Wednesday 25th March
The scene opens inside the kitchen of Simon Jones' house in Cardiff; sat at a table, wearing a pair of navy blue tracksuit bottoms and a plain grey t-shirt, is the man himself. On the table, in front of Simon, is a laptop, and it is that item to which his attention is currently drawn. Stood behind Simon - looking over his shoulder, at the laptop - is Natalie McKinley; Natalie is wearing a pair of black leggings, and a sky blue tank top.
Simon presses a button on the laptop, and the next sound to be heard is the voice of football commentator Clive Tyldesley:
"Munteanu...Hagi...ooh, he's scored! It's a brilliant goal by Hagi!"
Simon presses another button on the laptop, silencing it; he then turns to look at Natalie.
Natalie: 'You were right - that goal was sublime.'
Simon: 'They went on to reach the quarter-finals that year, which is the most successful appearance at a World Cup that Romania have had.'
Natalie: 'I was only two years old at the time, so you will have to forgive me for not remembering it.'
Natalie's remark produces a smirk from Simon.
Simon: 'There were some talented players in that Romanian team - Hagi was the main one, but there were others; clubs in the Premier League signed several of them - players like Dumitrescu, Raducioiu, Popescu, and Petrescu.'
Natalie: 'Well, hopefully my performance in my match on Sunday will get the fans in Bucharest up and out of their seats, like that goal by Hagi did.'
As Natalie takes a seat at the table, in a chair adjacent to Simon, Simon turns his attention back to the laptop; Natalie then looks in Simon's direction.
Natalie: 'What time is it now?'
Simon: 'It's ten minutes until the tickets go on sale.'
Simon looks away from his computer, and towards Natalie.
Simon: 'I still don't understand why you came here, to wait while I buy these tickets, instead of just meeting me at the gym.'
Natalie: 'Because I didn't want to start without you.'
Simon: 'Fair enough.'
Natalie: 'Did you really book the day off work, just so that you could buy tickets to the athletics at the Olympic Stadium?'
Simon nods his head.
Simon: 'Yes. I didn't want to risk missing out - two years ago, the tickets were all sold out within half an hour of going on sale; it was a good job that I decided to get up at six o'clock that day.'
Natalie frowns.
Natalie: 'You got up at six o'clock?'
Simon: 'Yeah, well, Jacqui and I were living in the Canadian Maritimes then, so with the time difference, it was six o'clock there.'
Natalie: 'Oh, okay.'
Simon: 'Are you not interested at all in buying tickets for the Anniversary Games?'
Natalie: 'I don't know; I hadn't thought about it - I've never been to watch athletics before. I suppose it would be nice, though, to actually visit the Olympic Stadium, rather than just see it on TV.'
Simon: 'Does Jack like athletics?'
Natalie: 'Yeah, I think so. Why do you ask?'
Simon: 'Well, after he surprised you, by taking you to the Cheltenham Festival, perhaps you could surprise him, by buying tickets for the two of you for the Anniversary Games.'
Simon rubs his chin.
Simon: 'How's it going with you and Jack?'
Natalie smiles, as she thinks about her current beau.
Natalie: 'It's great. He's charming, he's funny; he's taken me to Cheltenham, as you said, and he's taken me elsewhere, such as to the game at Rodney Parade that I told you about, as well as to various restaurants. And he always insists on paying for everything - which I'm not going to complain about.'
Natalie sighs, contentedly.
Natalie: 'Thank goodness I beat Mercedes in our match in Stockholm, otherwise I would have missed out on going on a date with Jack.'
Simon: 'Not to mention that you would have missed out on a match for the bombshell roulette title. But yeah, from what you have told me about him, Jack sounds like a good bloke; I'm happy for you, Natalie.'
Natalie: 'Thanks, Simon. Things couldn't be going much better for me at the moment, what with my relationship with Jack, and with me being a champion in SCW.'
Simon: 'Well, enjoy it while you can, because you never know when things are going to change - especially when there are other bombshells that are eager to relieve you of your title.'
Natalie: 'Starting with Jessie Salco, on Sunday.'
Simon: 'Yup; at least with me having the day off work, I have additional time to help you prepare for your match against Jessie - I do not want your reign as Bombshell Roulette Champion to come to an end with the first defence of the title, as happened with my first reign as Heavyweight Champion.'
Natalie: 'I don't want that to happen either, I can assure you - I want to keep hold of the roulette title for a long time.'
Simon: 'And I believe you possess the ability to do that. But this is where the hard work really begins - not that your work ethic will ever be questioned.'
Natalie: 'I would hope not; you know how hard I've worked to get to where I am - I'm not about to stop now.'
Simon nods his head.
Natalie: 'How long is there to go now?'
Simon glances at the laptop.
Simon: 'Seven minutes.'
He then looks back to Natalie.
Simon: 'Speaking of "other bombshells," it's going to be strange no longer having Misty as a part of SCW; when Misty first talked about retiring, last year, I stated publicly that SCW would be worse off once she retired - I guess now we'll find out how accurate that statement was.'
Natalie: 'I learned more watching Misty in recent months than I did in four years of training.'
Simon: 'I expect that Roxi is disappointed - not least because I know she wanted the chance to have another match with Misty; how about you, Nat?'
Natalie: 'A match with Misty?'
Natalie shrugs her shoulders.
Natalie: 'I don't know; either as her opponent, or as her partner, it would have been a privilege for me to be able to share the ring with Misty. I'm just curious now as to who is going to be Amy Marshall's first challenger, if not Misty.'
Simon: 'I suppose that, as the former champion, Delia is the de jure number one challenger. I'm sure that Roxi would be under consideration, if she didn't already have the internet title to her name. Beyond those two, possibly either Raynin or Gothika, if they don't wind up regaining the tag team titles.'
Natalie: 'What about Mercedes?'
Simon: 'Mercedes? I'm not sure; I know she was victorious in the main event of Climax Control this past Sunday, but I seem to recall her losing the last two singles matches that she competed in - whoever it was that those matches were against.'
Natalie grins.
Simon: 'But who knows - if you keep on winning, Natalie, maybe you will catapult yourself into contention.'
Natalie: 'I don't know about that - it would be a good situation to be in, but I'm not thinking about any title other than the one that I currently hold.'
Simon: 'And if you want to keep hold of the roulette title, then that's the right attitude to have; don't get ahead of yourself - just concentrate on what you have now.'
Simon looks at his laptop again.
Simon: 'Five minutes.'
Natalie: 'How much do tickets for the Anniversary Games cost?'
Simon turns back to Natalie.
Simon: 'In the area of the stadium where I want to sit, the tickets cost fifty-five pounds each - so for both days, it's one hundred and ten pounds each.'
Natalie: 'And it is the last weekend in July, right?'
Simon: 'Correct; the Anniversary Games takes place on the Friday and the Saturday, and then it is my wedding anniversary on the Sunday, so Jacqui and I will be having a long weekend in London, to mark the occasion.'
Natalie looks away from Simon for a moment or two, in contemplation; she then turns back towards him.
Natalie: 'Okay, Simon, you know what, I do want to go to the Olympic Stadium.'
Simon: 'Are you sure?'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'Yeah - like you said, after everything that Jack has treated me to, me buying tickets for us for the Anniversary Games will be a pleasant surprise for him.'
Simon: 'Great; I'll buy four tickets together, for the two days, and then you can pay me back.'
Natalie: 'That's cool; I just hope that I'm not needed in SCW that weekend.'
Simon: 'Well, if you do end up having to wrestle in a match somewhere that weekend, I'm sure you won't have any difficulty reselling your tickets.'
Again, Simon looks at the laptop.
Simon: 'Three minutes to go.'
There is a brief silence, before Natalie asks a question.
Natalie: 'Simon, are you my mentor?'
As he turns to look at Natalie, Simon laughs.
Simon: 'What makes you ask that?'
Natalie: 'A couple of times recently, Mercedes has referred to you as my "mentor" - but I never viewed you as being my mentor.'
Simon: 'And I never thought of you as being my pupil.'
A smirk crosses Simon's face.
Simon: 'When I hear the word "mentor," I can't help but think of the relationship between Dr. Cox and J.D. If you want, I can start calling you various girls' names - although actually, thinking about it, I suppose I ought to use boys' names; would you like that, Nathan?'
Natalie: 'Please don't.'
Simon: 'Okay, I won't. But seriously, does me helping you, and wanting to see you succeed, make me your mentor? I wouldn't say that it does. I don't do these things because I want to be looked upon as being your mentor - I do them because you're my friend; it's because you're my friend that I'll help you prepare for your match with Jessie Salco, and I'll continue to provide you with assistance for as long as you want me to.'
Natalie: 'Thanks, Simon.'
Simon: 'No problem.'
Simon leans back against his chair.
Simon: 'Unless Roxi is your opponent - then you'll be on your own.'
Simon winks at Natalie, who laughs slightly, as she shakes her head at him, and as Simon turns his attention towards his laptop once more, the scene fades to black.
Friday 27th March
The scene opens to show Natalie McKinley stood in front of the Romanian Athenaeum - a concert hall, in Bucharest. Natalie - who is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, and a red jacket - looks over her left shoulder, at the building behind her; she then looks back to the camera, smiles, and begins to talk.
Natalie: 'Nineteen days ago, in Copenhagen, I experienced one of the most memorable nights in my life, as I became the new SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion; two days from now, at a venue that is around two miles away from where I am currently stood, I will compete in my first match since Blaze Of Glory, as I defend my championship for the first time, against Jessie Salco.'
Natalie glances down at the the floor momentarily, before looking back to the camera, and continuing.
Natalie: 'It won't be the first time that Jessie and I have been in the same ring - we were of course opponents as recently as last month, in what was my first match following my return to SCW. That match finished with my tag team partner for the night, Simon Jones, pinning Jessie's partner, Steve Ramone, and so I'm looking forwarding to getting to lock horns with Jessie again, but this time, for an extended period. Prior to that match, when talking about Jessie, Simon said that she "has worn gold in SCW in the past, and will probably get the opportunity to do so again in the near future;" I suppose it is ironic that Jessie's opportunity comes against me, barely seven weeks later, but that's the scenario that we find ourselves in - it's now my aim to thwart Jessie's hopes, and keep hold of my title.'
Natalie nods her head.
Natalie: 'I expect Jessie to provide me with a stern challenge on Sunday evening; I respect what she has achieved in SCW, most notably having been one half of the tag team champions on three occasions, including two reigns in the past eight months. However, it has now been over two years since Jessie's solitary reign as Bombshell Roulette Champion was ended, and she has not held a singles title in SCW since then; I'm sure she hopes to end that wait at Climax Control - unfortunately for her, I have other ideas.'
Natalie's smile broadens slightly.
Natalie: 'Jessie has been vocal in the past about wanting to be a singles champion again in SCW, and seeing her tag team partner - Amy Marshall - win the top title at Blaze Of Glory, has probably only increased her desire to get a title for herself. She had set her sights on the internet title, so I imagine that Jessie is surprised - albeit pleasantly - to instead find herself placed in a match in which the roulette title is at stake. Roxi Johnson had even shown a willingness to defend her title against Jessie, and so with that in mind, I'm going to do the pair of them a favour: I'll beat Jessie at Climax Control, so that then, while I'm still the Bombshell Roulette Champion, Jessie and Roxi will be able to have the match that they want at the next supercard, after all.'
The camera then pans one hundred and eighty degrees, as Natalie moves from in front of the Romanian Athenaeum, to take up a position where she is facing the building; Natalie is now stood next to a statue of Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu, with a small park visible in the background.
Natalie: 'This Sunday's Climax Control will be the first SCW show of the post-Misty era. In announcing her retirement, Misty threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the bombshells, challenging us all to make an impact in her absence. I believe that I've already made quite an impact in the six-sided ring, having won the roulette title in just my sixth match in SCW - I could even have done it in half the time, but, you know, I decided to make a meal of it. Now, I wish to further the impact that I have had upon SCW, by successfully defending my title, for many months to come.'
Natalie turns to look at the statue.
Natalie: 'From what I have read about him, Mihai Eminescu is regarded as the most influential Romanian poet.'
She then turns back to the camera.
Natalie: 'It could be argued that Misty - the original bombshell - is the most influential female wrestler in the history of SCW. Now though, Misty has stated that "it's time for the spotlight to be on someone else." Well, I crave that spotlight - I want it to be on me. I won't mind if I have to share the spotlight with some of the other bombshells, if they deserve it, but I've already had a taste of success in SCW, and I want more. And I aim to show that I deserve to be featured prominently in the bombshells' division - defeating Jessie Salco on Sunday, to retain my title, will be another step towards that.'
Natalie tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
Natalie: 'Although I have had the Bombshell Roulette Championship for fewer than three weeks, it is already something that I hold dear - as the first title that I have won in my career, I will now always have a special fondness for it. Winning the roulette title at Blaze Of Glory validated not only my decision to return to SCW, after almost five months away, it also validated my decision to leave behind my job as a personal trainer, to embark upon a career as a professional wrestler.'
Natalie lets out a sigh.
Natalie: 'I'm sorry, Jessie: I know how much you would like to win the Bombshell Roulette Championship, but I'm afraid I can't let you have it - not yet, anyway; I've only had the title for a matter of weeks - it's far too soon for me to be letting go of it.'
Natalie puts her hands on her hips.
Natalie: 'I wonder, Jessie - do you still consider me to be a "flop"?'
Natalie smiles wryly.
Natalie: 'I admit, that comment of yours irked me. It also made me even more determined to make my return to SCW a successful one, and so given what has happened since, maybe I should actually be thanking you, Jessie.'
Natalie takes her hands off her hips.
Natalie: 'While you're entitled to your opinion, Jessie, just like everyone else, I'm keen to beat you at Climax Control, not only to retain my title, but also to prove to you just how wrong you were about me; on Sunday, the only "flop" in our match will be the sound of your body hitting the canvas, after I perform either the Taff Valley driver of the Winds of Change.'
Natalie then smirks.
Natalie: 'See you on Sunday, Jessie. Nat will tear you apart again.'
As Natalie stands, smiling, and staring confidently towards the camera, the scene fades to black.
