Social Suicide
Love Struck
[ Willa continues with her story ]
"Shh!" Billie said to her.
Wes looked at the two of them for a moment from where he was standing then turned back around when Billie glared at him.
"Talk about dramatics! It was a joke." She threw her arm up in the air, "Hell! It wasn't even that! It was an accident, but I can see with your fun sense of humor you probably think that I planned that."
Billie raised a hand and grabbed her arm, just under her armpit. He lifted her off the floor a little and she almost fell over again.
"Hey!" she said and tried to twist away.
He gripped her arm harder and brought her closer to him.
"Stop wiggling around!"
Wes turned around and watched them again.
"Hey big guy, you are a bodyguard aren't you?" Willa said harshly.
"And your point is?" Wes said.
"Well aren't you going to help me out?" she asked.
"I guard him honey, not you, so until you knee him in the nuts or something it's not my place to step in." Wes turned back around laughing with the other guys.
"Owe!" Willa said and twisted her arm away from Billie. She flung her arm out and smacked him square on the face.
[ Present ]
Amy cheered at this news.
[ Flash back ]
The sound of the smack echoed in the hall. Willa looked a little shocked herself as Wes finally stepped away from the group and stepped in between them. Wes gave Willa a bear hug and backed Willa towards the wall.
Billie stood and stared at her with a blank expression on his face. From his reaction she figured that no one had ever dared to smack him like that.
"Let me go you big oaf!" she said pushing against Wes.
"Oh now I'm a big oaf. A minute ago I was going to save you from him."
"Let me go or I'll scream!"
"Don't hurt her," Billie finally said rubbing his face where she'd hit him.
"I'm not going to." Wes's voice lowered into a slightly intimidating tone.
"Get your guard dog off me!"
Heaving a heavy sigh Billie tapped Wes on the shoulder, "Let her go."
Willa squirmed away from them both then turned and headed down the hall without the Billie.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Like you care?" she said.
"Willa. We had a deal. You're supposed to be at the parties with me tonight."
"Well things fucking change," she said. "I'm sure you can handle it. You're a big boy."
"Willa, wait."
Willa stopped, but it was only because she'd met up with the end of the hallway.
"Leave me alone."
"Willa."
She didn't turn and look at him.
"Willa, I'm sorry."
"Excuse me?" she said and looked at him.
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
[ Present ]
"He tried to apologize after all that?" Amy asked.
"Yeah. I'm sitting there scared to death that this guy is going to hurt me and he thinks that sorry is going to make everything better."
"What an idiot!"
"Tell me about it."
Willa's mind drifted a little as she thought back to a few evenings before. Although she had wanted to go home Billie had reminded her that it wouldn't look good for her to be leaving so early in the night since she was with him at the party. She couldn't argue with that fact, one because he was right, and two she was a little afraid that he'd get physical with her again and have Wes back her into a corner again.
Willa heard a beep and knew that it was her call waiting. "Someone else just called. Hold on a second. I'll be right back."
Willa clicked the phone over to the other line. "Hello?"
"Willa, it's Billie."
Her breath caught in her throat. No beating around the bush with this guy, just say your name and give a girl a heart attack.
The bitterness she'd felt a few nights before came to her without warning.
"Haven't we already said enough to each other?"
"I know that things ended badly the other night but I need a favor."
"A favor?" she asked. This was getting to be ridiculous now. She'd heard of people being clueless, but after the fight and the coldness they'd kept between them the rest of the night of the VMA's she'd thought she'd never hear from him again.
Actually she'd hoped she'd never hear from him again.
"Look," he said with a sigh. "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."
"Hold on a second."
Willa clicked back over to Amy. "I have to take this call."
"Girl we haven't talked in months, who could it be that's so important?"
"Look I'll call you back," Willa said.
"Who is it?"
"Nobody." Willa said.
"Is it him? Please don't tell me you're ditching me for the jerk!"
"Yeah," Willa said, "I'm sorry."
"You're going to talk to him?" she asked.
"I have to. He called me. I'm sure it's not going to be a long conversation."
"Chew him a new one girl. Chew him a new one."
"I will."
"Call me back afterwards."
"I will."
Willa took a deep breath before clicking over to the other line.
"Billie?"
He had waited for her by looking over the paperwork that had been sent to him on the road. He sat up from his half lounging position on the couch and moved the phone to his other ear. He stacked up the papers in his lap into a pile and slid them onto the counter next to the sink.
As soon as the group had left New York a few nights before they'd gone back to continue the tour. They played a show in the Mid-West then had driven all night to reach Las Vegas and were now winding their way across to Los Angeles and then would go to San Diego. Those three days in New York had been fun, but for Billie the trip left him with a pile of paper work that not only concerned his Green Day dealings but also dealt with Adeline things. He was now trying to catch up with the paperwork while the others slept the morning away. He was still in the clothes that he'd worn to bed the night before, but he'd already had three cups of coffee and had made more phone calls in the hour before breakfast than he would for the rest of the day.
"Yeah?"
He heard her sigh heavily as if this was all a big inconvenience to her.
"Ok, you have five minutes to try to explain to my why you think I'd do you a favor."
She sounded pissed off and he prayed that he could get through the conversation without blowing up at her. At the moment she was making his life a living hell. He'd gotten up that morning to face four different magazines that had their picture in it, which also had quotes from her in them. They weren't at all flattering, from what he'd read. He didn't know if they'd really come from her or not, but just seeing the pictures made him angry. They looked like a cute enough couple, but he'd seen the real look in her eyes in the pictures and she'd been as miserable as he'd been that night. The only good moment of the entire night had been when she'd kissed him right before he'd gone up to accept their first award. It was that memory that he tried to keep in his mind when he thought about talking with her.
"Hello?" she said.
Billie sighed. She was going to make this difficult on him. He'd already tried to apologize for the mess he'd made of their VMA date, not that he really thought that the disaster was his fault, but she was going to squeeze him like a lemon.
He could imagine himself having to get on hands and knees and begging her to do this with him. He wouldn't have even been calling her, but Kelly had insisted that the two of them get involved when the letter had come to them.
"It's for charity."
Willa laughed. "What? The charity of Billie Joe Armstrong?"
At the sound of her laugh Billie tried to count to ten. His anger began to rise. Kelly was standing there watching him on the phone mouthing the words, stay calm. He waved her away from him.
He couldn't help it. There were certain things that he could handle from her, but this wasn't the time to be joking around. It was important that they do this together, even if they did hate each other.
"I'm serious Willa," he said, "It's for Make a Wish."
"Well if it's something on the professional level, why are you the one calling me?"
"Because I knew that you're pissed at me, but this is important. I can call and have Kelly call Elena... " He breathed in and out and watched as Kelly gave him a thumbs up sign.
There was a long silence.
"Kelly is standing right here if you really want to talk to her," Billie said.
Standing in front of Billie she tried to wave him off, saying that she didn't want to talk.
"No," Willa said with a sigh, "What do you need me to do?"
Billie smiled at Kelly and motioned for her to leave him alone. She was in charge of setting the whole trip back home to Orlando up and she had asked him to call Willa to ask her about it.
"It's supposed to happen in about four days. Kelly did an initial call to Elena and penciled it in, but you have the final say. A girl wrote to the two us through the Idiot Club to ask if we could spend the day with her before she goes into the hospital to have surgery."
"What does she want to do with us?" Willa asked, "It's not like we're--"
"The Magic Kingdom," Billie said, "She just wants to spend the day with us. She saw the two of us on TRL and her sister and her want to spend the day with us."
"So it would be for the whole day?" Willa asked.
"The Make A Wish people wanted us to be with her from about ten in the morning until after dinner time... so about seven o'clock? There is going to be a photo session with her family and the two of us. We'll have security with us the whole day and they are going to have a camera following us around for part of the day."
There was a pause. He wasn't sure if that meant that she was going to say yes or no, but he let the silence hang between them. He didn't want to ruin this now. He might not be excited about seeing her, but he'd read the little girl's letter and knew that this would mean a lot to the little kid and he didn't want to disappoint her.
"Sounds fine with me," she said, "I'd better get on the phone to Elena and get myself a flight and a hotel room."
"Don't worry about it," he said, "I'll book you a flight this afternoon and I'll get you a place to stay, my treat."
Billie sat up when she agreed. He saw Kelly already celebrating. He groaned. He could see this being blown way out of proportion and knew that their trip to the Magic Kingdom would definitely end up in the tabloids. He could see the headlines now. 'Green Day's Billie Joe and Family take a magical trip to Mickey's Mouse House.' He would be, of course, be engaged to Willa and the two girls with them would be their love children that were born out of wedlock.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Willa let out another sigh. "Call me back with the details."
"Willa," Billie lowered his voice and turned to look out the window so that the others wouldn't hear him.
"If we're going to do this... " He cleared his throat and prepared himself for the backlash that he might receive from what he was about to say. "... We can't fight in front of this girl."
He shut his eyes for a moment then stared out the window at a few cars passing by. He didn't know where exactly they were, but he wanted to be to where ever it was soon.
"Fine, a truce for whatever time we're with her."
"Good," he said.
"How old is she?" Willa asked.
"Tracy is ten and her sister Jessica is thirteen."
"Thank you," she said.
As he expected, she hung up without a goodbye.
Billie clicked off the phone and looked up. Kelly had left him alone, but as soon as the conversation was over she was already there waiting for his answer.
"Is she coming?" She asked.
Billie nodded and leaned back. "Yeah," he said.
"You don't sound very excited. Isn't she your girlfriend?"
He wanted to laugh aloud at that comment. He hadn't really explained the situation between Willa and him. She'd seen the whole mess with them at the VMA's but she'd thought that their fight had been because of the whole shower incident. No one really knew the history of their fighting and he wanted to keep it that way. He figured that everyone already knew too much about his personal life than they needed to. Whatever was going on between him and Willa would stay between him and Willa.
[ Three Days Later ]
Willa stepped off her United flight from Kennedy Airport into a rainy Orlando winter night, carrying two large shopping bags and a rolling suitcase. She had come down south from a snowy New York thinking she might get some sun while she was in Florida, but her luck really wasn't working her way. It was drizzling and cold and miserable outside and she shivered in the air-conditioned interior of the airport even though she wore a heavy snow jacket. The weather reflected her mood. She wasn't at all excited about being in Orlando, but she knew that it was for a good cause and she was going to try to make the best of things.
That was until she saw who was there to pick her up at the gate. Standing just past the check-in counter Willa saw the only other person in the world, besides Billie, that she didn't want to see at the moment.
"Wes?" she said slowing approaching the bodyguard that had grabbed her in the hotel in New York. She looked around for a moment.
"Where's the Rock star?"
"His flight from San Diego gets here in about an hour. I flew back about three hours ago," Wes said and cautiously reached for her rolling suitcase, which she gave up after he gave her a smile.
He carried a huge bag of his own, but didn't at all seem put-out by dragging hers along. "Don't worry, I'm buying dinner."
She leaned away from him and kept her eyes wide not sure how he was going to act to her. "So you aren't going to kill me?" Wes smiled from under his baseball hat.
"As long as you don't smack Billie again you and I are going to be friends." He stopped and ended up laughing. "Actually if you do smack him again we might be even better friends."
Willa looked around for a moment. She had never been to Orlando before, except for one swimsuit shoot that had lasted just over four hours. When she'd been in the airport last she hadn't even been able to turn her head to look around. She'd been whisked away like some precious cargo or something to the hotel for the shoot. It was a nice airport and she was glad that she was going to do a little touristy stuff while she was there. She always hated the fact that she got to travel as a model, but never really got to do all the activities that a place had to offer. Usually she flew in and flew out of a place as soon as she was done on the set.
"So you did some shopping?" Wes asked as he began to slowly walk away from her. He looked at the bags. "Get anything for me?"
"No." Letting a smile form on her face, she followed him from the gate into the main walkway area. The airport was fairly crowded, since it was just about commute time and she noticed people staring at her a little... or maybe they were staring at him. Either way she was feeling a little self conscious. She'd been followed a few times in New York in the last few days and hoped that no one would be following her that day.
"I brought some things for the girls that Billie and I are going to be with tomorrow. Speedo let me pick out some clothes and one of the other companies I did some ads for sent along some make-up and perfume for the kids."
Wes smiled. "You and Billie must think alike. He's bringing Adeline gear and is going to give them tickets and stuff from the guys."
"He and I do nothing alike." The anger she felt when she thought of him was present in her voice.
"You even sound the same when you talk about each other."
Willa stared at him. She hadn't expected Wes to be at all the therapist type, but he seemed to be on a mission so she asked, "How's that?"
"You guys are both frustrated," Wes said. "And I don't mean that in a sexual way either." He looked at her for a moment, "Although maybe that's part of it."
They made their way down to a food court type area and then took a right into a hallway.
"Where are we going?" she asked pointing to the food places that they'd just passed. "Aren't we going to eat?"
"The VIP lounge has a restaurant. I'd rather eat in a normal place than fast food, since I'm paying. We've been on the road too long and that stuff can kill you." He smiled widely and she noticed the door at the end of the hallway.
"Oh," she said.
"I'm not going to attack you Willa," Wes said and took a few steps then pushed through a door to where a receptionist-type person sat.
They were seated in minutes at a table near the windows in the restaurant. Willa slid out of her jacket and made herself comfortable as Wes stared at the menu.
Willa watched him for a long time then couldn't help but to ask.
"You said that he and I were frustrated... why do you think that?"
Wes laughed a little. "Besides the obvious reasons that you both have too many revenge plans?"
Willa blushed and said, "He's horrible to me!"
Wes glared at her. "Hey. I'm not taking sides here. Do you want to hear my opinion or not?"
The waitress came and they ordered drinks. Wes got a soda and Willa got an iced tea.
"Go ahead," she said when the waitress left.
Wes smiled, "Now are you going to be nice to me if I give you information?"
"Please," she said, "I'd love to hear what someone else thinks of us because for the life of me I don't understand any of it."
"Well... " Wes sat back and looked at her. "I sit and watch people a lot while we're on the road and I have this feeling about the two of you."
"And what might that be?"
"That you're perfect for each other."
Willa did not like the look on his face at all. He was serious, too serious. He didn't move a muscle in his jaw, or twitch and eyebrow, or even blink for that matter the whole time she stared at him.
"Perfect for what?" she asked.
Leaning forward, Wes rested his arms on the table and glared at her. "Love must really be blinding."
"Love?" she thought she might hyperventilate when she heard that.
"Love? There may be a lot of things that I'm confused about, but there is no love between Billie and I."
"Would you like some examples?" Wes asked.
Willa stared out the window for a long time. She didn't want this. She never wanted any of this. She almost suspected that this was just another trick of Billie's. It would be just like him to have someone else step in to get at her.
When the waitress returned with their drinks, they ordered quickly. Wes got a steak and potato and Willa got a salad and a sandwich.
"You really are stubborn, you know?" Wes said when the waitress disappeared for the second time.
She hated this. It was like getting a lecture from her mother or something, which she hated, but having a complete stranger tell her all of this was even more humiliating and annoying.
"Well so is he!"
"I never said that he wasn't."
Willa watched him for a long time. "Just spill out whatever you want to say because I know I'm not going to get through my dinner without hearing it so we might as well get it over with."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"No, but you might as well," she said.
"Okay," Wes said with a sigh.
Putting up a finger he showed her the number one. "First, Billiee hasn't dated in a long time. He really avoids it when he can. The man would walk across the street to avoid having to date someone."
"And?"
"And, it means he likes you"
Willa rolled her eyes. "It means that he's got me trapped and I can't get out of it without making one of us look bad and if he looks bad then that video looks bad and then I look bad."
Wes laughed and showed her the number two with his fingers. "If Billie hated you he wouldn't have been so upset about the whole kissing thing."
"What? When have you seen us kiss?"
"He was embarrassed by what the guys would say because he doesn't want to look bad in front of you." Wes said, ignoring her last question.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm serious." Wes drummed his hands on the table for a moment. He looked at her in the eyes for a moment, looked away, then looked back.
"That was the same reason he was so pissed about the whole shower thing too."
"Give me a break," Willa said rolling her eyes again, "Did he tell you all this?"
"Look," Wes said, "I've known the kid for a long time. I think I know him well enough to know when the guy has a crush on someone."
"A crush?" she said sitting back in her chair. "He has a funny way of showing his feelings."
Wes watched her for a moment. "You are the only woman I know who would actually smack the guy." He stopped to laugh. "The kid needs it. I've been telling him that for years. He needs some normal girl to come into his life and smack him around a little."
"Hey, I didn't mean to smack him--"
"Sure you didn't," Wes said drawing his hand back. He laughed. "And that wasn't a windup I saw?"
"I really didn't mean to, but at the time Billie deserved it. He still deserves it. Hell, Billie deserves anything that I throw at him."
"I deserve what?
Willa didn't have to turn around to know that he was behind her. She saw the look in Wes's eyes. He was finding this all way too amusing.
"So are you deaf now too?" Billie said in an overly sarcastic tone, mimicking the way that Willa had spoken to him all those months ago when she'd snuck up behind him in the hotel store in the middle of the night and he hadn't answered.
Willa turned all the way around in her seat and rolled her eyes at him. "How original."
He didn't think twice about what he did next. He smiled widely at her. He knew would annoy her. He could imagine the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end when he'd first spoken to her. She didn't seem nervous though, which he expected. He knew that even if she did happen to be nervous she wouldn't let him see it. She was still trying to keep up the tough act, but he knew that she wasn't that tough. She'd seen it the night she'd shown up at his hotel room. He still wasn't sure if all of that was just part of her act or if she'd really been upset that night, but there had been something he'd seen in her, while she'd slept next to him that he wanted to see again. He needed to see that again.
Saying something smart-ass right then would have been appropriate considering their relationship, but Wes glared at him and he stopped himself from speaking. They were in a public place of course and he didn't need to cause a scene.
Instead he went around and pulled a chair up from another table and joined them while another security guard pulled up a chair and sat down too. They'd been in the airport for just fifteen minutes, but Billie had planned to meet Wes there after he'd gotten Willa.
"Well isn't this cozy," Wes said with a laugh as tension settled over the group. He looked over at Loni, the other guard, for a moment and looked at his watch.
"I thought you guys weren't getting in until seven."
"We caught an earlier flight," Billie said and scooted his chair closer to Willa. He wanted to see how she'd react to it, but found that she seemed bored with the whole situation and didn't even look back when he put a hand around the back of her chair. She was definitely in a bad mood. She had turned away from him as he'd sat down, which he had understood, but he figured that she would turn back, even it was to insult him.
He wondered for a moment if she was watching everyone's reflections in the window, but didn't think she'd try to be that sly about watching him and the others.
"So Willa, how was the flight?"
Willa looked at him for a moment then pushed her chair back. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" he asked standing up when she got up to leave.
"To the restroom if you must know," she said as she slid by him and walked across the room towards where the restrooms were.
He noticed her clothes as she left. The jeans and long sleeved shirt were very casual for her. He'd never seen her except for when they'd been making appearances or had been doing press. He liked this more relaxed looking version of her, but wondered if she was really more relaxed than she had been the last time he'd seen her.
He watched her leave then looked at Wes and sat down again. "What'd you do?"
"Me?" Wes said and held up his hands as if surrendering to the onslaught of anger Billie was letting come out in his expression.
"Why would you think that I did something?"
Billie turned and saw her disappearing around the corner. "Because she's not bitching at me."
"And that's a bad thing?" Wes said.
"The night's young," Loni said with a laugh. "You never know with that one."
"Shut up Loni." Billie snapped. He normally wasn't rude to bodyguards, but the situation with Willa caused him to need to use a little different strategy for everything. He stared at Wes, not blinking.
"WHAT... DID... YOU... DO?"
"Nothing."
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Hey," Loni said and put an arm out and gripped Billie's arm, "Unless you want to embarrass yourself keep it down."
Billie took a breath and counted to ten in his head. "I just want to know what's wrong with her. That isn't the Willa that smacked me two days ago and it isn't the one that has fought with me every time I've ever seen her."
"I just told her my opinion on some things. Maybe I offended her."
Billie watched him. The guy had been meddling and he knew it from the look on his face. He was looking way too innocent for his own good.
"What did you guys talk about?" He asked.
"Nothing," Wes said. Billie leaned across the table and stared at the bodyguard.
"Spit it out Wes. I want to know why she's so quiet."
"I don't know that," Wes said, "You know women. They do what they're going to do."
[ Willa ]
"Elena!" Willa said loudly into the payphone just outside the bathroom when she heard Elena's voice on the other end.
"Jesus Willa, you don't have to yell."
Willa put her hand to her forehead and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"What's wrong? Did the jerk not pick you up?"
"No, well yes, but that's not why I called." She began to pace as far as the phone cord would let her go.
"So what is it?"
"You'll love this one," Willa laughed. She stopped and drummed her fingers against the top of the payphone.
"I think he's in love with me."
"What?" She hoped that Elena wasn't eating or something because she knew that she would choke on this one.
Willa leaned against the wall and stared at herself in the glass of the framed picture across from her.
"I was talking to his bodyguard and he said that he thinks that Billie is in love with me."
Elena started to laugh.
"Hey? You don't have to laugh too hard about that."
"Honey I'm not laughing at you."
"You better not be."
"I just think it's funny. He must be smoking something because that boy has done nothing to show you anything other than pure hatred." Elena took a breath.
"I mean first he insults you then he gets all spoiled brat on you at the video shoot, then he announced on national television--"
"Thanks." She sighed again. "I know what he's done to me."
"Jesus woman you sound like my grandmother. You shouldn't be sighing like this. You know what I mean when I talk about Billie. He's been rude to you since you first met and he's caused you all this trouble. How can anyone in their right mind see that as love?"
Willa sighed. The trouble was that she did see what Wes had said. Billie had been the one to keep their contact. He'd called her for the charity event and had forced them together with the announcement, but there was still part of her that thought that this was all some plan to get her back for the comments she'd made to him when they'd first met.
"That was my argument."
"Honey, ignore this guy and tell that bodyguard to mind his own business." There was a pause.
"I bet Billie set this up. It would be just like him to plan something outrageous like that."
"I know," she sighed. "I know."
"You don't sound too sure of that," Elena said.
"I'm not."
Willa hung up the phone and peaked around the corner. She could see Billie, Loni and Wes at the table and they looked like they were arguing about something. She watched Billie slam his fist on the table and Wes stood up. Willa had no clue what was going on, but she knew she had to stop it. Some of the other customers were watching them.
She rushed back over to the table and slid her arm through Billie's.
"You want to take this outside boys?"
Billie stopped and stared at her with an open. She didn't like the look in his eyes. He seemed really angry, which she'd seen thrown in her direction before, but he'd never been that way with anyone else. It scared her. It was one thing for him to be mad at her, she provoked it out of him most of the time, but she couldn't think of any reason that he would be mad at someone that worked with him.
"Now, what were you boys arguing about?" she asked pulling Billie back into his chair. He was still staring at her and for a moment she reveled in the confusion she saw on his face. It was nice, for a change to yet again have an upper-hand on the exchange between the two of them. He'd been winning of a while and she wanted to get back in the driver's seat for a change.
"Nothing," He said.
"Well, it sure didn't look like nothing and I can tell you it didn't sound like nothing."
Billie pushed her arm off of him and stood up. "I'm going to go make a phone call."
When Loni got up to go with him he stared at him. "Stay here," Billie said with a tense jaw.
Loni was about to say something when Willa pointed to where she'd been.
"There's a phone just over there. He won't even have to leave the restaurant."
Loni stared at her for a moment then sat back down. "Don't leave. You know--"
Billie didn't let him finish. Willa watched him stalk away towards where she'd been on the phone with a heavy heart. Part of her wanted to run after him and comfort him in whatever he was going through, but the other half of her, the part that remembered the scene in the hotel and the marks on her arm thought about how he deserved whatever was coming his way.
"Ah, another nice relaxing evening with Mr. Armstrong," Willa said with a laugh.
She stared at Wes. "What got him so pissed off?"
Wes put his arms up again surrendering. "He wanted to know why you were so quiet. I told you--"
"You don't know what you're talking about. Really." She nodded her head for effect then turned and noticed that Loni was looking in the direction of the restroom with a worried frown on his face. She tapped the man on the shoulder and pushed her chair back.
"This goes against everything that my mother ever taught me, but I'll go check on him."
Willa slid away from the table and made her way back to the phone. She was about to round the corner when she saw legs sticking out in the walkway. She leaned around the corner and found Billie sitting on the floor staring at his phone with wide eyes. He still looked upset, but there was a sadness there in his eyes now instead of the anger he'd been showing back at the table.
Billie's eyes began to dry out as he stared at the phone in his hands. He needed a drink or something. The tension was getting to him. He'd felt it coming on since he'd gotten up that morning. He'd woken up with a headache. He'd been temperamental at the radio interview that they'd done that morning. When they asked him about Willa he'd left the room and the bad mood had lasted when he'd gotten on the airplane. He'd been uncomfortable the whole time. He couldn't get into his seat just the right way and hadn't been able to sleep. This antsy nature was a sure sign that he needed a break. Not just a few days, but maybe a few weeks.
He shifted the small device from hand to hand, but never let his eyes wander from staring straight ahead. He would have called someone to talk to them, like he'd said to everyone at the table, but really there was no one that he could call that would understand.
Hell, he didn't even understand what was going on half the time. Even when he thought he might have a clue about what was going on Willa would change on him. Like that day, she'd been quiet, really quiet. He wished that there wasn't that tension between them. It was standing in the way of everything, but he couldn't help himself. Every time he got near her he found himself wanting to push her buttons, get her to react to him the only way she'd ever seen her react.
"Billie?"
His eyes stayed trained on his phone as he heard his voice. He knew he should look up, but the calm of the moment was addicting. It was rare during the day that he just got to sit by himself. Sure it happened. Every once in a while on the bus, but usually there was at least one other person or more with him at all times of the day. Even when he was home he had more than a few people over at the house or he went to visit them. He didn't want to end it too soon. It was the first time he'd been alone in a week. He felt so bad at the moment that he almost thought about faking sick and staying home the next day, but he knew that the Make A Wish people would be upset and the little girl would hate him forever if he bailed out now.
"Yeah?" he said lazily. He recognized that it was Willa and didn't see the harm in not looking up right away.
"Billie?"
His eyes flew up to the sound of her voice and he squeezed his eyes shut after he recognized the figure standing above him as Willa. This wasn't going to be good.
"What?" he asked in a harsh tone. It was the same tone he'd used with the guys that morning when they'd wanted to know why he'd left the interview. He hadn't meant to snap at her really, but it was better than him bursting into tears or something crazy like that.
He heard her sigh heavily and he opened his eyes. The look on her face said it all, before the words came out of her mouth.
"You really are an asshole."
He didn't even flinch at the sound of the insult. He was too amazed by the look in her eyes. That sparkle was back in her eyes again. He loved it, but at the same time he didn't know how he could handle her being pissed at him all the time. At first it had all been a game, but now he wasn't sure that he wanted to play it anymore. There had to be a better way.
Hearing her words he pushed himself off the ground and scrambled after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him before she could go around the corner again. He knew he shouldn't grab her again since he knew how much she'd taken offense to his hand on her in the hotel in New York.
This time she must have expected him to grab for her because she swung around and twisted out of his grip before he could really hold her back. "Leave me alone."
"Willa, wait." He grabbed again and pulled. She came around and almost smacked him again.
"Damn it!" Billie yelled.
Willa did the one thing that he never thought she'd ever do. She came full force against him and pushed him up against the wall. His shoulder blades hit the wall with a thud and he looked around for a moment to see if anyone was watching them. It was a force of habit to look around, but thank God no one was there.
His breath almost got knocked out with the force of her push, but he'd taken a big breath when her body had pressed against his and he luckily still could breathe.
"Kiss me." She looked into his eyes with a completely honest and innocent look on her face.
It was the first time he'd seen that from her. She looked vulnerable, which was surprising. She hadn't even looked that way when she'd come to him in the middle of the night. He hadn't thought she could even have that emotion.
"Kiss you?" he asked. His voice caught in his throat as he felt her hands
squeezing their way around him. They came around his waist and slid up his back, resting near his shoulders to pull him closer.
Willa nodded her head a little, never taking her eyes from his. She licked her lips and looked at his mouth for a moment. He didn't even think she blinked. He knew that he hadn't. He had been too caught up in it all.
"There is a man with a camera that is taking our picture right now. Kiss me or you're going to have to explain this little fight to the press."
Billie leaned his head back against the wall and let his eyes wander a little. He didn't see anyone with a camera. They were alone in the alcove, but he wasn't about to back down from a situation like this. She felt too good in his arms not to kiss her. He cautiously tasted her lips, capturing her bottom lip in his, then pulled back and looked into her eyes.
That sparkle was back, but this time he knew that it wasn't at all from her anger so he leaned again and kissed her again. She had made the excuse to kiss him and he was going to take advantage of her poor planning.
His hands slid from around her waist up between them and cupped her face firmly holding her against his lips. He felt her arms around him, pulling him closer and he kept up the kiss until he thought he'd pass out from lack of oxygen.
Pulling back he watched her for a moment then gave her a short kiss.
"Anytime you want to kiss me you don't have to make up excuses," he said and kissed her again.
"Excuses?" Willa pushed away from him. She stepped back and stared at him, breathing hard, as if she'd lost control a little herself and was now trying to regain her composure.
"Yeah excuses," he said with a smile. He didn't mean to ruin the moment, but he wanted her to know that she'd been caught lying. He looked around again to make sure that he was still there alone with her.
"There wasn't anyone there."
"What?" she asked. She looked around and pointed to the corner that led to the main dining room. "He was right there." She looked back at Lance.
"Where?" he asked.
Willa looked around again. "I saw him."
"I think you're getting a little paranoid. There wasn't anyone watching us," Billie said and reached out to her. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again.
For the first few moments of the kiss she answered the kiss back just as feverishly as he gave it to her, then all of a sudden he could feel her resisting him and when she placed her hands on his chest and pushed back he let her get away.
"What was that?" she asked.
He smiled, "You said to kiss you."
"That wasn't a kiss. You were mauling me like a bear."
"You weren't complaining."
She stepped back even more when he reached out his hand. "I couldn't breathe thanks to you."
"You didn't seem to mind at the time."
"Well I mind now!" Willa turned and walked away from him. He took a breath and followed her back to the table.
When they got to the table Wes handed Willa a bag that had the restaurant logo on it.
"I got them to go," Wes said.
"Why?" Billie asked.
"We need to get you guys home."
"Why?" He repeated his question and looked around. Normally they were rushed away from places if there was a crowd that security couldn't handle.
"Because there was a reporter here looking for the two of you."
"See I told you," Willa said throwing him a glare.
Billie felt like sticking out his tongue at her.
"Come on we have to get you guys home."
"Home?" Willa asked and looked at Billie.
[ The Next Day: Make A Wish ]
"Willa are you almost ready?" Billie yelled as he came to the bottom step of the front staircase.
He was dressed for a nice sunny day. He'd been excited about seeing the sun after coming home to the rain the night before. He wanted the day to go well, not only for the Make a Wish thing, but he wanted things to be okay between him and Willa for once. He knew that if they could get along for the day that the Make a Wish girl would get her wish.
"I'm almost ready!" she yelled to him. He heard her voice coming from the direction of the downstairs guest bathroom so he went to go see how ready "almost ready" was. He hadn't dated in a while and couldn't remember if "almost ready" meant really ready or was just a phrase to stall him.
He found her in front of the mirror in the bathroom putting on mascara and eyeliner. She wore jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt that looked dressy, but not formal. It was a good look for her and she actually seemed relaxed, a little quiet like the night before, but she had a smile on her face this morning instead of a frown.
"Don't stare," she said, "I'm nervous enough about this as it is."
"Why are you nervous?" he asked. "It's just a little girl and her sister."
"Yeah and a camera crew and a few photographers and the news people and everyone," she rambled out.
"Whatever. Just smile and be nice," he said.
"Easy for you to say. The only fan of mine I've ever actually met was that girl Veronica at the Ritz."
"Well it's not like you're going to be alone today. How do you think I feel? I usually have the other guys to be with."
"And what am I? Chopped liver?"
"No," he said.
"Please don't stare." Billie leaned against the door.
"It's not every day that a guy gets to see a supermodel put on her own make up in their guest bathroom."
"And what a bathroom this is," she said looking around. "Very interesting." She said as she stared at the skull faucet.
"Not as interesting as watching you put on make up," he said then leaned and looked at her closely.
"Why are you pulling your eyes like that?"
"This is how you put on mascara and liner," she said. "Want some?" She looked into his eyes and saw he already had some.
"Nevermind." And she turned back to applying her blue eyeliner.
"No, it's not my color," he said with a smile. Willa laughed at his comment when she went back to her make-up.
"I'm sure that this is all entertaining," she said rolling her eyes. She was sarcastic about it, but it wasn't a mean sarcasm. It was a funny sarcasm for once.
"You'd be surprised," He said and looked at his watch.
"Ok, I know I'm setting myself up for an insult, but does it look okay?" she asked, "Not that you'd really... "
"It looks good, except... " He scooted closer to her and touched her cheek. "You have an eyelash."
She held her breath as he stood closely to her. When he looked up from her cheek he found her watching him with wide eyes.
"Was that a compliment from you Billie?" she asked, "That sleep last night must have been really needed. You sound like a different person."
"Don't look too surprised," He laughed. "Whatever. I'm just trying to act nice and sweet so I don't ruin that little girl's day."
"So this is all an act?" she asked.
"I have to keep up my asshole status with you," he said with a wink in her direction and left the bathroom to go to the kitchen. "You want anything to eat before we go?"
"No," she said, "I made myself some toast this morning."
"You did?" he called back looking around the kitchen. It didn't look like anything had been touched, until he saw the plate and knife in the dish rack. He didn't even know that he had a dish rack. It must have been something that his mother must have gotten him while he was on the road.
"Yeah," she said. She came out from the hallway wearing her bag over her shoulder.
Willa followed Billie out to the garage. They entered from the door that led into the house. There was a BMW and she watched in amazement as he opened the passenger door for her. "Hop in,"
"You're driving us there?" she asked.
"Yeah. We have to pick up Wes and Loni then we're going to go and meet with everyone. I think we're going to have the girls come with us in the car when we drive over to the park," he said.
"Why? You don't think I can drive?" Willa sighed and got in the car. He took her backpack.
"I just didn't expect it."
"That's what I like to hear. I love keeping women on their toes," he said. He closed the door and she watched him walk around to the other side of the car.
He stopped on the far side to throw their backpacks into the back seat then Billie jumped in the driver side and turned on the ignition. His own music filled the car. He turned it down then buckled his seatbelt and hit the button of the garage door opener. A moment later they backed out of the garage and drove around the small u-shaped driveway that led to the street.
A laugh filled the car when they got outside the security gate.
"What's that for?"
"This is the first time in a long time that people haven't been waiting for me on the street. This was an unscheduled trip so no one knows I'm home."
"That's kind of why I'm glad I'm not a rock star," she said, "I can always go home without worrying about having people there waiting for me."
"Must be nice," he said.
"You really hate that?" she asked.
"Nah, it gets annoying for my mom. She has people that pick the grass on the front lawn. Also my family gets harassed. And usually my girlfriends."
"Harassed?"
"When they go shopping or something they get followed."
"Sounds like me. I've had some reporters following me."
Billie pulled the car over, parking in front of someone's house. "You've been followed?"
"Yeah, I think its some tabloid reporter or something."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's nothing. He usually takes pictures of me when I'm going to and from the agency. He's never said anything to me."
"Are you serious?"
"It's not that bad."
"Yes it is."
Billie reached his arm around and pulled out his phone.
Willa watched him as he dialed a number then held the phone to his ear then pulled the car back onto the road.
"Wes," He said, "Yeah, we're on our way. I have to ask you a favor, man."
Willa looked out the window. She didn't know what he was doing so she didn't want to listen to something that didn't concern her.
"Is Spanky still in the business?" He asked. Willa laughed at the name.
"Yeah, I need to see if I can get him to work for me. Think he'll do it?" Billie said, "No, no, it's not for the band. I think that Willa needs someone around... no, nothing happened, but some reporters have been trying to take her picture. Just in case."
"I don't need a bodyguard!"
"Hold on," Billie said into the phone. He covered the receiver and looked at her.
"Willa, it's not like he's going to baby-sit you. I just want him to be on call incase you need someone to... " He sighed. "Just let me do this okay? I got you into this mess and I don't want that to totally screw with your life."
Willa watched the look in his eyes. He was worried about her. It shocked her, but at the same time it was comforting to know that he cared about her. Maybe Wes was right. Maybe he did like her.
He turned and spoke into the phone again. "Yeah, I want him to meet Willa at the airport tomorrow when she gets back to Kennedy."
When he hung up a moment later he looked at Willa. "It's not that I expect that something to happen to you, but it'll be easier for me to sleep at night knowing that someone out there isn't stalking you."
Willa stared at him. "You stay up at night worrying about me?"
Billie glanced at her. "I... I... I know that the announcement caused you some trouble and I'm... " He took a breath. "Never mind."
"Jesus Billie, you were almost there... "
"What are you talking about?" he said. Willa folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh never mind. You'd never understand."
"Does this have anything to do with what Wes said with you yesterday?" He asked.
Willa looked out the window. "No, never mind about it."
"Shh!" Billie said to her.
Wes looked at the two of them for a moment from where he was standing then turned back around when Billie glared at him.
"Talk about dramatics! It was a joke." She threw her arm up in the air, "Hell! It wasn't even that! It was an accident, but I can see with your fun sense of humor you probably think that I planned that."
Billie raised a hand and grabbed her arm, just under her armpit. He lifted her off the floor a little and she almost fell over again.
"Hey!" she said and tried to twist away.
He gripped her arm harder and brought her closer to him.
"Stop wiggling around!"
Wes turned around and watched them again.
"Hey big guy, you are a bodyguard aren't you?" Willa said harshly.
"And your point is?" Wes said.
"Well aren't you going to help me out?" she asked.
"I guard him honey, not you, so until you knee him in the nuts or something it's not my place to step in." Wes turned back around laughing with the other guys.
"Owe!" Willa said and twisted her arm away from Billie. She flung her arm out and smacked him square on the face.
[ Present ]
Amy cheered at this news.
[ Flash back ]
The sound of the smack echoed in the hall. Willa looked a little shocked herself as Wes finally stepped away from the group and stepped in between them. Wes gave Willa a bear hug and backed Willa towards the wall.
Billie stood and stared at her with a blank expression on his face. From his reaction she figured that no one had ever dared to smack him like that.
"Let me go you big oaf!" she said pushing against Wes.
"Oh now I'm a big oaf. A minute ago I was going to save you from him."
"Let me go or I'll scream!"
"Don't hurt her," Billie finally said rubbing his face where she'd hit him.
"I'm not going to." Wes's voice lowered into a slightly intimidating tone.
"Get your guard dog off me!"
Heaving a heavy sigh Billie tapped Wes on the shoulder, "Let her go."
Willa squirmed away from them both then turned and headed down the hall without the Billie.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Like you care?" she said.
"Willa. We had a deal. You're supposed to be at the parties with me tonight."
"Well things fucking change," she said. "I'm sure you can handle it. You're a big boy."
"Willa, wait."
Willa stopped, but it was only because she'd met up with the end of the hallway.
"Leave me alone."
"Willa."
She didn't turn and look at him.
"Willa, I'm sorry."
"Excuse me?" she said and looked at him.
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
[ Present ]
"He tried to apologize after all that?" Amy asked.
"Yeah. I'm sitting there scared to death that this guy is going to hurt me and he thinks that sorry is going to make everything better."
"What an idiot!"
"Tell me about it."
Willa's mind drifted a little as she thought back to a few evenings before. Although she had wanted to go home Billie had reminded her that it wouldn't look good for her to be leaving so early in the night since she was with him at the party. She couldn't argue with that fact, one because he was right, and two she was a little afraid that he'd get physical with her again and have Wes back her into a corner again.
Willa heard a beep and knew that it was her call waiting. "Someone else just called. Hold on a second. I'll be right back."
Willa clicked the phone over to the other line. "Hello?"
"Willa, it's Billie."
Her breath caught in her throat. No beating around the bush with this guy, just say your name and give a girl a heart attack.
The bitterness she'd felt a few nights before came to her without warning.
"Haven't we already said enough to each other?"
"I know that things ended badly the other night but I need a favor."
"A favor?" she asked. This was getting to be ridiculous now. She'd heard of people being clueless, but after the fight and the coldness they'd kept between them the rest of the night of the VMA's she'd thought she'd never hear from him again.
Actually she'd hoped she'd never hear from him again.
"Look," he said with a sigh. "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."
"Hold on a second."
Willa clicked back over to Amy. "I have to take this call."
"Girl we haven't talked in months, who could it be that's so important?"
"Look I'll call you back," Willa said.
"Who is it?"
"Nobody." Willa said.
"Is it him? Please don't tell me you're ditching me for the jerk!"
"Yeah," Willa said, "I'm sorry."
"You're going to talk to him?" she asked.
"I have to. He called me. I'm sure it's not going to be a long conversation."
"Chew him a new one girl. Chew him a new one."
"I will."
"Call me back afterwards."
"I will."
Willa took a deep breath before clicking over to the other line.
"Billie?"
He had waited for her by looking over the paperwork that had been sent to him on the road. He sat up from his half lounging position on the couch and moved the phone to his other ear. He stacked up the papers in his lap into a pile and slid them onto the counter next to the sink.
As soon as the group had left New York a few nights before they'd gone back to continue the tour. They played a show in the Mid-West then had driven all night to reach Las Vegas and were now winding their way across to Los Angeles and then would go to San Diego. Those three days in New York had been fun, but for Billie the trip left him with a pile of paper work that not only concerned his Green Day dealings but also dealt with Adeline things. He was now trying to catch up with the paperwork while the others slept the morning away. He was still in the clothes that he'd worn to bed the night before, but he'd already had three cups of coffee and had made more phone calls in the hour before breakfast than he would for the rest of the day.
"Yeah?"
He heard her sigh heavily as if this was all a big inconvenience to her.
"Ok, you have five minutes to try to explain to my why you think I'd do you a favor."
She sounded pissed off and he prayed that he could get through the conversation without blowing up at her. At the moment she was making his life a living hell. He'd gotten up that morning to face four different magazines that had their picture in it, which also had quotes from her in them. They weren't at all flattering, from what he'd read. He didn't know if they'd really come from her or not, but just seeing the pictures made him angry. They looked like a cute enough couple, but he'd seen the real look in her eyes in the pictures and she'd been as miserable as he'd been that night. The only good moment of the entire night had been when she'd kissed him right before he'd gone up to accept their first award. It was that memory that he tried to keep in his mind when he thought about talking with her.
"Hello?" she said.
Billie sighed. She was going to make this difficult on him. He'd already tried to apologize for the mess he'd made of their VMA date, not that he really thought that the disaster was his fault, but she was going to squeeze him like a lemon.
He could imagine himself having to get on hands and knees and begging her to do this with him. He wouldn't have even been calling her, but Kelly had insisted that the two of them get involved when the letter had come to them.
"It's for charity."
Willa laughed. "What? The charity of Billie Joe Armstrong?"
At the sound of her laugh Billie tried to count to ten. His anger began to rise. Kelly was standing there watching him on the phone mouthing the words, stay calm. He waved her away from him.
He couldn't help it. There were certain things that he could handle from her, but this wasn't the time to be joking around. It was important that they do this together, even if they did hate each other.
"I'm serious Willa," he said, "It's for Make a Wish."
"Well if it's something on the professional level, why are you the one calling me?"
"Because I knew that you're pissed at me, but this is important. I can call and have Kelly call Elena... " He breathed in and out and watched as Kelly gave him a thumbs up sign.
There was a long silence.
"Kelly is standing right here if you really want to talk to her," Billie said.
Standing in front of Billie she tried to wave him off, saying that she didn't want to talk.
"No," Willa said with a sigh, "What do you need me to do?"
Billie smiled at Kelly and motioned for her to leave him alone. She was in charge of setting the whole trip back home to Orlando up and she had asked him to call Willa to ask her about it.
"It's supposed to happen in about four days. Kelly did an initial call to Elena and penciled it in, but you have the final say. A girl wrote to the two us through the Idiot Club to ask if we could spend the day with her before she goes into the hospital to have surgery."
"What does she want to do with us?" Willa asked, "It's not like we're--"
"The Magic Kingdom," Billie said, "She just wants to spend the day with us. She saw the two of us on TRL and her sister and her want to spend the day with us."
"So it would be for the whole day?" Willa asked.
"The Make A Wish people wanted us to be with her from about ten in the morning until after dinner time... so about seven o'clock? There is going to be a photo session with her family and the two of us. We'll have security with us the whole day and they are going to have a camera following us around for part of the day."
There was a pause. He wasn't sure if that meant that she was going to say yes or no, but he let the silence hang between them. He didn't want to ruin this now. He might not be excited about seeing her, but he'd read the little girl's letter and knew that this would mean a lot to the little kid and he didn't want to disappoint her.
"Sounds fine with me," she said, "I'd better get on the phone to Elena and get myself a flight and a hotel room."
"Don't worry about it," he said, "I'll book you a flight this afternoon and I'll get you a place to stay, my treat."
Billie sat up when she agreed. He saw Kelly already celebrating. He groaned. He could see this being blown way out of proportion and knew that their trip to the Magic Kingdom would definitely end up in the tabloids. He could see the headlines now. 'Green Day's Billie Joe and Family take a magical trip to Mickey's Mouse House.' He would be, of course, be engaged to Willa and the two girls with them would be their love children that were born out of wedlock.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Willa let out another sigh. "Call me back with the details."
"Willa," Billie lowered his voice and turned to look out the window so that the others wouldn't hear him.
"If we're going to do this... " He cleared his throat and prepared himself for the backlash that he might receive from what he was about to say. "... We can't fight in front of this girl."
He shut his eyes for a moment then stared out the window at a few cars passing by. He didn't know where exactly they were, but he wanted to be to where ever it was soon.
"Fine, a truce for whatever time we're with her."
"Good," he said.
"How old is she?" Willa asked.
"Tracy is ten and her sister Jessica is thirteen."
"Thank you," she said.
As he expected, she hung up without a goodbye.
Billie clicked off the phone and looked up. Kelly had left him alone, but as soon as the conversation was over she was already there waiting for his answer.
"Is she coming?" She asked.
Billie nodded and leaned back. "Yeah," he said.
"You don't sound very excited. Isn't she your girlfriend?"
He wanted to laugh aloud at that comment. He hadn't really explained the situation between Willa and him. She'd seen the whole mess with them at the VMA's but she'd thought that their fight had been because of the whole shower incident. No one really knew the history of their fighting and he wanted to keep it that way. He figured that everyone already knew too much about his personal life than they needed to. Whatever was going on between him and Willa would stay between him and Willa.
[ Three Days Later ]
Willa stepped off her United flight from Kennedy Airport into a rainy Orlando winter night, carrying two large shopping bags and a rolling suitcase. She had come down south from a snowy New York thinking she might get some sun while she was in Florida, but her luck really wasn't working her way. It was drizzling and cold and miserable outside and she shivered in the air-conditioned interior of the airport even though she wore a heavy snow jacket. The weather reflected her mood. She wasn't at all excited about being in Orlando, but she knew that it was for a good cause and she was going to try to make the best of things.
That was until she saw who was there to pick her up at the gate. Standing just past the check-in counter Willa saw the only other person in the world, besides Billie, that she didn't want to see at the moment.
"Wes?" she said slowing approaching the bodyguard that had grabbed her in the hotel in New York. She looked around for a moment.
"Where's the Rock star?"
"His flight from San Diego gets here in about an hour. I flew back about three hours ago," Wes said and cautiously reached for her rolling suitcase, which she gave up after he gave her a smile.
He carried a huge bag of his own, but didn't at all seem put-out by dragging hers along. "Don't worry, I'm buying dinner."
She leaned away from him and kept her eyes wide not sure how he was going to act to her. "So you aren't going to kill me?" Wes smiled from under his baseball hat.
"As long as you don't smack Billie again you and I are going to be friends." He stopped and ended up laughing. "Actually if you do smack him again we might be even better friends."
Willa looked around for a moment. She had never been to Orlando before, except for one swimsuit shoot that had lasted just over four hours. When she'd been in the airport last she hadn't even been able to turn her head to look around. She'd been whisked away like some precious cargo or something to the hotel for the shoot. It was a nice airport and she was glad that she was going to do a little touristy stuff while she was there. She always hated the fact that she got to travel as a model, but never really got to do all the activities that a place had to offer. Usually she flew in and flew out of a place as soon as she was done on the set.
"So you did some shopping?" Wes asked as he began to slowly walk away from her. He looked at the bags. "Get anything for me?"
"No." Letting a smile form on her face, she followed him from the gate into the main walkway area. The airport was fairly crowded, since it was just about commute time and she noticed people staring at her a little... or maybe they were staring at him. Either way she was feeling a little self conscious. She'd been followed a few times in New York in the last few days and hoped that no one would be following her that day.
"I brought some things for the girls that Billie and I are going to be with tomorrow. Speedo let me pick out some clothes and one of the other companies I did some ads for sent along some make-up and perfume for the kids."
Wes smiled. "You and Billie must think alike. He's bringing Adeline gear and is going to give them tickets and stuff from the guys."
"He and I do nothing alike." The anger she felt when she thought of him was present in her voice.
"You even sound the same when you talk about each other."
Willa stared at him. She hadn't expected Wes to be at all the therapist type, but he seemed to be on a mission so she asked, "How's that?"
"You guys are both frustrated," Wes said. "And I don't mean that in a sexual way either." He looked at her for a moment, "Although maybe that's part of it."
They made their way down to a food court type area and then took a right into a hallway.
"Where are we going?" she asked pointing to the food places that they'd just passed. "Aren't we going to eat?"
"The VIP lounge has a restaurant. I'd rather eat in a normal place than fast food, since I'm paying. We've been on the road too long and that stuff can kill you." He smiled widely and she noticed the door at the end of the hallway.
"Oh," she said.
"I'm not going to attack you Willa," Wes said and took a few steps then pushed through a door to where a receptionist-type person sat.
They were seated in minutes at a table near the windows in the restaurant. Willa slid out of her jacket and made herself comfortable as Wes stared at the menu.
Willa watched him for a long time then couldn't help but to ask.
"You said that he and I were frustrated... why do you think that?"
Wes laughed a little. "Besides the obvious reasons that you both have too many revenge plans?"
Willa blushed and said, "He's horrible to me!"
Wes glared at her. "Hey. I'm not taking sides here. Do you want to hear my opinion or not?"
The waitress came and they ordered drinks. Wes got a soda and Willa got an iced tea.
"Go ahead," she said when the waitress left.
Wes smiled, "Now are you going to be nice to me if I give you information?"
"Please," she said, "I'd love to hear what someone else thinks of us because for the life of me I don't understand any of it."
"Well... " Wes sat back and looked at her. "I sit and watch people a lot while we're on the road and I have this feeling about the two of you."
"And what might that be?"
"That you're perfect for each other."
Willa did not like the look on his face at all. He was serious, too serious. He didn't move a muscle in his jaw, or twitch and eyebrow, or even blink for that matter the whole time she stared at him.
"Perfect for what?" she asked.
Leaning forward, Wes rested his arms on the table and glared at her. "Love must really be blinding."
"Love?" she thought she might hyperventilate when she heard that.
"Love? There may be a lot of things that I'm confused about, but there is no love between Billie and I."
"Would you like some examples?" Wes asked.
Willa stared out the window for a long time. She didn't want this. She never wanted any of this. She almost suspected that this was just another trick of Billie's. It would be just like him to have someone else step in to get at her.
When the waitress returned with their drinks, they ordered quickly. Wes got a steak and potato and Willa got a salad and a sandwich.
"You really are stubborn, you know?" Wes said when the waitress disappeared for the second time.
She hated this. It was like getting a lecture from her mother or something, which she hated, but having a complete stranger tell her all of this was even more humiliating and annoying.
"Well so is he!"
"I never said that he wasn't."
Willa watched him for a long time. "Just spill out whatever you want to say because I know I'm not going to get through my dinner without hearing it so we might as well get it over with."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"No, but you might as well," she said.
"Okay," Wes said with a sigh.
Putting up a finger he showed her the number one. "First, Billiee hasn't dated in a long time. He really avoids it when he can. The man would walk across the street to avoid having to date someone."
"And?"
"And, it means he likes you"
Willa rolled her eyes. "It means that he's got me trapped and I can't get out of it without making one of us look bad and if he looks bad then that video looks bad and then I look bad."
Wes laughed and showed her the number two with his fingers. "If Billie hated you he wouldn't have been so upset about the whole kissing thing."
"What? When have you seen us kiss?"
"He was embarrassed by what the guys would say because he doesn't want to look bad in front of you." Wes said, ignoring her last question.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm serious." Wes drummed his hands on the table for a moment. He looked at her in the eyes for a moment, looked away, then looked back.
"That was the same reason he was so pissed about the whole shower thing too."
"Give me a break," Willa said rolling her eyes again, "Did he tell you all this?"
"Look," Wes said, "I've known the kid for a long time. I think I know him well enough to know when the guy has a crush on someone."
"A crush?" she said sitting back in her chair. "He has a funny way of showing his feelings."
Wes watched her for a moment. "You are the only woman I know who would actually smack the guy." He stopped to laugh. "The kid needs it. I've been telling him that for years. He needs some normal girl to come into his life and smack him around a little."
"Hey, I didn't mean to smack him--"
"Sure you didn't," Wes said drawing his hand back. He laughed. "And that wasn't a windup I saw?"
"I really didn't mean to, but at the time Billie deserved it. He still deserves it. Hell, Billie deserves anything that I throw at him."
"I deserve what?
Willa didn't have to turn around to know that he was behind her. She saw the look in Wes's eyes. He was finding this all way too amusing.
"So are you deaf now too?" Billie said in an overly sarcastic tone, mimicking the way that Willa had spoken to him all those months ago when she'd snuck up behind him in the hotel store in the middle of the night and he hadn't answered.
Willa turned all the way around in her seat and rolled her eyes at him. "How original."
He didn't think twice about what he did next. He smiled widely at her. He knew would annoy her. He could imagine the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end when he'd first spoken to her. She didn't seem nervous though, which he expected. He knew that even if she did happen to be nervous she wouldn't let him see it. She was still trying to keep up the tough act, but he knew that she wasn't that tough. She'd seen it the night she'd shown up at his hotel room. He still wasn't sure if all of that was just part of her act or if she'd really been upset that night, but there had been something he'd seen in her, while she'd slept next to him that he wanted to see again. He needed to see that again.
Saying something smart-ass right then would have been appropriate considering their relationship, but Wes glared at him and he stopped himself from speaking. They were in a public place of course and he didn't need to cause a scene.
Instead he went around and pulled a chair up from another table and joined them while another security guard pulled up a chair and sat down too. They'd been in the airport for just fifteen minutes, but Billie had planned to meet Wes there after he'd gotten Willa.
"Well isn't this cozy," Wes said with a laugh as tension settled over the group. He looked over at Loni, the other guard, for a moment and looked at his watch.
"I thought you guys weren't getting in until seven."
"We caught an earlier flight," Billie said and scooted his chair closer to Willa. He wanted to see how she'd react to it, but found that she seemed bored with the whole situation and didn't even look back when he put a hand around the back of her chair. She was definitely in a bad mood. She had turned away from him as he'd sat down, which he had understood, but he figured that she would turn back, even it was to insult him.
He wondered for a moment if she was watching everyone's reflections in the window, but didn't think she'd try to be that sly about watching him and the others.
"So Willa, how was the flight?"
Willa looked at him for a moment then pushed her chair back. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" he asked standing up when she got up to leave.
"To the restroom if you must know," she said as she slid by him and walked across the room towards where the restrooms were.
He noticed her clothes as she left. The jeans and long sleeved shirt were very casual for her. He'd never seen her except for when they'd been making appearances or had been doing press. He liked this more relaxed looking version of her, but wondered if she was really more relaxed than she had been the last time he'd seen her.
He watched her leave then looked at Wes and sat down again. "What'd you do?"
"Me?" Wes said and held up his hands as if surrendering to the onslaught of anger Billie was letting come out in his expression.
"Why would you think that I did something?"
Billie turned and saw her disappearing around the corner. "Because she's not bitching at me."
"And that's a bad thing?" Wes said.
"The night's young," Loni said with a laugh. "You never know with that one."
"Shut up Loni." Billie snapped. He normally wasn't rude to bodyguards, but the situation with Willa caused him to need to use a little different strategy for everything. He stared at Wes, not blinking.
"WHAT... DID... YOU... DO?"
"Nothing."
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Hey," Loni said and put an arm out and gripped Billie's arm, "Unless you want to embarrass yourself keep it down."
Billie took a breath and counted to ten in his head. "I just want to know what's wrong with her. That isn't the Willa that smacked me two days ago and it isn't the one that has fought with me every time I've ever seen her."
"I just told her my opinion on some things. Maybe I offended her."
Billie watched him. The guy had been meddling and he knew it from the look on his face. He was looking way too innocent for his own good.
"What did you guys talk about?" He asked.
"Nothing," Wes said. Billie leaned across the table and stared at the bodyguard.
"Spit it out Wes. I want to know why she's so quiet."
"I don't know that," Wes said, "You know women. They do what they're going to do."
[ Willa ]
"Elena!" Willa said loudly into the payphone just outside the bathroom when she heard Elena's voice on the other end.
"Jesus Willa, you don't have to yell."
Willa put her hand to her forehead and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"What's wrong? Did the jerk not pick you up?"
"No, well yes, but that's not why I called." She began to pace as far as the phone cord would let her go.
"So what is it?"
"You'll love this one," Willa laughed. She stopped and drummed her fingers against the top of the payphone.
"I think he's in love with me."
"What?" She hoped that Elena wasn't eating or something because she knew that she would choke on this one.
Willa leaned against the wall and stared at herself in the glass of the framed picture across from her.
"I was talking to his bodyguard and he said that he thinks that Billie is in love with me."
Elena started to laugh.
"Hey? You don't have to laugh too hard about that."
"Honey I'm not laughing at you."
"You better not be."
"I just think it's funny. He must be smoking something because that boy has done nothing to show you anything other than pure hatred." Elena took a breath.
"I mean first he insults you then he gets all spoiled brat on you at the video shoot, then he announced on national television--"
"Thanks." She sighed again. "I know what he's done to me."
"Jesus woman you sound like my grandmother. You shouldn't be sighing like this. You know what I mean when I talk about Billie. He's been rude to you since you first met and he's caused you all this trouble. How can anyone in their right mind see that as love?"
Willa sighed. The trouble was that she did see what Wes had said. Billie had been the one to keep their contact. He'd called her for the charity event and had forced them together with the announcement, but there was still part of her that thought that this was all some plan to get her back for the comments she'd made to him when they'd first met.
"That was my argument."
"Honey, ignore this guy and tell that bodyguard to mind his own business." There was a pause.
"I bet Billie set this up. It would be just like him to plan something outrageous like that."
"I know," she sighed. "I know."
"You don't sound too sure of that," Elena said.
"I'm not."
Willa hung up the phone and peaked around the corner. She could see Billie, Loni and Wes at the table and they looked like they were arguing about something. She watched Billie slam his fist on the table and Wes stood up. Willa had no clue what was going on, but she knew she had to stop it. Some of the other customers were watching them.
She rushed back over to the table and slid her arm through Billie's.
"You want to take this outside boys?"
Billie stopped and stared at her with an open. She didn't like the look in his eyes. He seemed really angry, which she'd seen thrown in her direction before, but he'd never been that way with anyone else. It scared her. It was one thing for him to be mad at her, she provoked it out of him most of the time, but she couldn't think of any reason that he would be mad at someone that worked with him.
"Now, what were you boys arguing about?" she asked pulling Billie back into his chair. He was still staring at her and for a moment she reveled in the confusion she saw on his face. It was nice, for a change to yet again have an upper-hand on the exchange between the two of them. He'd been winning of a while and she wanted to get back in the driver's seat for a change.
"Nothing," He said.
"Well, it sure didn't look like nothing and I can tell you it didn't sound like nothing."
Billie pushed her arm off of him and stood up. "I'm going to go make a phone call."
When Loni got up to go with him he stared at him. "Stay here," Billie said with a tense jaw.
Loni was about to say something when Willa pointed to where she'd been.
"There's a phone just over there. He won't even have to leave the restaurant."
Loni stared at her for a moment then sat back down. "Don't leave. You know--"
Billie didn't let him finish. Willa watched him stalk away towards where she'd been on the phone with a heavy heart. Part of her wanted to run after him and comfort him in whatever he was going through, but the other half of her, the part that remembered the scene in the hotel and the marks on her arm thought about how he deserved whatever was coming his way.
"Ah, another nice relaxing evening with Mr. Armstrong," Willa said with a laugh.
She stared at Wes. "What got him so pissed off?"
Wes put his arms up again surrendering. "He wanted to know why you were so quiet. I told you--"
"You don't know what you're talking about. Really." She nodded her head for effect then turned and noticed that Loni was looking in the direction of the restroom with a worried frown on his face. She tapped the man on the shoulder and pushed her chair back.
"This goes against everything that my mother ever taught me, but I'll go check on him."
Willa slid away from the table and made her way back to the phone. She was about to round the corner when she saw legs sticking out in the walkway. She leaned around the corner and found Billie sitting on the floor staring at his phone with wide eyes. He still looked upset, but there was a sadness there in his eyes now instead of the anger he'd been showing back at the table.
Billie's eyes began to dry out as he stared at the phone in his hands. He needed a drink or something. The tension was getting to him. He'd felt it coming on since he'd gotten up that morning. He'd woken up with a headache. He'd been temperamental at the radio interview that they'd done that morning. When they asked him about Willa he'd left the room and the bad mood had lasted when he'd gotten on the airplane. He'd been uncomfortable the whole time. He couldn't get into his seat just the right way and hadn't been able to sleep. This antsy nature was a sure sign that he needed a break. Not just a few days, but maybe a few weeks.
He shifted the small device from hand to hand, but never let his eyes wander from staring straight ahead. He would have called someone to talk to them, like he'd said to everyone at the table, but really there was no one that he could call that would understand.
Hell, he didn't even understand what was going on half the time. Even when he thought he might have a clue about what was going on Willa would change on him. Like that day, she'd been quiet, really quiet. He wished that there wasn't that tension between them. It was standing in the way of everything, but he couldn't help himself. Every time he got near her he found himself wanting to push her buttons, get her to react to him the only way she'd ever seen her react.
"Billie?"
His eyes stayed trained on his phone as he heard his voice. He knew he should look up, but the calm of the moment was addicting. It was rare during the day that he just got to sit by himself. Sure it happened. Every once in a while on the bus, but usually there was at least one other person or more with him at all times of the day. Even when he was home he had more than a few people over at the house or he went to visit them. He didn't want to end it too soon. It was the first time he'd been alone in a week. He felt so bad at the moment that he almost thought about faking sick and staying home the next day, but he knew that the Make A Wish people would be upset and the little girl would hate him forever if he bailed out now.
"Yeah?" he said lazily. He recognized that it was Willa and didn't see the harm in not looking up right away.
"Billie?"
His eyes flew up to the sound of her voice and he squeezed his eyes shut after he recognized the figure standing above him as Willa. This wasn't going to be good.
"What?" he asked in a harsh tone. It was the same tone he'd used with the guys that morning when they'd wanted to know why he'd left the interview. He hadn't meant to snap at her really, but it was better than him bursting into tears or something crazy like that.
He heard her sigh heavily and he opened his eyes. The look on her face said it all, before the words came out of her mouth.
"You really are an asshole."
He didn't even flinch at the sound of the insult. He was too amazed by the look in her eyes. That sparkle was back in her eyes again. He loved it, but at the same time he didn't know how he could handle her being pissed at him all the time. At first it had all been a game, but now he wasn't sure that he wanted to play it anymore. There had to be a better way.
Hearing her words he pushed himself off the ground and scrambled after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him before she could go around the corner again. He knew he shouldn't grab her again since he knew how much she'd taken offense to his hand on her in the hotel in New York.
This time she must have expected him to grab for her because she swung around and twisted out of his grip before he could really hold her back. "Leave me alone."
"Willa, wait." He grabbed again and pulled. She came around and almost smacked him again.
"Damn it!" Billie yelled.
Willa did the one thing that he never thought she'd ever do. She came full force against him and pushed him up against the wall. His shoulder blades hit the wall with a thud and he looked around for a moment to see if anyone was watching them. It was a force of habit to look around, but thank God no one was there.
His breath almost got knocked out with the force of her push, but he'd taken a big breath when her body had pressed against his and he luckily still could breathe.
"Kiss me." She looked into his eyes with a completely honest and innocent look on her face.
It was the first time he'd seen that from her. She looked vulnerable, which was surprising. She hadn't even looked that way when she'd come to him in the middle of the night. He hadn't thought she could even have that emotion.
"Kiss you?" he asked. His voice caught in his throat as he felt her hands
squeezing their way around him. They came around his waist and slid up his back, resting near his shoulders to pull him closer.
Willa nodded her head a little, never taking her eyes from his. She licked her lips and looked at his mouth for a moment. He didn't even think she blinked. He knew that he hadn't. He had been too caught up in it all.
"There is a man with a camera that is taking our picture right now. Kiss me or you're going to have to explain this little fight to the press."
Billie leaned his head back against the wall and let his eyes wander a little. He didn't see anyone with a camera. They were alone in the alcove, but he wasn't about to back down from a situation like this. She felt too good in his arms not to kiss her. He cautiously tasted her lips, capturing her bottom lip in his, then pulled back and looked into her eyes.
That sparkle was back, but this time he knew that it wasn't at all from her anger so he leaned again and kissed her again. She had made the excuse to kiss him and he was going to take advantage of her poor planning.
His hands slid from around her waist up between them and cupped her face firmly holding her against his lips. He felt her arms around him, pulling him closer and he kept up the kiss until he thought he'd pass out from lack of oxygen.
Pulling back he watched her for a moment then gave her a short kiss.
"Anytime you want to kiss me you don't have to make up excuses," he said and kissed her again.
"Excuses?" Willa pushed away from him. She stepped back and stared at him, breathing hard, as if she'd lost control a little herself and was now trying to regain her composure.
"Yeah excuses," he said with a smile. He didn't mean to ruin the moment, but he wanted her to know that she'd been caught lying. He looked around again to make sure that he was still there alone with her.
"There wasn't anyone there."
"What?" she asked. She looked around and pointed to the corner that led to the main dining room. "He was right there." She looked back at Lance.
"Where?" he asked.
Willa looked around again. "I saw him."
"I think you're getting a little paranoid. There wasn't anyone watching us," Billie said and reached out to her. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again.
For the first few moments of the kiss she answered the kiss back just as feverishly as he gave it to her, then all of a sudden he could feel her resisting him and when she placed her hands on his chest and pushed back he let her get away.
"What was that?" she asked.
He smiled, "You said to kiss you."
"That wasn't a kiss. You were mauling me like a bear."
"You weren't complaining."
She stepped back even more when he reached out his hand. "I couldn't breathe thanks to you."
"You didn't seem to mind at the time."
"Well I mind now!" Willa turned and walked away from him. He took a breath and followed her back to the table.
When they got to the table Wes handed Willa a bag that had the restaurant logo on it.
"I got them to go," Wes said.
"Why?" Billie asked.
"We need to get you guys home."
"Why?" He repeated his question and looked around. Normally they were rushed away from places if there was a crowd that security couldn't handle.
"Because there was a reporter here looking for the two of you."
"See I told you," Willa said throwing him a glare.
Billie felt like sticking out his tongue at her.
"Come on we have to get you guys home."
"Home?" Willa asked and looked at Billie.
[ The Next Day: Make A Wish ]
"Willa are you almost ready?" Billie yelled as he came to the bottom step of the front staircase.
He was dressed for a nice sunny day. He'd been excited about seeing the sun after coming home to the rain the night before. He wanted the day to go well, not only for the Make a Wish thing, but he wanted things to be okay between him and Willa for once. He knew that if they could get along for the day that the Make a Wish girl would get her wish.
"I'm almost ready!" she yelled to him. He heard her voice coming from the direction of the downstairs guest bathroom so he went to go see how ready "almost ready" was. He hadn't dated in a while and couldn't remember if "almost ready" meant really ready or was just a phrase to stall him.
He found her in front of the mirror in the bathroom putting on mascara and eyeliner. She wore jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt that looked dressy, but not formal. It was a good look for her and she actually seemed relaxed, a little quiet like the night before, but she had a smile on her face this morning instead of a frown.
"Don't stare," she said, "I'm nervous enough about this as it is."
"Why are you nervous?" he asked. "It's just a little girl and her sister."
"Yeah and a camera crew and a few photographers and the news people and everyone," she rambled out.
"Whatever. Just smile and be nice," he said.
"Easy for you to say. The only fan of mine I've ever actually met was that girl Veronica at the Ritz."
"Well it's not like you're going to be alone today. How do you think I feel? I usually have the other guys to be with."
"And what am I? Chopped liver?"
"No," he said.
"Please don't stare." Billie leaned against the door.
"It's not every day that a guy gets to see a supermodel put on her own make up in their guest bathroom."
"And what a bathroom this is," she said looking around. "Very interesting." She said as she stared at the skull faucet.
"Not as interesting as watching you put on make up," he said then leaned and looked at her closely.
"Why are you pulling your eyes like that?"
"This is how you put on mascara and liner," she said. "Want some?" She looked into his eyes and saw he already had some.
"Nevermind." And she turned back to applying her blue eyeliner.
"No, it's not my color," he said with a smile. Willa laughed at his comment when she went back to her make-up.
"I'm sure that this is all entertaining," she said rolling her eyes. She was sarcastic about it, but it wasn't a mean sarcasm. It was a funny sarcasm for once.
"You'd be surprised," He said and looked at his watch.
"Ok, I know I'm setting myself up for an insult, but does it look okay?" she asked, "Not that you'd really... "
"It looks good, except... " He scooted closer to her and touched her cheek. "You have an eyelash."
She held her breath as he stood closely to her. When he looked up from her cheek he found her watching him with wide eyes.
"Was that a compliment from you Billie?" she asked, "That sleep last night must have been really needed. You sound like a different person."
"Don't look too surprised," He laughed. "Whatever. I'm just trying to act nice and sweet so I don't ruin that little girl's day."
"So this is all an act?" she asked.
"I have to keep up my asshole status with you," he said with a wink in her direction and left the bathroom to go to the kitchen. "You want anything to eat before we go?"
"No," she said, "I made myself some toast this morning."
"You did?" he called back looking around the kitchen. It didn't look like anything had been touched, until he saw the plate and knife in the dish rack. He didn't even know that he had a dish rack. It must have been something that his mother must have gotten him while he was on the road.
"Yeah," she said. She came out from the hallway wearing her bag over her shoulder.
Willa followed Billie out to the garage. They entered from the door that led into the house. There was a BMW and she watched in amazement as he opened the passenger door for her. "Hop in,"
"You're driving us there?" she asked.
"Yeah. We have to pick up Wes and Loni then we're going to go and meet with everyone. I think we're going to have the girls come with us in the car when we drive over to the park," he said.
"Why? You don't think I can drive?" Willa sighed and got in the car. He took her backpack.
"I just didn't expect it."
"That's what I like to hear. I love keeping women on their toes," he said. He closed the door and she watched him walk around to the other side of the car.
He stopped on the far side to throw their backpacks into the back seat then Billie jumped in the driver side and turned on the ignition. His own music filled the car. He turned it down then buckled his seatbelt and hit the button of the garage door opener. A moment later they backed out of the garage and drove around the small u-shaped driveway that led to the street.
A laugh filled the car when they got outside the security gate.
"What's that for?"
"This is the first time in a long time that people haven't been waiting for me on the street. This was an unscheduled trip so no one knows I'm home."
"That's kind of why I'm glad I'm not a rock star," she said, "I can always go home without worrying about having people there waiting for me."
"Must be nice," he said.
"You really hate that?" she asked.
"Nah, it gets annoying for my mom. She has people that pick the grass on the front lawn. Also my family gets harassed. And usually my girlfriends."
"Harassed?"
"When they go shopping or something they get followed."
"Sounds like me. I've had some reporters following me."
Billie pulled the car over, parking in front of someone's house. "You've been followed?"
"Yeah, I think its some tabloid reporter or something."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's nothing. He usually takes pictures of me when I'm going to and from the agency. He's never said anything to me."
"Are you serious?"
"It's not that bad."
"Yes it is."
Billie reached his arm around and pulled out his phone.
Willa watched him as he dialed a number then held the phone to his ear then pulled the car back onto the road.
"Wes," He said, "Yeah, we're on our way. I have to ask you a favor, man."
Willa looked out the window. She didn't know what he was doing so she didn't want to listen to something that didn't concern her.
"Is Spanky still in the business?" He asked. Willa laughed at the name.
"Yeah, I need to see if I can get him to work for me. Think he'll do it?" Billie said, "No, no, it's not for the band. I think that Willa needs someone around... no, nothing happened, but some reporters have been trying to take her picture. Just in case."
"I don't need a bodyguard!"
"Hold on," Billie said into the phone. He covered the receiver and looked at her.
"Willa, it's not like he's going to baby-sit you. I just want him to be on call incase you need someone to... " He sighed. "Just let me do this okay? I got you into this mess and I don't want that to totally screw with your life."
Willa watched the look in his eyes. He was worried about her. It shocked her, but at the same time it was comforting to know that he cared about her. Maybe Wes was right. Maybe he did like her.
He turned and spoke into the phone again. "Yeah, I want him to meet Willa at the airport tomorrow when she gets back to Kennedy."
When he hung up a moment later he looked at Willa. "It's not that I expect that something to happen to you, but it'll be easier for me to sleep at night knowing that someone out there isn't stalking you."
Willa stared at him. "You stay up at night worrying about me?"
Billie glanced at her. "I... I... I know that the announcement caused you some trouble and I'm... " He took a breath. "Never mind."
"Jesus Billie, you were almost there... "
"What are you talking about?" he said. Willa folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh never mind. You'd never understand."
"Does this have anything to do with what Wes said with you yesterday?" He asked.
Willa looked out the window. "No, never mind about it."