Chapter Nine

The sushi unfortunately didn't work to lift Rhys Ryan's annoying mood. Even when we went shopping, he acted like he didn't want to be doing it. When he was in Harrods (causing chaos in there, may I add), I happily left the group for about half an hour. I just needed some time out from the ill-fated shopping trip, if you know what I mean. During my time out from the moody Mr Ryan and the very keen staff and the borderline hysterical fans, I did manage to find a gorgeous floaty chiffon cold shoulder top. I wasn't in the mood for trying to find a dress for the party tonight. I not only didn't have the time to find one, I didn't have the inclination, either. I'm not even sure whether I'll be going now. I'll have to see how the rest of the day goes before making my final decision. Hence, the purchase of only the gorgeous little top. It will easily add some pizazz to my work trousers and heels, if I do decide to go to the party after all, and it's also something I will definitely wear again—so it's not a wasted buy if I do decide not to go.

When I eventually met back up with everyone, Mr Mega Famous seriously looked like he'd had enough. Even though he had worn a baseball cap and some shades, he was still being recognised everywhere he went in Harrods. Nightmare! The more mayhem that was happening around him, the moodier he became.

Now that we are making our hurried way back to the cars, there seems to be many more waiting paps and fans—an insane amount of them!

"How about an actual smile today, Rhys?" One pap sarcastically shouts out.

"We love yooooooooou!" Some half-laughing, half-sobbing girls wail out to him.

"Yeah, Rhys...how about giving us and your fans a nice little smile today?" Another pap decides to goad him.

Rhys Ryan suddenly stops, although his face is shadowed by the peak of his cap, I can see he is about to blow; about to negatively react. "Don't give them what they want, Rhys. Smile and then wave. Give them exactly what they don't think you will." My eyes request that he listens and my smile requests that he responds accordingly.

His brows that are angrily pulled in, begin to gently return to their relaxed state. His cold stare, slowly becomes warm. And his grim mouth, curls up into an almost-smile. He says nothing, but his sedate expression tells me all that I need to know. Peeling his eyes away from mine, he turns to face the growing and rowdy crowd. Mr Mega Famous is back, flashing everyone his charismatic smile and waving eagerly at the sobbing and screaming fans. This is all happening whilst his nervy entourage all let out a huge sigh of relief, knowing that this scenario could have turned out so very differently.

Me? I'm just glad that he listened.

**

When we arrive at the stadium, Rhys is no longer moody, he just seems a little subdued. If I knew him better, I would ask him whether he is okay or maybe just give him a big hug, because he really looks like he could do with one right now. Unable to do either of those things, I decide to just hang around the periphery of everything that's going on. Which is fine with me. I love to people watch. People watching is kind of my thing. When Will asks me to help fetch some merchandise with him, I think nothing of it. Rhys Ryan however, certainly does. Tactlessly so, he snaps at his friend. "Clara isn't here to help you, Will."

Surprised by his sudden rudeness, I quickly defend Will. "I am happy to help, it's better than me doing nothing."

Still, Rhys won't have any of it. "He's on my payroll...you aren't."

With unrestrained exasperation, I snap. "Thank bloody God!" My eyes flick across to Will, who seems totally unaffected by his friends rudeness yet is obviously enjoying my bitter bite back at Rhys.

"Right, follow me!" Rhys glares at me, ordering me to follow him.

My stubbornness instantaneously kicks in, this is where Rhys Ryan meets my true Taurean side. "After I have helped Will with the merchandise." Every emphasis is on the 'after'. As Rhys just rightly pointed out, I am most certainly not on his payroll.

With angered footsteps, he marches towards me. "To hell with the merchandise!" Then grabbing my hand, he's pulling me behind him down the corridor.

I dig my stiletto heels into the Marmoleum flooring, refusing to take another teetering step as I wrench my hand free of his. "How dare you! Firstly, you don't touch me. Secondly, I said after." My raised voice dares him to challenge me. He needs to get it into that famous skull of his, that I'm not his to touch or to order around.

Rhys Ryan looks all set to argue and throw the 'do you know who I am?' crap at me, but my wilful glare back at him makes his angered demeanour quickly change. In fact, I become the focal point for his sudden admiration. "Fine." Is his one word reply, marinaded in just a little defeat.

Feeling a tad victorious, I smugly nod at him before leaving with an impressed looking Will. Once completely out of ear shot from Rhys, I glance sideways at Will whilst we are walking. "He won't fire you, will he?" My angsty smile grows tauter by the second.

Laughing lightly, Will shrugs. "He may threaten to, but never does." Looking away from me but keeping up his quick pace, he tells me more. "I'm only on his payroll because he wants me around."

"How long have you been friends?" I ask, struggling to keep up with Will's quick strides.

"Since high school." He smiles at the thought.

I study the sweet and patient friend of Rhys Ryan's. Sweet, because he is. Patient, because he puts up with Mr Mega Famous. Staring at the way he keeps his brown curly hair neatly short to prevent it from becoming a mass of unruly strands, I wonder why he puts up with his long time friend. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?" My question blurts from out of my mouth.

Will slows right down, eventually stopping to talk to me face to face. His hickory eyes rest easy on my teal ones. "I don't."

Misunderstanding him completely, I slightly shake my head at his reply. "But, he just—'

Will politely stops me from saying anything else. "Clara, I know him. He's a little preoccupied at the moment, that's all." His explanation is barely even that, it's kind of cryptic, if anything.

I don't accept what he's told me, so I push for more. "Will, I heard it for myself...Rhys was rude to you."

Shaking his head harder, Will refuses to listen to me. "You know nothing about him, Clara. Rhys and I have always had each other's backs, always. All you need to know is that he's got some things going on that are real hard for him to deal with."

The journalist in me is now fully intrigued. "Like what exactly?"

Will averts his eyes, reacting with guilt almost. "Personal stuff. I can't say any more, I'm sorry." To distract me from the truth, he starts joking around with me. "But I'm impressed with your handling of him. Not many people stand up to Rhys." He says, bumping against my shoulder with a cheesy grin.

With frustration, I draw in a breath and let it out before answering. "Maybe you should try it sometime, Will?"

Warily lowering his brows, his probing eyes gaze right into mine. "I thought you liked Rhys?"

Unsure of why Will would even ask that, I quickly give him my honest answer. "I do."

Lifting his chin slightly to only smile a little, Will speaks in a smooth and placating way. "Don't make assumptions based on what you've seen today, Clara. Rhys has a lot of stuff going on in his life that isn't for me to tell you, only he himself can decide to do that. Judging by his reaction to you just now, I think he would because he likes you."

Disbelieving him, I sneer. "Yeah, right! He just likes to annoy me."

Will looks at me with doubt tightening his face. "I think we both know that's not true." Tilting his head, he looks more intensely at me. "He likes you." His tone conveys a confident assurance before he starts walking again.

Doing just the same, I say to Will with a smirk. "Then all the time that he still likes me, we had better get this merchandise before his patience wears very thin."

Laughing, Will agrees. "True! Rhys and patience don't really gel."