The Grand Magrath Hotel -
Earlier in the week
Carter still was unable to get used to this. The Grand Magrath Hotel was perhaps the nicest hotel that he had ever had the pleasure of staying in throughout his travels as a wrestler, be it when he competed for SCU or after when he was signed to the Sin City Wrestling roster. And that was no knock on anywhere he stayed during his time throughout his career in Sin City Underground; as contrary to popular belief, SCU was not seen as an indy promotion nor a training ground for future stars of SCW. The two promotions co-existed. While it was true that SCW was the larger of the two promotions and had been around many years longer, they worked together for the betterment of the sport and while some stars worked for one or the other, Carter was one of the fortunate few who got the pleasure to experience both companies and how they treated their stars. It was SCU that gave him his first shot at fulfilling his dream, and were they still around, he was confident in stating that he would still be there. But fate was a fickle mistress it would seem and when SCU closed its doors, SCW stepped in with their open offer toward him, having become impressed with not just the wrestler that he had become, but the showman as well.
And it was here in the Grand Magrath Hotel that Carter was reveling in, feeling almost embarrassed at feeling like a typical American tourist and not one of the professional wrestlers that had only recently whipped the nation of India into a wrestling frenzy when Sin City Wrestling touched down for its “India Summer” tour. The exterior of the hotel looked as most hotels would; it stood several floors tall and was a sleek white, and yet it was the decor surrounding it that had captivated Carter’s attention. Trees and shrubbery were everywhere, surrounding the hotel and meticulously cared for. Rock gardens ran along the paths that led from the city streets to the hotel’s entrance where dutiful employees were eager to assist him from his cab that had first brought him from the Kempegowda International Airport. More than one hotel clerk worked to keep the fans nearby at bay as another assisted him from the vehicle while still ANOTHER retrieved his luggage from the trunk of the taxi.
If he was going to be perfectly honest, Carter was somewhat surprised that the fans even recognized him because he looked nothing like when he was competing inside of the ring. He wasn’t dolled up in makeup nor was he wearing anything particularly outlandish. His barely had time to run a comb through his hair at the airport before the taxi driver managed to scoop him up at the airport dock and bring him here. His clothes were even a simple printed T featuring the characters from the anime “Yuri On Ice” and bleached jeans. See? Nothing too crazy - for Carter, that is. Carter paused just long enough to wave at a few fans and sign a handful of autographs, promising to come back down later for more before he was whisked away so that he could check in and get some much needed rest. It amazed him just how huge wrestling was in India, but it amazed him even more how professional the hotel staff remained in trying to shield him from the craziness that the SCW Superstars and Bombshells seemed to generate wherever they went in this wondrous country.
Carter had checked in and had wanted to take a quick nap, but he knew Ari and Francisco would be arriving anytime as well and he himself was just too full of energy to get any real semblance of rest. So he took to exploring his accommodations, and when he had discovered that there was not only a bar but a freaking POOL on the rooftop of this hotel, he could have cried out in joy and spent the remainder of his stay right there. But – there was work to do. And someone that he wanted to talk to…
“So, how is India?” The voice of Carter’s boyfriend Lazarus asked from the other side of their video chat. Carter was a little surprised that Lazarus had called him out of the blue, because it had to be the earliest hours, just after 1AM in the states. Lazarus was a fanatic when it came to getting proper rest, and had been for as long as they’d known one another. He never drank anything caffeinated, nor did he take part in any activity before bed such as watching TV or using his phone that might alert his senses and make it difficult for him to fall asleep or worse, remain asleep. It came from his work as a model, where he could not risk the physical effects of what a lack of sleep might do to him. Bags under the eyes and such, but right there he was, staring at Carter from his end of the call with his blue eyes bright and alert and a smile that equaled Carter’s own.
Carter sighed as he stretched out on the white bedspread with tan accents and said with a smile, “Amazing. I traveled some places while in SCU but we never went any further than Canada, really. This tour has been great. But still … six weeks is a long time. I miss Vegas.”
“Just Vegas?” Lazarus asked with that smarmy smile on his face that always had Carter’s shorts ready to drop to the floor. That twinkle in Lazarus’s eyes spoke more of a hint of mischief than anything else, Carter taking little to no notice that the scene surrounding his boyfriend was moving, as if he were moving nor that it would have seemed vaguely familiar to the keen eye.
“Ugh, don’t be like that.” Carter teased right back. “You know I miss you too. I just wish you were able to come with me on this tour. I think Ari and Krystal must have gotten some kind of group rate for this tour with as many people as they bring along.”
“Yes, well… Ariana brings that guy she’s dating everywhere.” Lazarus replied, Carter not hearing the tone he used when speaking on the subject. “It’s like he has to be everywhere she is, all the time. It’s not healthy.” He then looked away from whatever direction he himself was headed until he came to a halt and his eyes returned to his boyfriend’s. Lazarus went on, “And I wish I could be there too, but I have to get ready to fly to Bangkok…”
Carter snorted, he WAS only twenty three years old after all. Lazarus tilted his head and gave him ‘that’ look, saying, “Grow up.”
“Sorry.” Carter chuckled, smothering the mirth on his lips. He then found himself asking, “Have you ever been to India for work?”
“No.” Lazarus shook his head. “Though I’d love to, sometime. It's on my travel bucket list.” As there was a sound like a chime on his end of the call and he started walking again.
Carter replied, “Well maybe when I’m a huge success and World Champion, I’ll bring you here to celebrate?”
“Dare to dream!” Lazarus smiled at him from his end as his path slowed. Still, the moving scene around him did not stir any memory with Carter who took no notice. His attention was for the handsome blonde, not whatever was around him. Lazarus winked, saying, “You just want to get romantic and have your way with me in a foreign nation.” Lazarus then frowned and tilted his head like a playful but curious puppy. “Isn’t that on that naughty bucket list of yours?”
“Well…” Carter shrugged his slim shoulders. “We crossed the shed at Home Depot off of yours.” Causing Lazarus to laugh and nod. “Fair enough.” Laz - as Carter affectionately coined him.
Carter sighed, truly missing this hunk of a sweetheart, “Tell you what…” He teased. “If you’re knocking on my door in five minutes…” Repeating the playful promise that the two would give one another when so far away that the promise would remain unfulfilled. But before Carter could finish his sultry and mostly likely - X-rated promise, there was a knock at the door of his hotel.
“Just a second,” Carter said as he slid off of his bed and stood upright. “That’s probably Ari and Francisco.” Carter walked across the plush carpeting of the hotel room and grabbed the door handle, pulling it open to reveal…
Lazarus leaning against the frame of the door with a genuine smile on his handsome, handsome face. Lazarus showed his pearly whites and asked, “You’ll what?”
The phone slipped from Carter’s fingers before he grabbed Lazarus by the shirt and pulled him into the hotel room, slamming the door behind him!
***
An hour and a half later, and minus the details of their clandestine reunion (you’re welcome by the way!), the shower in the bathroom turned off and the glass door slid open and a cloud of steam escaped and filled the cool air of the bathroom. Carter’s bare arm, steamed from the scalding hot water of the shower, stretched out and grabbed one of the tan towels that hung on the rack nearby. He carefully stepped out of the shower and onto the bathmat where he started to rub the towel over his moist flesh and then wrapped the towel around his waist before grabbing a second and he started rubbing briskly at his hair to dry it.
Word of advice from his close friend and stylish icon Mz. Holly Wood: “Never bake your hair with a hair dryer! Always let a towel and the air do its job for you!”
Carter then opened the bathroom door and peeked out into his room and saw the peaceful form of Lazarus asleep on the bed, passed out from their exertion with one another. God he looked so beautiful - almost angelic - when he slept. Carter then turned around and stepped back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He used the towel on the fogged up mirror, wiping it free from the moisture and condensation. He leaned forward to look at his reflection and instinctively touched his fingertips to the split mark on his lower lip.
He didn’t look at all like the sort of man that would do something like this.
“Miles.”
“Are you as surprised as I am that we’re being given another shot at one another so soon? I’m told that the higher ups were so impressed with our chemistry inside of the ring and the show we put on when we were alone in the ring in that mixed tag team match, that they wanted to see what we might pull off when there were no Bombshells involved; just a straight up singles match. One on one, man on man, er - man to man. Well – let’s not disappoint anyone, shall we?”
“It seemed only natural that the bookers would want to throw you and I inside of the ring a time or two, given how we interact on social media. Or should I say, given how I tease and flirt and you just go along with it and drive me crazy with some of those pictures you have taken. The powers that be know a cash cow when they see one and when they see how you and I talk on Twitter … it only made sense that they’d want to see us against one another in an official capacity. We put on a show online, so they’d be dying to see what kind of show we’d put on inside of the ring and I’d like to think in the mixed tag, we held up our end of the bargain pretty good! Wouldn’t you? Well enough that the bosses and fans wanted to see it again, and much more up close and personal. But circumstances have changed. There’s no Zoey Lukas or Krystal Wolfe standing out on the apron, waiting to be tagged in. This time it’s just you and me, and personally speaking? I find that to be so much hotter.”
“Fun and games aside, I knew going into that match then just like I know going into this one, just what kind of competitor that you are. I’ve heard you described as the Greatest To Have Yet To Win A Championship and Miles? That’s not an insult by any means. It’s a compliment of the highest order, or at least that’s how I see it personally. You are one of the best I’ve been in the ring against. A real sportsman, a showman - and you give it everything you have to walk out the winner whether you’re in front of ten fans or ten thousand.”
“I LIKE that in a man!”
“And as far as the championship…? It’s going to happen. Whether it happens sooner or later, who knows? But I have all the confidence in the world that it is going to happen to you. But for now, you’re against me. Remember me? The same guy that debuted two weeks ago and pinned you? That’s when I knew that you weren’t just a pretty face or a tight ass. You were a fighter, a true professional in every sense of the word and you made me earn that win. I thought when we wrested in our sleepwear, or regular ring gear, that the usual strategy would work with you that worked a lot of the time in SCU; gay guy versus straight guy. Gay guy grabs straight guy’s junk or plants one on him and drives him bat shit crazy! Only, that stratagem doesn’t work with you. I grab you and you just grab right back! That shows you’re just as fun as you are open minded when up against someone like me. Well, I have my own career goals and dreams here in SCW, and losing so soon after debuting isn’t one of them. I want to win, and I am going to win. And I know just like two weeks ago, you’re going to make me work for it. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“It’s going to be a pleasure having you struggle beneath me, Miles.”
