He Wants Her Back: The Billionaire’s Leading Lady Novel by Jasmine

The narrator

Time seemed to slow in my mind as I plunged downwards. My safety was for from my mind, all I could think about was what could happen to my baby if I fell the wrong way.

I swung my arms around as I tumbled grasping the air till I caught hold of a railing. Then I gave myself a few seconds to process what had just happened.

I sat on the bottom stair as I tried to assess the pain on my body and where they originated from.

There was a bad scratch on my hand without the bandage that spanned from somewhere around my wrist to my elbow, my left side was throbbing with quickly mounting pain, I spotted another scratch on my leg that looked like it needed a bandaid, other than that, I was fine. I sighed in rellef and hugged my tummy, ignoring my poor ribs.

“Hey, are you alright?” A woman with a cleaning uniform asked with a worried expression. She held a mop stick between her fingers which she twirled absentmindedly. She stopped the movement when she took in my injuries.

“There was a wet floor sign, someone must’ve moved it.” Her eyes roamed in search of the sign. “I’m sorry – do you need medical attention? This isn’t bad enough to incur a lawsuit is it? I really need this job-

“I’m fine.” I assured her just minor scratches.” There was nothin lassult worthy that she had to worry about. She continued lamenting and cursed in a language I could not identify.

“Ah hah!” She yelled and pulled a yellow board from behind the door. “I swear I kept it out.”

“It’s fine just…” I planted my hand on the stairs and pushed myself off, flinching at the burst of pain in my ribs. “see, I’m fine.” I was meeting Lancaster anyway, he could arrange a quick checkup to make sure I was in one piece.

She nodded, gripping the mop–stick tightly but she offered no argument.

I managed the rest of the way to Lancaster’s office without incident. As long as I didn’t breathe in tool deeply, It would not feel like I was punched in the ribs.

I knocked on the door to his office and waited for permission to come in.

“We’ll don’t be shy now, come rilight in.” Lancaster drawled in a bad Texan accent.. Atleast I thought it

was him.

When I pushed it open, I snapped my eyes shut and looked away.after I had done it I wondered why I reacted so strongly. He wasn’t nude. His pants were on but his shirt was unbuttoned and exposed his small rounding belly.

Now I understood the reason for the weird accent. Lancaster had a cowboy hat perched on his head and some stupid grass in his mouth. Way to be stereotypical. Why was he even dressed like that in the office! Was today ‘hand free trauma to Myra‘ day?

“I apologize Myra.” He made a lot of noise as he moved out of my general vision. “I was expecting some-” he cleared his throat and spoke coolly, “What can I do for you?”

When I turned, his torso was covered -thank God- and the cowboy hat was no where in sight. “Sarah told me you wanted to see me.”

He paused thinking, “Right, I forgot about that. Just wanted to tell you what a great job I think you’re doing.

Wait was that it? “You called me to your office to tell me that?”

He looked flustered, “You know me Myra, I don’t tell people they’re good. I’m complimenting you where they won’t hear.–I think you’ll have a great acting career here.”

I scoffed in disbelieve. 1 fell down the stairs to get here, for a compliment.”

He finally took a proper look at me. At some point during the conversation, I realized it was less painful if I favored my hurt side so I was hunched towards my left with a slightly bloodied arm. Quite the sight.

“You fell down the stairs? That looks pretty bad.” No shit Sherlock. Tll call Andy now, he should be able to do something about it.” he said authoritatively and picked up the landline, the a Lancaster I knew, back in place.

I stood till he finished his call. “He’s in studio 5, but he’ll be here in three minut-”

“T’ll just meet him there.”

I don’t think I could survive waiting in his office with the image of him in that cowboy hat. It popped in my head again–too late. I blinked away the image and made my way back up to the studio, eyeing the wel floor sign when I climbed the stairs.

“You look like you were in a fight with an alley cat.” Jace noted with a frown.

“If I was, I assure you the cat won.” I groaned as I lowered myself into the seat Adams offered me.

Soon after, Andy was poking at my ribs. “Breathe in,” he commanded.

I did till I felt a sharp pain and shook my head. Nope.

I hissed when he pressed into the sore spot.

He let out a breath. “Nothing’s broken. Just bruising.”

As he tended to me other people on set, came to check on me.

“Sarah has been glaring in this direction.” Adams announced.

“Yeah she’s definitely still mad that you got the lead role.” Jace added.

“I haven’t got it. I have an audition remember?” One that I had been preparing, like my life depended on it.

it felt like it did.

“That should be all, take those meds, till it’s finished, I don’t care if your pain has stopped. You call me if there’s any changes…”

Jace chuckled when he looked at me.

I looked at my bandaged arm and leg, none of them were funny. “What?”

“You’ve been more accicent prone these last few days than you have the shooting of this film. You’re

gonna look like a mummy during your interview if you keep this up.”

Adams rolled his eyes, but I caught him stiffling his laughter.

“Ha–ha” I said drily.

“Now that I think about it, Sarah looks extra angry that you survived that fall. You should consider being more careful.” Jace said casually.

When Adams and I whipped our head unconsciously to look at Sarah ‘she glared back at us. “What the fuck are you looking at!” She snapped.

“Fiesty much.” Adams muttered.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Sabotage. Clearly” I watched her throw the can of soda she had just opened and storm away.

“Me thinks she’s mad you’re getting a position she wants and she wants you off that list.” Jace continued.

“She won’t actually.” I swallowed, “She won’t physically hurt me for a role.”

“Stop it Jace, you’re scaring her…It was just a fall, nobody was behind it.”

He shrugged, “Active imagination. But what are the odds of a perfectly timed text with a missing sign.”

Coincidence.” Adams finished for him, shooting him a stern look.

“You should write your own movie with the ideas you keep bringing up.” I chuckled nervously.

1 just might. You’re going to be my muse.”