Her Forbidden Billionaire

His words, on the other hand, had prompted her to think out of the box. She stood silent for a while, to have some time to take it all in. Right then, it seemed to Raina as if his guard had suddenly fallen and he now sounded like a desperate child who didn’t have anyone left beside a distant relative from his father’s relationship with the new girlfriend aka her mother. She was sorry for him. Such a successful billionaire had no one to celebrate the best holidays of the year with. And speaking of that, her case was exactly the same.

“You know what?” She began and heard him take in a deep breath. “I have definitely a spot in the apartment for you, Dean. I am so pleased that you called.”

“Wow! That is awesome. You rock, Raina. I really hope that I don’t interfere and break your plans.” There was sincere happiness in his voice at which Raina smiled with pleasure.

“No, no, don’t worry. I am sure we are going to have a great holiday. When are you coming?” She asked, her mind still struggling to take it all in.

“I still have some unfinished business to settle and I will tell you when I am coming. We can meet up for dinner. To get to know each other better and catch up with everything.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Raina said absent-mindedly. Pictures of the upcoming awkward Christmas were forming before her eyes.

They talked some more and when she was about to hang up she noticed that they’d been talking for half an hour. Finally pressing the red button, she sighed. Frantically she looked around her apartment. Bare walls. No decorations. No Christmas tree. No holiday, merry music. No holiday meals. No cheerful atmosphere. Zero. Nothing.

Panic struck her. What was she going to do? He could call her any minute and there she was promising him a lovely Christmas time and telling him that she had huge plans for the holidays when in reality the image looked a lot different. The Christmas shopping was in full swing and crowds that wanted to buy everything at the last minute occupied the stores. She was never going to do it all on her own. Luckily, she had a shoulder to rely on and a person to tell everything to.

Her fingers, chaotically running across the cell’s surface she found the contacts list and clicked the familiar name.

“Veronica, sis, I need your help, please. I am desperate!” She cried into the speaker.

“Calm down. What has happened? I left you safe and sound an hour or two ago!” Veronica’s distressed voice was more than evident.

“Dean called. Dean Franklin.”

“Do I know this guy? You never spoke about him!”

“Long story. He’s actually my stepfather’s son and he has no family to spend Christmas with, so he found me. The closest thing to family, I guess.” Raina briefly summed up her unexpected situation.

Veronica loudly let out a heavy breath when she heard her best friend’s story. “Well, that is terrific news, sis. You won’t be alone and you will have someone when everyone is with family and friends. I don’t understand why you are panicking.”

“I am totally out of the Christmas spirit. That’s the problem. You have to help me buy everything that is essential for the holidays.”

“Do you at least have a Christmas tree?”

“No. I am out, I told you.”

“Hold on a second! Put something on and meet me across the street. We are going Christmas shopping,” Veronica said with a grin glued on her face.

Raina concluded that her friend was right and put on her warmest clothes for roaming across the streets. On her way down, she picked up the cell phone and the keys and stormed out into a hurricane of chaos and excitement. No matter what age you are, Christmas shopping always lifted you up.

They met on the sidewalk, pecked on the cheek and agreed to catch the first cab and then decide where to start.

“Remind me why I didn’t take my driving license. We would be driving in my car now,” Raina said sadly, waving for a cab.

“It’s totally fine by me. Come on now! Less whining and more working.” Veronica successfully stopped a cabbie and entered.

“Don’t you think that the mall would be the best idea?” Raina suggested, following suit.

“No, everyone will be there and we will get stuck in the crowds. I know some other stores that offer great stuff and at reasonable prices as well…” Veronica said and turned to the cabbie. “Mister, drive forward and then turn left.”

He nodded, leaving the two girl jabbering for a while longer.

“I hope we don’t get stuck in the crowds.” Raina played with her nails – a sign of the nervousness wandering in her body.

“Oh, make no mistake. We picked the last day to shop for Christmas. Everyone is out and we are bound to be stuck.” Veronica laughed, obviously enjoying her time with Raina.

The cabbie probably got bored of the girls’ babbling, so he turned up the volume of the radio a bit. It was Frank Sinatra’s version of Jingle Bells. The second Raina’s ears detected the familiar, joyful melody, she started humming the song and singing the lyrics. Veronica chimed in, giggling and hitting Raina playfully in the upper arm. With each line, their voices increased and now even the cabbie was singing along; the three of them were fueled by the perfect Christmas enthusiasm.

Raina didn’t notice when the car stopped and almost simultaneously the song ended as well and another Christmas anthem began. She tipped the guy, wished him a merry Christmas and was out onto the hectic sidewalk. Veronica was right beside her, adjusting her violet hat over her hair.

Veronica cleared her throat before speaking. “Here we are.”

“I think we should go systematically,” Raina turned to her, grabbing her hands in hers.

“What do you mean?”

“I will get the Christmas tree and the decorations while you shop for food, Christmas CDs, movies, songs, anything and everything. We need to have a Christmas spirit in the house,” Raina said.

“Got it! It seems this Dean Franklin has a rather positive effect on you, hmm?” Veronica teased her, showing Raina her teeth-revealing smile.