[Sam Marlowe]

 After Climax Control 186…

Sam Marlowe watches as Keith and his family walks out of the backstage area, her eyes shiny with unshed tears as she holds her cell phone, the image on the screen a selfie with the young boy and her holding her bombshell roulette title before it flips to black.  Turning around, she slowly begins to walk towards the locker room. She sets down her phone and begins to toss items into her bag and then stops as her sight is taken by the tears as she cries silently at the injustice of her small fan being ill.  

It was only last year when she had first met Keith and now here he was, a Make a Wish kid who used his wish to spend time with her.  Sam reaches up and wipes at the wetness on her cheek as she swallows and takes a breath that comes out as a soft sob.  Getting to her feet, she zips up the battered bag and then throws it over her shoulder as she turns and prepares to leave the room.  Stopping, she shakily chuckles as she moves back and picks up the phone.  Walking back to the door, she pulls it open and exits only to run into Pussy who is heading down the hall.

“So Sammi, where are we meeting for drinks?  Ben said that the first ones are on you,” says the interviewer before noticing the puffiness of Sam’s eyes which makes her smile fade as she puts a hand on the shoulder of Sam.  â€œYou ok?” she adds, concern replacing the joking voice of Pussy.

“Yeah I’ll be fine,” replies Sam with a sigh.  â€œJust had a really bad night tonight you know.  I was told that I am facing Polly Playtime under roulette rules but lucky for me Christian took pity on me and made it non-title.  Then I had a Make a Wish thing and it turned out that it was a young man who I met at a mall last year who said he was my best fan and tonight he was the Make a Wish kid…”

Sam’s voice breaks as emotions hit her once more.  Pussy is quick to hug the redhead who sobs softly.  Patting her back, Pussy makes soft shushing noises as Sam fights to regain her composure.  â€œListen Sam,” begins Pussy, “why don’t you forget tonight and head back to Vegas?  We can party another night.”

“But I promised Ben that…” begins Sam only to have Pussy hold up a hand.  

“He’d understand.  Why don’t you send him a text saying something’s come up and you’d like to offer him a raincheck?” offers Pussy with a half-smile.  â€œI am sure there has to be a flight out sooner than later.”

Sam nods as she looks down at her phone while letting her thumb brush over the screen.  It lights up to reveal the selfie once more which pulls a soft smile from Sam before she opens the messenger on her phone and scrolls through her contacts.  Hitting Ben’s, she begins to tap on the screen and sends him a message about how she needed to go back to Vegas but next time the pair were at a pub, she would buy the two drinks she owed him.  Hitting send, she waited for the confirmation that the message had been sent before thumbing the phone off and stuffing it into the front pocket of the jeans she was wearing before hugging Pussy then backing away from her slowly.  

“I’ll talk to you next week some time,” Sam says as she turns and moves towards the garage where her rental car was leaving Pussy to watch her leave.  Pressing the key fob, she opens the door and then slides behind the wheel and slides the key into the ignition.  Reaching to turn the fob, she stops and looks up to see a small boy standing there in front of her holding his hands open in a hug toward Sam.

“Keithie?” whispers Sam before the small boy disappears down the garage at a call that Sam barely can hear.  She waves at the retreating figure and with a shake of her head turns on the ignition and the engine purrs to life.  Only moments later, the car pulls out of the garage and drives off into the night.  

An hour later, she is sitting in the airport after dropping the keys off at the Enterprise car rental.  With her bag resting at her feet, she leans back with her head resting on the back of the hard plastic seat allowing her to look up at the roof of Reno International Airport.  Suddenly she hears her flight called over the speakers in a crackly soft voice.  Getting to her feet, she makes her way to the desk and then hands the ticket to the attendant then moves down the skyway to the plane.  

Stepping inside, she is met by a flight attendant who smiles at her and motions towards the first class seats with a jaunty “Welcome to my plane.”  Sam nods in response but doesn’t say anything as she passes the doorway and finds her seat.  Sliding her bag into the overhead compartment, she slumps in her seat and pulls out a pair of earbuds and her phone.  Pushing the connector into the bottom of the IPhone and setting it on her lap, she leans back and slides the earbuds into her ears.  Picking up the phone once more, she checks first for a response from Ben then thumbs her music icon to bring up her playlists.  Clicking on one, music floods her ears as her eyes close to discourage anyone trying to talk to her.  

Suddenly over her shoulder, a flight attendant reaches down and waves his hand in front of Sam’s face.  The slight breeze makes her eyes open while she looks upward as the attendant smiles down at her.  â€œWe are about to get underway and we would like to ask you to please pay attention to the safety talk and keep your electronics off while we take off please,” he asks with a bit of a singsong voice.

Nodding in response once more, not bothering to talk, Sam pulls the earbuds from her ears and the faint beat of a song can be heard before Sam turns off the music.   Straightening in her seat, she reaches down for the seatbelt and buckles it over her hips then once more slumps down as a voice is heard to start giving the safety speech.   Half listening, Sam turns to the window and looks out on the tarmac where lights are defining the runways.  The plane starts to taxi towards the row of lights as the final instructions are given.  Finally the voice over the intercom says, “Sit back and enjoy the flight to Vegas.”

Moments later as the plane taxies along the runway with the thrum of the engines rising as the plane angles upwards Sam is pushed back into the plush seat.  Five minutes later, the fasten seatbelt sign blinks off and the plane levels off.  Sam sits up and looks over the plane to find that she is the only person on her side of the plane.  Motioning to the attendant who is moving along the aisle, Sam softly asks if she could start using her electronics one more.  The attendant whispers yes then asks if he can bring her anything.  Looking around, Sam nods and requests a drink which sends the attendant towards the galley as Sam pulls out her phone to once more listen to music.  Putting the earbuds in her ears, she stops for a second then instead of opening the music app, she opens the camera and begins to record herself, the light of the screen her only illumination.

“Hey, SCW fans, it is the SCW Bombshell Roulette champion, Sam Marlowe here and I got some things that I wanted to talk about and figured that the flight to Vegas from Reno would be the best time to talk about it.  So buckle up, it is going to be an interesting flight,” says Sam.  â€œNow first I want to say something to a very special friend that I saw tonight.  Keithie, you say you are my biggest bestest fan and I want you to know that I am your biggest and bestest fan.  So with that I want you to know I am always gonna be there for you just like I know you will be there for me.”

Sam pauses as she is handed a glass with a gold liquid that sloshes along the side with the ice cubes.  Taking a small sip, she sets it to the side on the tray table then once more pulls up the camera to continue recording.

“Now let me address what happened tonight when Christian Underwood came to me and told me that I would be facing Polly Playtime at the next show.  I had heard about her ‘list’ that she is talking about.  You know the one…her five fave opponents or some such thing.  And believe it or not, one of those names was mine.  Now I don’t know if she is doing it because she thinks that if she faces this list she is going to somehow be in line for a shot at some title or one of the bombshells she needs to face to justify that she is still a threat.  Great, so she wants to make her name by stepping on all of these people she listed.  And I can’t say that I disagree with her methods but what I do disagree with is that she thinks that she is all that for doing this.  I mean I applaud her sense of wanting to work for the title but there is something there that really bothers me as well,”  offers Sam as she taps her nose with one finger as if trying to figure out what was motivating Polly.

“But I am the one that she will be facing this next Climax Control.  But the thing is that Christian said the match will be under roulette rules.  I don’t know if Polly has ever had a chance to actually be in a match that no one knows what kind of match it will be until only a few moments before the match itself.  Now I am rather new to the Roulette title and the match stipulations but when it comes down to it, I have a bit more experience at Roulette matches.  But will that mean that Polly will be at a disadvantage?  Probably not,” Sam speculates as she reaches for the drink and brings it to her lips once more to sip at.

“Excuse me miss,” says the flight attendant, “but I was wondering if there was anything else you needed before we landed in Vegas.”

Sam smiles for the attendant and thanks her as she walks away before looking back at her phone.  The red button is still flashing as it records Sam.  Bringing up the phone, Sam smiles into it and continues to speak.

“Where was I? Oh yeah, wondering if Polly would be at a disadvantage in a roulette rules match.  I bet you are thinking ‘Sam, Polly is never at a disadvantage in that ring because she has beaten some of the best people in the company.  And I know I am in for a hell of a match so I really have to make sure that this week I prepare for facing someone that could come out of the corner and kick my ass from ringpost to turnbuckle.  But I hope she realizes that if she is going to try that, she has to know that I am someone that has a do or die attitude and when it comes to providing the fans with someone that they can get behind, I am the one bombshell that will do whatever the fans want or need.  Everyone calls me the sweetheart of SCW and I will admit that yeah, I can be a sweetheart.  But don’t mistake sweetness for weakness,” says Sam.  â€œI mean yeah, I have helluva lotta respect for everyone in the company but when it comes down to it, I still have that streak of competitiveness that drives me to push myself for the win.  And believe that at Climax Control, that drive will be front and center in our match.”

Before Sam can say anything else, the soft chime of the fasten seatbelts sign is heard as the small screen lights up.  With that, Sam turns to the camera and quickly smiles an apology to the screen.  â€œWe are coming into Vegas and I wish I had more time to talk about next week but they are looking at me to turn off my phone and get ready to land.  But there is still time to say this one thing…” says Sam before her smile brightens.  â€œGood luck Polly, something tells me we are both going to need it.”

Saying that, Sam thumbs the stop button on the camera then shuts it down and lets it fall into her lap as she reaches for the earbuds and pulls them from her ears.  The plane begins to lower as Sam rolls the earbud cord around her phone and then shove it into her pocket as the lights in the cabin go dark as the plane can be heard to bounce off the tarmac and a screeching of brakes is heard faintly.

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The sounds of fingers caressing and tapping on the keys of a keyboard can be heard, a counterpoint to the playlist that is running on a window of the open laptop.  A soft voice sings along with the song that is currently playing while the typing slows then stops.

“I don’t know what more I can say about this,” mutters a voice.  â€œYou can only say so much about Henry five before you start repeating yourself.”  The sound of a book being slammed on the table beside the computer is barely heard over the song ending but the angry flutter of pages being turned is loud in the silence between songs.  

Sam Marlowe looks down at the book then at the screen, her nose crinkling in frustration as she pulls the book closer to read the passage on the open page.  Grumbling at the laptop, she sees a window for twitter pop up.  Suddenly an idea forms in her mind as she opens her twitter and then sends a message to Ben Jordan to finish off this reading for her class.  Once it is sent, she pushes away from the table and then moves towards the doorway.  

“The heck with this, I am giving myself a break.  All work and no relax makes Sammi a really dull girl,” Sam says to herself before heading towards the stairs and her room.  Moving inside, she walks towards her closet and steps inside where she moves to a built in dresser and opens a drawer.  Pulling out a two piece swimsuit and heading towards the bathroom, she catches a look at herself in the mirror.  With her hair pulled up in a rather messy ponytail high on her head, a pair of fades denim shorts and a white unicorn halftee, Sam looks relaxed but her frustration can still be seen in the way she is standing and the half grimace on her face.  Stopping short, she moves closer to the mirror and then leans in to joke towards her reflection.  

“Are you lookingth at me?” she taunts mixing genres with Shakepeare and Scorsese.  This brings a giggle to her lips as she moves towards the bathroom once more.  Taking a few minutes in the bathroom, she exits dressed in the swimsuit with her hair still pulled in a high cascade of curls.  In one hand is a towel as she exits her room and heads down the stairs.  

Stopping to reply to Ben on Twitter, she picks up her phone and laptop and moves towards the patio door leading to her backyard.  Reaching towards the hot tub, she sets it to bubbling before moving towards a table that is nearby and setting up the computer on it.  Turning away from it, she moves back to the hottub and steps up on the small deck around the top of it and then down the stairs into the warm water.

Leaning back, she lets her eyes close as she relaxes.  Suddenly from the side, the hum of her phone is heard as a call comes in.  Leaning over, she spies who it is and pushes a button before beginning to speak.

“Hi Rocky Mountains, how are you?” says Sam.

“I am good Sam, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about the match coming up on Sunday.  When I didn’t see you after I had talked to Ben, I thought I would get in touch with you later in the week to do an official interview.  So can you come into the office?” asks Rocky, her voice professional.

Sam shakes her head as if Rocky could see her before speaking out.  â€œSorry Rocky, I am really busy this week before I get to leave on Saturday to make it to Stateline for Climax Control.  If you could do this over the phone I could answer your questions now.”

Over the speaker, Sam can hear Rocky muttering but can’t make out exactly what she is saying.  Finally Rocky speaks up as Sam sits up to pay more attention to the call.  â€œOkay Sam, I suppose that I can ask you over this call.  First I want to know how you are feeling about the fact that you are the Bombshell Roulette champion yet everyone sees you as an easy mark,” asks Rocky which causes Sam to chuckle which turns into a cough to try and hide the laugh.

“Well I guess you could say Rocky that I am enjoying it,” begins Sam who pushes a stray curl behind an ear.  â€œI mean everyone still talks about how I was Christian’s whipping person for the longest time and probably still am.  But I have to say that it definitely built my character for sure.  I mean how many people can be professional enough to do what I did?”

“What did you do Sam?” asks Rocky, her voice raised in speculation.  

“Well I did what I was told but no matter how menial, I was still there and still a big part of the show.  And when I was given opportunity, I took it and ran with it and once more I am in competition.  And when the opportunity came to win the Roulette title, I took that as well and look at me now,” offers Sam.

“Speaking of the Roulette title match, have you talked to Chelsea Payne and apologized for injuring her…maybe permanently?” demands Rocky.

“Have you been talking to Kris?” asks Sam in disbelief.  â€œHe’s the only one that seems to want to start something from that and now you are asking.  Well let me set the record straight.  I haven’t had the chance to talk one on one with Chelsea but I will go on the record now and say that I am sorry that she got injured but I also know that if it had been reversed, no one would be demanding of Chelsea if she had said sorry to me.  When we signed the contract for that match, we all knew what we were signing up for,” says Sam with a hint of regret in her voice.  â€œI am completely sorry for Chelsea getting hurt and if there were any way I could make up for it I would but right now I can’t focus on the past.  I have to move on and focus on the future and that future right now is Polly Playtime and the fact that Christian Underwood put us in a match on Climax Control.”

Rocky can be heard to be typing something in the silence that is then broken as she speaks up.  â€œSpeaking of that match, how are you feeling about the fact that Christian is protecting your title by making it a nontitle match?”

“If you are wondering Rocky if I was worried that if it was for the title, I have to tell you that I am always prepared to treat each and every match as a title defense.  Luckily it is nontitle but it is still going to be contested under Roulette Rules so if that puts it in my favor, then so be it.  I know that Polly will probably say that no matter what, she will win and good for her.  Confidence is a great thing to have when it comes to matches and she has every reason to be confident but then again, so do I,” says Sam as she lets her hands trail along the bubbly water, one hand curling into a fist trying to catch the liquid that slips through her hand.  â€œI know that since coming back from the losing streak I was on, I have nowhere to go but upwards.  And I have been training and I am only getting better with each and every match.  And with it being under Roulette rules, it means that I will get even better as Roulette champion because it means I can adapt to any match that the wheel decides.  Do you know how many people can adapt that quickly…not many.”

Rocky can be heard typing again before speaking.  â€œAnd I have to ask you Sam, you have signed Ben Jordan to be your manager in the company.  Why?”

“You want to know why I signed with Ben?” repeats Sam, laughter bubbling up in her voice.  â€œI signed with Ben for three very good reasons.”

“And they are?” demands Rocky over the phone.

Sam pulls her hands out of the water and then holds up three fingers as she speaks, lowering one finger as she begins.  â€œFirstly, Ben is someone I trust who has done well in ACW and SCW.   He has held championships and has been someone that helped me the most in SCW with my confidence.  Secondly, my crazy sister took it into her head that I needed a manager and was trying to get me to sign a contract with her and well…I know that wouldn’t have been good and once again, Ben saved me from the dragon that is my sister.”

Sam stops as Rocky’s typing also stops.  There is a pause that neither women break for the moment before Rocky speaks up.  â€œAnd number three?”

Sam chuckles as she looks down at her index finger and slowly lowers it.  â€œThirdly, when Ben lost the tag titles, he was going to manage and well between you and me, I figured that if I had him as my manager, I would be able to work on him subliminally to return to the ring for a proper singles run because I think he would be an awesome champion in SCW.”

“You get no argument from me on that score,” offers Rocky.  â€œWell I think that is everything I need Sam but do you want to take this opportunity to say anything to your opponent this week?”

“Yeah, I have something I want to say to Polly,” says Sam as she leans her arms on the edge of the hottub by her phone.  â€œPolly Playtime, you are a former internet and bombshell champion and you have beaten some of the greatest people in this company and I am sure that you are looking at this week’s match and thinking that you have nothing to worry about but I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  As much as you are probably thinking that I am no challenge to you because you are so dang good, well then you need to realize I have decided that I ain’t going to back down from a fight and I am not going to allow anyone to think that because of my record I am an easy mark in the ring.  Yeah, you have won the Bombshell championship and the Internet championship.  But there is one thing that you have to realize as well.  I have held the Bombshell championship twice as well as the Roulette title.  So in terms of being champions, both of us are able to say we have been there and done that.”

Sam lets her head fall for a moment as she chuckles to herself.  â€œThis week isn’t a championship match but I am going to treat it as one so I am going to be pushing my limits to the extreme and if that means I have to take it out on you and go for the win, that is something I am going to do.  But I do have one promise…win or lose I am leaving it all in the ring and once this match is over, I won’t think about it every again except to learn from it.  So thank you in advance.”

“You are thanking her?” demands Rocky in disbelief.  â€œThis is a woman that will probably put you down as much as she can.”

Sam takes a slow breath and exhales it before speaking.  â€œRocky, win or lose this is going to be a learning opportunity.  And I am going to have to say thank you because she considers me a challenge.  You see, she had that list of people she wanted to face and well I am on it.  And considering that I am like number four out of five, that must mean she thinks that I am a real challenge so I can’t help but thank her and Christian for this.  Besides, that is just the type of Bombshell I am,” jokes Sam.

“I guess you are,” agrees Rocky before adding, “well I have enough here thank you Sam for answering my questions.”

“Any time Rocky, it is always a pleasure talking to you,” replies Sam.  

The sound of a click then dial tone can be heard on Sam’s phone.  Reaching one damp hand towards the towel, Sam dries it and then presses the disconnect button before laying back and closing her eyes as the hottub continues to bubble, the soft sound of it lulling Sam into a relaxed state.