Read Online Breaking News by Fern Michaels - Free Book Online Page B

referred to them.
    Tonight she’d been invited to attend the premiere of what Hollywood insiders were calling the movie of the year, a shoo-in for an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. Sandra Bullock had the starring female lead, with George Clooney as the leading man, in As Time Goes By, a love story that took place during the Holocaust.
    Abby had splurged on an exquisite Carolina Herrera gown, a two-tone satin gown in Paris Poppy red with a one-shoulder neckline and a mermaid pleated back. She’d had to have a few alterations done, given her petite size. Abby would wear the diamond earrings given to her by her mother for her sixteenth birthday, would carry a small matching clutch, and would wear heels, but that was it. Nothing too flashy for her. She didn’t want to be accused of trying to upstage the stars, but she didn’t want to show up in some off-the-rack garb from last season, either. She thought that she’d reached a happy medium with her choice.
    The icing on the cake—Chris was going to attend the event with her. Wanting to stay out of the limelight as much as possible since his much-publicized nightmare with Laura Leighton, he’d dropped most of his clients, telling Abby he was easing out of entertainment law. Said it was time for a second career. Abby had asked him what he had in mind, but he had yet to reveal any plans to her.
    â€œWoof! Woof!” Chester, her six-year-old German shepherd, barked, letting her know he wanted her attention.
    â€œYes, I know. You want to go outside.” Abby dutifully opened the French doors that led to her fenced-in backyard, where Chester would watch the squirrels and occasionally give chase, though he never tried very hard to catch them. She’d adopted him from a shelter as a Christmas gift to herself. He’d been her constant companion ever since. When she was working as a reporter at The Informer, she would take him to work with her, and when she was on what she thought of as a Hollywood stakeout, she always brought him along for protection. He’d become a permanent fixture at the paper, and she hoped to keep him around as long as humanly possible. He was her very best friend.
    Leaving him outside to do his thing, Abby glanced at the clock. It was getting late. She needed to start getting ready for tonight’s event. Her dress hung in a plastic bag in the closet; her shoes were still in the box. Unlike most of tonight’s attendees, she’d opted to do her own hair and makeup. Besides, she wasn’t one for all the glitz and glamour. Abby liked to observe and report, nothing more. But she had to admit that she was excited about tonight’s premiere. Not because of the movie’s star-studded cast. No, she was excited because it was really the first time she would be attending such an event with Chris as her date.
    Since his nightmare experience with Laura Leighton, Chris had treated her like an entirely different person. Especially since they’d admitted their love for one another. She recalled quite clearly the night they admitted this to each other.
    Abby had written about Chris and Laura being stranded in a blizzard, though she omitted the part about Laura Leighton wanting to blow up World Con Studios. They’d shared a phone call; then, out of the blue, he’d called her back. She recalled the conversation quite clearly.
    She answered on the first ring. “What?”
    â€œDid I ever tell you your telephone etiquette sucks?”
    â€œWhat?” Abby said again.
    â€œYou need to learn how to answer the phone properly.”
    â€œYou called me just to tell me that? Chris Clay, have you been nipping at the bottle?”
    He cracked up laughing. “Nipping, Abby? What’s that? A new Hollywood term for drunks?”
    She couldn’t help but laugh. “No, Chris, it’s not. Now tell me, why are you calling me at this ungodly hour? I have to be at work in a few hours. Unlike some