[Sam Marlowe]

”How could you not be there for him!” 

A disgruntled redhead is seen charging down the hall towards the gorilla area, muttering angrily to herself.  Sam Marlowe growls slightly as she is blocked by techs and others before she can make her way down the hallway.  As she manages to get past the majority of the people, Pussy Willow steps up in front of her with a look of concern.

“Sam, did you see what happened to Ben?” she asks with a look towards the ring area.  “I swear that Alexander Raven must have had that planned all along to have Luna do that.  I am surprised that you weren’t there to help.”

Sam hangs her head as she sighs.  “Yes Pussy, I saw and I also should have been there but Ben said he wanted to step out there and well, I shouldn’t have let him go alone.  I swear to you Pussy, I am not going to let something like that go.  I am telling you now that Luna doesn’t know what she has started with that low blow.”

“But Ben can’t put his hands on her!” exclaims Pussy. 

“Maybe he can’t but I sure as hellfire can,” vows Sam as she slams a closed fist into her other hand.  “And let me just make this promise to you and for everyone’s understanding.  When a bombshell decides to involve herself with MY friend Ben Jordan, it is like wavin’ a red flag in front of a bull.  And when that happens, I definitely will respond in ways they won’t like at all.”

Pussy’s eyes widen in surprise at the anger displayed by Sam who rolls her neck before seeing Ben move gingerly through the curtain.  Offering Pussy an apologetic smile, she heads towards where Ben had sank into the nearest chair.  Putting her hand on the shoulder of her friend, Sam speaks to him.

“Ben!  I am so sorry…”

Sam snaps her fingers and turns to the fourth wall and has a proud look on her face.

“I suggest you go and check out what happened between Ben and I backstage.  Oh and if you are ever talking to Ben, let him know that I was able to do the snappy fingers thing,” boasts Sam before holding her hand up ready to snap once more but stops.

“Oh and let him know that I also learned how to change scenes with the snap too!” exclaims Sam as she snaps her fingers.

The interior of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor is seen as the sound of bells ring out as the pair of Ben Jordan and Sam Marlowe walk into the shop talking softly with Ben still a little slow and Sam still watching him with a concerned look on her face with her hands tucked into the front pocket of a University of Nevada hoodie.  The pair move to the counter where a young man dressed in a rather gaudy uniform and hat asks what he can get for the pair.

“Mint Chocolate Chip,” says Ben with a gleam in his eyes as he holds up two fingers.  “Two pints.  And what did you want Ginge?”

Sam looks at the array of ice cream in front of her and then gently points down at the salted caramel ice cream and smiles.  “Y’all can get me two scoops of the salted caramel.  But the ice cream Ben is on me, why don’t you go and find us a booth?” she suggests as she reaches for a pair of long spoons and hands them to the English man.

Ben nods and turns to spy out a spot and smiles as he spies the last booth on the end and motions at Sam who has been handed one of the mint chocolate chip pints which she hands to Ben.  He walks towards the booth and slides inside, disappearing as Sam waits for the other two orders of ice cream.  Moments later, with her hands full, she arrives at the table to find Ben sitting there, a somewhat blissful look on his face and no ice cream to be seen. 

“Wow, y’all must like Mint Chocolate Chip,” she teases as she sets down the second pint of it in front of Ben.  He picks up the spoon and traces it through the ice cream on the table.  Sam slides into the booth looking at the table and not seeing the pint.  “How did you eat that other pint so quickly?”

“Actually Ginge…haven’t eaten it yet…” offers Ben with a glance downward.  “Using it for first aid at the moment and it is working like a charm.” 

“Oh my goodness, Prat!  Tell me no one has seen you put it there…I mean…” Sam sputters as a blush rushes up her cheeks. Sam looks downward to hide her embarrassment only to hear her phone buzzing.  She pulls it out of her hoodie.

“Text from the mister?” wonders Ben as she reads the note. 

“Nope,” Sam replies, popping the “p”.  “Just an email with the card for next Sunday’s Climax Control.  Looks like I have myself a match and so do you.  You’re facing Aiden Reynolds and I have a match against Harper Mason,” says the redhead as she picks up her spoon and slides it through the treat in front of her. 

Ben looks interested in his ice cream and not in the card for the next show.  Sam brings the spoon to her lips and turning it over, savors the ice cream.  Pulling the spoon out of her mouth she points it at Ben.  “Hey, isn’t Harper Mason the rookie Bombshell that you talked to about coming to me for some training or pointers or something?”

“Yeah, so it is going to be a banger of a match because the two of you know each other’s moves,” offers Ben before taking a bite of his ice cream. 

“You would think so…if she had come to train with me but I never saw her,” replies Sam as she takes another bite then begins to trail her spoon through the melting ice cream.  “Only thing I know about her is that she is Jessie Salco’s cousin and that she has had a chance at a couple of titles but hasn’t really pulled the trigger on winning them.”  Sam sets an elbow on the table and turns her eyes to her friend. “If I am honest Ben, all I have to say is that I hope that getting in the ring with her isn’t going to end up like it has been for the past few matches.  Because I am not too happy and I am afraid that I might take my frustrations out on her.”

“Come on Sammi, what do you have to be frustrated of,” teases Ben which only earns him a glare from Sam who uses the spoon to mock threaten Ben who holds up his hands before shifting slightly as the ice cream in his lap is starting to shift and spill. Grabbing the carton, he quickly puts it on the table and scrambles for the napkins in the silver container and begins to wipe at himself as Sam starts to giggle.

“Serves ya right for teasin’ me darlin’,” taunts Sam as she takes another scoop of ice cream and brings it to her lips.  “And I am sure you weren’t doin’ that were you?”

Ben shakes his head.  “Ya got this Ginge,” he says as he balls up the napkins and tosses them onto the table.  From the side of the room a shocked gasp comes from a rather older lady who has her eyes on Ben then the napkins and back, tsking loudly.  Ben sees her then follows her gaze to the napkins then back to the lady before his eyes get wide when he realizes what she is thinking.

Sam turns slightly and covers her face with her hand as she collapses in laughter.   “Only you Ben, only you could get that kind of reaction by doing something so innocent,” giggles Samwhich draws a glare from Ben who takes a scoop of ice cream and flicks it at Sam who jumps back in surprise.  “Oh no you didn’t!” she warns as she leans forward to bring her own spoon to hover over her ice cream.  “I ain’t afraid to retaliate you know…”

“Is that a threat Ginge?” asks Ben with a raised eyebrow and cocky smirk as he reaches across to grab her hand.

“Ain’t a threat, it’s a promise!”

The two friends start to laugh totally not seeing the hand holding a cell phone snapping a picture at the two leaning towards each other looking more intimate than innocent and friendly.

Well once again I get to step into the ring as a singles wrestler.  Which is kind of interesting because I don’t really see myself as a singles wrestler.  Given the fact that I made my return as Ben’s tag team partner, I was expecting to be wearing the mixed tag titles by now and defending them regularly but if you have seen the last few matches as a tag team, we have had to deal with the fact that we fought Team Go to a time limit draw and then when Ben and I were about to win the titles, Alexander Raven decided to cost us the titles.

I don’t know what he had against Ben but to have him interfere and prevent us from the win is something that Ben could have handled on his own until Raven’s sick little whatever she is decided that she wanted to help Alexander and landed a low blow on MY partner.  I don’t know why you did it but when you did, you put yourself squarely into my sights.  See, Ben is my best friend here in Sin City Wrestling and you hurt him, you make me angry.  Putting yourself into the situation that you did on Climax Control only served to put a target on your back Luna and I for one would tell you to watch your back.

Payback is coming Luna and trust me, you are going to regret doin’ what you did, my promise to you.

But that is going to have to wait Luna because this week I have been put in a match with a bombshell that I have yet to have faced in Sin City Wrestling.  Now I do have some idea of what she is like because she is the cousin after all of one of the bombshells that have been my nemesis, one Jessie Salco.

Harper Mason is someone who is the younger cousin of Jessie and I am sure that she had been trained by Salco and more than likely has the same talent.  And I know that Jessie and I have had dragged down and outright wars when we have faced each other and Jessie has definitely won my respect.  But I also have a fairly strong record against Jessie because when she had to face me, she was focused but just when she needed to pull out the win, her focus shifted from me to whoever wore the gold.  Don’t get me wrong, when I had the gold, her full focus was on me and in those matches, I did have to be on top of my game.

Now Harper Mason is a different wrestler altogether.  She earned herself a title shot at My Bloody Valentine and even though she didn’t win, she put up a strong fight which only proves that she is ready for gold here in the company. 

And in all honesty, she reminds me a little bit of myself.  Oh not that I lost big matches, even though I did, but the desire and drive to be good at what I do in the ring.  I have watched Harper’s matches and boy is she super tough.  I have to give her credit that she learned her lessons well.  And I have to give her props on knowing what she wants and knows how to go and get it.

Maybe I should take a leaf out of her book and decide just what it is that I want and go after it with everything in my being.  See I could take this match as a chance to prove that by beating someone who almost won the Bombshell Roulette title, I should be the next in line for a title shot but no, actually that is for Bella Madison and trust me when I tell you that she also deserves that title shot. 

Maybe I could leverage a win against Harper into evidence that maybe I should be getting a title shot against someone else.  Now I know that Kayla Richards has already claimed her shot at Julianna DiMaria so the Bombshell championship is out of reach right now.  Besides, I have won that title twice too. 

So what can I use this match against Harper Mason as evidence for?  Another shot at the mixed tag titles or maybe…just maybe I could leverage it to put my name out there for the one title that has eluded me in my career so far.  The Bombshell Internet title.

Tell you what Harper, I think that I am going to step into the match on Sunday with the express purpose of sending a message to whoever is wearing the Bombshell Internet title…See, I haven’t thought that I could ever get back into the swing of things as a singles wrestler.  Oh sure, I have had a great career so far and won title after title.  And I am sure you would be thinking that I am going to be in that match this week Harper with my eyes on a title but you would be wrong.  I am going into the match to keep going on a winning streak.  See, you will be the second bombshell that I have gotten a win from in singles matches. 

Wow, did you hear that Harper, I am already predicting that I am going to beat you in our match?   How presumptuous of me don’t you think?  I should temper my confidence, shouldn’t I?  Because if I don’t, I tend to be too cocky and that is when people can get a win over me.  That and the fact that I lose focus myself.  But don’t you worry Harper, you have my focus for sure.  And what that will mean is that I am coming directly at you to prove to everyone that I am back as a singles wrestler as well as a mixed tag team wrestler.  So, I wish you the best of luck Harper.

I think you are going to need it on Sunday.   

A room full of people and monitors can be seen where the head of TMZ is standing in the front of a bank of television screens.  He is looking over the people in the room before speaking out.  “So who has anything for me?”

The group shares looks before a young woman stands up and smirks as she nods towards the screens behind the owner of TMZ.  “Well we have some more news about a certain mixed tag team from Sin City Wrestling.  Rumors have been running rampant that Ben Jordan and Sam Marlowe are more than just wrestling partners and another anonymous picture has been sent in to us.”

Turning around, on the screens are images of Sam and Ben holding hands in the booth at the ice cream shop as well as the pair talking backstage and walking away from the person taking the pictures.   

“Where are these images coming from?” wonders the host of TMZ.  “Doesn’t matter but only makes people wonder what could be going on because isn’t Sam Marlowe married?”

The image blinks out to a small white dot as Sam Marlowe sits up pointing a remote at the television screen in front of her.

“What the bubble,” exclaims Sam as she can’t believe her eyes.  “I have to talk to Colton!”

She scrambles to grab her cell phone then opens it to call Colton.  Dialing his number, she sets it on speaker as she waits for it to be answered but she is sent directly to voicemail.  She sighs and at the beep, she begins to speak…

“Colton, it is Sammi.  We need to talk.  I don’t know if you have been seeing what is on TMZ but I promise you that it is not what you think.  Ben and I are…”

A second beep is heard ending the recording which only has Sam look down in surprise.  She hangs up the phone and then redials Colton’s number.  When it goes to voicemail, she quickly speaks up.

“Colton, call me.  I want to explain what is happening but I have no idea what is going on.  Call me please before you get any wrong ideas…”

Taking a deep breath, Sam presses end on the call and tosses the phone to the side as she pulls her leg up on the couch and lays her forehead against her knee as a fist slams against the cushion of the couch.