The lounge John picked out was pretty empty. Just the way he liked them. If it was packed then everyone would be wanting to hang out with him and want autographs and pictures. He didn't mind it but considering that he had invited Kim to come with him, it would be kinda rude to brush her aside and put her on hold. She afterall did take the time to visit him today. She could have made an excuse and said no or just said yes and never showed up.
Both of them sat down at the bar counter. The bar tender greeted them and asked for an autograph after and John said that he could do that. Atleast she had the decency to wait til he was done.
"So what has been new since the last time or should I say the first time I met you?"
The bartender gave them their first drinks on the house but John gave her a tip anyways because she was being courteous.
"Nothing really,"
"You still with the same guy?"
"Yes I am. We are house hunting right now."
They both took a sip of their drinks.
"Sorry this must be awkward for you," John blurted out,
She shrugged and looked at him and smiled, "A bit, but I think its more surreal then ever. I guess I didn't think coming back from Calgary I was going to meet a famous wrestler."
That had brought him back to the first day. He was still actually curious what her mission had been in Calgary. He knew that she didn't want to talk about it that day, but maybe now she'll let him know.
"I know I asked this before," he started, "But what was that mission in Calgary? Why were you so down that day?"
He saw Kim freeze and hesitate. He really wanted to know. What was it? Was it that bad? Did she do something very wrong?
"Um..." she stalled. She started to look around the room and play with the ice in her drink with the small blue straw that came with it. "I... I don't think you really would care, or want to hear my sad sob story."
"No serious," He replied, "I really want to know. I didn't like seeing you down that day. I know I just met you but I could see a lot of hurt and sadness in your eyes."
"No you must have heard a lot of these kind of stories you don't need to listen to another one."
That boggled his mind. What could he have possibly heard about so much that made him not want to listen?
"Kim I really want to hear it. I don't care what it's about. You could have tried to rob a bank and I would want to hear about it."
He noticed that a little life had come back into her. But it quickly vanished and was replaced with sorrow. He knew there may be some tears and he was prepared by all means. He had to hear the story.
"I... when I was a girl, I had a dream," she began,
"And that dream was...?"
Kim took a sip of the remaining drink and stirred the ice again, thinking. "I wanted to be a... wrestler."
"Well that's not a terrible dream at all," he said nudging her, "I mean come on, I went down the same road."
"But you made it," she said looking at him with those sad blue hazel eyes, "I didn't."
John stopped to think. He should have known that one was coming. He took a sip of his beer and asked the bar tender for another round. The girl smiled and quickly got a beer and a vodka and pepsi. John paid full and added another tip.
"Ok, so what went wrong?"
She sighed and played with her drink again. He noticed this was her way of thinking.
"Well, I went to Calgary, found a wrestling class, lived with my uncle for six months, worked at Walmart as a stock girl and went to classes during the day. There were atleast twenty of us, and well for some reason no one liked me."
"That's hard to imagine, you're a great girl."
"Thanks, but they didn't see it that way. The girls there were always talking about me, trying to set me up to get into trouble. One even pretended that I had sprained her ankle just to get me to be sent home. I don't know why. Even the coach had his nose up in the air. He always pushed me the hardest, always made me do things that I was going to screw up. He never really taught me anything but he always spent time on the other girls and the boys just didn't talk to me. They said I wasn't the right stuff."
John looked at his drink and took a sip. That must be awful. His road wasn't the easiest and even to this day he has always been called down upon. But for someone who was trying to get somewhere to have everyone gang up against her, that's just very horrible. She had nothing to cling onto. He did, he had a career and he knew no matter what they said, he didn't have listen to it and he would never see those people again. She had to see them everyday.
"So you left?"
"Well after classes were finished they would pick ten people to compete in a charity show for which ever one they picked. Obviously I wasn't in it so I left."
"That must have been hard. I'm sorry to hear that."
"I guess the big man upstairs has different plans for me."
John didn't know what to say. How could a bunch of people determine one's fate? Then again those similar people had determined his.
"What did your boyfriend think?"
"At first he thought that it wasn't a good thing for me to get invovled in. He didn't want me to be gone too long. He loves to me to death but with work he couldn't exactly pick up and leave with me."
"It is tough. But long distance relationships are real proof that the love is real."
"I know..." But sometimes I wonder if love is real or if we just stay in a relationship because we feel comfortable."
He knew exactly what she meant. He had to admit that he questioned if he really loved Liz. They had their ups and their downs but being on the road most of the time he sometimes didn't feel that connection. He didn't see a reason to divorce her though. Everyone portrayed her the wrong way and yes sometimes she got out of hand but didn't every girl?
She was his best friend and the only one he actually trusted. She wasn't in it for the money, obviously considering they were dating way before he became a pro wrestler.
"I think when I got home he was more relieved. He said it was his best interest in my dreams but I think he didn't want me to succeed in a way."
"So what are you doing now?"
Kim shrugged and took a sip of her drink again. "Working and living with my brother and his girlfriend, trying to pay my car off, my Uncle for the wrestling classes and hopefully find a house within the next two years."
Being famous and rich had its advantages but at the same it kind of corrupted you. You never actually remember the days where you didn't have money. Where you were like every other average person, working pay check to pay check to survive another month. But John actually did. He tried to bank most of his money and keep only a certain amount so he would never lose that touch and that feeling. He never was the guy to parade around about his money. All the cars that he bought he actually put so much money into a banking account and waited it to grow. Everything else was put to the house he and Liz lived in, he tried to help his parents and brothers out and tried to put mostly the rest into Charity. He didn't need all that money to stay happy.
"Are you happy?"
The question kinda startled Kim. He could see it in her movement. She looked at him, down to the table and remained silent. John just waited patiently for her to answer.
"Sometimes I am, the other time I'm not."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, I feel trapped in a rut and no matter how hard I try to jump or climb, I never get out."
