(Assistant): Mr. Cheeks will see you now, go right in.
Wisdom and Butch holding hands get up from the sofa and enter the office. George greets them with a smile and handshakes.
(George): Butch, Wisdom, good morning. Thank you for coming this early, please sit down.
He gestures to the sofa in his office where they sat before and sit down. George has a serious look on his face and Butch can’t help but notice an empty glass of what was probably Scotch on his desk.
(George): I’ll get right to it then. Our executive board held an emergency session last night. Now, I mentioned to you before that there was some opposition, but recent events have stirred things up a bit quicker than what I anticipated. What it comes down to is…
Wisdom interjects cutting him off, as she places her hand on Butch’s knee…
(Wisdom): George, I know what you’re going to say and please…don’t take this out on Butch. What happened was entirely by fault. He and the company had nothing to do with my decision, I have to face those consequences alone, and if the first step is my resignation as Co-Owner, I’m prepared to do that. I’ve already…
George holds his hand up with a slight smile, a gesture for her to stop speaking and let him finish…
(George): Wisdom, what you did has stirred a complete media shitstorm. When I called you about the tweet and video leak, I didn’t expect you to hop flight across the states for a full on confrontation, you were in Omaha for Christ sakes. Look, I told you both I was in your corner, this emergency session last night…truth be told it was difficult but you both delivered to me a reasonable arsenal to fight with. Highly impressive numbers aside, there was a general appreciation for your handling of Havoc, Butch. Perhaps unknowingly you created a balance between pure competitive sportsmanship and the aggressive, and dare I say…brutal, nature professional wrestling might sometimes display. Call it “controlled chaos” as the saying goes, and you turned a lot of heads in the room.
George sighs deeply and looks at Wisdom…
(George): Then Mrs. Parker here, zipped over to Nashville and let loose let’s say “uncontrolled chaos.” Look, we’re a network…Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother…these shows are great and have been our bread and butter for a long time, but even the stiffs at the table can’t deny the constituent appeal of HWA. The numbers don’t lie, the media attention alone has driven over 350,000 new subscribers since yesterday.
(Wisdom): Wait a minute, what are you trying to say here George.
(George): I’m saying that not only do I have your back, but CBS as a whole now has your back. You want some crazy burning ring of fire or something or the other match…go for it. You want to keep doing what you’re doing and have level-headed competition, great…go for it. As long as you can maintain the same degree of that “controlled chaos” you did at Havoc, and as long as more serious lines don’t get crossed, we’ll back you.
Butch and Wisdom look at one another, their hands interlocked and grip tightening.
(George): Now before it starts sounding all rosy, there’s still a lot of hurdles to overcome. We’re just one company and there remains a lot of dissent over your brand between states, and local governments, etc. We’ll do what we can to help, but largely that’s all you.
Butch still has a slight of confusion on his face, like he’s not quite sure he heard George correctly. He glances at Wisdom before back to George.
(Butch): So you’re saying as long as the…
Butch holds his hands up and makes inverted commas with his fingers for emphasis.
(Butch): … Chaos… remains controlled, there’s wiggle room for more aggressive, for lack of a better term, content?
George nods.
(George): Essentially… yes.
Butch puffs his cheeks out and leans back on the sofa before he sits back up and motions towards George’s empty glass.
(Butch): I don’t suppose you have anymore of that Scotch? I could use a drink…
(George) Scotch?
George looks back at his desk and sees that he’s left the evidence showing and smiles back at Butch.
(George): Ah, that! Like I said…it was rather intensive emergency session. We didn’t finish until 6:00 a.m. this morning and I haven’t been home.
He guts up going to his bar, grabs two glasses and pours both Wisdom and Butch a glass, returning and handing it to them.
(George): Look, I know you sold us on your vision, pure wrestling and all that…and like I said, if you want to stay that course by all means. I don’t think the product will suffer for it, but I understand the competitive nature of athletes. I realize, especially in wrestling that its often a different breed of physicality and if you feel beholden to the straight and narrow out of fear of consequences to the company, then yes…what I am saying is you can feel free to loosen the reigns a bit should you choose to do so.
(Wisdom): What about this Brandi Rhodes situation?
(George): That’s largely outside our ballpark, it didn’t occur on television. The video circulating is private residence security footage the family released. I don’t want to say “you’re on own on this” but other than keeping an eye on the news coming down the line, giving you a heads up and a bit of support here or there, this is largely your battle.
Wisdom looks at Butch, then back to George and nods. She had so many feelings about what happened but one thing was for certain. If she had to do it all over again, she’d make the same decision. Brandi Rhodes has went way too far with her attack, hidden behind the walls of social media. Butch takes a big drink from the glass, practically draining it in one go.
(Butch): So, we have our first pay-per-view lined up soon, Art of War. Based on what happened at Havoc, there’s likely going to be some scores being settled, so this is us giving you a heads-up too. And thanks by the way for giving us permission for Shinsuke to appear last night. I know Hunter was fine with it but I also know with WWE being on Fox, there could’ve been some contractual issues so I appreciate you being so gracious. Matthew has given a lot of uncredited work to professional wrestling so it means a lot Shinsuke can be a part of his retirement tour.
(George): My pleasure, any collaborative efforts we can undertake to support I will. This was a win / win for all parties involved.
(Wisdom): Well, I think we’ve taken up enough of your night and certainly morning George, go home and get some rest. Thank you for everything.
Wisdom and Butch stand and they all shake hands.
(George): We know where to find each other!
He smiles as they exit his office. Wisdom and Butch hold hands, and almost feel like they are holding their breath as they exit the studio offices and get back to their car. Wisdom sits in the passenger seat and exhales. Looking over at Butch.
(Wisdom): We should still talk about what happened, but this was rather unexpected…what now?
Butch puffs his cheeks out again.
(Butch): We could go back home for round two?
Butch somehow manages a light laugh, trying to make light of the situation but he sees Wisdom still looks serious.
(Butch): Look, you know I stand by you through everything. I think we at least need to do some damage control legally. Do you think I should ready out to Cody?
(Wisdom): You know what babe, you might not like me to say this but…F*ck Cody! He’s a goddamn accomplice if you ask me. For months she’s been taking digs at us since the reunion and he hasn’t opened his mouth once publicly to say anything. I know he came to the house and you guys talked or whatever, but in the public eye when your ####ing wife is bashing someone and you don’t say two words about it…it tells me you don’t have a problem with it.
(Butch): So what do you suggest? What if Brandi decides to press charges? We need to get on top of this, babe.
(Wisdom): Let them do whatever they feel they need to do, because I sure as hell did what I felt like. I know what I did, and I’ll face the charges, the consequences or whatever.
Wisdom turns to Butch, tears welling in her eyes. She strokes the stubble on his face with her hands.
(Wisdom): I’m sorry baby. I know I shouldn’t have, but what she did….. She exposed you at a vulnerable moment. She somehow got her hands on that video and published it for the world to see, and some bitch nurse at the hospital looking to make a secret buck sneaked a photo of you in your room and she puts that out there too. I couldn’t take it anymore, the mockery, the degrading. You’re my world, and I’d defend you to my dying breath against anyone and anything. I just….I lost it, and I don’t apologize for that. I apologize for any undue stress this shit causes you.
Butch reaches across and cups Wisdom’s face with one of his massive hands and uses his thumb to wipe her tears away.
(Butch): Hey, hey, hey, come on now. No tears. I don’t regret one thing about what happened. Even if it the worse came to worse and we got cancelled. I’d still love everything about you.
He leans over and gives her a long, passionate kiss.
(Butch): I’m going to see Cody though, Wis. Not to make the peace but to let him know I stand by you and what you did and that his wife is a f*cking snake.
(Wisdom): I understand. You’ll find him at the hospital, I heard she’ll be in there a few more days.
Wisdom gives a light laugh as she wipes her tears away looking back at Butch.
(Wisdom): Going back to business…I meant what I said last night about Matt and Maniac. Its your call, but I think you should give them the match. Matt’s been or beacon of light these past years. He’s walked the line and done everything the right way and then some. Here comes Maniac and turns things upside down. The line isn’t so straight anymore he has to walk, and last night I realized that. I did everything to make peace with Brandi, hell I even pleaded, but she just carried on with it. Words and best wishes fail us sometime and so I spoke in a language she’d couldn’t ignore and would understand and I beat her ass. If Matt wants this match, if he really wants it…let him have it. Not for Maniac, not for the fans, but for him…I think we owe him that opportunity.
Butch sighs. He knows Wisdom is right, as she was most of the time. Who was he kidding? All the time.
(Butch): You know, I really wanted it to work. The pure wrestling formula we managed to make work for so long. I thought for sure even some of the veterans would be on board. I guess I was being naive.
He lets a half-hearted snort puff out from his nostrils.
(Butch): Maybe one day. But you’re right. Matt deserves this. We’ve spent so much energy trying to be the sheriffs of this company when we should be acting like stewards, controlling the chaos, as George said. How do you feel about me having a match with Matthew? I’m sorry I didn’t clear it with you.
She smiles broadly, turning in her seat to face him better.
(Wisdom): First off, our dream isn’t dead. Minus a few altercations, there were some very solid matches there, everyone pretty much stayed in line and even the allowances that you made were fitting and not over the top. I thought it was great, and it’s exactly what George was talking about. If we can maintain that, everyone gets to have their cake and eat it too. As far as Matthew goes…I’m over the moon about it. I can just imagine how much this is going to mean to him. It’s been a while since the wrestling world has had a televised, full blown Butch Parker match, so it’s going to be great.
Butch smiles lightly.
(Butch): I’m not so sure about full-blown. I just hope I do him justice and don’t embarrass myself. My knee is still playing silly buggers, which reminds me, I need to order more turmeric when I get home along with my protein powder. In any case, I guess we need to start planning some announcements for the pay-per-view, starting with Matt and Maniac. Do you think I should hold a press conference? We’re bound to be getting questions on social media and reporters turning up to the Academy snooping for exclusives.
(Wisdom): I bet there’s vans already outside the offices, so a press conference might be hard to avoid anyway, might as well dive right in. I think everyone is going to flip over Matt and Maniac, that should hold them over for a bit and we can do the others at Havoc. But first things…
Wisdom leaps up out of her seat swinging her leg over to the drivers side where she mounts herself in Butch’s lap. He cups her ass with his hands as she stares playfully down in his eyes.
(Wisdom): Since you’re about to hit the ring again soon, I think we need to work on your cardio. Something tells me you may have been holding back last night.
She kisses him on the lips and pulls back raising her eyebrow at him quizzically. Butch runs his hands over Wisdom’s ass, his hands creeping underneath her clothing. He leans forward, kissing her neck.
(Butch): Is that a challenge, Mrs Parker?
(Wisdom): Let’s call it a warm up match!
Wisdom smiles at him, kissing him again. A car pulls up behind them and honks needing to get by, they hadn’t noticed they were blocking. Wisdom laughs and slides back into her seat, putting her hand on Butch’s lap, awfully close to where she was last night.
(Wisdom): To be continued, mister!
She lets her hand teasingly slide down between Butch’s leg as the car behind them honks and Butch motions with a hand outside the driver’s window as the scene fades to black.
Message Thread
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