Henderson, Nevada -
Sunset Station Hotel & Casino
Sometimes it was a rare treat when the wrestlers of Sin City Wrestling that called Las Vegas their home did not have to go out of their way in order to hit the next town while on tour. Henderson was a city that was less than an hour’s drive from its more famous ‘sister city’ Las Vegas but that made for quite the convenience. Sometimes the wrestlers used that to their advantage when they just wanted to drive up the night before or the morning of and easily head back home again. But for the 2023 Couple of the Year aka Miles Kasey and Carter McKinney, they decided that given the specialty of this upcoming weekend for them personally, that they would take this as an opportunity and make the most of it, having arrived Friday, that very morning.
What was so special about this weekend for Carter and Miles, you might ask? It was one year ago - January 27 - when the two young men acknowledged their feelings for one another and what they had between them became official - even if the entirety of SCW was aware of it when they themselves had yet to be. So while their frisky fur baby Ms. Thang was busy being spoiled rotten even further by Aron Baltasarsson and his brother Fenris (but mostly Aron), Miles and Carter headed for Henderson to properly celebrate their one-year anniversary together.
Which was where they had been since, staying at the luxurious Sunset Station Hotel & Casino. While SCW officials attempted to wrangle their stars into staying at the same accommodations so as to better keep track of who was where, some strayed from said plans and this was one of those cases. Miles knew his boyfriend’s tastes almost better than Carter himself did, and he knew Carter could and would easily forgo a modern and stuffy five-star hotel for one that had that special ambience and atmosphere - and the Sunset Station Hotel fulfilled that and more so. With the clock tower forefront and built on almost one hundred actress, the hotel was central to everything that made Henderson great. With numerous buffets and restaurants, casino games, bars and even a bowling alley, there was something for everyone who visited Henderson and stayed here. Save for Carter and Miles who had only ventured outside of their suite in order to grab food. Inside their room, they kept to themselves … Well, YOU KNOW!
Speaking of, Carter himself, known in the SCW ring wars as Helluva Bottom Carter, was lying about on the disheveled bed, clad in the plush, cream colored bathrobe that the hotel provided and Miles had playfully warned he had better not find tucked away in their luggage when the weekend was over. With his personal laptop open on the bed’s soft surface at his side, Carter had been busying himself doing some much needed research ever since Miles had taken a brief leave to shower and freshen up. His fingertips scrolled along the surface of the mouse pad, examining one listing after another on the screen when there was the soft chime on an incoming message.
Carter's eyes strayed toward the pop-up message and it was from one of the higher up agents of Sin City Wrestling. Rather than risk Miles over hearing anything, Carter took a moment to pop in his wireless ear bud and he clicked ‘accept’ to the message….
Only for moments later when a freshly showered Miles emerged from the large bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waistline, the steam still wafting up from his tanned and moist flesh. He was running a second towel through his wet hair when he overheard an interesting one-sided conversation that Carter was having.
“Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and I’d just rather not do this again.” Carter was saying from his end. “I know offers like this don’t come every day but I’ve had my fill.” … “Yes, but you’ve given me chance after chance and even I can’t justify it any more.”
Miles sighed from where he stood, already knowing what Carter was discussing with someone of importance. An agent or manager from SCW’s end of things. After his boyfriend’s elimination from the first round of the World title tournament and the shocking first-ever argument between the two lovers that was an end result, Carter had seemingly relegated himself to - in his own words - mid-card status. A distinction that both Miles and Ariana vehemently disagreed with. And apparently - those in the SCW offices did as well.
Carter continued with his conversation, “It’s all I can do just to continue wrestling when part of me feels like I’d be better off if I just stepped down.” Okay THAT caused a raised eyebrow from Miles. Carter went on, “No, no. I was talked out of that. But the rest … Yeah. I’m sorry but I know my place right now. It’s just not anywhere near a Main Event or championship. At least not for a very long time.” … “Yes, thank you. Bye.”
Carter exhaled deeply only after he turned the call off and pulled the bud from his ear. So intent was Carter’s conversation with – whoever it was, that he did not notice Miles approaching the bed.
“Better off if you stepped down, huh?” Miles said from out of nowhere, startling Carter and almost making him jump and fall from the bed.
“Jesus!” Carter shouted. He turned at the waist and for a brief moment, forgot himself while drinking in at the sight of Miles in just the towel. Even after a year, Carter still seriously had the hots for his man. It did Miles' ego good, “Milo” had to admit.
Miles nodded toward the laptop, “Who was that?” He asked. Carter cast a glance back over to the laptop and he shrugged innocently, “Just someone from SCW again. Talking to me about a title shot or some other nonsense.”
“And since when are title shots nonsense?” Miles asked, hands on his hips. Only to have Carter answer, “Since they’ve handed me half a dozen recently and I’ve fallen on my face each and every time. I told you Miles, I don’t want to do that any more. I’m … done. I’ll make due with the mid card and leave the rest to…”
“Don’t say it.” Miles demanded as he proceeded to slip into the bed at Carter’s back, wrapping his muscled arms around Carter’s slimmer frame and pulled him in close for a comforting cuddle. One in which Carter was immensely grateful for and he sank back against Miles’ bare chest and simply laid there, his eyes closed with content.
MIles went on to say, “Don’t call the others more talented. Not again.” Carter speaking down of himself was one of the catalysts that caused the two to engage in their first heated argument two weeks ago, shocking everyone backstage that was in the vicinity to overhear.
Carter said sleepily, “Just calling it how I see it.”
“Well, stop it, love.” Miles held him even tighter and snuggled his chin into the crevice between Carter’s shoulder and neck. “You should really call them back. Take them up on the offer.”
“It’s my career, Miles.” Carter said softly. “I’ll be fine.”
Miles closed his eyes for a brief moment, frustrated more at himself for not being able to get through due to his boyfriend’s own stubbornness. Carter had all the talent to walk away with any championship the bosses dangled in front of him. It just hasn’t happened … yet. But it would, and Miles just wished Carter would believe in the fact as much as he himself did. Ah well. Patience.
Miles opened his eyes once again and asked, “You hungry? We could go hit the buffet downstairs.” But when Miles didn’t get a response, he leaned over slightly to gaze at Carter’s face and he asked, “Babe?”
Only to find Carter asleep in his arms, worn out physically by Miles himself and emotionally by his own negative thoughts directed against himself. Miles smiled to himself and was going to lay back himself when the laptop screen had captured his eye and he found himself stealing a glance at what Carter had been doing while he had been in the walk-in shower.
A website that featured a bucket list of the best ways to celebrate an anniversary.
Miles smiled once again, and snuggled close and closed his eyes.
Henderson, Nevada -
Bayou Bistro
As it so happened, Carter’s worry over what he could do for Miles to properly celebrate being together for a full year was unwarranted. Carter realized that where romantic endeavors were concerned, Miles was the more imaginative and adept, whereas Carter practically worried himself sick trying to come up with just the right thing to let Miles know just how much he meant to him.
And Miles? He loved Carter dearly and was only too happy to go along with whatever Carter had planned for the remainder of the day. Miles was satisfied so long as they were together. And it all started when the two went for a visit to the Botanical Cactus Garden at the Ethel M Chocolates Factory. It wasn’t so much that either man was vastly interested in cacti. God knows they saw enough of them living in the desert oasis known as Las Vegas. Plus, Miles knew that Carter much preferred a regular Botanical Garden with a vast array of flora. But there was indeed a method to his boyfriend’s madness when, after touring the near three acres of almost three hundred different species of colorful cacti, the tour was followed up by visiting inside of the chocolate factory itself for a tour and straight into the gift shop.
Little known fact - Miles was even more of a choco-holic than Carter himself was, and a visit to one of the country’s premiere chocolatier factories was indeed a treat, as was the numerous chocolates and bon-bons and other assortments Carter treated them to, feeding each other one chocolate covered treat after another and purchasing many more to be savored later. They were careful, however at Carter’s own insistence, not to overdo it and spoil their appetites any more than they already have, because Carter had made reservations at a very special place…
Namely where they were now, atop the luxurious rooftop restaurant and lounge known as the Bayou Bistro. It was perhaps one of if not the most treasured restaurants in the city, overlooking the entirety of Henderson itself. And considering by this hour that the day had already transcended into nightfall, the sight was truly breathtaking. All of the city’s lights mesmerized from the Bistro, where Carter and Miles sat at a private table and dressed in their finest. Both loved the way the other looked in a suit so, despite there not being a dress code, they opted to dress up anyway for this special occasion. Miles looked absolutely stunning in his emerald green dress shirt and black vest with gold accents, and matching black slacks, whereas Carter went the extra mile to both capture and maintain his man’s eye, wearing a gray dress jacket over a white, button up shirt and matching gray slacks.
Carter spared no expense as on the surface of the table was the remnants of their meal, including bowls of gumbo, jambalaya… the house specialty was their monstrously sized king crab legs but Carter’s shellfish allergy made this impossible so he had the fettuccini Alfredo with blackened chicken. Miles, even though he could have indulged in the crab legs or even the menu’s offering of lobster, indulged instead in a steak that was large enough that even he had issues polishing it off despite possessing an impressive appetite. When the waiter had just passed by to offer up dessert, both men groaned and waved off the offering. For the time being, the two young men were content to simply sit there, enjoying the wine and each other's company.
“Carter? Babe?” Miles said, causing Carter to look up into his man’s eyes. Miles said, “Thank you.”
Carter smiled, a faint blush coloring his skin as he looked down and around before he returned to Miles’s gaze. Carter shyly shrugged and said, “You’ve done everything for me… you do everything for me…” He corrected himself. “This … was the least I could do. I mean, you deserve the best. I couldn’t just take you out for pizza.”
“Why not?” Miles asked as he reached again for his glass. “You know I would have been happy so long as I spent the time with you.” MIles smiled, despite himself. Even after this past year, Carter was still something of a shy schoolboy where Miles himself was concerned. Carter, always having difficulty believing that he deserved someone like Miles when Miles personally had trouble thinking it was he who deserved Carter.
Carter then continued, “I know I don’t say this enough because of my own hang ups but I love you. I really do.”
Miles was about to take another sip of his red when he set the glass down and leaned back in his chair. Miles looked deeply into his eyes and after a moment’s silence, said, “That’s all I need.”
“Oh, there is one last thing I thought we could do to celebrate?” Carter said with a mischievous twinkle to his beautiful eyes, resting his chin on the back of his curled fingers.
“Oh really?” Miles asked, taking a sip from his crystal goblet before setting it back down. “What’s that?”
Reaching into his suit jacket, Carter removed a card and extended his arm across the table, offering it up to Miles. Miles gave it a once over before he reached up and plucked it from his boyfriend’s hand.
Miles raised a single eyebrow and said, “...Twister?” He lowered the card and his smile was both bright and genuine. “You want to play Twister for our anniversary?”
“Mm hm.” Carter mused, his smile taking on a good deal more heat as he added, “Without clothes.”
Miles stared at Carter for seemingly an eternity before he held a hand up, forefinger extended and called out, “Check! PLEASE!”
The set up for the Dollar Loan Center in anticipation of Sunday’s edition of Climax Control was nearing its completion. The ring was front and center in the arena floor with the surrounding seats and stands filling to the thousands in numbers. The stage and lighting was finalized and the crew were finishing with the sound system, but far down below the rafters and inside of the six-sided ring was a single chair, turned around and one figure in particular seated on it, backwards.
“I’ve had plenty of time in the singles spotlight…”
Helluva Bottom Carter said softly as he rested his chin on his forearms which were draped on the back rest of the chair.
“It was high time that I got back into the thick of things in the tag team division with my best friend, Ariana. It’s been a long time since we got the chance to team with one another, both of us so caught up in our singles careers. And while I expect Ariana to continue her pursuit of the Bombshell Internet title until she can take it back from Courtney, I am thankful she took this time to team up with me once again. Team GO - reunited once again!”
Carter lifted his chin from his forearms and leaned back, ever-so slightly.
“And let’s be honest. It couldn’t have come at a better moment. With the ongoing World Heavyweight tournament and Finn Whelan in the finals, the tag team division has suffered somewhat. When it was first re-established, we were seeing mixed tag team matches on every card. It was unlike anything I can remember seeing with the mixed tag division! It was sky rocketing to a whole new level and then … nothing. A mixed tag team defense here and there highlighting some shows but when was the last time we saw Miles Kasey and Alexandra Calaway? Or Austin James Mercer and Tempest? Finn and Kayla breathed new life into the division when they beat - and kept beating - Oz and Eiley, but the champions are only as good as their challengers and I think it’s time that we gave this division a swift boot up the jacksie and get things back on track. Don’t you?”
“And what better way than to give the fans a match between the two teams who - by all rights - are the two top tag teams in Sin City Wrestling who are NOT the champions? Ben Jordan and Samantha Marlowe – and yours truly – HBCarter and Ariana Angelos? This is going to be the match that is just the shot in the arm that this division needs and we all walk away winners. Well… Ariana and I will, but I can tell you all for a fact that Ben and Sam won’t be making this easy by any stretch of the imagination.”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d focus solely on Ben as he’s the one that I have to be inside of the ring against, but Sammi…?”
Carter shook his head, eyes closed and a soft whistle blowing through his pursed lips.
“With all due respect to women like Mercedes Vargas and Roxi Johnson, when I think of icons of the Bombshell division, I can’t help but think of you. You’ve done so much for the women’s side of things and you strive to continue doing even more, at your own expense sometimes if need be. Mad respect for that and even more for fighting on whether things go your way or not. You’ve lifted things up for your division and did so with a positive and selfless attitude, unlike so many of the women that surround you with a dreadful case of the ‘me, me, me’s’. Do you want to win? Of course, who doesn’t? Do you want to be a champion again? I would bet so, especially with the tag team titles and Ben at your side because that would complete your Grand Slam, wouldn’t it? You have your ambitions and aspirations, but I can not remember once where you were selfish. I can’t recall a single time where you didn’t work hard for yourself but also to help establish the other women around you. For that … I have to applaud you.”
And indeed Carter did clap his hands together in a respectful applause.
“But here’s the thing, Sammi. While this is the first time our two teams have met, it’s not the first time we all have met in our respective divisions. You and Ari have met before, and correct me if I’m wrong but it was Ariana who walked away the winner the last time you two wrestled. That gives my bestie the edge I think, and she has to be in your head that if she beat you once, she could do so again. And she will. I have that confidence in my closest friend. Now Ben Jordan…”
Gripping the back of the chair, Carter leaned back a bit and sighed.
“Ben, you and I didn’t exactly have the best past, did we? And I can’t deny the fact that I have nobody to blame for that but myself. I know that I’ve apologized for my actions and everything that I’ve said to you that cut you to the core. I know that you, being Saint Ben and all, accepted my apology but time and again I just don’t think it’s enough. You were just trying to be a supportive friend and I turned that against you and everything that I said… It haunts me to this day. You’ve moved on with your life and I am genuinely happy for you in that regard, but there are times when I wonder if I’ll ever move on for how I acted with you. And I can’t deny that when you and I finally met inside of the ring after that incident, you whipped my tail from one side of the ring to the other and I deserved every moment of it. Every clothesline and every suplex… I deserved it. And the impending result…”
Carter closed his eyes and exhaled.
“I admit that I deserved that too. But that was how many months ago? Things have changed. Circumstances have changed. … I’ve changed, Ben. I’m not that same little wallflower that you were in the ring with last time around. Since then, my career has had plenty of its own ups and downs with a number of hiccups in between, but I’ve come into my own. I know who I am now and sooner rather than later, I want to ensure that the world knows. I want you to know. I am the man that took J2H to the brink of defeat. I am one of the eight that J2H hand picked to be his chosen successor. And even though I didn’t advance in the tournament, I know who I am. I am the best that I can be, and when you and I team with our closest gal pals this Sunday, I am going to take great pleasure in introducing you to that man.”
“I’m now going to be perfectly honest with you, Ben. Being in the ring against you was a unique experience that I will treasure for all the right reasons. I mean, you’re Ben Jordan. There is just no other way to describe you or to pay respect than by simply saying your name. How many other men in SCW can command that level of respect? Even J2H, for everything he’s done in this business, I don’t think even he has quite that level of adulation when someone hears his name. You are the locker room leader that we’ve always needed. You offer up help and advice even to those you would see as a rival and never think twice about doing so. You are a former multi-time champion around these parts.”
He held up a hand and counted off on his fingers.
“Two-time World Heavyweight Champion. Roulette Champion. Three-time World Tag. You are this close to capturing the Roulette and Mixed Tag and going total Grand Slam but… here’s the thing. It’s not that important to you. Everything I’ve come to know about you is that you put titles second and showcasing for the fans first. Whether you become another in a long line of SCW Grand Slam Champions is virtually meaningless where you’re concerned. Except for one thing … for one championship. The very one in which we’re competing in the division for. The World Mixed Tag titles.”
Carter again rested his chin on his forearms and showed some teeth behind his smile.
“And please don’t insult my intelligence by denying that, Ben. You want those championships just as much, if not more so, than anyone else in the division. But not for yourself… no. For your partner. For Samantha. You would want to win the titles for her benefit alone because it’s something that she would like to accomplish; winning the titles with her best friend by her side. See? It’s something that you and I have in common. It’s just a matter of which of us wants it more.”
Carter slowly pushed himself back to his feet and stepped back away from the chair.
“I’m looking forward to this more than you know, Ben. Being inside of the ring against a man like you, a walking, breathing legend in the making … It's what makes careers for guys like me. But all the respect in the world is not going to keep me from fighting you at my hardest to pick up the win. I’ve been in the ring with some of the best in this business recently; Hall of Fame names like Goth and Bill Barnhart. Why you are not yet in the SCW Hall of Fame is beyond the scope of my imagination but you will be, and I hope that it’s soon. And when you are, I am going to look back on this Sunday fondly and think… I was able to pick up the win against that man.”
Carter winked and turned to exit the ring as the camera faded out.
