When Inspiration Strikes, Count One, Two, Three
When Inspiration Strikes, Count One, Two, Three
Day 215 of The Andie Chronicles
“And coming to the ring, weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds, from Melbourne, Australia, Cooper Cruuuuuu-sheeeeeer. ”
The crowd ignited, Cooper chants instantly filling the makeshift stadium. The fans acted as if they were in the presence of royalty.
Every move, every punch, every kick, they applauded. And when he got the pin, when the referee counted one-two-three, they all cheered like he had taken the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl.
Or, for us Melbournians, kicked the winning goal at the Grand Final.
I admired his ability to hold the crowd's attention, to have them love him, to play the part as the promotion needed him to.
And on cue, as Cooper warned me would happen, he turned to his fallen opponent and began inflicting unnecessary pain. He had transformed from the good guy to the bad in a matter of seconds.
He didn’t even need a paperweight to do that. Not a lick of Tiffany’s in sight.
I sat in the back row during tonight’s show. Cooper usually reserved a spot for me in the front, where we could lock eyes when the unsuspecting moment appeared.
But I couldn’t settle my mind. I knew the date for Highway was fast approaching, and I hadn’t told Cooper about it yet. Sure, I had spoken to him about the money, and he had graciously put me onto Chris, who selflessly overloaded me with tremendous advice.
The advice was great, but everything was moving fast. Quicker than how the crowd turned on Cooper.
This tradeshow in Sydney would be the final nail; if they didn’t know about Highway from the oversized billboard I assumed remained on Chapel Street, they would by the time the symposium ended. Once the world knew, it meant D-day was at the doorstep.
I felt this panic rising inside me.
I wish I could’ve talked to my friends about my exit strategy. We were all suffering under what Douglas was doing to us. I suspected they wanted out just as much as I did. And they knew I didn’t want my waggon hitched to Douglas’.
I brought my notebook to the show, stashing it in my oversized purse. As someone would take a bump, I needed to scribble the questions and ideas, this cathartic dumping of ideas.
Despite needing to do this, it did feel like I was cheating on Cooper with my work. But as I saw him in his element, all I could think about was me in my element, and this supportive man wouldn’t begrudge me the time I needed.
The show ended with the unhappy crowds departing, still seething at Cooper’s betrayal. Behind the curtain, I promptly found Cooper. He was in a passionate exchange with his opponent, assessing how the switch had played out faultlessly.
I crept towards him, not wanting to break their celebrations. But as he felt me draw close, his breath disappeared momentarily, returning to him with great delight.
“My girl. I couldn’t see you in the crowd. I thought you must have gone home.”
“I was there, I was there,” I assured him. “I was just in the back. Didn’t want to take away any of the attention.”
I was joking, of course.
Nothing could take away from Cooper's moment.
However, it didn’t stop the diehards from snapping photos of me during the show. It was becoming part of dating Cooper; the more he posted about me on his Instagram, the more people recognised my connection to the wrestling industry and wanted a piece of me during times like this.
Better than the attention I would receive if I ended up at the tradeshow, I mused.
You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that, too.
Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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A little lost on what’s happening at 1 Lovelock Drive?
Well, you see, Andie’s break-up started back in February and so much has happened since then. These stories will help you catch right up! xx
