Gavin Taylor vs. Glory Braddock

[Braddock]

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March 23rd, 2024
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Off Camera
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Breakdown has come to its conclusion and Glory Braddock and her tag team partner, Brittany Lohan, were noticeably absent from the event. It was quite a letdown for Glory and Brittany to lose the tag titles at Retribution in the manner that they did, but then to turn around and not even be featured on the next Breakdown, not even for an interview, that has almost brought mixed emotions for The British Bombshell. Further frustration and despair; even a hint of anger. A part of her feels offended. Twisted & Sadistic dominated the tag division, finally became tag team champions, was never pinned or made to submit to lose the belts, and are now cast aside for new teams to supposedly step up? Not if Glory has any say about it. She may not have been on air but she was present backstage, watching everything go down. Braddock will not sit idly by while Amelia Blythe and Luz try to find any team other than Twisted & Sadistic to defend against. Because that is how it feels to Glory. It feels to her as if they are ducking them. They are ducking her and Lohan because they have yet to figure how to actually beat them straight up and it frustrates Braddock to no end. To add to the frustration, The British Bombshell is being set up for an odd path for one half of one of the more dominant tag teams in recent memory. Instead of a tag team match, or facing one half of a tag team, Braddock is facing Gavin Taylor. She and Gavin have a history, that’s for sure, but what sparks this curiosity is that he is a known singles competitor. Braddock wants the tag titles back.

The luxury hotel suite at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the accommodations for Glory Braddock and her husband Kurt while they were here for Breakdown, it exudes opulence. As Braddock enters through the heavy door she is greeted by a spacious foyer adorned with exquisite artwork and lush foliage. The soft glow of recessed lighting illuminates the rich wood paneling and marble flooring, creating an ambiance of warmth and sophistication. Moving further into the suite, she enters the living area, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of the Pittsburgh skyline. Plush velvet sofas and oversized armchairs beckon The British Bombshell to sink into their sumptuous cushions. She is quick to answer the silent call of the comfy sofa, immediately dropping down, letting out an exhausted sigh. She hears movement, specifically the heavy door opening again and shutting. This is followed by footsteps. It isn’t long before Glory Braddock sees her husband, Kurt Logan, joining her in the hotel suite. This is an unusual thing for this married couple. Kurt doesn’t often get to travel to shows with his wife. Usually Glory is on her own. But for tonight’s Breakdown, Kurt traveled with her. Kurt came to Pittsburgh at the insistence of Glory herself. After the car bombing that nearly took out Glory and her two friends, Francis and Melody, she has been on edge, concerned about her well being. This is despite the fact that the perpetrator of the car bomb attempt, Andrew Meadows, has been identified and apprehended by police. Yet one thing still bothers The British Bombshell; Meadows was a ghost from Kurt’s past, a past that came back to haunt them. What other secrets might Kurt be hiding from his wife? What other incidents from his past might come back to haunt them?

“You look exhausted.” Kurt remarks as he walks over and sits down next to his wife on the sofa. “Are you feeling well?”

“Of course I am, love.”

“Well, you look so tired. Which is very unusual because…”

“...because CHBK didn’t book me?” Glory says with a low growl in her voice. Kurt smirks and nods his head.

“Yeah, well you said it, not me.”

“Damn it, I should have been booked. Britt and I both. What’s his game? Does he hope our fans and Blythe & Luz forget about us? It won’t happen.”

“Good for you.” Kurt answers. “But still, you look tired but you shouldn’t be. What’s wrong?”

“It’s late. Besides, it isn’t exhaustion so much as it is frustration.” She sighs and shakes her head. “Britt and I were not beaten. We were not pinned, we were not made to submit. Yet Light in the Darkness have our tag team titles. Now our chance to get the belts back is being delayed, we are intentionally being distracted. My focus is being put on Gavin Taylor for next week’s Breakdown. Why? Why am I facing that delusional twat instead of getting a rematch for the tag titles that Britt and I rightfully deserve?”

“Well…” Kurt is about to speak but Glory interrupts him.

“Don’t answer that.” Glory snaps.

“I was JUST gonna suggest that you don’t worry about the tag titles. At least not right now. You have Gavin Taylor next. He’s always a game competitor. Always tough. It would be unwise to ignore him.”

“I’m not ignoring him.” Glory rolls her eyes. “I’m just concerned about other things, that’s all. Namely things that are my fault…” she sighs “...all my fault.”

“You’re blaming yourself for Retribution?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head. He sighs. “Don’t be ridiculous. It was a triple threat match. Shit like that happens.”

“No, no, it’s my fault. Britt was right, we should have taken out Ravyn and Syren when we had the chance. We should have snapped their necks, put them on the shelf, and done SCW a favor by ridding the company of their ilk. Now we don’t have the gold and me? I have no idea where I’m going next except for the fact that I’m facing Gavin.”

“Calm down.” Kurt leans over and lovingly, soothingly, kisses his wife on the cheek. “You are an incredible wrestler. No matter what the future may hold for you, I am certain you will be fine. I am certain you will succeed.”

“I appreciate your support, love.” Glory says, smiling warmly and sweetly at her husband. Then her face grows more serious. She motions to a nearby mini fridge. “Uh, would you mind getting a Guinness for me? I need a drink.”

“Guinness as opposed to wine?” Kurt asks. “That typically means you’re upset.”

“Not always.” Glory insists. “Why is it that I’m upset just because I want a beer instead of wine?”

“Because I know you and you always are upset when you want that beer.”

Glory rolls her eyes. “Fair enough, I am upset. Now get me that beer.” Kurt smirks as he gets up off of the sofa and approaches the mini fridge. He opens it up, producing a bottle of Guinness for his wife while taking out a bottle of water for himself. He walks over and hands her the beer which she immediately takes to drinking. Kurt sits back down and drinks his water.

“So, what’s on your mind?” He asks. “Are you really that upset about the tag titles?”

“I am upset but not as much as I make it out.” She shakes her head. “Honestly, whatever SCW wants from me, I’ll give it to them. If they want me to choke Gavin out, I’ll do it.”

“What are you upset about, then, if it isn’t about SCW?”

“I’m upset with you, mate.” Glory points at Kurt, who is somewhat taken aback by this admission. “I have my own fair share of skeletons in the closet, secrets that few in this world know. Most know about my sister’s secret drug problem from several years ago and some even know of mine and my sister’s special relationship with Aphrodite Noel. I told you about it and you were ok with it. Not many in the world know about how I was once a schoolyard bully mean girl who got pregnant as a teenager. But I told you. Not many in the world know that my aunt Kelly and my biological mother were both refugees on the run from the Soviet government when they were just little girls. But I told you.”

“I think I see where this is going…” Kurt sighs.

“Andrew Meadows tried to kill me, Kurt. He had nothing personal against me, he just wanted to kill me in order to hurt you. At least now I know why he did that but still, it begs the question why hadn’t you mentioned him before? Furthermore, what other secrets do you have that might also come back to haunt you or me someday?”

“Sorry, babe, but I didn’t think any of it was really important.” Kurt sips his water and shrugs his shoulders. “My past is just that, my past, and I honestly thought it was gone. I thought my past was done for and that I would never have to deal with it again. That’s one thing that makes us different. You dwell on your past, Glory. I move on from my past.”

“But obviously your past has not moved on from you.” Glory points out. “And as a result it nearly killed me.”

“You’re right. My past did come back and it did nearly kill you. I am sorry for what Andrew did. I apologize for not telling you about him ahead of time. If I could go back and do it all over again I would change things, I would do things differently. But I…” Kurt shakes his head “...I’m just sorry, ok? I apologize.”

“What’s done is done, Kurt.” Glory sighs and sips more on her Guinness. “We cannot change the past but we change things moving forward. And after this incident with your ‘pal’ Andrew, I realize that there is quite a lot about your past that I do not know.”

“What are you suggesting?” Kurt asks curiously.

“Think of it, mate, I introduced you to everyone close to me. My family, my best friends, hell, I even introduced you to my ex-boyfriends. I let you get close to everyone who was close to me. But I do not recall ever meeting anyone from your family.” She shakes her head. “Well…except for that one sister. Katherine, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Katherine.” Kurt nods his head. “But my family…well there’s not much to tell. What do you want to know?”

“Tell me about your parents.”

“My parents?” Kurt chuckles. “My father was a drunk and a drug addict just like me. I have no idea where he is now or even if he’s still alive. Don’t really care, either. And my mom? Hell, I was jealous of you, Glory. You had a good relationship with your biological mother; and as odd as some may say it is, you are close to Aphrodite Noel who you acknowledge as your adoptive mother. I have no relationship with anyone like that.” He shakes his head. “My mom and I grew apart, we grew distant, and that, too, is thanks to my own drug problem.”

“You have no idea where she is?”

“None whatsoever.” Kurt shakes his head. Glory feels bad for calling out her husband like this. She was angry that he kept this too himself but now that she pressured him to speak out, she feels guilty. She can see why he never did speak out. It probably hurts too much to talk about his past.

“Would you ever want to track her down? Your mother that is.”

“Why would I?”

“You met my mother, both of them. I might want to meet yours.”

“No you wouldn’t.” Kurt shakes his head. “Trust me.”

“Kurt, I am sorry for being a pain and for bringing all of this up.” She wraps an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. “I had no idea this was so painful for you. But your mom surely would accept you if she saw how much you’ve changed. If she saw how you turned your life around, she would be proud.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Well what about our daughter? What about Dawn?”

“What about her?”

“She is our daughter and your mother’s grandchild. Don’t you think she has a right to know her own grandmother? Don’t you think your mother deserves to know that she IS a grandmother?”

“Maybe…” Kurt’s voice trails off, finally he shakes his head “...I don’t know, maybe, but…”

“But what?”

“Look, Glory, it isn’t as easy as you make it seem. I told you, my mother and I grew distant. We grew apart. And I was putting that mildly. I have no idea where she is right now. I have no idea if she’s even still alive right now.” Kurt shakes his head. “I wouldn’t have the faintest clue of how to track her down.” He turns and looks into Glory’s eyes. “You’re asking the impossible, Glory.”

Immediately Kurt stands up and storms off. Glory can hear him enter the bathroom and shut the door. The British Bombshell sighs and realizes that maybe she pushed him a bit too far. Maybe she put too much pressure on him to answer her questions and divulge this information? Is it really that important for her to know this? Braddock stands up and walks towards the bathroom, intending to speak to Kurt, to calm her husband down. She pushes the door open and can see him fighting back tears. She has never seen Kurt this emotional before. She walks in and embraces him in a gentle hug.

“I’m sorry I pushed you so hard, Kurt.” She says quietly. “I didn’t know this was so much for you.”

“No, I apologize. I’m sorry I snapped like that. It’s just that…” he sighs and shakes his head “...it’s just too much for me.”

“What is?”

“My past.”

“Yeah…” Braddock kisses him “...I would suggest that we talk about it, but you don’t seem to want to; you are resistant to the idea. I just want to help.”

“I know you want to help, babe.” Kurt says slowly and quietly. “But this is one problem I’m not sure you want to get yourself caught up in.”

Kurt walks on past Glory and exits the bathroom. This leaves Glory alone again, left alone to her thoughts. The British Bombshell cannot help but think now, after hearing this reaction, that maybe there is something more to his past than meets the eye. Is there a reason he doesn’t want to talk about his past? Is it simply shame of what happened to him and his former criminal past? Or is there something else he is keeping from her? Part of her wants to find out. But another part of her thinks that keeping quiet about this is the better idea. After all, does she really need to add another problem to her plate? But this is her husband. She loves Kurt and she has never seen him in this much emotional turmoil than when his past came back to haunt him. Glory knows that she must do something.