Returning home from the wrestling show.

Although you & Allysinn could stay for the afterparty, that the wrestling company in question always hold after a show; both of you decide that it's better to return home, after you get your pay, and slip back into your normal clothes. With the bags in hand, you & Allysinn head back to your car. There, you put the bags in the back trunk, then hop into the vehicle, with you driving. Given that it's nearly midnight, you find a good driving pace, especially when you take Route 101, back up to the Santa Barbara/Santa Maria area.

"Are you sure you want to put your career with the company on the line?" She asks you. "I don't like the idea of having to find someone else to ride with, over to that place, if you lose."

"He didn't give me a choice," you tell her, "and I had to find some sort of equal, to make the cage match more interesting. Speaking of cage match, are you certain you want to risk breaking that beautiful face of yours?"

"If it leaves me a battle scar, as a reminder of how hard I work to win the title," she tells you, "then yes, I'm willing to take that risk."

"The promoter has been working on a rather slow build-up, for whoever he felt is most worth to have the best shot at taking the title away from Bobby." You tell her. "Actually, that goes for both champs."

"Imagine us holding those two respective titles, eh?" She tells you, with a smile.

"Yeah," you tell her, "imagine the reaction the crowd will give, if it happens."

Slowly, you & Allysinn transition from wrestling-related talk, to more normal talk, as you start to drive away from the L.A. area, towards the Central Coast. You listen as she talks about how the severe drought is affecting her family's vineyards, how they're rationing water for non-essential uses, so that all of the water they really need to use, goes into the vineyards, and for other necessities. In turn, she listens to you talk about the family's sports bar, and the comic drawings you've been doing at certain times of day.

"Are you hoping to be more of a comic artist, Nick?" Brittany asks you. "Or are you planning to do that on a casual basis, & concentrate on helping your family run the sports bar?"

"That depends on how well the comic publishers & critics think of my works." You tell her. "That's why I haven't been taking any bookings on the weekend of the next comic con in Long Beach, so that I can show my art portfolio to the various publishers. I also want to go visit the artists there, and get their own feedback."

"Being an artist can be just as hard as being a wrestler, if you ask me." She tells you. "But if you can pull it off, then kudos to you. No matter what happens, Nick, you have my support."

"I can use all the support I can get, Brittany." You tell her, as you drive into Santa Barbara. "Your house, or mine?"

"Your house, Nick." She tells you. "We can head to my home during the day."