Rock Star Billionaire

"No, I expect my hired employees to follow the directives given to them by me as the CEO and owner of this company, and that directive is to do whatever it takes to secure the model of my choosing as the center of a new advertising campaign. We've launched plenty of them in the past, and this one is no different. So make it happen."

"Only this time, we're not talking about some ingénue we can hire for cheap. You want me to find your missing girlfriend and coerce her with bribes of money and fame until she finally accepts the job in hopes that she'll come back to you."

"No. Okay, yes. There is a part of me that hopes that I can win back her love if she is working for this company, but that's not all of it. I really do want her to be the face of our ad campaign.

“I think she'll do the best job of any model I've seen, and if securing her to take the job means you have to promise her that she'll have absolutely no contact with me, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I want her for the job weather she ever talks to me again or not."

"Really? So if she says she'll only take the job if you are outside the building anytime she's around, then you still want me to make the offer?" Keith asked, looking flabbergasted.

"Yes. I'd rather she got the job of her dreams and was happy, then to have her come back to me and be miserable," I said honestly.

Angela blinked in surprise. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"You know I do. You saw me when I was drunk off my ass the last time we were broke up. In fact, you were the one who encouraged me to commit to her," I shot back at her.

"I know, but I thought you were in love with her the way men usually love a woman: selfishly with their own agenda first on their mind. I figured you liked having her around because she made you feel good; I didn't realize you loved her enough to want her to be happy even if it meant you had to sacrifice your own selfish desires."

"Well, when you put it that way, neither did I," I said, and a little smile of chagrin curled the corners of my mouth.

"Look, I don't know about any of that psychobabble. All I know is I love Kayla and I want her to be happy. She wants to be an international modeling star, and that's what I'm going to make sure she gets.

“If she comes back to me, all the better. I'll treat her right and never let her go again. If she never wants to see me again, then I guess I've gotten what I deserve. As long as she gets what she deserves, and that's being a modeling star."

"Well then, there's only thing left to do," Keith said with a grin. "I've got to secure that modeling deal."

Steve was smiling, too, as he said, "Angela, get hold of Miss Brandt on the phone. Tell her we want to meet in a public location of her choosing without Mr. Colson in attendance. Do whatever it takes to get her there."

"Yes, sir." Angela smiled and gave me a little wink. "Don't worry, Ethan, true love conquers all. We'll get her for you."

It felt good to hear that, but it was a promise she couldn't keep. Days went by and no one was able to locate Kayla. Her agent hadn't seen her, nor had her lawyer, nor even the people at R.E.B. It was like she had completely disappeared off the face of the earth.

"You sure you haven't seen her, Mrs. Brandt?" my voice was practically pleading as I spoke to her mother over the phone.

"You know I'm grateful for your help with Tommy, and I think you're a terrific man, but my loyalty has to be to my daughter," she said regretfully, and I felt my heart fall. Then she said something that made me sit up straight. "You must have had heartaches before. Have you ever stopped by to visit your ex, Gwyneth Manzranni?"

"How would you know about her?" I was instantly suspicious.

"Well, you know ex-girlfriends sometimes talk. In fact, if I was in a city all alone, looking for a place to stay, I might team up with someone I had an ex in common with; but I honestly can't tell you a word about where Kayla might be staying. She's my daughter, and I would never betray her trust."

"No, of course not. Sorry you couldn't help, Mrs. Brandt." I was grinning widely.

It was late at night after a long day at work and I knew I should wait until morning to go talk to her, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. So, I threw on my jeans, boots, and my leather jacket over my white tee-shirt and hopped on my bike. It was a racing motorcycle and the fastest thing in my garage.

Gwyneth lived across the city up on the hills overlooking the ocean, but I got there in a matter of minutes. I was so excited, I was out of breath as I rang the doorbell. I caught my reflection in the window and quickly ran my fingers through my short-cropped hair, trying to clean up my appearance.

I heard the sound of yapping dogs as someone approached and as I heard the locks being turned. I tried to think of exactly what I could say to Gwyneth to get her tell me where Kayla was. To my surprise, it was wasn't Gwynn who opened the door, but Kayla herself.

She looked absolutely stunning, with no make-up on her freshly washed face. Her blonde hair was pulled back into the braids she liked to sleep in, and she was wearing a short, white, silk nightgown beneath a matching robe with her feet bare. I thought I'd never seen a more beautiful sight in my entire life and I longed to pull her into my arms and kiss her.

"Ethan! What are you doing here?" she gasped in surprise. For just a moment, her eyes flew open wide and her pupils dilated, like she was happy to see me, too; but it only lasted for a fraction of a second before they narrowed into a suspicious frown. "How did you find me? Did my mother talk? I'll kill her."

"Nobody talked. I actually just came here to talk to Gwynn."

"Well, she's not here, so you can leave." Was that a look of disappointment on Kayla's lovely face?

"The only thing I wanted to talk to her about was if she knew if you were alright."

"I'm fine. I quit R.E.B. Jay is such a sleaze, he wouldn't stop hitting on me; but that doesn't mean I'm coming back to you. I have my career to think about, and I won't just give up on my ambitions to lay around living off of your money."