Dear Diary..
Tag Wars 3 didn’t end up like it thought it would. Yeah, we lost. But in the back of my head, I always knew that there was a chance that we would lose. Warstein and B are a hell of a team on paper. Never thought in a million years that Dane and Joe would win the entire thing. I guess their side of the bracket was weak though..
See, while us losing was always possible, I really never thought we’d lose the way we did. Dickie Watson fucking played me. Hung me out to dry. Trying to use Tag Wars as a way to what? Make himself look better? At my expense? I had the match won, and here he comes, trying to show off for the people. He’s the Empire Champion, the fuck he gotta show off for? Then, after distracting me, he lets B hit his finisher and pin me. All while, standing there, watching me get pinned. Watching us get eliminated from Tag Wars..
To say I was pissed is an understatement. By the time I shook the cobwebs, Dickie was already gone. I bolted out of the arena, looking for Dickie. I grabbed everything that wasn’t bolted down and took my anger and frustration on it. I even tossed a chair through a window, watching it sail down to the street below. Security tried to stop me. The rage I was able to keep buried deep since the day Madison came into my life, burned inside of me. I tried to make my way to the ‘Champs’ suite, ready to put my hands on Dickie. Fuck a title shot. At that moment, I could give a fuck.
“Stop,” I hear someone say as they grab my arm. I turn, ready to take my rage out on whoever had the nerve to touch me.
“Madison,” I say. Aw fuck. There she stood, my beautiful daughter, tears streaming down her face. She looked so frightened.
“Dad, stop. You’re scaring me,” she says between sobs. I take a deep breath, swallowing the anger and rage I’ve felt most of my life.
“What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here. Why aren’t you at your grandparents?”
“I brought her,” Alexis says as she steps from behind Madison. “She said she really wanted to see you win. I thought you’d be happy to see her after you wo..”
She stops. Yeah, I know. I was supposed to win. Everyone thought we were going to win. That fucking Dickie..
“It’s alright,” I finally say.
I’m so sorry. If I knew,” Alexis says before I cut her off.
“It’s OK. Really,” I reassure her as I kiss her on her forehead. I turn to Devonte who’s hovering. He must’ve been one of the people keeping me from Dickie. “D, take Madison and Alexis back to the crib for me. I’ll meet you guys there.”
“No doubt Paulie,” he says as I turn back to Alexis.
“And invite everyone over.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Let’s have some fun tonight,” I say as I turn to Madison. “Devonte is going to take you home. I’ll meet you there alright.”
“OK,” she mutters.
“I love you kid,” I tell her as she doesn’t look up at me. I pull her in for a hug.
“Ew gross,” she says as she pulls away, wiping the sweat from her face as I see a smirk slightly appear..
I sat in the Dyna$ty suite, watching the rest of the show. Ricky came in after his match, just as bummed as I was. He put on a helluva showing, nothing to be embarrassed about. I tried to feed him the same reaffirming bullshit I didn’t want to hear, so instead we drank. And when Joe came back after winning, we put on a brave face and celebrated with him. Through the night. And through the next morning..
The rest of the week after Tag Wars was a blur. All I could think about was what happened that night. The way Dickie played me. For some stupid reason, I thought the kid was going to ride with me to the finals. Thought for sure we had enough talent between the two of us to win the thing. But when it came down to it, he’d rather try and prove some silly point instead of winning. Prove a point to me? Paul motherfucking Montuori? Kid doesn’t prove any points to me. I prove points to silly jits like him. Proven points to silly jits like him my entire fucking career. It’s maddening. Maddening because I fell for it. Hook, line and fuck fishing, shit’s boring as fuck.. He played me. The kid actually did prove a point, but not that point that he thought he was proving. He’s gonna keep fucking around with me and turn me back to the old me..
Found myself sitting in my office, just staring off into space. Deep into my thoughts. Dickie kept up his verbal attack. Even taking it to Twitter. There he was trying to drop jewels of wisdom on me. ON ME. Who does he think he is? I need to focus on myself if I want a chance at the belt? Pft.. I need to focus on myself, if I want a chance at his belt.. I need to focus on myself. If I’m ever going to win that title.
He’s fucking right..
“Hey Paulie,” Alessandra says as she appears in the doorway.
“Come in,” I say, waving her in.
“A messenger dropped off an envelope for you. It’s from FIGHT!,” Alessandra says as she lays an envelope on my desk.
“Thank you, you can take off for the rest of the day.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Go have fun.”
“Alright. Bye Paulie,” she says as she leaves.
I turn my attention to the envelope. Fucking FIGHT! with their envelopes and letters and messages. It was always fun opening them. I have this badass gold letter opening. Dope as fuck slicing through the paper. Like I’m fucking Zorro, but sexier if that’s possible..
Dear Paul.. Blah Blah.. Have a favor to ask. Favor? Blah Blah.. Please refrain from any physical contact with Dickie Watson until Venom #10.. Lot riding on the match..
What kind of fuck shit is this? Who are they to tell me I can’t put my hands on Dickie. Especially after the bullshit he pulled at Tag Wars. Even more especially after all the nonsense he’s been spewing since Tag Wars. They want me to swallow my pride and let him keep doing him until Venom #10. And ya know what? Fuck it. I’ll make every effort to try and stay away from Dickie. Keep my hands off of him. It’ll make our match mean even more, especially when I finally get my hands on him. When I finally take back what’s mine.. That is, as long as that punk kid stays out of my way. Ugh, going to be a long month..
Whatever..
Inside the envelope is something else. Venom #7 lineup. Allison. Really? Are they suddenly done now? I guess Joe uh.. Had relations with Allie and dipped. Old me would’ve been high fiving. But knew me, well she’s an adult and she may do as she pleases. Hashtag me too. Wait, is that a thing anymore? So this makes Venom sort of awkward right. Fuck. She’s going to take out all of her frustrations on me. She’s probably so pissed, looking on Twitter, watching Joe banging Diamo.. What’s that chick’s name? Stripper.. No sorry, a Doe. Voo runs a classy place. I’ve spent many a paycheck there. Surprised I don’t have a few Bambi’s running around..
She better stay away from my face. Like, I’ll take one for the team, let her get her anger out on me over having to be stuck with Dane over Joe. Wait, am I supposed to be nice to Dane now? Like, the entire beef started because Allie couldn’t help herself and banged Joe. Then Dane got pissed at Joe. So naturally I had to back Joe up. Which led to Dane creating a weird group with that guy that’s married to Sarah. And she’s another story.. It must have something to do with the close proximity to Dane. But I’m supposed to be nice to Dane now, right? What’s the beef going to be about now. People cheat and bang other adults all the time. Especially when you’re surrounded by other fit mates..
The face is the moneymaker. I have to make sure the ref checks her nails before she gets in the ring. No way am I getting clawed up. Make sure I put some vaseline on my face. But then I don’t want to break out. Maybe some of that dope as moisturizer I got. I’d be smelling fresh too. But then I wouldn’t want Allie to think I was doing it for her. She’d by charmed by an unknowing Montuori. Boy would that be embarrassing for her. I wouldn’t want to do that to her. I have no problems with her. For sure thought I was going to be her brother-in-law. But instead it might be the Doe. She was a Doe, fo sho. Imagine what the bachelor party is going to be like. I doubt she’d work it right? That’d be weird..
“Hey Dad, waddya doing?” I look up to see Madison walk into my office and sit in a chair across from me. She pulls her legs up, sitting criss-cross applesauce.
“Checking out the FIGHT! card. I’m actually glad you came in. I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh no, I’m going to have to share my inheritance? Is it Alexis?”
“What? Inheritance? What inheritance?”
“What inheritance? Cute joke Dad. Seriously, though, what do you want?”
“It’s about what happened at Tag Wars.”
“Dad, it’s OK. Really,” she says.
“No, it’s not OK. I’ve been trying so hard not to be that guy. That Paul Montuori. And I shouldn’t have let some punk kid who has MY belt get in my head. I shouldn’t have thrown that tantrum. I’m sorry kid.”
“I know you are. And trust me, I don’t blame you. It’s Uncle Joe’s fault.”
“Uncle Joe?”
“Yeah. I’m not dumb Dad. I see the way you act around him. It’s like you’re a completely different person. You’re super nice and friendly to everyone. Then once you’re around him, you turn into.. A worse version of him.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“Isn’t he though? The thing he did with Allie, playing her like that. Would you want some guy treating me like that?”
“Fuck no.”
“So why is it OK for him to do it?”
“I uh..”
“It’s OK, really. I know he’s your brother. And you feel like you have no choice but to stick up for him and be on his side. But you have to know, you don’t have to,” BOOM! Hit me right in the feelings. I don’t have to always stick up for him. Why didn’t I think about that. It makes so much sense. Like, I was always a competitive asshole that would do anything to win. At any cost. And usually when it didn’t happen, I’d smoke a blunt and get over it. But lately, it seems like I throw a huge tantrum like this guy Dan I know. Not that he throws a tantrum when he loses, because that always happens, but he always throws a tantrum over anything.
“You’re right,” I say. Wait, Dane, not Dan. What was I thinking? Do I even know a Dan? “When did you get so smart?”
“When I moved in with you,” she says with a smile on her face.
“Paul! It’s Michelle!” I look up to see Alessandra come barreling into my office.
“What? Is she OK?” I say as I find myself on my feet.
“She’s on the way to the hospital. She went into labor.”
“Oh my God, it’s happening. Our baby is coming.”
“Our?” I hear Madison say.
“Tell Devante to pull the car around.. Nah, fuck it. Call Joe, tell him I need the chopper here ASAP. Tell him to just hover and throw me down one of those badass ladders.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Fine, car it is..”