Three

Scarlett

"Hey sis," I hear my brother's voice.

My eyes move from the swimming pool that I have been staring at for a while to the entrance where my twin 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 sun loungers near the pool. "And I'll join you in a minute." He says with a quick wink.

The girls nod and give me an acknowledging smile as they leave us.

Ryan walks up to me. "How hot are they?" He asks with a lopsided grin on his face.

Barf!

I lift my shoulder in a half shrug. "They are all right. Clearly your type," I mock.

Not sensing the mockery, 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."

"Or the same doctor?" I add.

"Want one?"

I pretend to give it a thought as I look over his shoulders at the Kardashian lookalikes. "I'll pass."

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?" I stretch my arms wide, giving a dramatic introduction to my new house. "Five thousand, six hundred and thirty-five square feet, four bedrooms, four baths, a gym, a screening room, a pool, and a guest house, plus did you see the driveway?" I finish with a big smile on my face.

I am proud of this place. It was hard getting the perfect place in under a week, but my real estate agent really came through for me on this one.

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

I let out a low chuckle. "No, I bought it. It's mine."

Ryan puts his hands in his pocket, turns to take a quick scan, and then looks at me. "Cool, but why buy a house in New York when you are coming home to Chicago with me?"

"Whoever told you I was coming back to Chicago?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Funny," Ryan comments with a frown on his face. "Didn't you see the text I sent? Mum wants to meet and have a discussion about your future in the company. Our plan worked."

"Oh, I forgot you are mum's messenger bitch." I joke.

"I am not, you are." He points at me, "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 C.O.O of Reach Media."

Ryan looks at me, dumbfounded. I bet he cannot believe his ears. He must think I have gone mad. Maybe I have.

For as long as anyone can remember, I have always wanted one thing, to be the CEO of Bell's Digital. To achieve that, I always had to serve. I always took my mum's side, especially when things were going sour in her marriage with my dad. I helped her in the divorce. I went to college he approved, studied communications, interned at Bell's Digital, and started work. I sacrificed seven years of my life to achieve this one goal.

And this goal was just in my grasp a week ago, so close. Last week was supposed to be the best week of my life. My mum, Elaine Bell, was stepping down, and I was to be the next CEO. Blind-sighted, mum gave the CEO position to an outsider.

Since that day, I felt nothing, no anger, no happiness, and no sense of purpose getting me out of bed every morning. It was like I was falling down an endless pit and I do not care to scream for help.

Ryan had an idea that will help me get my mum's attention and enable her to see my efforts in the company. The idea was for me to get a job interview at mum's rival company, Reach Media. It is to make mum see what's right in front of her and rectify her mistakes.

I guess it worked but it doesn't matter to me anymore.

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

I shake my head.

He paces. "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 me. "Because you don't need it, mum will give you the CEO position you have always dreamed about. It's a no-brainer, being a COO or being the CEO. You just need to come back to Chicago." He says slowly, like he is talking to a child.

I can tell through my brother's reaction and frustration mum probably told him this was his chance to prove himself. I feel sorry for him but it's not on my account that he will make mum proud.

It's possible to make her proud.

"It's not about business, it's not," I say truthfully.

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

I came out as bisexual nine years back at a family dinner. And yes, mum laughed as hard as I have ever seen her laugh before and said, "Stick with the male part and don't embarrass me."

It is the "sticking to the male part," for all these years that made me realize that I am 100% a lesbian.

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

"It's not that." I sigh. "Look, I just cannot go back. You don't get it, I was dead inside. I always have my life in order and you know it. But I was lost after what mum did to me. Can't explain it, but there's something here that makes me feel alive."

Hopefully, someone...

"You wouldn't last. You hate people. Now you want to socialize with new people?" He scoffs. "And you know I will be in Chicago, right? I won't be here."

With a frown on my face, "Maybe that's for the best."

I like to think I am independent and Ryan is the one that's always following me around. But we are both co-dependent. For the past 28 years, we have done everything together. We attended the same high school, the same college, and studied the same major. We even look alike. If he shaves his beard and puts a strawberry blonde wig on, we will be identical.

We both hate this.

"You are a bitch. No one that doesn't already know you will want to be friends with you-"

I interrupt him. "I do already have a friend. Her name is Audrey."

An image of Audrey flashes in my head and I can't help but smile. Ryan is right. I don't like people. I am not impressed by them. But there's something about Audrey. Her beauty and the simplicity she exudes just by watching her from a distance. That's impressive.

I did not know what I was doing when I had my driver stop in traffic and I walked up to her to give her a cup of coffee. Then I set my eyes on her, and damn, she is angelic.

I was going to get her number to ask her out sometime, but I lost my nerve and walked away. This is weird because I don't get nervous. I make people nervous.

Then I saw again her behind that table with her curly hair falling down her shoulders, standing in her small frame, with a surprised look on her pretty face.

She really is something.

"Is she your friend or do want to fuck her? That's only when you are interested." He raises an eyebrow.

I can feel my blood boil. "If you will not be happy for me in this new journey in my life, get out." I point to the glassed door.

He doesn't move. "What about Nick?"

He must be desperate because he's grasping at straws at this point.

"What about him? We've broken up."

Just before I left Chicago, I had a "mummy approved boyfriend." Nick Daniels, a tech billionaire who my mum adored more than her children.

"Does he know that?" Ryan raises his eyebrows.

I haven't called him and broken it off yet, but I think ignoring his calls will be hint enough.

Changing the topic, "Don't you have other things to worry about?" I ask. "Like explaining to mum why I will not work for her anymore?" I smirk.

I can see he is swallowing down his frustration. His voice comes out low. "You are not going to leave me with that woman. Let me ask you a question?" He puts a finger up. "Do you know what I do in Bell's Digitals?"

I hesitate for a while, thinking and waiting for the answer to come to me, but nothing comes. "I don't know."

Come to think of it, I love him but Ryan is truly useless.

"That's because I do nothing. If you leave, mum will focus on me and then realize I am useless. You can't do this to me."

One thing about me, I don't respond well to manipulation. I put my hand on my brother's shoulder. "When that time comes, you will have refuge in my four-bedroom home."

Ryan slaps my hands away. "Fuck you!"

"And you too." I laugh.

"Girls, let's go," Ryan yells adjusting his suit.

I watch him walk to the door with the girls clinging to his arm.

"Will you come over for dinner tonight before you fly to Chicago?" I ask.

"Sure, as long as you are not cooking," Ryan says.