Love Unscripted

by Emma Collins

  Riley took another drink. Why was she waiting? She left her glass on the coffee table and climbed the stairs, hovering in the hallway. The door to Laura’s bedroom was closed. She lifted her hand, knocking gently. Riley second guessed herself when Laura didn’t answer right away. Normally, Riley would have had no problem just wandering in, but it didn’t feel right today.

  The door opened as Riley was about to give up and head back downstairs. Laura’s hair was still wet, her light gray robe wrapped around her body.

  Laura didn’t say anything. She had one hand on the open door and the other on the frame. Riley’s eyes drifted from her damp hair to her collarbone and the drops of water that were trickling down her chest.

  “Do you need something?” Laura asked. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice that Riley couldn’t miss.

  “I uh... I wanted to apologize. For earlier. I don’t like talking about my family, but that’s no excuse. I’m sorry for snapping.”

  Laura nodded. “Okay. I’m sure my idea of moving into Amanda’s didn’t help. There was no way to say it without having it sound like I wanted you to leave. Which I don’t. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  “No. I think it’s a great idea... I just want to talk to Adam first. You know... Make sure he’s on the same page.”

  “I hope he is,” Laura said with a smile, “Because Amanda is in trouble if he’s not.”

  “I know, but they did look surprisingly comfortable... Considering how little time they’ve spent together. A week?”

  Laura shrugged. “Who are we to judge?”

  “I know... We haven’t exactly done things in the conventional way... We’ve been on one date,” Riley said with a smirk. “And I know that’s partly my fault, trying to dodge paparazzi and having such a busy schedule with the movie.”

  “Do you think we’re moving too fast?”

  “No. Not at all,” Riley said in a rush. “No... Unless you do?”

  “No... Which is why I need to stop worrying about Amanda. We’ve both been alone for years, happily, so I have to trust that she knows what she’s doing... In the same way that I do, despite what anyone else might think.”

  Riley nodded as Laura ran a hand through her wet hair. She should probably let her dry it and get changed but another thought crossed her mind.

  “Was that our first fight?” Riley asked, her eyes dropping to the v neck in Laura’s robe that had opened slightly, revealing the curve of her breasts. What was it about makeup sex that was so hot?

  “I don’t think you could call that a fight,” Laura said with a laugh, but when she noticed where Riley’s eyes were, she backtracked. “But I was mad at you.”

  “And now?”

  “Not in the slightest,” Laura said with a smile. “I’m just going to slip out of this robe and get changed...”

  “Maybe I should help you.”

  Riley couldn’t miss the way Laura’s eyes glinted with mischief as she turned, and Riley followed her into her bedroom, her eyes ogling Laura’s backside as she let her robe fall to the floor.

  Epilogue

  Laura hesitated before she put her feet on the coffee table knowing she never would have if Amanda was here. It was going to be strange for a while, getting used to Riley calling Amanda’s place home.

  The last two weeks had been busy. Laura had helped Amanda pack her things, and she’d just finished helping Riley move in here. Today was spent putting up Riley’s Christmas tree. Amanda had an artificial one up in the attic, but Riley wanted a real one. They’d picked it out this morning, walking up and down the rows of trees until she found one that she liked. Laura was convinced it wouldn’t fit, but it did, just about.

  Riley hung up one of the last silver baubles, her white blouse riding up as she extended her arm. She was standing on one of the dining room chairs, and she still had to stretch to reach, giving Laura a glimpse of her toned stomach.

  “I think that’s it,” Riley said as she got down and returned the chair to the table. “What do you think?” she asked as she flopped down on the couch beside her, and they both admired the tree, the white fairy lights twinkling back at them.

  “It looks great, and I’m exhausted from just watching,” she said with a laugh. “That had to have been some kind of record.”

  Riley shrugged. “I just got into a flow. Besides, I want to spend the evening with you. The last few days have been so hectic.”

  “Hmmm,” Laura agreed. “We can relax now,” she said as she pushed herself off the couch. “What do you want to drink? Wine, beer? Whiskey?”

  “I’d love a glass of red wine.”

  “Alright. Be right back,” Laura said as she padded into the kitchen and found a bottle of wine from the rack that was built into the cabinets.

  Riley hadn’t bothered signing any kind of contract for this house swap. It was a loose agreement with the understanding that if the situation changed for either of them, they would swap back. Amanda had suggested it, and it made sense. There was no point putting any unnecessary pressures on their relationships when they were both so new.

  Laura poured Riley a generous glass and carried it into the living room, handing it to her as she sat down beside her.

  “Thank you,” Riley said, bringing the glass to her lips.

  Laura scooted away from Riley which got her a quizzical look, but she reached for Riley’s feet, pulling them onto her lap before Riley could say anything. Laura took her time massaging them and smiled to herself as Riley slouched further down into the cushions, clearly enjoying this.

  Christmas was the hardest time of year for Laura. Holidays were always difficult after you’d lost someone, but on top of that, Grace had died in December. For the first three years, Laura hadn’t even thought about putting up a tree or decorating her house. She’d gone to Amanda’s just to have some company. She couldn’t have handled being alone back then, but then as time went on, Laura got used to spending Christmas on her own. Both of her parents were gone, and Amanda had her own family to be with.

  Laura started new traditions, forgetting about the old ones she’d shared with Grace. She wouldn’t go as far as to say she enjoyed those years, but that wasn’t the goal. Getting through the holiday season was.

  Today was different. Even though Christmas was still a few weeks away, Laura knew this year it would be special. It would just be her and Riley, and Laura had the feeling that this was the first of many. She never thought she would end up here, in the company of another woman who was so unlike Grace, but that was life. She’d had her share of hard times, but this was her second chance at happiness.

  “That feels amazing,” Riley practically groaned, lifting her head to meet Laura’s eyes. She pushed herself back into a sitting position. “Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  “I’ve been toying with an idea for my next screenplay,” Riley said, bringing her glass to her lips.

  “Oh?”

  “I know it’s been done before...”

  “Everything has been done before,” Laura said. “Don’t let that stop you.”

  “Well, this whole situation has kind of inspired me to write about a house swap. I’m not sure about the circumstances or anything.”

  “You’ll figure out how to put your own spin on it.”

  “I want to be working on something,” Riley said, running her hand through her long blond hair. “I know there’s a lot to do with the horses, but I could easily find two or three hours a day to write. I just need something to write,” she said with a lopsided smile.

  “Start it. You never know where an idea’s going to go until you get into it.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  “Yes. I used to spend far too much time debating whether or not an idea would make a good story. You’ll never know until you start typing.”

  Riley nodded. “I’m tempted to use our story. Parts of it anyway.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I was thinking of a stru
ggling screenwriter wanting to adapt another author’s book. Maybe they do a house swap to live in their home town.”

  “Ah,” Laura said, reaching for her own glass of wine. “The struggling screenwriter stalks the author and then pretends to accidentally bump into them at a local coffee shop.”

  Laura was only joking, but she saw a flash of doubt cross Riley’s face.

  “Did you feel like I was stalking you?” Riley asked, her voice serious.

  “No. Not at all.”

  “I remember worrying about what I was doing, when I was sitting in the coffee shop, waiting for you to come in... I uh... I had a stalker a few years ago.”

  “What?”

  Riley took a drink. “Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “It was after my first big movie... So, maybe six year ago. I didn’t really take it as seriously as I should have. The guy was arrested. It could have been a lot worse.”

  “I had no idea,” Laura said, covering Riley’s hand with her own.

  “I would hate to make anyone else feel like that... I really shouldn’t have met you that way.”

  “Well, it all worked out.”

  Riley nodded. “I definitely don’t want to encourage stalking in this screenplay, so I need to figure something else out... I do have a title for it though. Love Unscripted.”

  “I like it.”

  “I’m hoping it’ll inspire me... I can already see the movie poster. Is that weird?”

  “No,” Laura said, her lips moving into a smile. “That’s your confidence coming through. You already know it’ll make it... So, is this a straight romance or a gay one?”

  “It’d have to be a lesbian romance,” Riley said, “Although I am definitely not starring in this one.”

  Laura laughed as she put her glass on the coffee table. “Imagine if you wrote and starred in all your movies.”

  “No way. I want to live the writer’s life from now on.”

  “Because it’s so exciting,” Laura said sarcastically.

  “With you it will be.”

  Laura let Riley pull her down on top of her, finding her lips in a passionate kiss, their bodies pressed together along the length of the couch.

  This life that Riley was dreaming up was one that Laura never could have imagined for herself, but it was real. Riley was here, living just a few minutes away from her, in Laura’s best friend’s home.

  Love Unscripted...

  That was exactly what this was, something so improbable Laura couldn’t have even written it.

  Thank You

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  Emma Collins