"What! Tell me you are joking".
Jessie snapped.
"Well, I am not! You are not supposed to be here in the first place. I told you everything's fine and that I will visit tonight".
Beauty snapped back.
"Oh really? You expect me to ignore everything and go to work because you said it's fine, what if you were kidnapped and forced to say that? I had a thousand ideas in my head, I had to make sure you are okay!"
"Well, I am not kidnapped...".
Beauty paused abruptly," wait, I sent you the message too?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes, you did!"
Jessie showed Beauty, her message inbox then slowly raised an eyebrow.
"Too? Who else did you message?"
Beauty sighed as she sat down on the couch, Jessie flopping down beside her with a look of eager anticipation.
She could feel Jessie's eyes on her, waiting impatiently for an explanation.
She ran her fingers through her hair, still feeling flustered from everything that had just happened.
"Okay, fine," Beauty started, knowing she couldn't avoid it any longer. "I'll tell you everything."
Jessie leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Well, spill it!"
Beauty took a deep breath.
"So... I texted Sir Bruno last night..."
Jessie gasped loudly.
"Because his phone contact was next to yours, and I was having double vision due to the fever, it wasn't intentional".
Beauty explained immediately knowing how wired Jessie's brain is to make up a fake scenery.
"So he came over in the middle of the night?"
Jessie asked.
Beauty nodded.
"So he slept in this house? Your house alone with you?"
Beauty covered her face with a hand in embarrassment and nodded slowly.
"Oh my goodness!"
Jessie snapped and took a sip of her wine.
"Go on, I am ready to hear it all".
She crossed her legs and gave Beauty a mischievous eyebrow dance.
"He took care of me, I wasn't aware of anything. I slept like a baby and woke up in a new ..."
She paused, having a second thought about telling Jesse that he changed her clothes.
"In a new what?"
Jessie cried, starving of information.
"A new bedsheet".
Beauty replied instead of cloth, unknowingly that came out like way worse than the other.
"He had to change the sheets, did he ...spill his milk on them, did you squirt?"
Beauty slapped her forehead.
"Jessie! I was sick, do you think he is that type of man to take advantage and make love to me in my condition!"
"Well, maybe it's the cure you need, you've been celibate for years now, perhaps it's not fever but sexual starvation".
Jessie shrugged, sipping her wine.
"Oh wow, thanks for the information, doctor gynecologist Jessie!"
Beauty replied sarcastically with a dramatic eye roll.
"So as I was saying he made me breakfast..."
Jessie cleared her throat intentionally at the mention of breakfast.
Beauty, however, ignored her and continued.
"The breakfast was great and things got... weird."
"Weird how?"
Jessie interrupted, her curiosity now fully piqued.
Beauty hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words.
"He said something. Something that really caught me off guard. He told me that last night made him realize how much he cares about me, and that he doesn't want to see me sick again. He said it was scary for him."
Jessie's eyes widened.
"Hold up. Bruno said that? Mr.... Serious-and-Unemotional-Bruno actually admitted he cares about you?"
"Bruno is not unemotional and not overly serious".
Beauty defended.
"Yeah yeah, I am sure he always shows his soft side to you that's why you can say it like that".
Jessie replied.
"Bruno is sweet to everyone, what are you saying? He is kind and not bossy at all".
"Yeah, he is quiet, kind and not bossy, but can be serious with business and unemotional, always having an expressionless look on his face. Let's get back to the main thing, so what happened next?"
Beauty continued.
"It got even more intense when he knelt beside me, and he touched my cheek." Beauty's voice lowered as she replayed the moment in her head. "I thought he was going to kiss me, Jessie. His face was so close... but then he pulled away."
Jessie gasped, her mouth dropping open.
"He didn't kiss you?!"
"No."
Beauty shook her head, feeling the disappointment flood back.
"He brushed off a stray hair strand and just stepped back like nothing happened."
Jessie sat back, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Wow!"
"I am delusional, right?" Beauty laughed softly, though her heart still ached with confusion.
"No, you are not, I think Bruno likes you".
"Maybe," Beauty said, biting her lip. "But what if I'm just imagining things? What if I'm reading too much into it? He's Bruno, after all. I mean, why would he want to kiss me, it was just the hair, being a gentleman he ..."
"Oh, please shut up Beauty".
Jessie snapped, interrupting her.
She rolled her eyes. "Girl, please. The man just told you he feared losing you and touched your cheek like he wanted to kiss you. That's not nothing. A man left everything and came to attend to you in the middle of the night! And you say he is not into you?"
Beauty sighed, still feeling confused.
"You really think so?"
"Yes, we will talk about that later, so what happened next?"
"And then, to make things even crazier, after breakfast, I went to wake him up because he fell asleep beside my bed. I... I almost kissed him."
"What?!" Jessie shrieked, grabbing Beauty's arm in excitement. "You what?"
"I don't know what came over me!" Beauty admitted, her face flushing with embarrassment. "He was asleep, and he was just so perfect. I reached out and touched his lips... and before I knew it, I was leaning in to kiss him. But then he woke up, and I freaked out and ran out of the room."
Jessie was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Oh my God, you almost kissed him! And he woke up?!"
"Yeah," Beauty said, cringing. "I panicked and ran away. I didn't know what else to do. I feel so embarrassed! But thankfully he was sleepy and doze off again, he didn't mention it, so I guess my secret was safe"
Jessie burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"Oh my goodness, I can imagine the scene!"
"It's not funny!" Beauty groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I don't even know what to think anymore. One minute I'm convinced he feels something for me, and the next, I think I'm just imagining it all."
Jessie patted her on the back, still chuckling.
"Girl, trust me, he's into you. Guys like Bruno don't say stuff like that unless they mean it. He's just awkward and probably doesn't know how to make the first move. Maybe you'll have to help him out."
Beauty raised an eyebrow, unsure of how she felt about that statement.
"Help him out? He is Bruno...if he likes me, he will boldly get me".
"Yeah, that's what we all thought, but I think Bruno is not really that type".
Beauty thought about what Jessie said.
"I think you are right...he told me something about not knowing how to talk to women, I thought he was bluffing because he communicates very boldly with his female celebrities and during meetings".
"Well, maybe that's why we never heard about his past girlfriends, he is a simple guy so he doesn't like the spotlight".
Beauty arched her brows in determination.
"Jessie I am ready to help him out, I can't continue like this, I want to know whether he is really into me or not".
Jessie smirked.
"That's the spirit! Now first we will call him and tell him about the reunion then take that chance and seduce him".
"Se--seduce?"