Post by Danielle Basch on Aug 1, 2017 20:51:12 GMT -5
Undisclosed Location
Carlsbad, CA
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
The scene fades in on a wide stretch of pristine white sand, with several lounge chairs arranged in pairs, with large, straw-topped umbrellas wedged in between the pairs. Not that far away, several two-seat couches sit around a fire pit with a stack of fresh firewood placed inside. Overhead, seagulls glide across the sky, occasionally diving into the water to catch a quick meal. In the distance a pair of voices can be heard, along with shuffling footsteps.
Man’s Voice: Just a little further...
A woman giggles softly.
Man’s Voice: Hey! No peeking!
Woman’s Voice: Oh, come on... how much longer before I can take off this blindfold?
Man’s Voice: Just a couple more steps....
Woman’s Voice: Donny...
Man’s Voice: And... NOW!
The man and woman walk out from behind a pair of palm trees, as WCG Superstars and newly engaged couple Danni LeBlanc and Donovan Basch stand where the edge of the stone-paved patio meets the sand. Donovan removes the black silk blindfold from her eyes. Danni blinks as her eyes adjust to the sudden glare of sunlight. Once her sight returns, she scans the scene, completely stunned at the picturesque setting before her.
Danni: Oh my god... Donny... it’s beautiful! But why did you bring me out here? We already have a house with access to a private beach.
Donovan: Yeah, about the house...
Danni looks up at Donovan through narrowed eyes, a look of concern and uncertainty on her face.
Danni: Donovan, what did you do?
Donovan: Now, don’t be mad...
DON’T be mad? Usually when someone says that, it leads to something that WILL make me mad....
The narrowed-eyed glare deepens as Danni crosses her arms.
Danni: Donovan Jacob Everett Basch, WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?
As smoothly as silk on freshly-shaven legs, Donovan reaches up, smiling as he grazes a hand against her cheek. Try as she might, Danni can’t help but soften her glare.
Damn it, Donny....
Donovan: Before I tell you that, do you remember that nightmare you had?
Danni casts her eyes downward, staring at her feet.
Danni: I’d rather not think about that....
Donovan hooks a finger under Danni’s chin, lifting her face up until they’re looking into each other’s eyes. The troubled look on Danni’s face fades, but only slightly.
Donovan: I know you don’t. But think back to what I promised you. I told you that when the time was right, we’d say our vows out on our own stretch of beach. That way, it completely rules out any driving on our parts. No driving means no chance of that dream of yours ever becoming reality. But just think about it... we could put the altar right over there, with the ocean as our backdrop...
He stands behind Danni, holding up his hands as if to frame where the altar would stand. In spite of herself, Danni smiles.
Danni: I... damn it, Spidey!
She shakes her head, the smile on her face spreading even wider.
Danni: You always seem to go out of your way to make me happy. But about the wedding...
Donovan: You’re not having second thoughts already, are you?
Danni shakes her head more vigorously this time.
Danni: Not at all, Spidey. It’s just that... well, if the wedding’s in December, maybe having it on the beach is a bad idea.
Donovan: Did you have some other place in mind?
Danni: Actually, I did. It’s this place I saw in Long Beach a couple of years ago; totally fell in love with the scenery. I wanted to rent it out for my 21st birthday, but it was out of our price range.
Donovan moves to stand in front of Danni, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear as he smiles.
Donovan: I want you to get one thing straight, sweetheart. I will stop at nothing to make sure you have everything you’ve ever wanted, and more. You’ve already done that for me. Of course, you know what this means....
Danni: Looks like I’ll have to work on getting rid of my fear of you driving to the wedding. Guess I can’t spend the rest of my life being afraid of the past repeating itself, now can I?
Donovan: No, perhaps not. But let me take this moment to give you a little peek at the future....
He turns Danni around, revealing a sprawling Craftsman estate, with trees and rocks marking the property lines on both sides, leading up to the water’s edge. The house itself boasts a modern Hawaiian motif, all the way down to the waterfall spilling into the swimming pool.
Danni: Oh my...
Donovan: All of this...
He stretches out his arms, smiling as he watches Danni take in her surroundings.
Donovan: Is now ours.
Danni: But wait a minute... what about the house we already have?
Donovan: When I bought that house, I bought it with a bachelor’s mindset. Back then, settling down and starting a family was the farthest thing from my mind. But now...
Donovan: Now, things are different. You and I...
Danni: And the dogs. Don’t forget the dogs, Spidey.
Donovan: Of course not. But eventually, kids of the two-legged variety might come along and...
Danni: And what?
Donovan: Well, I realized that childproofing that house was going to be an absolute nightmare, so as much as I loved that house... and as much work as I put into that house, from the security system to the automation system, it’s time to let it go, and put bachelorhood behind me. From now on, I...
He shakes his head.
Donovan: No... there’s no more “I”; it’s about US now. Our lives, our future...
He pulls her close to him until her head is resting on his chest. As she looks up at him, Donovan gives Danni a smile that in the eyes of anyone else would seem out of place on his otherwise intimidating visage, but one that Danni sees for what it is... one of genuine happiness.
Donovan: Our family.
Danni: Are you sure you want to sell that house? I know how much it means to you.
She raises her eyebrows, realizing the sacrifice he’s making in selling something he’s poured so much of himself into.
Donovan: Yeah, but you mean far more to me. Besides, with the asking price of this place, I couldn’t refuse.
He leans in, bringing his lips close to Danni’s ear. As he whispers, Danni’s eyes grow wide with shock, her mouth hanging open.
Danni: You’re shitting me!
Donovan shakes his head again.
Donovan: I’m not kidding.
Danni: Speaking of kids... I want you to promise me one thing.
Donovan: Name it and it’s yours!
Danni: Try not to knock me up until AFTER I’ve had some gold around my waist, okay?
Donovan: That’s one of the things I love about you, Danni. You’ve got your priorities in order. You have my word. No kids until the walls of this house are decorated in gold.
Voice: Now you’re speaking my language!
Danni and Donovan are a bit surprised by the sudden sound of the woman’s voice, but as they turn around, Donovan flashes a smile of recognition at the mahogany-haired, well-dressed woman standing in the now-open French doors that lead into the house. He turns to Danni and gestures toward the woman. Danni herself takes a moment to look the woman over, then gives a knowing smile of her own.
Donovan: Danni, I’d like you to meet the agent behind both the sale of my house and the purchase of OUR house...
Danni: You don’t need to introduce me; I know exactly who she is. You’d have to be an idiot not to know who Alicia Perry is! We used to wrestle for the AWA. Of course, even if I wasn’t a member of that roster, I’d still know who she is....
Alicia: I see my reputation precedes me. Anyway, Mr. Basch...
Donovan: I think we can skip the formalities at this point. Donovan is fine.
Alicia: Alright... Donovan. Now that escrow has closed, I thought I’d bring by a little housewarming gift. I left it in the kitchen, along with your copy of the paperwork. As for you...
As the legendary former world champion-turned manager turns her attention to Danni, she smiles.
Alicia: I have a bit of a business proposition for you. Actually, it’s something that the both of you could benefit from. Follow me; we can discuss it while we do a walkthrough of the property...
Danni: Donovan, don’t tell me you didn’t...
Donovan: I’ve already toured every room in the house. But YOU haven’t...
Danni and Donovan follow Alicia into the house, shutting the French doors behind them.
Danni and Donovan’s new home
Carlsbad, CA
Inside, Danni and Donovan sit on the beige suede sofa, with Alicia sitting on the loveseat opposite the couple. On the coffee table between them, a stack of papers sits neatly, along with a separate stack of two manila folders. Alicia is sitting with her fingers interlocked, her hands resting on her knees as she glances first at the stacks, then at Danni and Donovan.
Alicia: Well, now that we’ve got all of our “i’s” dotted and our “t’s” crossed as far as the house is concerned, I think it’s time we took care of some...
She tilts her head, a sly grin on her face as she leans back against the back of the loveseat.
Alicia: Other business. Now, I know you two have done fairly well without managerial representation, and believe me when I say that you could certainly continue to do so, but I’ve been thinking that perhaps my husband and I could be of some assistance to you.
Danni: I’m not going to lie... the idea does intrigue me. But with all due respect, I have been training privately with Donovan.
Donovan: Yes, but that’s only with the martial arts aspect. If I’m not mistaken, Jason Perry is more than qualified to cover some of the other bases.
Alicia: Not that you really need it....
Danni: Nevertheless, we could always stand to learn more. And with the wealth of championship experience that you two bring to the table, we have pretty much everything to gain.
Donovan: Well, you know more about what they bring to the table than I do. You did work with them at one point.
Danni: Well, Jason DID used to sign my paychecks.
She looks at Alicia, giving her a respectful nod.
Danni: I had wanted a chance to get into the ring with you, but...
Alicia: Yeah, I know. Mother Nature had other ideas. Alleria was a surprise, but a welcome one.
Donovan makes note of the smile on Danni’s face as she hears Alicia speak of her youngest daughter. A barely audible chuckle escapes from his throat as he drapes an arm behind Danni’s shoulders.
Alicia: But enough about family. We’re here to talk business. I don’t think I have to tell you about what I bring to the table.
Danni: Of course not. Your record speaks for itself. Every person you’ve managed has gone on to win championship gold. Your husband, your brother...
Donovan: And of course, there’s Rebel Ink. Now, if we were to sign a deal with you...
Alicia: Say no more. I know you’re not interested in anything beyond the occasional tag team match, and that’s fine. I’ve seen what that does to some teams, and I think you’d be better off not going that route. Not that West Coast Genesis has a tag team division to speak of.
Danni: No, they don’t. There are a couple of tag teams, but not enough to really build a division off of.
Alicia: So it’s understandable that you’d prefer to remain as singles wrestlers. I can work with that, and so can Jason. In fact, Donovan, Jason has been telling me that he’s looking forward to working with you. It’s been a while since he’s taken on a student that can match him physically as well as on the technical level. I can help with aerials, so that fills in all the bases.
Donovan: It would be an honor to work with a legend like him. There are a few things I wouldn’t mind picking his brain over.
Alicia: Sounds to me like the two of you are possibly ready to finalize things, or would that be a little presumptuous of me?
Danni and Donovan look at each other, not saying a word, but the deep stare into each other’s eyes speaks far more than words possibly could. They nod to each other before Donovan turns to Alicia.
Donovan: Not presumptuous at all, Alicia. In fact, I look forward to it.
Alicia smiles broadly, placing a pen on the top of the two manila folders before pushing them across the table. Donovan picks up the stack, handing one of them to Danni as he opens the other. He scans over the document within, then takes the pen into his left hand.
Alicia: Huh... another southpaw...
Donovan chuckles, casting a quick glance toward Alicia before passing the pen to his fiancée. Danni opens up her folder, looking over her document before eventually signing it. They both smile as they hand their folders back across the table to a waiting Alicia, who has a very pleased expression on her face as she places the papers in a black leather satchel sitting at her feet.
Alicia: I promise you two, you won’t regret this decision. In fact, I don’t know about you, but I’m rather eager to get started. After all, Danni... you do have that Young Lions Championship match against Coda coming up.
Danni: You don’t think the Graves’ would mind you taking time away from them to work with us?
Alicia waves off Danni’s concern.
Alicia: You won’t have to worry about Damon and Aurora. I don’t do anything without consulting with all of my clients. What affects one of them potentially affects all of them. Besides, they’re working with Jason and my brother, so they’re in good hands. This will give me time to focus on you and your match against Coda. She is absolutely ruthless in that ring, Danni.
Danni: That much I know. I’m looking forward to pushing myself as far as I can against her.
Alicia: That’s the spirit! And I think that between the three of us, we can make sure you’re more than ready to stand against her at One Night Only.
Danni: Great. Just one last question....
Donovan tilts his head, looking at Danni with a raised eyebrow as Alicia fixes her gaze on her newest charge.
Danni: When do we start?
Alicia slowly blinks her eyes, her lips spreading across her face in a pleased, yet slightly wicked smile.
Alicia: No time like the present. But first, let’s get you two lovebirds moved in. This is the only room where I had any staging done. I can get this place cleared out in no time. As for your stuff, I know an excellent moving crew; I can have you moved in in two days tops. Won’t even take THAT long...
Donovan: Sounds great to me.
Danni: Well then... what do you say we quit sitting around, jawjacking and get to it?
The three of them stand up as Danni looks back and forth between Alicia and Donovan, her hands resting on her hips. Alicia smiles.
Alicia: I see you’ve still got that fire, Danni. Hold on to that; you’re gonna need it against Coda.
The trio make their way out of the room, their words fading with each passing step until there is nothing but silence, then the thick thud of the heavy front door as it is shut.