Author's note:
A special thanks to rebecca-in-blue for his/her review. I'll do better in this chapter
A special thanks to athea781 for his/her kind review. I'll try to bring Gibbs in somehow! I would also like to thank for following this story and marking this as his/her favorite story.
A special thanks to allent for marking this story as his/her favorite
A special thanks to Haikki for following this story. Hope you will continue and stick with the story. I'll try not to dissapoint
A special thanks to mumsie879 for marking this story as his/her favorite and also for following this story!
As the workers of Scuito's books stand outside the construction site of the soon to be build McGee's books. Abby, Ginny and Henry looked at each other then at the building
"This is a nightmare," Ginny said as she look edat them with her frightened eyes.
"Everything's going to be alright," Abby said in an encouraging tone "They're overstocked and they don't provide service. We do!" she said but she was unsure herself if the store would survive with McGee books near them
"But they provide discounts," Henry muttered with a sigh as they look at each other again
"We shouldn't worry too much. Let's go back to the store. We have work to do," Abby said to the both of them as they walk back to the store.
"By the way, you're going with me tonight right Ginny?" Abby ask as she looked at her friend.
"Of course, I can't let you have all the fun," she said with a chuckle as they entered the store
A few hours had passed and the time of the meeting had finally arrived. As Abby and Ginny stood outside the place. They kept talking to each other as both of them were nervous. Abby was wearing a black long dress with floral design going down and she wore a light make up on her face. Her black heels and handbag matched her outfit. Meanwhile Ginny went for a blue dress with a pair of red heels.
"We can do this right? It's just a meeting. I'm sure it can help our store," Abby said reassuring her friend when it was herself that needs reassuring.
"We can totally do this. We're going to be.." The host finally open the door greeting them with a smile
"Fine," Abby and Ginny said in unison as they walk in with a smile.
They could see all the famous people and authors who was in the same room as them. Ginny couldn't control herself as she was starstruck.
"I'll go get some drinks for us Ginny," Abby said to her friend as she walks towards the bar.
Meanwhile Tim and Tony are talking to some authors. Tim look bored as the topic of the discussion didn't intrigued him. Tony certainly noticef this as he elbowed his friend slowly
"Hey Tim. I know you're bored but at least act like you're interested, Tony whispered to him as Tim just shrugged
"I'm gonna get some drinks," Tim said as he walksedto the bar.
She could see a woman standing at the bar. He didn't recognised her at first. He stood next to her
"Champagne please," Tim orders as he takes a look at the woman who is looking at him.
As Abby was waiting for her drink. She looked at the man as she felt like she recognised him from somewhere. Finally she realised who the man was. Her face look shocked like she seen a ghost. The man that she hated was standing next to her. Her heart starts to beat fast and she almost couldn't control herself. She tried to look away but couldn't as the bartender gave her drink.
"W-what a-are y-you doing here?" she asked as she turned to look at him. Her heart was still beating fast like it could popped out at any moment.
She could see the man wearing much formal than the last time she saw him. It was a tuxedo with a black tie. Her hair slick back but now she could see the man's calm face under the light.
"I could say the same for you," Tim said in a calm voice looking at her up and down.
His mind was confused for a while. She looked at her up and down. At least she looks more presentable now and what is that smell? Was she wearing perfume? he thought to himself as he checks her out.
"I was invited to go here," Abby said trying to sound as calm as possible but to no avail
Now Tim just stand there not believing that she was invited. He keeps questioning how did someone like her can get an invitation to an event like this. By now, Abby was feeling frazzled by the awkward silence before finally taking Ginny's drink on one hand and her's on the other.
"Now excuse me but I have to go," Abby said before walking away as fast as her feet could take her.
Who was that guy? She wondered as suddenly someone stopped her. She looked at the man wondering what was happening. Finally she recognised who that man was that stopped her
"You're Leroy. aren't you?" she said as that man was her all time favorite author. He wrote her favorite book that she got as a present when she was a child.
"Indeed I am. I can't believe you're talking to Timothy McGee," he said to me and her eyes widened when he said that.
"You mean..." she said and Gibbs just nodded
"As in the one who will take over everything," Gibbs added and walks off as she stood there speechless.
That man was Timothy McGee? I can't believe this. This is absurd. There must be an explanation for this. Abby muttered as she noticed Tim at the buffet
She gathered up her courage and walked towards him. When she reached there, she puts her glass on the table. She was fuming in anger. Her face was getting redder almost like the tomato sauce on the table. Many thoughts were in Abby's head. Many questions unanswered. Did he spy on me? Did he spy on the bookstore? All these questions were in her mind.
"You're Timothy McGee?" she said in annoyance.
Abby hoped that the man wouldn't looked up but she cursed as Tim looked up confirming the awful truth. She felt betrayed for some reason. She hated the man since the first day she met him. Maybe it was her fault that she didn't recognised her competition in the first place. She tried to stay calm containing her anger inside of her. She was like a time bomb waiting for the time to explode
She picks up a plate and walks near him. She kept staring at him in disbelieve. She muttered even more.
"God.." she muttered as she picks up some cabbages putting them on her plate.
"I didn't realized. I didn't know.." Tim interrupted her before she could finish her words "Who you were with?" Tim said with a calm voice and she just shrug.
Tim looked at her. Her face told him everything. He could tell that she was confused and maybe hating him even more. He looked at her eyes and her mouth pouting. He wanted to laugh but he didn't felt like it. Abby just stood there looking at Tim who was awkwardly looking at her with his green eyes. Usually Tim would just the end conversation there as he usually do with most people but this time it felt different. He felt something he never felt before.
"You didn't know who you were with," he said again but this time in a different voice with a different tone. Abby just looked confused on what was happening.
"Excuse me?" she said with a confused look staring at the man. She was questioning his sanity for a moment
"From the Godfather?" he said but Abby just looks at him still with the same look. Tim just shrug as he looked away with an awkward chuckle
"Nevermind," he said walking around the table as the woman started to rant in front of him
"You were spying on me weren't you? It was clever with the coffee thing on the subway and I must say I'm impress with the whole giving me your coat thing. You must see me as a fool aren't you?" Abby said but Tim just sighed while rolling his eyes. She was starting to annoy him and he didn't liked it one bit.
"Look, us bumping to each other was just mere coincidence. It's your fault for not looking in front. You're lucky I didn't made you pay for the suit that you stained," he stated as he look at her
She didn't believe a single thing he said. She is getting even more annoyed by his attitude. She was at the brink of exploding. She kept looking down speechless her heart still beating fast.
"And the whole coat thing. Was that a form of bribery? If it was, that was pathetic," Abby said to him angrily. Tim just looked at her sighing again as this was getting out of hand. He was regretting of having a conversation with the woman in front of him. He just wanna get away from there.
"Why would I bribe you with a coat? Everyone could see your bra in the train and you were shivering. If it wasn't for me, some guys would be asking you to strip for them," he said as he raised his voice as some people were starting to look at them.
"Look, why would I go through all this trouble just to spy on a book store that sells around what? 300,000 dollars worth of books a year," he stated and Abby was shocked.
How did this man knows that statistic? I never told anyone about it and certainly no one can get it but how did he know?
"How did you know?" Abby asked nervously
"I'm in the book business," he stated with a sarcastic smile looking at her
Abby was at the tipping point of her patience level. If she has a level between one to ten it would be around nine and a half. She was that angry at that point.
"I'm in the book business," she replied giving a glare at the man who is now just smiling mysteriously.
Why is he smiling? What's so funny? She thought to herself. She wanted to say those things but she just couldn't.
Right about now, Tim was being more than sarcastic. He needs to make sure that this woman knows that he's going to take over the book business.
"Oh I see."he started in a sarcastic tone. "Me a spy," he walks towards her still with a sarcastic tone.
Abby took a step back as Tim was walking towards her. She was scared and angry at the same time. She didn't know what was the man gonna do. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all confronting him she thought to herself.
"I got a top secret plan of a bookstore that made me really scared to my boots and i had to rush to spy on it so that it won't drive me out of business," he said sarcastically again before finally stopping with a smile.
His eyes were looking at hers before noticing that she was now holding a carving knife in front of him. Abby wanted to stab him so bad but her hands couldn't move for some reason. She was way betyond her patience level as she was gonna explode at any moment. Maybe she was just scared hurting someone.
"What?" he asks like the knife didn't scare him at all.
She just look at him with disgust. Tim just raised a brow looking at her like he was daring her to hurt him. He just chuckled looking at her.
The situation would be even worse if Ginny didn't come in time.
"Here you are Abby. I have been looking everywhere for you," Ginny said before noticing the man in front of her. Ginny didn't recognised the man as well
"Hi, Ginny Jefferson and you are?" she asks looking at Tim
"Timothy McGee," he said and Ginny's eyes widened. She quickly took the knife from Abby and looked at the man. Oh man she would have stab the man if I didn't came sooner Ginny thought to herself.
Tim looked at the woman and then at Abby. So your name is Abby huh he thought to himself
"Timothy McGee? Inventor of the superstore. Enemy of mid-list novels. Tell me how do you sleep at night?" Ginny asks him and Tim's look tells it all.
He was fuming with anger. He never felt that angry before. He knows that almost everyone hates him but no one ever told him that they hates him face to face. How dare she call him that. Good thing Tony was near as he cleared the tension
"You're Ginny Jefferson? I am a fan of your work. Your written work for history of New York is amazing!" Tony said with a grin and Ginny was smiling as well. She was blushing beyond belief as someone like Tony complimented her work. She felt a sense of accomplishment.
"Thank you! I really appreciate that," she said with a smile as Abby pulled her away
"Let's go Ginny,"Abby said pulling her and Tim was doing the same with Tony.
As they walk out, Abby just sighed with relieve as she was finally out of there away from that man
To be continued. So what did you guys think? Do leave a review or mark this as your favorite. Thanks!