Captivated By The Billionaire

Another Horn

Chapter two

Another horn. Another flash of headlights. Finally, the limousine accelerated slightly and pulled in front of her, blocking part of the sidewalk. Betty stopped her face etched with irritation. Rain streamed down her face.

The rear passenger door opened. A tall man stepped out holding a large black umbrella. His dark coat looked tailored to perfection. Expensive watch. Polished shoes that somehow remained spotless despite the rain. The man walked toward her.

“Miss?”

She immediately stepped backward. “I’m fine.” Her voice sounded rough.

The man didn’t move any closer. Instead, he tilted the umbrella toward her, shielding her from the rain.

“You don’t look fine.”

Betty let out a bitter laugh.“Thanks.”

The stranger studied her carefully. Not in an intrusive way. More like someone trying to solve a puzzle.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for nearly ten minutes.”

“I didn’t hear you. And I didn’t ask you to”

“I noticed.” His lips curved slightly.

Betty glanced around nervously. The street was nearly empty and most of the shops had closed for the day. Rain hammered against the pavement. The limousine idled quietly behind him.

“Look,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself, I’m not sure what you want, but whatever it is, I’m not interested.”

The man chuckled. “Ok ”

He extended his free hand. “Chris.”

Betty stared at it. After a moment she reluctantly shook it. His grip was warm.

“Betty.”

“Nice to meet you, Betty.”

“Can’t say the same.”

A flicker of amusement crossed his face.“Fair enough.”

Rain splashed around them. Chris glanced at her soaked clothes.

“Would you like to tell me why you’re wandering around in a storm at this hour?”

“No.”

“Alright.”

“Good.”

“But something happened.”

"It’s none of your business” Betty’s jaw tightened.

Chris waited. When she didn’t respond, he looked up at the dark sky.

“Bad breakup?”

Her eyes snapped toward him. "I said it’s none of your business" she screamed at him.

Chris lifted one shoulder. "ok" Chris said raising his left hand up. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry “

Betty looked away immediately. The tears returned before she could stop them. Embarrassed, she wiped her face.

“I don’t even know you.”

“No.”

“So stop acting like you do.”

Chris nodded. “That’s reasonable.”

For a few seconds neither spoke. Rain drummed against the umbrella overhead.

Then Chris sighed.“Do you have family nearby?”

“No.”

“Friends?”

Anyone you can call?

Betty hesitated.

“I don’t want to call anyone.”

“Where are you headed?”

She looked down the endless road. “I don’t know.”

That answer seemed to concern him more than anything else. Chris rubbed the back of his neck.

“So your current plan is to walk around all night in the rain?”

Betty opened her mouth. Then closed it. Because she didn’t actually have a plan.

Chris pointed toward the limousine. “Let me take you home.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know you.”

“That’s true.”

“And normal people don’t stop strangers in limousines.”

Chris laughed softly.“When you put it that way, it does sound suspicious.”

“It is suspicious.”

“Then you’re smart to be cautious.”

Betty folded her arms tighter.

Chris pulled a business card from his coat pocket and handed it to her.

She glanced down. His name was printed in elegant silver lettering. Beneath it was the logo of a company she immediately recognized. Her eyes widened slightly.

Chris noticed. “Now you know I’m a real person.”

“Rich people can still be serial killers.”

That earned a genuine laugh from him.

The first real laugh she’d heard all night.

“That’s true.”

For the first time, a faint smile tugged at Betty’s lips. Only for a second.

Chris saw it anyway. Progress.

“Look at yourself,” he said gently.

Betty glanced down. Her clothes were soaked. Her hands trembled from the cold. Water dripped from her hair. She suddenly realized how exhausted she felt.

“You need somewhere warm.”

“I’m fine.”

A violent shiver betrayed her.

Chris raised an eyebrow.

“Convincing.”

Betty sighed heavily. She took a look at the time. It was already past midnight. The fight draining out of her.

Chris opened the limousine door. “I’ll take you wherever you want.”

She hesitated.

“If I say no?”

“I’ll drive alongside you and keep annoying you until you say yes.”

Despite herself, Betty laughed. A short, broken laugh. But a laugh nonetheless.

Chris smiled. “There she is.”

Betty stared at the open door. Then at the rain. Then at the endless dark street ahead. For the first time all night, she felt tired enough to stop running. Slowly, she nodded.

“Just a ride home.”

“Just a ride home.”

Chris stepped aside.

Betty climbed into the limousine. The warm air wrapped around her instantly. As the door closed behind her, shutting out the storm, she had no idea that getting into that car was going to change far more than just the rest of her night.

The piercing sound of an alarm shattered the silence. Betty groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, trying to block out the sound. The alarm continued ringing. Persistently. Finally, she dragged herself out of the bed and stumbled across the bedroom. Her hand slapped the alarm clock on the dresser.

Silence. She winced at the glowing numbers.

7:30 AM.

A gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened. “Oh no.” That was her second alarm. The emergency alarm. The one she set every morning as a backup in case she somehow slept through the first one. Apparently, she had.

For a few blissful seconds she felt normal. Then the memories flooded back.

Everything flashed through her mind in a moment. Mark kneeling down at the restaurant Paula is stretching out her fingers to accept the engagement ring. The cheering crowd. Her stomach sank.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand and pressed the power button. She turned it off immediately when she got home last night. The screen lit up instantly.

Seven missed calls. Two unread messages. All from Mark. Betty stared at his name. A familiar ache spread through her chest. After a long moment, she opened the latest text.

Had to make an unplanned trip out of town. Something came up. A family emergency. Stopped by the apartment earlier to grab a few things. Sorry I missed you. Call me when you wake up.

Betty let out a fake laugh.“Family emergency indeed." Angrily she started typing a response to his text but after few sentences, she stopped and deleted it. " What’s the point she said to herself And tossed the phone onto the bed.

Yesterday, she would have believed every word. Today, she wasn’t sure she believed anything that came out of his mouth. Her gaze drifted toward the engagement ring she dropped on the bedside table last night.

Mark gave her that six months ago. Was he already seeing Paula again when he gave her the ring? She wondered. She had slipped the ring off her finger at the restaurant; she saw him proposing to Paula.

She snatched it from the bedside table, ran into the bathroom, and flushed it down the toilet. And with it went her heart, or so she thought. Mark has made his choice, and she has made her decision. She will not allow herself to be fooled anymore.

"Never again."Betty muttered to herself as she walked back into the room. The clock read 7:40 am. Betty’s eyes widened again.

“Work!” She has to be at the office by 9am. She sprinted toward the bathroom. Jumped into the shower Brushed her teeth She hurriedly had her bath. Jumped out of the shower.

The next ten minutes blurred together. With her drying her hair Doing makeup. Putting on clothes and shoes. Reaching for her bag on the dresser and throwing in her purse, keys, and phone. As she hurried towards her apartment door, her phone started beeping. She took a look at it; it was a reminder for her 9:30am meeting at the office that morning.

She got the mail the previous day and set the reminder immediately after she read it, but she had completely forgotten about it. "Oh great." Exactly what I need right now, she thought. She rolled her eyes; the meeting was in about an hour’s time, and she was not in the right frame of mind for it.

By the time she locked the apartment door behind her, she was practically running. But deep down, she felt like locking herself indoors all day and possibly all weekend.