Free Bad Boy vs Millionaire by Candy J Starr Page A

ramp up the publicity. You couldn't let an opportunity like this go by without capitalising on it.
    At the same time, the promotions company was fully aware they were taking a risk on an unsigned band and needed to be reassured the whole time. Doing that, without backing down on our position, took a lot of work.
    I'd been nervous as hell walking in there, nearly backing out and telling them to get a real manager in to do the work instead. Or a lawyer or something. I'd never done anything like that before, I’d studied some law subjects at uni and looked good in a suit but that was as far as it went. Once I got in the meeting though, all my killer instincts kicked in. I had to make sure that I did the right thing by the guys.
     
    ***
     
    When I got back to the apartment, everyone rushed to greet me.
    “ How'd it go?” they asked.
    I sat down.
    “ I think it went well.” I pulled the papers out of my bag. “I'll get my lawyer to look over the contracts and then I just need to get you guys to sign them and we'll get it back to them as soon as possible. The tour starts in a month's time so you need to get rehearsing. You need to be tight. Really tight. You need to rock the pants off every single person at the concert.”
    Spud picked up the papers.
    “ Look at you, Spud, acting like you can understand all those big words.”
    I laughed but I was surprised at the venom in Jack's words. It seemed like the Jack and Spud bromance was over.
    “ I'll go through it all later,” I said. “After we eat.”
    The delicious smells from the kitchen made my stomach rumble. It really did feel like I'd come home. Then I remembered. I hadn't had a chance to buy the face masks Eric-Mama had asked for. Oh no. I'd be in trouble.
    Eric-Mama smiled.
    “ Hannah!”
    “ I didn't get a chance to buy your face masks. I got Angie's email just after Eric's so I had to hurry home. I'm sorry.”
    Eric-Mama grinned.
    “ Oh, don't worry. It's good to see you home safe. Poor Hannah, having to go stay with the horrible Japanese. I hope they treated you okay. I don't trust those people.”
    “ I'm fine. Really.”
    “ See, she loves you. She just calls me Metal Face,” Angie whispered in my ear.
    “ How long until we eat? I have to change.” I looked down at my suit. I wanted to get it off and into some comfortable clothes.
    I ran upstairs and got changed then got out the presents. I didn't have anything for Spud but screw him. Why on earth would I ever want to buy him a present when he'd never been anything but unpleasant to me?
    Angie squealed and exclaimed over her boots.
    “ They are perfect, Hannah. And they fit just right. Wow, I've wanted these for ages but they were far too expensive with the shipping. Now I am officially the coolest person in the world.”
    Eric-Mama rolled her eyes.
    I handed over the other gifts to Eric and Jack. Jack caught my eye for a moment, the two of us locking glances but I looked away. His eyes asked questions I didn't know how to answer. For a second, I wished everyone else would disappear so we had time to talk. Time to act like a couple who had been reunited. Then I shook that thought away. We weren’t a couple and we weren’t united and I really didn’t want to burn up every time he looked at me.
    The dinner table looked as if it'd collapse under the weight of all the food. Eric-Mama had gone crazy with the cooking. What an awesome woman she was.
    “ Sit down and eat, Hannah. You need to be fattened up after that tasteless Japanese food.”
    “ Actually, the food was good.” Oops, maybe I shouldn't have said that. “It wasn't as good as this, of course. I love spicy food. You work so hard to make us happy.”
    I dished up a generous plate of food but Eric-Mama took the plate from me and topped it up further.
    “ Did you make sure we got a decent rider for the tour?” Spud asked.
    “ Huh?” I couldn't remember any discussions about the rider at the meeting.
    “ Our rider? The stuff we get after