Shot of Whiskey

Jeremiah Vastrix sits at a bar. 

It’s a very familiar bar to those who are keeping up. 

A shot of neat whiskey sits in front of him. He hasn’t touched it since ordering it nearly thirty minutes ago. The bartender sweeps by to check on him after filling a couple of other orders. She looks at him with some concern. 

Bartender - You look like you’ve been through a rather bad breakup. So bad that even liquor won’t seem to touch it?

Jeremiah Vastrix looks at his whiskey for a moment before pulling it closer to himself by three centimeters. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I…is it really a breakup if you were never solidified as being in a relationship? We never put a label on it. We just…had sex. Often.

Bartender - And now? You don’t?

Jeremiah Vastrix - Well, she says we can still, but we have very different ideologies. She wants to do anything to win, and I…want to do what is right. 

Bartender - That sounds like a definite split. You don’t want to be associated with that.

Jeremiah Vastrix - I do not, and I want to stop her from what she is doing, but that’s neither here nor there, I suppose. 

Bartender - What is here, then?

Jeremiah Vastrix - I have a wrestling match coming up in AWS Ward #368 in an empty arena. 

Bartender - And you are facing Drake Nygma…

Jeremiah pauses as he reaches for the shot of whiskey and looks up at the bartender. Really looks at her. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - How did you know?

Bartender - He was here a few days ago. I gave him a shot of whiskey, but he didn’t drink it. Just like you. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - We are very different people. 

Jeremiah grabs the shot of whiskey and downs it in a single gulp. He sets the empty shotglass down with a smile. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I’ll take another if you don’t mind. No, his existence isn’t affected by me. I disagree. He is the person who will determine the rest of my reign. We face each other at Ward for no titles, and then we face each other at Clash at the Beach for two titles. Mine and his. My existence will define his when I beat him and lay claim to the title that he has been holding. 

Bartender - He claims to not be a victim. Are you?

Jeremiah seems to consider this for a time while the bartender refills his shot glass and slides it toward him. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I think…I think I was, but I don’t want to talk about it. She helped drug an entire arena. The CWF could pay through the nose for this. I don’t know what to do. Well, I mean, I do know what I can do. I can beat Drake Nygma to within an inch of his life. I will be his boogeyman. I will haunt his every waking nightmare and see him in the Empty Asylum match. I will see him in the Satan’s Temple match. I will come out the winner in all of these cases. I have to. 

Bartender - Why do you have to?

She begins washing some glassware and drying them off as she listens to Jeremiah speak. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - I have to show the AWS that the CWF is superior to it in every way. It is what I had to say on the topic when I arrived. It is what I declared when I went through their rumble match, then took on their champion in a single night and came away as the new champion. I’m not a great wrestler, you know. I’m more of a lover. And yet, I came away with the top title of the land. I came away with all the glory. Who is to stop me? I was beaten by a Viking wrestler, but that was about it. I am still the man to defeat. I have the prime championship for the company. I have shown, so far, that the AWS is second fiddle to the CWF. 

Bartender - So, you aren’t seeing anyone? On a regular basis.

Jeremiah Vastrix - I certainly play the field a little, but I was thinking of settling down. I’m not now. Why do you ask?

Jeremiah drinks his shot down and sets the glass in front of the bartender, who refills it quickly and waves off payment. 

Bartender - I was curious to see if you would like to meet up after the bar closes?

Jeremiah Vastrix - Forward of you, but I do like what I see. Yeah, I would love to. Lemme get you the hotel I’m staying at. 

Bartender - Sounds great! 

Jeremiah writes his cell number and hotel room info down on a napkin and hands it over to the bartender, who stashes it away in a pocket. 

Bartender - I’ll be right back. I suppose I have other guests to attend to. 

Jeremiah nods and shoots his free shot of whiskey. He gets his smartphone out and turns on Facebook Live with a grin as he turns the camera to himself. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Drake Nygma. Management doesn’t like you very much, does it? To put you into an empty asylum match against me before the Satan’s Temple match at the PPV. What do you think you have done to them to get them to want to see you broken and injured over the course of two matches here, and then without your title? I will have two belts when I get done with you at Clash at the Beach, but first? First, we have Ward #368. See, it’s the show I wasn’t actually told about. I knew that I was scheduled to face you in the ring at the PPV, Clash at the Beach. I did not know that I was going to face you in an unsanctioned match. Must be to slow you down, since there will only be a few days before we face each other again in a match that doesn’t really have to stay in the ring. 

Jeremiah shoots his next shot and waits as the bartender refills it and, this time, takes his money. She sets the drink in front of him with a smile.

Bartender - Good luck on your match. Also…see you later.

The bartender goes back to work as Jeremiah looks at the camera and gives off a wolf whistle. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Looks like I could be scoring tonight, laddos. Drake…we are getting ready to face each other in the Empty Asylum match. Means no fans will be around to get in the way. It means that the match will be able to go anywhere in the ring or beyond. It means that I get to make you bleed until the match is thrown and I am propelled to victory! 

The bartender refills his shotglass yet again and Jeremiah quickly downs it. 

Jeremiah Vastrix - Are there any private rooms here maybe?

Bartender - Yeah. Hang on. Guys and gals, I am going to head to the bathroom for about twenty minutes. Talk amongst yourselves until I get back. 

Some of the other customers cheer as they know exactly what’s going on, but otherwise say nothing as Jeremiah follows the bartender to a back room while a waitress takes over.

End