JAMES
Old man James the first was livid. His bulbous nose turned firehose red, reminding me of Rudolf the red nose reindeer. He slapped his hand on the living room table, so the coffee cups rattled dangerously.
We were in our private dining room in the Barrington mansion, Westwood. Grandfather summoned me to appear. Not that I wanted to be there.
“I’ve had it with you, James. Had it.” He shook the paper he had in his other fist. “What were you thinking? A bar fight! Again.”
I shrugged. So what? The guy deserved the black eye he received. He was moving in on my territory. And my, was she fine…
“The tabloids are having a field day with your escapades.” My father, James the second had to throw his five cents in. He read the headlines aloud. “Billionaire playboy picked up by local police for drunk and disorderly.” He scowled at me while reading, gritting his teeth. “Will Billionaire James Barrington the third ever grow up.” He showed me the photos.
I smirked. That was one hell of a party.
Grandfather stood up to his full five feet four inches height – I was over six feet. He pulled me down by my leather jacket, until our faces met. “What do you have to say for yourself, young whippersnapper?”
“What the fuck is a whippersnapper?” I asked, I really had no idea. I wasn’t being snippy.
I thought the old man was getting a stroke. His face turned puce, a horrible color. Flecks of spit appeared on his lips.
“You… you… I understand now why some mammals eat their young.” He spat at me. He released me to fall back into his chair, wheezing for breath.
Father brought him a glass of water. His scowl turning darker.
“James, show some respect!” he patted the old man on his back. “You have gone far enough. It’s time for you to take responsibility. Time to pull your weight.”
“And by that you mean?” I actually know exactly what he meant. They’ve been after me for months, trying to get me to take interest in the company. I’m not completely uninterested, I do go into the office from time to time. But why waste my life sitting in a boring office when everything is going smoothly? With or without me, the company is doing great.
“Your reputation is doing great damage to the Barrington name and to our company.” Father straightened his tie. I imagined that was what he wished he could do to me. Straighten me out.
I leaned against the table, folding my arms, waiting for the lecture I knew was coming. I’ve heard it so many times I could actually quote them verbatim.
“It’s time for you to get married. Stop your mucking about.” Grandfather wheezed. He reached for his inhaler in his pocket.
“Say what now?” This was unexpected.
“Sit down.” My father said, and for the first time in my twenty-six years I obeyed like a puppy. I was shocked to the core.
“You know Richard Davenport?” Father asked, knowing full well I knew the Davenports having gone to private school with their children.
Can’t say we have a loving relationship. They were very snobbish. And she was such a prude.
“Yeah? So?”
“We’ve set up a date for you with their eldest daughter, Macy Davenport. She would be a good match for you.” Grandfather smirked at me. The old man looked delighted with their plans.
“A good match as in you want us to get married?” I asked calmly, but inside the rebel in me was getting ready to explode.
My father who knew me better tried to reason with me. “Just go on the date, James. What have you got to lose?”
Only my freedom.
“She’s an attractive girl. Very respectable. She’ll be good for your image.” The old man’s blue eyes looked me up and down and the grim look on his face told me he wasn’t pleased with what he saw.
I was clad in all leather; my brown hair was long, and I hadn’t shaved in a few days. Not ‘respectable’ at all, according to the Barrington’s.
“Not my type.” Putting it mildly. I remember Macy. Blonde, blue-eyed, but oh so shallow. She cared more about her appearance than anything. “No way in hell.”
“You haven’t seen her in what? Ten years.” James the second tried again. He was getting agitated, pulling at his perfect dark hair.
I shook my head. “I don’t care. You can’t force me to marry a girl I don’t know or care for. In fact, you can’t force me to marry anyone! For fucks sake this is not the Middle Ages.” I was no longer calm. These were the times I wished my mother were still alive. She would have given them hell.
I got up to leave but Father stopped me. “Do you know our shares have dropped? You would have if you spent more time in your office.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with me?” I didn’t want to spend one second more with them. I needed to get on my bike and get the fuck away from them.
“Idiot! Every time you do something stupid it reflects badly on the company. Now either you get your shit together, or I will disinherit you. Not only disinherit but cut you off completely. You will find yourself on the streets, young man.” Old man James yelled at me. He clutched at his heart. I found myself wondering if he even had one.
Father reached for me, “Be reasonable, James. Do you really want to throw your inheritance away because of your stubbornness?” He took off his glasses to glare at me with his light blue eyes.
Of course not. I wanted them to see me, not as a clone of them, but as me, James Barrington, Jimmy to my friends. Through all the years I have been nothing but James Barrington the third, heir to the Barrington Billions. I had to dress like them, walk and talk like them, expected to fit the mold. But I am not like my father. I am my own person.
I was still trying to figure out my life and what I wanted to do with it. Without them pushing me into a mold of who they wanted me to be. But I needed their money. Sad but true. So, they wanted me to get married and change my ways? Fine. But I will do it on my own terms.
I took out a cigarette to light it.
“Don’t smoke in the house.” Grandfather snapped back at me. Another thing he loathed about me.
I put it behind my ear. “I will compromise.” I told them.
My father frowned. “Compromise? James, this had better not be one of your schemes.”
Grandfather huffed through his nose, turning his head away in disgust. The old man hated me that’s for sure.
Leaning forward with my hands on the table I looked the old man straight in the eyes. “Fine. I’ll get married. But not to Macy Davenport. I’ll find my own damn wife, thank you.”
Grandfather laughed in my face. “Yeah? And who are you going to propose to? Some whore you picked up at a bar. One of your gold digger ‘girlfriends’?”
“Dad, let’s hear what James has to say, please.” Father said. It amazed me that he would come to my defense in some way. That was new.
The old man raised a gnarled hand to let me continue.
“I have someone in mind.” I lied through my teeth. So help me, I will find a girl who has no idea who I am, and I will convince her to marry me. Even if it takes me a while, granted my face has been plastered all over the tabloids and social media. I don’t want to marry some gold digger like my grandfather suggested. They were a dime a dozen. I needed to find a girl with no status. Someone so ordinary just to spite the James’s.
“Oh really?” Grandfather didn’t believe me. “Well, young man, you have three weeks, and I am being very lenient to you. One week to present your lady to us and two weeks to arrange your marriage. If you don’t deliver… You know the rest.”
“Fine.” I stood up straight, adjusting my leather jacket. Father gave me a warning look.
“James, stay out of trouble.” He said, walking me out. “And make an appearance at the office, for God’s sake.”
“I’ll try my best,” I told him, smirking. Trouble has a way of finding me. I put on my helmet and started my black and gold Hayabusa. It purred like a kitten.
My father shook his head. Another thing the James’s disapproved of. I revved the engine and sped off down the long driveway.
DESTINYI was so late. So late. I hyperventilated. Everything was wrong today. My boss was going to fire me. My alarm didn’t go off, I forgot to charge my phone. Now I couldn’t get my damn car started.“C’mon Susy, don’t let me down!” The starter whined again and after the third try my old beat-up 76’ Beetle gave a cough and revved into life. “Yes!”Slowly I pressed down on the accelerator. Susy didn’t take kindly to being rushed. Praying fervently for my luck to change – please don’t let Ken fire me today – I steered Suzy down the gravel road. I needed this job otherwise I was going to be out on the streets. The trailer park was all I could afford with what little money I had.I’ve worked for Ken at the convenience store for six months now. He was a real piece of work, and I hated the way he looked at my boobs when he thought I didn’t notice. At least he hasn’t tried anything. Yet.Shit! I never even brushed my hair this morning, I realized when I looked in my rearview. My pink hair
JAMESHer name was Destiny. I couldn’t stop laughing. Be careful what you wished for, James old boy, you just might get it.“What’s so funny? What’s your name anyway? Maybe I’ll find that something to laugh at.” She said, pouting.I guess she wasn’t all that bad looking, pink hair and all. She had a nose ring which surprised me somewhat. I supposed she could clean up nicely.“James.” I didn’t add Barrington the third, not that I thought it would matter to her anyway. I got up and gave her my hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you, Destiny.”“Well, nothing weird about your name. So, you’re not in a band?” she asked, and I might have imagined it, but she looked a bit disappointed.I turned around to look at the wreck of my Hayabusa. The old rust bucket of a Beetle didn’t have that much damage. Fucking hard piece of metal! I sighed. My leg started to smart. Probably getting infected.Grabbing the handlebars, I tried prying the bike off the monstrous car.“Damn it!” It wouldn’t budge.“Let m
DESTINY This man! “Why would you want to fake marry me?” Gosh, maybe he was touched in the head. Or he could have escaped from some asylum, and I brought him to my home. Good going, Destiny. I always attract the weirdos. “Like I said, Destiny… You owed me, have you any idea how much damage your rust bucket caused? That motorbike cost more than this entire property.” “Well, now you’re exaggerating.” I shook my head at him, does he think I’m stupid or something. “Okay, but still. My father and grandfather have threatened to disown me if I don’t get married and settle down. And I really like my lifestyle.” He explained, sitting down beside me on the sofa. I shifted up, not trusting to be so near to him. “Are you rich or something?” I frowned at him; I was not going to be some rich boy’s plaything. “No, nothing like the sort. I work for my father. I’m the only child.” He smirked at me. “Would you want to be married to a rich man?” “I’m no gold digger!” I have always managed well e
DESTINYWhen I entered the house, I stood still in the middle of the entrance hall. I’ve never been in a house this big before. There I was with my two shopping bags of all my worldly possessions standing in this impressive place that smacked of wealth. Gosh, and he said he wasn’t rich! The carpeting on the floor was worth more than my Susy. Not that I know that much about carpets. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. Who has chandeliers, even?“Hey! What are you standing there for?” James peered down from the banister on the second-floor landing. “Come on up. I’ll show you to your room.”“Okay.” I started up the stairs to where he waited. “Jeez, don’t look so scared.” He said, frowning at me.“I’m not. Do you live here alone?” I couldn’t believe he had all this space to himself.“Of course.” He pulled me behind him down the corridor. There were four rooms on opposite sides of the passage. He opened one door and pulled me inside. “This is your room.” “Wow!” I couldn’t help but stare
JAMES“Well, that’s done.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Arthur left after two hours of trying to convince him I knew what I was doing. We gave him our notes on our expectations, and he promised to have a draft ready by Monday latest.Destiny had a pensive look on her face, she chewed on her lower lip, staring into space. She’d better not be having second thoughts about this.“Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Johnson?” It scared me how much I sounded like my father just now.“Your lawyer friend doesn’t like me much.” She looked up at me with those big olive-green eyes. Actually pretty, I thought.“Does it matter? We need to do some serious shopping. I can’t have my future wife looking like a homeless person, now, can I?” Her sense of style sucked seriously.“Excuse me?” she huffed, “What’s wrong with me?” she sounded miffed.“Where do I start…?” I pulled her up from the couch and twirled her around. I liked the tight jeans. She had a nice ass, and I could tell her boobs were just the size
DESTINYThe way James and Giovanni stared at me made me feel self-conscious. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve ever looked this good. I used to hate the color of my hair until today. Giovanni really knew his stuff.“Thank you, Giovanni, James.” I blushed like a teenager.“My pleasure, Bella!” Giovanni kissed me on both cheeks like he greeted James. It felt strange to me, I wasn’t used to affection from strange people.James held out his hand for me to take. He looked pleased with himself, a smug grin on his face, like he’d won the Lotto or something.“Let’s go, gorgeous.” he said.Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I took his hand, and we strolled out of the salon.“Mr. Barrington! Mr. Barrington!” Someone called out and James stopped in his tracks, swearing under his breath.Barrington? Was that his surname? Why did it sound so familiar?James looked over at me, “Can you run, Destiny?” He grasped my hand firmly. “Come!” We ran to the car. He opened the door and
JAMESShe really had no idea what she was doing to me. Damn, what have I gotten myself into? I can’t remember when last I had a girl as innocent as Destiny. I think when I was thirteen. No, scrap that. That girl took my innocence, and she was three years older than me. She was no innocent little virgin that’s for sure, I remembered and grinned. What was her name again?“James?” Destiny broke me out of my thoughts.“Yeah? Sorry, I spaced out for a moment.” Watching me with those big olive-green eyes of hers while sucking on her milkshake… Oh, my God, James! Stop it! This girl drove me nuts! I wanted her, that thought sobered me enough to choke on my beer.I spluttered and coughed, tears stinging my eyes.“Gosh! Are you alright, James?” She got up to pat my back, her cleavage almost in my face. God, she smelled amazing. I wanted to press my face against those pretty mounds.“I’m fine…just fine.”She handed me a napkin to wipe my face, trying to hide her smile. She had no idea how gorgeo
DESTINY“Good afternoon to you too, Grandfather. Let me introduce you to Destiny Johnson, the girl I am intending to marry.” James said just like that, beaming a smile at me.The two men stared at me as if I came from another planet. I was dumbstruck, hanging onto James’s arm like he was a lifeline. “Good afternoon.” My voice managed to slice through the heavy silence that seemed to press down on us.James’s father was the first to react. He stood up and reached out well-manicured hands towards me. His grip was firm enfolding my hand in both of his.“I must say, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Destiny.” He was an older version of James, but more polished. It was clear that James got his handsome looks from his father.“Yes,” the grandfather drawled, wrinkling his nose as if he were smelling something unpleasant. “More like surprised to see you actually exist.” He placed his newspaper down on the table next to his chair.James pressed my hand reassuringly. He did warn me his grandfather