Contract Negotiations Part III: RP #3

[Deleted]

Woolworth Tower || Tribeca – New York City || 9:38 AM

“That contract dictates that I’m your highest paid performer,” I inform her and she chuckles quietly. “By a dollar.”



She laughs suddenly. “Didn’t you tell me it wasn’t about the money?” Who’Re looks around my mansion in the sky. “You obviously don’t need it.”



“I don’t, but I know what my involvement will do for OCW and I never work for free,” I tell her as she leans forward and opens the folder again. Taking the pen from inside, she flips to the back page and signs her name on the contract.



“You should know, there’s a Favored Nations clause,” I inform her and she side eyes me as she finishes signing. “What that means is that no matter what you pay the next guy, or the next. If any of them come in making more than me, I get a matching raise.”



“Why is that fair?” she asks, shooting me a smile. “How does that benefit OCW?”



“Because I’m the one that’s gonna help you put OCW back on the map and in a big way. The rocket perpetually attached to my back is what’s gonna help send OCW’s popularity into the fuckin’ stratosphere. And unlike your current talent contract structure, mine is guaranteed for six months.”



She looks up at me, clearly intrigued but says nothing.



“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” I offer in a metaphorical sense. “Like the field of dreams, if you build it, they will come and Who’Re, I’m willing to help you build it.”



With the contract open and signed by her, she spins it around and slides it my way. Leaning forward, I sign my own name on the contract.



“There’s one more thing,” I inform her. “You’re signing Ian Dream.”



“I’ve heard of him,” she says. “Though admittedly I’m not too familiar. Is he experienced?”



“He’s 20…”



“You’re 22,” she interrupts.



“No one is me. He’s greener than goose shit,” I respond quickly. “But I’ve seen him work. I think I can help him become a big asset for OCW.”



“This could be a deal breaker,” she says with a sigh. “Even if everything you’re saying is correct and you’ve certainly made me a believer, we just don’t have the financial flexibility yet.”



“And now we’ve come to the end of our discussion,” I say with a smile. “That’s why my salary goes into an escrow account. Use my money to pay him.”



“That’s legitimately been the strangest contract demand I’ve ever heard,” she says with a smile.



“That should tell you how much I believe I can help mold him into something special.”



“Done,” she says as she stands up. Standing up with her, she shoots me a smile and extends her hand to me. After a shake, she picks up the contract and I escort her toward the door.



“Ed Houston seems a little miffed that I think OCW is small time because in the before time it wasn’t. This isn’t the before time. This is the now time and OCW… is small time. It won’t be though. Not for long. And when Ed is staring up at the lights at House of Cards he can think of ways to thank me for signing on the dotted line. OCW has a good core of people in place and I do think Ed is part of that core.



“However, in order to move forward. In order to take OCW to bigger heights, things need to change and I am that change. I’ve already said that the winds of change are coming with me and I meant it. I’ve also said that Ed and I are not the same and its true. He sees things as they were and thinks that’s good enough. He sees things as they are and deludes himself into thinking they’re as they were.



“We are not the same.



“I’mma megastar in this industry and whether Ed thinks its because of my last name or not doesn’t matter. He’ll learn first hand at House of Cards why I’m the star that I am. That’s not even ego. It’s just facts. I’m an elite talent from tip to tail. I know how to work a crowd, I know how to grab the attention of ears and eyeballs that wouldn’t normally give OCW or this industry in general a second thought. That’s the difference between people like him, and people like me. People like him are plentiful. They’re a dime a dozen. People like me? Those that can transcend the industry as a whole and become household names? There are far fewer people like me than like him.



“OCW is about to change for the better. Ed can climb aboard the train and change with it, or he can catch the next one the hell out of town because I believe, and I mean this, that OCW has a brighter, bigger future than where it currently stands.



“He can go on suplexing pigs and cleaning up shit piles on the farm and that’s fine. But I’m changing the way the game is played around here and I haven’t even had my first OCW match yet. It’s time he recognizes that and he’s welcome to usher in a new era with me, but he has to choose it. I’m not choosing it for him.



“When he’s still jerkin’ the curtain in the opening match in a couple months while I’m taking the OCW world title home with me… oh who am I kidding? He’s too fuckin’ stupid to see what’s right in front of him. He’s dumb enough to think I can’t and won’t back up my “bloated ego.” When the reality of the situation he finds himself in, is that he’s not even real competition for me.



“That’s not me taking a figurative shit on him.



“It’s just facts.



“He wants to try and compare star power? He wants to point to his days in GCWA but there’s a problem with his logic. Last fall after I won the XWF’s Universal title, here’s what happened: the very next television card, with me as the headliner… was the largest most star studded episode of Warfare in a decade. Even today, the XWF is a throbbing thriving cock of awesome and a lot of that is because I changed the game and I just keep on changing it.



“And GCWA is… well… closed.



“We.



“Are.



“Not.



“The.



“Same.”



After exchanging pleasant goodbyes and figuratively toasting to OCW’s future, Who’Re departs and I excuse myself from Brandon’s company to shower and get ready to go find Ian Dream. Getting Frankie motivated too when he’s cranky is no easy task. He’s a ten year old boy that came into my life because his mother was killed by his own father. No two days with him are the same and some days he’s hard to love. Today isn’t quite on that level, but he’s moody.



“Frankie get ready to go,” I tell him as I throw a pair of his jeans at him.



“Why do I even have to go?” he asks with a typical grunting sigh before stomping his way around the corner and into the bathroom.



“Because Brandon and I are leaving and Berta is off this week. You’re certainly not staying here by yourself,” I inform him.



“Why the hell not?” he calls out from the bathroom.



“I literally went down to the street for a couple freakin’ street tacos, come back up and you’re on websites a ten year old shouldn’t be on,” I remind him. “Not fappening.”



“Thad,” he calls out before poking his head around the corner. “What do you think I’m browsing when I go to bed? I don’t need you to leave in order to watch naked people.”



“It’s good that you tell me these things Frankie,” I say as I enter the bathroom with him while he’s pulling on his shirt. Approaching the sink to brush my teeth I look at him in the mirrors reflection. “Now you just lost WiFi privileges at bed time.”



“God dammit,” he mutters under his breath.



“You’re way too young to be looking at that stuff.”



“How old were you when you started?”



“22,” I lie.



“You’re lying,” he fires back.



“Yes I am,” I admit to him honestly.



Later, the three of us pile into my Audi and start off into the city. While I don’t know for sure where Ian Dream is, I know he trains with his dad at the Slaughterhouse Gym. I know where that is. If my instincts are correct, and they usually are, then today they’re probably doing some ring training. Ian has been training awhile now but he’s only just begun getting his feet wet in the business.



As a second generation star myself, I know what its like to break free of the shadow that looms over you. I can help Ian do that. His father can’t. He’s the one that casts the shadow.



Pulling my car to a stop at the curb outside of the gym, I turn toward Brandon. “Y’all stay here, I shouldn’t be long.”



Exiting the car, I enter through the doors of the gym and I’m pleased to know my instincts were right. In the sparring ring, Daniel Dream is running Ian through some drills. Not wanting to interrupt, I just lean my shoulder against a pillar and look on quietly.



Watching as the elder Dream runs the younger through some chain wrestling drills, I can’t help but be a little disappointed in what I’m seeing. Ian is playing the role of the victim, not the aggressor. In order to make Ian Dream a better Ian Dream, he needs to be the one on the attack in these drills.



Ian performs a nice arm drag and twist, but Daniel rolls through, popping back to his feet. Once on his feet, Daniel Dream twists Ian’s arm before grabbing him in a rear waist lock, following that up with a release German suplex, sending Ian to the mat.



“Use your natural athleticism Ian,” I interject as Ian gets to his feet. He and Daniel stop and stare at me as I approach the ring and step up on the apron. “Thaddeus Duke, how y’all doin?”



“Daniel Dream,” the elder Dream greets me with a handshake as Ian approaches.



“Thad its great to meet you,” Ian says with an extended hand. Pulling him into a bro hug, I return his sentiment.



“You’re just taking the move Ian,” I revert the proceedings back to the training. “You’re small. What you ought to do is use your athleticism during the German, to take control of the match.



“You guys mind?” I ask as I start to step into the ring. They both take a step back, welcoming me into their ring. Stepping inside, I place my hand on Ian’s chest and gently usher him into the corner. “I’ll show you what I mean Ian, what I’d do if I were you.



“Okay dad,” I say turning my attention to Daniel. “Let’s show him.”



Daniel Dream and I lock horns in the center of the ring before he transitions me into a headlock, then takes me to the mat. Using my legs, I scissor his head, pulling him off me. He kips up out of the head scissor, and I follow suit. Back on our feet, he takes me down with an arm drag which I roll through back to my feet. Coming at Daniel again, he takes me down again and once more I roll through the landing.



Back to our feet, Daniel ducks a lariat attempt grabbing my arm with the drag and twist that I front flip out of. Grabbing the back of my hair, he pulls me to the mat and maintains a hold of my arm. Kipping up out of it, he again drags and twists, then transitions to the waist lock before throwing me over head with the German. Using my athleticism, I back flip landing on my feet. By the time Daniel is back to his feet, I’m already airborne, sending a dropkick to his jaw.



Helping Daniel to his feet, we exchange a bro hug in respect to one another before I turn my attention to Ian.



“Word is you’re looking for a place to call home,” I suggest as I’m catching my breath.



“Yeah man,” Ian says. “I wanna make a name for myself.”



“It’s gonna be hard for you to do that when you’re staying in his shadow,” I say while throwing my thumb over my shoulder toward Daniel. Ian nods in agreement.



“Woah bro,” Daniel interjects. “He’s still learning. He’s not…”



“Not what?” I interrupt him. “Ready? Daniel you’ve taken him as far as you can. It’s time to step aside and let someone help him break out. Someone that’s been where he is.”



“And that person’s you?” Daniel asks, clearly a bit offended.



“I’m not trying to offend you,” I say, turning to Daniel. “You have his best interest at heart and so do I. Let him spread his own wings.


“Ian,” I say, turning back toward the younger Dream. “Welcome to OCW.”



Patting him on the shoulder, I exit the ring and start heading for the door.



“Wooo!” I can hear Ian cry out as I walk. “Thanks Thad!” he yells and I throw up a peace sign as I head out the door and back to my car.