The small opulent space filled with natural sunlight has a woman dressed in a rather short soft heather coloured tweed dress with a pair of maryjanes on her feet standing beside an older female in a black silk blouse who has a crocheted blanket over her knees as she sips from a small teacup. The soft waft of tea rises on the steam from the cup, the spice of chai mixing with the smell of rose water and talc from the older lady.
Intent on the view from the large windows, Lady Apple Coren doesn’t register the soft cough from the older lady. Not stopping, the lady taps at the arm of Apple which gets her attention which she turns to the lade on the chair with a half-smile and a quirked eyebrow.
Apple Coren: I’m sorry Gran, did you say something?
The older lady reaches out to set the porcelain cup on the Louis Quatorze table and then folds her hands in her lap. Lady Cecilie Coren offers her granddaughter a nod as she turns slightly to take in the young woman.
Lady Cecilie: Not for the moment but I do have to ask what madcap scheme are you up to now? Your father told me that you are wrestling of all things? You who is heiress to this estate and all that it entails. My dearest, what could have possessed you to do this. When I was a girl, we rebelled by wearing shorter skirts and teasing our hair. We didn’t act out like how you are doing.
Apple couldn’t help but smile at the image her grandmother provided. The older lady snorted in a rather ladylike way that only prompted a snort from Apple in return.
Apple Coren: Gran it isn’t like I have to rebel. But one has to do what one must to make one feel accomplished…
Lady Cecilie: But wrestling Apple, really?
Apple Coren: But I am good at it Gran. Besides, I have had enough of society and listening to all those debs rant on about clothes and which boy is the most eligible for consideration for the less beautiful but rich girls. Between you and me Gran, I think that working out my aggressive impulses has saved the Coren name more than I could have sitting in London and waiting for the Season to provide me some kind of boredom relief.
Apple moves the chair to the other side of the tea table where she reaches for the teapot that is covered with a lacy tea cozy that has the family crest on it. Picking it up, Apple pours herself a cuppa then picking up the saucer, picks up the cup and brings it to her lips. The hot liquid bathes her face in spicy steam as she sips a small taste of the tea then sets the cup back into the matching saucer.
Over the table, the older lady sighs as if the end of the world was in moments. Apple watches as she lets her shoulders droop for a moment. As she does, the butler moves into the room with a stiff look for the dowager and a wink for Apple.
Butler: Lady Cecilie, there is a call on your telephone from a Lady Barrington who says that you have an appointment with her about the Halloween charity event the two of you are organizing for the weekend.
Lady Cecilie perks up as she turns to Apple, a condescending smile on her face as she plucks the blanket from her knees and moves towards the door. Stopping, she turns and points at Apple who is once more sipping at the tea in her cup.
Lady Cecilie: You my dearest remain here, we are far from finished with our discussion. I will return momentarily.
Disappearing through the double doors, the dowager can be heard to command that the butler then close the doors behind her to keep Apple in the room. Apple winks at the butler as he shuts the doors. After the final sip of the tea, the young woman sets the cup on the table and leans back in the chair, her fingers steepling over her lips as she ponders the chinwag that she is going to have to endure when her grandmother returns.
Suddenly a sound can be heard, muffled because it is hidden. Apple straightens quickly then rushes to a pile of jacket mixed with her Louis Vuitton clutch that she opens quickly. The sound gets louder as she pulls out a cell phone and swipes quickly as she answers.
Apple Coren: Hello, this is Apple Coren, speak.
The screen lights up with an image of Ivy who can be seen, her hair frazzled as the crowd behind her can be seen. In the shops, Ivy holds up a bottle of something green as she smiles.
Ivy the Assistant: I got the last bottle ma’am! I will be back at the castle in no time however, I did want to remind you that you do have that interview with Ms Willow in…
Ivy looks down at the hand holding the bottle where a simple wrist watch is resting.
Ivy the Assistant: Actually ma’am, Ms Willow should be calling right about now…
As Ivy says that, a beep is heard from the cell phone and the image of Pussy Willow can be seen on the face of the phone. Apple sighs and swipes the call from Ivy away as she then presses answer on the call with the interviewer. When Pussy appears on the screen, she offers Lady Apple a smile which fades as she appears to take in the look on Apple’s face.
Pussy Willow: Lady Apple!? Did you forget that we had an interview scheduled for today? I booked it with your assistant Ivy after the show last week.
Apple Coren: Of course I remembered our interview but I seem to remember you were to contact me earlier.
Pussy looks confused as she checks her notes.
Pussy Willow: I was sure I got the time difference right…you are seven hours ahead and it is ten and…
Apple gets a very bored look on her face as she sets up the cell phone on the table beside the tea pot.
Apple Coren: Ms Willow, nevermind about your math, just let’s get this interview done. My grandmother is visiting and one does not make Lady Cecilie Coren waiting, especially family. So Ms Willow, ask your questions and then I won’t disappoint the dowager.
The sound of rustling papers can be heard not seen as Pussy gets her notes in order and then smiles at Apple. The young Englishwoman rolls her eyes as Pussy’s smile fades only slightly as she looks down.
Pussy Willow: I guess the first question I have to ask is what did you do to get a title shot against Dani Weston at the supercard High Stakes?
Apple can’t believe her ears as her eyebrows knit together in surprise. Puusy looks up as Apple begins to reply.
Apple Coren: Well Ms Willow, I only responded to the open challenge that Danielle Weston decided to put out there because she wants to be seen as a fighting champion. And in all honesty, I felt that she somehow directed that challenge at myself because I am the only competition that she seems to think is in Sin City Wrestling that is not one of her little friends. Friends who obviously wants to give Dani the pat on the head a little yippy puppy needs by not challenging her. Seriously, if you ask me the only fight she has in her is the fact she has to fight to appear like she is a worthy champion.
Pussy Willow: But she did beat some very strong wrestlers in the Goldrush tournament. And then did beat Mikah for the title.
Apple Coren: Oh yes, she beat Mikah for the title. My god, at that point, Mikah was only a shadow of the champion she was in the past. Even Jessie Salco could have beat Mikah at that time. So brava Dani, you beat a has been on her last legs and now you will have to face a real challenge at High Stakes who is going to take your title whether you like it or not.
Apple takes a self-satisfied breath as Pussy nods slowly before changing her line of questioning.
Pussy Willow: Well this week in the last show before the High Stakes supercard, you will have to find some way to work together as management has you teaming with Dani Weston to face Crystal Hilton and her wife Seleana Zdunich. Do you think that the two of you will be able to coexist in that match? After all, most people will be expecting you to leave Dani to her fate against the pair.
Apple Coren: Now would I do something like that Ms Willow?
Pussy Willow: Well given your attitude…
Apple’s eyes widen then narrow in anger. Pussy gives her a worried look as the younger lady lets a cynical smirk begin to creep across her lips.
Apple Coren: Now Ms Willow, one can not think that I would ever let her down like that. Considering that she is very lucky to be teamed with me when it comes to this match. I mean really, Danielle Weston can thank her lucky stars that I am there to carry our team to victory. And I won’t begrudge her that win, because you see, I will be the one winning the match for our team. And whether she thinks that she stands a fighting chance, the truth is she is more liability than champion for me in that match.
Pussy Willow: But she is the champion!
Apple Coren: For now. Next question please.
Totally tossing aside the last comment from Pussy, Apple reaches to the pot and pours another tea. Picking up the delicate cup, Apple sips as she waits for the question which isn’t slow in being asked.
Pussy Willow: This week, you are teaming with Dani Weston…
Apple Coren: You mentioned that already Ms Willow.
Pussy Willow: Mmhmm..you are teaming with her to face Seleana Zdunich and her wife, Crystal Hilton Zdunich…
Apple sets the cup down in the saucer and leans towards the phone with an inquiring look as she interrupts Pussy once more.
Apple Coren: Zdunich…that name sounds familiar…Like I have heard it somewhere before. Hmmm…I wonder where? Oh of course, wasn’t it Seleana Zdunich that I faced in my first match ever in Sin City Wrestling?
Pussy Willow: Um, let me check. Yes, your first opponent in SCW was Seleana.
Apple’s smirk widens as she looks into the phone.
Apple Coren: And wasn’t she my first win in the company? Oh how interesting this has gotten. The very first person I faced in SCW is once again my opponent and I have to say that it making me think how fortuitous that is going to be for me. A second win against her will only boost my confidence walking into the supercard.
Pussy Willow: But she also holds a win over you as well and so does her wife. Summer XXXTreme saw the pair dump you in the water for your first loss.
Again, the smirk fades slightly at Pussy’s comments as Apple waves her hand in front of her face as if to wipe away the loss.
Apple Coren: No matter that, it was only a one-time thing. Because you know that with my father showing up on the cruise was a distraction and the fact that he was pressuring me to come home before I became the superstar that I was meant to be.
Pussy Willow: Don’t you mean bombshell? Our female wrestlers are known as bombshells.
Sighing Apple tilts her head to the side before responding with a bored voice.
Apple Coren: Bloody hell Ms Willow, before you so unkindly interrupted me, as I was saying, the superstar BOMBSHELL I was meant to be! But now I have signed my contract with Sin City Wrestling and my father can not stop me from rising to the top of the division. And it begins on this show before the supercard when I have to carry my opponent for the title to a win in a tag match facing two women that are barely second thoughts let alone a challenge for me.
Pussy Willow: Do you trust your partner to help in this match?
Apple pauses for a moment to think of that comment then snorts in derision.
Apple Coren: Trust my partner? All the bombshells in SCW are jealous of me so there will be little trust involved. As a matter of fact, the only one that I can trust in that match is myself. Now to get back to the matter of my opponents, I don’t know if you saw it or not but Crystal and Seleana just might not be on the same page. After the video that played on the screen at that Climax Control of Crystal shagging her ex, I have to wonder if those two are going to be on the same page. Seriously bad form what?
A commotion from outside of the room can be heard as Apple turns to the doorway then back to the phone, and addresses Pussy with a sickly-sweet smile.
Apple Coren: This has been quite interesting Ms Willow however, I have no time anymore to continue this chinwag so I will have to say goodbye before Gran comes back. As always, I am sure it has been your pleasure.
Pussy Willow: But Ap…
Apple cuts the call and smiles up at her grandmother who has come into the room once more, this time the butler helping her along as she clings to his arm. Once he has her settled on her wingback chair, he bows himself out as the dowager turns to Apple.
Lady Cecilie: Now Apple dearest, I was just talking with Lady Barrington and we have planned the most interesting event on the weekend and we need you to be here for it. Now I suspect that…
Apple Coren: I am so terribly sorry Gran but I am not going to be here on the weekend. I have to jet to America to take part in a match for the company I wrestle for. Do tell me how the event goes will you?
Lady Cecilie looks affronted as she can’t believe that her granddaughter has just denied her. Sputtering her outrage, she watches as Apple gets to her feet and moves towards her, leaning down to plant a kiss on the leathery cheek of her grandmother.
Apple Coren: I am off to pack as I have my flight leaving soon. I will be back after the supercard. Daddy has arranged a place for me in America until High Stakes where I will win the title and bring it back to you. Love you Gran!
Before the dowager can comment, Apple breezes past the butler who is bringing in more tea and cakes for Lady Cecilie who can be seen fuming. The butler leans down and sets the tray of tea on the table and pours for the dowager.
<img src=http://canadian-spitfire.webs.com/appledivide.png>
Inside a plane that has rows of pods, a young woman is resting in the forwardmost pod, a pair of earbuds in her ears as her foot taps out the beat of the song that no one else can hear. Beside her is Ivy, the personal assistant of Apple Coren who is the young woman in a pale blue cotton shirt over a white lace half shirt and worn denim jeans. Ivy moves closer and taps at the stocking feet of Apple to get her attention. Sitting up and opening her eyes, Apple shoots a look at her assistant.
Apple Coren: What is it Ivy?
Ivy the Assistant: Well ma’am, I think that you should do something or talk about your match this week. I don’t think that you have spoken much about it other than that interview with Pussy Willow. And wouldn’t it be brilliant to talk about the match on the way to the match? After all we are all alone here in first class…and I have a video camera!
Ivy waves the small handheld camera in the face of Apple who rolls her eyes for a moment before pulling herself up and getting comfortable in the seat.
Apple Coren: Fine Ivy, let’s do this little talking point and then I am going to catch a few hours for myself without the distraction of you or anything wrestling.
Ivy nods as she moves to face Apple and begins to record, pointing her finger silently at Apple who begins to speak softly, her hands knit together over a barely covered midsection, her elbows resting lightly on either armrest.
Apple Coren: Here I am on my way to Climax Control and my assistant seems to think that I have not said enough about my match this week on the show. Well, since she seems to think that I need to say more, here are my last words on the subject before Sunday night.
Ivy holds up her thumb in approval as Apple begins to speak.
Apple Coren: This week I am in the main event of Climax Control, a match I should have been before this, and it is a match that I never suspected that I would have to participate in. You see, it is a tag match that has me having to carry Dani Weston against Crystal Hilton and her wife Seleana Zdunich. Now I have had to ask myself just why management wanted me to have to face the pair of them and partnering with the person who I am going to be taking the title from in a little under three weeks.
Apple begins to get a thoughtful look as she contemplates the match.
Apple Coren: If I am honest, I really could care less on who I am teamed with or who I am facing considering that I have every confidence that I will prevail in this match. But let us talk about the match since we all know that if I don’t, I will never hear the end of the bragging that will be done by my opponents if on the very off chance they win or from my partner claiming she won the match for us.
Apple’s eyes light up slightly as she leans up and with her elbows still on the armrests, she steeples her fingers and points them at the camera.
Apple Coren: First we have Seleana Zdunich, the cat that was declawed in my first match in Sin City Wrestling. Only now, this kitten is a married woman who just had the misfortune to watch as her marriage imploded on screen at a Climax Control thanks to the stupidity of her wife meeting with her ex to do something about Kate Steele. Now as much as I want to tell you that I am sorry that you have to deal with this, I can’t just form the words because I have always been someone that speaks the truth and the truth is, I do not care at all. Now before you say that it is heartless, I want you to realize, your little life has no significance for me so why bother hmm?
Chuckling, Apple again leans back and she then raises one finger before turning the subject to her other opponent.
Apple Coren: Then we have Crystal Hilton, Zdunich, whoever she seems to think she is this week. Now we know she is a former champion and that she will tell each and everyone how good she is then change emotionally as easily as a hooker changes clothes. And recently she was caught on camera doing the nasty with her ex husband when she went to him about their child. If it was me, I would have done all my talking in a vertical position behind a telephone screen with my ex. But I guess that day she was lonely or desperate or something to have done the horizontal conference with her ex. If you ask me, I think she just couldn’t help herself. After all Crystal has impulse control problems and I am sure that in our match she is going to be the one that is the most unpredictable. Which surprisingly makes her the most predictable.
This produces a laugh from Apple as Ivy shoots her a surprised look.
Apple Coren: Oh please Ivy, watching you is making me laugh because you seem to genuinely seem to think that Crystal and Seleana stand a chance against Danielle and I. Now if I was a betting person, I would indeed favour my odds in this match because my opponents are not ready really to deal with the level of competition that Ms Weston and I can produce in this match. And we will you know.
Ivy the Assistant: You mean you are not going to leave Dani Weston by herself in the match?
Apple Coren: Of course not Ivy. I am the one that she will be depending on to win this match for us. And I am sure she is talking a great game and all but when push comes to shove, she is just like Crystal Hilton with the whole attitude thing. I mean she appears to be oh so sweet and innocent and if you listen to her, she is more of a victim than she would wish you to know. But talking a good game and actually backing it up, those are two different things.
Apple Coren: You see, I know that Dani really hasn’t had any competition for that title and so she can sound like a champion and she can carry around that title and say she is a champion but there really hasn’t been anyone that could be the challenge she claims to want. Well, challenge accepted by yours truly and until the supercard, I have to give her my support as a tag team partner. Granted, I will require some promise of being able to trust that she won’t run away at the first sign of possibly losing the match. I am there to get the win and trust me I won’t leave that ring until my arm is raised in victory and if that means beating Seleana, Crystal AND Dani then that is what I am going to be doing at Climax Control.
Ivy once more gives Apple a thumbs up as she films her boss for her last comments.
Apple Coren: And let me leave you with these final words. On Sunday night I will be stepping into that ring with one purpose and that is to beat the bloody hell out of Crystal and Seleana to send a message to my partner of the night. I am going to leave her no doubt that I will be beating her for her title at High Stakes. So she will need to be prepared to watch as I make examples of our opponents on my way to taking her Bombshell world title.
Apple stops and looks up at Ivy.
Apple Coren: I am done Ivy, now toddle off while I relax for the rest of the flight.
Sitting back once more, Apple adjusts the seat into a more comfortable position before repositioning the earbuds and reaching for an Ipad that is resting nearby and swiping across it to log in. Ivy meanwhile moves across the aisle to another pod and then opens a laptop to upload the video before she begins to stream it online. The last image seen is the upload bar indicating the upload is almost complete as a stewardess leans over the pod where Apple is and setting down a small cup of an amber liquid and a plate of small pieces of chocolate to the delight of the young lady.
