Chapter 22 Curtain Call – Aurora
CURTAIN CALL
AURORA
Iguess it's pretty lucky Linette Berkley set everything up for me to get to the airport as well as the flight to Atlantic City since I no longer have a fucking car.
Didn't really think that one through.
The waiting is the worst. I've never been an early riser—definitely not on purpose—but this morning I woke up before my five a.m. alarm and have been packed, ready to go, and pacing the apartment since.
It's perfectly natural to be anxious about this, I keep telling myself, echoing the words of Elijah last night.
It was meant to be the final briefing before the official meeting with Ambrose today and even though Seven and Elijah seemed to handle it well, there was no denying how strange it felt not to have Atticus there.
To be fair, I thought he would be there. He's the man with the plan. I was mentally prepared to see him, but, apparently, I wasn't mentally prepared for him not to show.
The others said he was busy getting things packed up and ready at the house since they had to leave sooner than me to make the long drive.
Sounded like bullshit. When Elijah left for the bathroom, I called Seven out on it and he admitted Atty needed a minute after what I did the night before.
Said he hadn't seen him so messed up over something in years.
Seven also demanded a detailed accounting of how exactly I drove the car off the bypass. His eyes glimmered when I explained how I jumped out of the moving car a totally safe distance from the edge of the unfinished road.
I had to tell him to stop grinning. It isn't something to smile about. It was reckless and a risk to this mission.
"I bet it felt damn good, though," he'd pressed, and I had to admit, for a second, it really did.
But I didn't anticipate Atticus flipping the script. The fact he wasn't there on the eve of our biggest move yet shouldn't have bothered me, but it did.
It's still bothering me.
I should have my head in the game, getting myself ready for what's to come today, but that controlling, infuriating asshole is all I can seem to think about no matter how hard I try to kick him out of my mind.
When a knock at the door comes promptly at six in the morning, I'm so amped up I have to take a second to ground myself before I can open it.
I'm really hoping it's the dog sitter and not my ride arriving early. I'm also hoping whoever Atty picked to watch Ellie passes the vibe check because I am not leaving her with just anyone.
I mean, I get why the guys can't watch her for me, but I don't like the idea of a stranger staying with her even if it's only for twenty-four hours.
When I open the door, there are not one but two people there waiting for me. I know the surprise must be clear on my face, and instead of trying to cover it up, I lean into it. It's perfectly normal to be surprised when there's more than one person at your door.
Ellie pushes past me to sniff Céline while the driver, a man in a sleek black suit, stands at attention behind her.
"You must be Aurora," Céline says in a near-perfect American accent, and extends her hand. "I'm Céce, from Rover."
I shake her hand and mentally slap Atticus for not telling me it was going to be her. Granted, I'm sure he hadn't expected for her to arrive at the exact same time as my ride to the airport.
"Right," I say. "Céce. Thanks so much for agreeing to watch Ellie on short notice."
How the hell did Atticus manage to convince Céline to come all the way from Paris to watch my dog?
"Sorry," I call to the driver. "I'll be a few more minutes to get the pet sitter settled."
The driver nods. "Can I take your bag?"
I forgot the little rolling carry-on was by the door, and I wheel it out to the walk for him. "Yeah, thanks. Be right there."
Quickly, I usher Céline into the house and call Ellie back from trying to chase the driver to the car.
As soon as the door shuts, I'm dragging Céline to the living room. Ellie follows, sniffing around her and looking for attention that Céline gives with a smile, scratching her around the ears.
"Céline, what are you doing here?"
"Apparently," she starts, back in her natural French accent as Ellie licks her hand and she chuckles. "I am watching your dog. Ellie, is it? Hello, Ellie."
Ellie groans playfully, preening at the attention. She flops onto her side, exposing her belly for scratches like a total loaf.
"I don't…" I'm still reeling. "When did you—"
"Atticus phoned me yesterday," she explains in a whisper.
"Said I need to come and offered me—" Her eyes widen.
"—a lot of money. He wants me to watch your dog and also to walk her when you are in classes at school.
He said something happened to your car, and you will need to take a bus?
I don't understand why he does not buy you another one, but I think it's something to do with their less-than-legal dealings, yes?
Probably why he said to 'be American' and not to use my real name. "
I gape at her.
What the fuck?
"You should go," she tells me. "Your driver is waiting."
I shake my head. Well, at least it is someone I know, and someone I'm inclined to trust. "Right, yeah. I should show you where everything is for her and—"
She tuts, shaking her head. "Atticus already explained everything. I'm to call him if I have any questions. Don't worry, we'll have a lot of fun, won't we, Ellie?"
Ellie barks.
"Yes," Céline says. "Want to go for a walk, pretty dog?"
She barks again, and I have a feeling they'll get along fine.
"Be good for Céce," I tell Ellie. "No pulling on your leash." I give Céline a look. "She does that sometimes, and she's strong, so be careful."
"I might be old, but I'm as tough as they come. We'll be fine."
Everything about the journey to Atlantic City screams try-hard.
From the hour-and-a-half drive in the luxury car with its fancy driver to the first-class ticket waiting for me at check-in at the airport.
The pod the airline stewardess directed me to when I boarded was super freaking fancy, but paled by comparison to the private jet the guys took me on to Paris.
If I'm not careful, a girl would get used to all this luxury…
The champagne was a nice touch, and even though my stomach was in no state to eat when I left the apartment a few hours before, when they set the full-service lunch down on my table in the air, I couldn't help having a few nibbles.
Who knew airplane food could actually be decent?
But I know better than to be lulled into a false sense of security by any of it.
As soon as I take my phone off airplane mode, a slew of text messages from Maisie bubbles onto the screen. I tense as I skim the first few.
Maisie
OH MY GOD I heard about what happened! It's all over the news.
Is it true? Was it your car? Is that why you're not in class today?
I hope they catch whoever stole it. Fucking assholes.
If you need a ride to class or anything, let me know, okay?
Great. Going to be so fun dealing with that when I get back.
Aurora
Yes, it was mine, but I'm fine. Just pissed off. I'll let you know if I need a ride. You're the best!
When I'm off the plane and into the airport, I take a few minutes in the restroom before heading to the arrivals hall, where Linette has said she'll be waiting for me.
I flip down the lid of the toilet in the stall and set my carry-on atop it, unzipping the case with tingling fingers.
Then, like the guys explained to me, I take the bottle opener on my key ring and use it to pry open the Kindle I needed to pack. It's way harder than I thought it would be, and for a second, I panic, thinking I won't be able to crack it apart, but then I do.
I blow out a breath and separate the two halves enough to see the little tracker bugs and the listening device hidden inside. I know I'm wasting precious minutes and Linette is probably already wondering where I am, so I try to be as fast as I can.
One tracking device goes under the sole of my right boot. The other one I'm meant to tuck into the lining of my jacket, but I can't find the hole in the pocket, and I have to tear a new one with my teeth.
Okay, now the listening device. My chest is sweaty when I try to stick it low between my breasts, and I curse, grabbing a long strip of toilet paper to dab it dry and try again.
I press on it until it hurts, until I'm sure it won't fall off, and then pinch the Kindle back together, throw my keys in my pocket, and zip up the case, taking a minute to breathe.
They can hear me now, or at least they should be able to, so I try to panic very quietly.
It was too risky to bring the second phone, so I have to hope everything is working how it's supposed to.
I don't leave the stall until I've found that other version of me.
The one I slipped into every time I was with Jesse or any of the assholes who came before him.
The girl who could become whatever they wanted me to be.
Once the mask is on, and I know there's nothing that will rattle it, I leave the bathroom.
There's a woman standing with a sign that says 'Bellerose' amid rushing travelers. She looks ridiculous with her puffy blonde hair and frazzled, overlined eyes, but I grin at her like I don't notice any of that. As if I'm excited but also nervous.
"Hi," I hedge, interrupting the phone call she's on right now that distracted her from seeing me.
Linette blinks, and says, "I'll call you right back," hanging up the phone.
I indicate the sign as I draw my shoulders in, making myself small. "Um, that's me."
Her face lights up as she tucks the sign and her phone under her arm and reaches red-painted fingernails in my direction.
"Oh, hi! I'm sorry, you don't mind if we have to rush a bit, do you?
Mr. De La Rosa was really hoping we'd make it back in time for him to catch you before a meeting he has after dinner. "
She shakes my hand with the grip of someone twice her size and calls for someone named Carl.
"Carl! Carl! Her bag, come on." Linnette snaps her fingers. "We need to go."
She smiles at me apologetically. "Sorry, it’s so hard to find good staff on short notice."
I laugh a bit awkwardly as Carl, a short man in a navy windbreaker, takes my carry-on bag from me.
"This way," he says, and leads us out to a parked town car with the trunk already popped.
Linette is the first one in when he opens the door for the back seat, and I slide in after her when she pats the seat next to her insistently.
I remind myself I need to be at least somewhat pleasant to this woman as she chastises the driver for taking too long to pull away from the curb and into the busy airport traffic.
"Sorry," she says again. "Mr. De La Rosa is a very punctual man."
I put myself in the frame of mind of a girl who may be meeting her biological parent for the first time. It isn't hard, since I spent most of my childhood imagining this exact moment, although under very different circumstances.
"Is he nice?" I ask, and Linette laughs.
"Oh dear, I didn't mean to make you think— Mr. De La Rosa is a very nice man."
She pats me on the knee and I smile anxiously to myself, looking out the window.
"There's nothing to be nervous about," Linette insists, like I thought she would.
"I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive. I don't want to dash your hopes, but we've seen a large number of young women who thought they might be 'the one'.
" She laughs hollowly, trying to take the edge off.
"Not to say that you won't be, but I think it's best not to get too worked up over what might be nothing, you know? "
I make a show of swallowing hard before I nod. "Yeah, you're right."
"Great," she says, clearly glad to not have to comfort me anymore as she taps on the screen of a tablet in her lap and opens several things at once.
"For now, you focus on enjoying the trip. Mr. De La Rosa has spared no expense. You'll be in the largest available suite with full access to the facilities while you're here."
She speaks while she types out a message to someone on her phone and simultaneously checks an email on the tablet.
"When we get back to the hotel, I'll show you to your room, and if this driver would hurry up, I might be able to buy you twenty minutes to compose yourself before you meet Mr. De La Rosa for dinner. "
I clasp my hands together in my lap and nod along to everything she says. By the time we're on the main highway, I am already settled into the role, the mask firmly in place.