Authors Note: This series now has a new co-author (Missy). We'll be posting new episodes every Wednesday. :)

"Oh good, you're still here."

He felt her lips brush the side of his cheek as she tossed her bag onto the stool beside him.

"I was afraid you'd be gone already and I know I'm late and I'm sorry, but things just got absolutely crazy at the office and …" She stopped herself, realizing his only response had been silence. "Billy," she said, leaning in a bit closer. "Come on, I know you've been waiting and I know I should have called because you were probably worried, but I'm here now and we can still have a nice dinner."

He looked down into the glass which had somehow become empty yet again. The truth wasn't exactly a viable option. He couldn't tell her that he hadn't even realized how late she was because their dinner was the absolute last thing on his mind at the moment. He couldn't admit that she wasn't the one he was worrying about tonight. He couldn't say any of that.

The touch of her hand on his forced him back into the present moment and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

She smiled at him and gestured to an empty table on the other side of the room. "Why don't we go sit down? The kitchen's still serving for another hour at least."

"Yeah, that sounds good." He stood and stepped over to the table, pulling her chair out for her and waiting for her to sit before moving to his own seat.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm late?" she said quietly as she glanced down at the menu.

He studied her face for a moment. "I just figured it was something with work. You said you were at the office, so …"

"I was, but it wasn't anything to do with Newman business. My Dad was, Actually…" She leaned across the table, lowering her voice before speaking again. "Maybe you know something about this."

"Trust me, I try to stay as far away from Victor and his issues as possible."

"Even when they involve your brother?"

His eyes darted to attention. "Jack? What does my brother have to do with any of this?"

"I don't know exactly. All I know is I was walking by Dad's office and I heard yelling and I walked into the office and Jack had his hands around Dad's neck and I really don't know what would have …"

Billy shook his head. "There's been more than one time that I would have liked to put my hands around Victor's neck. You can't exactly blame Jack for living the dream, can you?"

"Billy." She narrowed her eyes. "This isn't a joke. This was serious. I literally had to pull him off Dad. He had this look in his eyes and I've never seen that side of Jack. He was completely out of control and … it was just … I …"

"Victor can push people to their limits, Vic. You and I both know that and those two have a history that's full of God knows what. I'm sure Victor said something or did something to push things too far. Jack isn't the type to come looking for a fight like that. He probably just lost it for a minute."

"It didn't really seem like that to me. I was there. I looked into his eyes after I finally got him to let Dad go and he didn't seem sorry. He didn't seem embarrassed or shaken or anything. He just looked angry."

"Well, did you ask him about it? About what happened?"

"Yeah, he said I didn't need to know and then he just stormed out, so then I asked Dad and he did what he always does."

"Lie," Billy scoffed as he caught the disapproving look on her face.

"He avoided the questions but then he finally said that Jack was upset because Phyllis has taken a room here. Did you know anything about that?"

The question caught him off guard and he brought the glass of water to his mouth quickly to moisten his lips that had suddenly gone bone dry.

"Phyllis has a room here? No. I don't know anything about that. Why do you think I would know?"

She shrugged. "You two looked pretty cozy the other night and I just figured maybe she would have told you if she and Jack were having some kind of trouble and …"

"Look Phyllis and I work together and we're friends, but that doesn't mean that she's going to tell me everything that …"

She covered the length of the room too quickly for him to hear her approach.

"So when you said you would leave if that was what I wanted, what you really meant was that you would come down here and report to her?!" Her voice shook as she loomed over the table. "You think that's going to help? You think that's what I would want?"

"Phyllis." He stood up quickly, his hands raising in front of him in an effort to calm her or, at the very least stop the tirade of anger. "This isn't what you think. I'm not …"

"Oh," She drew in a shaky breath. "It's not what I think?! You're not sitting here at a table with Victor Newman's daughter talking to her about my life? My marriage? That's not what's happening?" His silence infuriated her. "That's what I thought," she spat. Turning her attention towards Victoria, she glared "I'm gonna go. Billy will answer any questions you might have, I'm sure."

She turned and headed for the door, tears of anger and exhaustion already streaming down her face. Billy watched as the entire room seemed to follow her with their eyes.

"Phyllis," he hissed, "Wait. Just wait a minute." He was behind her in seconds, his long legs easily able to match her steps. He reached for her arm and instantly released her as he felt her entire body tense under his touch. "Please" he said softly as she turned towards him. "Just let me talk to you for a minute. I promise, this isn't what you think. I wasn't telling her anything. I swear."

"I heard my name, Billy. I know you were talking about me. Are you gonna tell me that I imagined it? That I don't know what I heard?"

"No," he breathed. He could see her shiver, the thin material of her shirt no match for the cold evening air. "Here," he said, as he offered her his jacket. "Put this on."

"Keep it." She jerked away from him and turned her back. "I don't need anything from you."

He was in front of her again before she knew it and his eyes were locked on hers. He held the coat toward her again. "Take it," he breathed, relieved when she finally did.

"I didn't tell Victoria anything," he began again. "She already knew. Jack and Victor must have been arguing at Newman and she overheard. She was asking me if I knew but I told her I didn't know anything. I told her I had no idea that you were getting a room here. I didn't tell her about anything that we talked about here today." He could still see a glimmer of doubt in her eyes.

His hand trembled a bit as he reached out to touch her arm gently. "I didn't," he repeated. "I swear. You can trust me."

"He's right." Victoria's voice rang out through the night. "You apparently can trust him," she said sharply. "But I sure as hell can't."