Unscripted

River 

The penthouse was unusually quiet when I got home. 

I loosened my tie as I walked through the living room, instinctive glancing towards the kitchen. 

Empty. 

I checked the dining area. Still empty. 

Her bedroom door was slightly open, the lights were switched off. She was at home. 

I frowned almost imperceptibly. 

Normally, by this hour, she would either be working on her laptop, making dinner, or talking to herself while wandering around the apartment. Somehow, in the space of weeks, that had become the new normal. 

Today was just silent. Different even. 

I set my keys on the console table and slipped my phone from my pocket. 

No messages. 

For a brief moment I simply stood there. She was an adult and she had a driver. So she was safe. There was no need for me to worry. 

I looked at my watch. 

Nine-thirty. 

Before I could talk myself out of it, I tapped her contact. 

The phone rang twice. 

“Hello?” Zara answered, her voice as bright as ever. 

“Where are you?” 

A beat of silence followed. 

“Was I supposed to report my movement to you?” She asked teasingly. 

“No.” 

“Then why do I feel like I’m in trouble?” 

“You are not…I was just making sure that you were alright.”

Her voice softened. “I am fine. Elizabeth and I stayed out longer than we planned.” 

“Where are you? Send me the location now.” 

“Okay?” She answered surprised.

The message came through a second later. 

I stared at it for a moment before reaching for the keys again. 

Gregory was with her. He could bring her home safe. There was absolutely no reason for me to go and get her. 

Yet somehow….

Five minutes later, I was already pulling out of the garage. 

————

By the time I arrived outside the restaurant, Zara was already waiting at the entrance with Gregory. 

She stood beneath the warm glow of the exterior lights. 

The money she spotted my car, her face lit up. 

“You came yourself.” 

She said opening the passenger seat and settled in the car. 

“I have some things in the car.” 

I took my glass down and signaled to Gregory to come. 

“Take her thing to the house and have them put it in her room.” 

“Yes sir.” 

I pulled away from the curb.

“Why are you surprised that I came by myself?” 

“Because you didn’t have to.” 

“I was in the neighborhood, so I came by.” 

She gave me a skeptical look before smiling. “I’ll pretend I believe that.” 

For a few minutes, the drive passed in comfortable silence. She was going through something on her phone and laughing. 

I broke the silence. 

“We have a charity gala this weekend.” 

“A charity gala?” 

I nodded. “It is an annual event.” 

“And we are attending.” 

She pointed at herself. “You mean….me?”

“No, Zara. The other person in the car.” 

“Very funny,” she laughed. 

Then her expression changed. 

“I don’t have anything to wear.” 

“I have already taken care of that. I bought you a dress.” 

Her eyes widened. “How do you know my size?”

“I’ve looked at you long enough to know your size Zara.” 

She doesn’t say anything. She just stares at the window, her cheeks noticeably pink. 

“You say things like that,” she said quietly. “and then act like you are not flirting.” 

“I’m not flirting.” 

She smiled to herself. 

“Keep telling yourself that.” 

Neither of us spoke again for a moment. 

“If you don’t like the dress we can always get you another one.” 

She smiled. 

I was already getting used to Zara’s presence. Silence was awkward a few weeks ago, but now it was comfortable and every conversation seemed determined. 

“You look tired.” 

Her voice pulled me from my thoughts. 

“I am. I had a long day.” 

“Don’t you do something else aside from working? Maybe go on vacation and just have time for yourself.” 

“I have a lot to do now and going on vacation is not on the list.” 

She frowned. 

“I don’t even know why I bother asking.” 

I glanced at her. 

“You got two answers. 

She smiled. “I suppose that is progress.” 

I looked at the rows before she noticed the small smile threatening to form. 

She noticed anyways, of course she did. 

Then she spoke again.

“I saw Oliver today.” 

“I know.” 

She turned towards me. She was thinking about something. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“You always do.” 

“That wasn’t permission.” 

“It wasn’t meant to stop you either.” 

“Fair enough.” 

How did you and Oliver become best friends?” She asked quietly.

My grip tightened around the steering wheel before I realized it. The question caught me off guard. Not because I minded her asking, but because I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her look towards the window. 

“I’m sorry,” she said gently.” I shouldn’t have asked.” 

She looked back at me. 

“I don’t want you to answer if you don’t want to.” 

I let out a slow breath. 

“We didn’t become friends. We grew up together. His parents worked for my grandparents. They had been in the family for years.” 

I could still picture those days. 

Two boys running through gardens far too large for either of us. Getting into trouble l. Usually because of Oliver. 

“We were together almost everyday.” 

She smiled. 

“So he was the troublemaker right?” 

“Usually.” 

“I knew it.” 

For a brief moment, the memory made the exhaustion of the day disappear. 

“There was an accident. His parents died.” 

The words came out quieter than I intended. 

“I’m so sorry,” Zara whispered.” 

“So was I.” 

I hadn’t thought about that day in years. 

“My grandparents took him in. They raised him with me.”

“So they adopted him?” 

“He was family before and didn’t need any paperwork to prove it.” 

The words surprised me even. Because they were true. 

Olive had never felt like someone my family had taken in. He simply just belonged.

“He is basically like my brother.” 

Zara smiled. “I like that.” 

I kept my eyes on the road. 

I didn’t know why I was comfortable sharing that with Zara the money she asked. Maybe because nobody has cared to ask about Oliver. But she did. 

We were getting close to the penthouse and I could not just shake of the feeling that I wanted to keep Zara close.