by Gigi Marlowe
"You're crushing a man's dreams, Jill," Lewis said as he grasped for Jill's hand. She sympathetically patted Lewis's hand in return.
"Then you must dream bigger than lunch with two friends," Jill smiled. Lewis let out a long dramatic sigh, drawing another chuckle out of Jill.
"As much as I hate to, I suppose I'll take your advice." Lewis turned abruptly to Dillon and leaned close as if he had an important secret to share. "She's a good one," Lewis said as he affectionately tapped Jill's forehead. "Take care of her, before I have to snatch her." Before Dillon could respond that Jill was more than capable of taking care of herself, Lewis walked away.
Jill looked wide-eyed at Dillon. She was the picture of innocence. "What do you think that was about?" she asked.
Dillon faltered for an explanation before declaring "You know Lewis, he's as crazy as they come." Dillon took Jill's hand his and walked with her out of the room. "There is a café in this hotel that has the best dessert." Jill's thoughtful face broke into a broad grin.
"I thought you wanted to go out for lunch?"
"Who says we can't have dessert first," Dillon smiled.
"I love that idea! But, let me pay for dessert, and you can pay for our meal." Dillon started to protest, but Jill insisted adamantly and raced off to her room.
“I really am smitten,” he said to himself. Dillon weighed all of his feelings carefully. He reflected on how Lewis's flirty behavior had riddled him with jealousy, something he had never experienced over Jill before. There was no denying that he had always believed Jill was absolutely beautiful, extremely intelligent, and courageous beyond his wildest expectations. But now, he realized that he did not want anyone but himself to remind her of those things.
He wanted to be the one, the only one, that made her blush. He ached to make her heart race the way she did his. How foolish of him to assume that his feelings for Jill were only a deep friendship. In the most significant friendships, there always bloomed the most beautiful romances. Dillon wanted to kick himself for wasting time looking for someone when the woman of his dreams had always been right in front of him. One who had been supporting, encouraging, and loving him this entire time.
Determination filled him. He had decided to take the risk of telling Jill about his feelings. He had never kept a secret from her their entire friendship, and he would not start now. Especially a secret as life-changing as his love for her. They were such good friends that he knew that, even if she did not reciprocate his feelings, she would work towards not letting his potentially unrequited love stand between them. Nervously, Dillon reached for his phone and told Jill to meet him in the café. As he walked steadily towards their meeting place, his mind raced for precisely the right words to say and wondered if Jill would say them back.
Jill rushed down the steps to meet Dillon at the café. She was excited to have this opportunity to spend some alone time with Dillon and tell him how much she had enjoyed speaking on the panel. It had been such a feeling of exhilaration. She had gotten to see herself in a way that she rarely did: an intellectual equal to Dillon. It had given her a sense of confidence in who she was. Maybe she was wrong about how Dillon would feel about her.
She had noticed the past two days that Dillon's attitude towards her had changed. He had gone from acting like she was his sister to behaving like she was something more. Jill bit her lip nervously and hoped that she wasn't misinterpreting Dillon's reactions the past few days. She reflected on Dillon’s behavior around Lewis. He had seemed almost jealous. Jill wondered if his actions were rooted in a general distaste for Lewis's naturally flirtatious personality or if Dillon was driven by newfound romantic feelings for Jill. There was only one way to find out: she needed to tell Dillon how she felt.
Jill knew that confessing her feelings would forever change their friendship. She could either create an awkward rift between them, or she could pave the way for a lifetime spent loving each other. Jill just hoped that the change would be something beautiful. She wasn't sure if she could forgive herself if she let her feelings ruin the best friendship she’d ever been part of.
Just then, Jill caught sight of Dillon. He had his arm resting casually on the bar of the resort café. Although he was facing her direction, he was looking thoughtfully down at the drink in his hand. Jill took the opportunity to gather her nerves. Her heart raced wildly. It did not help that Dillon looked heart-stoppingly handsome. This is it, Jill thought, this is the moment that will change our friendship forever.
As she approached Dillon, she noticed a blonde woman walking confidently towards him. Jill stopped in her tracks as she realized that the newcomer was Ms. Haverfield. During the panel, the way Ms. Haverfield had spoken to both her and Dillon had set Jill's blood boiling. To Jill, the voluptuous woman had uncanny similarities to Abigail. Jill watched in frustration as she saw Dillon enthusiastically shake Ms. Haverfield's hand. It seemed more than clear to Jill that this woman was much more Dillon's type. She was an aristocratic beauty, and Jill was just the girl-next-door. Jealousy surged through her as she saw Ms. Haverfield put her hand on Dillon’s bicep.
Jill might not be Dillon's type, and she might not know if Dillon cared for her the way she cared for him, but she did know that Ms. Haverfield was definitely not the kind of woman Dillon needed in his life. Making up her mind, she decided that even if Dillon didn't recognize that he was falling for the same type of woman who had just broken his heart, Jill was going to be sure that she brought it to his attention. Walking to them briskly with her head held high. Dillon saw Jill approach first. He smiled warmly, and Jill wondered if the smile was for her or for the woman touching his arm.
"Jill," Dillon said. She noted that his voice was riddled with affection. Irritation flashed through Jill. She was sure that energy radiating from Dillon was from Ms. Haverfield's touch. She tried to stop her face from contorting into a deep frown. Ms.Haverfield turned around and nodded nonchalantly at Jill.
"Yes," Ms. Haverfield said, "the newest mind in medical research." She smiled, but to Jill, it looked more like a smirk. "You make quite an impression." She held out a delicate hand. Jill resisted the urge to smack it out of her way. The woman's very demeanor seemed to express a holier than thou attitude. "Morgan Haverfield," she added when she noticed that Jill was not taking her hand. It's a pleasure to meet you." Silence stretched between the two women as Jill looked at Morgan.
Finally, Jill shook Morgan's hand. "Oh yes," she replied trying to match the detached tone of Morgan's voice, " the pleasure is all mine. Charmed really." Jill looked pointedly at Morgan's hand that still rested on Dillon's arm. With satisfaction, Jill saw Morgan blush faintly and remove her hand. Dillon's eyes darted between Jill and Morgan. Jill could see the tale tell signs of displeasure on his face. Is he upset with me? Jill wondered. Is it because I'm nothing like Morgan?
"Well," Morgan said uncomfortably, "Dillon, you have my number. Be sure to call soon, we must talk more." With a glance at Jill, Morgan nodded her head and quickly walked away.
Jill spun at Dillon. "You have her number?"
"Of course, I have her number. Why wouldn't I?" Dillon crossed his arms over his chest. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What's gotten into you, Jill?"
Jill ignored his question. "What do you mean why wouldn't you?! Didn't you just get your heart broken by Abigail? And now you're running after someone just like her?" Jill felt like bursting into tears. She had been right, Dillon wasn't interested in her, and he never would be. Not when there were girls like Morgan and Abigail in the world. She felt childish for ever getting her hopes up.
"Jill, you're being ridiculous." Dillon's eyes flashed with frustration.
"You're being ridiculous!" Jill felt tears spring into her eyes and blinked quickly to stop them from falling. Of course, he would see nothing wrong with chasing after a beautiful, shapely blonde. "I guess I'll just take my ridiculousness back to my room." Jill turned to leave as one lone tear trickled slowly down her cheek. Suddenly, she felt Dillon's
large, strong hands grasp her shoulders gently.
He let out a slow breath. "This isn't how I expected things to go."
"Did you just expect me to pretend to be happy while you fell head over heels for someone who is just going to break your heart again?" It was too late to try and hide the fact that she was crying. She felt a tear slide down her cheek.
"Jill, what in the world are you talking about?" Dillon turned Jill around until he could see her face.
"Morgan is exactly your type. You and I both know it." Frustration overtook her as more tears fell. "You probably fell in love with her the moment she said your name yesterday. And why wouldn't you? She's the type of sophisticated woman you go for now." Jill knew she was babbling at this point, but she didn't care. She needed to get the whirlwind of emotions off of her chest. "So what now, Dillon, am I supposed to stand in the background and wait for the inevitable? I can't stand by and let someone break your heart again. You're too kind for someone like her. She doesn't deserve you. She--"
Dillon silenced Jill by placing one finger gently on her lips. "Is that what this is all about? You were jealous of Morgan?"
Jill swatted Dillon's finger away. She hated that she could still feel the shadow of his touch on her mouth. "I am not jealous, and I was not rude."
Shock filled Jill as Dillon pulled her into a crushing hug. She felt a chuckle bubble from the depth of his chest. " Yes, you were." Jill braced both hands on Dillon's broad chest and prepared to push him away. How dare he laugh at her. As she looked up into his eyes a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, she saw a look that quieted her fury. It was a look of sheer love. "I'm not interested in Morgan."
"But she gave you her number?"
"Jill," Dillon said softly as he moved his right hand from her shoulder to the side of her face. He slowly wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "Have you ever heard of Russell Haverfield?"
"The investor?" Jill asked. Dillon nodded his head.
"Morgan is his daughter. They work together to fund new scientific research. I'm not interested in her romantically and she's not interested in me. She's interested in my research." Dillon smiled. "The woman who has stolen my heart," Dillon leaned closer to Jill. He put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him until their noses were almost touching. "Is you." Jill was unaware that her hands were moving up Dillon's chest to wrap around his neck.
"Wait, what did you say?” Jill blinked. She needed to hear Dillon say it one more time to know she had not imagined it.
“I said, the only woman I want is you, Jill.”
Jill closed her eyes and delicately touched Dillon's lips with her own. Her stomach knotted, and butterflies swam through her as Dillon's lips met hers. Their first kiss was gentle and sweet, but Jill could feel the underlying passion that lingered behind Dillon's tender exploration. When Dillon pulled away to gaze into her eyes, she was left with a hunger for more of him. Dillon had awoken a need in her that she had not expected. If this was what it meant to love your best friend, Jill knew that there was no going back after this. As much as their first kiss thrilled her, it also left her worried that she may have just lost her best friend.
Chapter 6
"You kissed!" Lilly bounced excitedly on Jill's bed. As soon as Dillon and Jill had landed earlier that day, Jill had felt the urgent need to talk to her sister. She needed to process everything that had happened. "So," Lilly asked, "what happened next?"
"That's just it, nothing." Jill ducked into her closet as she put away her shoes.
"I don't believe you," Lilly's confusion made her voice rise. Jill cringed. She had thought Lilly would react like this. Jill was embarrassed that she had reacted the way she had, but she knew that it was fear that had made her so hesitant.
"I mean it. We kissed, and then I got so flustered that I walked away. I stayed in my room until it was time for us to leave." Jill stepped out of the closet and saw that her sister was laying down on her bed and staring at her ceiling fan in disbelief .
"But you took his plane to the conference. How could nothing else happen?" Lilly sat up in bed and watched Jill. "You had a whole jet ride together!"
"I," Jill looked down guiltily. She knew that if she did not confess what she had done, then she might never tell anyone. "I pretended to be asleep the entire ride." Jill felt shame wash through her. She knew it was a coward’s move, but she had just been so nervous that she or Dillon had gotten caught up in the moment when they’d kissed. While she had been alone in her room, she had thought about what it would mean to pursue a romantic relationship with Dillon. It was true that she could gain a beautiful romance with her best friend, but she could also lose her best friend if their relationship ended. Jill wasn't sure if she was ready to risk their friendship for just a hint of romance.
"Jill! Why in the world would you do that?" Lilly shook her head, completely confused. Jill wasn't surprised about her sister’s reaction. Jill's feelings confused her, too. "You just told me how much you care about him.” Lilly continued in exasperation. “Why would you take such desperate measures to avoid talking about your feelings?"
"What if my feelings are just that. Feelings. Feelings come and go like the wind," Jill hastily pulled her hair into a messy bun. She was beyond frustrated with herself. Since when was she a coward? What she needed now was the courage to take a blind leap into the unknown. No, she thought to herself, I will not risk everything Dillon and I have for a simple infatuation at best.
"But what if your feelings are more than that!" Lilly slammed her hands on Jill's bed as if she had read Jill’s mind. "What if your feelings are love." Jill blanched at the thought. Love? If she loved Dillon, it could be a beautiful and possibly heartbreaking thing. Especially if he did not love her back.
"It could ruin our friendship. What if it was just the heat of the moment kind of thing, Lilly?" Jill said. As Lilly opened her mouth to speak Jill heard her doorbell chime. She had no idea who would be at her door right now, but whoever it was had impeccable timing. "Just ignore them." The doorbell chimed again. "They'll go away eventually."
Lilly looked at her sister before rolling her eyes, "What if you don't want them to go away? It could be Dillon." Jill's eyes widened at the thought. "There's no way he would come to the house. Not after the way I ran away like such a fool."
"Well, if you won't find out, then I will." Lilly raced away to Jill's front door.
"Lilly no--" Jill insisted, but before she could finish her sentence, she saw Dillon standing in her doorway with a dozen of her favorite red carnations.
"Hi," Dillon said nervously. Before the conference, Dillon would have walked confidently into her home without a second thought. When they were in college, Jill had even given him a spare key to her apartment so he could have a place to escape to when he came back into town. She couldn't count how many times she had returned home to find him napping comfortably on her sofa. But now, he stood respectfully on her welcome mat. See, she chided herself, this is what happens when you let your feelings get the best of you. Their friendship was already changing, whether she was ready for it or not.
"Dillon," Lilly said in a singsong voice. Jill shot Lilly a glare. Of course, her twin would choose now to meddle in her life. Dillon's eyes never left Jill's as he waved to Lilly.
"I came to ask you to dinner." Dillon offered the flowers to Jill. Gingerly she accepted them, careful not to let her fingers accidentally brush his. She still remembered how his touch had sent waves of electricity flooding through her. Her stomach flipped as she remembered their kiss. "If you'll go with me," Dillon added. "I figure that we have a lot we need to talk about."
"I don't know, I'm still exhausted from the convention," Jill lied.
"Jill," Dillon pleaded. Jill could see the desperate longing in Dillon's eyes. She really did want to talk about everything with him. He deserved to know how afraid she was of losing him, and she deserved to know if his feelings for her were as confusing as hers.
"Okay," J
ill finally conceded. She noticed that Lilly was beaming happily beside the front door. Lilly rushed to the hall closet and grabbed Jill's purse. She thrust it quickly into Jill's hands and then lightly pushed Jill towards Dillon.
"Here, Dillon," Lilly said with a grin that reached from ear to ear, "take her before she changes her mind!" Jill stumbled towards Dillon, who quickly steadied her. A blush took over her face as the sensation of Dillon's hand holding hers firmly sent her stomach into summersaults. When the two walked over to Dillon's car, Jill thought she heard her sister say something close to “I always knew they would end up together.”
Chapter 7
"Where we going?" Jill asked Dillon. She gazed out of the window feeling flushed and slightly embarrassed. She was unsure of how she was going to make it through her first real date with Dillon without blushing the entire time. Would she be able to be comfortable with Dillon the way she had been before their kiss?
"I thought we could have a nice dinner on my yacht."
"But," Jill looked down at her clothes. Her outfit was simple: jeans and a plain T-shirt. "I'm not dressed for something so lovely."
"Don't worry about it," Dillon said with a gleam in his eyes, "I've taken care of everything."
Jill turned and stared dumbfounded at Dillon. She knew that he could be generous, but she hadn’t realized he had such a romantic side. No one had ever treated her this way before. As they pulled up to the docks, Jill gulped at the sight of Dillon's yacht. It was the most extraordinarily elegant ship she had ever seen. Its sizeable white surface glittered like a polished pearl on the water's murky blue surface.
"Do you like it?" Dillon asked.
"It's," Jill struggled to find words to express just how impressed she was. There was no way that she could be sophisticated enough to date a billionaire.
"I got it to host parties on. You know how much you have to network to get funding," he said with a quick shrug. He then stepped out of the car and hastily ran to Jill's door. He opened it for her with a slight bow before saying, "after you."