by Laura Burton
Before Julie could think of a reply, a bustle of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Mrs. Bowood entered the hospital and hurried over to the reception desk.
“I got on a plane as soon as I heard––” she said in a breathy voice then turned to see Julie. “Heard anything yet?” Julie shook her head. Mrs. Bowood’s face wrinkled as she broke down.
“How did you know?” Julie blurted out. Benjamin was dead, his cronies were sitting in a cell, and Harry had been in surgery for the last six hours.
Just how many spies does this woman have?
“Heavens’ sake. You’re all over the news,” Mrs. Bowood said wiping her eyes. She walked over to Julie and held out her hand. It was a white flag. But Julie was not sure she was ready to accept it.
“I never wanted any of this to happen,” Mrs. Bowood said.
“I know,” Julie said frankly. “Benjamin confessed. We know everything.” She rose to her feet and Mrs. Bowood glanced at Emily who had her hands on her hips.
“I was going to tell Harry the truth. All of it. I even called Benjamin last night when Harry left….” Her voice faded away as she looked from Julie to Emily lost for words. Emily folded her arms, she remained silent but the look of thunder on her face showed that she was resisting the urge to rant.
Julie bit her lip against her own outburst. How could a mother be so manipulative? Julie’s face must have given her thoughts away though, because Mrs. Bowood raised her brows at her.
“You’re not a mother,” she said her voice rising in pitch. “I had to have someone watch Harry. For his own good.”
Julie sat and rolled her head side to side with a yawn. Her muscles were seizing up. They had been at the hospital so long that morning light was starting to peer in through the windows.
“I don’t care. None of this matters right now. I just need to know he’s okay,” she said tiredly. Emily sat in the chair beside Julie and took her hand.
“He’s going to be okay. I can feel it,” she muttered.
Mrs. Bowood dragged her hand over her face and sighed.
“I’m going to make a call,” she said heavily and marched back through the doors to the parking lot.
Julie scowled at the floor. Kicking herself.
“I can’t believe I didn’t do anything,” She replayed the moment she was captured. She couldn’t believe how her body and mind had betrayed her. Why did she allow herself to become distracted in that alley. If she had just kept alert, and then fought like she’d been taught, then maybe….
“Don’t beat yourself up, you know that none of this is your fault,” Emily said firmly while squeezing her hand.
Before Julie could argue, the doors swung open and a surgeon entered the waiting room. Julie and Emily jumped to their feet as they crossed the room.
“You are Harold’s girlfriend, right?” Julie nodded. Girlfriend sounded so small and simple. Soul mate. Eternal love. Partner in crime. Any of those would have been better than girlfriend.
“The surgery was a success. I was able to remove the bullet and control the bleeding. Thankfully, his vital organs weren’t hit. He’s very lucky.”
“He’s going to live?” Julie asked, hardly daring to breathe.
“He is stable. I’m going to keep him in for a few days to monitor, and he’ll be on prophylactic antibiotics to guard against infection.”
“Can I see him?” Julie clung onto Emily’s hand for dear life.
The woman nodded. “A nurse will be out to take you to him.”
“Thank you so much, I don’t know what to say.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled, then walked to the reception desk and spoke to the nurses as Julie waited with bated breath.
“Julie Andrews? Follow me. I’ll take you to see Mr. Jackson,” a short brunette said with oversized glasses. She brushed crumbs from her scrubs and walked to the double doors.
“I’ll wait here and tell his mother the news,” Emily said softly, giving Julie’s hand one last squeeze before she let go. Julie gave her a brave smile before she took a deep breath, smoothed down her hair and followed the nurse.
The white sterile corridor with its blinding lights had a numbing effect on Julie. As she focused on placing one foot in front of another, a rising sense of panic crept up her arms. She could no longer feel her hands. Her elbows tingled and a heaviness sat on her chest that she couldn’t shake. The nurse stopped and opened a door. As she stepped aside, Julie peered in to see Harry laying in a hospital bed. She entered the room and noted this was the second time she had come to visit Harry in hospital. Although this time, she promised herself as she brushed his hair away from his forehead with her fingertips, I won’t run away.
Mrs. Bowood did not come into the room and Harry was in and out as he recovered from the surgery, leaving Julie to her thoughts.
The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. She was finally recognized as a designer, stood up to Frank, then got kidnapped all in one night. Benjamin was dead and Harry had been shot. Now Mrs. Bowood was in town. The situation sent her mind spinning. Did Mrs. Bowood know about Benjamin’s gambling problem? Did she not guess he would go to such lengths for money when she called off the deal? She sat beside the bed lost various scenarios for hours when Harry stirred. His brows were tightly knitted together and he pouted his lips. Julie pressed her lips against his forehead.
His eyes blinked open and zoomed around the room before settling on Julie. Then a weak smile took over his frown.
“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said faintly. Julie perched herself on the edge of the bed and stroked his face, tears falling freely as the bubble of emotion burst and came flooding out.
“I thought I lost you,” she said between sobs. Harry patted her leg gently and shushed her.
“You never lost me. I’m fine, see? Barely even a scratch.”
Julie wiped her eyes furiously. “Three weeks, Harry. Three weeks you didn’t even text.”
“Neither did you. And you ran off….”
Julie sighed as she studied the hurt on Harry’s face.
“Why did you come back?” she asked weakly. Harry grazed his thumb across her cheek and the corners of his eyes creased as he looked at her lovingly.
“Because I needed to tell you that I love you.”
The words flowed through her senses as if she had just jumped into a pool of warm honey. The panic calmed and her defenses melted away. All of her worries evaporated, they no longer mattered. All she cared about was that Harry loved her.
“I love you too,” she said leaning in.
The two of them shared a tender kiss. Julie’s lashes brushed against Harry’s cheek and for a fleeting moment, she even forgot they were in hospital.
“And I know this isn’t the perfect place to do this, but I can’t wait any longer. Will you consider being my wife?”
Julie froze. In her mind, they were back in Lincoln Center, with the beautiful orchestra playing, and Harry was at her feet dressed in a dark suit. This time, Julie did not give an off-the-cuff response, neither did she laugh. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and looked him square in the eye.
“Yes. With all my heart. Yes.”
They kissed again, a little too roughly because one of the machines started beeping. The noise jolted Julie out of her blissful state of mind and alerted her to the situation.
“Your mother is here. What do you want to do about her?” she said as she broke away. “I spoke to the police. They want to question everyone. Ebony too. It sounds like they’re building a case on those two guys who captured me, I’m sure they’d be willing to testify if they get a deal.”
Harry pressed his finger to Julie’s lips and she stopped talking.
“We’ll figure it out. I promise,” he said in a hushed voice. Julie exhaled shakily. Just talking about it all was getting her worked up again. “Come here.” He pulled her down and the two of them kissed again, Julie was careful to avoid the wires on his ches
t this time. They were interrupted by a vibration on the bed. Julie looked down.
“Do you need to take that?” she asked, holding out the phone to him. Harry took the phone and threw it across the room. Julie jumped with a gasp as it clattered to the floor and after a few moments fell silent. Then she looked back at Harry in shock as he grinned at her.
“Now, where were we?” he asked and Julie, matching his grin, leaned down once more.
The End.
Epilogue
Edward Marks
Edward Marks sat swirling his drink in his hand as he listened to the maid of honor give her speech.
“The first day my best friend Julie met Harry, I remember saying to her, ‘It’s a beautiful day to fall in love,’ and little did I know, that these two lovebirds would do exactly that.” The room laughed. “I knew they were perfect for each other—being a matchmaker gives me a super power of sorts. But I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.”
“David, pour us another will you,” Edward murmured to his brother who obliged. He looked at Julie, sitting next to her new husband, their faces were glowing with happiness. A twinge of jealousy tugged at his stomach. Harold Jackson was the awkward kid at school. He told jokes that people groaned at, never stood up for himself, and he got married first.
Not that Edward was willing to settle down anytime soon.
“Hey, did you hear that?” Sam nudged his arm and pointed to the stand. “She loved him for who he was. I bet you couldn’t get a girl to fall in love with you if she didn’t know you were a billionaire.”
“Yeah, right. Ladies fall for my charm, not my wallet.”
Sam chortled as he reclined in the back of his chair.
“Keep telling yourself that, mate.”
“No, you haven’t seen my game. I could be a dry cleaner and women would fall at my feet.”
“That’s just it. Always a game with you isn’t it?” Howard said with a sigh. The corners of his eyes drooped downward, making him look constantly bored.
Edward sat up and looked between the gentleman, affronted. He turned to his brother. “David, back me up here,” he said.
David rubbed his neck and inhaled deeply.
“I don’t know what to say. You do like to flash the cash around women,” he said.
Edward resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Well, you’re no help.
“How, I ask you, do I flash the cash?”
“Remember when you bought a yacht and named it after that girl you met at the theatre?”
“Or what about the time he organized a private concert with Beyoncé just because Halle––was it? told you she was a fan?”
“Don’t forget that girl in Morocco.”
Edward raised his hands in defeat.
“All right, all right. But I’m telling you. I don’t need money to woo a woman. I’ve got skills,” he said offering his most charming smile.
“You want to bet on that?” Sam asked with a wry smile. Howard made a noise of excitement and his droopy eyes lit up for the first time.
“Now this just got rather interesting,” he said stroking his dark beard.
“Edward, come on. You don’t do bets,” David said in a low voice. Edward rolled his shoulders back and downed the rest of his drink.
“Call it a challenge, then. All right, Sam. I’m listening,” he said as the string quartet started to play Mozart. Sam clapped and shifted in his seat with a grin.
“I challenge you to find a woman––who doesn’t know you’re filthy rich––and get her to fall in love with you within ten days.”
Edward shrugged.
“Piece of cake,” he said cracking his neck. Sam held up a stubby finger and shook his head.
“That’s not all, my friend. You can’t use more than a thousand dollars.”
“Per date?” Edward asked, shocked. Sam threw his head back and laughed.
“In total. From the time you first meet, to the moment she says ‘I love you’ and seals it with a kiss.”
“I never knew you were so romantic, Sam,” David said patting his shoulder. Edward swallowed as he looked at Sam. All eyes were on him now as he considered it.
“What’s the prize if I win?”
“Are you kidding? True love and a woman who is crazy enough to love you without any of the benefits,” Sam said. The men chuckled.
“And if I lose?”
Sam looked thoughtful and rubbed his arm. Then a massive smile spread across his whole face.
“You give me your penthouse in New York… and you lose bragging rights. Plus, you’ll know that a woman will never love you without money.”
Ouch.
Edward looked up to see Harold taking Julie by the hand as the two of them took to the dance floor. Her huge dress took up so much space there was barely any room for other people to dance. Not that the couple noticed. Harold’s eyes were only on Julie as they shared identical smiles, circling on the spot. He turned back at Sam’s expectant face and held out his hand.
“Get a woman to fall in love with me within ten days.”
Sam inclined his head.
“And spend no more than a thousand dollars in the process,” he added firmly.
Edward nodded as they shook on it.
“Deal.”
Who Wants To Kiss a Billionaire?
The characters and storylines are fictitious, and any resemblance to real-life people and events are purely coincidental. The author retains all of the rights to this work which may not be copied and distributed online or elsewhere without the written permission of the owner of the rights.
All rights reserved by Laura Burton 2019.
First Edition
Edited by Tochi Biko
Cover Design by Lara Wynter @Wynter Designs
Created with Vellum
DEDICATION
For Johnny, a beautiful childhood friend who always radiated happiness.
And for Ross and the boys, for allowing me to write this over the Christmas holidays.
Prologue
Edward Marks
Edward Marks sat swirling his drink in his hand as he listened to the maid of honor give her speech.
“The first day my best friend Julie met Harry, I remember saying to her, ‘it’s a beautiful day to fall in love,’ and little did I know, that these two lovebirds would do exactly that.” The room laughed. “I knew they were perfect for each other, being a matchmaker gives me a superpower of sorts. But I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.”
“David, pour us another will you?” Edward murmured to his brother, who obliged. He looked at Julie, sitting next to her new husband, their faces glowing with happiness, and a twinge of jealousy tugged at his stomach. Harold Jackson was the awkward kid at school. He told jokes that people groaned at, never stood up for himself, and he got married first.
Not that Edward was willing to settle down anytime soon.
“Hey, did you hear that?” Sam nudged his arm and pointed to the stand. “She loved him for who he was. I bet you couldn’t get a girl to fall in love with you if she didn’t know you were a billionaire.”
“Yeah right. Ladies fall for my charm, not my wallet.”
Sam chortled as he relaxed into the back of his chair.
“Keep telling yourself that, mate.”
“No, you haven’t seen my game. I could be a dry cleaner and women would fall at my feet.”
“That’s just it. It’s always a game with you.” Howard said with a sigh. The corners of his eyes drooped downwards, making him look constantly bored.
Edward sat up and turned to his brother.
“David, back me up here,” he said.
David rubbed his neck and inhaled deeply.
“I don’t know what to say. You do like to flash the cash around women,” he said.
Edward resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Well, you’re no help.
“How, I ask you, do I flash the cash?”
“Remember when y
ou bought a yacht and named it after that girl you met at the theatre?”
“Or what about the time you organized a private concert with Beyoncé just because Halle––was it? Told you she was a fan?”
“Don’t forget that girl in Morocco.”
Edward raised his hands in defeat.
“Alright, alright. But I’m telling you. I don’t need money to woo a woman. I’ve got skills,” he said, offering his most charming smile.
“You want to bet on that?” Sam asked with a wry smile. Howard made a noise of excitement and his droopy eyes lit up for the first time.
“Now this just got rather interesting,” he said stroking his dark beard.
“Edward, come on. You don’t do bets,” David said in a low voice. Edward rolled his shoulders back and downed the rest of his drink.
“Call it a challenge then. Alright Sam. I’m listening,” he said as the string quartet started to play Mozart. Sam clapped and shifted in his seat with a grin.
“I challenge you to find a woman––who doesn’t know you’re filthy rich––and get her to fall in love with you within ten days.”
Edward shrugged.
“Piece of cake,” he said cracking his neck. Sam held up a stubby finger and shook his head.
“That’s not all my friend. You can’t use more than $1000.”
“Per date?” Edward asked, shocked. Sam threw his head back and laughed.
“In total. From the time you first meet, to the moment she says, ‘I love you’ and seals it with a kiss.”
“I never knew you were so romantic Sam,” David said, patting Sam’s shoulder. Edward swallowed as he looked at Sam. All eyes were on him now as he considered it.
“What’s the prize? If I win?”
“Are you kidding? True love and a woman who is crazy enough to love you without any of the benefits,” Sam said. The men chuckled.
“And if I lose?”
