Billy woke up with a slight pain in his chest—something was making it hard to breathe. There was Scarlett, fast asleep on top of him. The night before had been intense: a concert, several parties, two high-speed motorcycle races. He was partially drunk—what carelessness, he thought—staring up at a darkening sky. He had no idea what time it was, just letting the mood carry him.
–Wake up. – Billy murmured, holding the sleeping woman in his arms and brushing her forehead gently. To make a woman fall in love, you only had to act like you were in love and take her where she most longed to go.
–My love. – Billy whispered as he ran his fingers through Scarlett's hair, combing it with a tenderness so sweet, so flirtatious, it made her smile. She opened her eyes, crusted with sleep, her pale skin glowing in a way he found irresistibly sexy. As they leaned in, they kissed—a kiss that tasted of wine and the shared memory of the performance they gave each day they drew close.
Their movements were slow, hesitant. They were only seconds apart, their hands restless, touching with a delicate curiosity, their kisses growing in intensity.
–What are you doing? – Scarlett asked.
–Trying to seal my lips to yours so I can remember them forever. – Billy replied, kissing her softly.
–Why me? Why do you think I'm the one? You invited me, brought me here, and now you're kissing me–.
–I just wanted to know you. They say you're the future of acting… I watched one of your movies and felt the urge to find out who you were. Pure, simple curiosity. Turns out, you're amazing. Not many women would've done what we did last night. – Billy answered, combing her hair again. It may not have looked different, but people draw near and open up when given the chance.
Her eyes sparkled.
–So, what's our second date going to be? – Scarlett asked. –That skydiving trick from your commercials? Maybe some surfing? You always go for extreme sports on your dates.–
–Our next date will be our wedding in Vegas. – The boy replied, making Scarlett burst into laughter.
–Hahahahaha, my dad would kill me, and my mom would probably faint… My whole family would lose their minds. – She said, aware of the chaos that would ensue. Even now, she was trying not to sound the alarm, removing her wig and stretching. Straw wasn't the most comfortable, but a night of passion was what many women would dream of.
–Funny thing is, I loved my mom deeply, but I never listened to her. She always respected that about me. She hated it when I went against the grain, but when I was afraid, she came close. With that maternal way of hers, she'd give me that knowing look, the one that said she understood and that I was just like her, rebellious and full of stars above my head. She told me there are moments of rupture that send us down paths—some good, some bad. We don't get to choose. Those breaks make us happy or sad, but we're always chasing happiness. When something sounds off, it usually means something has truly failed. That feeling of mistrust... sometimes we just can't see what's hidden. – Billy said.
–Your mom sounds very special. – Scarlett replied, clearly absorbed in his words.
–She is, and always will be. I carry her in my thoughts constantly. – Billy said.
–I saw the news, but I didn't realize it had been so intense. Now that I see you up close, I start to understand all you went through. It makes me angry that we don't know these things. I still don't care about the press; it only deepens my hatred for it. –She said, drawing closer. They were just inches apart.
–It was popular, yes. The whole idea of turning something so private into something public. But what does it matter? That's the price of fame. You live with it. Just keep the intimate things to yourself, and the rest… let it be what it is, as long as it stays at our door. – Billy replied.
–It shouldn't be like that. Work and personal life should be separate. We're stars, sure, but there should be boundaries. People have never had strangers digging through their trash or trying to sneak in the back door. What happened to privacy? It scares me that people think that's normal—breaking into someone's life. – Scarlett said.
–You just have to be rude. Be unpleasant, and they'll leave you alone. Sunglasses help too. – Billy added.
They both stretched. Scarlett's thoughts were spinning, but the whirlwind she had entered the night before wasn't unfamiliar. She had agreed to a date, which had led to new timings and unexpected situations she hadn't fully prepared for. And yet, despite how contradictory it felt, she had always found time to immerse herself, even if reluctantly. Now, she felt seen and understood.
–Come on, we've got a flight to catch. I'm starting my acting career. – Billy said.
All eyes turned to him.
–You mean you're starting with a movie? – she asked.
–I am. A commercial film. I'll play a guy heading to an island in search of King Kong. Have you seen the movie? – he asked, handing her a helmet.
–Of course. Damn, I wanted that role, but I was too young at the time. – Scarlett replied.
–Things tend to disappoint us. – Billy said, picking up his helmet and walking toward his Yamaha RX 150. –But you're a lucky lady. I happen to know from a reliable source that you're doing very well as an actress.–
–Not as well as people think. – Scarlett answered.
–Stop being so modest, sweetheart… – Billy offered his hand so they could both hop on and ride toward Madrid, under a twilight that was turning into night, with the wind brushing their tired faces. Billy drove slowly.
–Wanna drive? – he asked.
–Can I?–
–Of course you can. I'll hop on the back and help guide you.–
–I know how to ride, just not very well… my brother taught me a while ago. – She admitted.
–Well, let me hold you and guide you. We'll go slow so I can give you directions. – Billy said.
...
They arrived at night, under a high moon. They were more connected than ever—an entire day spent inseparable. Jerry had left long ago, and now only the band and Michael Ocklars remained, who had wisely scheduled the trip for the next day, knowing Billy's tendency to show up late and be preoccupied with other things.
–We leave in the morning. Unfortunately, you're very late. – Michael said, eyeing the disheveled young man.
The blonde stirred at the mention of two days' delay, but Billy's sunbeam of a smile stopped her from making a scene.
–How about a romantic dinner? – Billy offered, walking up to her. –We'll book the rooftop terrace and let the moon witness our second date.–
–I don't even have clothes… I don't know where I left everything… my gear...–
–I took care of it. Your team's resting in rooms 701 and 702. You've got the double room next to Billy's—1202 and 1201. You'll find your clothes organized according to your assistant's instructions. – Michael Ocklars explained.
Billy winked at her, leading Scarlett up to the twelfth floor while Michael reserved the rooftop terrace on the 13th with a small bar. They rode the elevator up, but she was caught off guard by a raw, primal kiss that she couldn't help but return. Only the ding of the door made them come to their senses.
Just as he said, they were neighbors.
–Half an hour, love. I'll come for you. – Billy said. She gave him a long look; he held her gaze, and she eventually surrendered, looking away.
They both wanted a good shower, maybe to tidy their rooms. Billy, ever proactive, just had to find the right love song among his playlists.
He picked up his phone and explained his idea to Michael, asking for something simple—just a bit of fire and a good meal.
...
The terrace was spacious, with vines swaying gently along the rails that looked out over the city. Not huge, but enough for twenty people to enjoy a romantic evening. It was usually reserved for private events, but tonight it was just dinner and two souls.
Scarlett arrived, and he was already there, strumming a guitar, his fingers dancing over long sequences of chords.
–I thought you were asleep. – Billy said.
–I was getting ready. – She replied. Her hair was still damp in places, her lips a soft pink, and she looked even more beautiful than yesterday. He set the guitar aside, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles as they sat for a calm, quiet dinner where silence was comfortable.
–You know, I'm a jealous man. I wish I could sing all my life the classics that those geniuses wrote. But what can I do? I was born fifty years too late. – Billy said, picking up the guitar again.
Her eyes lit up.
Frank Sinatra – "My Way"
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶
And now, the end is near.
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say itclearlyr
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a full life
I traveled every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶
...
His fingers brushed the strings gently, his voice calm and tender, each word carrying powerful emotion, not just from the young Billy, but from his past self, repressed over countless days.
His voice was so soft, it was like an explosion of feelings had filled the air. If this had been a movie, time would have stopped, and each note would have reminded them what life was truly made of.
Looking into her eyes as he sang, the blonde was visibly moved.
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all, and I stood tall
And did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed,d and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh, no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵🎶
It was a beautiful song that tinged the room with something new and sweet.
🎶🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵
-Yes, it was my way -
...
–Yes, it was my way.–
She leaned in, and they melted into a deep kiss. But what could he do? He didn't see logic as the way forward. It was too easy to ignore the voice that tells you a path isn't the right one.
The kiss was a spark.
–I think you've got some really good songs.–
–None of them quite fit. – he said, picking the next one—one he knew could melt any woman—as he drew even closer.
Billy's voice was like light, a silk scarf melting her heart like an ice cream left out in the summer sun. She'd fall madly in love, and whoever came before him would seem like a smudge on her past. He was first, and he'd hang from her heart like a cross.
–Don't look away from me, darling. – Billy whispered, tracing her jawline with a finger, brushing up to her ears, guiding her to rest her cheek in his hand. She was burning.
Elvis Presley – "Can't Help Falling in Love"
🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵
If you asked Billy what love was, he'd describe it in many ways. But at its core, he'd call it a mixture of things—things that may not be good for your health but are essential for happiness.
Commitment, obsession, care, affection, passion, love, madness, unity, permission... He listed all those qualities, and took them so far, that during his songs, he added them in every feature, closing his eyes to concentrate and squeezing every point from the bottom of his heart, expanding in a way that seemed to contradict the tough guy. Or the guy who wasn't taken for granted, his songs would hit anyone, and Scarlett knew that, but at the same time refused to acknowledge it, because the music of the century was only sung by very few in this way.
In the past, people used to unleash their hearts and expose themselves to everything, but now, they were certain, full of foreboding, when a good song came along. They gave their all and delivered their demons on a platter for anyone to watch.
🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you
🎶🎶🎶 🎵🎶🎵
The girl, seeing Billy, her eyes watered, and he so subtly wiped away her tears, as he rested his forehead.
-Rester avec moi mon amour. - It was a blow in French that made her tremble. What would she do now? That the cards were on the table, and he watched her with such compassion, he treated her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Short were the words that led them to sleep with nothing but a crushing embrace. No sexuality involved, just a companionship while he drew out all the secrets that she was willing to give him, every word recorded, and every word attached to both of them.
...