The Royal Contract

“What happened to you?” Haley looked at her friend, surprised to see a wound dressing on her arms when she walked to her apartment where they were assembling.

She remembered leaving her at the hotel last night still in one piece. So, she was curious about the bandage. How did she manage to get wounded in a hotel room?

“I went for a walk at the park and got lost, then a man with a knife tried to rob me,” Amelia explained to her as she sat beside her on the table she had set up with a few plates.

Haley planned to make it a working lunch to save time. She knew most of them were busy with their schedules. She did not want to waste their valuable time.

“Oh my! That was terrible. Are you sure you are alright? Have you been to the doctor? What happened to the robber?” Haley rambled on with a few more series of questions.

She immediately dropped everything she was doing and went to her friend’s side to check on her. So far, aside from the plaster, nothing seemed to be out of place.

.....

“Don’t worry. Evan took care of it all.” Amelia assured her. “I was lucky he found me and helped me.” She did not give more details.

But hearing a familiar name piqued her interest. She wondered if it was the same man as her brother’s friend. But several people were carrying that same name. It might just be a coincidence.

“I am glad that you are ok. But if you need anything, tell me.” Haley said, genuinely concerned for her friend.

She was her guest. She felt responsible for her safety at all times. But before she could ask for more details about this man who rescued her, the other guest at this gathering had arrived.

They had to meet with the other event organizers to polish up a few more problems that occurred at the last minute. These things were typical in a party this gigantic, so they usually had to use their backups or remedy the situation with a new plan.

Then, one of the caterers of the event had a shipment problem. Although it was not their problem, it still affected their event. They had to find a new one on short notice.

“I guess we already tackled everything,” Haley concluded the gathering after discussing all the issues. It was going to be their last meeting because the event was tomorrow night.

Hopefully, everything else would go without a hitch. Now, all she had planned for the rest of the day was a girls’ bonding moment. She would be introducing Amelia to the rest of the gang.

“Ready?” Haley asked Amelia as they left her apartment after all her guests had left. She had lined up a few activities for them to do since, after all, they had to look great for the ball.

“Ok. What are we doing today?” Amelia asked. It was clear she had no clue of what she had in mind. “And where did you run off last night?” She continued to ask as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

Haley did not know that her friend noticed since she looked preoccupied with herself. But should she tell her about her not-so-conventional date? Until now, she could not stop thinking about him.

“I met up with a man for the fundraising for a late drink.” Haley finally admitted as her lips curved into a smile as she recalled the man in her mind. Maybe it was better to tell her about him. She probably needed someone to listen and tell her this was crazy.

She could sense that he was no ordinary man. He might be dangerous, but something about him intrigued her. She could not help but feel excited to see him again.

“Oh! And from the look on your face, is it safe to say you like him?” Amelia concluded, probably because it was all over her expression.

She suddenly remembered that after several drinks, her fear had been unwarranted. They only talked about several different topics, ranging from their works, some sports, and a few more subjects.

But after that, he walked her towards her car. But instead of letting her drive, he asked his driver to take her home. He believed both of them had too much alcohol to drive safely.

She felt disappointed that she was leaving. She had no idea why. Was she expecting Gerald would ask her to stay? Honestly, she wanted to, but she was not that girl who initiated anything.

Then, when she was about to get inside the car after saying goodbye, he pulled her back, which made her land in his arms. But before she could react, his lips captured hers, gently at first.

When the shock had worn off, she started responding to his advances. The kiss became more passionate. His lips had been more demanding, while his hands were more possessive as they wrapped themselves around her body.

“I wanted to kiss you all night.” He whispered breathily when he finally let go of her.

She remembered she could feel her body tremble underneath his touch. How much her body craved for it to continue. But instead of asking her to stay, he said goodbye.

“But will you be my date on the Ball?” He finally asked, leaning over the open door of her car as she sat in the backseat.

Still dazed from that mind-blowing kiss, she nodded first before she could find her voice. “I would love that.” She answered, excited at the prospect of spending more time with him.

Then, he leaned closer inside the car, planting another gentle kiss on her lips. And she savored it, enjoying his soft lips. She believed she would enjoy kissing him all day if given a chance.

As the car finally sped away, she still could not believe that he had kissed her. She still felt the excitement of feeling his body pressed to hers and his lips claiming hers. It was like a dream.

However, her mind still played alarming bells, creating arguments that made her question if it was a good idea to associate herself with him. Although all her research pointed out that he was a great man, something about him still screamed danger.

He seemed to be too perfect.