THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 36. Not Wanna Waste Time.

While stirring a glass of hot milk to warm up her night, Emma was dumbstruck at the kitchen dining table. He thought of Elric's attitude which was lately, so to speak, strange. Her attitude is sweet and always says bouncy words that make Emma wonder what she means. Very different from the beginning of their meeting which was full of quarrels and ridicule each other.

Although Emma was lazy to guess, but she was a little curious what was with the child. Don't you think Elric likes me?

Emma scooped her face. He hoped his assumption was not true. Maybe Elric just needs a friend who can make him comfortable to tell about anything. I hope so. Emma gulped her milk. The shadow of James' handsome face flashed across his mind. Emma's lips revealed a faint smile. It was still clear in his memory, the expression on the man's face when he caught her in Elric's room. Between surprise, dislike and disappointment. I don't know. Maybe that's what Emma can describe. But, James is a quiet man. It is mature and mature.

How does it feel to be James Howards' girlfriend? A man whose age is so far away from him. Not only that, he is also the bassist of Hellbound. Age was no problem for him as James was the most handsome adult man he had ever met. Certainly many young girls his age were still infatuated with James. Especially he is rich.

Emma held up her beard with both hands. Her eyes were thrown to the kitchen ceiling. A faint smile flung from his lips. Elric said James liked it. And the man did say his solids at dinner. But, Elric also said, he has a lover. Emma's lips pouted. If James already has a lover, why does he express his liking to him?

A glass of milk and get out of his seat. Emma is getting sleepy. He has evaporated a few times. The girl went straight to her room and climbed into the bed and hid under her thick blanket. Emma doesn't have any heating for now as her monthly bill is still bloated. His salary also had to be deducted from his student loan before he used it to pay rent for the apartment and buy simple groceries.

After a while her brain wandered out of nowhere, her eyes closed and Emma entered the dreamland.

***

That afternoon, as Emma finished her last job at the restaurant and got ready to go home, she was startled by the noise from outside the restaurant. Emma walked out of the employee room and stepped into the crowd outside the restaurant.

"Ah, that's the girl I'm waiting for."

The voice of a man behind the crowd of his co-workers as well as some people Emma did not know made them step aside and all eyes stared at him.

"My goal is to come here, to pick up this beautiful girl." James, walking up to Emma who was still standing in front of the restaurant door then grabbed her palm and took the girl to her car parked on the side of the road.

"Emma! Cinderella!"

"Lucky girl (lucky girl)!"

"I wish I were you, Emma (if I were you, Emma)!"

Calls and condolences from her co-workers continued to be heard until Emma got into James' car. "My apartment is only a ten-minute walk from here" Emma said. He only realized why he had just complied when this man took him into the car.

James chuckled as his hands gently stroked Emma's head. "I'm sorry I kidnapped you." He didn't stop his car in front of Emma's apartment building. James drove the car out of East Harlem.

Emma looked at the handsome man in astonishment. "James ... My apartment was late" he said.

"I know."

"Where are you going to take me?" ask Emma. His chest was currently timid. Just last night he imagined all about this guy next to him, now he's in his car, with him.

James pulled the corner of his lips. "Anywhere. You're probably gonna like it."

"But .. I wear my work uniform."

"You look sexy. I like girls in uniform" James said, glancing at Emma's slightly exposed thigh. Emma hurriedly lowered the skirt covering her thighs to her knees. That made James angry. Emma's shy expression is adorable.

"Yes." Yeah."

"You want to watch live music, have a drink and talk?" bargain James.

"Okay." Emma smiled faintly at her own appearance. Knee-high running suit, stockings, vintage flats, and maroon red knit sweater wrapped in her work clothes. Not a good costume to watch a show. So lame with James' neat appearance, and of course all that was attached to his body was expensive and branded goods.

James took her to the rooftop of a hotel in Central Park. There, there is an executive lounge with beautiful twilight views of the Hudson river and Manhattan skyscrapers across. It seems that only certain people are allowed to enter the lounge. Emma saw all the visitors dressed fancy and looking rich. It was just him that the most incompatible being was there. Even the appearance of the Lounge servants was much more luxurious than him.

"We're sitting here." James took Emma by the hand and took her to a table attached to a glass divider on the edge of the lounge. From there, the Hudson River looks so beautifully illuminated by thousands of lights. "How, Emma? You like this place?"

"This is .. beautiful. Just this time I knew there was a place this good in Manhattan." Emma chuckles. "Ah of course, this is not my class," he continued later.

"I'm thrilled to be the first person to accompany you to explore the great places of Manhattan."

Emma blushed. James' words are romantic. The flowers in da da Emma began to bloom. "Emma .. There's a special performance tonight. You must know him." James pointed to Emma's back on a small stage filled with two men, Lazer Harp and an advanced vocoder with intricate digital buttons.

Emma immediately went wide and closed her open mouth so surprised. The two men are legendary French electro duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Hommem Christo, popularly known as Daft Punk.

"You're joking (you're kidding)!" squeal Emma.

"I'm not (no)," chuckles James. "Dries. Sit beside me so you can enjoy their show in peace." He patted the empty spot next to him asking Emma to sit there.

A waiter came to take James' order with Emma to change seats next to the man. Two glasses of liquid blue light up when highlighted from the stage, and two plates of caviar nachos, one of the most expensive snacks in the world. And again, just this time Emma felt it.

Last night Emma imagined what it would be like to be the lover of James Howards. And today, God gave him an answer.

"You look beautiful, Emma." James, now getting closer to Emma, whispered words of praise in the girl's ear. The sound of music that the French duo played on stage began to sound. Her voice helped Emma to drown her heartbeat.

"I don't want to waste time, Emma. I'll say it again. L like you. But this time you have to answer me." James grabbed Emma's haircut that fell on the cheek. He put his face closer to the girl's face, but he still gave some distance. If Emma answered yes, then those beautiful thin lips would be immediately frowned upon.

***

Hannah pulled over her car across from a five-star hotel in the Central Park area. His chest thumped to see James holding a young girl into the hotel lobby. He followed where James went. He also knew James would be watching the legendary Daft Punk special at the executive lounge on the rooftop. And he thought, James must have invited the woman he was after. His guess did not miss.

James's immense sense of belonging encouraged Hannah to keep the man by her side. He's been pondering for a few days. Would it be fitting that he did everything he could to keep James from turning away from him?

She's not a bad woman. He's not gonna do anything embarrassing or frame James and stuff.

Hannah will fight fair. So there he was, standing at the front door of the lounge after taking care of the entry permit with his permanent member card in that elite bar. Yep. James several times asked her out there, and ended up with a hot romance in a hotel room.

***

I missed my precious sleep for an update here. 🤘🤘🤘