On the 5th day, after seeing you on Halloween, Bill sends orchids to the office. In his bold scrawl, “I waited until Day 5.” This time around, you don’t call to thank him. You don’t want to get sucked into Billy’s mind games. You do however, catch yourself staring off dreamily at the flowers throughout the day, so you move it to the lobby area. You can’t afford to get sidetracked by him again.
The following day you’re returning from a meeting and you find a familiar figure leaning on the receptionist desk. Fuck. You know those broad shoulders & perfect hair anywhere. “Mr. Russo?”
He turns around with a smile that makes you blush, “Exactly the woman I wanted to see.” He walks over to you & hands you a cup & whispers in your ear, “G'morning, Kitten.” Nods at the flowers, “Weren’t to your liking?”
You ingore him & walk to your office. He follows. “Anthony misses you. Wanted me to tell you ‘hi’.”
Billy holds up his cup & sips it, “Anthony. Your hot chocolate guy.”
You take a sip and smile. “You went to Central Park to bring me hot chocolate?”
“Tony & I are friends now. He said he hasn’t seen you in a month. You stopped running?”
“I go somewhere else now.” You stopped going to Central Park, because you didn’t want to run into Bill. You switched to runs along the Hudson. “What are you doing, Bill? What do you want?”
The teasing smile drops from his face. “You know what I want.”
“I can’t be friends with you.”
“I don’t want to be friend…,” shuts his eyes & tries to control his frustration. “I want you as a friend, but I want more, too.”
“The only reason you’re here is because you’re…i don’t know…bored? Your other women not making it challenging enough for you? I’m not playing this game with you.”
“You aren’t a game, Y/N.”
“Bullshit! The only reason you wanted me was because I didn’t immediately fall to my knees for you. Once you had me,” you huff out a breath, “game over. On to the next conquest.”
“What do you want from me? Lay it out for me, Billy. You want to go back to how things were? To throw me back into your rotation? Just down to fuck when you are? Mouth shut, legs open?”
Bill slams his palm against your desk, “Enough!!” You flinch & freeze in place, staring at Bill. “Look, i’m sorry. I didn’t come here to upset you and start a fight.”
“We had our chance and it didn’t work. I wanted more & you walked out the door without a single word to me.”
Running his finger through his hair, “Sweetheart, give me a second chance. ”
Folding your arms across your chest, protecting yourself from the draw you have to Billy. “I don’t trust you anymore.”
“I don’t know how to earn your trust back if you don’t give me a second chance.”
“And here we are.” Clears your throat & straightens your posture. “You need to go. I have another client coming in.”
Bill’s angry but know better than to say anything now & calmly leaves.
With the holidays coming up, there are more parties that you need to attend for work. Candice is better at socializing at these events, but you have to do your part. The part you like about these things is that it gives you an excuse to get dressed up & have someone else do hair and makeup for you. Your self-esteem has been low after fighting with Bill so you splurged on a new gown and you’ll make the most of this night out. You’re attending an annual fundraiser for Mount Sinai’s Children Hospital.
Later that evening you are thankful you splurged because Bill shows up at the same function. He surprises you at the bar, “Kitten.”
You try to cover your surprise with snark, “Don’t call me that.”
“Who’s the guy?” Billy glares at your date.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Anything that concerns you, is my business.”
“Since when? You’re able to fuck around but I can’t?”
Hisses, “Are you fucking him?” Jealousy is not a common emotion for Billy. You roll your eyes and walk away from him towards your date, Garrett, who’s a Emergency Pediatrician.
“Then who’s the guy who looks ready to kill me?”
“Bill and I are complicated. I didn’t expect him to be here.”
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
Forces a smile, “absolutely.”
The evening goes smoothly, but you feel Bill’s eyes are on you. Try as you might, you can’t help but do the same. He’s on the phone & he catches you watching him & he narrows his eyes at you. He puts his phone back in his pocket & with a predatory smirk, he approaches you and Garrett.
“Kitten.” Extending his hand to Garrett, “Hi, Bill Russo. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the work you do with the children at Mount Sinai. It must be very rewarding.
Shakes his hand, "Thanks, Garrett Watson. It is. I appreciate you coming out to support & contribute to tonight’s event.”
“Yea, of course. May I borrow your date for a minute, Dr. Watson?” Billy turns his smirk towards you, “A word, Y/N” Billy takes your hand and escorts you outside the ballroom. “Dr. Watson. Candice’s brother?” You smile. “Are you seeing him?”
“How did you know he’s Candice’s brother?”
“I took his picture & sent it to my guys. Facial recognition & a background check.”
“Are you serious?! Billy! You can’t do that.” Unbelievable!
“No, but even if I was, it’s still none of your business.”
Grabs your jaw and brushes his thumb against your lower lip, “And I told you that anything that concerns you is my business.” Changes the subject, “Did I tell you, you look absolutely stunning tonight?” You frown at him & shake off his hand. “What? This is what i do.”
“You’re borderline creepy now.”
Billy laughs. “I want a second chance. If I have to get dirt on my competition, I will.”
“So, about that second chance.” He feels you draw away from him. Your emotional walls are back in place. “Look, I don’t take asking this lightly. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Brushes him off, “I didn’t know what I was getting into, but you were upfront with me from the very beginning.”
“I’ve missed you, Y/N. I want you back. I had to figure out what I wanted first. I was brought up believing that relationships made you weak. They were a liability. You were never a game to me.” Billy nervously licks his lips. You’ve never seen him like this. “You asked me if I ever felt I wasn’t enough.” Slowly nods. “Why do you think I bust my ass everyday? Special Forces. Anvil’s success. I told you I was brought up in the System. Raised in group homes. My meth-head mother dumped me at a Fire Station. She loved her drugs and her dealers more than her kid. So, I’d say I wasn’t enough if your own mother doesn’t want you.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Y/N. For making you feel that you weren’t enough,” Bill trails off. “I don’t think i have the words to make up for that. No…no number of 'I’m sorry’ will do it. You are more than enough,” clears his throat. “I’d never want to be the person to make you feel that you were lacking in any type of way. You’re smart, brave, strong, beautiful, kind…” Billy takes your hand in his and plays with your fingers. “I never did relationships, and I know I’ll piss you off again,” he looks up and gives you a crooked smile. “But I’ll get this right. I promise. In the end, I succeed in everything I set my mind to. I set my mind to making you happy, and I will. I just need a second chance.”
You throw your arms around his neck and Billy lifts you in a hug. He kissed you slowly at first, his tongue tracing your lips before seeking its way inside. He deepens the kiss, explorong your mouth making you moan. He pulls back scrapping his teeth against your bottom lip. “Do we get our fresh start?”
You whisper “yes” & hold him tight.
**If she desides to give you a second chance, it’s usually not because you deserve it; but rather because she still believes in you and the idea that love, if given the chance will somehow prevail in the end~~A. Soul**
