“Hello?”

A soft, secretive voice spoke, and a pair of ice blue eyes peered up – and around before looking back down at a mysterious stack of papers in her hands. A nod of her head, followed by a few ‘Mmmhmms’ and ‘Uh-huhs’ only drew more attention to her. When she looked up again, The Dark Man noticed her eyes widened, if only subtly – perhaps her realization that he did indeed notice whatever it was that she was doing.

“Well, uh.. Just keep going and we’ll… We’ll speak soon about the-the other thing. Yeah. I gotta go.”

She pulls the phone away from her ear and shoves it back down into the pocket of her jeans while the papers disappear from Rogan’s view just as quickly as they’d come onto his radar. Lucy was being awfully secretive, and Rogan didn’t know why.

“What’s goin on, Lass?” Rogan asked casually, not trying to sound concerned. Even more, not trying to alarm her.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

“Nothing really.” She replied with a smile, rising from where she was seated at the dining room table. Rogan eyed her up curiously as she approached him, cautiously peeking behind her at the table, trying to find those papers – to no avail. He sat back when she got closer and smiled up at her. “What’s going on with you?”

Rogan tilted his head to the side. “Oh, nothing…”

Lucy stood before him, and they both stared at one another for a few moments before the Dark Man reached up and took one of Lucy’s hands in his.

“…I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Lass… Are you okay?”

Lucy couldn’t hide the shocked expression on her face as a chuckle escaped her lips. “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

Rogan shrugged.

“Just making sure, you know?”

“I’m perfectly fine. I promise.” She replied, squeezing his hand for good measure. “What do you say we–”

Conveniently interrupted by her phone again, Rogan found himself disappointed as he watched her pull it from her pocket and read whatever was on the screen. She slowly pulled her hand away from his, and began typing away feverishly in response to whatever message she’d received. Rogan simply watched, his own curiosity, and his concern growing the longer she was engrossed in it.

“What were ya sayin?”

Rogan tried interjecting, but Lucy simply nodded her head in response.

“Give me… A… Minute….There. Okay.” She looked back up at him with an apologetic smile, and tucked her phone back into her pocket. “Sorry about that. I was thinking we could get out of here for a bit and do something?”

“I’d like that.” Rogan said, trying to hide another glance at Lucy’s pocket and the phone that was slowly becoming his enemy. “Are ya sure you have the time?”

Lucy followed his eyes to her pocket and she sighed. “Oh, stop it, you. Come on, get yourself ready.”

She smiled and winked at him before she turned away and started towards the bedroom. For a moment, Rogan relaxed and brought himself up to his feet – that was until he noticed her pull her phone out of her pocket again as she stepped through the doorway.

The Dark Man followed slowly, his mind trying to ignore that gnawing feeling that’s growing in the pit of his stomach. The feeling that something is going on with Lucy, and she’s trying not to tell him…

 

Later on, Lucy and Rogan find themselves seated inside a bar not too far from their apartment – a pair of drinks in front of them. Nothing too out of the ordinary for these two, right? Rogan takes a healthy gulp from his glass and takes to watching Lucy, much like he has been for the last… however many years they’ve known one another.

He’s always been interested in her, he never needed a reason to notice her. Lucy, meanwhile, was watching the activity around them. Finally, The Dark Lady turned her attention back to her beau and her cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink when she noticed that he was watching her.

“So…” She said softly, her fingertips tracing along the lip of her own glass, “Are you nervous about your appointment?”

Rogan’s gaze broke with Lucy’s and he looked down into his own glass. “Maybe a tad bit, Lass. There’s a lot of uncertainty goin in, yeah?”

“There is, but I feel like knowing what direction we need to go in will help.”

“You’re probably right. I’m sure I’ll feel better after it’s over with.” He glanced back up at her and returned her smile.

“You will. I don’t doubt it.”

They both took a drink, and emptied their glasses. Lucy reached out and took Rogans and got up from their table.

“I’ll go get us another round, Dark Man.” She said with a wink before she moved across to the bar. He watched her as she spoke to the bartender – and again, he wondered what was going on in her mind.

He wanted to believe they didn’t have any secrets from each other. He knew what she’d gone through in the past and how important trust was to her – But he also knew that he’d went and bought them an apartment in New York without her knowing, so secrets weren’t the problem.

At least they weren’t in this relationship.

So whatever this was, Rogan knew he should just let it go. Everything is fine. They’re fine. But after Lucy showed him what she showed him before that world title match a few weeks ago, he wondered if she was truly happy with the outcome. She was a four time UGWC World Champion.

Of course she’s happy. She said she would be, regardless of the outcome.

Rogan continued watching her and the bartender talking – she was pointing at things behind the bar and nodding her head as the bartender responded. It brought up his curiosity again, but all too quickly, he noticed Lucy pulled her phone from her pocket and answered a call while she stood at the bar.

Rogan sighed.

Lucy turned around and carried their drinks back to their table, with the phone pinned between her shoulder and her ear. But Rogan was only able to hear the very end of the conversation as the drinks were placed down in front of him.

“Of course. I know – I’ll take a look. Yes. Okay..” She looked into Rogan’s eyes and smiled. “I’ll be in touch with you when I can. Thank you.”

“So busy now a days…” Rogan said, pulling his drink towards him as Lucy sat down across from him.

Lucy rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Things are good. What can I say? Don’t you worry, Dark Man… I made sure she made it just the way you like it.”

“Thank you, Lass.”

“Always.” Lucy took another drink from her glass, and as the time passed by – the expression on her face changed. Rogan couldn’t quite place it.

That was, until she spoke again.

“I..Um. I’m gonna have to head to the store tonight after we get home. I realized we were low on a few things and…”

“I can go with you if ya want.” Rogan offered up, but Lucy shook her head.

“Nah, you need to keep resting that ankle as much as you can. I don’t mind going alone. I like taking care of you.” She finished with an ornery smirk that made Rogan chuckle. “Maybe I should grab a nurses outfit while I’m out.”

“Maybe you should…” The Dark Man gave her a wink for good measure – but as he emptied his glass again, he sighed and slid it forward. “But in all seriousness… If you wanted to go now and get it over with, I can find my way back home, Lass.”

Lucy tilted her head to the side. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Lucy finished the rest of her glass and stared at him with uncertainty written all over her face. “I mean, that would… Thank you. I love you. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Rogan nodded as Lucy got up and excused herself, keeping that smile on his lips until she was out of his view. The Dark Man sighed again, and motioned to the bartender for another drink – as he pulled his own phone out of his pocket and began thumbing through his contacts until his thumb hovered above one name in particular.

As much as he tried to tell himself everything was good, and that he shouldn’t be concerned about Lucy’s behavior over the last few weeks – he only hesitated momentarily before he pressed ‘send’ and brought the phone up to his ear, listening to it ring before someone finally picked up on the other end.

“Heya Lad, I was wonderin if you were busy.”

He listened for a few moments.

“Everything is fine, I think.. I’d just like ta talk to ya if you can.”

He nodded his head.

“Thank you for this. I’ll be seein ya soon.”

 

Here we are again, Donovan.

I wish I could say it was a pleasure to be doing this again, but it isn’t… and it never was. You’re the proverbial thorn in my side. And the worst part is that you know that shit. You know it and you love it.

And you never waste an opportunity to flaunt it in my face that our history has shown you to be victorious over me more often than not. But I mean, when you’re you… and you’re slowly drifting out of the spotlight, you gotta do whatever and say whatever you can to get that attention you crave so desperately.

Unfortunately though Donovan, that’s just one of the things that’s going to eventually be your downfall. The other thing is the fact that you’re living in… and for the past. You live for the fact that you’ve been a six time world champion and the fact that no one has been able to touch that record. You rest on the fact that in your heyday, you we’re one of the pillars of UGWC and in those days, you were the summit of the mountain…the goal everyone sought to conquer.

Nowadays?

Nowadays you’re just a speed bump, Donny. You’re just an inconvenience for the rest of us who are on the fast track to putting all of your history in the dust. I know it’s hard to hear, but I mean… which one of us is the top of the mountain now, hmm?

And which one of us is at the bottom, clawing and scratching their way up?

I know, I know… That’s a bit hypocritical of me, considering you’re not the only one that’s been in that position. But see, I say it because I know it gets to you, Donovan. I know you enjoy feeling superior to the rest of us, and you don’t like being reminded that you’re just like everyone else.

But you are.

And I’m gonna enjoy kicking the shit out of you on Monday, just because I can. You’re not the unreachable goal anymore. You’re not the one that got away… Now, you’re just another fucker that’s in my way… Another unlucky soul that has to put up with being in the ring with one of the best wrestlers out there today. And knowing that I get to annoy you with my presence…. That makes me so happy, you don’t even understand.

See you soon, Lord of Mediocrity. See you soon.

 

Outside the bar, a familiar Buick sat along the curb – the engine idling quietly. Jack sat behind the wheel, his eyes hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses. Lucy emerged from the bar and opened the backdoor, sliding in behind the passenger seat, taking a glance back at the establishment she’d left Rogan in – hoping he wasn’t trying to follow her.

“You know where we’re headed, Jack.”

Jack nodded and put the Buick in gear as Lucy closed her door – and seconds later, it was like the Buick and Lucy were never there.