Smoothies - ZK/Sammi Collaboration

[Deleted]

"Smoothies"
Zack Knight and Sammi Myers
(Co-Written by the both of us)

---

Zachary Knight flew in from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for the “meeting” with Sammi Myers. She had invited him for a smoothie to explain some facts about his family that perhaps he did not know. Not knowing what he was getting into, he figured it was worth a good laugh and rented a car out of LAX. Sending a text off to Sammi.

What’s the address of the place?

Within seconds the reply from the bubbly brunette comes through

It's on Melbourne street. Called the JuiceBowl

Okay. I am on my way. About a half hour out.

Zachary gets into a rented SUV and heads his way towards the location. He also had some business deals to address while he was in town, so it was nothing that was going to be out of his way. And with the next Vendetta the next day in San Francisco, it was not like he was spending time away from what he had to get done. It was under a six hour drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco, a nice drive for The Legacy superstar. Thirty minutes later, he pulls up to the location and finds himself to be already annoyed. “Smoothies?” he thought to himself. He shook his head as he turned the SUV off and headed inside.

Inside, Sammi sat at a table. She had tried to tone down her normal outrageous style, she knew it put people off. So she had opted to braid her hair and wear a light flannel shirt over a pair of capri jeans. She hadn't ordered yet but looked over the menu waiting for Zach to arrive.

Zach spotted her and headed over her way. She was sitting as a table and he aimed for the chair across from her.

“Hello.”

He said, offering a half smile to be cordial. In front of him, the one person that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for his grandfather’s gym… or at least as far as he was told.

“Hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

He sat down. She flashes him the biggest smile and somehow he can tell that it's completely genuine. For a minute he feels as though...

He gives himself a bit of a mental shake.

“Nope, totes-ily just got here too.”

Which was a white lie, she had arrived twenty minutes ago just to make sure she was here on time, but as Cillian had told her. Never let your opponent see your fear.

“So, smoothies I guess?”

He sort of smiles towards her.

“What do you recommend?”

Her face lights up. “Anything with Banana. I love bananas.”

She looks down at her menu, trying not to be overly giddy and scare him away. “That’s fine with me. Can’t say I am too much of a smoothie… drinker?”

He is unsure if a smooth is more of a food or a beverage.

“I’ll just get what you get.”

The server comes over and asks their order.

Sammi excitedly orders something called, ‘Going Bananas’ and then looks expectantly at Zach.

“Um, make it two I guess?”

He swallows hand, not wanting to utter the phrase ‘Going Bananas’. The server takes their order and lets them be.

“So let’s just get down to it. You’ve wanted to talk like you know my family or something; so spit it out.”

He says sternly, with an attitude.

Sammi visibly gulps and then mentally chastised herself for it.

“Well, Your grandfather and I were close. I mean as close as Cillian let anyone in. He was a tough guy and showing any emotions other than, ‘Mr.Grumpy-pants’ wasn't really his thing you know? Well we talked. He told me about how he wasn't such a good dad to your mom and how she never forgave him for that. And that ever since your dad died she's drank a little more heavily every year. That can't be easy. Well... and the day you phoned him to quit, well I was waiting to sign up. I had saved up all my money for months so I could sign up. Exact change too. And you know what your grandfather said to me?”

She smiles.

He sits, arms crossed.

“What did he say Little Miss Perfect?”

“Well first he said,’First off, Call me Cillian. Do I look like a ‘Mister’ to you?’”

Sammi giggles, imitating Cillian's rough irish accent.

“And then, ‘Second, NEVER and I mean Never lose eye contact and back down from anyone speaking to you. Not only is it rude but it shows fear. Never be scared Samantha.’ and then he looked at my jar of money and said, ‘And third...Your money is no good here’ believe me Zach, I tried to pay him. Every month. But he would give it back, or only take part of it. Then he would tell me a story. Some were about you, or your mom. But a lot of them were about his sister Rebecca. She died in Ireland, before he married your Grandmother. How happy she was and how she lit up everyone's day with just her smile.”

Suddenly Sammi stops, a single tear slides down her cheek.

“Excuse me one second. I umm, gotta use the ladies room.”

She doesn't give Zach a chance to respond before rushing from the table.

Zach sits there, not sure what to think or believe. There is no way Sammi could be faking this; or was it all an elaborate show of fake emotions? He would have to wait for her to return to find out for himself. In the meantime, their smoothies arrived and he thanked the server. Taking a quick sip of his, he saw Sammi make her way back.

The first thing he noticed is that she's fisting a tissue. She even dabs again, not realizing he sees it. When she sits, she smiles again but her large dark eyes are red rimmed and sparkly with more unshed tears.

“Sorry. Where was I?”

“Something about my grandfather not taking your money? Why would he even do that? I don’t understand it. He was barely keep ahead of the bills. I was told that it was YOU and the other little trainees that ran him into the ground.”

He sits up, trying not to give in and to test her truth.

“We all tried. Me, Chelley, Tommy, Dougie and a bunch of others. We fully expected and tried to give him the amount he told us the cost was. I dunno, maybe it was to test our humanity. Maybe it was too see how much we really wanted it. Your grandfather never taught anyone he didn't want too. I saw a lot of people try to join and he would chase them out, even when they were willing to pay a whole year in advance. He never told me why, but we all think it's because he just had these feelings about certain people. Like he knew the ones that really wanted it.”

She smiles, kinda staring off thinking of her memories.

“You know I found him. When he had the heart attack. I held his hand until the ambulance got there and stayed at the hospital until they couldn't do anymore. I'm still not over it Zach. It's been a year, but for the two years before that... he was... like the dad I never had.”

She tears up again and tries again to make an excuse to leave the table.

Not sure what to believe, but being who he really is, Zach stands up and rounds the table. He sits a chair next to hers and puts his arm around her.

“I… this is all news to me. I need to maybe do some digging of my own. I had no clue about any of this.”

He was not yet fully believing her, but knowing the wife that his mother had been to his dad before he died, Zach wouldn’t put it past her.

“I did not mean to upset you. Listen; I know I can be a hard ass sometimes, but I genuinely do not want to hurt people that don’t deserve it.”

He hands her another tissue.

She takes it, giving him the most innocent look he had ever seen on a full grown woman. She wipes her face.

“There is one other thing you don't know, But maybe I shouldn't tell you. I don't want to cause any trouble. Honestly all I want to do is fly in that ring and maybe make some people smile but so many people, it's like insulting to them. Like I called them nasty names or burned down their house, or drowned kittens....” she stops and then breaks into sobs. “Oh that's a horrible thing to say, how could I ever think of something so horrible...”

She blows her nose into the tissue.

“We need to get all of this out on the table.”

He sits up straight.

“Say what you need to say. Let is all out. And let’s see where the cards lie.”

Sammi nods. “Umm, well... Your grandfather originally left the gym to me. In his will. And I didn't feel right taking it so when my lawyer said your mom was fighting it, well I gave it to her. No fight.”

Sammi bites her lower lip, watching him for his reaction.

“What?!?!”

He is astonished, and pulls back some.

“No way. Can you prove this?”

He cannot believe it, and finds it hard to believe her.

She nods and from her purse she pulls out a copy of the papers signing it over to Delia Coughlan-Knight. She hands them to him to look at.

He reads it over, it was true. His eyes were not lying. She was telling the truth. How deep did the lies go with his mother? He takes in a deep breath.

“Wow. Well…”

He feels incredibly stupid.

“I think, I need to get out of here.”

He stands up and backs up slowly, dropping the paper on the table.

“Zach... I'm sorry... I...”

She bites her lip watching him go. She looks at her untouched smoothie and his. The waitress returns and she asks for the bill. He heads out of the place without a word as he immediately pulls out his phone and proceeds to call his mother. He gets into a screaming match with her where only half of the conversation can be heard.

He can see Sammi leaving the restaurant, she's holding two take out cups and she seems to be looking around but when she doesn't see him, her shoulders droop and she walks to the street, waiting for a public bus.

“It’s fucking lies, Delia.”

He uses his mother’s real name.

“I saw the goddamn paperwork. I don’t know what shit you were pulling, but it’s done with!”

Zachary looks around and sees Sammi. He hangs up the phone as he crosses the street quickly over to her.

“Hey. I’m… sorry.”

He makes sure to be enough off of the street.

“Are you, taking a bus? To San Francisco?”

“Oh it's okay. I wish I could say that it's a one off thing but a lot of people hate me.” she shrugs. “Oh, this is totes yours.” she hands him the other plastic cup.”

She smiles. “And no, I'm staying with my friend Matty. He lives in town. Then he's flying me in his helicopter to San Fran in the morning. I’ve never been in a helicopter before!”

She takes another long sip of her own drink.

“For the record, I don’t hate you. I actually appreciate the honestly. Can’t say that I am happy, but the truth isn’t always nice, now is it?”

He smiles for a change.

“Let me give you a ride to your boyfriend’s house.”

She giggles nervously, “Boyfriend... goodness no. He doesn't like me that way. He even said so. Just the guy who trained me when... well you know...”

She blushes a little

“Well, a ride to your friend’s house then? Please? It’s the least I can do. No one should be taking buses anyway; no one as innocent as you.”

He offers his hand to cross back over the street to his SUV.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Her eyes take on a bit of an annoyed look. “First Chelley says it and now you. I am 21 years old. I know how to take care of myself thank you.” Her annoyance simmers, although with a voice as sweet of hers, her complaint was hardly intimidating. Her next part comes out softer, calmer. “Just because I have never had a boyfriend doesn't mean I don't know things about the world you know. But thank you, however I am quite able to take the bus.”

At first she pouts but then quickly flashes him that smile again and it's easy to see that deep down she has a lot of pain and it went far beyond the death of her father figure.

“I, uh, never said anything about you not having a boyfriend?”

He seems taken back.

“And I know that you can take care of yourself, probably.”

Coming from Zach, that was his way of a compliment.

“You wouldn’t be wrestling otherwise. But you went out on a limb. You changed a lot for me today. Make me see. Let me repay you, please? It’s just a simple drive.”

She bites her bottom lip and then nods. “Okay.”

“Good.”

He smiles as the two of them cross the street and head towards the blue SUV. He heads towards the passenger’s door and opens it for her. She hops up in, and he closes the door when she is all set. He moves around to the driver’s side and climbs into the truck.

“So you want to give me the address? Or just give me directions?”

She gives him directions, and it takes them to a pretty expensive looking condo in downtown LA.

“Thankies for the drive Zachy. See you on Thursday I guess?”

He nods.

“Be safe.”

He smiles as she exits the SUV.

She waves as she runs into the lobby.

He backs out of the driveway as he begins his trip to San Francisco.