CLASS ACT (A BRITISH ROCKSTAR BAD BOY ROMANCE)

by Julia Gardener

  I gave a cynical laugh. “You won’t read about this in the tabloids. They’ll sooner print that I’m using these orphanages as a public relationships stunt.”

  My teacher gave me a soft smile. It brightened up my dark thoughts. There was a connection between us that was as powerful as forked lightning. “Heath, why’d you bring me here?”

  I had never shown these orphanages to my record label. The less they stuck their nose in it, the better. Hell, only Jared was involved since he helped handle the finances for my various charities. “To show you that I’m still a patron of the sciences in spite of my literacy. Or lack thereof.”

  Charlotte opened her mouth to reply with a witty retort.

  However, a familiar, feminine voice interrupted us. “Heath, is that you?”

  A tall, red-haired woman rushed up to Heath and kissed him on the cheek. It was too wet and sumptuous for what was meant to be an innocent kiss. The beautiful woman before me bled sensuality. I caught a flash of her striking green eyes.

  I felt rush of jealousy at the gesture. I didn’t know why. I was supposed to be Heath’s personal tutor. Not his girlfriend.

  Yet, I remembered the kiss I shared with Heath. It was so hard to be a strict instructor when he could soften me up so easily. The kiss burned on my lips like a hot brand. It made me resent the fact I was only here to serve as his tutor.

  The woman greeted him. “You brought a friend, Heath? Come on, introduce us!”

  “Megan, this is Charlotte Rosen,” Heath said, gesturing to me. “She’s the tutor I told you about.”

  “You’re the Megan Halper I keep hearing about,” I replied, extending my hand. Technically, I had only learned of her existence in the past five minutes. “Please, to meet you.”

  “A tutor, huh,” she replied, taking me in for a brief handshake. Megan glanced at Heath with a teasing grin. “You can always teach an old dog new tricks.”

  He raised his hands up in defense. “This was the record’s idea. Not mine.”

  “He’s making progress,” I offered. He had improved from the diagnostic test. It wasn’t enough for him to pass the exams but it was a small step. “When the time comes, I’m sure he’ll be ready for the exam.”

  I had expected a delinquent rock star as a student and had gotten just that. At the same time, I had met a vulnerable man plagued by self-doubt and guilt. Heath, like any other man, had dimensions to him.

  It was the same for all of my other students. They might have been labelled as delinquents or lost causes but they were still people in the end. Even if it made my life more difficult, I had an obligation to help them.

  Nonetheless, there was something different about Heath. I hadn’t ever had such an attraction to a student in my admittedly all too brief teaching career. I didn’t even understand my infatuation with him. Sure, he was hot and had a great singing voice. At the same time, he was an arrogant womanizer going from one thrill to the next.

  Perhaps, it was the feeling that I had seen a part of him that he had kept hidden from everyone else. Half the stuff he had told me wasn’t something you could read up on his Wikipedia entry. The man was more than the sum of his parts.

  It didn’t hurt that he was a damn good kisser.

  Megan broke me out of my scattershot thoughts. “The kids must be excited to see you.”

  Heath rolled his eyes. “They’re more interested in lip-syncing boybands that spew out manufactured music than a genuine talent like me.”

  “Give them a few years,” Megan joked. “I’m sure they’ll see the light that is British Rock.”

  The three of us walked across the orphanage’s courtyard. Heath’s hair became windswept when a strong gust hit us. Megan’s hair turned from auburn to bright red under the sunlight. She looked so lovely. She had been Howard’s old girlfriend but she hit it off easily with Heath. There was no awkwardness between them which came from being old friends.

  Children laughed and played in the courtyard. A group of them played hide and seek. A pair of adolescents played catch with a baseball. Some of them looked older still.

  I knew it the foster system could be an unforgiving place. The older you got, the more likely you were to be passed over by prospective parents. This orphanage could be the only thing giving the older kids a future. It made me feel blessed that I had both of my parents.

  Heath looked so much at ease in Megan’s company. There was a spring in his step. His forehead didn’t crinkle in worry. His eyes lit up like a bonfire. He smiled instead of smirked. He waved back at the children who greeted him.

  As much of a womanizer as he was, I didn’t think Heath would put the moves on his dead best friend’s lover.

  I hoped.

  “Think you’ll be able to stay longer?” Megan asked, leading him back inside the building. “It’s been months since we last had a face-to-face conversation.”

  “Sorry, the tour has to continue,” he said apologetically. The show of humility startled me. “We still have a few performances left in Philadelphia. It was hard enough making free time to come here. I know that I’ve neglected my responsibilities to-”

  Megan rolled her eyes. “Please, you could barely herd a pair of cats. That’s why you let me run the show in the first place.”

  The cool air inside contrasted with the heat of the Philadelphian sun. I felt like an intruder on this happy scene. There was more to Heath than even I had come to learn.

  The man was an enigma. He was an arrogant megalomaniac that always needed to be in the spotlight. At the same time, he was charitable and humble when the time called for it.

  Did I really know my student?

  “Come on, let’s grab a bite to eat,” Megan offered, taking Heath by the arm. “We have lots to catch up on.”

  Heath offered. “I’ll pay.”

  Still holding onto his hand, Megan laughed. “Technically, you already did.”

  I felt my heart stir again.

  Charlotte was jealous. It was written so plainly on her face that a blind man could see it. Normally, this would’ve been a quite the ego boost. I loved it when women fought over me like I was a designer bag on sale during the Christmas rush.

  With Charlotte, it was more amusing. My teacher didn’t need to be jealous of Megan. That woman wasn’t my type. Besides, she had been Howard’s soul mate. The only thing that could fill the hole in her heart was overseeing Howard’s legacy.

  Megan worked tirelessly to expand the Howard Lane Foundation for Orphans. What had started as a small operation in England soon became a worldwide organization. The woman had a knack for managing my various charities. I may have lost a brother in Howard but I gained a sister in Megan.

  Charlotte probed. “How long have you known Heath, Megan?”

  “We met during Double Damage’s first tour in America.”

  “It wasn’t even a tour,” I elaborated. “Howard and I booked tickets to Los Angeles after publishing our first album. It was more of a work vacation than anything else. We ended up performing across the West Coast.”

  “I remember those days,” Megan added. “It wasn’t anything like the Dell Music Center. You had to fight just to get a slot at a nightclub that could seat a hundred people at most.”

  “Even back then, California wasn’t exactly starving for aspiring musicians,” I said, recounting the early days. “Howard and I had to fight tooth and nail just to get our name out. We played at some seedy places back then.”

  “Look at the bright side,” Megan replied. “I got to meet the two of you back when I was waiting tables in Santa Barbara.”

  I chuckled. “How could I forget? It was the first time my charms failed to win a woman over.”

  Megan sighed. “I would’ve given you a shot if it wasn’t love at first sight with the man sitting next to you.”

  We didn’t speak for a moment after that.

  Charlotte broke the silence. “Are you a fan of Heath’s music? Or go to his concerts?”

  She shook her head. �
�Please, I have a very hard time enjoying myself during concerts.”

  I pointed to Megan’s ear. “She’s not exaggerating.”

  “I’m going deaf,” she giggled, my finger still pointing at her ear. A small hearing aid could be seen in its interior. It was an expensive one that could barely be seen. I made sure she wouldn’t want for anything. “I never had the stomach for rock music and less so even now.”

  After ordering our food, I sat down with Megan and Charlotte in a corner of the cafeteria. “Nothing like a full English breakfast.”

  Charlotte raised an eyebrow at the mountain of food in front of me. She had opted for a bowl of soup. “A full English breakfast for lunch?”

  “It might be breakfast time in London,” Megan said before pausing. “No wait, it’s actually dinner time.”

  I dug into my food. “This is much better than the rats we had to eat at the old orphanage.”

  “It was not rats,” Megan groaned. “It was a healthy porridge that provided all the vitamins and minerals a growing British boy needed to become a sexy rock star. Howard even made it for me.”

  “It tasted like rats.”

  Charlotte giggled. “How would you know what a rat tasted like?”

  I groaned. “Walked into that one.”

  “She’s got you there!” Megan fired back. “I’ll admit Heath makes sure we’re all well-fed and clothed. Napoleon said an army fights better with a full belly.”

  “Speaking of which,” I began, scooping up my baked beans. “How are things going with the foundation?”

  Charlotte leaned back as though feeling like a third wheel. “Do you want me here, Heath? I can take a walk around the complex if this is private information.”

  I grinned. “I’d like you to stay. Just leave before we get to the part about my plans for world domination.”

  The Howard Lane Foundation was a massive undertaking that covered a number of different issues. There was the core orphanage which dealt with children who had lost their parents for whatever reason. Many were runaways leaving a broken home. Some had lived and nearly died on the streets.

  The foundation also helped older children who were unable to find foster families. It provided them a place to live and acquire an education. Some had even stayed with the foundation to become mentors and teachers.

  In addition, the organization was involved in a number of charities. The most notable was cancer research, especially for leukemia. There was also financial aid available to families struggling to support themselves during cancer treatment. Another charity was aimed at young children hoping to pursue a career in music.

  Even though it cost millions of dollars to run, money wasn’t the issue. I had funneled a good deal of my fortune and investments into the organization. Instead, I needed someone who could oversee the whole operation and grow it.

  Megan was the woman for the job. It may have seemed like nepotism but she had grown this foundation from a pipedream into a leading charity. Several young, up and coming musicians thanked the foundation for financial support. We had contributed to new breakthroughs in treatments for leukemia. Hundreds of formerly homeless children had a place to call their own.

  “Where to begin,” Megan began. “We’re continuing to expand across America. We’ve got a good foothold in the New England area. However, we’ve faced a few roadblocks with the orphanages we’re trying to build on the West Coast. Metaphorically speaking.”

  I nodded. “Wasn’t that supposed to be finished last month?”

  “Unfortunately, we’re missing state approval even though we already have the greenlight from the federal level,” she answered with a groan. “Some state officials say we’re a British organization impeding on American orphanages, even if it the orphanages are run by American staff. It’s not like there is a surplus of orphanages. Quite the opposite really.”

  Charlotte asked. “Is it always this complicated?”

  “It really has nothing to do with us,” Megan continued. “This is just some governor’s office having a pissing contest with Congress over budgeting issues. It’ll take us a few extra months to win the building permits.”

  I sighed. “And we’re caught in the middle of the pissing match. These Americans always drag their feet.”

  Charlotte chimed in. “How are things back in the United Kingdom?”

  “Much better,” Megan replied. “You’ll still see the same song and dance but it’s easier to get the signatures needed. It helps when some local politician needs a photo-op with orphans for his reelection campaign. It also helps that we’re a well-funded organization.”

  She punctuated that statement with a quick peck on my cheek.

  “How do you fund this entire operation?” Charlotte asked, averting her eyes during the kiss. “Just off its size, it can’t be just Heath paying for everything.”

  “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t waste my wealth on fast cars and faster women,” I smiled. “With Megan’s business acumen, I’ve invested a good deal of my money in index funds, commodities, real estate, and a few other things. Yes, much of the profit is funneled into the Howard Lane Foundation with Jared’s help. However, we do accept donations from individuals and organizations. I also have an agreement with my record label to donate some of my sales towards the Howard Lane Foundation.”

  She looked skeptical which I couldn’t blame her considering my tense relationship with Sterling Records. “And your label was okay with this idea?”

  “Yes, a portion of the gross profit from merchandising sales goes towards the Howard Lane Foundation,” I answered. “The foundation gets donations. Sterling Records gets tax write-offs and a public relations boost. It’s a six run deal for both of us.”

  “A what?”

  Megan answered for me. “It’s a cricket term. You know, the game they play over in England with a bat and a ball? Think of six runs as a home run.”

  “I see…” Charlotte murmured. “What’s Heath’s role in this? Is he a CEO or president?”

  I sat back in my chair. “No, I’m the founder and honorary chairman who prefers being a rock star rather than an executive paper pusher.”

  “You should get more hands on, Heath,” Megan stated much to my chagrin. I never had the head for these types of jobs. It was why I had a tutor in the first place. “Your face can open a lot more doors for us.”

  “Please, my face is better at getting the knickers off women than it is at getting donations out of geriatrics,” I chuckled as the two women groaned. “Besides, we decided this would be Howard’s legacy. Not mine.”

  A bittersweet smile appeared on Megan’s face. “It’s still your show.”

  I changed the subject. “Is there anything else on the agenda? Did Tiny Tim get his Christmas goose?”

  “Well, there is the issue of our expansion into Asia…”

  I flashed a smile at Charlotte. “If you think trying to work with Americans is like pulling teeth, try dealing with the Chinese!”

  “It’s not that,” Megan interrupted with a serious look on her face. “We’re behind on payments in securing properties in Asia. I budgeted for our initial deposit but the funds never came in.”

  My eyes widened in disbelief. “We’re behind? How the hell did this happen?”

  “I’ve secured some loans at the last minute,” she continued with the dire news. “Short term, we’ll be able to lay down the groundwork and avoid any delays. However, my accountants can’t do their jobs if the money isn’t coming in regularly. Those last minute loans are costing us an arm and a leg in interest.”