Office Hours

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INT. HART HOUSE — FOYER — MORNING

Elle comes down the staircase early — dressed, ready, polished in a way we have not seen from her yet. She has chosen the outfit carefully. She knows it.

Geneva stands at the foot of the stairs with her coffee, and stops mid-sip.

GENEVA

Elle does a small, self-conscious turn on the last step.

ELLE

GENEVA

She crosses over, adjusts Elle’s collar — a mother’s touch, quick and instinctive. Elle lets her.

GENEVA

Before Elle can answer — Roger’s voice from the study doorway. He is dressed for work, briefcase in hand, already moving.

ROGER

Geneva turns.

GENEVA

ROGER

A beat. Geneva’s face blooms — genuine, unguarded pleasure. More than Roger expects, certainly more than he wants.

GENEVA

Elle glances between them, a little off-balance.

ELLE

Roger checks his watch. Geneva, warming to the moment, looks toward the drive through the window.

GENEVA

ROGER

GENEVA

ROGER

Something flickers across Geneva’s face. Fast. She buries it under the smile.

GENEVA

Roger kisses the air near her cheek. Corporate. He nods Elle toward the door.

ROGER

Elle follows him out. The front door closes.

Geneva stands alone in the foyer. The smile stays on her mouth and dies in her eyes. Her gaze drifts, slowly, toward the back of the house — toward the grounds.

CUT TO:

INT. HART HOUSE — KITCHEN — CONTINUOUS

AVA BEARDEN, mid-forties, sharp-eyed, folds linens at the counter with the speed of someone who has done it ten thousand times. Geneva enters.

GENEVA

Ava sets down the linen.

AVA

GENEVA

AVA

GENEVA

AVA

Geneva leaves. Ava watches her go — a long, thoughtful beat — then picks up her keys.

CUT TO:

EXT. HART ESTATE — GUARD SHACK — LATER

Keith sits on the shack’s bench, radio in hand, bored by the quiet. Ava comes down the gravel path toward him.

AVA

KEITH

AVA

Keith stands, buttons his jacket. Professional. Unhurried.

KEITH

He starts back up the path with her. The gravel crunches under them. Ava lets half the walk go by before she says it — light as a comment on the weather.

AVA

Keith’s stride doesn’t change. His face does — barely.

KEITH

AVA

They walk a few more steps.

AVA

Keith keeps his eyes forward. Even. Unreadable.

KEITH

AVA

That lands. Keith stops walking. Turns to her.

KEITH

Ava looks up at him — and doesn’t blink.

AVA

Keith turns and walks away.

END OF EPISODE. COME BACK TOMORROW FOR EPISODE 10.