"Hey bro," 

Scarlett's eyes move from the swimming pool which she is looking at through a glassed wall to the entrance where her younger brother, Ryan, is walking in with two blonde girls in his arms.  
    
"Why don't you darlings take a sit over there?" He gestures to the well-spaced sitting room. "And I'll join you in a minute." He says with a quick wink. 

The girls nod, they wave at Scarlett as they walk past her to get to the sitting room 

Ryan walks up to his sister, "How hot are they?" He says with a lopsided grin on his face.  

Scarlett lifts her shoulders in a half shrug. "They are all right. Definitely your type.” Hints of sarcasm lacing in her tone. 

Not sensing the sarcasm, he leans in, covering the side of his mouth, "They are not related," He whispers then looks over his shoulders at them. "I swear girls around here have the same face. Want one?" 

"I'll pass." She replies flatly.  

Ryan clears his throat as he adjusts the lapels of his grey suit, realizing it's time to be serious. "Why are we here?" 

"What do you think about this place?" Scarlett stretches her arms wide giving a dramatic introduction to her new apartment. "Five thousand, six hundred and thirty-five square feet, four bedrooms, four baths, a gym, a screening room, a pool, a tennis court and a guest house, plus did you see the driveway?" 

Ryan raises his eyebrows, "What's going on? Are you trying to sell it to me?"      

Scarlett lets out a low chuckle, tucking strands of hair blocking her view behind her ears. “No, I bought it. It's mine."

Ryan puts his hands in his pocket, turns to take a quick scan of the house then faces his sister. "Cool but why buy a house in LA when you are coming home to San Francisco with me?"

"That's because I am not leaving LA." Scarlett crosses her arms over her chest.

"Funny," Ryan says dryly. "Didn't you see the text I sent? Dad wants to meet and have a discussion about your future in the company. Our plan worked." 

"Oh, I forget you are dad's messenger bitch." Scarlett mocks. 

"I am not, you are." He points at her, "That's why I need you to go back doing what you do, so I can go back doing..." He looks over to his shoulders to wink at the girls. "What I do." 

"I am not coming back. I accepted the job as the Chief Operating Officer of Richardson textiles, the job that dad hoarded from me for five years before I finally got it."

Ryan looks at his sister dumbfounded. He cannot believe his ears. 

For as long as anyone can remember, Scarlett has always wanted one thing, to be the CEO of Bell's Textiles. To achieve that, she always had to serve. She even took her dad's side during the divorce when it was clearly not her mum's fault. Her mum got custody, so she had to wait till she was eighteen to leave England for America where her dad was. She went to college, studied business, interned at Bell's Textiles, started work and sacrificed eight years of her life to achieve this one goal. 

 Last week was supposed to be the best week of her life, her dad, Lucas Bell, was finally stepping down and she was to be the next CEO.  Completely blind-sighted, Lucas gave the CEO position to an outsider.

 Since that day, Scarlett has felt nothing, no anger, no happiness, and no sense of purpose to get her out of bed every morning. It's like she is falling down a bottomless pit and she doesn't care to scream for help. 

Ryan had an idea that will help Scarlett finally get her dad's attention and enable him to see his daughter’s efforts in the company. The idea was for Scarlett to get a job interview at Lucas's rival company, Richardson Textiles. It was to make Lucas see what's right in front of him and rectify his mistakes. It worked. 

"You are joking?" Ryan asks with a stern look. 

Scarlett shakes her head. 

Ryan starts pacing, "Talk to me, is this some type of business idea? Like the longer, you stay away, the increase in your value?" Ryan stops in front of her, "Because you don't need it, Dad is willing to give you the CEO position that you have always dreamed about. It's a no brainer, being a C.O.O or being the C.E.O.  You just need to come back to San Francisco with me." He says slowly like he is talking to a child.

She can tell through her brother’s reaction and frustration Lucas told him this was his chance to prove himself. She feels sorry for her brother but it's not on her account that Ryan will prove himself. 

"It's not about business, it's not," Scarlett says truthfully. 

"Then what's it about? Don’t tell me this is some delayed rebellion for the time dad laughed at you when you came out as bisexual.” 

Scarlett came out as bisexual nine years back at a family dinner and her dad laughed as hard as he has never laughed before and said, “Stick with the male part and don’t embarrass me.” 

It is the “sticking with male part” for all these years that made Scarlett realize that she’s definitely gay. 

“Because we have all been waiting for you to snap.” He adds.

“It’s not that.” 

Scarlett sighs, mentally deciding if she should tell her brother why she is making the decision to stay. She rubs her forehead, getting ready for the embarrassment that is to come.   

"I met this girl." 

An image of Maisie flashes into her head and she can't help but smile. She isn't embarrassed anymore. 

She’s never this giddy about anyone, in fact, she doesn’t like people at all. Scarlett doesn’t spend much time socializing with people because the time she spent made her want to gag. 

But then, yesterday she didn’t want to gag. 

One minute her life was going through hell and she looks through her car window and she sees this petite woman who's acting out her inner frustrations on a sidewalk not caring about who's looking. She smiled at the sight because she can relate. She soon realises she hasn't smiled in a while and it felt good, really good.  

For making her smile, she thought the woman deserved a good cup of coffee. So she walked up to her and gave her coffee and then the girl smiled. Her world literarily stopped. From feeling nothing, in just seconds of meeting this girl, she felt everything. A rush of beautiful emotions that weirded her out but mostly scared her, she has this angelic beauty that makes this fucked up world look pure. 

Scarlett had to leave immediately so as not to embarrass herself by staring or weird Maisie out. She regretted leaving and not catching her name or getting her number. Then she walks into the company for her interview and she saw her. It was the only sign she needed to pursue the warm and fuzzy feeling she has when she sees her, so she is not leaving LA. 

Ryan burst into laughter. "Is that it?"  He says, laughing hard again, He puts his hand on Scarlett’s shoulder which Scarlett shoves off immediately. "It's LA, it’s the best place to be a fucking lesbian. Hot women here and there, just have your fun and come back home.” 

"It’s not like that.” 

“Oh come on sis, how is it like?” Ryan coos. “I know you, you are not capable of having and holding an affection towards someone. You are the queen of detachment. Those poor women and men that you’ve left broken-hearted over the years and you are currently fucking one over now?” 

“Nick? We’ve broken up.” 

Just before she left San Francisco she had a “daddy approved boyfriend.”

“Does he know that?” Ryan raises his eyebrows. 

Scarlett hasn't called him and broken it off yet, but she thought that her ignoring his calls will be a hint. 

Scarlett's silence is answer enough. 

“I am certain that you don’t even know if this girl is gay-“ 

"Don't you have other things to worry about?” Scarlett interrupts him. “Like explaining to dad why I am not going to work for him anymore?" She says with a small smile. 

Ryan swallows down his frustration. His voice becomes low, "You are seriously not going to leave me with that man. Let me ask you a question?" He puts a finger up, "Do you know what I do in Bell's Textiles?" 

Scarlett pauses for a while, waiting for the answer to come to her but nothing comes. "I don't know." 

"That's because I do nothing. If you leave, dad will focus on me and then realise I am useless. You can't do this to me for a girl you just met." 

Scarlett doesn't respond well to manipulation. She puts her hand on her brother's shoulder. "When that time comes, you will have refuge in my four-bedroom home." 

Ryan slaps her hands away. "Fuck you!" 

“And you too.” 

"Girls let's go," Ryan yells adjusting his suit. "You are going to regret this. I'll make sure of it." 

"I bet you will." 

Ryan walks towards the door with the girls clinging to his arm. 

“Will you come over for dinner tonight?” Scarlett yells.

“Sure as long as you are not cooking,” Ryan yells back. 

Scarlett smiles as she turns to the glassed wall and her eyes move from the pool to the garden. She imagines the new and exciting memories she is going to make in this house. Her mind then wanders to Maisie; she can't wait for the weekend to be over to be able to see her again. 

~~~

Maisie sees Scarlett walking into the company with her hair packed into a neat bun, wearing a mint green body-con gown with black heels. Maisie ducks her head nervously so as to be caught staring. 

How can someone look so perfect? 

"Good morning." Scarlett beams as she walks up to the receptionist counter. 

Maisie looks up with a bright smile on her face. That smile that Scarlett has been waiting to see all weekend and it's even more beautiful, soft and delicate than she imagined. She feels her stomach flutter. 

"Good morning." She says with her feathery voice. "Sam, isn't it?" She raises her eyebrows in fake confusion.    

Immediately she said it she realized its which a lame joke. She makes lame jokes when she’s nervous. She’s grateful that Scarlett played along. 

Scarlett shakes her head, "Close, it's Sandra." playing along. 

"Ugh, damn it." Maisie hits her forehead dramatically. 

"Remind me of your name again?" She asks biting down on her lips which catches Maisie’s attention. “Marley?” 

They stare at each other for a second before they chuckle. 

"Here," She drops a cup of coffee on the counter. "Wouldn't want you to have a mental breakdown again and make everyone around you uncomfortable."

Masie laughs. "Thanks," She stretches to pick the plastic up and put it on her desk. "To set the record straight, I am not a crazy person."

She shakes his head. "Too bad, I like crazy people. To me, they are the sane ones."  

"Well, if you put it that way, maybe I am a little crazy." She admits. 

"I knew it!" 

They chuckle again but this time, they both stop to stare at each other for a while like they are burning each other's faces in their memory. Maisie is the first to snap out of it. She clears her throat, “Have a good day." She mutters. 

"You too," Scarlett says with a small smile.