[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
It was worse than she thought…and not as bad as she thought. 

Oh, the rumors were out there all right.  Abby sifted through a couple of threads.  She found the original one.  Rokmyworld.  Who are you, you mean, vicious bitch? thought Abby when she read the lie.  Everything up to that point had been speculation.  Everyone was being polite…asking questions, seeking clarification, warning against jumping to conclusions.  But that had been a statement…a definitive statement.  Nick got the first million from the trust fund.  A signing bonus. A flat-out lie.

Abby wandered through a couple of other threads and then headed to another board.  It had been picked up.  It was mentioned everywhere.  But it didn’t seem to be mean or spiteful.  Most people just accepted it.  There were only one or two who tried to make it something bad, but they were either ignored or chastised by the others.  Abby spared a nasty thought for the so-called journalist who’d tried to make something out of nothing.

Okay, so we’ll deal with it, thought Abby.  Nick can deny it and say that he was just so shocked that anyone would say something like that, that he had no reply.  He’s got the facts now.  Satisfied that everything would be fine, Abby went to the bathroom to repair her makeup.  She changed her clothes and went back to her study to get the notes for the meeting.

Abby reached to turn off the computer and decided to take one more glance at MFC before she left. 

There was a new thread.  The captures were up…from the interview.  And the report of what Nick had said…or more to the point, what he hadn’t said.  The poster seemed disappointed that he hadn’t either confirmed or denied the rumor, but said that Nick looked seriously pissed by the question.  Abby looked at the pictures for a long moment.  Nick looked really upset in one…and totally bewildered in the other.  Well, I guess so, she thought.

The first reply was polite, said that Nick looked good and why didn’t people just mind their own business? 

Abby blessed the girl.  Thank you, frackstruluv, whoever you are.

The next couple of posts were supportive, but wondered why Nick didn’t just answer the question. The fans didn’t care one way or the other and it would put a stop to the rumors.

That’s assuming he knows about the rumors, thought Abby and then laughed as she moved to the next reply.

That’s assuming he knows about the rumors.  I, for one, think that maybe Nick has something better to do than spend his time combing fan message boards for rumors…like maybe making music!

CalliesMom, you go, girl! whispered Abby.

The next post informed the troops that the video of the interview was up on a website.  It gave the link.  Abby hesitated and then took a deep breath.  She clicked the link open. 

Her heart broke for her husband as she watched the ambush.  It opens doors.  She smiled at that.  The keychain.

And then, out of the blue…poor Nick, she thought…he doesn’t know what hit him. 

Abby watched the interview three times.  She smiled at AJ.  Feisty, little man, she whispered, kissing her finger and touching it to his face on her monitor.  Defending your brother.  Good for you.  She thought maybe this Ross Davis character was lucky the interview ended when it did.

By the time Ross had called for the weather for the third time, Abby was feeling better about things.  Nick knew the answer to the question now and once he answered it, that would be the end of it.  He had all the financial details about her and he could just say, yeah, my wife is filthy rich, so what?  If they were so crass as to ask why he married her, he could give them a withering look and tell them to mind their own fucking business.  Abby thought that might go over just fine with the fans, who didn’t seem too enamored of the media and the way they treated the Boys.

Abby nodded with satisfaction and closed the link.  This put her back on the message board.  She scrolled down the remaining messages and her heart sank.  Oh no!  She’d been so concerned about the money question that she hadn’t even noticed the bit at the end of the interview…where Nick said they talked about books.

Abby read through the postings with dismay.  They didn’t even bother with words, just the emoticons…smiley faces laughing uproariously, rolling across the screen, pounding their fist, tears of laughter flying from their eyes.

ROTFLMAO!!  They talk about books?  OMG!!  Has Nick read one?

ROTFPIMP!!  If I had Nick, I sure wouldn’t be talking, especially about books!

What’s his favorite book, I wonder.  Green Eggs and Ham?

Well, anything with food in it…how about The Joy of Cooking?  LMAO!!

Or maybe…A Moveable Feast…he’s on tour, after all.  LOL!!

Abby scrolled through.  Now they were calling him stupid and fat.  She had to stop him from seeing this.  This would hurt him too much.  She scrolled back up.  Who were these people?  Why did they do this?  There was Rokmyworld again…twice…and…

Abby looked at the screen for a moment and then grabbed a pen.  She wrote down the names and then clicked over to the thread about the money.  She scrolled carefully down and made notes.  Very interesting.

She glanced at her watch.  Damn!  She had to get to that meeting.  And she had to call Nick!  She searched the archives for the pregnancy thread.  Very, very interesting, she thought.

Abby sat back in her chair and folded her arms.  She narrowed her eyes at the monitor accusingly. This wasn’t all the fans!  This was a couple of fans…or maybe a couple of non-fans!  She skimmed a few other threads, looking for the names.

And there it was!  Tucked away in a ‘Howie is the sweetest’ thread was Sweet4D, one of the names on the list, the one who had originally said ‘you don’t think they had to get married, do you?’  And this time, she’d tried to raise the question about Nick’s comments in the interview.  It hadn’t gone anywhere…

Abby looked thoughtfully at the list of names.  Some maladjusted people were getting their kicks out of being mean to her and Nick…or about her and Nick, she wasn’t sure how personally she was to take this.  She wondered if the posters knew each other.  They always seemed to post around the same time.  Oh well, who cared?  They should get a life.  Abby stood up.  All the same, she didn’t want Nick to see it.  She picked up the phone. 

It rang in her hand, startling her.

Nick!  was her first thought.

“Hello,” she said eagerly.

“Abigail?”

It was Ronni.

“Oh, hi Ronni.”  The disappointment in Abby’s voice said everything.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Ronni, purring understanding.  “You thought it was Nick.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” said Abby, trying to reconnect to the present time and place.  “We’ve already spoken today.”

I’ll bet, thought Ronni.  “Listen, Abigail, I’m calling from the car.  I’m on my way to the Committee Meeting and I realized that I’m going right by your place…so I thought I’d see if you’d left yet.”

“I was just about to…” said Abby.

Ronni cut her off.  “Well, I’ll pick you up then.  It doesn’t make any sense for both of us to take a car downtown.”

“It’s okay.  I…”

“I’m going right by your door.  It’s no trouble,” insisted Ronni.

Abby did not want to drive with Ronni.  She did not want to arrive with Ronni.  She did not want to breathe the same air as Ronni.  She did not want…

I’m sorry.

Abby turned at the sound of the ping and saw the message on her monitor.  It was from AbbysCupcake.  Abby tucked the phone under her chin and typed rapidly. 

Don’t be.  It’s okay.

“…give us a chance for a good chat…”  Ronni’s voice droned over the phone.

Abby reached over and turned the sound down on the computer speakers.

I know that you have to get to your meeting, but I saw that you were on and thought I’d take a chance.

I’m glad you did.  I’m sorry about what happened to you.

“…and I want to hear all about the wedding and being on tour.  I’m about ten minutes away…”

“Fine, Ronni, fine,” said Abby, frantically.  She was desperate to get off the phone and back to Nick.

That stuff happens all the time.  I’m used to it.  I was worried that it would hurt you.

“Well then, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Sure, Ronni.  Great.  Bye.”  Abby disconnected.  She only had a couple of minutes and she had to make them count.

It only hurts me when it hurts you.  Nick, stay away from the message boards…

Abby hit Return and hoped he’d realize that the three dots meant that she had more to say.  Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

…it’s not all the fans, it’s a few spiteful bitches…

Okay.

…most of the responses are people denying the rumors and supporting you…

I guess you’re right.

…and I don’t want you to get hurt by the few or make them more than they are…

I kinda need to know though.

Abby thought maybe there should be somebody in the entourage who handled things like that, but she wasn’t about to leave this to chance or to minions.  She was going to take care of this herself.

I’ll check every day.  Okay?  In case some other idiot reporter…

You don’t have to do that.

I don’t mind.  I’ll just give it a cursory glance to see if there’s anything you need to know.

Cursory glance.  LOL.  I miss you…the way you talk.

Abby’s heart stopped.  She stole a glance at her watch.  She was running out of time.

Listen, Nick.  This is important.  Someone is going to ask the question…why you married me?

Maybe not.  Who cares if they do?

The phone rang.  The beep beep sound told Abby it was the security desk.  Shit!  Ronni was here! Abby grabbed the phone.

“Mrs. Fremont-Carter?  There’s a Mrs. Fenton here to see you.”

“Tell her I’ll be right down,” said Abby curtly.

Abby continued typing.  She heard the security guard speak to someone in the background and then a muffled female voice.  The guard spoke into the phone.

“Um…Mrs. Fenton says if you need a few more minutes, she’d be happy to come up and wait.”

Abby had to get the response to Nick.  He’d be waiting and wondering why she didn’t answer.

“Fine.  Send her up.”  Abby disconnected and dropped the phone on the desk.

I care.  When they ask, I want you to answer exactly like this…

Yes?

‘It’s none of your fucking business.’

Abby, you kill me!  LOL!

Wait a minute, maybe that’s not quite appropriate…

Ya think?

Yes, this is better.  Say this.  ‘Mind your own fucking business.’  Yes, that’s better, don’t you agree?

Sure, that works.  LOL!!

No, wait!  I’ve got it!  The definitive statement…’Fuck off and mind your own business.’  Yes, that’s it!!

The definitive statement, for sure!  LOL!!  Abby, I’m laughing so hard, Terence thinks I’m having a seizure.

The doorbell sounded.

I have to go, Nick.  Are we okay?

We’re great!

Good.  Take care.  Bye.

Abby411 signed off at 2:38 pm EST.

I love you. 

He didn’t get it sent in time.  The definitive statement.