New York, the historic Madison Square Garden, and the HWA Reunion show was all behind them now. There was nothing left but the path forward. She and Butch both knew their lives would change the moment they signed on the dotted line with CBS and so it had. What once was a quiet office had become an overcrowded, hustling and bustling headquarters. Until they had acquired suitable office space, most employees had been required to work from home by necessity, including herself today. Butch had handled the media following the reunion and now came her part of the deal meeting with the commercial realtor to finalize a lease on a new office building. Although they didn’t need it at the time, Butch had been talking for a few years about a larger space for the training facility and now that time had come. They had already visited ten different locations together a few weeks back and narrowed it down to three, and while they put holding bids on all three and each were accepted…they wanted to wait until after the reunion to make a final decision. They agreed that any of the three would provide them what they were looking for, and besides location and some aesthetic differences they were fairly evenly matched. He had left the final decision to her, but of the three she knew which one would suit them best. The Hollywood location was the most modern but situated in a heavy traffic and even more densely populated area than there were in downtown, and crammed in between other businesses. The Pasadena location was the most affordable, had great views of the local mountains and was situated near the Angeles National Forest which would create some new and interesting training opportunities, but it was the oldest and would need some moderate renovations, and they wanted something a bit more move-in ready. It was the Santa Monica location that won out. The building had one floor less than the other two, but still provided enough space including future expansion space, it was situated beachfront which provided familiar territory and training regimens, and it was close to a local private airport and some of the city’s best hospitals. As most other things were all done online these days, she contacted the realtor with their confirmation, and sent their signed agreement.
There was another important task, perhaps the most important of the day that she briefly put on hold until she returned home in about an hour. Spring Break was over and Evina and David needed to get back to school today. While they had a nanny, she wanted to take them herself. It was important to her to keep the kids at the forefront of everything they did, and not let the business consume her. They had no intentions of being absentee parents now that business was picking up despite their time becoming more strained by the day. It was something new they would learn to manage as they went along. Lunches and snacks had been prepared, and the kids were both grabbing their backpacks already heading for the door. It was 7:15 a.m., she grabbed her car keys and headed out with them. Because of their frequent 1.5 – 2 hour drives from home into the city Butch wanted her to have a comfortable ride. They old care which wasn’t but a few years old was perfectly fine, but he insisted. She was more worried what it would like them suddenly spending money on personal things just after this new CBS deal, and didn’t want people to get the wrong idea. His exact words to her were…
(Butch): This isn’t company money, this is our money, fuk ‘em!
Later that day a new 2023 Land Rover 5.0L V8 Supercharged Autobiography with Navigation and AWD was delivered to the house. Of course, she loved it and agreed with him. There was something on the way for him as well, but with that boyish grin on his face…he was keeping that under wraps. Evina and David got in the car and it was a typical drive to school. She parked and walked them in, dropping David off at his class with a hug and kiss. Then walked Evina upstairs to her class where the teacher was greeting students at the door as they walked in. A few other parents were in front of them, everyone all smiles. One mom who she’d chat or even grab a coffee with from time to time was leaving.
(Wisdom): Hey Stacy, how was you guys Easter weekend?
(Stacy): Good, thanks!
Oddly, Stacy kept walking away almost as if they didn’t know each other. They reached the classroom door and Evina started inside.
(Evina): Mrs. Brooks, I read my Judy Blume book, my dad said he’d take us to see the movie when it comes out.
(Mrs. Brooks): That’s wonderful Evina, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in class during our book share today.
Evina runs into class and Mrs. Brooks eyes move back up to Wisdom.
(Mrs. Brooks): Mrs. Parker!
Taken aback by the cold reception, Wisdom simply nods and walks away. She turns her head looking back and sees the next parent and Mrs. Brooks all smiles and friendly greetings as their child enters the room. Something was up and she didn’t like it. She headed back to the car to find a few moms, including Stacy huddled together conversing. They see her coming and quickly split up heading to their vehicles. She wasn’t about to let things slide. This flippant behavior was starting to piss her off and she approached Stacy before she could close her car door.
(Wisdom): Is there something I missed here Stacy, what’s with everyone and the cold shoulder today?
(Stacy): We all saw what you did at that show of yours. We supported you guys ya know, but there you were using your fists instead of your words. Thank god, the kids were asleep and didn’t see that fiasco.
(Wisdom): Look, I didn’t plan on things taking the turn they did. I wasn’t going to just stand there an let her run us down like that.
(Stacy): That doesn’t make it right. We teach our kids how to control their emotions, how are you doing to do that when you can’t control your own. For Christ sakes, Oprah lives here, this isn’t the kind of people we have in our community.
(Wisdom): We’re in a competitive sport, sometimes emotions get high and…
She cuts Wisdom off as she starts her engine.
(Stacy): Go let your emotions get high somewhere else, we don’t want them around our kids. And, I’m sorry, but we have to rescind the invite to Jason’s birthday party next week.
(Wisdom): So you want to punish my daughter because you didn’t like what you saw at the show?
(Stacy): I didn’t make that decision, you did!
Stacy pulls off our of the parking lot and Wisdom is left fuming. Wisdom power walks the remaining feet to her car and gets in slamming the door. She grabs he cell and call’s Butch. It rings a few times, but he doesn’t pick up and it goes to voicemail and she leaves him a message, an aggravated tone in her voice.
(Wisdom): I just dropped the kids off at school and ran into Stacy. These fuking Stepford wives think they are going to gang up on me because they didn’t like what happened at the Reunion. Who the hell do they think they are? Who the fuk do they think they’re talking to? Have you talked Eric or to any of the other dads? Do you know this b###h uninvited Evina from Jason’s birthday party next week? You know how excited she was to go pick out a gift this weekend…what the hell are we supposed to tell her? Then she wants to tell me “Oprah lives here” like I don’t fuking know that, she’s just 3 goddamn miles from our house I know where she fuking lives… she’s not the Queen of Santa Barbara. “Community” my ass, I’m so pissed off right I could have knocked the implants out of her fuking cheeks.
Wisdom takes a deep breath, dropping her head to the steering wheel then looking back up.
(Wisdom): I’m sorry babe, I didn’t mean to unload on you…I just needed to vent or I was going to explode. I’m on my way back home now to finish up some work, the agreement is off for the new location and I’ll be taking care of that other bit business. I love you Mr. Parker, give me a call if you get a chance, but I’ll see you tonight.
Wisdom kisses into her phone and pushes the button to end the call. She’s still pissed off and heads out of the school lot back home. As she gets in, she sees that their housekeeper has arrived and is the kitchen cleaning up from this morning’s breakfast. The news is on the tv, and she catches a brief glimpse and a few words about a deadly shooting in some bank in Louisville, Kentucky. She just wants to focus on work to take her mind off the morning and heads straight into their office. She first checks emailing, wondering if the realtor has responded yet, she looked at the time and realized it was just 8:08 a.m., still early and they may not have even seen it yet. With that business already out of the way she turned to another task. Although she, Butch and their attorney’s had gone through things thoroughly, she felt her husband’s absence at the moment, and the weight of the decision tumbling around in her stomach. At least she hoped that’s what it was. It wasn’t likely that the moms at school would make her nervous in this way, piss her off yes, but they didn’t have the power to make her feel uneasy. On the desk before her were new HWA Talent Contracts. Butch had already signed them earlier, and left them for her to do so and send them out. She wondered if he had the same hesitation as she did when the pen was in his hand. She grabbed a pen, signed each letter and contract before sealing them in preaddressed package envelopes. She had already scheduled a courier to pick them up and by the end of the day today or early tomorrow, someone would be on the doorstep of Stu-E Price, Bryan Deas, Buff Bridges, Steven Angel, and William Draconis. Butch has asked her to set Maniac’s aside. Some testosterone thing was brewing and she really didn’t want to get involved so she signed it and held it to the side as he asked. These at least, were the few superstars they had connected with during the reunion who expressed an interest in returning to the company, Maniac perhaps more than most. Now was the time to see how serious they each were.
She exhaled and all there was to do was wait for the signed agreements to be picked up, then returned or not. She didn’t know what the future held for this potential mix of established superstars with the lesser and even brand spanking new talent coming through doors. If they were indeed on the right path (as Hogan alluded to with Butch,) then it was going to make for some very good programming. She just wished more women had stuck around in recent years and that perhaps some veterans might return but they had to take things one step at a time. She suddenly imagined Stacy in the ring, and smiled thinking about doing the same to her as she did to Brandi when she mouthed off at her. Her mind then wandered to the young man who interrupted the show in an emotional tirade claiming to be the son of the late Eddie Phoenix. She knew Butch was trying to reach Talon, the one individual in the world who they knew would have some insight, but she was eager for answers and decided to make some calls of her own as rumors were starting to pick up by the day. She had the office pull up old employee files and had gotten the contact information for a few select individuals she surely thought would have some bit of information. If Eddie indeed had personal issues stemming from his time in HWA, they wanted to help his family. He was an HWA veteran regardless and they wanted to do everything they could to support them if they were in need and were willing to accept. None of the contacts answered the phone, but her message was the same to each…
(Wisdom): …this is Wisdom Parker from the HWA. Hopefully you received our invitation to the Reunion, we’re sorry you couldn’t attend…your presence was missed amongst our colleagues. As you may have heard, we learned about Eddie’s passing that night which left us floored, as well as met a young man claiming to be Eddie’s son. He seemed so genuinely distressed that would be hard to imagine someone making this up, but we were hoping you or someone we knew was connected to Eddie would be able to provide us with some details into his passing and his family. We’d really like to help. Please, if you know or hear anything, please, please give us a call. We hope you are well yourself and look forward to hearing from you.
The same if not similar message was left for Hennessy Divine, Anton, Davis, Merlyn, Nightwolf, and several others, even some woman named Gabriella who at some point had signed a one-night liability release to join Eddie at a show. She hadn’t even had the opportunity to really talk to the young man. She walked with him as security escorted him away and into police custody, but she quickly waived any charges and asked for him to be left alone. He didn’t seem at all impressed or moved by this decision but given the circumstances it was the least she could do. She gave him her card and asked that he contact her, but a couple of days had now passed, and she hadn’t heard anything. Hopefully, in the coming days someone will reach out with the answers they seek. She didn’t like this hanging over their head, and Butch was already talking with staff about where they got the information of Eddie’s passing, and having not shared this information with them before the show. She did suddenly recall them initiating a media blackout prior to the show, so everyone could be left alone and have private time and space beforehand, but still…this was more than significant news. The phone rings and she quickly grabs it, hopeful that it is someone returning one of her calls.
(Wisdom): Wisdom Parker?....
(Voice): Hey, it’s me, just checking in on you two. I’m calling you because Butch is probably in the gym, training, or otherwise nowhere to be found and I knew you’d be towing the line in the office.
(Wisdom): Hey Di, no, trust me Butch is putting in more than his share of the load.
(Diana): I know, I’m just kidding. I saw the press conference.
(Wisdom): Butch is actually in town at the office and I’m working from home. We just got the lease signed this morning for the office space and facilities so within the next week or so we’ll be moving in.
(Diana): That’s great, I can’t wait to see pictures.
(Wisdom): It’s a great building, two floors of I were previously an Equinox gym so its an easy conversion, and only some minimal renovations are needed to put rings and training areas across a few more floors, then the offices will take up the remaining floors.
(Diana): That’s so exciting, Butch must be chomping at the bits.
Wisdom laughs.
(Wisdom): You know he is! He’s already given some renderings to the designers who will be going in probably later this week. Everything will be ready when the trucks get rolling to move us in. He’s like a kid in the candy store when it comes to buying new equipment.
(Diana): Well maybe we can get over there this summer for a visit. The kids are getting older and in a couple years I’ll have an empty nest. They should spend some time with their cousins more before they go running off in the world.
(Wisdom): You know you guys can come whenever you’re ready. Just be prepared to deal with the SBSB.
(Diana): SBSB?
(Wisdom): Santa Barbara Snobby b###hes!
(Diana): What in the world is that?
(Wisdom): It’s my poor attempt to laugh off an encounter with some parents and Evina’s teacher this morning.
(Diana): What happened?
Wisdom recounts the events of the school encounters this morning with Diana, who agrees with her and believes she handled it well enough.
(Diana): Well, listen…I know you’re hard at work…I just wanted to check in. Tell that brother of mine to call his little sis and family when he can spare the time for us. Jake and Sarah are excited to see you guys back on tv and want to hear all about things. Sarah has a poster of that boy Matt on the back of her door. My god Wisdom, they are growing like bloody weeds…I’m warning you guys its like the blink of an eye.
(Wisdom): Don’t remind me, I’ll stick to birthday party rejections for now, childhood crushes are going to have to wait…I don’t envy you. Alright then, I’ll catch you later.
(Diana): Oh and tell Sean to call as well.
(Wisdom): He’s been a little MIA since the show, but we’ll tell him as soon as we hear from him.
(Diana): Okay, love you guys!
(Wisdom): Love you to Di, bye!
The call ends, and Wisdom’s mind shifts to Sean and the reunion show. This was something Butch said he would handle, but she can’t help but feel some responsibility to him. The last time they saw one another was just before the event and Sean clearly had some strong feelings towards AC James’ potential presence at the show. She probably should have told Butch about what she overheard at the time but she thought she had talked Sean off the ledge and that was the end of it, now she wasn’t so sure. She’d have to wait and see how things unfolded, but knew that Butch had a handle on it all. Thinking of the injured she had wrote down to call AC and Lisa James, just to check on them. She also thought of Michelle and the other girls whose night didn’t all go as expected. She wanted to give them space to take it all in, and knew she’d see them in the next few days during training. Her cell rings again and she sees the call is coming from CBS. She had been waiting on this call as she and Butch were eager to share details on the return of Havoc. She answers the phone and continues the business of the day as the scene fades to black.
Message Thread
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