THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN

Chapter 22. James is Too Old for You!

STANTON STREET, MANHATTAN.

Hellbound Basecamp.

James's eyes were rounded when he saw him from the glass wall, Elric was struggling with his guitar in the studio. He pushed the glass door and gestured with his chin at Elric to come out.

"Gram!" call James to Hellbound's assistant who's been working with them for a dozen years.

Sarah comes up from the kitchen to James and Elric. "Yes, James?" ask the woman.

"So I bought breakfast. Can you please get it in my car?" james said, handing the keys to Sarah's car.

James looked at Elric. "Have you had breakfast?" james was greeted by Elric's head. Then he took the young man to the kitchen.

"I think you've turned down Nathan's request for a Hellbound concert next month" James said, staring in surprise at Elric.

Elric just put his shoulder out. He did not want to tell his godfather that he only wanted to look good in front of Nathan, so that his father would give him freedom.

"You just want to look like a good kid in front of Nathan, don't you?" James chuckles. He could already guess the plan of his godson. Because he knew, Elric no longer wanted to play music anymore.

Elric just grinned. He grabbed a plate of Quesadillas Fritas that Sarah had thrust on him. "Thanks" he told Sarah. The woman pinched Elric's cheek in a gaunt while chuckling. He knew the child from the baby and took care of him a lot when Nathan took him to the studio. Seeing him had already become such a handsome young man, made him anxious.

"I bought it at the Mexican restaurant where Emma worked" James said, prompting Elric, who was chewing on a piece of tortillas to throw a glance at her.

"You ... are still chasing Emma?" ask Elric.

"Do you know what happened to Emma?" James asked Elric without answering his question.

"Hmm." Elric continued his tortillas.

"I'm really sympathetic to the girl" James said.

"You've got a boyfriend, James!" sergeant Elric showed his dislike.

James chuckles. "You mean Hannah?" tanyakanya. "I don't have any commitment with him."

"You're too old for her (you're too old for her)."

"Emma's not your age anymore, El."

"You're a womanizer (you're a Casanova)!"

James chuckled back. "You know, El .. if a man hasn't found the right woman, he'll stop by some woman. That's part of the search process."

"Then Emma? You planning to just stop by?"

"I don't know, El .. The first time I saw Emma in Greenwich, I was immediately attracted to her."

"Emma doesn't suit you, James!"

James raised both eyebrows, looking at Elric in surprise. "Why do you think so (why do you think that way)?"

"Come on, you're a rockstar, Emma is just an ordinary girl (come on, you're a rockstar, Emma's just a regular girl)." Elric said a very contrived reason. Of course he knows, there's nothing wrong with James liking Emma.

"Nonesense (bullshit)!" decih James's. "You know, don't you, Young Man .. Your mom and dad's love story?"

Elric pressed his shoulders. "Are you sure Emma likes you, too?"

James' lips are tickling. "That's what I need to find out."

Elric exhaled his coarse breath. He looked at James for a moment. His godfather was handsome. Long brown hair that was always neatly tied, then his hazel eyes, his athletic body, and strong jaws that were overgrown with thin hair. His age was ripe and he was the image of a real man. Gentle but Manly. Which woman can resist her charm. James is also rich.

"Well, you're not waiting for us to have breakfast" William chanted as he plucked a piece of tortillas from a plate Sarah had prepared.

"What breakfast? Hmm .. looks good." Nathan emerges from behind the door and follows William taking a piece of tortillas.

James wettest. "I'm sure your wives must have prepared breakfast. Elric and I are bachelors. No one prepared breakfast for us" he said.

Nathan looked at Elric in wonder. "I didn't know you were here. I thought you were still sleeping. Your mother didn't say anything to me either" he said.

"I slept here. I told Mom already (i slept here. I told you)" said Elric, leaving his seat and leaving the men with long hair.

Elric walked back into the studio and grabbed his guitar. His fingers tore apart the strings of the guitar, but his brain was busy thinking about his chat with James about Emma.

James was another father figure to him. More open, more relaxed in whatever he does. He was more comfortable talking to James than he was with Nathan.

But, for the first time, Elric felt insecure about James' existence. That guy has everything. Handsome, famous, well established and mature. Whereas he was just a kid yesterday afternoon who had nothing if not for his father being Nathaniel Bradley.

What a strange feeling. Envy of his own godfather.

***

Emma was wearing her sweater when Alice, her co-worker, approached her and nudged her shoulder with a mischievous smile. "How do you know James Howards, Emma?" tanyakanya. Apparently the girl harbored curiosity all day.

"Owh, I once taught personality lessons to Nathan Bradley's son. I met James there" Emma said as she grabbed her sling bag.

Alice followed Emma out of the employee's course room and walked out of the restaurant. "Well, it's nice to know famous people like them, yeah," said Alice.

"James and Nathan, they're good guys and gentleman. But Nathan's son .. he can get you high blood. Recalcitrant and annoying." Erlic's face just flashed through Emma's mind. The last time he met that brat was a week ago on the day Juana died. Elric accompanied her for several hours in Lessy's apartment. At that moment he was at the point where the sky seemed to collapse on him. Emma thinks Elric still has a little empathy for others.

"Maybe it's still a child and spoiled. How old is he?" ask Alice.

While passing through his old apartment, he sees a teenager with a maroon red hoodie sitting in a long chair in front of Ryan's apartment. Emma rolled both her eyes. "Why are you always hanging around here?" emma asked Elric while folding both arms in front of the chest.

Elric who was busy with his gadget looked up. His eyes sparkled to see Emma standing before him. "I'm working around here" he said, keeping the gadget in his backpack.

Emma hissing. "Working with gangsters? That so?" the accusation.

Elric shrugged both of his shoulders. "What matters is that you make money."

Emma shakes. He did not understand the child's mind. Why complicate his life when he has everything. Truly a handyman looking for trouble.

"Emma, sit here." Elric patted the empty spot next to him.

Emma took her breath. He sat down next to Elric. "What's your job?" tanyanya.

"Secret." Elric chuckles.

Emma clucked. "You're gonna get in trouble again, Elric."

"You don't have to worry about me, Emma. I'll be fine" said Elric, rounding Emma's eyes.

"Who's worried about you? As someone older than you, I'm just giving advice" Emma said.

Elric grimaced while scratching his head. "Are you feeling better (did you feel better)?" tanyanya diverted the conversation.

"yeah. I have to. I gota move on. I'm alone now (Yes. I have to move on. I'm alone now)" replied Emma.

"You have me .. emm .. still have a dad, right (you have me. emm .... still have a dad, don't you)." Elric who felt wrong said hurriedly said his words. He breathed a sigh of relief. It seems Emma did not hear her first speech.

Emma pressed her shoulders. "He's busy with his new woman (he's busy with his new woman)" he said.

"Funny, yes ..we both had problems with our father. It's just a different case." Elric reached into his pants pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes. He took a stick and lit it. "You want some (you want)?" bargain Elric while thrusting his cigarette pack on Emma.

Emma shakes. "You're crazy, El .. You have a really cool dad. Looks like you're in trouble yourself."

Elric breathed his cigarette smoke into the air. "It's hard to explain. You need to be in my position first. You'll understand."

"Maybe (maybe)" said Emma. His eyes were blankly staring into the streets. His daydreams ran out when the phone in his bag rang. Emma hurriedly picked up the thing. There is an unknown number on the screen. "Hello?" Emma says hello. A few moments later, he looks nervous. "Emm ... I .. yes ... no event ... tonight," he said.

Elric looked at Emma suspiciously. He knew who was calling the girl. "Who called you?" tanyanya.

"Emc ... James," Emma replied nervously.

"What do you want?" ask Elric. He clearly showed an unhappy face.

"Take me to dinner."

Elric hissing. "Don't accept the invitation!"

Emma frowned. "Why (why)?" tanyanya.

"He's too old for you (he's too old for you)" replied Elric coldly.

"Why indeed?"

"You want to have an old boyfriend like him?"

"Huh?" Emma blinked her eyes. His face looks confused. "Did I say I want to be her boyfriend?"

"You're a fool, aren't you?!" hardik Elric made Emma gasp.

"Why are you saying I'm stupid?!" Emma exclaimed in annoyance.

"You can't really guess if a guy's taking you out to dinner, what does he want?"

"You want to tell me James likes me?" ask Emma with sparkling eyes. His chest suddenly thumped.

Elric hissing. "This girl is stupid" he grumbled.

"Guah!" Emma hit the tip of Elric's head hard, making the young man grimace while stroking his head. "What do you mean, Son of Breng sek!"

"Look!" firmly Elric. "Don't be too happy, Emma. James is a Casanova. Many beautiful women are hunting him. She already has a boyfriend. Name's Hannah. Beautiful, glamorous, and elegant" Elric said.

Emma's face pouted. That is, indirectly, Elric said that James' taste is high. Not a simple girl like her.

"I'm not saying you're not pretty enough for James" said Elric, who felt bad about Emma, who seemed offended by her words.

"You always say I'm ugly!" murmur Emma.

"Yes, that's true .. auch!" strangled Elric when his long hair was already in Emma's hand and pulled hard.

"Listen, yes, Son Breng sek! I'm going to dinner with James. I'll show you that I can be beautiful as well as the women who hunt her!" emma firmly moved from her seat and stepped away from Elric with a feeling of arrogance.

"James has a girlfriend, Emma!" exclamation Elric.

"I don't care (i don't care)!" emma shouted from a distance.

Elric got up from his seat and kicked the long bench in front of him hard. "F uck (Sia lan)!!" makinya.

***