Nerdy Girl Nation (Nerdy Girl #1) Read online

  Emma removed the book and flipped through the worn pages. She remembered the day her mother took her beloved geometry book away and placed the Tolkien novel in her hands instead. A little girl with a head for numbers needed a release, according to her wise mother. Thus, her love for fantasy bloomed. Her mother opened a Pandora’s Box that would never close with one simple gift. The book expanded Emma’s world and helped her create new ones in the recesses of her mind.

  Two chapters in, her eyes began to water, and exhaustion took hold. A memory of her mother’s voice whispering to sleep tight and dream of sweet tomorrows hung in the air. The picture of her mother’s smile comforted her while she drifted off.

  What seemed like only moments later, Emma’s phone beeped with a text message. Her first thought, Terrance. Perhaps something about the meeting scheduled for the next week, then the notion struck her: she wasn’t sure if she worked for him anymore. She put on her glasses, picked up the phone, and checked the text. An unknown number informed her to check the Gossip Greeting website.

  She clicked the Internet browser on her phone and found the top story.

  AMERICA’S FAVORITE HUNTRESS GETS FIRED!

  The news spread faster than she thought. The network tried to keep the big dramas out of the press until the specific episode aired. Since the episodes they were filming at the moment wouldn’t air for at least six months, the last few days wouldn’t be a surprise to their viewers..

  One more click and she started the video under the headline.

  The familiar face of Garrett Green came on the screen.

  “Can it be true? Our hearts are breaking with the news of our favorite nerdy girl being fired. Rumors are flying fast and furious about a blow up between Emma MacLean and Irene Hunt. These are two of the women featured on the reality show Hunt for Life, following the escapades of billionaire Terrance Hunt.

  “Mr. Hunt is said to be vacationing and unavailable for an official comment, but an inside source from the show reports Irene burst into Emma’s office and fired her. Miss MacLean was later escorted out by security with cameras still following her. We’re keeping our fingers crossed Emma stays on the show.

  “Further investigation led us to a network-owned jet flying Emma and a small crew to Logan International. Viewers might remember Emma’s hometown of Marblehead is right outside of Boston. After we had figured out she returned home, we discovered some rather sad news. Emma’s mother and Marblehead’s mayor, Elaine MacLean, died in a tragic car accident yesterday morning. Our thoughts are with Emma and her family at this difficult time.

  “While we haven’t reached out to Emma, we hope she will come to us when the time is right. If you’re watching this Emma, we love you and hope to see you soon.”

  Emma couldn’t read the article or any of the comments. She discerned Garrett probably sent her the text. They formed a friendship when his Internet gossip show became her personal cheerleader during season one. The sudden fame overwhelmed her at first, and Garrett rallied the Nerdy Girl Nation to support her.

  She pulled up Garrett’s contact information and sent him a text telling him she would call him after the funeral, not to worry.

  “Terrance, you idiot!” Aaron Russell laughed when he finished watching Garrett Green’s report. “The girl is gold.” He flipped his laptop shut and reached for his tumbler of scotch. Out of his chair and over to his office window, Aaron admired the Boston skyline.

  After he had drained the glass dry, the fog of an idea settled over his mind.

  While Terrance amassed billions, Aaron’s accounts totaled over eleven figures. He turned a failed wrestling circuit into an international sensation, garnered himself millions of dollars and household recognition. He would admit Terrance’s seed money helped, but Aaron paid him back ten times over. The time for Aaron to take a little from his old pal arrived. The International Wrestling Association needed Emma MacLean to take them to the next level.

  Aaron had been fortunate to form an amazing relationship with Emma since they met through Terrance four years earlier. Few people knew of their friendship since most of their time together took place off camera. If not for the twenty-year age difference, he might have considered a more intimate relationship with her. For now, he would put out the proverbial olive branch and offer Emma the chance of a lifetime, a career with the IWA.

  The pulsating jets of his tiny shower worked wonders on Rob’s sore muscles. After another day at the IWA training facility, where he mentored some of the newer wrestlers, he became mindful of his age.

  Should I be feeling like this at only thirty?

  Rob shook his head at the thought and splashed more water on the shower wall. In one sense, he hit his peak at thirty. In the best shape of his life, Rob “Bobby” Breyer weighed two hundred and twenty pounds with less than ten percent body fat. Stretched over his six foot four frame with messy dark brown hair and clear blue eyes, women wanted him and men strived to be him.

  All of his friends outside the business married and started families years ago. The guys would complain about feeding and sleep schedules or soccer practice conflicting with a birthday party. Things he wanted to complain about. He needed to stop living vicariously through his friends. Not everybody wanted to be the cool uncle. Rob wanted to be a dad, but so far, no woman made him crave to take the leap with her.

  Emptiness continued to hold him in a tight grasp. No woman curbed the loneliness in the morning after moments. Alcohol had been his mistress for a time, but the lady spun his life out of control. Every day of the last nine years was spent fighting off the cravings. Meetings at least once a week and a sponsor on speed dial certainly helped.

  One final rinse and he hopped out of the shower. He walked into the bedroom in only a towel and turned on the TV to the opening credits of Hunt for Life.

  Emma MacLean’s face came across his forty-seven-inch screen. Rob’s blood began to pump faster, and his heart rate picked up speed. He threw on some boxers before he sat to focus on the first moments of the episode.

  After few minutes, they showed Emma’s inner sanctum, her apartment. During the first season, she attended meetings and business functions. As her fan base started to grow, so did her airtime. By the time the second season aired, Emma socialized with Terrance and his wife on vacations and dinners at the most exclusive restaurants.

  Rob cherished a more intimate glimpse into Emma’s life. They showed her making a gourmet dinner for a few co-workers to enjoy at her dining room table.

  A raw, unyielding pleasure filled him when he heard her laugh before she took a sip of wine. The sight of her licking remnants of wine from her lips turned him into the eighteen-year-old he’d been when he first set eyes on her.

  Twelve years.

  Hard to believe twelve years passed since he’d knocked her over and ruined her shirt at an IWA event in Boston. Rob apologized numerous times, embarrassed beyond belief. He took her and her brother backstage to get her a new shirt and to meet some of the wrestlers. Emma and her brother posed for pictures with his father, Big Bobby Breyer, who held the heavyweight champion title at the time. The awe on her face throughout the night leveled all his defenses. The moment presented itself and he went in for a kiss when she withdrew. He heard her say “boyfriend” and the smile fell from her lips.

  Fate tempted him again only a few months later when he found himself as a participant in the high school wrestling nationals. He won the finalist spot from Maryland and Emma’s boyfriend, Derek McInerney, represented Massachusetts. Rob reconnected with Emma and befriended Derek over the few day span of the tournament. Derek and Rob advanced to the final match to face each other, and Rob pulled out with a hard win. The win meant nothing compared to how Emma hugged and kissed Derek after the loss. Rob would’ve gladly taken the loss if he had Emma to console him.

  He discerned a few facts about Emma’s life over the last few years. Single and living in LA. Gossip Greeting boasted how Emma never missed an IWA broadcast.

  The i
dea struck him so quick; the air whooshed from his lungs. Emma and his boss, Aaron Russell, knew each other. Some even called them friends. An invite from Aaron to the event in LA at the end of June wouldn’t be odd. He made a mental note to talk with Aaron during their next meeting.

  Rob turned his attention back to the end of the episode with Emma and Terrance celebrating the culmination of a big deal. He turned off the TV, climbed under the blankets, and prepared himself for another dream starring Emma MacLean.

  Not long after he fell asleep, Rob’s phone beeped with a text message. He rubbed his eyes and read the message. His best friend and fellow wrestler, Chance, texted to tell him to check out the Gossip Greeting website.

  He scrolled through the article with a lump in his throat and viewed the video.

  Emma’s mother was gone. He massaged the ache taking over his bare chest.

  What can I do? Is there anything I can say?

  His mind flipped through the protocols of what to do when an acquaintance experiences this type of loss? Cards and flowers? Yes, but what kind of flowers?

  He glanced at the clock. It was late, but he knew she’d be up.

  She picked up after the second ring. “Hello, Sweetie. Why are you calling so late?”

  “Hi, Mom. I just needed to ask you a few questions.”

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

  “Um.” Where did he start? How could he explain? “Well, I just found out someone I met several years ago lost her mother recently.”

  “Oh, how awful.”

  “Yeah. I never met her mother, but I wanted to send something to the family. I’m not sure what, though.”

  “Tricia Phillips got something last month when her sister passed away.” Rob heard the rustling of papers on his mother’s end of the line. “Here it is. Do you have a pen?”

  Rob wrote down the information his mother gave him and thanked her before saying goodnight.

  With his laptop booted up, he found the website his mother suggested and placed an order with overnight shipping.

  Even though the clock on his phone read after midnight, Rob grabbed a few sheets of paper and a pen to write a letter to Emma and her family.

  “What’s for breakfast?” Emma asked her sister-in-law, Annie, while she sat down at the kitchen table with her laptop.

  “Take your pick. Mrs. Blakely’s Potato Chip Tuna Casserole or Mrs. Savoy’s Chocolate Lava Bundt Cake?”

  Emma smiled and licked her lips at the sight of the cake. “Cake, definitely.”

  Annie cut her a big slice and handed the cake to her on a plate with a fork. “Searching for another job so soon?”

  “No,” Emma answered while she scrolled through her emails. “The executive producer is supposed to email me a codicil to my contract about filming while I’m here. He’s going to give me final approval before anything airs.”

  “Unusual,” Annie remarked and sat down across from Emma with her piece of cake.

  “Troy’s wonderful. You should see my blooper reel. I’d be mortified if some stuff ever aired.” She shivered at the thought. The fact she often forgot to turn off her personal microphone threw the crew into hysterics at times. “Here it is.” She pulled up the email and downloaded the attachment.

  “So is there anything going on there?” Annie took a bite of her cake.

  “No,” she replied firmly.

  “Is there anybody?” Annie reached across the table and grabbed Emma’s hand.

  Emma shook her head, slipped her hand out from underneath Annie’s, and scanned her screen.

  “I thought they kept the personal stuff off the show. Your love life is off limits.”

  “What love life?” Emma scoffed.

  “You dated the writer guy, Patrick, for what, a year before you told any of us, and I’m one of your best friends. Within a few months, poof. Bye-bye, Patrick.”

  “Yeah, because I found out the magazine he worked for wanted him to dig up dirt on Terrance for a story. Guys only seem to sniff around to get close to Terrance. All the fame or interest people see in me is because of him.” Emma re-read a few lines her morning-addled brain didn’t comprehend.

  “What is the Nerdy Girl Nation, huh? Those kids admire you. You’re a role model. Charlotte is so proud of you. She has at least five Nerdy Girl Nation tee shirts she wears to school. She even asked to get glasses like yours even though her eyesight is perfect.”

  Emma pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose out of habit. She didn’t realize how much Charlotte wanted to emulate her until that moment.

  After Garrett Green declared Emma’s followers as the Nerdy Girl Nation, she decided much more needed to be done with the name. She started a charity specializing in education about bullying to schools, parents, and educators. The charity’s headquarters was in one of the several teen outreach centers in LA. Not spending time with the kids would be one of the most painful things about leaving her life on the west coast behind.

  “I love how I’m able to help those people, but if not for Terrance, there wouldn’t be a Nerdy Girl Nation.”

  “You’re not going to abandon them, are you?”

  Emma closed her laptop and placed her attention on their conversation. “No. As long as they want me, I’m eager to lead the charge. But life won’t be too interesting the rest of the season. Helping my dad run the charter business won’t be very exciting. “

  “You’re going to work for Mick?” Annie seemed shocked.

  “I said I would for a while. I still haven’t heard from Terrance, but I don’t want to live in LA anymore. I moved out there for him. I want to be here with you guys. Besides, I need to bond with my nephew. Is he awake yet?”

  “Yes,” Annie sighed. “He hasn’t slept well here the past two nights we’ve stayed here. He misses his crib at home. Harry’s giving him his bottle and a bath.”

  Emma cut into the cake with her fork while all the things to be done before the funeral ran through her mind.

  “Nell seems to be MIA. Where is she?”

  Annie’s identical twin sister and Emma’s other best friend, Nell De Lacy, evaded the MacLean household. Odd since she usually appeared the second Emma arrived home.

  “She’s not doing too well.” Annie’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Emma took Annie’s hand in hers. “She saw the accident and got to your mother first. The medics told her she did all she could.”

  “But Nell doesn’t believe them.” Emma closed her eyes and imagined what her friend saw when she came upon the accident. Elaine MacLean wasn’t only Annie’s mother-in-law, but a surrogate mother to Nell and their younger brother, Seamus, as well. “Please tell her to come over. She shouldn’t be alone.”

  “I’ll tell her, but she’s as obstinate you are.” Annie rolled her eyes.

  Nell’s tender soul suffered as much as Emma’s over the years, yet they never gave up hope they could be happy with who they are someday. So much alike, sometimes people would believe the two sisters instead of friends. They both were shy and introverted growing up. If not for Annie, the two would’ve been happy to spend every weekend watching episodes of Doctor Who and pouring over the latest science journal articles.

  With a glance at the clock on the microwave, Emma saw the time. “Al and Ben will be here soon. How about I get dressed then get in some baby time. You can fill me in on what I’ve missed these last few weeks while Sam and I play.”

  “I will even allow you to post a picture of you, Sam, and Harry. Let your fans see how you’re doing.”

  “The whole thing hasn’t hit me yet I don’t think. I’ve spent so much time controlling my emotions. I’m half expecting her to walk through the door with her beat-up leather bag and give us both a hug.”

  “I understand. Now finish your cake before the camera gets here. I don’t think Mrs. Savoy wants her secret recipe to get out.”

  Emma took a big bite of her cake and moaned.

  The sun’s rays warmed every inch of Terrance’s skin as he snoozed i
n the hammock outside his vacation home on the small island of Tinos in the Greek Isles. No cameras, no phones, only sunshine and fresh air for two more days.

  The slight sway of the hammock caused him to open his eyes. His wife of thirty-one years stood above him. He smiled with delight.

  At fifty-five, Lydia Hunt didn’t appear a day over thirty-five and all without the aid of any cosmetic surgery. His libido stirred as much at the moment as it did when they first married. He took her hand and tried to bring her down for a kiss when he noted her worried expression.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I’ve gotten word from Troy. We need to cut our trip short.” She pulled on his hand and got him out of the hammock.

  Terrance wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist and waited for her to drop the bad news.

  “Irene took advantage of your absence and fired Emma.”

  “What? She can’t do that.” Terrance let go of Lydia and fell into a nearby chair. “They never got along, but why the hell would she fire her?”

  “Something about a missed conference call with London.”

  Terrance dug through his memory. He remembered the scheduled call, a mere formality of the deal. Nothing so important to require Emma’s presence. “I don’t understand.”

  “Terrance?” Lydia took his hands in hers. “Troy sent the footage, but … Emma found out her mother died after a car accident. The cameraman told Troy he believed she was in shock after she received the call.”

  “Elaine? Oh my, God. I need to call Emma. And Mick.” He clasped his hand over his mouth at the thought of Emma’s father. “Did Irene hear about this?”

  “Not at the time, but she told Troy it didn’t matter. You gave Irene carte blanche while we’re away.”

  “Not to fire a Vice President of the company.” Terrance sensed his daughter didn’t get along with Emma, but Emma shrugged off Irene’s attitude and did the job. He never believed Irene to be so cruel.

  “I’ll get your phone,” Lydia said as she caressed his cheek. “You make your calls and I’ll start packing.”

  He nodded and wondered what the hell to say.