Chapter 1. The Meet
MANHATTAN NEW YORK, TUESDAY 3:28 Pm BIBBLE & SIP BAKERY.
Archie Abrahams in his late 30's, a tall very fine, gorgeous British man from the U.K Westminster. He has a very strong, hot accent. Curly light brown hair with hazel green eyes but browner. Dressed very elegantly in his light blue corduroys, his grey long sleeve buttoned up shirt and light blue dress shoes with matching socks.
He’s captain of The United States Air Force, following after his father's footsteps and his mother who only owned her family restaurant, but is now taken over by his older brother Tyler who is decided not to join him nor his father.
Archie sits back in the stool chair in the bakery, constantly reading reports of the death of his mother on his laptop, trying to figure out what really went down. He sighs, he’s angry, he’s frustrated. It has only been 4 months since she passed. His wife Pamela Abrahams walks out of the woman's room and goes to sit on the stool opposite of him.
His wife a beautiful fair skinned woman a bit younger than he is 25, with luscious red hair not quite as tall, dressed in a beautiful glaze dress. She’s a social media entrepreneur. She doesn’t acknowledge him she just sits staring at her phone. He closes the laptop clearing his throat on purpose.
“What?”. She asks putting her down phone. “We all have jobs Archie”. She shrugs and stares at him waiting for him to say something, she’s impatient.
“What have I done to you to make you act like this? I'm gutted”. He asks staring at her genuinely concerned. She lets out a chuckle shaking her head. “I am the same woman that you met at Louise's housewarming party Archie nothing has changed”. Louise being their friend.
“Right, well this Friday I made us reservations at the plaza hotel for a lovely dinner something we haven’t quite had in a while outside”. He folds his arms talking to her very sternly.
“Wonderful”. She chuckles going back on her phone and flipping her hair.
He just stares at her in silence so much on his mind about his mother's death and what to do about his marriage. He then rolls his eyes and looks around in the noisy chattery bakery.
CENTRAL PARK, NYC TUESDAY 4:00 PM.
Everly Barnes, A tall Black beautiful woman with long curly light brown hair with red streaks late 30's as well, a body and face that's truly divine with light amber colored eyes and light freckles. Dressed in a beautiful denim dress with white converses on. She’s captain of fire Marshall for FDNY, married as well.
Her husband, a Caucasian way older almost hitting his 40's, Gregory Hanks a pretty decent looking dude not much to write home about. Straight black hair slick back. Always dresses in high end suits and dress shoes. A lawyer followed after his mother and father. He’s very dry and a bit of an asshole.
The two taking a stroll in central park together to get air. She looks around then suddenly stops and looks at him and smiles. He stops as well looking at her with a serious face expression.
“I miss you, I miss us”. She says overly excited given she is about to share something. She squeals. He looks at her with the same face expression.
“What?”. He asks. “I have us reservations for dinner at the plaza on Friday, I think it’ll be truly wonderful for us Greg”. She smiles patting his chest.
“Friday? How did you assume that I wouldn’t have any plans?”. He folds his arms releasing her arm from his.
She stutters. “Well, you haven’t said anything… are you? Do you?”. She looks at him that smile and excitement gone. “No, no I don’t but it’s better next time you ask Everly just because I don’t share doesn’t mean anything, shall we?”. He leads his hand towards the walkway to continue walking.
She looks sad, she nods her head and they continue walking. She doesn’t wrap her arm back around his.
HOURS LATER TUESDAY 9:54 PM ARCHIE’S PENTHOUSE IN THE CITY.
His and Pamela’s penthouse beautiful but very modern. Portraits of him in the Air Force and her pictures of herself on the wall as well. There’s only about four pictures of them together on 2 of the shelves they have.
Beautiful wooden tables on every corner of the house medium size. Some just for decoration. A spiral grey staircase and an elevator on the main floor. A big wooden elevator.
Archie in his gun- office room he grunts, it's a dark grey colored room with swords galore and guns almost every kind, rifles, pistols you name it it’s there. Knives his armor and vest. You would think he’s in the Seals.
He’s determined to figuring out what happened to his mother, he knows a car crash off a cliff was simply not the reason, he’s not that stupid.
Pamela walks into the room standing in the doorway with her arms folded, she doesn’t say anything. “You know I don’t allow anyone in here Pam”. He says turning around to face her with such a calm stern voice.
“This is our home Archie, I trust you know I wouldn’t do anything rash”. She walks into the room fully. “Yeah, like posting for your social media “fans”. He scoffs not taking her seriously.
She rolls her eyes ignoring him. “Perhaps we could cuddle and watch a movie we hardly do that anymore”. He says walking towards her placing his hands on her waist.
She chuckles. “We haven’t”. She lifts up her phone because it dings, she looks away from him going to answer whatever message she got.
He sighs and let's go of her. Archie senior, Archies's father, still a very handsome man retired vet he looks a lot like young Archie though he’s retired he is in bad dirty business same hot British accent too. He gets off the elevator and yells out for his son.
Archie grunts not having entirely the best relationship with his father. “Is that?”. Pam asks. They both walk out of the room, Archie shutting the door behind and they run down the stairs.
Archie senior smiles. “Son, Pammy love”. He nods his head.
Pam waves awkwardly. “Dad, what brings you by?”. “I can’t come to see my son?”. Pamela gives him a sideways hug he kisses her on the cheek. “Good to see you beautiful”. She walks away to let them talk.
“She still on the uh... social media?”. “Dad please”. He folds his arms. “Why are you here? It really isn’t like you to just pop up”. Indeed, his father didn’t pop up for a friendly hello. But to really see what his son had been up to given he was researching the actual cause of his mother's death.
“We haven’t really spoken much, and Tyler tells me you don’t even bother to come around or at least see how he’s doing”. He sits back onto the grey couch and puts his feet up onto the ottoman.
Archie sighs scratching his forehead. “I have been busy taking care of a lot of things dad”. He leans against the wall. Archie senior squints.
“During this heartbreaking time son, it’s better to be around family because we go at this alone, we will break apart, I am... I can’t afford my sons too, for you to just go silent and sod of”.
Archie slams his fist onto the wall not hard enough to break anything. “I’m fine, I haven’t… I can’t go there just yet as for Tyler he knows where I live”.
“Bloody hell and so do you son, lean on him stop trying to be so angry at us and pushing us away when we are all dealing with the same pain”.
He stays silent.
WEDNESDAY 1:37 AM, EVERLY AND GREGORY’S HOUSE. FOREST HILLS, QUEENS NY
Their big, beautiful white and black painted home. With 4 stories and huge black painted windows and high ceilings, her beach decor and firefighting designs. As well as Gregory’s very modern bland style in the home.
The home is simply beautiful. Chandeliers and fancy ancient mirrors like the ones shown in the late 40s.
Everly in her lonely home, whilst her husband is out partying with his lawyer friends. Her bedroom is huge, with a walk-in closet and bathroom her beach decor. She lays in bed scrolling on social media, there’s nothing else to do.
She goes go text her husband. “I love you Be safe and hurry home to me”. She sends it, she sighs she knows things have changed very much so between her and Greg.
No reply.
She goes to lay down and cuddles with her blankets and pillows, all alone.
FRIDAY 7:06 PM, THE PLAZA. THE PALM COURT
OH! How beautiful is everything and everyone the place beautiful decorated with a huge golden white chandler and palm trees.
Wooden tables and chairs the walls painted a slightly yellow cream color.
Everly dressed in a beautiful mermaid style white dress with green small fringes. Gregory dressed in a dark navy suit with a brown tie and black dress shoes.
He isn’t remotely paying attention to her he’s on his phone looking at new cases and texting friends.
She looks at him and sighs slowly sipping her lemon iced water.
Just on the other side of the table is Archie and his wife Pamela. Archie cut his hair into a buzzcut style very hot. He’s dressed in black slack pants, a light brown shirt and dress shoes and socks to match.
Pamela is dressed in a white beautiful dress down to only her knees, with her pearls and white gloves. She looks around not really paying attention to Archie.
“You look absolutely beautiful Pamela”. He says staring at her not looking elsewhere unlike her. She flips her hair and then turns to look at him. “Don’t I?”.
“Well maybe you can just focus on the two of us, no thinking about editing, or what you can post from us being here, no phones just our moment”. He speaks.
“You know social media is my life Archie, I get money from everything that I post and involve myself in you know this honey”. She says sort of upset.
“I am very well aware of the fact, but just for tonight I want it to be about us, our love our marriage”. She says nothing just staring at him. He starts to get slowly get irritated.
“Must you always order the same thing every time you go someplace?”. Gregory asks Everly looking at her a bit disgusted.
She ordered the lobster alfredo and Cesear salad. “Well… this I know I will eat Greg”. She says with a sharp tone.
“How very boring”. He comments. “And please do let me know what you are ordering then, since my order seems to be so boring and apparently not tasteful”. Her tone rises.
“Lower your tone when you talk to me, and don’t put words into my mouth Everly”. He says with a smiteful tone leaning back looking into the menu.
“This night is supposed to be about us, about why we got together in the first place, the things we used to do”. She says with tears filling her eyes.
“You want to dwell on the past instead of looking forward Everly?”. She suddenly gets up from her chair ready to burst into tears.
“Sit down, you are causing a scene, and I dare not have anyone look at us the wrong way because you can’t control your anger”.
“I have to use the restroom”. She says angrily getting up to walk away.
Archie gets up frustrated with Pamela he walks away towards Everly. Everlyn sniffles slowly sobbing.
She trips on her shoe bumping into Archie, Archie slowly grabs her gently staring into her face, well she’s beautiful he thought. He had to make sure she was ok.
“Blimey are you, ok?”. He asks still staring at her.
She wipes her tears and shakes her head. “Quite fine I just… I guess I wasn’t paying attention… I’m sorry”. “No, no you’re alright”. He looks at her ring.
“Married?”. He asks standing there. “Yes… 15 years, you?”. She says dusting off her dress, he chuckles. “17, I came here to remind us of what we once were, who we were, getting together for the first time”.
She chuckles. “Likewise, actually I guess I felt so… distant I wanted it to be like when we first met”. She shrugs knowing it doesn’t feel that way at all.
He notices little bruise marks behind her ear and on the side of her neck. “Might I ask what is your name?”. “Everly”. “That's… unique I’m Archie”. They shake hands chuckling.
Grabs a cloth from one of the tables and hands it to her. “Pretty sure you were going to the loo for that specific reason and probably to fix your makeup”.
She chuckles wanting to cry some more and grabs the cloth. “Thank you… really, pleasure meeting you”. “You too”. She walks back to her table and sits on chair and just looks at her husband in disappointment.
“Took you long enough, I ordered you the same as me caviar”. He fixes his tie. “Well, I won’t be eating that so”. He rolls his eyes at her response.
Pamela tweeting to her fans on her cellphone not paying any mind to Archie. Archie gets up and walks to Everly’s table purposely but trying to make it seem like he just stumbled there.
“My oh My, EVERLY IS THAT YOU?! Man, I haven’t seen you since high school”. Archie chuckles looking at Gregory with disgust knowing he puts his hands on her.
Everly stutters, laughing. “Arch… hi wow it has been… many years”. She looks at him so confused. “Archie”. He says to Gregory introducing himself.
“Gregory, her husband, must you have this little reunion here?”. Gregory asks with such sass in his tone crossing his legs.
“I shall, my wife and I in fact, I mean especially seeing you clearly are busy with whatever rubbish you're doing”. He sees Gregory with his notepad and phone out.
“He’s a lawyer”. Everly adds. “And yourself?”. Archie turns to her.
“Captain of fire Marshall for the Fire Department City Of New York”. Archie chuckles amazed. “Wow how time flies”. “And what is it you do Archie?”. Gregory’s dying to know.
“Airman United States Air force, well captain I should say too”. He chuckles, Everly just stares at him she says nothing, but she too is impressed.
Pamela walks to the table. “Hi babe...what are you doing?”. “I used to go to school with her we were the best of friends”. Archie chuckles going to grab a table to add to their table and chairs. “Hi, Pamela”. Pamela introduces herself.
They sit opposite of them.
“Everly, this is my husband Greg”. She does a halfway smile.
“This night was supposed to be only us Archie babe”. Pamela says rubbing his big bulky arm. “Yeah, but you were too busy with your fans I'm not daft Pamela love”.
