SECRET LOVERS? by Finn Collins
Speculation about Kane's love life has taken a turn for the unexpected as the stoic man was caught at a small New York cafe' with his own PR . I thought it was a simple meeting until I was made aware of their constant hand holding and that the woman had been crying earlier. Surely if you are desperate for company, you can find someone other than a middle aged overworked employee. The woman, Abby Griffin, was in obvious distress but before I could find out anything further, the two disappeared back to DC. Does Thelonious know about this special in house bonding between his running mate and the help? Better reign in your employees Jaha, someone has their sights on the big house.
"So, who wants to explain first?" Theo said with a slap on the paper in front of him. He had it turned to the article with the picture of them holding hands which had an inset of Abby looking frazzled and overworked.
Abby looked at Marcus, her eyes blazing with anger at the rude article and Marcus decided he should probably talk first.
"We were working out our differences Theo," Marcus told him, "I think you should be relieved to know that Abby and I are no longer at odds. We have come to an understanding. "
"According to this, your understanding is a little more complicated than that."
Abby broke in, "Theo, if you tell me that you believe that little rat, I am going to walk out that door and I will not be coming back. I told Marcus about Clarke and Jake and he, as a HUMAN BEING, comforted me. The spoiled little sorry excuse for a reporter called me a middle aged overworked employee! I'd like to work him over till he can't see straight!"
A cough from Marcus brought Abby back from her dreams of revenge and she sighed her anger out into the room, "Theo, New York opened my eyes to the kind of man Marcus really is and that's all. We are friends?"
The last part was directed at Marcus as an obvious questions and he nodded, "yes, we are friends now. That's all it was and the article will fizzle into the ground once people realize that he doesn't have a story to stand on."
Looking between the two of them, Theo sighed and threw the paper in the trash, "alright, I don't really believe him but I needed to be sure that this campaign wouldn't take any more hits."
"Theo, you know us better than that."
"Yes, I know. Don't for a minute think I am not over the moon that you are both getting along now and I don't have to play mediator."
Marcus grinned and Abby smirked and Theo pretended to give thanks to the heavens until Abby actually laughed. The rest of the meeting centered on the campaign but Abby silently seethed at the gall of Collins to publish such drivel in a normally well respected newspaper. She had to find a way to discredit him before his grudge against Theo turned into anything worse. The only reason he decided to target their campaign was because of his republican father.
He probably thinks he's doing his dad a favor or that Sr. Collins will show him affection or approval, Abby thought with scornful focus.
Abby's lack of concentration did not go unnoticed by Marcus and as they left Theo to make some phone calls, he pulled her into an empty office.
"What's going on in that head of yours Abby?" He asked, pulling a chair from behind the abandoned desk and plopped down in the seat with a sigh.
Abby paced the length of the office with her hands on her hips, "I am trying to think of a way to discredit Collins and get him out of our hair."
"Weren't you the one who told me that the press was just something I would have to deal with?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah, well I meant the actual press, not cockroaches like Collins," Abby replied, "I know there has to be something on him but I just have to find time to dig it up."
Standing up, Marcus moved into her pacing line and waited for her to bump into him. When she hit his chest, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, holding her steady.
"Let me check with some of my contacts and see if we can find something," Marcus told her quietly, his heart picking up speed from being so close to her again, "but it has to be above reproach Abby. I won't break the law just so we can get rid of a pest."
She nodded into his chest, too stunned with how good his arms felt around her to argue and she was afraid that is she spoke, she would stammer and say something moronic.
Her brain caught up with what he had said and she jumped back.
"Contacts!"
"Come again?"
Abby smiled and threw her arms around Marcus again in happiness, "I have a contact in Collins' work and I am certain he doesn't know we are friends so this is going to work!"
She broke from his embrace and walked to the door, determined to finish Collins as quickly as possible.
"Wait, where are you going?" Marcus asked, confusion bleeding into his voice at her frantic pace but she didn't slow down so he let her go and turned back to see the entire floor staring at him.
Looking between the suspicious onlookers and Abby's quickly disappearing frame, Marcus shook his head and left for his own office, hoping to hunt down an old police record on the annoying reporter. He couldn't deny his growing attraction to Abby but letting it interfere with his work wasn't acceptable.
Walking into the building of her old job, Abby felt a flush of nostalgic delight at the familiar feelings of anxiety and excitement. She wrote her first big story in this building, she found out she was going to be a mother in this building, and she accepted the job of future PR representative for Theo in this building. The white walls felt smaller now that she walked in with a guest pass but the atmosphere was the same. Taking the refurbished elevator to the eleventh floor, Abby stepped out of the box to be greeted with a cacophony of greetings.
"Hey Griffin, ready to come back?"
"The politicians finally make you crazy?"
"Griffin! Welcome back!"
Abby waved at the noisy room but didn't stop her stroll to the back where the editor in chief's office presided over the busy room. Walking into her friend's office, Abby closed the door and smiled at the woman sitting behind the desk with a smirk on her face.
"Hey Callie, you have a second?"
"Oh my God, what are you doing here Abs?" The woman asked, coming around her desk to give her oldest friend and colleague a hug.
Returning the enthusiastic hug, Abby shook her head, "not for anything good unfortunately."
"OH no, is Clarke alright?"
"Oh, yeah, Clarke is fine. She's as stubborn as well, me, but she's alright. It's actually one of your reporters that I wanted to discuss."
"Let me guess," Callie said with a knowing gleam in her eye, "Finn Collins?"
"How did you even let him publish that drivel?"
Callie shook her head, "His last name is Collins Abby, as in the man that runs this paper's son? If I let him write his little tabloid questionable news then I can keep him away from the bigger stories. It's all I can do not to strangle him at times but there's not much I can do."
Sighing, Abby threw herself in one of the chairs lining the wall, "So, there is no way you can send him somewhere till the end of the election season?"
Callie pressed her lips together, "how bad is it?"
"Bad, so bad and it could only get worse. I have to spend lots of time with Kane because that is my fucking job but now every time we have to be seen together, Collins will be there and making up all sorts of ridiculous ideas and we can't afford to lose this race Callie."
Callie frowned, "Alright, I'll see if I can scare him with his old fact checking position if he tries to pass off another story about you, Kane, or Theo until after the election. Will that be enough?"
"I think so. Thank you Callie."
Abby stood and wrapped her arms around her friend, "You are a lifesaver."
"Just tell me, is there something going on between you and Marcus?" Her friend asked, a serious tone to her voice.
"Callie," Abby said with warning, "there is nothing happening between us."
Callie frowned but didn't back down, "Do you want there to be?"
Looking down at the floor, Abby felt her face grow hot. Callie knew her for too many years and there was no way to lie to her.
Abby let out a groaning answer, "I don't know, possibly?"
She wrapped her hair around her hands and buried her head in the tangles, "I mean, he is not what I thought Callie and he's sweet and gentle and I know the public doesn't see that because he has this reputation that is really important to him but I see how he is when no one is looking and I can't help but feel like he's special."
The dark haired woman grinned, "I was just asking sweetie, but I see now why you want to protect him if he is having that much effect on you."
Giving her old friend a shove with her shoulder, Abby pulled her hair away from her face and stuck her tongue out at Callie while the other woman laughed.
"Get out of here and tell Theo I said hi," Callie said, opening her door and releasing Abby back to her life, "And Abby, if he means that much to you already, let him know. You moved on with your life after Jake but you deserve someone, special."
"Thanks Callie but falling for my boss is embarrassing enough without asking him, hey, do you like me?"
"You worry too much Abs," Callie laughed, "I say go for it and figure everything else out later."
Abby didn't know what to say to her friend's advice so she gave a weak chuckle and left the building feeling light hearted but confused. The confusion didn't last long as she had a party to get ready for and news to share with Theo and Marcus. Callie would put Collins on a leash, Theo would become president, she would keep being amazing at her job, and Marcus would…be Marcus to her.