Bad Boy vs Millionaire

by Candy J. Starr

  “He seems to be settling down for me.” Vicious curled up against me as I patted his fur. The cold tip of his nose pressed against my neck.

  “You must smell good.” Tamaki smiled. “He has been howling most of the night.”

  I shrugged. More likely he could smell the bakery treats on me.

  “I've heard puppies like to have a ticking clock near them when they sleep. Don't you have one on your bedside table? There's one in my room.”

  “I don't have one.”

  Tamaki followed me in and I gave him the clock. Good riddance to that noisy thing. Then I curled up on the couch and ate my muffin while Vicious sat on my lap trying to catch the crumbs I dropped.

  “Don't you have to get ready for work?” I asked Tamaki.

  “It's okay, I've just got some meetings this afternoon. I'm more worried about Vicious at the moment.”

  Tamaki smiled. He'd really grown attached to this little fellow.

  “You love dogs, don't you? You must've had a house full of them growing up.”

  Tamaki shook his head. “My father hates dogs. I always wanted one but it was impossible.”

  He bit his bottom lip and looked away. I figured there was more to this than Tamaki said but, before I could ask him more, someone pounded on the door. Then Vicious jumped up, barking like crazy. I'd not even officially moved in yet and I kept getting visitors. Maybe it was someone complaining about the dog noise. It couldn't even be Angie since she didn't know I'd come back there last night.

  “Do you want me to get it?” asked Tamaki as I tried to shush Vicious.

  “That's okay,” I replied and handed the puppy to him then walked to the door.

  “God, you are hard to find. I had to pester Angie to get your address. Bloody hell, Hannah. What happened last night? When I saw the empty bed and your stuff gone, I panicked.”

  “Jack. Do you have any idea…”

  Jack wrapped his arms around me, smothering me with his body. Inside me, the emotions whirled. Maybe I should’ve stayed with him the night before and ignored my own fears. Maybe he’d needed me.

  There was something different about the way he held me, like a smidgeon of vulnerability had seeped out through the cracks in his tough guy façade. I had to let him hold me and show that I wasn’t scared, that I hadn’t been scared off by the way he’d been in that state. Somehow, I knew that if I acted differently towards him, this thing would blow up to pieces inside him.

  “Fuck, I worried something like that happened.” He stroked my hair. “I can’t even remember… it’s not me, Hannah.”

  I wanted to tell him how I felt, all the anxiety that had been building inside of me. How I’d felt so scared. And I needed to know why he was like that. You couldn’t just act like that without wanting to understand why. He needed to see someone – maybe he already did and didn’t tell anyone. I wanted to say so much but, before I could talk, Vicious started barking again.

  “You have a dog?” He looked around trying to locate the noise.

  “We rescued it yesterday.”

  As Jack pulled away from me, Tamaki stood up from the couch.

  “It's my dog.”

  Jack looked from Tamaki to me in confusion. I sighed. This did not look good. Not good at all. Why couldn't Tamaki have just disappeared when he heard the knock at the door? Jumped off the balcony or something.

  “What the hell's going on here?” All the softness left Jack’s body. He balled his fists and his mouth became a firm line.

  “This is Tamaki. He lives next door.” I wanted Jack to understand. I wanted Jack to not make a fuss and realise that Tamaki was just a friend. No different than if Angie had dropped over.

  Tamaki stepped forward and held his hand out to Jack.

  “Hi, I'm Tamaki. I'm Hannah's fiance.”

  Chapter 16. Hannah

  Jack totally ignored Tamaki's outstretched hand. He stood in the doorway, glaring first at Tamaki and then at me. His body tensed and I wanted to run to him and hold him.

  “It’s not true.” I looked up at Jack, hoping he’d believe me and not make a fuss.

  Without speaking, Jack moved toward Tamaki, shuffling closer and closer until Tamaki had to take a step back. The whole time Jack did not break eye contact, although Tamaki turned to me with a questioning look.

  At that moment, Jack looked dangerous and a little insane but part of me couldn't help but think it was hot as well. His eyes flashed with an arrogant contempt that would’ve had me quaking if I were Tamaki. But Tamaki didn’t quake. Instead, he looked down his nose, as though Jack was hardly worth his time.

  The ice cold of Tamaki’s stare met the white heat of Jack’s.

  I grabbed Tamaki's arm, pulling him away.

  “What the hell are you talking about? You are not my fiance. Why would you even say that?”

  I wanted to scream. He'd just said that to cause trouble and the trouble had truly been caused. It was exactly the thing I did not want to happen. Tamaki broke free of my grip without answering me.

  They circled around each other, sizing each other up. Both with nostrils flaring. I had to do something before one of them got violent. Jack was much bigger than Tamaki but, after seeing Tamaki in action with those thugs, who knew what he was capable of?

  I could almost smell the testosterone in the air and I wouldn't have been surprised if they’d started butting at each other like wild beasts trying to gain dominance. I held my breath, not knowing how to break them apart, when Vicious jumped off the couch and ran between them, barking at their feet.

  I picked Vicious up and held him to my chest, not wanting him to get scared by all their man shit.

  “Hannah.” Tamaki moved toward me. “You have to watch your reputation hanging around with people like this. He has tattoos. Are you sure he's not involved with the underworld? You could end up in a lot of trouble.”

  He smiled at Jack, not the glowing smile he used with me but a tight, thin-lipped grin of dismissal.

  Jack cracked his knuckles.

  “Listen up, I don't know what your game is but if Hannah says you aren't her fiance, then you shouldn't be telling people that. Hannah, are you going to put up with that? He's being a jerk. Want me to throw him out with the garbage?”

  I needed to get them to settle the fuck down. I moved over to one of the sofas and sat. It was not going be easy. In fact, I considered throwing the pair of them out and keeping Vicious, who seemed like the only sensible one even if he had shed a fuckton of hair all over my clothes.

  “It's okay,” I said, patting Vicious, “the silly men won't hurt you.”

  They both glared at me.

  “Sit down the pair of you. We need to get this sorted out.”

  “Or you could just throw him out and explain to me.” Jack walked to the window and stood with his back to me. “What the hell, Hannah? Are you leading some kind of secret double life? How do you go from bunking down at our place to shacked up in a fancy apartment with this guy within a few days of coming home?”

  “It's not like that.” I sighed.

  “Like what? Has this been going on from before? Hell, I know nothing about your life. Maybe I should just leave you to it.”

  “Sit down.”

  Jack sat at one end of the sofa, his foot on his knee. Tamaki sat at the other end, his body turned from Jack. Where to start, I wondered. I knew I had to bring it all out in the open but it was such a tangled story. I needed Angie here. Angie was good with this kind of thing. No matter how I worded it, this whole situation would look ridiculous.

  “Okay, it's like this. I went to Tokyo, which you know. And my father, well this is pretty fucked up, but he had some offer to marry me off to this guy.”

  “It wasn't quite that mercenary, Hannah.” Tamaki looked hurt but I didn’t really care. If he was going to say ridiculous things, he couldn’t expect me to worry about his feelings.

  “It seemed that way to me. They thought we could get married and it'd solve all my dad's
problems. Tamaki, well Tamaki's father, is rich. It's kind of complicated but you get the idea. Anyway, I refused. Of course. Before things got too crazy, I got Angie's message and came home. Then I found out Dad had organised this apartment for me. I didn't know Tamaki lived here until I got here.”

  Jack sprawled back on the couch.

  “So, what’s in this for you?” he asked Tamaki. “She gets a marriage and her father gets rescued and you get what?”

  Tamaki straightened up but didn’t make eye contact with Jack.

  “I’ve come to care about Hannah.”

  “Bullshit, you hardly know her.”

  “Hannah, I think we need to talk alone. You know this is a mutually beneficial arrangement and my father wishes ―”

  “And you got a dog together? Come on, Hannah, that sounds dodgy as fuck.”

  Vicious had settle down in my arms and I explained to Jack how we'd found him.

  “So this weirdo follows you halfway around the world, moves in next door then you go out with him rescuing dogs? That sounds a bit strange to me, Hannah.”

  It actually did sound strange when he put it like that, even to me. I couldn't explain how things just happened and how we’d had to go to lunch because we didn't want Tamaki helping me get my stuff in case Jack saw him and asked questions. Which was pointless now because it had all ended up like this, which was even worse.

  I don't even know why I needed to explain myself to Jack. It wasn't like I owed him anything.

  “I'm not a stalker. I had to come here for work and it was just convenient for me to organise both apartments in the same building. And Hannah, you haven't explained anything about this guy yet? Who is he?”

  “This is Jack. He's the singer of my band. And…”

  I wasn't sure what the “and” was. Boyfriend? Lover? Friends? How did you put a word on something that you couldn't define?

  Tamaki glared at Jack.

  “Okay, now that's all explained.”

  “Not quite,” said Jack.

  Before he could say any more though, I noticed a growing wet area on my lap. I screamed and ran in the kitchen for a cloth. Tamaki and Jack stared after me, wondering what was happening before noticing the puddle themselves. Poor Vicious, he’d probably been upset by the raised voices and everyone getting angry.

  “Vicious!” said Tamaki. “Sorry, I don't think he's house trained.”

  “Well, what do you expect, having a dog in an apartment like this? It's not like he can run outside. Dogs belong in proper houses, not apartments.”

  “Not that it's any of your business, but what were we supposed to do? Leave him abandoned in some laneway?”

  Jack picked up the puppy and scratched him behind the ears.

  “You could've taken him somewhere like Beagle Rescue. How do you know he doesn't belong to someone? It's not like he's a stray that was just abandoned on the street.”

  I ran into the bedroom to get changed, hoping they wouldn't kill each other before I got back although I was tempted just to stay in the bedroom leave them to it, let them fight it out. I hated all this conflict. It made my stomach hurt. I’d just tell Tamaki to give us some time and I’d explain it all to Jack. It’s not like I’d done anything to encourage Tamaki.

  “I think you should let me take this dog. I'd give it a better home. At least we have a garden. And I could get it sorted out.”

  What the hell? Jack was going to take the dog? I stood in the bedroom doorway watching them.

  “It's my dog. I can sort it out myself.” Tamaki moved to take Vicious from Jack but Jack kept hold.

  “It's obviously not working out. You know nothing about dogs. Just look at you.” Jack sneered and rolled his eyes.

  Tamaki took Vicious out of Jack's hand.

  “I'll buy you some new pants, Hannah,” said Tamaki.

  “Yeah, buy her a new sofa too.”

  I noticed the wet spot had got through to the sofa.

  Jack huffed.

  “That will solve everything. Just open your wallet and get whatever you want. That's a great way to live your life. People like you make me sick.”

  Jack ran his fingers through his hair.

  “And Hannah, why don't you marry him? You'd be rich again. You could go back to your fancy friends and your fancy clothes. You wouldn't have to worry about us or about money. No more slumming it.”

  How was this even a thing? I'd given no sign that I even wanted to marry Tamaki. Had I complained about money? Had I said I wanted to go back to that life?

  “I don't want to marry him. It's a stupid deal.”

  “But you moved into this apartment. It's quite a bit better than your last place. You could've told your father to stick it and found a place on your own but you didn't.”

  I didn't like the way Jack looked at me. I wasn't this person he tried to make me out to be. The idea of explaining things to him privately suddenly seemed stupid. He’d never listen to me. He was too busy getting all riled up about things.

  “I told you… do you even listen to me? I came back to sort out the deal for you. You should try to understand…”

  The ground between us kept widening and I wanted to run to him but I couldn't. The burning look in his eyes scared me. So burning I didn't know what to say. He could push me away so easily. Maybe it was some kind of defense mechanism, a way to put the walls back up around us but his defense mechanism hurt like hell.

  Tamaki just sat there, staring at us with a smug look on his face. That annoyed me too. This whole situation made my head pound.

  “Do it. Try it out. It's the life you wanted. Remember how you wanted to sell the band contract. You couldn't get rid of us fast enough. All you thought about was getting back to your rich life. Try it for a month and then decide. You can't live between the two worlds. You either have to give it all up including your father, who I think is a total idiot, or marry him and have it all. I'll give you a month. If you turn up to our first gig on the tour, turn up leaving it all behind. You have to be prepared to stand on your own two feet. Otherwise, don't turn up at all.”

  Jack sneered at me. He looked at me the way he did when I first started managing the band. When he thought I was an idiot and he wanted to get rid of me. Just like that, he’d managed to erase all the history between us.

  “What sort of a fucked up ultimatum is that? You can’t tell me what to do. I'm your manager. I have to be around.”

  The pounding in my head got stronger. I tried to control my voice but he made me so angry.

  Jack stood up and paced around the room.

  “Yes I can. Have you heard of Blainsley Management? Real bigwigs in this business. We got an offer yesterday from them. They want to take us on. I don't know the legalities of it but they'll get you a decent price. That's why we were so late at rehearsal last night. Discussing it.”

  My stomach clenched as though I'd been kicked. They'd leave me that easily? They'd been discussing it? This is why I could not trust Jack Colt. I turned from Jack but Tamaki sat with a smirk on his face, patting Vicious. He needn’t think that, just because I was arguing with Jack, I’d turn to him. This wasn’t an “either/or” situation for me.

  “I didn't want to even think about it but I can see your heart isn't with us. I don't want a half-arsed you in my life. I don't want this going backwards and forwards. Things have been rough for you, Hannah, and I know I've been a part of that. But if you can't be mine 100% then don't be mine at all. That's what I'm saying. You mightn't like it but you have to make a decision.”

  I flew across the room and punched him in the chest.

  “What the fuck? You’ve never said you wanted 100%. How can I be committed to you 100% when every time something doesn't go your way, you walk out? What am I giving 100% to? A less than 100% you? You are like maybe 65% at best. That's not good enough for me. I can't deal with the running away. And I can’t deal with the dishonesty. You’ve never been honest with me. I didn't say I wanted the money or the fancy life. You ju
st assume that.”

  I swung at him again but he grabbed my hand. My stomach twisted with all the emotions building up in me.

  “You say that but you've done nothing to prove it. I can't give you a fancy apartment like this. I have nothing. I can give you nothing. Maybe I never will be able to.”

  “You're one to talk.” I stepped away from him, folded my arms.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The apartment, your father gave it to you. You weren't too proud to accept that.”

  Jack stared at me for moment then, to my surprise, he laughed. His laughter crackled, dry and lacking in actual humour.

  “You believed that bullshit story? The apartment is Eric's. That whole story is just something I tell chicks.”

  Somewhere behind my eyes, lights flashed red with blood pulsing from my brain. I didn't answer. A story he told chicks? I was just another chick sucked in by his stories?

  “Fine,” I finally answered.

  “Fine,” said Jack. And he walked out the door.

  I turned to Tamaki.

  “You can leave too. I want to be alone.”

  When I had the apartment to myself, I threw myself on the bed and sobbed. Everything was a nasty mess.

  Chapter 17. Angie

  Sheesh, I had some work to do, convincing Hannah to even go to this gig. She'd told me about the fight with Jack and all that nasty business but she was still their manager and had to be here. I didn't want all that responsibility again. Responsibility is balls and gets in the way of fun.

  “This is not a time to run away,” I told her. “This is a time to fight. Make sure they know you are there and you aren't backing down. If you aren't around, of course they are going to sign up with The Man. Can they do that, anyway? You have the contract.”

  I stood on Hannah’s balcony, smoking a cigarette and watching all the little ant-people scurrying around on the street below.

  “I've thought about it. If they want to get a new manager, I'm not going to stop them. What's the alternative? Fighting them every step of the way? I've already done that. Why can't things just be easy?”

  I mashed my cigarette into the plate ashtray and came inside. The ant people could look after themselves.