Aurora

Chapter 2 | Archer

"Tell them I'm taking the afternoon off, I'll be back in the office tomorrow." My assistant Lacey starts to speak, but I hang up the phone before I hear her voice. I know the meeting with the Ellery company was this afternoon, but I guess Bryan and Anastasia Ellery have to wait another day before I talk about their restaurants being included in our new hotel chain in Colorado.

"Mr. Graff." John, my doorman, greets me. I nod in his direction and he holds open the door for me to answer.

The second the door opens, I hear yelling inside. I hurry inside and freeze when I see the two girls in front of the desk. The brunette has her fist on the desk, she's speaking with Harper, my desk manager.

Harper sees me and she finally relaxes.

"Evangeline." I speak up. The blonde girl stiffens. The hostile brunette turns around first. I recognize her as Sophia, Evangeline's best friend. "Harper, they're with me. Can I have the keys to the 36th?"

The two girls step aside so I can reach the desk. Harper hands me the two cards. "You're back early," she says. "I didn't know-"

"It's okay, I know," I answer. I gave Harper orders to brush anyone off who shows up at the place unannounced. She's doing an excellent job, I shouldn't be punishing her for information I did not give her.

I turn to my wife and her best friend. "Follow me." Then I turn and head to my private elevator. The first 35 floors of my building are all hotel rooms for guests. The 36th to 40th are private floors for guests. The 40thbeing my own penthouse.

There are also two elevators. One is on the right side of the lobby. That one takes the guests up to the 35th. The elevator on the right side with the security guard named Samuel guarding it takes me, my father, stepmother, or any of my guests. Evangeline and Sophia being my guests.

"I go by Bobby." Evangeline says. Those are the first words she says to me with a sober mind.

I turn my head to look at her, but don't respond to what she's saying. I know her full name. I know everything there is to know about her. I better know everything considering I pay a large sum every month to Luca Deveraux and his security company to keep an eye out for her.

We step into the elevator and I press the button.

"The 36th floor is where you will be staying for the time being. It has two bedrooms, each with a separate entrance in case you get separated one day." I explain the basics to them.

"I told you we'd be staying here." Sophia whispers.

"Shut up." Evangeline, or apparently Bobby, whispers back. Then she turns her attention on me. I see her turn her gaze towards me in the corners of my eye. "I'm sorry we just came by so unannounced."

"It wasn't that unannounced, it's fine."

I look at her through the mirroring wall of the elevator. She's puzzled by my statement. Obviously Luca told me the second a plane ticket got reserved on her name, so I knew she was coming. If only that didn't happen less than 24 hours ago.

"You stalked me?"

"Define stalking."

She laughs. It's not the same laugh she so generously gave me right after we both said 'I do' at the little chapel in Vegas when some guy dressed as Elvis married us. This is a more sarcastic laugh. I wonder if I ever get to see that other laugh again.

I know she's here to get a divorce, so I probably won't see that laugh again. Shame, because she's a stunning girl.

"Listen-" she starts, but I interrupt her before she has the chance to speak.

"Join me for dinner tonight." It's not a question, it's a demand. "If it's okay with your friend, I'd like it to be just you and me so we can talk about that one night and how to move forward."

She closes her mouth. I hold back a laugh. This girl has no idea that being direct is crucial for a businessman. Time is money, and I can't skip more meetings with the Ellery family empire. If she's here for clarity, then I'd like to give that as soon as possible.

But if she wants a divorce, that I cannot do. And that I will not do. Being

"Do I have a choice?"

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open. The hallway to the door is short. There's only one apartment on this floor and as of today, it's occupied. "This is the key to the apartment," I explain, holding the card in front of the little square next to the entrance. The red light turns green and the door unlocks. I open it and step aside so the girls can go in first.

"So the door in front is to the living area. You can enter any room through the living area and this will probably be the door you use most. The door on the right is the extra entrance to bedroom one, the left is bedroom two."