Jill was unusually quiet. Joy and Jill sat in the back of the car while Dave drove to the hotel Victor had instructed Jill to meet with him."Hey. Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet." Joy noted."Yea, I'm okay. I just have a lot on my mind." Jill replied."Do you want to talk about it?" Joy asked. Noticing his hesitancy, Joy continued,"It's okay if you don't." "I'm really nervous about meeting Mr. Grey. He used to intimidate me so much." Jill said truthfully."I understand why you feel that way, but I think you'll be okay. It's been a while since you've seen him, right?" Joy asked."Yeah, it has been a while, but I still remember how he used to make me feel. He was always so aggressive and dismissive." Jill said."I get that, but try to remember that you're not the same person you were back then. You've grown and changed, and you don't have to feel intimidated anymore." Joy said encouragingly."I know, but it's hard to shake off those old feelings. What if he still treats me
"Not again.!"Joy said out loud. Her phone rang for the tenth time that morning and she was already fed up.It was the weekend and she decided to help her folks out at the bakery, everything had been going well until a particular number kept calling repeatedly.She decided not to pick after the person had called the first two times, she assumed the person would get the message that she was busy and would return the calls later but the person didn't.Joy held her phone and watched it ring, she was contemplating if she should pick up the call when the customer in front of her spoke up."Excuse me, can I pay for my purchase?" The customer said.Joy quickly looked up from her phone"Oh, yes, sorry about that. How can I help you?" She asked."I'd like to pay for my items, please." the customer answered."Of course, I apologize for the delay. Let me ring up your items." Joy responded.The customer handed Joy her goods and after costing it, Joy handed it back to her."That comes out to $50.
"Xavier?” What do you want?" Joy asked. He was the last person she expected a call from."Hi, it's me. Can we talk?" Xavier asked."I don't really want to talk to you right now." Elise responded."Please, just hear me out. I know things didn't end well between us, and the last time we saw each other, it wasn't under the best of circumstances but I need to talk to you." Xavier said."I don't think there's anything left to say." Joy replied."I understand that, but I just want to apologize for everything that happened. I messed up and I'm sorry." Xavier responded."I appreciate the apology, but it doesn't change anything." Joy said."I know, but I want to make things right between us. Can we at least talk about it?" Xavier asked."I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think you should even be talking to me right now considering the way things are between your family and the company I work for." Joy said."I understand that, but I just need to know that we're okay." Xavier answered.
"You did what?" Billion screamed. He couldn't believe what Joy was telling him."I agreed to be friends with Xavier." Joy said.Billion was confused about the whole thing. "Joy, can you please go over what you told me again? It seems I missed something." Billion requested.Joy repeated how Xavier had called her repeatedly on Saturday and how they had met up on Sunday, she told Billion what Xavier had said and her response."You agreed to hang out with him again because you feel he would play the same game his dad did." Billion stated."Exactly." Joy replied."Joy, I highly doubt that's what Xavier is up to. He knows he would fail miserably if he tried, I'm sure he's up to something else." Billion said."Well, we will never know what his plans are until I go out with him." Joy said."Are you sure there's no other way?" Billion asked."No. You don't have to worry about me, I can handle Xavier." Joy answered.Billion was worried and it was obvious from his appearance. His brow was fur
Billion turned his chair so fast to look at the source of the voice that he almost fell off."What?" He asked."I said, who aren't you jealous of?" Jill repeated the question he had asked and walked into Billion's office.Billion didn't know what to respond to. He could deny and say that Jill heard wrongly, but he was sure Jill would not buy it.Billion didn't know what to do, he suddenly felt embarrassed and self conscious for being caught while soliloquizing.He considered apologizing, but then, why should he apologize to Jill for walking in on him while he was having a moment alone?Would humor work? Billion thought about trying to make light of the situation by joking about it or making a self-deprecating comment, but his brain felt empty, so he decided to use another approach.Defense! Billion decided to become defensive and argue that talking to himself is not abnormal or that everyone does it from time to time."It doesn't matter who I'm not jealous of. I was having a moment al
"Xavier is engaged?" Billion asked. "Yes." Jill answered."That family is really something else. Why would Xavier ask Joy out when he already has someone he intends to marry?" Billion asked."Why would Joy even agree to go out with him in the first place? I can't wrap my head around it." Jill said."He reached out to her and just like his father, Joy is convinced Xavier is up to something. I'm convinced of that as well, but I wasn't expecting this." Billion responded."What do you guys think he's planning?" Jill asked."We have no idea. That's why Joy agreed to go out with him, she's convinced she'll figure it out." Billion answered."And you didn't try to convince her otherwise?" Jill asked."Trust me, I did. But once Joy has her mind fixed on something, she won't rest until she gets it." Billion answered."That's true. Well, she's a strong woman and I believe she's capable of handling things on her own. But one can never tell with that family" Jill said."You're right. I already
Billion ran. He wasn't sure about the direction he was heading, but he knew he needed to get out of that bar fast.He was uncertain but it felt as if he had seen a flash of recognition in Stella's eyes.Billion ran and he came across a door, he quickly got in and walked through.As he was walking, he felt a variety of emotions starting with Anger. It had been over a year and Billion thought he was over it, but clearly seeing the Brown family again evoked certain feelings in him.Billion felt angry about how his relationship with Stella ended. He felt angry about Stella's actions that led to the divorce. Billion felt a sense of injustice, betrayal, and this led to feelings of resentment and rage.Also, he felt sadness. He remembered how Stella had treated him when they first met, he felt sad about the loss of that close friendship.Billion felt a sense of grief and mourning for what Stella's actions cost both of them to lose. Did Stella really lose anything?She did. She lost an err
"That was close!" Joy exclaimed. "Yea it was." Billion concurred.It was the start of a new week and they were both sitting in Billion's office, he had just finished telling her about his encounter with Stella."Some people never change, I guess. Money seems to be the only language that can make them nice." Joy said."Yes and it's really sad," Billion said while shaking his head."By the way, I didn't know you like going to bars." Joy commented."I don't, not really. I prefer staying indoors on weekends." Billion said."So this weekend was an exception then." Joy said."No. I went there for a reason." Billion said."And what's the reason?" Joy asked."I went there to meet with Esther Brendan." Billion answered."Who's Esther Brendan? Is she a new business partner?" Joy questioned."No. She's Xavier's fiancee." Billion stated.Joy couldn't believe what Billion just said, she was in shock, she was feeling so many emotions at the same time that she didn't know how to react.She didn't