Absolute Smokeshow

Eat, Sleep, Breathe

Days passed slowly when you paid attention and blurred together quickly when you didn't. Despite the messages sent back and forth daily between you and Rhea, it was nothing like being in the same space with her. When sleep evaded you, the vest she left you was still heavy with her perfume and the fragrance calmed you. The cool leather and spikes were something you would fidget with until you fell asleep, hoping you might see her in your dreams. Almost every day you woke up to a picture she'd send you of herself - usually smiling or with her tongue out - during her morning exercises. Though she had joked about sending nudes before leaving, you hadn't received any. No doubt she was busy training and taking care of important Judgement Day business.
On Mondays (and sometimes Tuesdays) you would turn on the TV to watch Rhea defend her title or support her teammates. However, seeing her with Dominik Mysterio - her arms around him, the looks they gave each other, the whispers they exchanged - it tore you apart. If they were still having issues in their relationship, they never showed it on camera.

Some of your friends had noticed you were less present these days and tried to visit or have you over more. Even though everyone was curious about what was going on, you only found yourself confiding in one of your closer friends - someone who had been in the group you'd gone to the bar with.
Even then, you'd only ended up telling them because they were so genuinely worried, they wouldn't leave you alone. You were grateful for that, though it may not have seemed like it at the time.
"I'm not going back to the bar," you'd snapped at them, "It's just going to make me feel worse."
"Look, I know you're having a rough time," they spoke gently, but evenly, "and I'm sorry if I'm making it more difficult, but you're important to me and there's clearly something going on. Don't you think talking about it might help? I'm here to give you support, not judgement."
The last word hit you and you did your best not to start sobbing then and there. Eyes pointed at the ceiling to keep tears from falling, your sinuses give a familiar burning ache as you try to compose yourself.
"I, um... may have let myself get really close to... the woman I met that night," your voice trembles.
"Rhea Ripley?" your friend immediately gets a fiery look in their eye, "What did she do? Did she hurt you? I don't care if she is a wrestler, I will-" the tears were already rolling down your face, but it wasn't until you'd let out a sob that your friend realized you needed a hug before saying more.

Crying into their shirt, you realized for the first time how much this was affecting you. After you pull away, your friend gets to work making sure you have tissues, water, and your bong. More tears cascaded down your face as you held the cool blown glass. No wonder you couldn't stop thinking about her; most things in your apartment were a reminder of the two days you'd spent together. Even your favorite food truck now held the memory of her, in your sunglasses, calming your anxiety in the face of an unexpected run-in with your ex.
"She didn't hurt me," you finally manage after taking a long, drawn-out hit, "Rhea. I just... miss her so much. We text, but it's not the same. Her boyfriend goes everywhere with her and I'm just... stuck here. I'm not sure how much I mean to her, or if I'll even see her again."
Passing the bong to your friend, you shared a silence as they moved around the burnt bits of green in the bowl.
"You know," they said, pausing to light the bowl and inhale, "you could always ask her" - they pull the bowl and clear the piece, speaking in a more strained voice as they tried to hold as much of the smoke as possible while still talking - "Just go "hey, when are you going to be in town next?" or something" - a large exhale creates a cloud around the two of you, waves of smoke hanging in the air until they're only visible under lamplight - "Who knows, maybe you can go meet her somewhere."

Taking the bong being handed back to you, you take a moment to consider how such a message might sound. It's difficult not to overthink something with so many emotions involved.
"I'm worried that might sound... desperate," you say, tracing invisible shapes along the piece in your hands. Your friend shrugs, responding, "Then maybe focus on your own stuff for a bit. She's busy, maybe you could stay busy for a bit" - then, louder - "Oh man, do you still have those chips from last time I was here?"

So you had taken their second bit of advice and tried to stay busy, still messaging Rhea between seeing friends, working, and trying to take comfort in your hobbies. Much of what you did was distracting, in the moment, but nights still left you thinking of the last woman you'd shared your bed with.
It was over two months since you'd last seen her at this point. You wanted to personally resurrect and punch whoever had first said "it gets better with time." Then, you wanted to ride off into the sunset with Rhea. On Rhea? Either would do.
The situation was frustrating, but so was having an amazing night with a woman and then going two months without sex. Initially, you'd laid down on the bed this evening to get yourself off, but it was proving to be difficult. Looking over at your phone, you decide that if you can't enjoy yourself, someone should.

Sliding out of the rest of your clothes, you take a moment to mess with the lighting in the room. Looking at yourself in your phone camera, you adjust your hair and quickly gloss your lips before reclining on your bed. Running into the battle vest Rhea left you, you decide it's the only article of clothing you're going to wear for the photo - but it wouldn't cover much of anything.
It takes several angles and poses, but you finally manage to take a picture that you're sure would get a quick response. Double-checking the recipient, you pause for a moment before hitting send. Closing your phone, you set it face-down and change into pajamas before washing the lipgloss and remnants of the day from your face.
Upon entering your room, the first thing you do is check your phone. A smile spreads across your face as you read Rhea's response:
"Keep tempting me like that and Mami's going to have to come get another taste of her good girl VERY soon"