"Billy?" Phyllis didn't even look up as she heard the sound of the office door opening. "Do you have those marketing proposals for me to look over?"
"No. I don't. I haven't really been able to concentrate for some reason."
She huffed in frustration. "Did you miss the part of the e-mail where I said this was time sensitive?" She slammed the file down on her desk and finally looked up at him. "I need to be able to count on you, Billy! Even if you and Jack and Kyle think I'm the wrong person to be running this company right now, your attempts to sabotage me are only going to hurt Jabot in the long run. Is that what you want?"
"Do you honestly think that's what this is about? You think I flaked out on the marketing proposals on purpose? You think this is all some sort of orchestrated plan to make you look bad? Like I'm trying to send you some kind of message or making some kind of point? It's not about that. I just couldn't sit there and think about budgets and advertising tactics and demographics while you were God knows where bound and determined to ruin your life."
She could feel the dread wash over her again. Somehow she'd hoped this conversation wouldn't happen again. She'd hoped that Billy would have given up and moved on, that he would have written her off just as he'd vowed to do multiple times before.
"I thought we'd already been over this. There's nothing more to talk about really. What I do in my personal life is my business and I really don't understand why you're spending your time concerning yourself with it. You have no hold on me, just as I have no hold on you."
"Because Phyllis …" He searched his mind for the words that might finally get through to her. "It isn't like you just went out and met some rando. This isn't Troy. This isn't some guy you met at a bar. This isn't a business associate. This is Joe Clark. He ruined your sister's life and now you're telling me that you're ready and willing to marry him, that you've decided this is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
"You just said it … My life. It's my life, Billy and I'll do whatever I want to do with whoever I want. I'm not sitting here trying to tell you what to do and who to do it with, am I?"
"I'm not even in remotely the same situation. Victoria and Joe Clark are nothing alike. I just … I don't get this. Joe Clark is … he's …."
"He's nothing like you."
"Okay." Billy nodded. "So that's it? Is that the point of this whole thing? You're choosing Joe because he's something different? Because he's not like me? Because you don't think he'll hurt you the way I did because I've got news for you, Joe Clark will hurt you in ways that …"
"Why can't you wrap your brain around this, Billy? You have nothing to do with this! You did not figure into this decision at all! Joe Clark is ambitious. He's intelligent. He's charming. He's funny. He's strong and he's absolutely gorgeous. And more importantly than any of that, he wants me – all of me, exactly the way that I am. He doesn't tell me to tone it down. He doesn't warn me away from people or choices I want to make. He trusts my instincts. He believes in me."
"And I didn't? Is that what you're implying?"
"I'm not implying anything. I'm not talking about you or us. I'm talking about Joe and the relationship I have with him even though I have no idea why I'm talking about him with you at all."
"But the fact is you are. You're talking to me because you know this doesn't make sense. You know this is all happening way too fast and somewhere inside yourself you know that I'm right."
"All I know is that you're like a dog with a bone and that talking to you about this is the only way I have any hope of getting you out of here."
"So talk, or better yet, tell me the truth." He let his voice soften as he walked around the desk and stood next to her. "You can trust me, Phyllis. Just tell me the truth. Tell me what's going on."
She stood up and rushed past him. "I tried trusting you once before and that didn't work out so well for me, did it?"
His eyes closed as he felt her body brush past him. "I know. I know I made mistakes, but I wasn't the only one. We both share responsibility for what and …" He stopped when he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. "Phyllis, please … I'm not here to make things worse. I didn't come here to upset you. I came here to help. I just want to help."
"If you want to help me, Billy, just leave me alone. I mean it. Just get out of here and leave me alone." She was desperate now. Billy knew her better than almost anyone and it was as if he could somehow see into her soul. The smallest bit of doubt in her resolve would be impossible to lie her way out of.
"Phyllis. If you'll just …"
Her hand wrapped tightly around his arm and pulled him closer towards the door. "I can't deal with this, Billy. I mean it. I can't. I've made my choice and you're just going to have to accept it. I'm marrying Joe. You don't have to like it, but you do have to get out of my office and let me live my life."
"Phyllis. Phyllis. Don't, please …"
"What the hell is going on here?!" Joe stood in the doorway, his imposing body blocking their movement, his eyes fixed on Billy's angry face. "Why am I not surprised to find you here again? Upsetting her again? You know, you spend an awful lot of time warning her away from me and yet you seem to be the only one that's really causing her any real distress."
"Joe, please." Phyllis opened her mouth to protest when Billy interrupted.
"It's alright." Billy looked back at her.
"Actually, I think it might be a good idea for me to have a few words with Mr. Clark. Do you mind if we use your office?"
"I don't think that's such a …" She stared at Joe's already annoyed face and tried to imagine the potential brawl that could develop.
"It's a great idea," Joe said succinctly. "I have some things I'd like to get straight with Billy myself." He leaned in closer to her and planted a kiss on her lips. "If you'd be so kind as to excuse us for a moment, darling."
"Joe, I don't …"
"It'll be fine, honey. Don't worry. I'm sure Billy and I can reach an understanding. Just give us a few minutes." The look in his eyes told her it wasn't an option and she slowly moved towards the door.
"Alright, she's gone." It was Billy that spoke first at the sound of the door closing. "You want to drop the act now? Tell me what you're really doing here?"
"I don't need to tell you anything, but I will tell you this. I'm not here to prove a damn thing to you and I don't plan to." He took a step closer to Billy and looked directly into his eyes. "Phyllis is the only person I care about. She's the only one here with an opinion that matters. She believes in me – enough to give me a position in this company and, more importantly, enough to give me a place in her heart and if you think you're going to do anything to mess that up …"
Billy straightened. "Is this the part where you threaten me? At least you're going up against men and not women now. I guess that's something."
He could feel the anger welling up inside him as his fists tightened. He raised his hand, ready to say the words that seemed so natural to him. "You don't know anything about me, so maybe you need to keep your mouth shut about situations that you know nothing about."
"Alright. Let me put it this way then. If you so much as lay one finger on her …"
Joe smiled. "You're a little late with that."
It was more than he could handle and he felt his hand fly up towards him. Joe's fist was like a vice, gripping his arm firmly.
His eyes were steely as they stared into his. "I'm gonna give you one chance to lower that arm and to never make a stupid move like this again."
"Joe …" Phyllis' voice was hesitant as she stepped into the room. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." He let his hand fall away from his arm and watched as Billy took a step back. "Billy and I were just …" He paused and waited for the other man to finish the statement.
"We were …" It made him sick to make any sort of concession, but picking a fight with Joe certainly wasn't going to help Phyllis. "We were just putting out cards on the table."
"Interesting turn of phrase for a gambling addict," Joe muttered as he glanced towards Phyllis, his carefully chosen sending the perfect message.
"Good," she managed, taking a steadying breath before finally managing to look at Billy again. "I hope we don't have to have this discussion again."
Billy nodded as he headed towards the door.
"Billy," she said again. Her heart pained as she saw the slight look of lightness in his eyes. "I'm going to need those marketing proposals by the end of this week – no matter what it takes, understood?"
His head fell. "You got it." The door closed behind him and he let the breath leave his lips. Overtime was the least of his concerns. He had to find some way to get through to Phyllis … and fast.