A Woman Scorned

Part 4

Busy with meetings the next morning, it was after two when Billy finally had a chance to talk to his executive assistant. Sonia had only been working for him for a few weeks now, and, surprisingly, she was more competent than he'd first assumed. A recent college graduate, she didn't have much experience when he'd interviewed her for the position but he was impressed with how she dealt with his questions. The deciding factor, however, came down to when he flirted with her during the interview. The last thing he needed was an employee with grand plans of reeling him in, so he deliberately chose someone who would take the job seriously. She hadn't flirted back, unlike the other candidates, and he'd decided to hire her. So far, Sonia was delivering.

"Any luck?" he asked, tapping her desk.

"Yup," she replied. "It wasn't easy to find though. Your girl doesn't have an Insta but she does have Facebook. She barely posts but her friends list isn't private so I started looking at their-"

"Okay, I get it. It was a lot of work," Billy interjected. "Where's this event happening?"

"Bourbon lounge. Tonight at 9pm."

Billy grinned. "You're a rockstar."

"I know."

"Lunch is on me next week. Everyday."

Sonia smiled.

He marched back to his office, already making plans for the evening.

***

Bourbon Lounge was fairly crowded, with a fairly good mix of men and women scattered throughout. Billy scanned the area, looking for you, hoping you weren't already mingling with the stockbroker douchebag types that the place was crawling with. He circled the room, smiling occasionally at some of the women who were eyeing him appreciatively. When he couldn't find you after scouring the room twice, he went to the bar to grab a drink. You must have been running late, he presumed; you didn't seem like the type of person to flake out on a friend.

"What are you doing here?"

He turned around to find a statuesque brunette glaring at him. While the woman was absolutely stunning, the expression on her face screamed disdain for him. For a second he wondered if she'd been a one-night stand, but then he put two and two together and realized she was the same woman who'd interrupted the two of you that night at the gala. Thanks to Sonia, he knew the woman was named Davina and you two were close friends.

Billy put on his most magnetic smile, ready to charm. "Y/N mentioned you were hosting this event tonight. I thought I'd come by and show my support." He extended his hand to shake hers. "Billy Russo."

Davina ignored his hand, lifting her eyebrow. "I don't like you."

"Clearly."

"And I don't like that you're messing around with my friend."

"Good thing she's an adult who can make her own decisions." He swirled his drink around, careful not to let his irritation show. This woman was your friend and he knew he had to be careful not to piss her off. "Where's Y/N? I thought she'd be here by now."

Davina regarded him quietly for a few seconds before answering. "She's not coming."

That surprised him. "Really? When I spoke to her last night she was planning to attend."

"Something happened at her office today. I'm not sure what, some kind of lockdown incident, I think."

Billy stood up straight, concerned. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. She texted me and told me she couldn't make it. If I didn't have to host this thing, I'd be at her place right now. I think she's a bit freaked out."