Post by ____ on Aug 21, 2010 2:24:12 GMT -5
Standing in front of the door to Carter Corporation, Chris Hart smiled to himself despite the periodic throbbing of his head. The past three weeks had been trying, Adam Abel and Christian Kane seemingly making it their mission to take out Chris Hart, and no reprieve in sight. Yet every ache in his body was worth it because it meant that he still held the Valiant Championship. Before he even won the title he acknowledged that taking it home was but the beginning of the journey. Keeping it in his grasp, defending against all challengers was infinitely harder than the simple climb up the mountain. In relation to Everest, winning the title was like reaching base camp, defending it was the ascent to the top.
Pushing on the door, he stepped in and immediately stood in awe of the interior. For a company who had been in business for only three months, the two stories were like a palace. A central stair case leading to the offices overhead, water rolling down from the sides into two small ponds.
Tessa - “Welcome to Carter Corporation, may I help you?”
Looking down from the second story, Chris glanced at the receptionist seated in front of the grand staircase at a small desk. Her blonde hair tied back in a pony tail accentuating her radiant face and the top button of her blouse undone exposing a small amount of cleavage. Pinned dangerously close to her left breast is her name tag as Chris makes a mental note of her name before looking back up at her and catching her tongue slipping back into her mouth from the left side of her mouth.
Chris - “Yeah, my name is Chris Hart. I’m here to see Raekwon.”
Tessa - “Yes. Mr. Carter was talking about you arriving earlier today. I will call him and he should be down immediately.”
Chris - “Thanks.”
Chris stands waiting as Tessa picks up the telephone and punches the buttons. Looking at the walls, Chris lets out a low whistle at the extravagance of the building.
Tessa- “Mr. Carter, Chris Hart is here to see you.”
Turning back, Chris studies the stunning Tessa as she holds the phone to her ear for a moment before hanging it up. She smiles at Chris, the light reflecting off her face in all the right ways.
Tessa - “Mr. Carter said he will be down in a moment. You’re welcome to take a seat while you wait if you’d like.”
She gestures with her hand to the waiting room filled with magazines and oversized leather chairs. Chris glances for a moment at it before turning back to Tessa.
Chris - “I’ll just wait here for a moment if that’s okay.”
Tessa - “Yes, that’s perfectly fine.”
Chris leans up against the desk as Tessa punches a few of the buttons on her computer, his mind rolling as he steals a glance at her. Despite being his first time inside of the building something about Tessa seemed familiar. The tone of the voice, the illuminating smile and …
Tessa - “You’re the wrestler right?”
Chris’ thoughts are broken by the query as he turns his attention back to the young blonde.
Chris - “Yes.”
Tessa - “And you’re the champion as well?”
Chris - “I’ve had a little bit of success in the ring.”
Tessa smiles at the modesty of Chris Hart before turning around as the sound of shoes on the central staircase ring throughout the room. Looking up, Chris sees a large African American male, about six feet, six inches dressed in a pressed three piece suit. Stepping past the desk, he smiles sweetly at Tessa before meeting the man, ostensibly, Mr. Raekwon Carter.
Raekwon - “Chris, thanks for coming by.”
Chris - “No problem.”
Raekwon shakes Chris’ hand before leading the way up the central staircase and turning off to his right. They stroll pass a couple of smartly dressed women, who all smile and greet the two with a similar ‘Good Afternoon, Mr. Carter’ Reaching the end of the hallway in the right hand corner of the building, they enter the largest room on the entire premises. With a view overlooking Norris Lake and the surrounding park, it’s obvious that this was the entire reason the building was built.
Raekwon - “Can I get you a drink?”
Chris - “Sure, whatever you’re drinking.”
Raekwon heads toward the cabinet in the corner of the office and pulls down a bottle of Hennessy Paradis, along with two tulip glasses. Bringing them across to the desk, he takes a seat across from Chris and places them down before uncorking the top of the bottle. Pouring to about one quarter full, he passes a glass across to Chris before pouring his own. Finished, he looks up and sees Chris staring out at the lake.
Raekwon - “That view you have is the entire reason we bought here.”
Chris - “I wouldn’t doubt it, it’s absolutely stunning. In fact, it reminds me of my grandparents house a little bit.”
Chris takes a moment to savour the view, the tide slightly rolling in onto the shore before taking up his glass, holding it directly on the mixture. Raekwon nods slightly at the grip of Chris, showing an experienced connoisseur as he holds it by the bowl instead of the stem. They sit in silence for a moment, each taking a sip of the oak coloured beverage before setting them back down on the varnished maple desk.
Raekwon - “So, two weeks with the title around your waist. How does it feel to be champ?”
Chris - “You know, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that I’d be sitting on the other side of this desk.”
Raekwon - “I understand. Especially with how things are today in terms of the economy, everyone seems to drift towards successful people, hoping to catch a hint as to how they were successful, or assuming that it will rub off on them.”
Chris - “I don’t mind it though. I’ve always said if people are happy, whether it’s seeing me succeed or being beat, I’ve done my job.”
Raekwon - “Right. That being said though, don’t allow yourself to get to overwhelmed by the burdens of others. You can’t please everyone Chris, nor can you take care of them. It might seem selfish but at the end of the day, you’ve got to remember that number one is the most important.”
Chris - “Not the bottom line?”
Raekwon laughs at the wit of Chris before raising his glass of Hennessy and taking another sip, the marriage of the different eux de vie, leading to a rich taste.
Raekwon - “No, the bottom line is my problem. As long as you continue to be Chris Hart no one is going to take that title off of you and everyone will want a piece of that title. I’ve been watching you on television and I’m sure you’ve already felt that.”
Chris absently rubs the back of his head again, the dull throb returning once more.
Chris - “You could say that.”
Raekwon - “It’s quite the conundrum you have though. Three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have seen Christian Kane as being the type to do this. Sure he’s always been arrogant and a little over the top, but this is beyond what I’ve seen from him before.
Chris - “Yeah but what can you expect. Everyone has always known that beneath the masochist is a driven competitor who will resort to any means to achieve his goal.”
Raekwon - “I know, but it just doesn’t seem like the sort of thing he would do. I could see Josh Eagles turning his back on you in the hopes of one last shot at glory or …”
Chris - “Josh wouldn’t do that.”
Raekwon - “He’s a savvy businessman Chris, if there was an opportunity to push himself, even at your expense he’d take it.”
Chris - “Not in the manner of Christian Kane, nor in turning his back on me. If he wanted a shot at the title, all he’d need to do is ask. He wouldn’t have too stab me in the back to get the shot and he knows it. There’s a reason he said last week that it was his job to protect me.”
Raekwon - “Yes, and where was he when you got yourself into that situation with Kane and Abel?”
Chris is left speechless as Raekwon takes another sip of the cognac, Chris following suit as he mulls it over in his head.
Raekwon - “I hate to say it before you team with him this week but is Josh Eagles the man you can place your trust in? Is he the same guy that you once knew, or has time changed him?”
Chris continues to go down the line of inquiry. Sure, Raekwon had spoken the truth that Josh had not come to his aid last week but there were an infinite number of reasons that would’ve caused that.
Chris - “I can trust Josh. If he wasn’t out there it was for a reason, likely because he knows I’m not some kid that can’t handle myself. I put myself into that predicament and …”
Raekwon - “I’m not talking about the match Chris. That I understand Josh’s reasoning, it was your challenge, a chance at redemption in many ways. What I’m concerned about is where he was after it. Why, when you got clocked in the back of the head by your own title it was not him, but Bubba Olson coming to your rescue?
Chris - “The same reason he didn’t come out during the match. It’s my fight Raekwon, my business, and Josh knows that I settle things my way. He knows I’m not rash or impulsive, that I’ll have considered the worst case scenario before acting.”
Raekwon - “Did you?”
Chris - “Yes. After being attacked twice in two weeks I think everyone knew it was going to come, that Kane and Abel would seek out any possible avenue to attack me and assert their dominance.”
Raekwon - “Yet you let them do it anyway?”
Chris - “Yes.”
Raekwon - “Why?”
Chris - “For the same reasons you stated earlier. Christian Kane is a megalomaniac, thirsting for power. He sees himself now as being the dominant force, that he has my number and that I’m incapable of standing against him. He’s already got a celebration planned for after Autumn Annihilation, a self-aggrandizing speech prepared about how he is at the top of the kingdom. I can rain on his parade though Raekwon and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Raekwon studies Chris as he takes sip of his cognac. Chris’ look is right at him, not flinching or trying to hide anything. Sensing that he is still not one hundred percent certain of his methods, Chris takes another sip before beginning in again.
Chris - “I’ve been involved in wrestling for a long time, dealt with egos bigger than Christian Kane’s. I was once Christian Kane and I know that once you reach a certain point, you become so full of yourself you become prone to mistakes. Not only that, but if someone begins chipping away at it, you become so frustrated that you lose your focus, in his case the title, and instead on destroying me, leaving yourself open to again, mistakes. It’s all about creating a false sense of security in Christian Kane, something that I can exploit when we face off.”
Raekwon - “So in other words, you’re saying Christian Kane is a better wrestler than you and thus need a psychological edge to beat him?”
Chris - “No, I know physically I’m better than Christian Kane but I’m not stronger than Adam Abel and Christian Kane combined. I’m not Superman, capable of taking on two of the best and based solely on my own power defeating them. I need an edge to stand against two opposing forces, something that gives me an advantage over them to even the odds.”
There’s a lull in the conversation as both men lean back in the chairs, contemplating the viewpoints of the other person before taking back the final dollop of cognac. Chris leans back slightly in the chair as Raekwon gets out of his seat and looks out the window down at the park.
Raekwon - “Alright. Just make sure you protect yourself. We’ve both got a lot riding on this and nothing happens if you’re taken out for an indefinite period of time.”
Chris - “I know.”
Raekwon - “So what about this week, have you talked to Josh at all?”
Chris - “I don’t need to. The amount of times we’ve wrestled with and against each other, the time we’ve spent training for matches, we’ll be on the same page. He’s the consummate professional, he will show up on time, ready to get the job done no matter what gets thrown in his direction.”
Raekwon - “What’s the game plan?”
Chris - “Win.”
Raekown simply shakes his head at Chris, silently bidding him to expand.
Chris - “Josh knows Adam Abel better than the back of his hand. The war they waged isn’t, and likely never will be finished. Josh isn’t the type to let something go, especially when he feels shafted by someone.”
Raekwon - “What do you mean?”
Chris - “For months Adam harped on Josh, saying what a bad person he was for doing all these things. He said he was a bad man for drawing Jeska into his battles with Leon Tyrell. He made him pander to his every request in order to earn a shot at the title, only to leave him in the dust. There’s a lot of bad blood between the two of them, more than between Christian and myself. We‘re in a position were we can‘t lose to them because it would amount to a failure, something neither of us are willing to accept.”
Raekwon turns away from the window and heads back towards the desk, taking a seat as Chris now sits up in the chair and stares across at him.
Raekwon - “What’s a bigger failure, losing this match or the title?”
Chris - “Pardon?”
Raekwon - “What you said sounds a lot like what is going to cost Christian Kane at Autumn Annihilation. His ego being too large to take a hit, so he pours everything into what is essentially a do-nothing moment. You can’t lose this match because it would constitute failure but this match in the grand scheme of things is nothing. Risking harm in it leaves you with a greater risk of failing later down the line when the titles on the line.”
Chris - “What are you saying, that I throw this match?”
Raekwon - “No, I’m merely reminding you that there are bigger things than a single wrestling match. Besides, you have a tag team partner who’s embroiled in a bitter rivalry with one of your opponents. Who’s to say that you need to get your hands dirty to walk out victorious this week?”
Chris - “If you’re suggesting that I let Josh do all the work, you can forget about it.”
Raekwon - “Why not, it …”
Chris - “You asked earlier how I can trust Josh Eagles, if I do that, how I can expect him to trust me? I’m not going to put my friend in harms way, ask him to sacrifice himself for me.”
Raekwon - “Even if he’s willing to do it?”
Chris - “Yes, this is just as much my battle with those two as it is Josh’s. Adam Abel and Christian Kane have been a thorn in my side for three weeks and I’m not going to simply wait until Autumn Annihilation to get a piece of them.”
The air grows tense as Raekwon begins to roll a ball point pen between his fingers.
Raekwon - “Alright. I truly meant nothing by it, I’m just looking out for your best interests. After all, that’s why I’m here.”
Before Chris can answer he’s cut off by the buzz of the phone on the desk.
Raekwon - “Excuse me.”
Raekwon picks up the phone and listens for a moment.
Raekwon - “Actually, I’m here with him right now.”
Another pause as he listens to the other end.
Raekwon - “Okay. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
Hanging up the phone, Raekwon picks up a folder and turns back to Chris.
Raekwon - “I’m terribly sorry to cut this short, but that was R.C. Johnson, Athletic Director at Memphis University. He wants to discus a few things with me that, if all goes as expected, I will discus with you next week.”
Raekwon passes the file in his hand to Chris.
Raekwon - “In the meantime, that is mainly what I needed to give you. That’s a list of companies that have expressed interests in you. I need you to pick ones that you feel fit your ‘brand’ and get them back to me as soon as possible.”
Chris - “Alright.”
Raekwon - I’ve also put Tessa’s phone number in there. Give her a call if you need anything.
Raekwon emphasizes the last word and winks slightly at Chris who immediately catches the subtle meaning behind it. He frowns slightly before getting up out of the chair and extending his hand to Raekwon.
Chris - “Thanks for this, I appreciate it.”
Raekwon - “No, thank you.”
The two shake hands before Chris turns his back on a smirking Raekwon and heads out the door. As it slams shut, the scene fades away.
Pushing on the door, he stepped in and immediately stood in awe of the interior. For a company who had been in business for only three months, the two stories were like a palace. A central stair case leading to the offices overhead, water rolling down from the sides into two small ponds.
Tessa - “Welcome to Carter Corporation, may I help you?”
Looking down from the second story, Chris glanced at the receptionist seated in front of the grand staircase at a small desk. Her blonde hair tied back in a pony tail accentuating her radiant face and the top button of her blouse undone exposing a small amount of cleavage. Pinned dangerously close to her left breast is her name tag as Chris makes a mental note of her name before looking back up at her and catching her tongue slipping back into her mouth from the left side of her mouth.
Chris - “Yeah, my name is Chris Hart. I’m here to see Raekwon.”
Tessa - “Yes. Mr. Carter was talking about you arriving earlier today. I will call him and he should be down immediately.”
Chris - “Thanks.”
Chris stands waiting as Tessa picks up the telephone and punches the buttons. Looking at the walls, Chris lets out a low whistle at the extravagance of the building.
Tessa- “Mr. Carter, Chris Hart is here to see you.”
Turning back, Chris studies the stunning Tessa as she holds the phone to her ear for a moment before hanging it up. She smiles at Chris, the light reflecting off her face in all the right ways.
Tessa - “Mr. Carter said he will be down in a moment. You’re welcome to take a seat while you wait if you’d like.”
She gestures with her hand to the waiting room filled with magazines and oversized leather chairs. Chris glances for a moment at it before turning back to Tessa.
Chris - “I’ll just wait here for a moment if that’s okay.”
Tessa - “Yes, that’s perfectly fine.”
Chris leans up against the desk as Tessa punches a few of the buttons on her computer, his mind rolling as he steals a glance at her. Despite being his first time inside of the building something about Tessa seemed familiar. The tone of the voice, the illuminating smile and …
Tessa - “You’re the wrestler right?”
Chris’ thoughts are broken by the query as he turns his attention back to the young blonde.
Chris - “Yes.”
Tessa - “And you’re the champion as well?”
Chris - “I’ve had a little bit of success in the ring.”
Tessa smiles at the modesty of Chris Hart before turning around as the sound of shoes on the central staircase ring throughout the room. Looking up, Chris sees a large African American male, about six feet, six inches dressed in a pressed three piece suit. Stepping past the desk, he smiles sweetly at Tessa before meeting the man, ostensibly, Mr. Raekwon Carter.
Raekwon - “Chris, thanks for coming by.”
Chris - “No problem.”
Raekwon shakes Chris’ hand before leading the way up the central staircase and turning off to his right. They stroll pass a couple of smartly dressed women, who all smile and greet the two with a similar ‘Good Afternoon, Mr. Carter’ Reaching the end of the hallway in the right hand corner of the building, they enter the largest room on the entire premises. With a view overlooking Norris Lake and the surrounding park, it’s obvious that this was the entire reason the building was built.
Raekwon - “Can I get you a drink?”
Chris - “Sure, whatever you’re drinking.”
Raekwon heads toward the cabinet in the corner of the office and pulls down a bottle of Hennessy Paradis, along with two tulip glasses. Bringing them across to the desk, he takes a seat across from Chris and places them down before uncorking the top of the bottle. Pouring to about one quarter full, he passes a glass across to Chris before pouring his own. Finished, he looks up and sees Chris staring out at the lake.
Raekwon - “That view you have is the entire reason we bought here.”
Chris - “I wouldn’t doubt it, it’s absolutely stunning. In fact, it reminds me of my grandparents house a little bit.”
Chris takes a moment to savour the view, the tide slightly rolling in onto the shore before taking up his glass, holding it directly on the mixture. Raekwon nods slightly at the grip of Chris, showing an experienced connoisseur as he holds it by the bowl instead of the stem. They sit in silence for a moment, each taking a sip of the oak coloured beverage before setting them back down on the varnished maple desk.
Raekwon - “So, two weeks with the title around your waist. How does it feel to be champ?”
Chris - “You know, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that I’d be sitting on the other side of this desk.”
Raekwon - “I understand. Especially with how things are today in terms of the economy, everyone seems to drift towards successful people, hoping to catch a hint as to how they were successful, or assuming that it will rub off on them.”
Chris - “I don’t mind it though. I’ve always said if people are happy, whether it’s seeing me succeed or being beat, I’ve done my job.”
Raekwon - “Right. That being said though, don’t allow yourself to get to overwhelmed by the burdens of others. You can’t please everyone Chris, nor can you take care of them. It might seem selfish but at the end of the day, you’ve got to remember that number one is the most important.”
Chris - “Not the bottom line?”
Raekwon laughs at the wit of Chris before raising his glass of Hennessy and taking another sip, the marriage of the different eux de vie, leading to a rich taste.
Raekwon - “No, the bottom line is my problem. As long as you continue to be Chris Hart no one is going to take that title off of you and everyone will want a piece of that title. I’ve been watching you on television and I’m sure you’ve already felt that.”
Chris absently rubs the back of his head again, the dull throb returning once more.
Chris - “You could say that.”
Raekwon - “It’s quite the conundrum you have though. Three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have seen Christian Kane as being the type to do this. Sure he’s always been arrogant and a little over the top, but this is beyond what I’ve seen from him before.
Chris - “Yeah but what can you expect. Everyone has always known that beneath the masochist is a driven competitor who will resort to any means to achieve his goal.”
Raekwon - “I know, but it just doesn’t seem like the sort of thing he would do. I could see Josh Eagles turning his back on you in the hopes of one last shot at glory or …”
Chris - “Josh wouldn’t do that.”
Raekwon - “He’s a savvy businessman Chris, if there was an opportunity to push himself, even at your expense he’d take it.”
Chris - “Not in the manner of Christian Kane, nor in turning his back on me. If he wanted a shot at the title, all he’d need to do is ask. He wouldn’t have too stab me in the back to get the shot and he knows it. There’s a reason he said last week that it was his job to protect me.”
Raekwon - “Yes, and where was he when you got yourself into that situation with Kane and Abel?”
Chris is left speechless as Raekwon takes another sip of the cognac, Chris following suit as he mulls it over in his head.
Raekwon - “I hate to say it before you team with him this week but is Josh Eagles the man you can place your trust in? Is he the same guy that you once knew, or has time changed him?”
Chris continues to go down the line of inquiry. Sure, Raekwon had spoken the truth that Josh had not come to his aid last week but there were an infinite number of reasons that would’ve caused that.
Chris - “I can trust Josh. If he wasn’t out there it was for a reason, likely because he knows I’m not some kid that can’t handle myself. I put myself into that predicament and …”
Raekwon - “I’m not talking about the match Chris. That I understand Josh’s reasoning, it was your challenge, a chance at redemption in many ways. What I’m concerned about is where he was after it. Why, when you got clocked in the back of the head by your own title it was not him, but Bubba Olson coming to your rescue?
Chris - “The same reason he didn’t come out during the match. It’s my fight Raekwon, my business, and Josh knows that I settle things my way. He knows I’m not rash or impulsive, that I’ll have considered the worst case scenario before acting.”
Raekwon - “Did you?”
Chris - “Yes. After being attacked twice in two weeks I think everyone knew it was going to come, that Kane and Abel would seek out any possible avenue to attack me and assert their dominance.”
Raekwon - “Yet you let them do it anyway?”
Chris - “Yes.”
Raekwon - “Why?”
Chris - “For the same reasons you stated earlier. Christian Kane is a megalomaniac, thirsting for power. He sees himself now as being the dominant force, that he has my number and that I’m incapable of standing against him. He’s already got a celebration planned for after Autumn Annihilation, a self-aggrandizing speech prepared about how he is at the top of the kingdom. I can rain on his parade though Raekwon and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Raekwon studies Chris as he takes sip of his cognac. Chris’ look is right at him, not flinching or trying to hide anything. Sensing that he is still not one hundred percent certain of his methods, Chris takes another sip before beginning in again.
Chris - “I’ve been involved in wrestling for a long time, dealt with egos bigger than Christian Kane’s. I was once Christian Kane and I know that once you reach a certain point, you become so full of yourself you become prone to mistakes. Not only that, but if someone begins chipping away at it, you become so frustrated that you lose your focus, in his case the title, and instead on destroying me, leaving yourself open to again, mistakes. It’s all about creating a false sense of security in Christian Kane, something that I can exploit when we face off.”
Raekwon - “So in other words, you’re saying Christian Kane is a better wrestler than you and thus need a psychological edge to beat him?”
Chris - “No, I know physically I’m better than Christian Kane but I’m not stronger than Adam Abel and Christian Kane combined. I’m not Superman, capable of taking on two of the best and based solely on my own power defeating them. I need an edge to stand against two opposing forces, something that gives me an advantage over them to even the odds.”
There’s a lull in the conversation as both men lean back in the chairs, contemplating the viewpoints of the other person before taking back the final dollop of cognac. Chris leans back slightly in the chair as Raekwon gets out of his seat and looks out the window down at the park.
Raekwon - “Alright. Just make sure you protect yourself. We’ve both got a lot riding on this and nothing happens if you’re taken out for an indefinite period of time.”
Chris - “I know.”
Raekwon - “So what about this week, have you talked to Josh at all?”
Chris - “I don’t need to. The amount of times we’ve wrestled with and against each other, the time we’ve spent training for matches, we’ll be on the same page. He’s the consummate professional, he will show up on time, ready to get the job done no matter what gets thrown in his direction.”
Raekwon - “What’s the game plan?”
Chris - “Win.”
Raekown simply shakes his head at Chris, silently bidding him to expand.
Chris - “Josh knows Adam Abel better than the back of his hand. The war they waged isn’t, and likely never will be finished. Josh isn’t the type to let something go, especially when he feels shafted by someone.”
Raekwon - “What do you mean?”
Chris - “For months Adam harped on Josh, saying what a bad person he was for doing all these things. He said he was a bad man for drawing Jeska into his battles with Leon Tyrell. He made him pander to his every request in order to earn a shot at the title, only to leave him in the dust. There’s a lot of bad blood between the two of them, more than between Christian and myself. We‘re in a position were we can‘t lose to them because it would amount to a failure, something neither of us are willing to accept.”
Raekwon turns away from the window and heads back towards the desk, taking a seat as Chris now sits up in the chair and stares across at him.
Raekwon - “What’s a bigger failure, losing this match or the title?”
Chris - “Pardon?”
Raekwon - “What you said sounds a lot like what is going to cost Christian Kane at Autumn Annihilation. His ego being too large to take a hit, so he pours everything into what is essentially a do-nothing moment. You can’t lose this match because it would constitute failure but this match in the grand scheme of things is nothing. Risking harm in it leaves you with a greater risk of failing later down the line when the titles on the line.”
Chris - “What are you saying, that I throw this match?”
Raekwon - “No, I’m merely reminding you that there are bigger things than a single wrestling match. Besides, you have a tag team partner who’s embroiled in a bitter rivalry with one of your opponents. Who’s to say that you need to get your hands dirty to walk out victorious this week?”
Chris - “If you’re suggesting that I let Josh do all the work, you can forget about it.”
Raekwon - “Why not, it …”
Chris - “You asked earlier how I can trust Josh Eagles, if I do that, how I can expect him to trust me? I’m not going to put my friend in harms way, ask him to sacrifice himself for me.”
Raekwon - “Even if he’s willing to do it?”
Chris - “Yes, this is just as much my battle with those two as it is Josh’s. Adam Abel and Christian Kane have been a thorn in my side for three weeks and I’m not going to simply wait until Autumn Annihilation to get a piece of them.”
The air grows tense as Raekwon begins to roll a ball point pen between his fingers.
Raekwon - “Alright. I truly meant nothing by it, I’m just looking out for your best interests. After all, that’s why I’m here.”
Before Chris can answer he’s cut off by the buzz of the phone on the desk.
Raekwon - “Excuse me.”
Raekwon picks up the phone and listens for a moment.
Raekwon - “Actually, I’m here with him right now.”
Another pause as he listens to the other end.
Raekwon - “Okay. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”
Hanging up the phone, Raekwon picks up a folder and turns back to Chris.
Raekwon - “I’m terribly sorry to cut this short, but that was R.C. Johnson, Athletic Director at Memphis University. He wants to discus a few things with me that, if all goes as expected, I will discus with you next week.”
Raekwon passes the file in his hand to Chris.
Raekwon - “In the meantime, that is mainly what I needed to give you. That’s a list of companies that have expressed interests in you. I need you to pick ones that you feel fit your ‘brand’ and get them back to me as soon as possible.”
Chris - “Alright.”
Raekwon - I’ve also put Tessa’s phone number in there. Give her a call if you need anything.
Raekwon emphasizes the last word and winks slightly at Chris who immediately catches the subtle meaning behind it. He frowns slightly before getting up out of the chair and extending his hand to Raekwon.
Chris - “Thanks for this, I appreciate it.”
Raekwon - “No, thank you.”
The two shake hands before Chris turns his back on a smirking Raekwon and heads out the door. As it slams shut, the scene fades away.
