FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN (Billionaire Romance)

"He is so handsome," Jessica said to her best friend Unice as they sat on the sidewalk in front of her house, resting a bit after their morning run.

"I am sure you are not kidding," Unice replied. Jessica had talked so much about Stephen that she already knew who the 'he' was that she was talking about.

"I mean, he is just so good looking and smart to boot, he passed his bar exam just like my dad," Jessica continued, "I can not wait to pass the civil service interview so I can show him that I am smart too and deserve to be with someone like him."

Unice was so tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. She had reached her limit and she did not care if she hurt Jessica with her next words.

"Do not get your hopes up, I do not even think you'll pass the interview. Maybe it was just a mistake that you got through the first stage. Maybe there was a mistake in the intake or something."

"Are you saying I cheated or what?" asked Jessica, feeling violated. How could someone she considered a friend say such hurtful words? Are friends not supposed to support each other?

"It would not be the first time in this country, but I am just saying that it could be a mistake, so do not be too sure you'll pass the test this time," Unice replied.

"How can you be so cruel? You are my best friend after all and should wish me well and encourage me." Jessica said on the verge of tears.

"I am sorry to have to tell you this, but things have changed. For weeks you have not talked about anything else, it's always been about Stephen, Stephen this. I am tired of hearing that. Oh! If you want to pass the interview and get a job and then get married before me, I am sorry, because that's not going to happen. You will never be there before me. I will always be the master of you. You will always remain in my shadow. The sooner you realise that, the better for you," Unice finished.

By this time, tears were welling up in Jessica's eyes. "All right, I will prove to you that I will pass the interview. I am going to make it into government service and I am also going to tell Stephen about my feelings for him," Jessica stood up from the sidewalk, "and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"We will see about that," Unice said brutally.

_ _ _

Kylie could not believe that she was really doing this, leaving everything she knew behind to take on a new challenge.

She had left her apartment, her old job, and even her boyfriend Christian behind. She was already estranged from her father and there was no other relative that she knew of.

She was searching for something. Something that was out of her reach. Something she felt she could reach if she just stretched out her hands. But she did not even know what that 'something' was.

That's why she had been on fire the moment Jessica had told her about the role. She was ready for an adventure.

Kylie rolled her luggage forward as she stepped to the side of the road, trying to see her cousin Jessica, who was picking her up from the airport. Long-distance travel always made her tired and exhausted, and being in a place as big as New York without knowing her way around bothered her.

"Where are you? I thought you were going to pick me up at the airport," Kylie said into her phone. She had been waiting outside for Jessica for several minutes.

She was in a bad mood anyway, and now all she wanted to do was take a bath and sleep for hours.

"Oh! Oh! I am so sorry, Kylie," Jessica answered the phone. "There has been a delay and it will be some time before we get to the airport. You might just sit down in the lounge with a cup of hot chocolate. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Kylie just sighed. This was getting better and better. She turned and walked back into the airport, which was still swarming with people either waiting for someone to pick them up or waiting for the next flight.

She took out some money and bought a cup of hot chocolate as suggested. She also grabbed a magazine and started flipping through it.

When she looked at the clock again, she saw that thirty minutes had already passed. "Where is Jessica?" she asked herself, "Where could she be?"

"Hey Kylie, wake up."

"Yes?" said Kylie, as she awoke exhausted from her slumber. She had not even noticed that she had dozed off while flipping through the magazine. Jessica had taken longer than she had expected. "Jessica?"

"Yes, it's me," Jessica replied.

"Oh my goodness! It's been forever since we last saw each other," Kylie squealed with delight.

"Yes, I am so sorry you had to wait, something came up and the traffic jam was hell," Jessica apologized.

"That's all right. All I need now is to have a hot bath and then at least a week's sleep."

Jessica laughed. "I understand the feeling. I am really sorry," Jessica apologized again.

She grabbed Kylie's luggage and led her out of the airport. Jessica drove to the apartment where Kylie would be staying while they talked about other things.

"I took the liberty of getting a few things ready for you, and dinner is in the microwave, so get settled in and then.

I'll come by tomorrow to pick you up." Jessica said to her as she reached her room.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow," Kylie said. Finally, she could rest now.

She unpacked her bag and put her clothes in the closet. She took a bath, just as she had wanted, and then laid down in bed, which was really comfortable and fluffy. She remembered that she had promised to call Christian as soon as she got settled, and now was a good time to do it. With that in mind, she pulled out her phone and dialled his number.

"Hello," he answered after the first ring.

"Hey, it's me. Kylie."

"Oh! I am really glad to hear from you.

Thank goodness your flight went well. I hope you have settled in well and comfortably?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking," Kylie replied politely.

Suddenly he said quite seriously, "But you know, I still do not know why you had to move so far away when you could have stayed here with me. I do not understand what you are looking for so far away."

"I have already explained everything to you; it is only for the duration of this film. I just needed a break from New Hampshire and my life in general. It's not like it's forever, I just want to expand my horizons and try some new things."

"And what about me? What about us?" Christian asked sullenly.

"I just need to clear my head and know if this relationship is really right for me. Let us just take a break from each other and see how it goes," Kylie replied firmly. "I am doing this for myself. I need to discover myself and know what path I want to take."

"Good, then I will respect your wishes. I'll talk to you later," Christian said, breaking the connection.

Kylie heaved a sigh of relief. That had gone better than she had expected. At least she had kept her promise and could now rest.

"I HAVE PASSED! I DID IT!" cried Jessica excitedly. She looked at the list again to make sure it was her name she saw on the list. "I can not wait to tell Stephen I passed and that I love him," she soliloquized.

With that thought, she fled the office and ran to share the good news. She knew Stephen would be at the fast food place next to his office, where he usually spent his afternoons.

After the long run, she stopped outside the cafeteria to catch her breath and collect herself before going inside and finally confessing her feelings to him. She looked around and peered through the glass windows of the fast food restaurant to adjust her clothes, but her gaze lingered on something, or rather someone.

Fear gnawed in her stomach, betrayal paralyzed her. She stood rooted to the spot as she continued to watch the couple in the café. She watched Unice smile at something Stephen said - her own Stephen.

They were so lost in their world that they did not notice her; so they did not notice what was happening around them.

Suddenly Stephen knelt on one knee and took a ring out of a box. Jessica felt her blood freeze in her veins. She saw his mouth move but could not hear what he said, but she knew instinctively that he had just proposed to Unice.

Unice acted shy at first, but then she brought out her finger. She smiled as Stephen put the ring on her finger. He stoodup and hugged her lovingly with a look of admiration and appreciation in his eyes.

Tears rolled down Jessica's cheek as she realized the magnitude of what had just happened. While she had been there, racking her brains for her interview, Unice had been using her feminine wiles on Stephen.

Unice knew that she loved Stephen. Unice knew she planned to confess to him. She knew of all her plans, and yet she did this to her.

Jessica was about to back away when she saw Stephen turn. He made a gesture to invite her in, but Unice held him back.

She immediately hailed a cab to take her home. The pain was too great when she saw the happy couple again and again as soon as she blinked. When she arrived home, Jessica went straight to her room and cried her heart out. She felt like a big fool, but how could she have known that her best friend had hooked up with the man she loved behind her back.

She cried over the betrayal by her best friend; she cried over the loss of her love;

she wept for her naivety, her shyness, and her stupidity; she also wept for the loss of a friendship she thought would last forever.

And when she was done crying, she felt cleansed. She regained her composure as the burning pain in her chest subsided.

But she'd never forget, never forgive, never get another crush on a man. At least now she had her job. She would just give it her all. Men and friends were the least of her problems now.

_ _ _

Kylie got up from the bed as she wondered who was disturbing her. It literally felt like she had just gone to bed a few minutes ago and she did not like being jolted out of sleep, especially when she was already jet lagged from a long trip.

Whoever it was, hopefully they had a good reason. "Take it easy, I am coming!" She said aloud at the incessant knocking.

"Open up, it's me, Jessica."

Kylie finally made her way to the door and opened it.

"I can not believe you are still asleep when you are already so late for the meeting. You need to get ready, the director will not be happy with you if you are late," Jessica said as she entered the room and handed her the cup of coffee she had brought with her, as if she had guessed Kylie would need it.

"I am sorry, I did not realize it was so late. I really needed it," Kylie said, taking a sip from the cup. "I guess I'll go freshen up then."

She hurriedly took a bath and put on her yellow sundress. She was pretty sure she was not planning anything serious today.

"You are already late, so you will just have breakfast on the way there," Jessica said as they left the apartment.

"Okay, no problem," Kylie replied as she got into Jessica's car.

She took it upon herself to rent a car later, because she did not want to be dependent on Jessica all the time. She planned to see the sights whenever she had the opportunity. They stopped at a café down the street and bought breakfast.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway? I thought you were not doing anything serious today?" Kylie asked between bites of her croissants.

"The director is addressing the cast and crew; there will also be introductions, and since you have the female lead, you should be there so you can meet the people you'll be working with."

"What are the crew and other actors like?" Kylie asked. "I'd like to get a sense of the people I'll be working with over the next few months."

"Well, I think they are fine," Jessica replied.

"The other crew members are pretty relaxed and friendly, which is more than I can say for the other actors. But you do not have to worry, you'll be fine," Jessica reassured her.

"Okay, if you say so."

Kylie then concentrated on her food. They reached the set and saw that people were already gathered and a man was speaking to them in the middle, the director, she guessed.

"... I want you all to do your best to make this film a success. We need to finish this in time to start shooting in a week. You should be ready by then to ..." the director said as people continued to listen intently.

Kylie looked around the crowd and noticed some of the actors she recognized from the

TV commercials and her gaze lingered on one person.

From where she stood, she could not see his face clearly, just his silhouette, but she could tell by his striped triceps that he was well muscled. He had coffee-brown hair that looked disheveled, as if he was constantly running his fingers through it. She only wished she could see the colour of his eyes, too, but she could already tell he was handsome in a masculine way.

She had to avert her gaze before she was caught staring, and by the time she readjusted to what the director was saying, he had already finished his speech.

"That will be all for now," Mr. Edward said, dismissing them.

Just as Kylie was about to turn around, he called out to her. "Miss. Devon, just a moment, please."

"Trouble," Jessica whispered to her with a grin on her face.

Kylie simply ignored her and followed him into his office. He closed the door and offered her a seat.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted politely.

"Good morning, Miss Devon. I trust you found your accommodations?" he asked.

"Of course, it's lovely."

"Good, I hope you do not intend to make a habit of this?" he said sternly.

"I am sorry, sir, it will not happen again."

"Fine, but that's not why I called you here." Kylie was surprised at this. "There has been a slight change in your script, so I expect you to adjust accordingly," he said, handing her said scripts.

Kylie opened it and went through it. "Sir, more scenes have been added," she said, startled.

"Yes. The executive producers ordered it, and you know you have to give the big bosses what they want," he explained.

"But you have to dance for those scenes, and I can not dance for shit."

She had a third leg when it came to dancing, and now she was going to do it on screen.

"I am sorry, my dear, but it's already too late to look for a replacement, so get to work. I am sure the choreographer can help you. You can not be that bad," he finally said with a laugh.

"You have no idea," she muttered.

She was worried, but she had not come all the way to New York to just give up. She would learn the steps, even if it killed her. Kylie said goodbye to him and left the office.

The director seemed nice, not too domineering or commanding, as people in his position tend to be. Even when he had admonished her, he had not been too scary.

Kylie was just standing at the door waiting for them. "Hey, what did he want?"

"There were some changes made to my script. Now I have to learn how to dance, waltz, tango, the whole damn thing," Kylie whined.

"Okay. So what's the problem? I mean, it's just dancing."

"You do not get it! I do not know how to dance."

Jessica burst out laughing, "You are kidding, right? You can not be that bad." Kylie gave her a look that said she was serious. "So you have never been to parties, prom, or anything else?"

"No to prom and I did not dance at the parties I went to," Kylie explained.

"Okay, girl. You know I got you," Jessica assured her. "I am going to set you up with someone who will show you the ropes."

"You are a lifesaver," Kylie said gratefully, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It's nothing," Jessica said with a smile. "But you need to hang out with the crew."

"No, that's okay," Kylie said. "I need to catch up on my break."

"You'll have a whole week to do that before filming starts. At least hanging out will help you get to know the people you'll be working with. I'll even introduce you to your new dance instructor, and believe me when I say he's hot," Jessica said with a wink.

"I have no interest in getting involved with anyone while I am here, Jess, so I do not even want to know if he's hot or not."

"Okay, but just say you'll be there,"

"Fine, but I am only staying for a while."

"That's all I ask," Jessica said excitedly. "Then let us get started. I'll come by your apartment later and pick you up."

"You do not have to stress about it, just send me the address and I'll get there myself." Kylie did not want to be a burden.

"It's not a problem at all. I am happy to help," Jessica assured her.

"I insist," Kylie said.

"Okay, if that is what you want."

"You have been running around a lot lately," Kennedy said as the music was playing in the background, taking a sip of the beer in his hand.

"Yeah, I have been making arrangements for Kylie, the female lead. We go way back," Jessica explained.

She had gone ahead to the meeting place, but it seemed that Kylie had either been late or had changed her mind.

"Why are your eyes fixed on the door?"

"I invited Kylie over earlier, but I have not set eyes on her yet," Jessica replied. They were seated at the bar, so she had a good view of the entrance in case Kylie actually came. "I did not see you at the meeting earlier, what were you doing?"

"I was there, but I left right after the meeting, I had some things to take care of," he said, changing the subject. "So this your girl, I have not heard anything about her. What does she look like, do you know anything about her?"

"I am sorry I can not reveal any information about her, but she's beautiful and that's all I can say. Do not worry, you'll meet her soon enough and I think you'd like her," Jessica said mischievously.

Kennedy looked puzzled. "Jessica, I hope you are not planning on doing anything shady. You have already played enough games with my lifeby setting me up with all your single friends."

Jessica just laughed, "I promise you I do not have anything up my sleeve this time."

"Good, and it will stay that way. I am not interested in getting involved with anyone, certainly not someone who would not stay," Kennedy said firmly.

"We will see," Jessica replied confidently.

They would be perfect for each other, but he did not know that yet.

Just as she finished speaking, she saw Kylie coming through the door. She was dressed very nicely in her black dress.

Jessica tried to wave at her as soon as their eyes met to show where she was. She smiled and was about to walk toward them, but someone intercepted her.

"Is that your girl?" asked Kennedy.

"Yep, that's her," replied Jessica.

"Wow."

"Told you. Who's the guy she's talking to?" asked Jessica.

"Him? That's Justin; he's in the movie too," replied Kennedy.

"Oh, that Justin. I heard he's a bastard who always sleeps with the girls on the set. Is that true?"

"Could be. What girl would not want to sleep with someone so famous and handsome?"

"My girl for sure."

Kennedy burst out laughing, "Do you really think she wouldn't? I mean, look at the way they talk. Okay, let us make a bet: I'll give you fifty dollars if she kisses him before she gets here, if she actually does."

"Wow, that's really a lot of money."

Did he really want to play this game? He did not know Kylie, the girl has a short temper.

"I bet you she'll slap him right on the cheek where he's standing. But just one thing: if I win, you'll do everything I ask you to do." said Jessica.

"To sweeten the deal, I'll give you both the money and do what you ask anyway."

He was damn sure no girl would turn that down, and certainly not someone who looked that wild. He would not lie, the girl looked damn good and he really wished in a tiny part of his heart that Jessica would win the bet. He wanted her to be different, but he did not know where that would come from.

"Deal," Jessica said with a smile. He had wanted it that way.

_ _ _

Kylie felt like she had made a wrong decision to come here. She should not have let it get her down and should have continued to rest. She did not feel like partying and socialising, especially not when she had to learn to dance in a week, but she had given her word and could not go back on it, so she was here.

As she entered the club, she saw some people dancing on the floor. Ugghh! She wondered how people got so good at it while she was so bad at it. She continued on her way and looked around for Jessica. Oh, there she was, right at the bar, beckoning her to come over. Thank goodness it did not take long to find her, considering how crowded the place was.

"Hello, Sexy," a voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked, trying to get a good look at the person who had stopped her.

"Yes, Sexy," the guy replied. "What do you say we find a quiet place and talk, if you know what I mean," he said smugly.

Kylie was offended at what he had implied. Who did this guy think he was to talk to her in this way?

"I am sorry, but do I know you?" she asked, still trying to be nice and polite.

"You'll know me well enough once I stick my cock up your ass."

Oh, now he was really doing it, and she was trying to be nice while this guy was a total creep. She raised her hand and gave him a resounding slap that could be heard far beyond the music.

"Next time, you should know who you are talking to before you say such disgusting and demeaning words," Kylie said, giving him another slap to make sure she got her point across.

"Bitch," Justin shouted, holding his cheeks.

Never before had a girl embarrassed him in this way. "You do not know who you just messed with. You just made the biggest mistake of your life."

"Really," Kylie laughed. "Your mama should have taught you manners and how to treat a lady."

"You fucking whore," Justin said angrily. He lunged at her and tried to grab her, but she just dodged him.

Security saw the commotion and came to her rescue, "Ma'am, is this man bothering you?"

"He is, but I think I have the situation under control," Jessica replied with a smile.

"He will not bother you anymore, miss."

"You do not know who you just messed with. I am going to kick your ass!" Justin yelled at her as he struggled with the security guards, but they managed to take him out.

"I'd like to see that," Kylie said, continuing on her way.

She had been right not to come along. Let us see what happens now; she needed a drink to cool off. She headed for the bar where she had last seen Jessica before that asshole had stopped her. What an impertinence of him.