Leonardo

Every day since I rejoined work, I peeled myself off the bed in the morning. My body wanted to hide behind the comfort of my place while my mind convinced me to move out and start the day. 

Whoever quoted that being a Brenton had its perks, was only talking about Dad. For me, having the family name was nothing but a curse.

From trying to stay in the comfort of my home or stepping out for work, everything I did was marred with the fear of being watched. 

Sure, celebrities had a tough life but so did the lives of industrialists, especially the ones like us where our puppet master father acted only in the interest of inflating company stocks.

Since rejoining the office, I had survived uncountable meetings and unimaginable interactions with vapid men. Antonio never displayed any disinterest in work, so the burden fell upon my shoulders too. 

Being an elder brother came with many unsaid responsibilities, one of which was to groom Antonio to take over.

Somewhere around noon, when I wanted to give up on reading about the Ford merger, a knock on the door came to my rescue. 

Antonio peeked through the translucent glass door and walked in.

Unlike Zemira, his demeanor hadn't changed the slightest even though his life was splashed across news channels. For him, it was a matter of publicity. 

In light of everything, it seemed that my brother received the better end of the deal while Zemira suffered the ordeal.

Antonio plopped on the grey couch, crossing his legs. His arms stretched across the sides while he closed his eyes and huffed long dragged breaths.

"Tired already?" I asked, checking the clock for time. My brother portrayed signs of exhaustion as if he worked overnight.

"You've no idea." He rubbed his face hard, a fresh coat of redness covered his tan-toned skin. "Anyways, you wanted to see me, brother?"

I walked over and sat next to him, trying to bead my words carefully. "I wanted to know about the deal you had with Zemira."

With a flushed face and crooked eyebrows trying to escape into his hairline, Antonio eyed me as if I asked him a deep-seated secret. He placed both his elbows over his knees, bending forward.

"I don't understand. Why are you asking me this? Do you want to compare notes or something?"

I dismissively waved my arm in the air. Laughing at him in a loud, absurd manner, I looked around my office before I began.

"It's more to do with where I should start."

"You mean to say that whatever you said during that interview, it was all unscripted?" Antonio placed his stubble chin over his knuckles and nodded to his sides. "You wanted to play the hero, didn't you? But ended up dying like a sidekick."

The day of the interview rose in my mind but was quickly replaced with an image of Zemira's despair-driven eyes. Those held the power to make a calculated man toss away his strategies. 

That day, I did what I felt was necessary.

Clearing my throat, I bobbed my head. My answer was followed by Antonio clapping his hands and tossing back his body onto the couch, cackling like a villain in the movies.

"You're in so much trouble, dear brother."

He rose on his feet, eying me from above as if he was judging me for being weak. Antonio scratched his stubble jaw and stared into the distance. 

I sat in silence, letting the man come up with a solution. There was no shame in admitting that my younger brother was better equipped to handle situations like this, having first-hand experience.

"First of all," he began. "You've to know how much of it you want."

"As in?"

"As in, do you have a timeline or is this thing indefinite? Zemira and I had a marriage arrangement. It was set within a year of the engagement. But are you..."

"No. No marriage for us." My hands waved near his face, my head moved in tandem. "One year. I want this to end in a year."

My mouth soured as I made that statement. Like a movie, the future scenarios revved up in my thoughts. 

I would be back in the field but Zemira...

"Good then," Antonio began. "And did you guys do it? I mean... umm..."

My head swung up from between my palms.

"Didn't think so." Antonio sighed, scratching his stubble and looking away. "And try not to. I mean, we almost... and that itself complicated everything."

My brother continued his rant, all of which appeared muffled. 

The only sound I heard, reverberating in my mind was his last words. The knowledge of his almost intimacy with Zemira bounced around in my head, hammering the inside of my skull. 

I gulped down water; the only solution to calm the fire set by his words.

It was scientifically impossible to hold power over someone that transpired beyond physical boundaries. Yet, every time Zemira's name appeared in any conversation, I found myself eager to listen. 

Whenever I surfed through channels and something about her came on display, I was rendered useless to do anything else. Even her photo had a hypnotic effect that glued me in place.

Zemira was an illusion of wants and needs, a mirage of happiness set on a course to break my resolve.

"Anyways." Antonio's words crashed through my thoughts. "Seems like you have everything in verbal confirmation." He fell back to his previous position, tapping at his knees. "All you've to do is make as much public appearance as possible and get our name out. The more the publicity..."

"The better the shares..." I knew the drill. "I know you won't like it but you've started to sound like our old man."

Antonio pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. "Is that a problem?"

As a kid, Antonio wanted to travel. I remembered how he held his toy plane and made wooshing noises as he ran inside the mansion. He used to tell Mom and me he would send postcards and souvenirs from the places he would visit.

What happened to my sweet, dreamy-eyed boy? Who was this impersonator?

As I stood up, Antonio held my elbow and halted my steps.

"One more thing. The Ford deal is very important. Do whatever you can to seal it."

His eyes darkened. Something sinister tipped his voice as he spoke. 

Journeying into the path paved by our father, Antonio sold his soul to the corporate devil - one that made people do things for the mere satisfaction of profit and fame.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't find the sweet innocent Anto who wanted to visit every country in the world. I knew he was there somewhere, hiding behind the shadow of the man we called Dad. Awaited his rescue.

"I'll ensure everything works out well." I let out a tight smile, walking away.

The Ford-Brenton deal was important and so were my words to Zemira. But most of all, getting my brother back from the lost world of smiles and innocence remained my top priority.

By evening, when I thought the day couldn't have turned any worse, my phone chimed an alert. A reminder of the art exhibition flashed on my screen. 

Like a remote-controlled being, my fingers hovered over Zemira's contact. My ears craved to listen to her shaky voice whenever I tried to make her laugh. I imagined her smiling, palming her face when I spoke absurdly.

Focus.

Something roared from deep within.

It wasn't fun and games.

It needed the jolt of conscience. Tossing my phone back into my pocket, I continued working. The timeline I promise to Zemira and my brother was slipping away like sand in an hourglass. I couldn't waste it over funny banters or staring contests.

~

In the parking lot, I heard a familiar voice call out my name. Haley darted towards me before stalling her steps at the end.

"Hey there, stranger." I outstretched my hand but she scrambled back, intentionally holding up a wall of distance between us.

Her head turned around, scanning the ceiling of the place before whispering. "Camera."

After Antonio's debacle, I walked around on eggshells to avoid another scandal. With Haley, the call of familiarity couldn't be ignored. When I moved closer, she scrambled a step back, her eyes warning me to remain still.

"How have you been, Leo?"

There wasn't much I could state. Haley was well aware of my schedule. And my state of being.

"I'm doing well, Hales."

Without any forewarning, her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared. I witnessed her sunny day temperament camouflaged under a blanket of doubt-laden clouds.

"You're liking this, isn't it?" Her words thundered in the empty parking lot. "You're liking the attention that girl's bringing in?" With her arms flinging around and her eyes brimming up, all she could do was cough up acrid allegations. "Everyone loves Zemira. The whole world does. You too must be falling for it. Right?"

It was hard to wield resistance, trying not to calm her. Still, I played like a gambler, calculating my moves. Lending out my kerchief, I stooped to her eyes level.

"Not everyone loves her, Haley. And I'm not falling for anyone."

Dabbing her eyes, she gave me a sincere smile. "Thank you." 

I could have assured her further. I could have held her hand or patted her head but I didn't.

As she walked away, I stood in the humid underground structure, evaluating my answer. My heart thumped harder, mocking me.

~

With the majority of the crowd inside the gallery, the press lingering outside were fewer in number. I walked in, helping myself to a flute of champagne.

The ocean of black ties and colorful gowns filled the otherwise pristine marble lobby. Soft murmurs resonated from the surroundings. Softer classical music filled up my senses as I walked across the long corridor, enduring scalding stares from the known and unknown.

Reaching into my pocket for my phone, my actions halted when a burst of booming laughter crashed through the symphony of whispers. 

I turned around to its epicentre, witnessing the backside of a daredevil dressed in a black gown.

She laughed again, holding onto her sides. 

It was her. Talking to Keira, who rattled her shoulders before turning her inches by inches toward me.

As our eyes met, my hand automatically raised the glass, toasting to her vibrant spirit. The world of beautiful smiles and alluring talks melted in the background. Only Zemira remained in sight.

I blinked constantly to focus but my tunneled vision couldn't shift off her divine presence. I knew then I was in trouble. Deeper than I could fathom.

~

Oh, the things we feel for the ones we like and love...

Let me know if you liked this chapter. Ever experienced that meeting of eyes?

Comment, vote or simply DM and tell me, if you want to punch any of my characters for the sheer idiocy they display. I know, I want to :)