[It had been weeks, something close to half a month since Marcus Gaines had set foot in the GWA corridors. The last thing he had left the so-called fans with before his hiatus was a rather lousy loss to miss Saiaki. Marcus wasn't surprised, he hadn't exactly given that match his all from the get-go. His mind had settled on unfamiliar territory just as he had begun to ready himself for the battle he was soon to endure. It had been something right out of left field, something Marcus would sooner have expected to see in an episode of The Twilight Zone rather than in his life.]
[For Marcus Gaines, it had always seemed there were but a few predictabilities in his life; Insomnia and feeling the hatred of the woman he cared for most: Debra Coleman. That hatred could be felt anywhere above and below the equator ever since Marcus had made his presence felt at the Battle Royal, particularly the shameless beating of Debra's new beau: Barret Whistler. Marcus' plan was to actually distance himself from that whole hornet's nest until he felt comfortable with everything in his life again.]
[But along came the unthinkable. (Isn't that always the way it is?) Debra asked him to her office for a meeting of some kind. Marcus wasn't sure what to expect... I don't think anyone would in that position. It seemed very peculiar that this woman who usually proffessed to hate his guts would want him breathing the same oxygen she did... but she did... Whatever it was that happened that night, Marcus couldn't really remember any of it... But he surely remembered the morning after.]
[Marcus awoke as he always did, the sun shining sedatedly into his eyes through the navy blue curtains, the blanket beside him heaped and balled into all sorts of miscellaneous contortions. Everything seemed as it should be until Marcus' eyes wandered to the otherside of the bed, noting a vaguely familiar feminine form near the very edge of the bed breathing lightly against the pillow. Marcus sat up and stared, did his eyes deceive him? He brushed the brownish hair away from the woman's face to reveal what Marcus had only dreamed about up to this day.]
[It was her, in the flesh, laying next to him, naked as a jaybird. He sat back trying to relive the night's experiences but he found he was drawing ablank, and the sudden movement on the bed caused Debra to stir and roll over to look at him. She smiled candidly as she took the contorted blankets and draped them over her body, she smiled again as Marcus' jaw merely dropped open.]
Debra: Howdy, stranger. Up early I see? Did our night's activities not tire you out?
[There was something in her voice that led Marcus to believe there was something very wrong, something totally out of place; But he couldn't quite place a finger on what it was.]
Debra: What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?
[Her voice, it was like a cat was purring right in his ear. Every fluidic movement enticed him further, he couldn't deny it, he was easily under her spell, it was to the extent where all that she had to do was give him the word and he'd carry it out to the letter if it meant keeping her.]
Debra: It's okay, I understand. [Sliding her body onto the side of the bed while wrapping the blanket around her body as she rose silently to her feet.] If I were you I'd look exactly like you do now after seeing me in your bed. Don't worry Marcus. You didn't do anything wrong.
[She smiled as she walked out the door.]
Debra: [Calling from down the hallway.] Don't sit there too long or breakfast will get cold...
[How did this happen? It was only a weeks ago that she vowed revenge for what he did to Barret, and now suddenly they're doing the old "in-out". Marcus wasn't inclined to argue or ask questions, it was satisfaction alone that all things that troubled him had in some small way taken care of themselves.]
!-----------------!
Several Weeks later.
[As the sun gently floated inward through the window, squeezing itself in between the spaces of the venetian blind, the smell of toast and orange juice wafted gingerly through the air. The warmth of the morning sun beading down on his bare skin made him smile in contentment as he spread the peanut butter over the surface of the toast. His hand wandered absently with the butter knife while his eyes skimmed over a printed out version of a transcript from wrestlezone.com, a smirk began to form on his lips, and then a burst of laughter streamed from his very gut.]
[The warmth of the sun was doubled by the warmth of two sinewy arms casually wrapping themselves around his neck, and the carress of a tongue along his ear lobe. His attention diverted for now as his head cocked itself sideways to view the tantalizing creature that now enveloped him in it's arms. His eyes never ceased to amaze him when he saw his own face reflected back at him through the glossy brown eyes of Debra Coleman.]
[Was it a dream? It could very well be knowing his imagination. But the fragrance that drifted off of her body and into his nose, the sound of her sashaying her voluptuous body around the house as she got up out of bed to get a drink of water at night, and the feel of her satiny smooth skin against his skin at this very moment made him realize it wasn't only a dream, but a dream come true.]
Debra: And what, pray tell are you laughing at?
[She leaned upward and planted a firm kiss on his cheek, then moved beside him to look him in the eye.]
Gaines: Oh, I'm just reading this transcript from wrestlezone.com about Ryken, did you know that he and that Saiaki b*tch actually have a not so bad sense of humour?
[She furled her brow at him, not quite understanding where exactly he was taking the discussion as she looked down over the paper he had been reading a second ago.]
Debra: Isn't that article from a couple of weeks a-
[Marcus interrupted sharply as if she hadn't even been talking, in a word completely his own as his eyes trained down on the sheet of paper.]
Gaines: Listen to this. When asked about that ringside announcer guy, Kevin Gaines, Ryken said; And I quote: "Otherwise known as, 'the tap out kid'." That's hilarious!
[Her brow only furled more as she squinted her eyes at the piece of paper to read what it said. She looked oddly back at Marcus for a moment, then back to the sheet of paper.]
Debra: But uhm...
[Again interupting her with a loud chorusing laugh as his eyes skimmed further down the page.]
Gaines: Shh shh, there's more. Then Reina says, [Trying his best to feminize his voice as he quotes her.] "Eh, he was a snappy little fellow from what I recall.." Man, they really zinged that guy!
[She placed her hand on the upturned sheet of paper and put it down as she turned to lean against the countertop. Looking into his eyes, she saw nothing but warmth and compassion emanating from his icy baby blues.]
Debra: Marcus, they are actually talking about you, you know?
[Her voice became enticing as she traced her finger along the crack of his night shirt. He moved away from her putting the sheet of paper closely in front of his face to look more closely at it.]
Gaines: Where? I don't see anything.
[He couldn't see Debra roll her eyes through the paper now in front of his eyes. He skimmed carefully over each line of the transcript, she shifted her body and took a quick glance at the paper before pointing at his name on the paper.]
Debra: Well it says Marcus Gaines right there. Who else could they possibly be talking about?
[He squinted his eyes and moved in closer for a better look.]
Gaines: Now wait a second. I figured that Marcus Gaines was what everybody called Kevin Gaines to compliment him...
[She chuckled until she realized he wasn't joking. Marcus took on a profoundly disappointed look staring down at the paper, the equivalent of puppy dog eyes.]
Gaines: Debra, I just realized those two shmucks were making fun of me.
[She gently took the paper from his hands and set it on the countertop and moved herself in front of him.]
Debra: Well yeah, you basically lost to both of them. You normally put in some good showings but you looked like some blue-collar slob in the ring against Reina a few weeks ago. And I guess Ryken doesn't really respect you.
[As his mind refocused on her, he stared into her eyes, seeing only a vague reflection of himself.]
Gaines: So, I guess I should be even happier now that I'm going to be facing her again soon enough, hey?
[His eyes gleamed under the artifical light of the ceiling fan-light fixture. She wrapped her arms around his waist pulling him closer into her.]
Debra: Definately. Come to think of it, Marcus; You can't pull any punches when you face her on Wednesday. She is a very tough girl, but I know you're tougher, take her out, babe. It'll be well worth it, trust me.
[Marcus rolled his eyes, it seemed that Debra had an increasing interest in all thing involving the GWA. Whenever they weren't inside of the bedroom, or not on the bed itself, Debra was discussing Marcus' wrestling career, and things he simply "had" to do in order to further his life.]
Debra: And don't go forgetting what that little pissant, Stryker did to our flawless plan. Don't go thinking you aren't going to kick his ass for it!
[Marcus chuckles loosely remembering the night's events of a day ago.]
Gaines: Ah come on Debra. I thought it was hilarious. The guy used those Power Ranger dudes to make his entrance seem that much cooler. I thought it was fitting, a loser show coupled with a loser. I was wondering when he was going to crawl up out of the proverbial woodwork just to get kicked right back down into it again, anyway.
Debra: No, it wasn't funny. It was stupid. A stupid gimmick for a stupid.. *Ahem* man. Marcus, Stryker almost made your entrance look bad. No one I'm assosciated with will look bad, understand?
[Marcus sighed and let go, moving himself away from her.]
Gaines: Yeah, I got 'ya loud and clear. It isn't like Stryker is anything to worry about. I mean, he's already cashing cheques he hasn't even WRITTEN yet.
[Debra looked confused as she furled brow, trying to process anythin Marcys said was usually a chore unto itself.]
Debra: I don't follow you.
[He sidles himself in next to her against the counter, his eyes wandering over her body, her's merely watching his to see where they would deter.]
Gaines: Let me break it down for you, homegirl. Stryker is scheduling all of these amazing, gimmicky matches for this upcominf Pay Per View, yet how the hell does he know I'm going to let him live to see it? There's not a thing his lady in waiting; Tiffany can do, and after this Wednesday, there won't be a single thing miss Saiaki-it-to-me can do either. All of these people subscribe to this theory of relativity, have you heard of it?
[Debra nodded an annoyed yes back at him.]
Gaines: Well good. The difference between me and all of these other people, Stryker and Reina included is I subscribe to theory of Marcisity. Which states: I rule, no one else does. So I wouldn't worry too much about anyone other than a terminator coming to kill us to stop the human resistance in the future.
[Debra shook her head, trying to shake off any affect Marcus could possibly have on her mind.]
Debra: Well, whatever. Just make sure you beat Reina. We'll save any other thinking for after Wednesday. This match is a very big deal, any other rematch is small potatoes compared to this.
Gaines: I know, I know. It should be fun if not anything else. But I think we've already discussed her and everything involving her several times in the past week, Debra. I'd like to think there is more that we could be talking about.
[She sighed heavily, her feet rested back on the floor from their haunches, and she rested her hand on his chest, searching below her for some words, or something.]
Debra: I know, I'm just trying to keep your mind focused on the tasks at hand. I want to be around for far more than just the sex. I want to help drive your career in the right direction. Isn't that okay? I want to see you make something more of yourself. You've wasting your time with petty matters in the GWA... it's time to put you up on the pedestal.
[Marcus blinked... it all didn't really matter to him. He had what he wanted, and to him, all was right in the world as long this was the truth, and nothing could make it falter.]
!--------------!
[She curled the ever-tangling phone chord in her finger as she listened intently to the other line. Her face seemed to glow, it was like whom ever she was talking to was someone either very important, or someone who made her feel a lot more than anyone else ever could hope to make her feel. A smile had been forming on her lips the second she had picked up the phone, and now it had grown into one that seemed to cover her entire face in happiness and radiance.]
Debra: Yeah, he's upstairs changing.
[She looked around the corner to watch out for Marcus listening into her conversation. Satisfied that he wasn't, she moved back over to sit on the green sofa near the large baywindows overlooking lake Ontario.]
Debra: Oh, come on! I faked it. [Pause to listen to the other end of the line.] Don't worry, he isn't very good! [Another pause.] Easily. I've got him wrapped around my middle finger. [Another pause, whatever the person on the other end of the line said causes Debra to laugh raucusly.] Oh yes, very easily led, and don't worry, I'll have him do it either today or tomorrow, it's as good as done basically, honey. Okay... Bye. I love you to.
[She hung up the phone just as Marcus rounded the corner and entered the room, she looked at him with general disregard for a moment, but it quickly changed to a warming gaze.]
Gaines: Who were you talking to?
[Without hesitation she replied.]
Debra: My sister out west. She's having some marital problems and I was giving her some advice.
[Marcus nodded, accepting her word, simply because it was her's and no one else's. To Marcus... her's was practically the word of god, and he'd never question it, no matter how ridiculous her explanations or excuses could possibly get, and she most assuredly knew it.]
Debra: Oh, by the way. I've got a little mission for you to embark on later, if you're up to it, that is?
[Marcus leaned against a buffet nearby and listened attentively, it was just accepted that whatever she had in mind, he was going to carry out for her more than willingly.]
