Chapter Seven“Hey, Arch. C'mon in,” Sam called down the stairs.
Archie nodded a greeting when he reached the top, then stopped, looking around the apartment.
“She's not here yet.” Sam folded his arms.
“Who?” Archie said, eyebrows up.
“Ellie. If that's who you're looking for.”
Archie's shoulders slumped slightly. “Oh.”
Archie. He could read him like a book. It had been a week since Sam and Ellie had started grinding through ideas for a novel. Today, they were meeting again. Archie wanted to judge the situation firsthand, unsatisfied with Sam dodging the subject of his ex.
Sam intended to keep dodging. He led the way across the braided wool rug to the couch. “You bring the goods?”
Archie dropped a blue-striped bakery bag on the kitchen table and slouched in the recliner next to the c
