January 9, 2013
JC sat across the table from his fiancée and realized he would be married for the second time in only a month. February 10, to be exact. The thought had occurred to them to do it on Valentine's Day, but it was Stacy who decided that was far too saccharine for people in their 30s. They knew they were in love and the day didn't matter.
Planning the wedding itself was a lot of work, even for JC. His first wedding was a short affair attended by his many friends in the business, with his rather large paychecks going to people who could plan it out for him. He was busy with his wrestling career and Mandy, his first wife, wasn't that interested. He later guessed that it probably shouldn't have shocked him that she was only in it for his money.
Now he was older, retired and had a fiancée who was an equal partner in this relationship. She helped him find purpose after he left the business and he had just spent the last nine months making sure she was clean from her painkiller addiction. They opted to try it themselves, as she was sure that another outpatient rehab stay wouldn't help at all.
Even before the drama, they were quickly infatuated with each other for a variety of reasons. For Stacy, JC was the first real stable relationship she'd had in months. From what she told him (and she told him nearly every day), she loved his dry sense of humor, his intelligence and the fact that he was still fairly built for a retired wrestler at the age of 37. He loved her sarcastic wit, her sense of style and her inability to get rattled no matter how bad things got. As powerful as he always liked to portray himself in the ring, she was the stronger of the two and he knew that.
Once she hit six months sober, he proposed and that was that. Except that wasn't that, because they soon realized that planning a wedding is a lot of work. Without getting into the minutiae of the big day itself, there was figuring out who to invite and who to include in the wedding party. Stacy's side was easy, but JC had ended a lot of friendships in his career and had a brother that he wasn't on speaking terms with anymore.
Now they sat in a semi-formal Asian fusion restaurant hoping like hell JC's pick for best man would even accept the gig.
"So why didn't he get out when you did?"
"Well, I guess he felt like he still had something to prove. That's just the way he is. He doesn't give up and it takes a lot to put him down."
"I'm surprised I haven't met him before now."
"You haven't met any wrestlers because I don't trust most of them. Trent's the closest thing I have to a best friend, though. I guess he's also the closest thing I have to family."
What went unsaid was the fact that outside of the occasional phone call, JC and Trent hadn't talked all that much. It's not that they weren't still close, it's just that Trent lived the busy schedule of a wrestler and Joe understood that. His schedule wasn't exactly empty post-retirement either. However, they were still good enough friends that they kept each other up to date on their personal lives, even if Trent seemed to always wonder if JC was coming back. It was an understood rule of the wrestling business that no one stays retired. JC thought he was doing a pretty good job so far.
"You okay?"
He glanced up at her, realizing he was lost in thought. He placed a hand on hers and smiled.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about the old days."
"You're not getting the itch to return, are you?"
"Fuck no. I'm done with that. It's like I told you before, I did everything I could."
This was true, because the worries of the job tended to make his bloodlust worse. While he still had his bad days and his manic days, he didn't hear the voice as much with his relatively relaxed life. He enjoyed that more than anything else. He was starting to worry that there might be something wrong with him. The divide between depressive episodes and feeling normal was getting wider as more time passed and he had no stress to weigh down on him.
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and that was all she needed. She liked having him around all the time and the two had been talking about opening some sort of gym. It made sense, since they met in one.
"Okay, before Trent gets here, I have to ask you something."
"Yeah, shoot."
"Why won't you at least try to contact your brother? I'd really like to meet Eric. Even if you guys aren't on friendly terms, you'll hate yourself if your brother misses your wedding."
JC sighed and raised his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it for a moment. They had this conversation before. By his count, this was approximately the 47th time they talked about JC reconciling with his brother. Stacy came from a large family and she could never understand why some families didn't get along, especially when Joseph and Eric Lee were all each other had in terms of blood relatives.
"You know I want to. But something...bad happened between us. Work got in the way, he took it personally and he hasn't spoken to me since. I don't even know his phone number anymore to call him."
"I'm sure there are ways to contact him. Maybe I could to bridge the gap?"
"I'd rather you didn't. He still lives in East Rutherford, so I'm sure I could find him at some point."
"So let's go together when we get home and try."
"I'll just say maybe for now. But I don't think he'll even want to talk to me. In fact, there's a good chance he wouldn't want to talk to you since you're with me."
"He took it pretty hard, didn't he?"
"I'm pretty sure he blames me for ending his career, so yes."
She had heard the story before, and JC swore up and down that he had changed since then. She knew he was a bad guy in wrestling but he wasn't a bad guy now, so that's all that mattered to her. Wanting to change the subject, he glanced at his watch.
"He's running late."
"Should we call him?"
"Yeah, I guess I could. Wait here. If the waiter comes back...ask for more time."
Joe stood up, adjusted his tie and swiftly moved outside the restaurant. He decided to walk all the way to their car to make the phone call, because there were quite a number of people talking outside. He made his way to the rental car, a 2011 black Chevrolet Impala. All Stacy could say when they picked it up was how much she wished they had a car like this and not the Dodge Ram he was still driving from his wrestling days. Maybe he could get her one as an engagement gift.
He leaned against the passenger side door and pulled out a cheap, disposable flip phone. He hadn't quite made the upgrade to a smart phone yet, which was another thing he soon-to-be-wife teased him for. He liked things that were familiar and reliable. This was why he felt so awkward in dress clothes outside of a fusion restaurant in Denver, about to ask his former tag team partner to be the best man at his big, fancy wedding.
He looked down at the list of contacts and saw his brother's name among them. He had fibbed to Stacy when he said he didn't have Eric's number. He had a number that belonged to him, but he was almost positive it didn't work. And yet, he wanted nothing more than to try. Four years without a word was too long and maybe if Eric saw that his life was stable and sane, he could be convinced to be a part of it again.
It won't work.
As if on cue, the voice he heard was back. He had been feeling good leading up to this trip, but he noticed himself feeling down as it got closer. He hated having a brain that apparently couldn't take the slightest level of stress before going into emotional meltdown. He closed his eyes for a moment, willing it to shut up. When he heard nothing else, he was satisfied enough to look at the contacts again.
His name was right there in monochromatic bold, staring up at him. All he had to do was press a button and he could be on the phone with his brother again.
He decided to go for it.
He pressed in the button and placed the phone to his ear, hoping he wouldn't regret it. He was surprised when it not only started ringing, but didn't immediately tell him that the number was out of service. It rang for a few times before he heard something pick up. He opened his mouth to speak before realizing it was a voicemail message.
"Hey, you know who this is. Leave a message after the beep.......BEEP.....Ha, it's still me. Suck it, nerds."
He heard the beep and considered saying something, but realized he couldn't. He hoped to contact GI one day, but he wasn't going to do it through a machine. Just knowing the number was still active was enough for now. He was about to find Trent's name on the phone next when he heard a voice behind him.
"I thought we were meeting inside."
Joe turned around and saw Trent Steel. He was a little older, a little more worn from his chosen profession, but he was the same guy. JC tried to think of a sarcastic comment but instead had a genuine grin on his face.
"Trent, you son of a bitch. You're late."
It was the first time he'd seen his tag partner in person since NLW closed. Trent wasn't just a tag partner, but in their time together he became a good friend. Perhaps they were hated by the fans but they developed respect for each other and understood how the other thought. Friendships like that were rare in the world of professional wrestling. It was JC's experience that all friendships are destroyed eventually in their line of work. That's why he was glad he was out.
JC extended a hand and Trent shook it, before reaching out and clapping JC on the shoulder.
"It's been a while, caveman. How's life treating you?"
"Hopefully better than it's treating you. I heard the OWF was back."
"Yeah it is. It'd be better if you were there to boot people again. We've got a group called The Insiders really stirring up shit."
JC rolled his eyes and then looked at his watch.
"Wow, Trent. That's got to be a record. Not even three minutes into the conversation. Come on man, let's not talk wrestling now."
"If you say so, Joe. Can't blame a guy for trying."
"No, I guess not. Come on, I want you to meet my fiancée."
"Your what?"
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Stacy stood in the lobby of the Jersey City Drug Treatment Center, hardly able to accept that she was finally done. She did everything she was supposed to. She actively participated in group therapy. She voiced her feelings during counseling. She diligently put time and effort into identifying her triggers and learning ways to avoid relapsing. She was three months sober and she planned for it to stay that way.
"So, are you ready to finally go home?"
Her therapist, Mark, stood behind her, waiting with her for her husband. While she didn't think a lot of him when she arrived, she'd even grown to appreciate his desire to help people and spoke with him honestly during their sessions. She would probably never talk to him again after this, but he was good to her while she was alone in rehab.
"I think I am. It feels different this time, and I know you know I'm not just saying that."
The last time JC visited her, he told her about his diagnosis. She pleaded with him to go take his meds and he promised that he would. The problem was that he hadn't spoken with her since. She called Trent to tell him about the situation so he could keep an eye on him. She hadn't heard from him in a while either.
She hated herself for not recognizing the symptoms, as she saw plenty of people like that during her multiple attempts of rehab. She was too close to the situation and couldn't see the forest for the trees. She assumed it was the wrestling making him violent. She never guessed that he had something mentally wrong with him.
Knowing what she knew now, she realized her ultimatum was dead in the water. All she wanted now was for him to pick her up and be on the road to recovery. He helped her multiple times, so she planned to stick by him and help him through this. No matter what, she wouldn't judge him and she would help him. She did this not only because she owed him, but because they were equals. She loved him and didn't think that would ever change.
"So, is your husband going to be here soon?"
She was so busy thinking about that very topic she almost forgot Mark was waiting with her. She turned back and gave a half smile.
"He said he would. He's never broken a promise before."
"I hope he's in a better mood than last time. He was a little scary."
She knew that was true. He threatened a member of the staff when they didn't open the door fast enough. She saw then that something wasn't right.
He was getting worse.
She saw a familiar Impala whip around the corner of the parking lot then suddenly slow to avoid hitting the parked cars. She could already tell something was off, but hoped that it was just a bad day. He parked directly outside of the doors and when she stepped out she knew it was worse than she feared.
It was like he had no idea of what he looked like. His neatly-trimmed goatee had become a full beard, which itself wasn't groomed. His hair was unkempt and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Is...he okay?"
"I hope so. I'll go out and meet him. Thanks, Mark...for everything."
She exited the lobby and met her husband, who gave a smile that seemed false. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt like maybe that voice he heard was telling him to smile so he appeared normal. Was he that far gone? It was obvious he hadn't been taking his pills like he promised. Maybe he was too far gone at that point, too.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Joe are you...are you feeling okay?"
He frowned briefly, then like he was remembering to keep up the facade, he changed it back to a smile. It disturbed her. This wasn't the person she spoke to only a few months ago. This was someone else wearing his skin.
"I'm fine, Stace. Can we go?"
"I'm glad you showed up to get me."
"I said I would."
She tossed her bag into the back seat and uneasily climbed into the passenger side. She always told people that she was never afraid of her husband, because he would never hurt her. Now, he look like anything could set him off. While she wasn't afraid, she wasn't stupid. JC sat down in the driver's seat and looked over at her. She placed a hand on his and smiled, only it wasn't fake. She was glad to see him even if she was concerned for his health.
"We should probably get going. I have to go back to Japan soon."
"Joe...wait."
He had already placed the key in the ignition and turned the car on, but he turned it back off when she spoke. He stared down at his steering wheel, refusing to look over at her.
"What is it?"
"If I look in the glove box, am I going to find Dr. Fuller's prescriptions?"
"Why would they be in there? I told you I'd get them filled."
She placed her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. He resisted at first, even appeared to get angry, but eventually let it happen. He kept his eyes aimed downward.
"Joe, look at me."
He did as he was told, although she suspected he really didn't want to.
"Don't bullshit me. This marriage thing is about honesty and you've never lied to me before. So it's really easy to see when you're doing it now. Why haven't you taken your pills?"
"I don't need them."
"Have you looked at yourself lately? You're getting worse. I even spoke to Trent..."
He reached up to grab her hand and force it off of his face. He set it back down in her lap and turned away from her again.
"Yeah, you've been talking a lot with him lately."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Did you tell him to betray me?"
"What?"
He looked back at her and his eyes flashed a fury he normally reserved for his opponents. She tried to inch her fingers towards the handle of the door without making him aware of it. Once again, she wasn't scared, she was being smart.
"Well, you told him about my mental illness, so you must have told him to interfere and strike me."
She stopped her quest to find the handle without his knowledge. It was her turn to get angry. She took her hand and smacked him in the back of the head, as you would if you wanted to point out that someone was acting stupid. She applied a little more force to help her point.
"You mean like that? Did he hit you like that?"
She did it again. She tried for a third but this time JC refused to let it happen. He held her arm longer than she liked, but he once again put it back on her lap. She was trying his patience, but she wanted to get through to him. He would do the same for her.
"I don't know what he did to you, but he must be doing it for the same reason I did just now. We care about you Joe. We want you to get well. You're not going to if you don't listen to the doctor, take some time off and take your fucking medicine!
Her eyes were brimming with tears now. The entire situation hurt her far more than he could if he wanted to. Since she weighed over half of what he did, she knew he could hurt her a great deal if he wanted. She didn't care. He had to be helped.
He looked away again, continuing his one-sided staring contest with the steering wheel.
"Get out."
"What?"
"You heard me. Get out. Call your sister and have her pick you up. I've got a flight to catch."
"If you think I'm leaving this car..."
"GET OUT!"
In the entire time as a married couple, he had never yelled at her. There had been raised voices, there had been fights. But he never yelled at her and she never struck him. This bipolar disorder, which had only grown worse over the past several months, was driving a wedge between them. She began to cry and she hated herself for it. She liked to think of herself as stronger than she looked, but she was once again crying over an emotional situation.
She wiped her eyes and placed a hand on Joe's shoulder, who flinched but made no effort to remove it. Now she was scared, but not for her physical safety.
"Joe, I love you. Let's just go get your pills..."
"I don't need pills. I'm fine. You're just as bad as Trent. You both think you know what's best for me. What's best for me is to go to Japan and hurt my former best friend. Get out."
"Joe..."
"I said..."
He reached over her and grabbed the handle she had been reaching for earlier, before shoving the door open. She watched him do it and then noticed there was a small crowd of staff inside the drug treatment center watching the scenario. She guessed they were waiting to see if he tried anything and were ready to pounce on him if he did. She liked them all a little more for that.
JC pulled his arm back and repeated himself.
"I said, get out. Get out and think about how you can really help me."
She guessed that, for the time being, there was no helping him. She resolved in the back of her head that this wasn't over, because she knew that this wasn't the man she married talking to her. He was possessed by the demons of mental illness. She decided to concede, reaching back behind her to grab her bag before slipping out of the car.
She turned around to look at him as he reached forward again to grab the door. The two gave each other a momentary glance and she could swear she saw misery on his face. Before she could even get out the first syllable of his name, he shut the car door. He turned his head back in front of him and started the car up again before peeling out of the parking lot.
Stacy felt her eyes getting hot and wet again and quickly wiped them away before turning back to see Mark, standing outside and offering whatever support he could.
"Are you going to be okay? We can call your sister to come get you. She doesn't have to know what happened."
She sniffed and wiped another tear away, realizing that this wasn't over. If Joseph Davis Lee was headed overseas, then Stacy Lee was going to follow and talk some sense into him. She would force those pills down his throat if she had to. She wanted her husband back.
"Thanks Mark, but I'd rather you called me a taxi."
"Sure thing. Are you headed home?"
"Nope..."
She glanced back in the direction of the parking lot, where JC had long since sped away. This was the man she married, the man who actually saved her life on one occasion and stood by her long when anyone else would have and did turn their backs on her. They were equals, and now it was her turn to save him.
"I'm going to Japan."
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It was the night of OWF Campus Chaos, which was JC's first official match back with the company. Stacy watched her husband go to impressive lengths to put down Chaos, a man who matched him in size and apparently the determination to win. She saw how violent he was getting, just weeks after assaulting another man to get a spot in the Quest for the Best tournament. She knew this was important to him, but she didn't like what it was bringing out in his personality.
The two were still at the arena because they planned on meeting with Trent Steel, their first time to really spend time with him since the wedding. She had been looking forward to it, but they just had an argument which had her on the verge of tears. She never liked the fact that it was easy to make her cry, even if it was usually just due to a surge of stress more than being hurt or sad. Of course, she was also both of those things, because he refused to listen.
The well had run dry by the time she reached JC's locker room, where she found Trent standing outside of it.
"You're missing a very large piece of luggage."
She smiled in spite of herself. Trent's tendency to poke fun at her husband usually led to the two of them making jokes at his expense. As long as there was no malice behind them (and there never was), it was just some good-natured ribbing among friends.
"Oh that old thing? I threw it out months ago."
She laughed and reached forward to hug her husband's best friend. To her surprise, given Trent's ability to wear his asshole status on his sleeve, he returned the favor.
"How are you doing, Stacy? I can't imagine living with that neanderthal is easy."
"I manage. He's out in the parking lot taking a phone call. We...actually had an argument."
She didn't know why she was so forthcoming with that, but if she couldn't talk to someone sane and rational right now she might lose it. Right now, Trent was the closest she had.
"Is everything okay?"
"Maybe we should talk inside."
"Sure, after you."
He stepped back and waved a hand forward, allowing her to open the door and enter. He followed behind and they both grabbed some chairs to sit in. She brushed her light pink hair out of her eyes and thought a moment about what she wanted to say.
"Has he always been like this?"
"Like what?"
"You know...violent."
"Is that what's bothering you? He was trying to win a match."
"Yeah, that's what he said. But when he attacked Adam Wilson it wasn't a match. He also seemed to enjoy hurting that Chaos guy a little too much. I think there's something wrong that he's not admitting."
"We used to raise a lot of hell as The Rogues, but I guess I thought that was just my bad influence. Has he told you what he used to do?"
"Parts of it. I know about the incident with his brother."
"I'm not sure if I should be the one telling you."
She ran her hand through her hair and sighed. She wasn't sure she even wanted to hear it. But if Joe wasn't going to be upfront with her about his aggression, she had to find out somewhere. She didn't want to pry and let the matter of his past drop. There was always that OWF Network subscription he was granted as part of his contract.
"That's fine, Trent."
They sat for about a minute, as she thought about another idea. It was Trent who finally ended the awkward silence.
"I don't really think you need to worry. He's always been really competitive."
"Competitiveness has nothing to do with injuring people and I think you know that."
The idea finally formed in her mind, presenting itself clearly so she could see it. She had no idea if Trent would go for it, as he seemed like he was a different person himself these days. She realized she had no idea when Joe's phone call would end so she blurted the idea out before she changed her mind.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"You're going to do ask no matter what I say, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Then I guess the answer is 'yes'."
"You're going to be on the road with him now and I'm not. Is there any way you could...keep an eye on him?"
"Do you mean babysit? He's a grown man, Stacy."
"I mean just watch him. Watch him and make sure he's not violent. Stop him if he tries to really hurt anyone."
"Why can't you just ask him not to?
"He won't listen to me. If he just had someone to keep him in check, maybe he could stick with the competition part and I wouldn't have to worry about losing him."
She choked back a gasp, knowing her emotions were getting the better of her again. She wouldn't allow herself to get that way right now. It was time to be strong, as she was asking a lot of someone she hadn't had a lot of interaction with since she met him.
"Trent, I know how this makes me sound, but I can't be with someone who violently attacks people for no reason. I can't. If he won't listen to me, maybe you can save him from himself. You've known him a lot longer than I have."
She felt her eyes getting wet and refused to allow the tears to fall. She started to get angry with herself and the situation in general. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have. She didn't want to have it with Trent, she didn't want to have it with Joe. She wanted to run her gym with her retired husband and move gracefully into old age together.
What she really wanted was a pill or two to veg out, because she felt the stress was getting to be a little too much. She thought of the pills she kept in the hallway closet for only a brief moment before forcing all of those thoughts out of her head.
"If it's not as bad as you say, then you won't have to do much. Just keep him from attacking people for no reason. He'll listen to you if you're always there bugging him. Just figure out a way to keep him from getting violent. Please Trent. I don't know how else to do this. I've tried to talk to him and he brushes me off every time."
Suddenly, without warning, the door opened and JC walked through. He looked incredibly upset and for a moment she thought he heard the entire conversation. Both Stacy and Trent were staring at him, as if he walked in on them doing something illicit. Trent looked at her and immediately made up his mind to end the talk right then and there.
"I'll handle it."
He turned back to JC to divert the obvious "handle what" question that would follow.
"Hey buddy! How you doing?"
As JC relayed the bad news he just received, Stacy tried her best to comfort him. Even Trent, given the mission that was dumped in his life, tried his best to help. She saw that the two really were good friends and she almost felt a little jealous.
It was in that moment she saw that Trent would do as she asked, but she wondered how far it would go. One question gnawed at her, offering just as much dread as hope:
What could possibly go wrong?
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January 9, 2013
The night had been filled with a lot of laughs, mostly at JC's expense. Trent had been regaling Stacy with tales of their drunken escapades and nights on the road, which were all causing varying degrees of embarrassment, but JC didn't mind. He was enjoying the night out with what he considered his best friends.
"That's when DJ just spews all over JC's boots! That was the last time he ever ate anything on a dare, because I think he was scared of catching a right hand."
"Or a boot. I threw a lot of those back then."
"Well no wonder he didn't want a boot, they probably smelled like vomit."
They laughed again and Trent made a passing wave to the waiter to bring him a refill of whatever alcoholic drink he had ordered. JC had a few too many himself and wasn't exactly keeping track.
"So, it's getting late, we should probably ask Trent what we came here to ask him."
JC glanced at his watch and noticed that both the minute and hour hands were fuzzy, along with the rest of the watch. He thought maybe he had a little more to drink than he initially guessed.
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"Joe, you're supposed to be marrying her, not me."
"Shut up, asshole. I've got an actual question for you. Although it does involve the wedding."
He took a moment and shut his eyes to clear his vision. While he was definitely on the edge of being completely intoxicated, he did realize that it completely killed the voice in his head. It also killed a lot of his mental faculties so he wasn't sure if it was an even trade. He blinked a few times and when he was satisfied with what he saw, he continued.
"Stacy and I have been talking and we think you're the right choice to be the best man at my wedding."
"The best man? Wow Joe, that's a big deal."
"Yeah well, you're the closest thing he has to family right now."
JC winced at that and knew that they saw him. He was drunk enough to be unable to hide his feelings and sober enough to know it. It would remain unspoken that he wanted his brother at the wedding but it would likely never happen. Luckily, Trent was able to save the night by giving his answer.
"If there's an open bar and I can tell more people about Joe getting puked on, then I'm in!"
Stacy laughed and clapped, while JC simply smiled. He had guessed that Trent would agree to it, but it was still nice to get confirmation. He was also glad that Trent and Stacy were getting along. It was the first time he ever introduced her to anyone from his old life, after all, and he was worried it would backfire.
"So, when is the wedding, anyway?"
"February 10th."
"You sure you don't want Valentine's Day?"
"Fuck no. Do we look that sappy?"
"Well, your better half doesn't, but you've always been the biggest sap I know."
Another round of laughter and Trent's face got as serious as it could given this was his third glass of liquor.
"Seriously Joe, I'm glad you found somebody. Even though I really want you to come back and kick some ass with me again, you got out and you found a bit of happiness in this fucked up world. Good for you."
He raised his glass for a toast, with Stacy and Joe quickly following. JC noticed his glass was a little wobbly in his hand. As they clinked glasses, JC's slipped out of his hand and hit the table, spilling what little drink it still had onto the tablecloth.
"Well, that's the end of that."
"No one ever accused you of being graceful."
"It's not my fault I have two hands growing out of my wrist!"
"Damn, Joe, how much did you drink tonight?"
"Enough that I'm seeing double. I lost count."
He was slurring his words a bit, but he didn't mind. It seemed like they were all drinking a little more than any of them would like. That was okay, because they were all having fun. It was in that moment he realized he hadn't had a fun night out like this with anyone related to wrestling in a long time. Maybe he really did leave "The Answer" behind in the ruins of NLW.
The night had been filled with a lot of laughs, mostly at JC's expense. Trent had been regaling Stacy with tales of their drunken escapades and nights on the road, which were all causing varying degrees of embarrassment, but JC didn't mind. He was enjoying the night out with what he considered his best friends.
"That's when DJ just spews all over JC's boots! That was the last time he ever ate anything on a dare, because I think he was scared of catching a right hand."
"Or a boot. I threw a lot of those back then."
"Well no wonder he didn't want a boot, they probably smelled like vomit."
They laughed again and Trent made a passing wave to the waiter to bring him a refill of whatever alcoholic drink he had ordered. JC had a few too many himself and wasn't exactly keeping track.
"So, it's getting late, we should probably ask Trent what we came here to ask him."
JC glanced at his watch and noticed that both the minute and hour hands were fuzzy, along with the rest of the watch. He thought maybe he had a little more to drink than he initially guessed.
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"Joe, you're supposed to be marrying her, not me."
"Shut up, asshole. I've got an actual question for you. Although it does involve the wedding."
He took a moment and shut his eyes to clear his vision. While he was definitely on the edge of being completely intoxicated, he did realize that it completely killed the voice in his head. It also killed a lot of his mental faculties so he wasn't sure if it was an even trade. He blinked a few times and when he was satisfied with what he saw, he continued.
"Stacy and I have been talking and we think you're the right choice to be the best man at my wedding."
"The best man? Wow Joe, that's a big deal."
"Yeah well, you're the closest thing he has to family right now."
JC winced at that and knew that they saw him. He was drunk enough to be unable to hide his feelings and sober enough to know it. It would remain unspoken that he wanted his brother at the wedding but it would likely never happen. Luckily, Trent was able to save the night by giving his answer.
"If there's an open bar and I can tell more people about Joe getting puked on, then I'm in!"
Stacy laughed and clapped, while JC simply smiled. He had guessed that Trent would agree to it, but it was still nice to get confirmation. He was also glad that Trent and Stacy were getting along. It was the first time he ever introduced her to anyone from his old life, after all, and he was worried it would backfire.
"So, when is the wedding, anyway?"
"February 10th."
"You sure you don't want Valentine's Day?"
"Fuck no. Do we look that sappy?"
"Well, your better half doesn't, but you've always been the biggest sap I know."
Another round of laughter and Trent's face got as serious as it could given this was his third glass of liquor.
"Seriously Joe, I'm glad you found somebody. Even though I really want you to come back and kick some ass with me again, you got out and you found a bit of happiness in this fucked up world. Good for you."
He raised his glass for a toast, with Stacy and Joe quickly following. JC noticed his glass was a little wobbly in his hand. As they clinked glasses, JC's slipped out of his hand and hit the table, spilling what little drink it still had onto the tablecloth.
"Well, that's the end of that."
"No one ever accused you of being graceful."
"It's not my fault I have two hands growing out of my wrist!"
"Damn, Joe, how much did you drink tonight?"
"Enough that I'm seeing double. I lost count."
He was slurring his words a bit, but he didn't mind. It seemed like they were all drinking a little more than any of them would like. That was okay, because they were all having fun. It was in that moment he realized he hadn't had a fun night out like this with anyone related to wrestling in a long time. Maybe he really did leave "The Answer" behind in the ruins of NLW.
JC absentmindedly looked at his phone and noticed it was still on Eric's contact page. He frowned as he thought of the relationships he destroyed over the years. He saw his best friend and his future bride laughing at some snide comment Trent made and he smiled again.
He was done destroying relationships. He had a friend, he was about to be married and his life was going well. He was going to do everything he could to preserve that.
Life was too short to let everything he worked so hard for fall apart.
