It has been two weeks and if not for the physical evidence, I don’t think I would believe I am not dreaming. But seeing that belt resting around the waist of my full size teddy bear makes me smile every time I walk into my room and see her sitting on the bed dressed in a light purple velvet dress and roulette title.
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Sam Marlowe moved into the room where a wide open space is surrounded by weight machines and barbells and weights and an obstacle course seems to be set up with boxes and bars in the middle of it. The dust motes dancing in the air tickle at her nose as she stops dead center of the room and lets the bag that had been resting on her shoulder fall to the floor. To one side, the reflection of the redhead reveals her with her hair in a rather messy bun and a pair of old black and red tights and halter covered with a rather worn and half open red hoodie with a small embroidered Boo Boo Bear on its left side. On her feet can be found a pair of red converse shoes and slouch socks.
Leaving the bag on the floor, Sam reaches up and pulls the earbuds out of her ears and calls out in the quiet. Her hello echoes in the empty room. “I guess I am early,†she says to no one in particular before pulling the ear buds from the mp3 player she pulls from her pocket. Moving closer to a weight machine, she sets the player on it and then pushes the button to fill the room with sound. Moving back to the bag, she leans over to pull it up then carries it to the machine with the music player. Swaying to the music, Sam pulls on the zipper and undoes the hoodie to slowly pull it off her arms and leaves it in a puddle on the bag.
Moving back into the center of the room, Sam continues to move to the music, stretching out her arms and pulling them across her body as she warms up. Finally prepared, Sam looks at herself in the mirror and again begins to sway with the music. She starts to hit poses that would make most people laugh but Sam was taking each seriously as she slowly kept moving. The song plays as each pose matches the tempo. The final few notes can be heard before silence makes Sam stop.
“Ok, let’s do this,†she says to herself as the tempo of the song changes and Matchbox Twenty’s She’s so Mean begins to play. Sam’s lips curl into a smile as she begins to swing along the bars, flipping around the steel posts and begins to move faster. Climbing the poles, she stretches out and dances to the tempo of the beat. Getting into the music and dance, she doesn’t hear the door open to reveal a woman standing in the doorway.
In the doorway, Vixen Staggs can be seen watching the redhead as she dances to the music. Leaning against the door jam, she says nothing as she pulls out her phone and begins to record Sam’s dance. As the music dies and Sam does a few final spins and then slides down the pole to lay herself out against the pole, Vixen whistles to catch the attention of Sam who looks up in surprise to find the Hall of Famer recording her. Pulling herself up, Sam moves towards the weight machine where her bag is resting and then pulls out a towel to wipe her chest down as she ducks her head hoping that she isn’t blushing too much.
“Where did you learn how to do that?†demands Vixen as she stops recording and moves towards the redhead. “Looks like it will help make you limber in the ring or makes it so you have a career choice if this wrestling gig doesn’t work out.â€
Sam chuckles as she shakes her head at Vixen. “Funny Vix,†answers Sam as she tosses the towel over her shoulder before moving towards Vixen and opens her arms. Vixen smirks as she feints a punch into the midsection of Sam forcing the redhead to recoil slightly with a laugh. The pair then hug before Sam tosses an arm over the neck of Vixen and leads her towards her bag. “I’m glad you could come and see me before Climax Control. I am seriously worried about the match considering what happened on the ship and the fact that I was responsible for what happened to Chelsea and now she might not ever wrestle again…†begins Sam only to have Vixen hold up her hand and interrupt Sam.
“I saw what happened on the ship Sam and I have to tell you that you are putting way too much on your shoulders,†says Vixen in a calm voice. “Chelsea knew what she was getting into when she signed up for that match. And believe me, the Roulette title means extreme,†adds Vixen.
Sam bites at her lip as she takes in what Vixen is saying. Nodding at the woman standing across from her, Sam takes a deep breath before agreeing. “Ok, so I can give myself the benefit of the doubt for being responsible. But I also have Jessie invoking her rematch and Christian of course decided that she gets it because I won the title and I think he desperately wants to keep me down and titleless and here I am with HIS Bombshell Roulette title around my waist. You don’t think that he is going to rig it in Jessie’s favor do you?â€
Vixen shakes her head negatively and answers. “Christian Underwood stooping that low…really? I get that he is feeling like he needs to be the bad bee with the itch but seriously…do you honestly think that he wants to do that to you?â€
“Can you prove to me after all I have been through with him that he doesn’t?†replies Sam as she cocks an eyebrow and lets one corner of her lip curl in a half smile. “Well regardless of what he wants, I have to be ready for facing Jessie Salco and be prepared for anything that the wheel could end up on. And that is something that I don’t really have experience with. So that is why I asked you here. Help me prepare for the match and tell me what I am going to need to do to keep my title.â€
Vixen is ready to give her protégé a flippant answer when she spies the look of fear and self-doubt in the eyes of Sam. Moving towards the redhead, Vixen lays her hands on the shoulders of Sam and gives her a hard look.
“You have to be ready to do anything to keep that title. You have to be prepared to put your body on the line and not worry about the hurt and pain and pressure. You are going to have to want to give it your all and be prepared to beat your opponent to the point that she can’t come back,†offers Vixen which only makes Sam’s eyes widen in surprise at the serious intent of her mentor.
“You can’t be serio…†begins Sam only to have Vixen put a finger against her lips to stop her from talking.
“I can’t be more serious Sam,†replies Vixen, her brows lowering slightly as she focuses on Sam, her eyes darkening to emphasize her words. “Like I have taught you and like Spike keeps saying, you need to get extreme when it comes to the Bombshell Roulette title. That wheel is a fickle bitch with matches that are designed to test your limits and push the envelope. So either you embrace the extreme or you just hand over the belt Sunday night at Climax Control.†Sam’s eyes say it all as she lets them widen. Vixen gives her a hard look before pulling the finger away and demanding if Sam understands what she is saying.
“I get it Vix…†says Sam as she gulps a hard breath then swallows as her jaw tightens. “And I am not giving up the title without a fight and Jessie is not going to know what to do with me,†vows Sam as the two women move back into the middle of the room. Behind them, the mirror reflects the pair as they face each other. The music covers what they are saying but by their actions, you can see that Vixen is here to train Sam and the redhead is ready to learn what it is going to take to keep her Roulette title.
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The camera focuses on the SCW Bombshell Roulette title as it rests on something, framed by red curls as the camera pulls out to reveal Sam Marlowe dressed in wrestling gear with the belt resting under her hand on her shoulder.
“Jessie, congratulations, I am sure that you are excited about challenging me for this,†says Sam as her hand caresses the belt slightly. “Now I could be confident and tell you that there is no way that you will be able to take this belt off me but we both know that you have held this belt three times already. And you are looking to win it back and in doing so, make history with this belt. But I have to tell you that there is going to be a little wrinkle in your plan. See, I am not ready to give this title up so easily.â€
Sam looks towards her shoulder, a smile beginning to form on her lips as she once more sets her fingers caressing the faceplate of the belt, her fingers tracing along the name plate where Sam Marlowe is etched. Turning again to the camera, Sam starts to speak.
“I know that the reason that you have been given your shot is twofold. One you do have the rematch clause in your contract but I think that the real reason you have been given the shot is the fact that I am on the bad side of Christian and he just can’t stand to see me succeeding the way I am. And you know what Jessie…I am succeeding. We saw it on the ship when I won the title. We will see it in the ring at Climax Control with once more I beat you.â€
Sam begins to look confidently into the camera, her smile beginning to widen with each breath she takes and each statement she makes. Pulling the belt off her shoulder, Sam holds it up with one hand for the camera.
“Jessie, I have to tell you this now and I hope you don’t take it the wrong way but you have to understand, I have been fighting to prove to Mr. Underwood that the faith that Mark Ward has shown me wasn’t misplaced. So when that wheel spins and decided what kind of match the two of us are going to be in, I want you to remember that I am about to do something that no one would have expected from Sam Marlowe,†offers Sam as once more she pulls the belt close to her body and she lets her tongue trace along her lips to dampen them slightly before continuing.
“I am ready to embrace the extreme Jessie. I have always been a high flyer and risk taker and now I am taking myself to the next level and getting extreme. I don’t know if you are going to be ready for that but I suggest you get ready because this belt is going nowhere as far as I am concerned. But I will wish you luck and tell you that I am looking forward to this match.â€
With that, Sam turns to walk away but stops and turns back to the camera. “Oh and I can’t wait to see just how extreme I am going to be able to get. After all, this belt forces one to prove they have what it takes to be in matches that push limits. And for me, after Summer XXXTreme, I have realized that I have no limits.â€
Winking at the camera and offering it a slight chuckle, Sam shoulders the belt and walks out of the shot as it fades to black.
