Page 17 of Not Your Golden Boy

Harry laughed, but he was also acting. The compassion in the man’s eyes was vibrant.

They reached the front entrance of the studio, but instead of going straight in, Harry stopped just outside and stared at Nikky. As much as Nikky wanted to look away and hide so the man he admired so much wouldn’t see the pain echoing furiously inside of him, he met Harry’s eyes and tried to smile.

“You really want me to help you blast your entire career to bits,” Harry said. Nikky wasn’t sure if it was a question or a restatement of fact.

“Fame isn’t what I thought it would be,” Nikky answered, fully aware of how vague he sounded.

Harry was silent for a few more seconds as he studied him. “But you love music, you love acting, and you want to keep doing it.”

Heat and a weird sort of embarrassment flushed all through Nikky. He didn’t know what he was doing. His plan to hire someone through Rent-A-Boyfriend to blow up his public image was half-baked at best. He questioned everything now, questioned whether he was spinning out of control without anyone to help and guide him and keep him on the right path.

He worried he was turning into his mother.

“I love music and I love acting,” he said quietly, no idea how to defend himself or justify his choices.

Another uncomfortably intense silence followed before Harry sucked in a breath and nodded. “I think I know what to do,” he said.

Relief bigger than anything Nikky had ever known flooded him. “And what’s that?”

Harry didn’t answer directly. “If you ask me, I don’t think you need to torpedo your career or your public image to accomplish what you want. You just need to change the narrative to stop people like Albion and your fans from putting you in a shiny box where you don’t belong.”

“Okay,” Nikky agreed slowly.

“You need to be the author of your own narrative and to create that box yourself,” Harry went on.

“Sounds good.” Something fizzy and exciting started to build in Nikky’s stomach at the way Harry watched him with mischievous calculation.

“You can have your cake and eat it, too, you just need to shift from lemon drizzle to black forest gateau.”

Nikky laughed. “I have no idea what that means.”

A sly, seductive look spread across Harry’s gorgeous face. “You’ll find out,” he said, clapping a hand on Nikky’s shoulder. Nikky felt tingles spread straight through him to his dick at the touch. “Do you trust me?” Harry asked on.

“With my life,” Nikky answered breathlessly, meaning it far more than he should.

Harry grinned. “Then have fun at your recording session this afternoon, don’t let Albion walk all over you, and I’ll be back to pick you up and take you out at the end of the day.”

“Okay.”

Excitement and anticipation buzzed through Nikky, making him half dizzy. He could hardly hold still as he and Harry hugged goodbye and as he headed into the studio and back through its hallways to find Albion so they could get to work. Even if Albion did push him to try out a dozen songs that were wildly inappropriate for the image he wanted to cultivate for himself, which was exactly what the afternoon brought, he could let it all bounce off him like none of it mattered.

Because Harry had a plan.

“We’ve done some really good work today,” Albion said once they called it quits near six o’clock. “I think it’s obvious you’re going to be a massive star.”

“I just want to put out an album I can be proud of,” Nikky replied as they walked together to the foyer. He managed a genuine smile, even though he’d hated most of what Albion had presented for him to test out. “An album with a good amount of my own music,” he clarified.

“Sure, sure. We’ll talk about it,” Albion said, patting his back as they stepped into the wide front foyer.

Harry was already waiting for him by the door. He’d changed into black trousers, a black t-shirt, and black leather jacket that was tight enough to show off his body. He’d also outlined his eyes with dark liner, which gave him a sexy, dangerous look. The smile he gave Nikky made his knees weak.

“You ready?” Harry asked, sauntering forward like he would grab Nikky by the collar and lead him out into the dark of London and into all sorts of trouble.

Albion didn’t approve. “You need to watch who you spend your time with,” he warned Nikky in a low voice. “People have lost careers because they’ve hung out with the wrong crowd.”

Nikky could have laughed. Albion had hit the nail on the head without realizing it. “I’ll be fine,” he said, breaking away from Albion and crossing to Harry. “I’m ready,” he answered Harry’s earlier question. “But now I’m wondering if I’m underdressed.” He looked down at his faded jeans and logo T-shirt.

Harry’s grin turned downright lascivious. “We can go shopping on our way to the club.”