(Hi all! Thanks for being so patient. As you see I have my new computer.
Yippee! The only problem is that this has Windows XP and I've not quite got
the hang of it yet…Idiot-proof my behind! Anyway, on with the story…)
Part 12
Abby squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as Richard and his new wife approached them. Carter felt her tense up so he tightened his grip around her waist reassuringly. She relaxed against his shoulder and smiled broadly at Richard, who had just arrived in front of them and was still looking at her with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
"Abby, you look fantastic! What happened?"
"Why thank you Richard," she said dryly, "trust you to make a girl feel special."
"You know what I mean. I didn't think you'd really make that much of an effort, seeing as you didn't bother when we were together. I thought the best I was likely to get out of you was that old bridesmaid's dress again, and it wasn't like that ever did anything for you."
Abby looked over at Cathy, who was looking a little embarrassed by the way Richard was carrying on. "Gee, what a catch you've got there. Can't think why I ever let that one slip away! Hi, I'm Abby" she stuck her hand out towards Cathy, who eagerly took hold of it and shook it energetically.
"I'm Cathy. Cathy Lockhart!" She blushed as she said this last part. This was not the kind of person Abby had expected Richard to be with, but she had a feeling she was going to like Cathy.
"Pleased to meet you!" Abby laughed good-naturedly at the "blushing bride" in front of her. She had never been like this with Richard, happy just to be around him, and she realised now that she had never really loved him. Not like she loved John. She thought how lucky she was that he had stuck with her and not been put off by the defences she put up around herself, how he had whisked her off her feet and married her before she had had time to make up excuses and find a reason for them not to be together. She was happier now being married to John than she had ever been in her life, and she made a promise to herself to make sure he knew as soon as they got home!
"Hi, I'm Richard Lockhart." Abby had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't realised that John and Richard had been smiling at each other awkwardly, waiting for somebody to start the conversation. Richard had obviously found the thought of not hearing his own voice too much to take and had held his hand out to Carter, who took it and introduced himself.
"John Carter. Actually, we've already met."
"We have? I don't seem to remember…"
"It was at the museum benefit, about a year ago?"
"That's right! You had brought Abby along and she'd worn that terrible pink bridesmaid's dress! You're a better man than I am; I would have been too embarrassed to hang around with somebody who couldn't even make the effort to buy a new dress for an important fundraiser like that. I mean, come on, a bridesmaid's dress! You know what I'm talking about, right?"
John had done his best to keep from hitting Richard while he was speaking, but it was difficult. He clenched his jaw and answered tightly. "Actually, I thought Abby was looking particularly beautiful that night."
"Oh, right, of course. I didn't mean anything by it. Its just it was always so difficult to get Abby in a dress I should have known she would have worn the same one twice! But you look great today, doesn't she honey?" He looked over to Cathy, who had heard so much about Abby from Richard and his family that she was desperate to get to know her, if only to prove that she wasn't as bad as they were painting her out to be.
"Absolutely. You look gorgeous Abby! I wish I looked that good. I feel like such a frump in this place, like I don't belong here, but you look like you were meant to be surrounded by all this luxury!"
"You're very sweet," Abby laughed, "but very wrong. I feel like a bit of a fraud myself. What made you pick this place for the reception?"
"Oh, it wasn't my choice. It was all Richard. I wanted something small and intimate but apparently he needs to 'create the right impression' with his superiors at the hospital. I could have done without all this."
"I know what you mean. Richard always was one for keeping up appearances. One of the reasons our marriage never worked if you ask me. I was never prepared to be the trophy wife he wanted to take along to functions. I wanted to be my own person…Oh my god!" she added, realising to who she was talking, "not that that would ever happen to you. You two look perfect together. And I hope you're very happy together. Honestly, I do."
Abby reached out to place her hand on Cathy's shoulder, and the two shared a smile. Cathy reached out impulsively and gave her a hug before bursting into tears. Abby was worried that she had said something wrong and tried to say how sorry she was, but Cathy pulled away to show that she was smiling, and that the tears were actually happy tears. She shook her head vehemently, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.
"There's nothing wrong," she said as she tried to stop her tears. "It's just that Richard's mother had said so many horrible things about you that I was terrified of meeting you. And now that I've met you you're just so nice and I feel so bad about all the awful things I've thought about you. Can you forgive me?"
Abby laughed outright at this and gave Cathy a hug in return. "What do I need to forgive you for? You didn't know me and besides," she whispered this last part so that nobody else would hear, "Richard's mother is Class A bitch. You promise me you'll give as good as you get!"
"I promise!" Cathy beamed at her and Abby knew that despite her expectations she was going to like Richard's new wife. She continued to make conversation with Cathy, asking her about her son and her job, whilst in the background she could hear Richard and John carrying on their conversation.
Part 12
Abby squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as Richard and his new wife approached them. Carter felt her tense up so he tightened his grip around her waist reassuringly. She relaxed against his shoulder and smiled broadly at Richard, who had just arrived in front of them and was still looking at her with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
"Abby, you look fantastic! What happened?"
"Why thank you Richard," she said dryly, "trust you to make a girl feel special."
"You know what I mean. I didn't think you'd really make that much of an effort, seeing as you didn't bother when we were together. I thought the best I was likely to get out of you was that old bridesmaid's dress again, and it wasn't like that ever did anything for you."
Abby looked over at Cathy, who was looking a little embarrassed by the way Richard was carrying on. "Gee, what a catch you've got there. Can't think why I ever let that one slip away! Hi, I'm Abby" she stuck her hand out towards Cathy, who eagerly took hold of it and shook it energetically.
"I'm Cathy. Cathy Lockhart!" She blushed as she said this last part. This was not the kind of person Abby had expected Richard to be with, but she had a feeling she was going to like Cathy.
"Pleased to meet you!" Abby laughed good-naturedly at the "blushing bride" in front of her. She had never been like this with Richard, happy just to be around him, and she realised now that she had never really loved him. Not like she loved John. She thought how lucky she was that he had stuck with her and not been put off by the defences she put up around herself, how he had whisked her off her feet and married her before she had had time to make up excuses and find a reason for them not to be together. She was happier now being married to John than she had ever been in her life, and she made a promise to herself to make sure he knew as soon as they got home!
"Hi, I'm Richard Lockhart." Abby had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't realised that John and Richard had been smiling at each other awkwardly, waiting for somebody to start the conversation. Richard had obviously found the thought of not hearing his own voice too much to take and had held his hand out to Carter, who took it and introduced himself.
"John Carter. Actually, we've already met."
"We have? I don't seem to remember…"
"It was at the museum benefit, about a year ago?"
"That's right! You had brought Abby along and she'd worn that terrible pink bridesmaid's dress! You're a better man than I am; I would have been too embarrassed to hang around with somebody who couldn't even make the effort to buy a new dress for an important fundraiser like that. I mean, come on, a bridesmaid's dress! You know what I'm talking about, right?"
John had done his best to keep from hitting Richard while he was speaking, but it was difficult. He clenched his jaw and answered tightly. "Actually, I thought Abby was looking particularly beautiful that night."
"Oh, right, of course. I didn't mean anything by it. Its just it was always so difficult to get Abby in a dress I should have known she would have worn the same one twice! But you look great today, doesn't she honey?" He looked over to Cathy, who had heard so much about Abby from Richard and his family that she was desperate to get to know her, if only to prove that she wasn't as bad as they were painting her out to be.
"Absolutely. You look gorgeous Abby! I wish I looked that good. I feel like such a frump in this place, like I don't belong here, but you look like you were meant to be surrounded by all this luxury!"
"You're very sweet," Abby laughed, "but very wrong. I feel like a bit of a fraud myself. What made you pick this place for the reception?"
"Oh, it wasn't my choice. It was all Richard. I wanted something small and intimate but apparently he needs to 'create the right impression' with his superiors at the hospital. I could have done without all this."
"I know what you mean. Richard always was one for keeping up appearances. One of the reasons our marriage never worked if you ask me. I was never prepared to be the trophy wife he wanted to take along to functions. I wanted to be my own person…Oh my god!" she added, realising to who she was talking, "not that that would ever happen to you. You two look perfect together. And I hope you're very happy together. Honestly, I do."
Abby reached out to place her hand on Cathy's shoulder, and the two shared a smile. Cathy reached out impulsively and gave her a hug before bursting into tears. Abby was worried that she had said something wrong and tried to say how sorry she was, but Cathy pulled away to show that she was smiling, and that the tears were actually happy tears. She shook her head vehemently, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.
"There's nothing wrong," she said as she tried to stop her tears. "It's just that Richard's mother had said so many horrible things about you that I was terrified of meeting you. And now that I've met you you're just so nice and I feel so bad about all the awful things I've thought about you. Can you forgive me?"
Abby laughed outright at this and gave Cathy a hug in return. "What do I need to forgive you for? You didn't know me and besides," she whispered this last part so that nobody else would hear, "Richard's mother is Class A bitch. You promise me you'll give as good as you get!"
"I promise!" Cathy beamed at her and Abby knew that despite her expectations she was going to like Richard's new wife. She continued to make conversation with Cathy, asking her about her son and her job, whilst in the background she could hear Richard and John carrying on their conversation.
