
"So yes, this may be loud and busy but it's a damn sight quieter than my office." Daniel tells her. "Now I'm not one to usually do something like this outside the office, but I think it needs to be done and quickly."
"You're gonna fire me, aren't ya?" Dani fires back quickly, as if she can't stop herself from saying that.
Daniel looks at her silently, his hands pressed together, his face blank as Dani looks away from him, her head down. After a few second that might feel like an eternity for Dani, Daniel breaks the silence.
"For what?" He simply asks.
Dani looks up towards Daniel, a sadness in her eyes.
"Because of me and Nick." She says. "There was something in the contract about work place relationships and I broke that, so he's getting sent home and I'm getting fired."
A wide smile breaks out on Daniel's face as he looks across the table at Dani turning away from him.
"First off, there was bugger all in the contract about that." Daniel says trying not to laugh. "If that was in a workers contract, no one would ever work for SCW. It's a hook up center over there and has been for years. People work there, get married have kids, The Stevens, The Huntington-Hawkes, The Green's, The Jordan's, the soon to be Williams-Kane's, The Warren's, whoever the hell Crystal what ever her face is married to this week. If companies wouldn't allow couples, no one would work ever."
"So you're firing me for something else?" Dani asks quietly, swallowing hard.
"You got it in ya dome I'm firing you?" Daniel questions. "Well, you will have another job by the end of the week, put it that way."
Dani closes her eyes, turning away from her (ex?) boss, trying not to make eye contact with him.
"But I love it at the casino." She whispers.
"I know you do, so let me tell you a little story." Daniel says, straightening up in his chair and looking across at her. "When I came to America, I had one goal, one thing I wanted to do and that was to take a slice of the American dream, own something. Finding myself in Vegas, the casino game was a game I wanted to be a part of. Wrestling was a way to get me here because I wanted the big business, I wanted to break in to the American market and be an international businessman. I did that and now the money I give to America, there's no way I will be kicked out of the country regardless. I'm a man of wealth and the government know when someone with my money is in their country paying them for the privilege.... Will you look at me?"
Dani turns her head slowly and looks at Daniel through slightly glazed eyes.
"Thank you." He says, accepting this was the best he was gonna get from her. "I'd have absolutely no problem in extending my empire here, none at all. My track record for business here and home speaks volumes. I've done what I've had to here concerning the casino and I want to be back in England more, I want to look at other places to put that money. It took us just months to turn that beat up casino in to a place of serious profit and it's time for me to spend that profit elsewhere, so I'm not gonna at the casino as much anymore."
"So you're cutting costs?" Dani asks as she closes her eyes, breathing deeply. "It's ok, I understand."
Daniel puts his hand on his forehead, slowly shaking it from side to side.
"Ok, I'm going to have to spell this one out for you I think." Daniel says with a laugh. "Basically, I do too damn much at that casino when I'm there, I do everything from top to bottom if need be and I would like to not spend my entire life there. I'll be sitting in the big chair upstairs a little less often than I do now because what's the point of making money if you can't spend it, so later today I will be having a chat with Nick to take a more hands on role, but I'm not putting him in a situation where he's gonna be over run. I'm putting Nick in charge of the Casino and I need someone to be in charge of the bar."
Dani perks up, looking at Daniel across the table with lowered eyebrows.
"That's you, ya donk." Daniel spells out to her with laugh. "If you accept it, you will be our new bar manager. I'll find a sports bar manager from someone that I trust, maybe someone with experience in SCW, maybe one of the boys back home, maybe someone with experience, so that I can sit in the office a couple of times a week, Kenz and Charley in the office a couple of other days if need be and just have my phone with me for emergencies. Either way, Nick will accept the offer, I know he will, and he will have less say in how the bar is run, you will have more say."
"I... I... " is the best Dani could muster out in her shock.
"You'll be responsible for staff hire, drinks ordering, new cocktails." Daniel tells her "All for the casino floor. You can make up rota's for your workers, they will work under you. You will no longer answer to Nick, you will answer to myself, Charley, or Kenz, whoever ends up in the office on that day. If none do, you get my business line number. Yes, I have two phones, one people get for personal, one for business. Obviously, you'll get more money and a little more control over the bar. When you agree to hire new bar staff or waitresses, you hand them to Kenz to check out first, you wanna put a new cocktail on the menu, you work out the costs and throw it towards Charley for pricing. So yes, hopefully you will have a new job at the end of this week. Up to you."
"I accept!" Dani says excitedly, reaching over the table and grabbing Daniel's arm, forgetting the boss employee relationship for a second.
"Don't mention anything to Nick just yet." Daniel tells her. "I'll be having a chat with him when we get back."
"I won't, I promise." She tells him as her face changes to complete joy.
"Can't believe you thought I was gonna fire ya." Daniel tells her with a shake of his head. "Without you helping us at the beginning, things would have gone a lot slower, but don't sit there and rest too easily, first port of call is replacing you. You're more management now than worker."
"Do I still have to wear the uniform?" Dani asks him. "Oh! Can I change the uniform?"
Daniel just stares blankly across the table, and Dani puts her hands up in a surrender pose.
"You're right, you're right, baby steps." She tells her still boss. "Thank you."
"Don't let me down..." He quickly says back.
*******
Wednesday evening.
Well the day has passed, a hectic day and The Golden Ring Casino had two new permanent managers while the search starts for a manager of E14, the casino's sports bar. (Applicants directly to Daniel please!) and it was time to unwind. Some unwind with a movie, or shows, or a massage, but Daniel, nothing beats a scotch on the rocks on an evening on the balcony of his shared Vegas home with the rest of London Underground. The sights of the lights in the distant were always a comfort, knowing that under those lights, people were spending money and having a great time, while he could simply relax away from it all.
Daniel sits on the balcony, his eyes focused on the lights in the distance as Osbourne brings out a glass of scotch on the rocks, handing it to his boss and standing beside him. Daniel looks up at the big man and nods his head in appreciation.
"Cheers Os." Daniel say with a smile.
He raises the glass in Osbourne's direction before taking a sip and looking in front of him, looking at the lights in the distance.
"Few more days like this pal, and it's off to Reno." Daniel tells him. "Where one of us will face another bloody stark, raving mad looney."
Osbourne just nods his head once.
"What is it with all these freaks and weirdos in SCW?" Daniel asks himself. "In London, I fought a guy who is clearly a knicker sniffer, and now one of us gets to beat up some prick who talks to plants."
Daniel looks up at Osbourne with a wink, knowing what he just said.
"I don't get this guy Os." Daniel admits. "I mean he's gone out there and won a shot for the SCW World Heavyweight championship a while ago, he picked when he was gonna cash in long before Kate Steele did, he picked his time, his target without even thinking about who will be champion then, it' sloppy work from him or anyone, then he goes and aligns himself with a couple of no hopers to look towards the Mixed Tag Championships knowing he's months away from the World Title shot. Where's the common sense in any of that at all, ever?"
Osbourne shrugs his shoulders.
"It's like he's lowered himself when he should be out there reminding everyone that he has his shot coming up after Kale. I mean anyone could have won Blast From The Past and gone on against Austin James Mercer and beat him." Daniel states "It could be Kale that does it, but could have just as easily been anyone else so now he's a bit scattered and decides that Jessie Salco, a woman who can't buy wins and ends up in the same boring metal related places every week, and Amy Santino, the least deserving Hall of Famer there has ever been, who too struggles to buy wins is his way of finding something else to do, while ripping off the original freebird team here shows his mental state."
Osbourne nods his head in agreement.
"Which means he doesn't stand a chance against you, he doesn't stand a chance against me, he doesn't stand a chance in this mixed tag division." Daniel tells Osbourne. "There's a good possibility that he ain't gonna make it to his championship match because after we beat him, and anyone else teaming with those two, he's not gonna have the credibility to hold an ice cream let alone a top championship belt. Team Eggplant could smash him and either one of those, I would fancy our chances against anyone in SCW, Senor Vinnie is in serious trouble here. He's not gonna make it there with any of those as his partner. He's gotta watch their backs cause they'll be in a fair amount of trouble all the time, he won't be able to watch his own."
Daniel takes a sip of the scotch and looks towards Osbourne.
"Maybe we make this a teachable moment for Vinnie boy, what ya think?" Daniel asks him.
Osbourne nods his head once.
"We can teach him that you just can't jump in to a freebird team and expect things to click. You can't expect people to care about you, just by teaming with a pair of losers." Daniel says. "In fact, where the hell were you three on Climax Control? You form an alliance on one show and don't show up for the next to see yourself. Fan's have no already forgot about them. Strike while the iron's hot? Nah, do fuck all and expect the bosses to sell the group for you. Silly wankers. It's group one oh one really. If you don't show up and put in the effort, people forget you. Even Gamer Inc appeared last week, we appeared, did they? No. Hell, even one of Wolfslair took the time to talk and the other two wrestled, but what of our new group set to take us all by storm.... Sweet fuck all."
Daniel slowly shakes his head.
"You'd think how long they've all been in the game, they'll know these things." Daniel says in a disappointed tone. "You can see why they joined forces, not just because they're rubbish, but they're gold hungry. Vinnie's got his shot, Amy thought she was close to being a champ lately, and well now that title ban is lifted, Jessie will show up more demanding shots, but that doesn't make them a great team, just feels like they were thrown together cause shock horror, they want Mixed Tag Team Championship belts around their waist. All gonna blow up in their face if they win it, cause Jessie won't want Amy holding the belt as you well know."
Osbourne nods once.
"This is a group set to explode before they even get in the ring, so I think me or you should light that match." Daniel says to Osbourne. "Get their countdown clock to start ticking down to where they will without a doubt, go pop. We'll show Vinnie that this is a mistake and this division has always been ours, it's just to when we were ready to take it back, and now is the time, because with all these embarrassing little groups appearing, these shameful champions, it's time for us to take back what we always could Os, it's time for us to sit on that throne once more, to take the crown and it starts with smashing this bloke who's best friend is a cactus."
Daniel rolls his eyes.
"I can't believe I actually said that out loud." Daniel says to himself. "Either way, this is Vinnie's little introduction to the Mixed Tag Team division and the man is gonna learn that he is way over his head no matter which one of us is in the ring with him. The Mexican is in for one hell of a tough night, and we're in for one hell of a win. Just a damn shame he never stuck that contract on the line, could have saved SCW an embarrassing future main event."
Daniel stands up, knocking back the scotch in one go.
"Enough about that clown, let's go get rat arsed." Daniel says with a smile.
Osbourne returns the smile, breaking away from his usually straight faced look at the camera fades to black.
