New York City Friends
Season 3, Episode 4: Jump
Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.
Candice no longer had Brooklyn by her side, she broke up with Cody, and everything felt familiar to when she was first divorced. Except Candice wasn't going to pretend everything was alright, only to fall in a dark hole later on. She was instead going to take those two phases and party with them.
"Oh gosh, I'm in love with this place! I can see it already, a grand Hampton's Beach House Party," Candice raved about to herself, while exploring the rooms. "I would love to rent it for tonight, I'm throwing a little welcoming summer party and I would love to rent this place out for the night!"
He nodded, but didn't really understand. "Just for one night," he asked. "Summer hasn't even started, it's still technically Spring mam," he reminded her.
She took off her sunglasses and turned to him, "My son left for 'summer school' and I argued the same point! But apparently the young kids celebrate Summer early nowadays, so yeah I'd like to rent this place for a Summer party I'm throwing tonight," she asserted herself with a strong confident tone.
Situations are like boats that come and go, some being very similar to one another. But if you've learned from the past ones, they won't be so intimidating when they come again and you'll know how to sail them a little differently... in this case Candice was going to take a swim right near the boat.
"Okay, well, I'll leave you a key and you can write me a check right now," the owner of the house told Candice. Candice took off her blouse and she began unbuttoning her wash ripped jeans, "Why don't you first join me for a little dip in the pool," Candice teased. She dived into the backyard Hampton's pool and he just watched.
He shrugged and joined her a couple minutes later, Candice wrote him a check later and the party was set for the night. A Hampton's style party.
Mark called me for a 'crisis' he was having, so I met him for some coffee.
Mark had a clumsy way of searching for Michelle in the coffee place, he stumbled into the cozy place and searched around. "Hey, over here," Michelle waved from the stool she was sitting on.
"I can't do it, Victoria is practically grabbing my life by the balls and taking control," Mark abruptly told her, skipping from the 'hello' straight to the point.
Michelle giggled, but he was being serious and it took her a second to get on the same page. "I thought you loved her and your daughter, and that you would stay with them and work whatever came your way," Michelle reminded him.
Mark shrugged and put his hands around his head, "It's getting to be too much Michelle," Mark tried explaining. "I mean she's always been that controlling type of person, I just thought she'd grow out of it and that once the baby came she would drop that whole part of herself," Mark admitted.
Mark just never knew when to jump.
"Well, you said it yourself! You always knew she was that way, yet you chose her and now you have to just keep loving her," Michelle tried reassuring Mark.
Mark shrugged, "Well you always told me that Jack was the jealous type... yet you ended up with him more than a decade later, so of course you would believe that," Mark told her.
"You know what Mark, I don't know what to tell you and I need time to work on my own relationship, so figure it out," Michelle told him. She got up and walked away with her coffee in her hand.
The four women were sitting for their routine brunch, but Michelle was about to end that.
"I need time to work on my marriage," Michelle told the three women. "So, what I'm trying to say is that I probably won't be able to join you all for our regular brunches anymore, at least for a while," Michelle explained to them.
They all turned to her in confusion, "Well you're already taking time to yourself, we haven't sat with you for brunch in weeks," Ashley jokingly teased. "It's bullshit, but I understand... you need time to adjust to your new life as a busy married woman and out of all of us, I really understand... no offense," Candice added.
Torrie nodded, "One day I'll understand too, so not offend! But I agree, you have to find ways to make it work, it's a marriage after all," Torrie said. Ashley raised her finger, "Oh and if I didn't make it clear enough, I'm also okay with it," Ashley reassured Michelle.
So I jumped and my friends watched, all very understanding of what had to be done.
Candice turned away from the table for a second, "Hey girl, I called but you didn't answer, but now that I have you on I'd like to invite you to a party I'm throwing at the Hampton's, you're invited," Candice said to her friend through the phone.
Candice hung up and turned back to the table, "That's right, I'm throwing a Hampton's party at a beach house I rented, you're all invited... Michelle I don't expect you to go, but Ashley and Torrie you better go," Candice demanded from them.
"I'll try going," Torrie replied. "I'm really worried about Punk though and it's like he's purposely trying to make me feel bad for him. Corey hasn't had a proper date with me in weeks, so it'll be fun going with him," Torrie told them.
"Honey, maybe he's jealous," Michelle suggested. "I've said that since the beginning, Corey and Punk are like fucking twins, Punk probably wants to be the dominate one," Ashley explained.
Torrie brushed it off, "No, it's more than that and I'm worried," Torrie told them.
"What about you Ashley," Candice turned her attention to Ashley. "Well I've fallen for a gay man and for many heterosexual men that weren't into me, and ironically now I'm adding an asexual man to that list," Ashley responded. The women quickly got the hint.
It was a cycle, maybe it was time for all of us to jump. Same problems, same ways of handling them.
Candice was disappointed in them. "Well, whatever it is you all we be dwelling on, my party in the Hampton's is happening tonight, so be there," Candice exclaimed.
It took Torrie many hours to perfect her Summer chic 'relaxed' look for the party, she stepped out to see if she did feel like Summer and she did. Torrie looked across from her doorstep and watched Punk with many boxes that contained his things.
Punk put the box down on the sidewalk, he saw Torrie from across the street. He could see her figure standing by the door, with the sun shadowing her to look like a lost stranger he never knew. Torrie looked away and instead searched for the cab with Corey in it. She searched for it, but instead caught Punk staring at her from his side of the sidewalk.
Torrie waved, it was nice to see him dressed and out enjoying the City's rare warm sun. "What are the boxes for," she asked from her side of the street.
Punk couldn't really hear her, but he could see her pointing to the boxes. He motioned to the boxes, "I'm moving, to Chicago," he responded and then walked back into his place.
Even if she crossed the street to him or if he went to her, they still wouldn't understand each other. Punk was lost and Torrie was trying to find him, but even with the afternoon sunshine outside, it was all too dark for anybody to try.
"Moving away," she uttered to herself, with a question lingering in the air. Torrie hesitated for a while, but she finally made up her mind to yet again run across the street to him.
Torrie just couldn't jump from 'it', she had to run towards 'it'.
After taking some time off from my friends, I headed for my first cooking class. The class was on the little corner of 158 Grand Street.
The class was mostly filled with young people trying to get college credit, Michelle was probably the oldest person there. "Who are you cooking for," the instructor asked Michelle, trying to make small talk with her.
"My husband and I, it's time I learn how to cook a dish and I want to bake too," Michelle replied. The instructor smiled and went back to the entire class, "Let's start!"
She took the flower in the bag and poured just enough in the bowl, she waited for the others to follow what seemed to be such an easy task... but it wasn't. Michelle poured the bag upside down, not expecting the flour to come rushing out in a bunch, "Oh crap," Michelle whispered to herself as the white powder of the flower blew up into her face and hair.
"That's a little to much dear," the instructor stated the obvious.
Michelle grabbed a handful of the flour and forcibly shoved it back into the bag, while the entire classroom watched her. "Okay, no big deal," Michelle told them all off, ignoring the rest of the flour that was all over her and her area.
I envisioned my cake having a pretty flower on top of it, but the actual 'flour' that went into the cake was being an asshole.
"Moving on," the instructor continued on. "We will be cracking two eggs, this can be a tricky task, but you'll eventually get a hang of it," she warned them. The instructor showed them, step by step, she then watched them as they all attempted.
Michelle had anxiety just holding the egg, she softly held it in her hand, but before she could even bring her hand down the egg cracked right in her bare hand. "Fuck," she said under her breath. Her hand was covered with the mixture of flower and egg yolk at that point.
The instructor tried holding it in, but she couldn't help and laugh. "That's a first! My students usually end up cracking the egg with the surface they are trying to crack the egg on," she teased.
Michelle nodded and smiled like a fool for her. "No, really," Michelle responded with the flower all over her and an egg yolk running down her arm.
Although Ashley made it clear Alberto wasn't into her the same way, she insisted on bringing him as a date. She just couldn't jump off.
The place was packed with people, all of them had some type of story with the person they were conversing with. Even the college frats that crashed the party had some type of story with the women they were trying to sleep with, but Ashley didn't feel she had that story with Alberto.
"Would you ever consider to venture further past romance and into a relationship, with real complex and not always perfect feelings," Ashley dared to ask Alberto. Alberto took one last sip of his drink and then put it down, "Come on, follow me," he said mysteriously as he walked through the disco-lit living room, which was crowded with sweaty bodies, to the back door of the beach-house. Ashley followed and the two walked past the backyard, which was a little more mellow, but still reeked of party wildness. He opened the wooden door near the steps that lead down to the beach, Ashley continued following. "What are we doing," Ashley asked.
He finally turned to her when they were standing on the sandy night beach, "To answer your question, no," he finally replied. "But isn't this nice, this beach," Alberto poetically said about the beach. "We might not ever have feelings or love, but romance is just enough to keep it interesting," Alberto explained to her.
That's when Ashley realized that she was the confusing one. He was making himself very clear, while she was somehow still holding onto something that never existed.
Ashley really wanted something, but she finally found her way out of that foggy environment she allowed herself to stay in. "It's not enough actually, goodbye Alberto," Ashley told him.
"It's a shame bonita, I wouldn't have minded spending a little extra time with you, you're exciting and the romance just never dies with you," Alberto explained to her.
Ashley turned to him, "That's why I have to go, I can't keep wasting my time on men who never had feelings for me in the first place and who will probably never have feelings for me," Ashley explained her motives.
Ashley finally jumped. She jumped from 'Alberto Del Rio' to 'el Ocean' that night.
Alberto was long gone by the time Ashley took off her shirt to fall back into the chilly ocean. Alberto looked back once from the top of the backyard wooden stair-steps, he watched as Ashley splashed the water all around her. "What a loca chica," he said and then turned around forever.
The strong waves crashed into Ashley, she felt the freshness of the cold water and she loved the feeling of finally letting go.
The night was nearly over and Candice's party was slowly dying out.
Candice went to the bar for another drink, but the bartender left with some other needy woman that night. "You asshole, I was paying you to fuck me over," Candice grunted as she stumbled away to the nearest room.
She opened the door hoping for some sleeping, but a couple used the bed for the complete opposite. They were awake and fully into themselves, "Oh get a room... a room that you payed for, because I'm not paying for you to get fucked tonight," Candice yelled at the couple, both whom rushed for their clothes. They ran out and the remaining guests all stared at Candice.
"Everybody leave! It was fabulous having you all, most of you I don't know, but this party is over," Candice dismissed them all with a bold confidence, despite the fact that she was wasted.
Candice ended the night on a high note, instead of letting the night get the best of her like all those other times.
'The hostess with the mostest' took a break for a couple of hours, it was midnight and she was still awake. She held the phone in her hand as she sat on the couch, missing her son and hoping her old life would call her back.
Candice wiped her tears and she opened the backdoor, the night was pitch black, but the pool was crystal clear blue. Their was a smoky night smell in the air and the winds of the Hampton's were singing some kind of song, she took off her robe and dived straight into the pool.
The forty year old woman swam in the pool, restless yet tired, free yet trapped, but definitely broken. The moon reflected on the water beautifully. She spun herself around in the gleaming pool, and the night sent her onto the next day.
Candice stayed in the pool for about an hour, she finally went to sleep at three A.M... not in the pool of course.
Torrie couldn't sleep that night either, so she grabbed her nearest jacket and rushed across the street to Punk. She knocked, hard, no matter how annoyed he got, she wouldn't leave until he'd open the door for her.
"I'm worried and I'm your friend, so I'm here to be by your side," Torrie stated, without even letting him say a word. She went into his empty place, the television was on, but it was muted. Torrie turned to him abruptly and she hugged him tight.
Punk sat by the window, where the couch used to be. He rested his back against the wall, Torrie joined by his side and she sat there by him.
Torrie did the opposite of jumping, she rested and embraced the uncontrollable storm.
Torrie leaned her head on Punk's shoulder, ironically, he was leaning on her in a time of need. The two stayed silent, Torrie had a lot to say and she wanted answers, but it was best to just let the empty silence fill up the room.
The night was everything, the shadows aligned dramatically in the living room and the city's late night taxi cabs could be heard from a mile away.
Torrie and Corey broke up that night, she cancelled on him and they finally broke it off. The night faded and Torrie ended up falling asleep on the floor, next to Punk, whom hadn't been sleeping in days until that night.
Michelle woke up extra early to go to her cooking class, she wanted to avoid the fellow students that witnessed her embarrassing cake failure the previous day.
"Michelle, you showed up, I thought you would never want to come back," the teacher teased. Michelle giggled, but inside she was yelling 'Fuck you'.
The class wasn't as full, only four students were present. "Okay, welcome everybody! We will be making salsa today," she told the class.
I was prepared for sweet after the whole cake fiasco, but this bitch changed it to spicy.
Michelle added the spices she thought would blend nicely, she even added a small touch of avocado. "Now blend it together," the teacher told them as she poured out some tortilla chips into a bowl. Without thinking about it, Michelle pressed the button on the blender and everything came exploding out.
"Holy fuck," Michelle panicked as the salsa went off like a sprinkler, but in a more violent way. People were covering their eyes and the ugly noise the blender was making wasn't helping. "Michelle turn it off!"
"My eyes," a student in the back yelled. The salsa was burning in her eyes, but nobody was sued.
I never jumped, I was pushed off. Despite my efforts, I was forced off the cliff.
"Michelle, get out," the teacher yelled. "I'm sorry, but you are terrible, who forgets to put the top on the blender, what kind of grown woman cracks an egg in her hand," she went off on Michelle. Michelle wanted to fight back, but she walked away.
I never went back to that cooking class.
It was something about the morning, who knows what it was? But it was an angry-free morning. Ashley woke up feeling light and warm like the Spring day outside.
She made her cup of coffee, played some peaceful folk rock, ate her bagel, and began painting a calming sunrise. Ashley was considering going to her therapist about the Alberto dump, but she skipped and instead danced around to some good old folk rock.
She wore a little flower dress, which was not something Ashley would usually wear, but she wore it and she used the oranges and yellows in her palette more than any other color that morning, which was also not like Ashley.
Part of jumping is knowing how to handle the fall differently. If you usually cry and get angry, throw a party instead, eat a cake... if you can't bake a cake, then eat white rice and salmon or buy the damn cake and order it in a flavor you wouldn't usually order.
Which is what I did. I taught myself how to cook white rice and salmon that day, it took me a few tries and the internet sure helped, but it was my first fully self-cooked meal.
Jack walked through the door, smiling at the smell. He kissed Michelle and then sat for his meal, Michelle served herself and then looked at him with a tilted head. He laughed and got up to serve himself, "Damn, this looks good," he said. Jack sat down, he tasted it for a second and closed his eyes. The flavors were running inside his mouth and he liked it.
Michelle awaited for a review... "This is bomb! Woah, you're like a legit chef," he complimented her.
I might have been pushed from that class, but I landed on my feet and walked a couple blocks to my apartment and I taught myself. I continued walking this new married life of mine and Jack was right there waiting for me- to jump or to not jump, with meal prepared or with takeout.
The two continued eating their dinner, talking about their day, and just enjoying the sacred moment.
Special Guest Stars~ Mark Calaway, CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, and Jack Swagger.
Published On April 17, 2016.
