Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters, however I have
made up a few of my own.
Apprehension: Rubbing Sticks and Stones Together
~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter pulled himself up again on the bars and looked at the two. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked as he finally dropped to the floor and picked up his water bottle.
"I want my money back."
"Too bad. I bought you beer." He glanced at Abby before turning off the TV. "Where are you guys going?" he asked.
"No where. I invited Abby over here for dinner and a movie."
"I will be out of your hair. I promise."
"It's your place too."
"I need to run to the office and make sure everything's taken care of."
"Hey, did you get in a fight with a cat?" Andrew asked motioning to the miscellaneous scratches on his skin.
"Sure," Carter said as he disappeared down the hall.
"When did you get home?"
"A few hours ago," he called before the bathroom door shut.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Abby stepped out of Andrew's bathroom the following morning and heard Carter on the phone.
"No, we've already approved the check and bond." She watched him pacing upstairs. "I don't care. Call my father. One way or the other the clinic is going to be built." He hung up the phone and saw Abby standing in the kitchen. He slowly walked down the stairs and set his bag on the floor. The phone rang and he quickly picked it up.
"Hello? Hold on." He handed the phone out to her. "For you." He set it on the counter and then walked around to pour a cup of coffee. A moment later, as he was watching something on TV, she hung up.
"John?" she asked hesitantly. He remained motionless, occasionally taking a drink of his coffee. "John?"
"Yeah." He still didn't turn around.
"Andrew got caught at work. My shift starts in half an hour. Can you drop me off?"
"Sure." He switched off the TV, grabbed the two bags by the stairs and opened the door.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, how was the date?" Susan asked.
"Good. Andrew's a nice guy," Abby told her filling out another chart.
"Good."
"Bet you'll never guess who his roommate is." Susan didn't say anything. "Carter."
"Seriously? How's that working?"
"Fine, considering he's still holding some grudge."
"It doesn't have to do with you," Susan told her.
"How do you know?"
"Because we had a long talk about the past year and before that and your name was never mentioned. I know him, Abby. He doesn't lie and he doesn't let things eat at him too long."
"I still think you're wrong."
"Is it weird to be sleeping with someone else while under his roof?" Susan asked.
"I don't know. Is it weird to be screwing someone who's like your little brother?" Abby asked as she walked off with a smile.
"It's not what you think," Susan called after her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A few weeks past and Carter was a no show everywhere. Things with Andrew heated up and Abby divulged her deepest secret to him. However, he had no idea the relationship she had with Carter and to what intensity. She almost hoped it never came to that. Then one day after work, Abby stopped by to find Carter and Dave sitting in the living room playing video games. There was a little girl playing with Carter's hair and that's what scared her the most. He really had moved on.
"Hey, you guys did the dishes," Andrew said above the noise. No one answered him. He leaned over and gently kissed Abby. "I was thinking, maybe we could invite your family over the dinner," Andrew suggested to her. Abby stole a glance to Carter but he didn't give any indication that he was paying attention.
"Not a good idea. They are literally crazy."
"What about . . ." he stopped when she shook her head. "I just thought it would be nice."
"Listen, I'm just not read for the rest of the world to know. There are a limited number of people who do and I kind of like having a secret."
"Okay." He kissed her forehead.
"Hey Abby. You think you could grace us with a song?" Dave asked.
"No," Abby replied quickly.
"Please. I picked out a special one." The volume slowly increased on the stereo as "Afternoon Delight" began playing.
"Turn it off," she demanded, fully aware that Carter was smiling with his back turned.
"Come on. Isn't it your favorite song?" Dave asked.
"Rubbing sticks and stones together make the sparks ignite," Carter said in a singsong voice.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Bare with me. I'm still flirting with Abby and Carter's feelings for each other. More obstacles to come. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Apprehension: Rubbing Sticks and Stones Together
~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter pulled himself up again on the bars and looked at the two. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked as he finally dropped to the floor and picked up his water bottle.
"I want my money back."
"Too bad. I bought you beer." He glanced at Abby before turning off the TV. "Where are you guys going?" he asked.
"No where. I invited Abby over here for dinner and a movie."
"I will be out of your hair. I promise."
"It's your place too."
"I need to run to the office and make sure everything's taken care of."
"Hey, did you get in a fight with a cat?" Andrew asked motioning to the miscellaneous scratches on his skin.
"Sure," Carter said as he disappeared down the hall.
"When did you get home?"
"A few hours ago," he called before the bathroom door shut.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Abby stepped out of Andrew's bathroom the following morning and heard Carter on the phone.
"No, we've already approved the check and bond." She watched him pacing upstairs. "I don't care. Call my father. One way or the other the clinic is going to be built." He hung up the phone and saw Abby standing in the kitchen. He slowly walked down the stairs and set his bag on the floor. The phone rang and he quickly picked it up.
"Hello? Hold on." He handed the phone out to her. "For you." He set it on the counter and then walked around to pour a cup of coffee. A moment later, as he was watching something on TV, she hung up.
"John?" she asked hesitantly. He remained motionless, occasionally taking a drink of his coffee. "John?"
"Yeah." He still didn't turn around.
"Andrew got caught at work. My shift starts in half an hour. Can you drop me off?"
"Sure." He switched off the TV, grabbed the two bags by the stairs and opened the door.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, how was the date?" Susan asked.
"Good. Andrew's a nice guy," Abby told her filling out another chart.
"Good."
"Bet you'll never guess who his roommate is." Susan didn't say anything. "Carter."
"Seriously? How's that working?"
"Fine, considering he's still holding some grudge."
"It doesn't have to do with you," Susan told her.
"How do you know?"
"Because we had a long talk about the past year and before that and your name was never mentioned. I know him, Abby. He doesn't lie and he doesn't let things eat at him too long."
"I still think you're wrong."
"Is it weird to be sleeping with someone else while under his roof?" Susan asked.
"I don't know. Is it weird to be screwing someone who's like your little brother?" Abby asked as she walked off with a smile.
"It's not what you think," Susan called after her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A few weeks past and Carter was a no show everywhere. Things with Andrew heated up and Abby divulged her deepest secret to him. However, he had no idea the relationship she had with Carter and to what intensity. She almost hoped it never came to that. Then one day after work, Abby stopped by to find Carter and Dave sitting in the living room playing video games. There was a little girl playing with Carter's hair and that's what scared her the most. He really had moved on.
"Hey, you guys did the dishes," Andrew said above the noise. No one answered him. He leaned over and gently kissed Abby. "I was thinking, maybe we could invite your family over the dinner," Andrew suggested to her. Abby stole a glance to Carter but he didn't give any indication that he was paying attention.
"Not a good idea. They are literally crazy."
"What about . . ." he stopped when she shook her head. "I just thought it would be nice."
"Listen, I'm just not read for the rest of the world to know. There are a limited number of people who do and I kind of like having a secret."
"Okay." He kissed her forehead.
"Hey Abby. You think you could grace us with a song?" Dave asked.
"No," Abby replied quickly.
"Please. I picked out a special one." The volume slowly increased on the stereo as "Afternoon Delight" began playing.
"Turn it off," she demanded, fully aware that Carter was smiling with his back turned.
"Come on. Isn't it your favorite song?" Dave asked.
"Rubbing sticks and stones together make the sparks ignite," Carter said in a singsong voice.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Bare with me. I'm still flirting with Abby and Carter's feelings for each other. More obstacles to come. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
