A Stolen Moment

Phyllis ran into the bar searching for Craig as he was supposed to be sitting waiting for her. She rolled her eyes, "Of course, Craig isn't here. Gloria, I'm gonna wring your neck. Hopefully, Lauren is having better luck with Eric," Phyllis whispered to herself exhausted. She stared at her phone looking for any sign of Craig texting or leaving a voicemail. "Great, nothing, well, I might as well make myself at home in case he is really going to meet me."

Turning around she saw him. Billy was definitely well on his way to being wasted as he had already had two double scotches. She knew she should leave, but a moth to a flame never learns her lesson.

She glimpsed at the man staring down into an empty glass. "So what do you have to do to get a drink around here," she asked her head cocked to one side smiling. Billy smiled back for the first time that day. "Hey, beautiful, care to join me in my pity party? I have room for one more."

Phyllis sighed sitting down next to where Billy was drowning his sorrows. "Okay, tell me everything. Last time we chatted you seemed to have your ducks all in a row." Billy laughed bitterly, "Yeah, except life has other plans as usual. I'm the sheep baa baa in all my black glory. I swear no matter what I do it's never enough." Phyllis sighed, "I get it for that is the story of my life around this town, but you can't give up. After all, you're Billy Abbott the man with the million dollar smile and a plan."

Phyllis' hand slid onto of his subconsciously gently rubbing his with her thumb. It was out of their control as feelings never stayed hidden long with them. Billy stared at her wanting to touch and kiss her and never stop. "Phyllis, why is that you understand me better than anyone else?" Phyllis smiled, "Because you and I get how it feels to never fit in completely anywhere, and even when we think otherwise, reality has a way of showing us we were mistaken." Billy's eyes lingered staring thinking how he already felt better.

Billy kissed the palm of her hand grinning. "Okay, so it's your turn. Why are you running around in here," Billy asked slurring his words a bit. Phyllis laughed, "This whole Fenmore's mess it just gets messier thanks to Gloria. Yeah, she's got her slimy paws all over it and sabotaging us along with your brother. Today, I got her good. I told her Lauren was meeting up with Eric who she has a past with. Gloria was freaking out and promised to deliver Craig here for evening drinks and business." Billy was listening to everything intently just smiling as she rambled forgetting how great it felt just to hear her voice.

"So anyways, I guess I'm a little rusty because I thought Eric would be enough to get her to play nice. I forgot that wasn't in her dictionary just sneaky and underhanded." Billy was laughing so hard he almost fell off his seat. "Gloria got one over on YOU? That made everything better. It's okay I still love you." Phyllis heard the words, but she knew Billy was drunk. "Look at me going on and on rambling you'd think I was the one who downed a few drinks."

Phyllis removed herself from the seat and stood up defiantly. "All right, speaking of which, I need a drink myself. You want a double scotch on the rocks?" Billy laughed, "Yeah, except I drove here. How am I gonna get home?" Phyllis thought about it. "Yeah, so maybe you would do better with a cola?"

Billy got up and stumbled around towards Phyllis behind the bar. Phyllis was confused, "As fun as it is being bartender for the day, where is Nick anyways?" Billy tried to remember. "Oh, yeah, he said something about a problem with a distributor. He ran out of here and told me the place was mine for a few hours just don't burn it down."

Phyllis turned around to see Billy was sampling a half empty bottle of scotch. "Okay, sir, put it down. Maybe it's better we just head off to the coffee house and get some coffee in you to really sober you up?" Billy put down the bottle as he smiled at Phyllis. "Nah, we just need some tunes. This place is a mad house at night but dead during this time of day, and you know what I like it," he said with a wink and a mischievous grin.

Billy still far from sober hopped over the bar to turn on some music. Phyllis was keeping herself busy enjoying her scotch as she propped herself up on the bar with her hand searching in a cubby hole for something to eat. "Hey, I found some chips too! We could have a picnic. Knowing Nick and his affinity for junk, he probably has things hidden all over this place and not just for the customers."

Billy smiled and moved back over to Phyllis, "I remember picnics with you particularly well." Billy's hand was closing in on Phyllis' own. "May I?" "Of course, these are even better than I was hoping for," as she licked her lips slowly and smiled closing her eyes in pure enjoyment. "I haven't eaten at all today as Gloria sent me on wild goose chase looking for Craig." Phyllis knew she was rambling, but Billy's presence and the alcohol were a double whammy to her nerves. Billy's hand crept up to her hair slowly moving a wispy piece back behind her ear.

Billy laughed, "No, may I?" Just like that Billy's arms had scooped Phyllis off the bar. Phyllis laughed, "Billy, now do you think you're okay to dance?" Billy smiled, "With you, I'm always okay to dance."

It had been a while since a man had just held Phyllis, and she was lonely and lonely for Billy Abbott more importantly. She didn't realize how much until seeing him all alone as they had always been each other's solace for most of last year friends and then more than friends.

Phyllis wanted to keep it as platonic as possible, but Billy had no shame in doing just the opposite. "Phyllis, I promise to be a gentleman at all times. Dance with me. No one has to know." Phyllis gasped a bit as Billy pulled her close. His hand went right to her hair and face caressing each curve for fear if and when there would be a next time. "Billy, platonic is not this."

Just as Phyllis uttered the words, their song came on the one that played their first night together. Phyllis laughed nervously, "Okay, did you do that," she pulled away staring at him. Billy smiled, "Nope. Darn it, fate just won't leave us alone."

Billy pulled her so close she could feel his heart beat racing. She had her hands around his neck nuzzling in it a bit forgetting the outside world and all the judgmental people who kept them apart. As the song played, both began to get lost thinking of that first time the way it just felt so perfect like their whole life they were waiting for that moment, and how they never wanted it to end until Billy started talking about it bringing reality back into clear focus. Billy sighed loud enough for Phyllis to hear who still remained tucked under his neck. "Billy, I know." As with everything else, their minds always just were on the same wavelength.

Phyllis' gentle breath on Billy's neck was driving him crazy. Phyllis lifted her head as the staring began as it always did with Billy caressing her cheek as she didn't pull away but leaned into it. Billy decided to twirl her around and dip her down as Phyllis almost fell, but no one was laughing just the music was heard along with their racing hearts. Billy was embarrassed for a second but grabbed onto her hard and pulled her back up to twirl her again back against his body with his face now deep in her neck nuzzling inhaling that scent that he still smells on his pillows.

Billy's hand crept down near Phyllis chest just gently caressing her as she closed her eyes letting one hand creep up to his ready lips who were eager to kiss it as she too started to caress his face. Billy moaned a little as he too missed her, this, that feeling that he never wanted to let go of again. He whispered against her neck, "Phyllis."

Billy twirled Phyllis around again this time their lips were so close that Billy forget about resisting Phyllis and kissed her pushing her up against the bar. Phyllis gasped in shock as every movement started to get hazy. Billy was not shy as he picked up and put her back on the bar. Maybe it was the song, the alcohol, the presence of his strong hands touching her as his lips invaded hers, but Phyllis gave in as she pulled Billy closer her legs tightly holding on for dear life.

"Hey, what is going on here?"

Nick was back. Phyllis awoke from her spell Billy had created and moved away quickly. "Thanks Billy for the dance. I got to go back on my wild goose chase. Nick, you take care of him, and do not let him go anywhere but in a car he's NOT driving." Phyllis was gone as quick as she had entered the room, and Billy was left dazed as those feelings he tried to bury had boiled to the surface again.