Blush (Rockstar #2) (27 page)

THE DAYS PASS BY SLOWLY as I wait for Friday to arrive. I can feel the loneliness for Marco setting in for the day and I decide I will get on my laptop and Google the city he said he had lived in to see if I can come up with some way of contacting him, but there isn’t anything I can find to help. Apparently, Brazil is a difficult place to find someone if you don’t know exactly where to look.

My phone rings as I close my laptop. I’m so happy when I see it’s my mom, Dr. Alison Hayes in Denver; she’s so far away from me in LA. “Hey, Mom. How are you?“

“I'm good, honey how are you?“ she asks quizzically.

My mom has always been very sensitive to how I am feeling, she always knows when something is wrong and calls me every time, which has always blown my mind.

“I'm fine, I- have just been a little sad,“ I whisper, knowing she isn’t going to let this go.

“Well I know you’re sad, Abby, but isn’t it time to move on?“ she asks, whispering ever so lightly.

I know my mom loves me and she means well, but this isn’t something that I can just “let go“ of. The longing I feel for Marco is more than she thinks it is. My mom never accepted my relationship with him and my dad even less so.

When I met Marco I could always tell he was watching me and when I would turn around to catch him in the act he would look right into my eyes and own that was staring. His eyes burned into mine like a fire I have never known before that.

“Abby?“

“Yeah, I'm here.“ I spoke while shaking my head back into reality.

“When are you coming out to see us?“ she asks.

“Well, Amy is coming home from New York and I really want to spend some time with her, so it will probably be around the holidays.“ The reality is, I have little to no desire in being around my father, and I feel like a total disappointment to him since Addyson has been gone.

“Ok, baby, but I really want you to actually visit this time. Promise?“

I haven’t been to visit my mom or dad in a while, let’s just say that I’m great at making up excuses.

They visited me on graduation day, they only stayed the afternoon and I was really sad for them to go. I know I need to try harder to be the daughter they deserve.

My father barely speaks to me and it breaks my heart knowing that I can be this much of a disappointment to him. But, I really don’t even know what I have done to cause disappointment in the first place. He doesn’t know that I have seriously considered backing out of medical school.

“You will love it here during the holidays. Oh and I forgot to tell you your room has been redecorated,“ she continues.

“I know, I will, I promise, and…that sounds nice mom.“ She sounds so down and I can tell she misses me, or is it something else?

“Ok well baby girl I have to go, I have a meeting, but I will call you later. Ok?“

“Ok... Mom? I love you.“

“Aw baby, I love you too.“ She hangs up.

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING and realized it is finally Friday and Amy will be back from school today. The excitement is so overwhelming. I pick up my phone to send her a text and notice I have a missed call. Huh. I wonder who can be calling me from an unknown number. I decide not to worry about it and text Amy.

Abby:
Hey you know what today is?

She texts me back right away.

Amy:
Yes and I am flying into LAX at six!

I’m so excited.

Abby
:
Perfect! I will be there to pick you up.

Amy
:
You better because we are hitting the clubs tonight doll! Be ready to get your fun back!

Aw crap! I think to myself. I don’t like going to clubs with the ridiculous people that, in the past, always felt the need to either grab my ass or ignore me altogether. There is never a happy medium. So I decide to stop this before it even starts when my phone beeps again.

Amy
:
Nope don’t even think about coming up with an excuse cause we ARE going!

I would have asked myself how the hell she knew I was going to back out, but I have known Amy since I was six and she knows me better than anyone, so of course she knows I don’t want to go.

Abby
:
HAHA...my ankle hurts.

I try to save myself.

Amy
:
Aw that sucks for you but you’re GOING! See ya at six.

Damn it! I know exactly what club she wants to go to and who she wants to go with. I will only be the pathetic third wheel. This sucks.

My clock reads seven fifty-nine a.m. I am going to be late for work at
Page Six
so I jump up from my very comfortable queen size bed, throwing the white comforter back. Getting up on my ankle isn’t so bad. DAMN IT! My foot is feeling better, it’s a good thing, but now what am I going to use as an excuse not to go tonight? She isn't going to let me get out of it anyway so why even bother?

I walk over to the closet when I hear my phone beep with a text. I figure it is just Amy giving me shit so I ignore it.

I grab my yellow sundress and wedges, tossing them into my bag so that I can change after work. I also grab my navy blue slacks and my favorite sleeveless blue and white polka dot blouse out of the closet and pad into the bathroom, my very small bathroom in my very small apartment.

I stop in front of the bathroom mirror. I pull my long dark curls out of the matted ponytail. I stand there thinking of Marco and his last week in this apartment.

He seemed really anxious then. I thought it was strange, but he would just smile and hold my face with his soft hands and tell me everything was fine when I asked about it. God I miss those hands on me.

I jump in the shower and cannot get my mind off of him. I am determined to stop this shit because clearly he doesn’t want to talk to me, right? He probably found some hot Brazilian with sexy dripping off of her string bikini, or hell maybe she isn’t even wearing a bikini at all. My face heats with anger or jealousy, I’m not really sure which one or maybe it is both.

I step out of the shower to finish getting ready for work, and brush out my lengthy hair. I remember my phone beeped earlier so I check it before throwing it in my bag. Huh, it’s an unknown number again. I read the text.

Unknown number
:
I can’t wait Abigale. I’m going to give you what you deserve.

Abby
:
Who is this??

I wait for my phone to beep, but it never does so I throw my things in my bag and head out of my apartment.

After making a quick stop at Remy’s coffee shop that sits across from the office to get my soy mocha with an extra shot, I am finally ready to start my day.

I enter the double glass doors that lead into the offices of
Page Six
. The office is buzzing this morning, everyone running quickly trying to make their last minute corrections and turning their work in by the noon deadline. Luckily I finished my editorial on
Religion in the New Century
two days ago and sent it via email to Ramona, our editor-in-chief, for approval.

I pass Melissa at the front desk, she smiles as she twirls her red hair with a pen. She’s taking calls as they come in five at a time. She rolls her eyes and makes a hand gesture that says she’s sick of the conversation on the other end of the line. I laugh quietly to myself, always grateful for Melissa’s ability to make me laugh no matter the mood I am in, and it is always welcome.

I pass Eric as I walk to my desk. He’s got a few inches on my five foot stature and very lean. Eric is a very neat and meticulous guy that never has a blonde hair out of place. He’s one of the sweetest guys I have ever known and one of the few friends I have allowed close to me at work. “Always maintain professionalism,“ my father always says.

“Hey love.“ Eric winks as he turns in a twirling motion following in the direction I’m heading in. “So, I finally went out with you know who,“ he hums in a high-pitched tone of excitement.

He’s the most nervous single guy I have ever known. He’s mostly a homebody. He blames it on Doris and Day, his fluffy little puppies. I’m not sure what kind they are, but cute enough, at a distance anyway, since I’m allergic to dogs.

“So, how was it?“ This is a nice surprise. Eric really likes James and has been so nervous for this date.

“He’s definitely a keeper,“ he winks, heading back to his desk.

My cubicle waited patiently for my arrival with mail stacked in a heaping pile next to the computer screen. I sit with my hands in my lap, my legs shaking beneath me.

I tap my pen on the desk as I think about a story on a domineering parent that refuses to accept that their adult child may actually be capable of living their own life. Of course this is totally a reflection of my father. I roll my eyes at the thought.

My father is a strong, domineering man with everyone, except my mother. In the Hayes home she runs the show. He’s on the board of directors at the hospital he works for in Denver and I know he’s the same with the people he works with or should I say the people who work for him.

My eyes have been plastered to this computer screen for the last six hours as I made corrections to the article I previously turned in. I only have until four to fix the disaster my work is...

I finish the corrections and glance at the time on my phone. Three thirty glares from the screen. I open a new email and send it to Ramona.

All finished, I sigh.

I anxiously stand from my desk as I decide to change into my yellow sundress and wedges. If I want to make it through traffic to get to the airport in time, I better go.

I wave goodbye to Eric and Melissa who are chatting at the front desk, and head out to the parking lot to my white Range Rover. My mom and dad bought it as a graduation gift and I love it. However, now that pre-med is over and I am expected to go into the medical program, I am sure that I will only have it for the summer once my father learns of my plans.

I bend down to pick up the keys I dropped as I put my bag in the back seat. I swear I hear someone call out my name. I shrug it off to the busy LA streets and the fact that I’m probably not the only “Abby“.

Traffic is horrible. I finally pull in to the LAX entrance; it is six fifteen before I finally arrive. I am sure Amy isn’t off the plane yet so I park my car and wait. My phone beeps.

Amy
:
I'm getting my bags and I’ll be out.

Abby
:
K I’ll be here
.

I am so happy I will get to hang out with Amy and maybe she can shed some light on this whole Marco heartache thing.

I watch the comings and goings of the people and they look so happy. Maybe they are going on an adventure I think. I’m suddenly shaken from my people watching when a beautiful dark-haired man walks directly in front of my car. He glances at me with his phone at his right ear and then stops as he stares intently at me.

OH MY GOD! I blush. He must be a businessman. No, definitely not! He has to be a GQ model. His grey suit is nicely fitted and hugs his amazingly large muscular body. I might possibly be sweating from the heat that is invading my body.

We stare at each other for an awkward few moments. I hear my name and look to my left to see Amy jumping up and down, waving her hands in the air to get my attention. The man turns his head in the direction that has caught my eye, turns back to me, smiles, and then he walks away with a confident swagger.