Abel

Chapter 4 - Part 2

"What!" Abel gripped the phone, feeling the very anger Andy had tried to warn him about. "He had no connection to the mafia, and my dad's been dead for over ten years. Who the fuck is digging that far back?"

"It's all bullshit." Andy reminded him urgently. "This is what I've been trying to warn you about. It's all for ratings—viewers—in this case, traffic to their blog. Apparently these bloggers are trying to start something, and if it takes off, it'll be all over, true or not. But you cannot react to any of it and give McKinley's camp something to try and bait you with and trip you up. I'm telling you they'd love nothing more than to get into that head of yours. You already have the media dubbing you Aweless Ayala for your indifference to all the hype and your continued ability to stay out of the limelight. Most newcomers eat up the attention. This, I'm sure, is making them nervous. They're wondering why you're so sure of yourself and maybe even wondering if you're hiding something—a secret weapon perhaps. At this stage of the game, paranoia is rampant. So I can guarantee you they're trying figure out just how to get to you and push your buttons."

Abel took a deep breath. Fucking sensationalism. He'd always known, even way before he thought he'd have a chance at the title, that he'd hate this part of the process. He'd seen it play out firsthand with his friends, Felix and Gio. "No one's getting in my head," he said with conviction and he meant it.

"Atta boy," Andy said the relief coming through loud and clear. "I'll keep you updated on what you need to know, but in the meantime, you concentrate on training and fuck all this other shit. Avoid making any statements or answering any questions without checking with me first."

"You got it."

Still wearing his earpiece, Abel got out of the car. He had no intention whatsoever of following up on this bullshit story. His conversation with Andy though frustrating had served at least one purpose. It had gotten his mind off his thoughts of Nellie and her breakfast date. That is until Andy mentioned one more thing.

"Listen, I'm not gonna make that 5k run you're doing in San Francisco this week after all. The folks over at the Today Show found out I'll be in New York on Monday and wanted to set up something while I'm out there to see about getting you and Felix on the show together." Abel could already hear the excitement in Andy's voice. He lived for this shit. "I almost said no, but then I got a call from the Letterman show too. I can kill two birds with one stone, and this is huge compared to the run in Frisco. So I'll have to stay in New York a few days longer than I planned. You should be okay. Still, I don't want you out there alone. You'll have security, of course, but I've got some calls out to a few people who might be able to meet you out there. This way you don't have to worry about coordinating any of the last-minute requests for interviews or signings."

Abel slowed just before entering the gym. "Coordinating?" He couldn't help smiling. "I think I may know someone who'd be perfect for the job."

"You do?"

"Yeah, and I'd feel better because I know this person. I wouldn't be out there with someone I've never met."

"Cool, give me a number and name and I'll get on it."

"Nah," Abel opened the door to gym and started in. "I got this. I'll call you when I know for sure and give you whatever details you need."

***

After Abel had worked two hours on his speed, rhythm, and timing on the speed bag, Gio forced him to take a break. "Take fifteen, and then I'll meet you in the ring for some sparring." Gio said, already pulling out his phone.

Abel headed for his locker with one thing in on his mind. Nellie's breakfast date should be over by now. If it wasn't, he was interrupting it. This Logan guy had had her long enough. "Time's up," he muttered as he pulled his own phone out of his locker.