--- 14 ---

The flurry of flashes still continued to flash at them, as the music slowly faded. That must be the longest and most passionate kiss that ever happened on the runway. Paul broke the kiss when the music stopped. His heart roared when their lips touched, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back. If not because he was holding her tight, Reba might have collapsed on the floor because her knees just went week. Paul scooped her up in his arms and returned to the back with a loud 'Aww' echoing behind them.

Reba let out a long heavy sigh the moment they were backstage. Paul put her back on her feet. He smiled into her eyes. Reba smiled back shyly.

"Reba, I-" Paul was going to say something to her but only to be cut off by the stage manager.

"Great way to kill thirty seconds Paul. The crowd loved it!"

"I want to talk to the person who's in charge of the music. This kind of mistake should not happen." Paul was telling the stage manager and did not notice Reba's facial expression change. He only did that to kill the thirty seconds that she messed up. The kiss meant nothing to him more than just business.

"I'm sorry I screwed up," said Reba coldly.

"It's not your fault. You did great during the rehearsal; they changed the music on you."

"Can I go get changed now?" Paul noticed the tone of her voice. He thought she wasn't too happy that he kissed her.

"We are going to the reception after, can you please stay in this dress a while longer?"

"Sure" Reba turned away, but he pulled back.

"Reba, what's wrong? Are you mad at me that I kissed you?"

"You shouldn't have. It's not professional. But I'm equally at fault." Paul hurtfully let go of her hand, she didn't think of him than more than just her boss.

"If you feel that I took advantage of you, I'm sorry." Paul let her disappear in to her dressing room. Reba leaned against the door with her heart shattered, she shouldn't have fallen for him, and she shouldn't have let her guard down. He didn't think of her more than business. He only kissed her for the show.

Paul took in a deep breath, when she kissed him back, he thought he had hopes that she liked him the way he did. He had never felt like this with any woman before. But now, He had to remind himself that she didn't think of him more than just her boss. If he still wanted to keep her around and get to see her every day, he should get over her and not drive her away. On the way to the reception, they tried to put on their best smile.

"So, mom, you're the guest model." Cheyenne said with a giggle.

"So, the gossips are true then?" Questioned Brock.

"Didn't you see the kiss?" Barbra Jean elbowed her husband.

"It's nothing okay? I agreed to be his guest model, no big deal. And no, the gossips are not true. We don't have anything but business relationship."

"Then what that kiss is all about?"

"It's nothing, can you guys just drop it?"

"If there's really nothing, the kiss wouldn't have lasted that long mom. That wasn't just a quick peck. Really, what's going on with you two?" Cheyenne wouldn't give up.

"He only kissed me to kill the last thirty seconds that I screw up, all right?" Reba said firmly, almost shouting even. The whole party went silent. Paul was talking to one of the executives; he stopped and turned his head to look at her. Reba wanted to dig a hole and buried herself in it, never wanted to be found again. Paul walked to DJ before walking to her.

"May I have this dance?" Before she had chance to say no, he pulled her out on the dance floor. Paul led as Reba followed the Tango steps that he taught her. "Why did you say that? Do you really believe that I kissed you to stall those thirty seconds?"

"How else do you want me to believe? Isn't that obvious? You stopped the moment to music stopped." Reba looked deeply into his eyes. She wanted him to tell her that he kissed her because he had feelings for her, not just to kill time on the stage. Paul looked hurt. She didn't see how sincere he was? Paul had never had to emotionally please any woman before, he didn't know she was as hurt as he was. The music stopped they stopped. They look deep into each other's eyes trying to read each other's thought. They both showed sign of disappointment.

"And I thought you'd be the one who know me the most." Paul walked her back to her seat and he went to talk to his friends. He had a lot of compliments about the dress. He said his model made the dress look beautiful. Some asked who Reba was; he said she was his personal assistant. Paul might have been torn inside, but he still put on his best smile. Same thing happened to Reba. She was all professional about it, but her heart was broken in two.

There was a news reporter that was invited to the reception. She wanted to interview Reba. Paul gave her permission to be interviewed.

Reporter: How long have you been working with Paul McIntosh?

Reba: roughly around seven months

Reporter: Is that true that you two are dating?

Reba: No, we only have business relationship

Reporter: What about when he carried you off his private jet?

Reba: I was practicing wearing 4" heels. And walking down on the grit staircase would be impossible for me. So instead of walking bare feet, he decided to help. And waving at the camera, he was just messing with the paparazzi.

Reporter: So really nothing between you two?

Reba: We are good friends

Reporter: What about the kiss at the end of the show? Someone said it lasted 28 seconds, that was the longest kiss that Paul ever gave to his guest on the runway. Wasn't that plan?

Reba: It was impromptu. He has thirty-second to kill. It was just for the show. Nothing behind it.

Paul heard her interview; she said it with her voice steady; he was hurt. Reba too was hurt when she said 'nothing behind it'. The reporter didn't bug her anymore about their 'relationship', she asked her about what was it like to work with him, and why did she decided to be his guest model. The reporter interviewed Paul as well.

Reporter: Why her? Don't you usually use a famous actress for the showstopper?

Paul: Why not her? Don't you see she's beautiful? I'll let you pick out a flaw, why do you think I shouldn't ask her.

Reporter (smile): That kiss at the end of the show-

Paul (cut her off): She has already answered you on that one. so there should be no further discussion.

Reba was listening; he didn't even want to talk about it. She sighed. The reporter quickly changed the subject, she was asking him about the dress he designed and asked more about the business. If she tried to stir the interview toward Reba, he would keep it at the professional level. He complimented her, and said they were good friends. Barbra Jean saw her reaction, and as her best friend, she determined to find out. She dragged Reba to the lady's room. Cheyenne saw them and hurried to join them.

"Reba, what's going on?" Barbra Jean shot the question the moment the door shut.

"Nothing going on, we have nothing but a business relationship. He's my boss. I don't date my own boss."

"You used to be married to your own boss." Barbra Jean pointed out that one time she was working for Brock when they were married.

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," quipped Reba.

"You really don't have feelings for him?" Cheyenne questioned.

"No"

"Liar!" Shouted Barbra Jean. Reba glared at her fiercely.

"I know you like him, mom."

"It doesn't matter. He didn't think of me more than someone who's working for him. He only kissed me to save the show. We have a different point of view about relationships. In fact, we hardly have anything in common." Reba remarked, they jumped when they heard someone flush.

"The only thing his dad and I ever had in common was that we both hated the English." Sylvie walked out from a bathroom stall at the end. Reba stunned. She should have checked to see if the bathroom was empty. And of all people, his mom had to be the one who overheard. "I know my son, he has been in the industry for so long, he could find so many ways to stall that thirty seconds that you ended too soon. He didn't kiss you for the show. He never kisses anyone for the show. Mistakes happen all the time on the runway. He understands if you give 100% and mistake happens."

"Who is she?" Cheyenne whispered to Barbra Jean.

"I guess it's his mom, but she doesn't look old enough to be his mom." Barbra Jean replied in a whisper.

"When you finished your routine faster than you should. He could have just told the models back stages to parade out to complete the song. But he chose to step on the stage with you before he was cued. He wants to show off you, not his dress. He made this dress to compliment you. So if you think he only kissed you to kill the time, I want you to think again." Sylvie left the bathroom, leaving Reba pondering at her statements.

"Who is she?" Barbra Jean questioned the moment the door closed.

"Sylvie. His mom."

"His mom? Really? She looks his age!" Cheyenne couldn't believe.

"She used to be a model too." Reba told her daughter and her best friend about his parents.

"He told you about his background, and introduced you to his mom and you didn't think he likes you? Are you blind?"

"Okay, let's say 'IF' he likes me, so what do you want me to do? Pounce on him?"

"Ask him out," suggested Cheyenne

"No. The last thing I want him to think of me was one of those gold diggers. No I would not ask him out."

"But-"

"No buts. You know, his friend, his mom, they were implying that he might have thought of me than more than just an employee. Yet, Paul has never said anything. So unless, he says so. I will not be the one who make the first move."

Meanwhile, Sylvie was talking to Paul.

"No mom, you heard her, she doesn't think of me than more than her boss."

"That's not what I heard in the washroom."

"It's not what you heard that count, mom. I don't want to drive her away. Now it's going to be very awkward. I shouldn't have kissed her."

Paul was right about the tension between them. It was just different. On the way back to Houston, they hardly talked. All the employees in the jet with them on this trip could feel the tension. On the way to Paris, they were just having fun. On the way back was different. Although the show turned out to be a huge success, but they just couldn't celebrate.

It wasn't easy to be working together under this kind of stress. However, they tried to make it work. Paul still picked her up in the morning from her house and they left to work together. They still tried to make conversation. But it had been two weeks and neither of them had laughed yet. Paul was reading the news about his fashion show that had her interview in it along with their pictures. The one in which they kissed. If he could only turn back time...

"Paul, your General Manager in New York just called and yelled at me for double booking your schedule and he said I don't know what I am doing. I checked your schedule and you don't have any previous arrangement. And not just that too, I've just found out that you canceled everything for the next two weeks. What the heck is going on?"

"I just have something else planned."

"And when are you planning to let me know?"

"I wasn't planning to let you know."

"That's it!" Reba fumed up. "I can't work under these conditions, if you don't value my job enough, why don't you just fire me?" Paul stood up with anger.

"Well maybe I should, so I don't have to put up with your attitude!"

There was a few minutes of complete silent. They could hear a pin drop. Reba stomped out of his room to go get a box to pack up her stuff. So that was it. It's over.