Exhausted, I made my way across the room and decided to crash right there on the somewhat uninviting bed. Six months had passed since I started this job and the physicality of my job didn't take long to wear on me but the enchantment still remained. Twelve hours I slept. I wished it was in my own bed but my new schedule didn't work that way. Taking a plane home just for one day off didn't make much sense.
When I woke up I cursed myself for not getting comfortable, for the hotel I had chosen in my zombified state and that I didn't plug in my phone which was now completely dead. That completely explained why I didn't receive my normal morning phone call from my somewhat distant boyfriend. We had been together almost a year and I still hadn't adjusted to our hectic schedules. We saw each other almost every other show, sometimes.
Groggily I drug my body off of the bed, which was still made, and sluggishly made my way to the shower. Today was going to be slow going. I wasn't even sure what town I was in anymore. Maybe Tampa? I was still confident that I would navigate my way through like I always did, eventually. I could start to see why drugs were a scandal back in the eighties even if they were used just to keep everyone awake. As I passed my bag I grabbed my clothes and found my phone charger that had made its way to the bottom of one of the large pockets. When I pulled on the chord a piece of paper came with it.
A picture stared at me of Randy and myself after my first match. He held me in both of his arms and we were both completely elated. I had won that day and found out that I did have what it took to wrestle, a job I had no intention of ever getting in to. I smiled roughly and decided I would call him as soon as my phone was awake. I missed the mornings we got to spend together in each others arms and these days they appeared less and less. As I built myself in to a career he was steadily coasting on his which put us on different paths at times.
Pipes screamed in my ears as I turned on the water to the shower. The almost scalding water felt good on my skin but also reminded me of the beating I had taken the night before. My general manager had told me that I was being considered for a prime spot in the big leagues with Randy and and his friends and that alone helped soothe the pain a little. When I finally receded out of the comfort of the shower I saw the bruises and gashes left on my shoulder blades. I should have been accustomed to the pain that my job brought, but again, there were things that no one ever adjusted to and the pain was mine. Being hit with chairs and whatever else we could think of for a show was no joke, even if our job was in the name of entertainment. The pain too, was a constant reminder of the first time I met Randy and the hell I had gone through. A shudder ran down my spine as I pushed the memories away.
I always tried to pack light these days which often meant tank tops, shorts and maybe some business casual tops. Luckily I had one jacket that would cover up the damage. Settling back on the bed I checked my phone again and sighed in frustration at its reluctance to begin the day with me. With a few quick movements I had my bags packed once again and I realized most of my day was gone. The hotel clerk probably was expecting me to check out soon and I suddenly felt the rush of society down on me again. My day off was literally almost over and I had slept through most of it and I had to get going.
When I checked out, the lady at the counter gushed about the weather for the day and how nice it would be. If she only knew how much I didn't care. Traveling these days made me impatient and stand-offish to others, a skill I both cherised and hated about myself. At one time I wondered how Randy dealt with his stardom and without understanding it; I had learned to deal with it in my own way. I gathered my things and made my way to the little four door rental. Driving had become my main transportation and the long rides weren't so bad. I liked being alone inside my head most of the time. When I settled, I programmed my navigation to the next makeshift arena and decided I would get there early just because I had nowhere else to be.
With my Bluetooth activated, I dialed Randy's phone and hoped that he would answer at such an odd time. What time was it again on the west coast? The dial tones echoed around me from the numerous speakers. After all of these new inventions, I still found it strange that calls could be made with your car, not just by them. After the third ring his phone went to voice mail. Feeling weird about talking to myself in the car with no phone in my hand, I decided to just hang up. After a few miles had passed I yawned incredulously. That was when I decided to stop at the nearest coffee house I could find and fast before I ran myself off the road.
The little coffee shop I had chosen was seated close to a book store, like they all were these days. A bell sounded above the door as I entered and the wave of fresh coffee hit my nose. The day was starting to look up. As my eyes adjusted to the darkened and suave environment I noticed few people were sitting around enjoying the free Wi-fi like the places I went to at home. Something told me I should have been excited for the stillness.
As I panned the room to find the barista and the menu, that was when I saw him. I tried to avoid noticing him with any emotion, but it was too late, he had seen me too and it looked like he was coming my way.
With a tall cup of coffee in his hand, CJ waived with his other. His dreadlocks bounced as he walked and he had a knack for drawing attention wherever he was going. "Erin...hey!" He said as he drew closer. I quickly made my way to the register to place my order but my false ignorance didn't seem to be a big enough deterrent. "Hey how are you?" CJ said cutting straight in to my space with a nonchalant bump on the shoulder."Vanilla Latte please," I casually mentioned to the barista, "You know.. I'm alive." With a bounce, my shoulders jumped up and settled quickly back down.
We shifted to the next line for my coffee and CJ's arm made its way around my shoulders. "Still down about what happened? Life is so much more than that you know." His nauseatingly happy face was staring down on me as I shouldered past him to look for my coffee. I didn't need to be reminded of how I wasn't completely out of my funk of looking like a fool in front of at least a few hundred people. At least I thought I was getting better.
"I'm doing fine thanks," I said with a hush. Not even the minute I spoke those words I felt another presence near me and maybe a couple more.
At this point I didn't know what to expect but my hair was on end.