Fighting Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 1 Page 3

  “How did it go, Ash? Let me guess. You’re an astronaut with NASA now.”

  “Not quite.”

  “A page three girl for The Sun.”

  “Close, but I turned them down.”

  “Umm. You’re the new Mayor of London.”

  “No. The selection process is a little long for my needs.”

  “What then?”

  “I am the most hacked off girl in London, that’s what.”

  “Interesting. Is the pay any good?”

  “Not to start with. But leching is on tap.”

  Penny made a face. “Uurrrgh. Do tell.”

  I recounted the tale of Turkish coffee and Mediterranean come-ons at Yemek’s. Penny looked horrified and amused in equal measure, and when she laughed I told her she was a bitch. She loved that. I showed her the stack of application forms destined for my bedroom trash can.

  “I was hopeful for you, Ash, but not optimistic. Sorry. Look on the bright side, at least you didn’t end up having to drink that coffee.

  “The bright side is he didn’t offer me any cream.”

  “You are so disgusting, Ashley.”

  “Correction, he was disgusting.”

  “Anyway, you involved me in your little drama, for which there is a price.”

  I frowned, jokingly. “If it’s financial, it’s more than I can afford.”

  “I tend to meddle. As you get to know me you will see that I’m a meddler. Don’t get me wrong,” said Penny, “I’m cool, I will laugh at your jokes, but the downside is that I’m a meddler. I can’t help myself.”

  She was just a tad drunk already, which made me smile and sip my own beverage. The cool cider tasted so good after all the stress of the day. “How have you meddled, Pen?”

  “I got talking to some people after the seminar and I mentioned you were in a tight spot for some cash.”

  “Oh. Exactly who did you tell, Pen?”

  “Well, it’s true isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t need people to think Miss Olivia Twist every time they see my face.”

  “Boys you mean.”

  “Especially the boys!”

  Penny’s face went a little serious and then I knew she’d told everyone. “Oh Lord. Is it going to be in the student newspaper?”

  Penny nearly coughed her booze up and laughed. “No. But a few people know. Including a couple of special people. Well, one special person.”

  “Who? Come on?”

  “Brandon Lynes.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’ll see, he’ll be here in, what, five minutes…”

  “Who is Brandon Lynes? And why do you know he will be here in five minutes?”

  Penny did that coy shaky head thing and sipped her drink. She clammed up. Now I felt embarrassed, awkward and excited to boot. I nearly polished off the rest of my cider in two minutes flat.

  “Penny, there you are.” A deep voice appeared behind me. I looked up to see the figure of a man who regularly worked out at a gym. There was a lumberjack shirt – blue check – over a plain white vest, and the vest clung snugly to his body as he outstretched his big arms to schmooze Penny with a continental double kiss. Yes, there were pectoral muscles. Check. And those little sidey muscles. Check. And signs of a six pack. Check. Oh Lord. I looked up and behold, I saw the face of the man. Penny stood to receive her continental kiss, and briefly hugged the guy back. Then the guy looked down at me, and I took the opportunity to look him full on in the face. Good cheek bones, and a long square jaw. There was a bright white smile shining at me from between two full male lips. There was stubble, but not the hipster beard which I had grown to dislike because so many guys were sporting one. Then there was his long hair swept back into a parting, revealing his big shining blue eyes. I was temporarily stuck looking at his face like when a child looks at up at the stars for the first time. He was the Lion King. The guy from the lecture who gave me the look. I was caught up in wonder, and I needed to snap out of it or risk looking a total moron. Luckily, Penny meddled some more.

  “Ashley, this is Brandon Lynes. Brandon’s on his second year in Literature, but he’s already something of a hot shot on the literary scene. He got published in August in Ostler’s Review. You wrote a tribute to George Orwell, right?”

  “It was a homage to Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier, his political/biographical pieces on poverty. Orwell knew what society needed to hear and he served it right up to them, warts and all. Society needs a similar voice today, so I tried to write a piece in that vein. Ostler’s liked it, and the rest is history.”

  “And you were interviewed in G2 last year. It’s like the media are tracking your progress. Brandon is going to make it big, Ashley.”

  “I’m sure he is,” he was a poster boy, and it turned out he was clever and charming and destined for fame – not just celebrity – but cool fame. Literary fame. If he was on Facebook I would have been ‘liking’ right there.

  “But I’m not here to talk about that stuff. Penny said you were having some problems. Wait, do you want a drink?” I shook my head but Penny accepted. Then he went to the bar.

  “You should have said yes, Brandon Lynes is loaded. He comes from money.”

  “Well of course he does. He has everything else going, so old money would just complete the set. What’s he here for?” I was dreading Penny’s response. But it wasn’t so bad.

  “Influence. This guy has groupies in high places. Wait and see.”

  Brandon returned after mixing continental greetings and chat with about fifteen different huddles on the way back from the bar. He worked the room like Kofi Annan. I was impressed. Already a part of me deep inside was doing a nice warm little dance as I watched him. “I want,” I thought to myself with a silent dreamy smile.

  He made it back and proffered Penny her drink. “So, the university has given you a deadline. And you are stretched financially?”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  “You’re looking for work?”

  “Yes. But good work.”

  “Well, you could do research. That’s academic work. Have you done research before?”

  “Yes, I looked up the train times before I got here.”

  He smiled and his face softened. He looked good.

  “Okay, let’s leave research out of it. What kind of work would suit you, Ashley?”

  “The kind of work which is hardly any trouble. It stays where it is, contained in my life only for the hours I work there, and it has nothing to do with my college life, its work I can enjoy, oh and it pays well.”

  “Hmmm. Nice. I’d like that job too. I know you’re on the English programme, but would waitressing be beneath you?”

  “Cleaning a floor with a toothbrush would not be beneath me right now, Brandon. Just so long as it pays.”

  Brandon sipped his drink as a few newcomers emerged at the top of the stairs. They were cool looking arty types. They saw Brandon and then stopped walking any further. I guessed they were members of his entourage and had come to take him away. I resented them immediately.

  “Purdy’s diner. I know the owner, and I’ve been there a good few times for a night out. The tables there always tip well. You don’t get hassle because it’s not that type of place. Reggie and Purdy won’t stand for it. All you’ve got to do is be polite, smile, work well, and the job will go like a dream.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Brandon?” came a female voice from behind them. A girl with an arty angular fringe called over from the pool table area. She shook her head to make her hair swish. Brandon did not look round.

  “It’s no more than two miles from here.”

  “It seems you’re in demand, Brandon,” I said, trying not to show my resentment.

  Brandon made a shy face and looked over his shoulder and gave a little wave. “One sec, Amanda.”

  “So how do I get this dream ticket?”

  “I’ll make a couple of calls. All you nee
d to do is show up there, and they’ll give you a shot.”

  “When?”

  “I’ll have it done by this evening. So you could turn up at Purdy’s tonight or tomorrow. The rest is up to you.”

  “Wow, Brandon. Thank you! You’re going out of your way and you don’t even know me.”

  He laughed. “I know a damsel in distress when I see one.”

  I looked at Penny and she looked at me out of the side of her eye. She made the slightest perceptible raise of her eyebrow. I was a damsel in distress, so what did that make him? Damn right. Had this guy just put himself up for Prince Charming? Maybe. I know it’s cheesy, but it wasn’t my metaphor, it was his. I noticed he liked to smile at me and that he wasn’t in much of a hurry to run over to Amanda and the avant-garde squad, so I began to feel pretty happy and relaxed in his company. Being around Brandon was disarming, and made me feel special. For the first time all day I began to forget about my money drama. His presence made me feel warm, inspired even. I was on a definite high. But the day had been such a rollercoaster I knew I should have expected another change to come.

  “Penny! Penny for your thoughts!”

  I’d been so busy indulging in the simple introduction with Brandon that I’d barely noticed Penny smiling quietly beside us, observing us as we talked, like she was our audience. When I heard the penny for your thoughts line, I looked over and caught Penny’s slightly bored look, but she gave me the old eyebrow raise to say ‘don’t worry, it’s okay.’ Yes, but not for long. As dedicated as my attention to Brandon was, Penny had organised his help, so I shifted my legs and head around to take her back into the conversation, which was exactly when the boy who delivered the ‘penny for your thoughts’ line sat down beside Brandon. Brandon and the new guy looked at one another, but they weren’t going to be close, I saw that straight away. They gave each other the nod of greeting, and they might have added ‘Hi.’ But I don’t think so…

  “How are you Penny? Did you manage to catch up with the lecture notes?” said the new guy.

  The guy was slim with a shining face, high cheekbones and dark eyes with long eyelashes. He had a boyish haircut with red hair. It was a short back and sides. He also wore a neat cropped beard. Beards were all the rage, either short or ridiculously grizzly. He was dressed in a tucked in plain shirt, braces and trousers. He looked pretty cool, but not to my taste. No, I’d found my taste already.

  “I’ll can catch up later, Cody. It’s R’n’R time,” said Penny.

  Cody. That was an interesting name, I thought, as I smiled at Brandon.

  “You should have heard the rest of Ridgley’s lecture. That man has such a wide knowledge. He knows the entire history of the novel from Don Quixote onwards and back again. It’s amazing. I think I could learn all I ever need to know just from him.”

  Penny laughed. “You sound infatuated… I do love a good book lover too. I’m sure that course is going to be fantastic.”

  As Penny and Cody’s chatter overtook mine and Brandon’s inevitably Brandon looked back to see his growing squad of literati groupies lingering behind him. He looked up and Amanda and a guy with a short spikey blond hair waved him over with a raised glass.

  “It was nice meeting you Ashley. And I wish you success with the job. You’ll be fine, okay? Just try Purdy’s this evening or tomorrow and everything will work out, I’m sure.”

  Brandon stood up and made a little wave with his big hand at me and Penny. He didn’t spend any energy on saying goodbye to Cody. It was only week two of the course, but maybe they had history, and maybe they didn’t. But as I looked around at this aquiline and excitable red-head as he worked his magic on Penny, my resentment descended upon him. If Brandon had stayed another five minutes, I’m sure we could have gotten around to swapping numbers or at least arranging a coffee together. I would have gotten my courage after another half drink, or maybe Prince Charming would have realised it was his job to ask me for a date. But the slim red-head in braces had taken the shine of our conversation long enough for Brandon’s groupies to distract him. At least now Penny didn’t look so bored. But on first impressions, I wasn’t going to like this Cody at all. He’d just cost me my best chance at scoring a date with Brandon Lynes, the lion king. Who knew when I’d ever get a chance like that again? As I listened to Cody and Penny, I was formulating a plan. If I got the job, I’d simply have to say thank you to Brandon somehow, wouldn’t I? It was only polite, after all. And when I said thank you, I’d be wearing my best knock ’em dead sexy outfit. The one which I knew I looked bad in. If I got near him in that, he was definitely going to ask for a date. And if he did, I would make sure he would get the date of his life…

  Five

  From the number of drinks being consumed by Brandon’s groupies, I could tell Brandon wasn’t going to call Purdy’s that night. I guessed he would call them the next day. I didn’t stay around much longer after he left. From obligation I made a little small talk with Cody. It turned out his parents were from the States, and they’d moved here to work in the Nuclear Power Industry. Weird background for an English student, but hey. He seemed nice enough, friendly and smiley, but by then I’d already settled for resentment. Once I take against someone it’s usually pretty hard to turn me around. I’m kind of stubborn that way, and life has also taught me that I’m usually right nine times out of ten. After getting so close with Brandon – or at least it felt like it was close- and after him trying to score me a job – I felt grateful, and just a little giddy with excitement. Was it possible that the hottest guy I had seen in the whole place had a crush on me? I knew I wasn’t unattractive, but this guy would have the pick of the whole place, and it was clear from his little groupie squad, that they weren’t afraid of letting him know it. I already saw that the girl with the shock and awe fringe, Amanda, didn’t like me on instinct, and I knew why. I was a rival and she knew it. But the fact she knew it encouraged me and made me want to get my man just to see the look on her face, as much as any more intimate reason. My first port of call was to get that job. There were two very good reasons for that. One – I could stay in college through paying my fees. Two – I could stay in college and help Brandon make my day. If I got the job I would have a double reason to feel, act and be grateful. It was going to be a win/win with a sweet juicy cherry right plumb on the top of it.

  Bars and restaurants are usually open from lunch time. I dressed smart but cute, in a black short- sleeve blouse and fitted patterned skirt which finished just above the knee. I wanted to convey style, a little sexiness, but also look the part. Purdy’s was around a mile and a half back down the busy High Street towards Lewisham, just as Brandon described. The main road here can be a desolate place full of smoky traffic and red buses, and there are a lot of small failing and derelict shops which are falling apart. But then suddenly there will be a pocket of bars, takeaways and restaurants again, before another bald spot of dereliction. Purdy’s was in a little oasis of takeaways bars and restaurants just a mile out from Lewisham. It had a steel grey painted wooden sign with back-lit raised metal writing. It was a wide-fronted place. Maybe it used to be a pub, but now it looked more like an all-things-to-all-people joint, a restaurant-bar-diner. Most pubs were trying to aim for the food market these days, and so was Purdy’s. Purdy’s was aiming for everything. There were cocktail menus in the window. There was a grill menu. There was entertainment and DJs. It looked all set for students, but thankfully not the bargain basement variety. People who went to Purdy’s would have to spend a lot more money than in the Union bar. Hopefully this meant good tips, and people who knew they had to behave. I checked my hair and face in the window, and looked passable, then went inside. It smelt clean, there was bleach in the air and it was dark inside. There was a radio on somewhere in the background, and a mixed-race woman with wiry dreadlocks was filling a metal container with cutlery over on a little wooden bar full of condiments and napkins.

  “Hi. I’m looking for Purdy.”

  “Hello, sweet
heart. You found her.”

  “Really?”

  “You might think you want Reggie. He thinks he runs this place, but really it’s my show. That’s why it’s got my name out front. On paper, Reggie owns the place. But everybody knows the score once they’ve been here once. So, do you want Reggie, or do you want Purdy?”

  I was a little confused, but plastered a smile over. “Um. Who do I talk to about getting a job here?”

  “Me, darling. Then I tell Reggie who I’ve just taken on. You see what I’m saying?”

  I think I liked her. She was a little crazy, you could see that in her eyes, but at least she was funny with it. And the place was hers.

  “You need a job. Are you a student, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah. Actually, Brandon Lynes said to come here. He said you might have a vacancy for someone like me.”

  “Brandon Lynes, eh? Maybe we do. Someone like who?”

  “My name is Ashley Pearson.”

  “Ashley. Yes, I think we could find a place for you.”

  I felt like cheering. This place had the hallmark of quality. It felt safe, and if Purdy was looking after me I knew no one else was going to mess with me.

  “Can you start today?”

  I thought about missing another class so early on into the course. But then I thought about having the money to pay for the course. It was a chicken and egg, and the chicken had to win.