Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3

by Laura Burton

  “How about we order food in and have a movie marathon?” she suggested. Thatcher pointed at her and clicked his tongue.

  “Now that sounds like a plan.”

  Josie and Thatcher had just descended into a full-blown argument over which movie to start with first when Holly’s phone rang from her bedroom. She dashed to it and answered the call.

  “Hello? Am I speaking with Holly Barratt?”

  Holly gulped at the woman’s voice, recognizing it immediately.

  “Yes,” she said, in a high-pitched tone.

  “It’s Emily Stewart. From Find My Companion. Are you available to come to my office today? We need to talk.”

  Holly did not like the sound of that.

  Chapter Eleven

  Emily Stewart sat behind a large white desk, poised and perfectly still as Holly entered the office. Behind Emily was a wall of windows overlooking the city. She looked powerful. Confident. And her eyes were laser-focused on Holly.

  “Thank you for coming in,” she said, like a head teacher addressing a badly-behaved student.

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Holly replied, taking a seat.

  There was a heavy silence and Holly fiddled with the stitching on her purse as she rolled her ankles and waited. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Emily spoke.

  “Well?”

  Holly fidgeted in her seat.

  “Sorry? I don’t know what––”

  “How did your date with William Harrington go?” Emily threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. Holly gave a nervous laugh and played with her hair.

  Oh. I’m not in trouble.

  “He’s wonderful. I think we get on really well and I’d love to get to know him more. That’s for sure.”

  Emily nodded along and hummed. Then she scribbled on her notepad and set her pen down with a thump.

  “Well, in that case. You’ll be happy to know William only had positive things to say about you.”

  Holly could not hide the joy welling in her chest, it burst out in the form of a giant grin taking over her whole face. Emily’s eyes sparkled as she studied Holly.

  “Now, don’t get your hopes up too much. This is an unusual case,” she continued, turning serious again. “Firstly, you’re all wrong from William. I never let two people meet if they score below sixty-five percent. And you’re now part of the reality show Billionaire Bachelors.”

  “I’m so sorry about that. I really had no idea––” Holly began, but Emily waved a hand and tutted.

  “I know, I know. It is what it is,” she said, shaking her head. “But the producers want this process streamlined. For the show, you see. If I was in charge, I would recommend several more dates before William had to make a choice.” Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. “But they want this tied up tonight. So, we’re having a party downstairs. Come in your very best gown and bring your A-game. Because William is choosing his girlfriend… tonight.”

  Holly gasped. So soon? They had barely had any time together.

  “For what it’s worth, Estelle is going to be there. And I’m sure you’ve heard of her,” Emily said, her eyes glinting. She interlocked her fingers and rested her chin on her hands. Holly couldn’t breathe for excitement. Maybe she’d finally meet Estelle. As a model, and not a server this time.

  “Why is Estelle coming to the party?” Holly asked. Emily looked at her incredulously before she threw her head back and laughed.

  “You’re not serious?” she said between breaths. “Where there are cameras, you’ll find Estelle. And besides… she wants to make sure her son chooses the right woman, obviously.”

  Holly pressed her lips together and stared at Emily, stunned.

  “Son?”

  Emily stopped laughing.

  “Good grief. Didn’t you know? Estelle Harrington… is William’s mother.”

  Holly blinked several times, her head spinning and stars flying across her mind’s eye. She had no idea Estelle’s second name was Harrington.

  “Oh, right,” she said faintly. Emily laughed again, snapping Holly out of her daze.

  “You really didn’t know? Wow. And here I was thinking you were playing him to get close to Estelle.” Emily clapped. “So, you really do like this guy. Just for being him? How interesting.”

  Holly frowned, offended that Emily had made the assumption that she was playing a game to get up the career ladder.

  “Do you know what? I’m going to help you. My best friend is a seamstress. She designs the most exquisite dresses.” Emily picked up her phone and eyed Holly with a slow nod. “When I’m done with you, Estelle will be asking me to introduce you to her.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Holly couldn’t breathe. This time it was because Emily had her wearing a dress with a built-in corset. The navy-blue organza twisted around Holly’s curves in a way that cascaded down her body like a waterfall. Embroidered lace draped over her shoulders and hundreds of diamantes lined the hem.

  The production team had their stylists work on Holly’s hair and make-up. They pinned her long blonde hair into a loose knot on the back of her head, and sculpted her face with makeup that was surprisingly natural-looking.

  It had been a long day, and Holly did not have a moment to look at her phone, let alone talk to Thatcher about the party. Physically, she was more than ready to make her grand appearance. But mentally, she was underprepared.

  Without a pep talk from her best friends, she didn’t know what to do.

  “Good luck tonight. You look breath-taking,” Emily said, beaming with pride as she surveyed her. Holly gave her a weak smile in return.

  “Thank you for this. You’re like my fairy godmother,” she said with a giggle. Emily looked at her with horror.

  “Let’s say sister. I’m not old enough to be your godmother,” she corrected, prompting Holly to chuckle again. She had not expected Emily to take her words so literally.

  “Now, you go out there, and you show the world what you’re made of!”

  Holly walked into an empty reception area and looked back at Emily who followed.

  “Oh yeah. The party started twenty minutes ago,” she said with a cheeky grin. Holly gawped at her, but Emily stared back affronted.

  “What? You’ve never heard of being fashionably late?”

  She smoothed out her black dress and sighed.

  “Right. I’m going in. Count to one hundred and come in after me.”

  Holly watched Emily strut to the double doors and disappear behind them. The upbeat music faded as the doors swung shut and Holly’s heart thumped against her ribcage.

  “Act cool. This is it. William is going to see you and he’s going to fold to his knees,” Holly whispered to herself. Her palms were sweaty, and she could already feel her face growing clammy.

  William’s mother was Estelle. The fact sent her mind in a spin. Now that she knew, she didn’t know how to act. An ugly thought sat in the pit of her stomach: what if the producers want to stir up a scandal? Was she being set up to look like the career-driven model using William to get to mommy?

  “Hey––wow! You look incredible.”

  Holly jumped and realized she had been standing still lost in her own head. William stood next to her in a dark suit with his hair gelled to the side. The plume of his sandalwood cologne was intoxicating.

  “I didn’t think you were going to come,” he continued, dipping his head and looking at her through his lashes.

  “Well, I’m here,” Holly said, spreading her arms. William’s smile broadened.

  “Yes, you are.”

  Holly blinked at him in thought. Should she tell him she knew about his mom? Or would that open up more questions?

  “Well, we better go in separately. Don’t want to look too biased.” William walked to the double doors but paused as he grabbed a handle.

  “You take my breath away, you know that?” he said, turning back to her.

  Holly’s spirits lifted even more.

  “So d
oes this corset,” she blurted. Then she laughed softly at the puzzled look on William’s face. “That came out wrong. It takes my breath away.”

  William gave her an amused look before opening the door and disappearing inside.

  Holly tried to take a deep breath, but the dress was too constricted. Instead she pursed her lips and exhaled slowly. Then, she picked up her skirt and walked to the doors.

  It’s show time.

  “And here comes Holly Barratt, who has finally decided to make an appearance,” a man stood with a headset beside the doors and gestured for the camera crew to come over.

  “How are you feeling, Holly? Tonight’s the big night. How confident are you that William will choose you?”

  Holly blinked into the bright lights and tried to act professional. The room was full of people and a sea of faces had turned in her direction.

  “Uh-sure. I’m excited, I guess,” she said, blinded by light.

  Someone moved the spotlight away and Holly allowed her eyes to adjust. She scanned the room, looking for Thatcher. She found him in the far corner, taking shots of the other billionaire bachelors. But William was nowhere to be seen.

  “Oh snap. This is a twist, that’s for sure,” said one of the camera crew. A wave of exclamations washed over the room and Holly looked around to find out what was causing all the commotion.

  “Well it looks like one of our billionaires has made his choice,” another cameraman said.

  “Quick. Focus on Holly so we get a reaction shot.”

  Bewildered and overwhelmed with the crowd of people and cameramen, Holly made a beeline for Thatcher. She had only made it halfway across the room when the crowd parted and she caught sight of William locked in a passionate embrace with ninety-four percent woman. They were kissing with so much passion it made Holly nauseous.

  She looked away and took in the amused faces of the people around her. The cameramen were grinning like Cheshire Cats, and just like that, Holly was transported back to prom night.

  Holly kept her head held high and made for the door without so much as a sniff. For the first time in her life, she glided across the room without tripping up and was able to keep her dignity intact as she fled the party.

  She held it together during the taxi ride, and even as she scaled the stairs to her apartment. Only when Josie’s worried face appeared behind the front door did the emotions come flooding out. She threw her arms around her roommate and sobbed into her shoulder.

  “It was a nightmare Josie. It was prom night all over again.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Holly, it’s Thatcher. Let me in.”

  It was the next morning, and after crying too much and consuming copious amounts of ice-cream, Holly had collapsed into her bed with a sugar coma. She moaned into her pillows against the ache in her head, then dragged herself out of her nest. Once she unlocked the door, she trudged back to bed.

  “So, are we going to talk about last night?” Thatcher asked gently, walking over. Holly buried her face in her pillow and shut her eyes. The problem was, she couldn’t close her mind’s eye. And all it could see was William kissing another woman.

  “Come on, it’s not as bad as you think,” Thatcher said. Holly sat up and stared at him with shock.

  “You’re not serious,” she said. “You were there, right? You saw what happened. I thought you of all people would understand why I’m devastated.”

  Thatcher scratched his cheek and shrugged.

  “Ah, but you did your typical move.”

  Holly frowned at him.

  “What?”

  “You just took off. That’s what you do, isn’t it? Run away when things get tough.”

  Holly considered throwing a pillow at his head just as Josie walked into the room. She froze with the pillow in her hands, primed to collide with Thatcher’s head.

  “Hear him out, Holly. Thatcher has news,” Josie said.

  News? Curiosity got the better of Holly, so she placed the pillow back on the bed. The move seemed to satisfy Thatcher; he cleared his throat as Josie joined them on the bed.

  “When you left, everything went crazy. Emily demanded an emergency meeting with the producers, and they disappeared into a room for hours. Meanwhile, the guests got more and more drunk and things got out of hand.”

  Thatcher stopped and looked at Holly, as if hoping for a reaction, but she remained frozen, slowly taking in the information.

  “I was talking to the camera guys and none of us knew what to do. William and Estelle had a full-blown argument in front of everyone, and then they both left. I didn’t even see the girl he had been kissing. It’s like she just vanished.”

  Holly shot Thatcher a suspicious look.

  “Did you know Estelle is William’s mom?”

  Thatcher frowned.

  “No. But… that suddenly makes a lot of sense.”

  He shook his head, and sighed. “Anyway,” he continued, clasping his hands. “Emily came out and told everyone to go home. Rumor has it, they’ve cancelled the show.”

  Holly’s heart leapt. At least her humiliation would not be broadcasted to the world.

  “So, just like that, it’s over?” she asked. Thatcher shrugged.

  “That’s show business for you. These things happen all the time.”

  “Tell her the news, Thatcher!” Josie urged, nudging Thatcher’s arm. Holly crossed her legs and rubbed the back of her neck.

  “There’s more?” she asked. Her mind was already reeling.

  Thatcher nodded excitedly.

  “I’ve been speaking with Estelle about Paris. How would you like to take part in Fashion Week?”

  Holly jumped up to her feet, and the sudden movement nearly sent Josie flying off the bed.

  “What?!”

  Thatcher chuckled. Josie got up too and grabbed Holly’s hands.

  “Let’s all go to Paris together! It’ll be an adventure.”

  Holly couldn’t stop herself from squealing as the three of them bounced on the bed together.

  “We’re going to Paris!” Holly shouted to the ceiling. Then the three of them laughed.

  Paris would be a great move, Holly thought. She’d get away from the embarrassment, forget about William and wipe the slate clean. And she wouldn’t be left behind.

  She only needed to make sure she didn’t fall flat on her face on the catwalk.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Fashion Week arrived, and Holly was ready. With the help of her friends, she had performed several hundred catwalks along the cobbled path outside their maisonette. She figured if she could keep upright on cobbled stones, a smooth stage would be a piece of cake.

  Paris was beautiful. The air was cleaner, and there was a constant aroma of good food.

  Even though Holly had no idea what everyone was saying, she couldn’t help but walk around the streets of Paris soaking up all of its culture. The babble of talk and string music was a symphony she would never tire of.

  She was on top of the world, and William could not have been further from her mind.

  At least, that was what she told Josie and Thatcher. To them, he was nothing but a guy she went out with a couple of times. But when the lights were out and she was in her narrow bed, covered in scratchy blankets, the only thing to occupy her mind was William. He invaded her dreams. The echo of his laugh haunted her mind whenever she did something funny, and her hands felt empty without William to hold.

  It was nonsensical to think about this guy. They had spent so little time together. There was still so much about him that was a mystery. And yet, something about him felt so familiar. Like they had known each other for a lifetime but had their memories wiped. Knowing that his mother was a world class fashion icon made her understand why he didn’t date models. Maybe Holly really was all wrong for him. She tried to convince herself it was all for the best, but as she waited backstage to go out on her very first catwalk, William’s face flooded her mind.

  “Time to go.” One of the
staff gave her a little push. Holly took a breath, put on a blank face, and walked out onto the catwalk.

  Don’t fall. Don’t fall. Don’t fall. Don’t fall.

  The lights were dazzling, and Holly’s eyes began to water as she stubbornly resisted the urge to look down. All eyes were on her, and the music thumped so loudly she wondered if her eardrums were going to burst. Her heart picked up on the rhythm and followed the beat. Every cell in her body was trembling. She had never felt so exhilarated, so empowered. Yet, there was a small part of her that wanted to run away. She ignored the voice in her head telling her she was going to mess this up, and she walked the whole show without so much as rolling an ankle.

  On the last walk, she returned to the back of the stage and almost screamed at the sight of the last person she expected to see.

  It was William Harrington, flashing his pearly whites and carrying a huge bunch of red roses.

  “You’re here?” she blurted. Her knees grew weak, threatening to buckle. She grabbed the partition wall to keep her balance and kicked her shoes off. “Why are you here?” she said as she joined William. The other models continued to undress and change without batting an eyelid at William. He appeared unfazed by all of the half-naked bodies. His eyes were focused on Holly.

  “I needed to see you,” he said, finally. He handed her the flowers. “There’s been a huge misunderstanding, and I’m very sorry about that.”

  Like a bullet to the heart, Holly remembered what had happened at the party. She looked down.

  “It’s okay. It is what it is,” she said, shrugging. “The show wanted drama, and I was never supposed to be in it anyway. I guess you just wanted to put on a good show, setting me up like that.”

  William put a finger under Holly’s chin and tipped her head back. She bit her lip, looked into his sky blue eyes and lost herself in them.

  “That’s not what happened,” he said firmly. “Cindy kissed me. Out of nowhere. I pushed her away and I saw you running away.”

  “I wasn’t running,” Holly said defensively. “There wasn’t a reason for me to stay.”