Lady Wrestler By James Harvey - Chapter 10

1962 Genre: Vintage Sleaze / Lady Wrestlers

When is a lady not a lady?

When she is a lady wrestler.

What compulsions drive these voluptuous creatures into the Lady Wrestling racket; and how are they different from other women? Why do they allow themselves to be clawed, slugged, kneed and butted? What do these super-gals do for sexual pleasure? Here is the only story that answers all of these questions and many more about this grotesque sport where girls pin girls for pay and pleasure.

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CHAPTER TEN 

The next morning Bella bought all the papers and searched them for any coverage on Shirley's lack of coverage. Nothing. She waited until the afternoon and bought all the afternoon papers and there still wasn't even a mention that there had been a wrestling match at all last night. 

Bella Woods went down to the office to find Brick with a stack of papers too. “I didn't find anything in the papers," she said. "How about phone calls?” 

“Just three from the producer. He keeps asking me if I heard anything." 

"How about the A.M.A.?” 

Brick laughed for the first time. “You know, I almost wished the A.M.A. would complain. It would be a farce." 

"It'd be a farce all right. But, why do you wish it would happen?" 

"Bella, I've been thinking. All along we needed something to get ourselves before the general public. What we really need is a lot of publicity and we would be on our way." 

“You've changed your tune since last night.” 

There was a knock at the door and Brick told who ever it was to come in. A tall, nervous man with glasses entered. “Are you the man who had those girls wrestling last night on T.V.?” he asked. 

Bella felt tense. Here it came. Who was the man? From the F.C.C.? From the F.B.I.? From the A.M.A.? From the P.T.A.?” 

"Yes,” Brick answered. “I had two of the girls on last night." 

"And one was ... Shirley?" “That's right." 

The man bit his lips and seemed about to cry. "I must speak to her!” he said aloud. "You must speak to her!” 

"And, who are you?” Brick asked. "I," the thin man wept, “I am Morris Levine." Brick stood up. "M.D.?”

"M.D.” Morris said nodding. 

"Well, sit down,” Brick said with a big smile. "I'm sure Shirley would like to see you." 

“I suppose she would. The point is ... I don't want to see Shirley. I never want to see Shirley again. I... I'm married.” Then his voice hit an unusually high pitch. "And my wife watches the wrestling matches on television! Am I making myself clear?” 

"Not quite," Brick said. 

"How can I say it?” Morris pleaded toward the ceiling as if to a half dozen deaf gods. “When I came home last night after an operation ... gall bladder, very interesting case ... my wife meets me at the door. 'Morrie,' she says to me, ‘Morrie what is your name doing on a lady wrestler's ass? Well, needless to say, I didn't have an immediate answer. Then I realize that she is talking about Shirley! Shirley! That was over five years ago! I wasn't even married then. I was an intern besides! I thought it would be ... well, a rather interesting experiment to ... to. Oh, must I go on? Must my past come to haunt me? Please, you must talk to Shirley for me!” 

"Once I talk to Shirley,” Brick said. "What would you want me to talk about?” 

Morris Levine glanced at Bella. “I ... I can't speak in mixed company." 

"Don't let me bother you," Bella told him. “I think I know what you have in mind anyhow." 

“Oh, I do hope you understand!” Morris all but wept. “You must know that a man in my profession can't have a woman going around flaunting his name in public on her behind. My wife threatens to leave me if I don't or, at least, you don't, convince Shirley to have my name taken off!” 

"How can she?” Brick asked. “Once a tattoo is on ..." 

“But, it can be removed,” Morris went on. “I can get it removed today. I know a plastic surgeon, good cosmetic man, who'll do it as a favor to me.” 

“I don't know," Brick said. "It would mean that Shirley would be out of the business for awhile." 

"It wouldn't!” Morris told him. "Just a few weeks. I'll pay for what she'd would've made in that time! Listen, I'm desperate! If Shirley doesn't go through with this my wife will be through with me. She wanted to leave me last night but I convinced her that none of our friends saw it. She agreed to stay with me if Shirley takes my name off. Otherwise ... well, you can't exactly blame her. I mean, look at the risk. My name can be a laughing stock.” 

“I can understand your feelings,” Brick said. “Shirley will be in later on today. I'll talk to her.” 

Morris Levine, M.D., got up and shook Brick's hand warmly. "Oh, thank you, sir!” he exclaimed. 

“Here, I'll leave this card with you. It's the name of the plastic surgeon I was talking about. Tell Shirley all she will have to do is take him this card and mention my name. Everything will be taken care of, bills, nurses, a private room." 

"Sounds like a vacation," Bella injected. "I almost wish I had your name there too, doctor." 

Morris looked as if he were about to faint "Please ... not even as a joke ... don't say it." 

As soon as Morris left Brick let out a laugh. “Manna from Heaven!” he shouted. 

"What are you talking about?” 

“What we were just talking about before Morris Levine dropped by, that's what I'm talking about! The break we need. The publicity. Can't you just see it? Our own tattooed Shirley being named the reason for a divorce?" 

"You mean you're not going to talk to her?” Bella asked annoyed at this display of underhandedness from her All American boy. 

"I'll talk to Shirley, all right. I'll lay everything on the line, what Morris wants her to do and ... what I want her to do." 

"What do you mean?” 

"I want Shirley to milk this thing. I'll call the press and have them down at St. Nick's next week after I let them in on the story. They'll go for it. Next day we'll have pictures in the papers of Morris's name on Shirley's ass. The doctor's wife will divorce the doctor and we'll have another round of publicity. We'll have people come out in droves just to catch the names on Shirley's rear. If we're lucky, maybe there'll be another case ..." 

"Hold it!” Bella snapped. “I don't like it. It's all right when we girls use ourselves for publicity but I don't like bringing in some others who'll only be hurt by it. I'm ashamed of you, Brick, I really am.” 

"So there'll be a divorce. What's one more divorce in the world? Those two would probably break up sooner or later anyhow if his wife can't take a little ribbing." 

"A little ribbing? I know how that woman feels exactly. If it ever got out that her husband once had an affair with a tattooed lady who is now wrestling with his name on her backside she would never be able to hold her head up again. Please, Brick, for my sake, just talk Shirley into the operation." 

Brick's high feelings took a nosedive. He even seemed to shrink. “Sure ... sure I know you're right,” he sighed. “But, it would've been just what we needed." 

"And I know you're right about us needing a good publicity gimmick like that,” Bella assured him. “But, let's think of something else. I'm sure we can come up with something." 

Brick's low feelings didn't exactly take off again like a rocket but, at least, they rose again. "Some thing...," he murmured. “Something ..." For a second his eyes grew bright as he looked at Bella and then he shook his head. "No ... you wouldn't do it." 

"Wouldn't do what?"

"It was just an idea I had but it's really too crazy."

"Spill it." 

Brick took hold of Bella's shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. "Well, you remember how the producer of that T.V. wouldn't let you on with your outfit because he said it would look as if you were naked in all America's living rooms?" 

"How can I forget? It ruined my chance of getting on T.V." 

"Bella ... you still can go on T.V.” Brick said. "Go on and make one of the biggest hits since that tube was invented.” 

“I don't get you." 

"All I have to do is tell that producer you're willing to go on in another outfit only ..." Brick paused. 

"Only I don't come on in another outfit?" Bella added. 

Brick shook his head. "No," he told her, "you come on in your old outfit." 

"But ... but they won't let the match go on! As soon as they see me they'll blank out the cameras or something and ..." This time Bella paused. She caught Brick's idea for the first time. 

“And, if we're lucky, we'll be front page news," Brick said. 

"Fine," Bella answered, “but what about afterward? We may wind up in court.” 

“If we're lucky.” "If we're lucky?" 

"That producer has no real case against us. You just give the illusion of nudity. You've been wrestling in public with that same suit for months now and we haven't had any trouble.” “There's always the first time," Bella warned him. 

Brick nodded. “Yes, I agree. This thing might backfire, and we may wind up in a real jam. That's why I said you wouldn't do it." 

Brick looked at Bella hopefully and he reminded her of a great, shaggy dog with an urgent bladder wanting to be taken out. She fully realized the risk of the publicity gimmick. She remembered a case of a friend of hers who brought a toothless, old lion to the city in his car and then parked the car mid-town. This, too, was a publicity gimmick to advertise a nightclub act that was doing poor business at the time. He simply left the animal in the car and, when he came back a few hours later, he had all the attention he wanted. Someone had called the police and the police came in droves with riot guns and heavy nets. The papers were there and the television cameras were there and he thought he had copped tens of thousands of dollars worth of publicity free. But, a judge didn't let him have it for free. He gave him thirty days on a law about bringing dangerous animals into the city. 

Was there some kind of law against an illusion of nudity on television, she wondered? And, even if there was, wouldn't it still be worth the risk? For the first time she had known Brick she saw an opportunity to help him. He wanted this break so badly, a break that could also mean a break away from his sister. 

"Brick," Bella said touching both his cheeks with her hands, “I'll do it. Damn the producers, full speed ahead!”