He found her contact and dialed. It rang a dozen time before going to voice mail. He then dialed her number from his phone and with in three rings he heard..
"Hello"
"Hello, You don't know me. My name is George Hinderaker."
"I know who you are. You are the business partner of Marcus McKenna."
"Yes, I am calling to see if you could possibly give him another chance. He is really sorry for what he did to you. It is tearing him up inside."
"What he did to me? He should be ashamed of what he did to his fiancee. She almost caught us in the act. I feel sorry for her putting up with a rich playboys like that. Please do not contact me again." She then hung up.
Fiancee? Richie did not have a fiancee. He went back in. "Richie, when this all happened who would of seen Ariel at your house?"
"No one. I had no staff there at that time."
"Think, she said that your fiancee almost caught you in the act."
"When did you talk to Ariel?"
"Just now. Now think who would be your fiancee?"
Marcus placed his finger on the bridge of his nose trying to think. Then it slowly hit him, Mandy his assistant. "I will kill her."
"Who" everyone asked.
"Mandy, where is my phone?"
Heny handed the phone back to Marcus and he dialled Mandy's number.
"Hello"
"Get your ass down to the club now." He yelled before hanging up.
"You can't hurt her." Harper said.
"Ariel said if I ever let another woman hurt her because of me then she would give me up. If I let this woman get away with this then I will never have the love of my life."
Then men waited for Mandy to show up. She was all smiles thinking that he wanted to spend some time with her out side of work.
"What can I do for you Marcus." She smiled.
"How long have you worked for me?" He asked.
"6 years. Why?"
"In these six years have I been a good boss?"
"Yes"
"Have I made you misunderstand my feelings for my employees?"
"I don't understand what you are asking." She was getting a little scared at his coldness.
Heny put a hand on his friends arm ,"Mandy, did you tell anyone you were Marcus fiancee?"
Her eyes went wide and she started backing up.
"I take that as a yes." Marcus said. "Mandy you are fired. If I ever see you again you will be very sorry. Because of what you have done I lost someone very important to me. Now piss off."
"But Marcus I did it for us. You'll see I can love you better then any of those girls. They are all just gold diggers. Only I truly love you." She threw herself at his feet.
Tubby and Harper pick her up and excourt her out. "If I was you I would leave town." Tubby said.
Marcus downed another glass before staggering out the door. He climbed into his car and ordered his driver to Ariel apartment.
He pulled up. Which one was hers? He did not know. He then tried to call her but she did not pick up. So he sent her a text.
[Better come down and talk right now or I will knock on every door till the whole building is awake] Marcus
Mermaid [Be right down]
He smiled. He waited just a few minutes till he seen her. She was dressed in jeans and a tank top with her beautiful brown hair flowing around her shoulders.
Marcus opened up the door and she stepped in.
"What do you want?"
"To tell you, I protected you, the girl will never hurt you again. I promise." He said taking her hand his.
"What are you talking about?" She said pulling her hand out of his.
"Mandy lied to you. She is my assistant not my fiancee. I don't have any other girl in my life but you. You will be the only fiancee, wife, and mother to my children."
"You are drunk" She said trying to open the car door.
"Yes, I am a little drunk but that does not mean what I said was not true. I love you Ariel. I loved you from the first time you brought my niece to the office when she ran away. I loved that you loved to swim. That you felt at home with the dolphins. I love that we took out time falling in love and that you never gave up on our love. I want to spend everyday being apart of your life. I don't care if that was all a dream. That is the girl I want to marry."
"I am not that girl. The girl in your dream sounds like a wonderful person but I am not her. I am Ariel Jensen. Swimming instructor. I play a Mermaid at fundraiser. I don't date and don't have many friends. Most of my friends are old enough to be my parents. If you wanted me that is one thing but if you want me to be Ariel Thomas then sorry I can never be her."
She finally got the door to open but he caught her before she could get out and he pulled her into his lap and cradled her, pressing his lips to the top of her head in a gentle, soothing kiss. He then understood she was not the Ariel of his dream but she was the one in his heart. The one he stayed up late on the phone with. The one that made him hard from the fire in her eyes.
"I know you are not her. I also know you are the one I want. Please don't give up before we even try." He sank his head into her chest and hugged her tight.
She raised his head to look her in the eye. "Who am I then?"