[Sam Marlowe]

My ways are quiet, none may find
My temper of malignant kind;
For one should check the words that start
When anger spreads within the heart.
-Sappho

Tagline:  Surprise   

Sam Marlowe can be seen in the brightened room of light ivory in the small rented apartment in Athens.  She is laying on the bed, one hand tangled among tousled red curls and a wing of lashes fluttering on her cheeks.  A soft murmur is the only sound other than the small fan that is resting on the bedside table.  Sam’s sleeping in a white buttondown that barely covers her.  She rolls slightly at the sound of a soft knock on the door of the apartment.  One eye opens as Sam looks towards the other room where once more the sound of a hand on the door can be heard.

“Mmmm comin’,” she drawls sleepily, the voice a mix of soft southern accent and the velvet of sleepiness.  She rises and moves her feet to the floor.  The person outside of the door again knocks which has Sam on her feet and plodding towards the door, one hand knuckling at her eye, the other pushing her hair back.  She reaches the door as a yawn escapes her once more sending a hand to wipe sleep from her eyes.  She looks out the small peekhole in the door.

“Oh my goodness!” she exclaims as she fights to unlock the door and swing it open.  She squeals in surprise as Colton rushes through the portal and catches Sam in a hug that swings her around his body as she giggles.

“Y’all are here?” Sam demands as Colton lets her slide slowly down his body.  She rushes to caress a cheek to check if it is really him.  He smiles and nods before taking a long kiss from his wife.  Melting against him, she can feel him pushing her towards the bedroom but she stops him then pulling from his arms, she closes and locks the door and turns back to him.  “I can’t believe it. I have missed you so much darlin’.  How are long are you here?”

Pulling Sam to the couch, he flops down then pulls her onto his lap.  “I have to head back after Climax Control for a week or so then will be flying back for the supercard.   I wish I could have been on the tour with you, Greece looks like it is someplace I can enjoy and we could have had an extended honeymoon since you insisted in resigning with the company,” begins Colton as he rests his hand on the leg of Sam.  “Besides I hear my wife has a really important match and I want to be here for it.”

Sam nods slowly.  “Y’all are right, I am facing someone this week in a preview of part of our match at Into the Void.  It is one of the few people that I have some respect for but I also know that she has issues with not being the winningest bombshell on the roster.  Don’t get me wrong Camo, she is dang good but people seem to think that I am too.”

“Oh, I know you are sweetness,” he drawls as he begins to stroke along the lightly tanned leg of Sam.  “You just have to be ready for her.  Who is this Alicia Lukas anyways?”

Slightly distracted with the caresses, Sam shakes her head and bites her bottom lip.  “She’s a member of that Wolfslair which means she is double tough.  She has been doing this for a long time and she is second to none.  The only thing that I can add to that is that she is laser focused when it comes to matches and I am sure she has probably done a lot of trash talking about me and well I know that I got a tiger by the tail in the match on Sunday.”

“Well then,” says Colton.  “Note to self, you need know that I will be there cheering my girl on.  Speaking of which, where is the show this week?  Athens?”

“It is on the isle of Lesbos…” begins Sam only to trail off as Colton’s eyes widen and he fights to not laugh.  Tilting her head, Sam shoots him a look.  “What?”

“Lesbos,” answers Camo with another snicker.  “Isn’t it ironic sweetness?  The majority of bombshells here in SCW are either lesbian or bisexual and you are wrestling in the place where the word lesbian comes from?”

Sam scowls slightly which has Colton fighting to wipe the grin off his face.  “Yes, a lot of my fellow bombshells are lesbian but that doesn’t mean that it is so ironic.  If I am honest Camo, I am surprised that there were no comments on Twitter about that.  If you ask me, I am not going to be joking about where we are.  It is a very interesting place and I am looking forward to facing Alicia there.”

Colton smiles at her comment then the smile turns into a smirk.  “I am looking forward to it sweetness but right now, I have just arrived to see my wife and my mind ain’t on the type of wrestling y’all are going to be doing on Sunday,” he jokes as he leans into Sam and then begins to tease her neck as she giggles.  Getting to his feet and pulling Sam into his arms.  “Point me in the direction of the ‘ring’ sweetness,” he says in a low drawl.

With a sigh, Sam raises a hand and points to the room where a tousled bed is.  Colton moves towards it and the last thing seen is Sam reaching out and pushing the door closed.

It is getting closer you know.  Getting closer and getting more real by the minute.  You see, the supercard is going to see me in a match where I stand a very good chance to be crowned Queen for a day.  You know, I don’t remember if I have ever participated in one of these matches.  And truth be told, I am really looking forward to it. 

But before I get to that match, SCW is going to be in Lesbos and there I will be stepping into the ring with Alicia Lukas.  A situation that is very intriguing to me.  You see she has always been one step ahead of me.  I don’t mean in a bad way, I mean in a ‘I am the center of the bombshell division’ kind of a way.  And being like that makes one really a target.   I have been doing some reading about Lesbos and I have come up with some pretty interesting facts.  This is where the poetess Sappho wrote her poetry.  Some historians claim that Lesbos was the center of civilization in Ancient Greece.  Which seems the perfect place for Alicia Lukas considering she has become a bit of ancient history and thinks she is the center of the universe. 

I kid Alicia, I really do.  Because the fact that you seem to think it is you that is the centerpiece of the bombshell division because you came in and you won the title and were dominant and it was you and only you that defeated everyone.  I get it Alicia, you are very confident and full of yourself when it comes to these matches because you do have a winning streak.  And I know you probably don’t think that I am competition for you in this match.  And that is ok because when it comes down to it, that confidence may very well lead you to the win.

But that confidence could also be your downfall.  I am sure Alicia that you will underestimate me because I seem to be lackadaisical when it comes to cutting promos and stepping up in the ring.  Trust me, you can’t be harder on me than I am on myself.  Each match has me struggling to prepare and the losses hurt my head and my heart.  They are some of my lowest lows.  I get into my head and it is that much more that drives me into my next match.  And the wins Alicia, I don’t know how you feel about them but I get such a natural high with each one.  That is the small breath of air that ignites the spark and pushes me on to wrestle the best in this division.  So, what does it say when the fire, the desire to face you in the ring and burn your confidence to ash, is beginning to burn red hot inside.  Also, how does it feel knowing that what I perceive as your contempt of me and everyone else is the match to the tinder.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t respect you and all you have accomplished.  Hellfire, you are a machine when it comes to wrestling Alicia.  Everything you do revolves around winning at all costs.  That and the fact that you need to keep yourself relevant in the Wolfslair as others are getting more exposure and title chances.  Is that why y’all have to talk down about everyone else?  Are you afraid that you won’t be relevant in the bombshell division?

Are you afraid that people weren’t talking about you anymore?

See Alicia, I know what I am capable of.  I have won titles, I have held records…I am a Hall of Famer.  Wrestling is something that I am very comfortable doing but it isn’t everything that I win.  I have nothing to prove Alicia, so you can talk your talk and do what you think you need to do when it comes to our match on Sunday.  I know that at Climax Control I am going to be the one facing you and when it comes down to it, I am pretty sure you are going to underestimate me.  Good, underestimate me at your peril.  That is something that makes me smile because that is when I do my best…being the underdog.  And accord to most, that is exactly what I am in this match, the underdog. 

Let me break it down to its most simple form so even you understand it.  All you are to me is someone that I need to prove to that I am back and I am ready to definitely take back my place in the Bombshell division.  See, my very first title in SCW was the Bombshell World championship and I won it from a woman who thought of me like you do.  Mikah was unbeatable until she faced me and lost her title.  And from what I have seen of you when we have faced each other, you have talked about me like she did.   That means Alicia, talk me down as much as you want because all it will result in is me beating you up.

So let me tell you exactly what to expect on the island of Lesbos.  A beating pure and simple.  I fully expect that you will be looking for an easy win and that is something y’all won’t be having.  I am not going to make it easy for you.  That I promise Alicia.  If you want that win, you will have to work for it. 

You know, when I first started out here in SCW, I was torn between my wrestling and getting my masters degree in Literature.  But I succeeded at both so let me leave you with some words that I have always liked from Sappho herself that I am going to use to inspire me…

Faint not in thy strong heart!
  Nor downcast stand apart;
Beyond the reach of daring will there lies
  No beauty's prize.

Faint not in thy strong heart!
  Through temple, field and mart,
Courage alone the guerdon from the fray
  May bear away.

I hope you are prepared to face someone that doesn’t care if you are some kind of champion or blowhard who is desperately tooting her own horn to make herself relevant.  To me, you are just someone else to face on my way to continue my winning ways once more.

Good luck Alicia, I have a strong suspicion you are going to need it on Sunday.