Mr. Billionaire, I'm Back!

Chapter 39: Mind Your Own Business

When Olivia saw the way that Brian was looking at Joanna, she knew that something was going on between them, and she was happy for her friend. She hadn't gotten a good look at Brian at first, but now she could see that he was far better looking than Ken was, and he seemed more committed to Joanna than Ken had ever been. And Olivia immediately thought of him as her son-in-law. "Wow!" she said. "You've finally found a man that is worthy of you. Good for you!"

Joanna wanted Olivia to stop saying this kind of stuff, but she was too shy to say so. Thus, when her friend suggested that Brian take her out for dinner, she felt obligated to say yes.

***

At the restaurant – Joanna and Brian were sitting across from each other, and the way that he was staring at her was making her uncomfortable. She was embarrassed by his gaze, and it made her feel restless, which made it hard for her to eat. That being said, she enjoyed her time with him, and she appreciated his attention.

Joanna left some food on the corner of her mouth, and when Brian reached out to wipe it off, she was stunned by his sudden move. She began to blush, and she thanked him.

When Brian saw heard this, he smiled dangerously and said, "Do you need to thank me?"

Joanna frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Instead of answering, Brian grabbed her head, yanked her across the table, and gave her a deep kiss. Joanna didn't know why he had suddenly kissed her so passionately, and Brian didn't explain himself. She guessed, though, that her polite response had made him uncomfortable. I hope he feels better now – she thought.

They were sitting by the window, and there were a few people on the street. As Brian kissed Joanna, the strangers stopped to stare, which Joanna found embarrassing. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Ken and Jane happened to be eating at the same restaurant. They were seated near the back, but they could still see the table where Brian and Joanna were sitting. And when Ken saw them kissing, he began to seethe.

When Jane saw that Ken was angry, she asked him what was wrong, but he said that there wasn't anything wrong. She didn't believe him, but she didn't question him further.

***

Brian was in a better mood when he finally stopped kissing Joanna, and as he pulled away, he said, "Don't be so polite to me in the future."

All Joanna had done was thank him, and she didn't understand why that had bothered him, so she pushed him away and said, "Mind your own business!"

Brian didn't know that she was embarrassed, but he didn't want to argue with her, so he said, "Your business is my business."

Joanna was a little shocked by his words, so she ignored them and began to eat. And when they were done eating, he drove her back to Grace House. When they arrived, she said goodnight to him and opened the door to leave. Before she could step out, though, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the car.

Brian kissed Joanna, and at first, she fought him, but then she gave in to him and kissed him back. After the kiss, Brian rubbed her head and said, "Come to me if you need anything. Don't cry. Do you hear me?"

Joanna suddenly wanted to cry. She knew he was talking about what had happened to Olivia. She didn't want him to see her cry, though, so she said, "Mind your own business!"

Brian rubbed her head and said, "You can go inside now, but be careful."

Joanna nodded, and as she got out of the car, Brian suddenly thought of something. "Give me your phone," he said. "But unlock it first, okay."

Joanna was puzzled. "Why?" she asked.

Brian: "Just do it."

Joanna sighed and did as she'd been told, and when Brian tried to add his name and number to her Contact List, he saw that it was already there. The only problem was that she'd entered "Stupid Fool" where his name should have been. He held it up for her to see. "What's this?" he asked.

Joanna blushed and said, "Hey! You started it. You gave me that nickname first..."

Brian pinched her flushed cheek and said, "Joanna, do you know what a cute girl you are?"

Joanna felt more awkward suddenly. "I'm not cute," she protested. "Little girls are cute, and I'm a grown-ass woman!"

"Fine." Brian stopped teasing her. He rubbed her hair and said, "I will be on a business trip for two days. Call me if you need anything. When Sarah and Susan come after you, they are going to be out for blood, so be extra careful."

Joanna thought about what Brian had said. She hadn't fully considered the possible repercussions of what she'd had Ben do, and she knew all too well what her Stepmother and Stepsister were capable of doing.

When Brian saw the expression on her face, he said, "You look awfully serious. Are you thinking about kissing me again? Because, if you are, that's what I was thinking about too. To be honest, I didn't enjoy our previous kiss. I think we need a do-over!"

Joanna pushed Brian away and called him a bastard. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she had enjoyed their previous kiss, so now she was angry. Brian liked it when Joanna lost her temper, though. He thought she looked cute when she was angry. He tried to pinch her cheek again, but she scrambled out of the car.

As Joanna walked towards the house, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that she'd received a text message from Ben. It said: "I checked the security-camera footage in the shopping mall. Susan's people were following you. When Olivia noticed them, she called them out, and they beat her half to death. Unfortunately, none of their faces were captured on camera, so the footage isn't helpful."

Joanna: "That's fine. We still have Olivia's testimony, and there are likely other people that saw what happened."