The nanny from hell

Part 15

"Dec?...DEC?"

There was complete silence from the other end of the phone as Ali waited for a response.

"Shit" was just about all he managed to mumble.

"What are we going to do Dec?" Ali sobbed.

"I...I don't know" Dec stuttered.

His head was in a complete spin from this new information and it was slowly beginning to dawn on him just how much it could affect his career,his marriage,his family...everything!

"We have to stop this" Ali stated,after regaining her composure.

"I don't think we can" Dec replied quietly "if it's out in the morning,the papers will more than likely have already been printed and as for anything else...?Well,I just don't want to think about that"

"Well,we have to think about it Declan" Ali snapped "we have to do something,call your lawyer or something"

"Just give me a bit of time ok sweetheart?" Dec pleaded "it still hasn't sunk in,it's still early here and I'm too tired to even think straight,I'll call you back later OK?"

"Ok" Ali sighed,now accepting that she wasn't going to get much sense out of her husband just yet "get some rest and I'll talk to you later"

After they said their goodbyes,Dec sat on the bed,staring at the wall,totally numb about what was happening.

He picked up his phone and texted Ant to cancel their planned game of golf,then laid down on the bed and sobbed into the pillow...desperate,harsh tears that burnt his eyes.

"Something's not right" Ant announced to Anne-Marie as he stared at his phone.

"What's not right?" She asked curiously.

"Dec" Ant frowned "this message he sent"

"What does it say?" Anne-Marie enquired.

Ant read the message out loud to his wife.

"Sorry mate" it began "feeling a bit under the weather,so will have to leave golf for today,hopefully you can do something fun with Anne-Marie?see ya in the morning"

"What's wrong with that?" Anne-Marie asked "just sounds like he's not feeling well,so resting is the right thing for him to do,so he'll hopefully be bright eyed and bushy tailed for tomorrow's show"

"I'm not buying it" Ant stated firmly "I know him better than he knows himself and that message just doesn't sound like him,he'd have to be on his death bed to cancel golf and he was fine earlier"

"You're being ridiculous" Anne-Marie laughed.

"Maybe I am" Ant shrugged "but I still need to check on him and if he's genuinely ill...then fine,I'll leave him to rest,but I need to see it with my own eyes"

"You're not his babysitter you know?" Anne-Marie smiled.

"Aren't I?" Ant replied seriously "Ali has gone home,so who's gonna look out for him if not me?"

"He's a grown man" Anne-Marie shrugged "he can look out for himself"

"Can he?" Ant asked seriously "you've known since day one that I'll always take care of him,that's my job"

"Yeah,I know it is" Anne-Marie smiled and got up to kiss her husband "and that's what I love about you...how caring you are...OK,go and check on your bestie"

Ant smiled and kissed her cheek,before making his way next door to Dec's suite.

Ant knocked firmly on the door,but there was no answer.