The Royal Contract

Now, she stood beside him as his date for the night, in front of a group of his clients. She learned that it was not hard to like him because all of these people only had high praises for him.

He had been the perfect gentleman ever since she had met him. Honestly, she had yet to find fault in him. The only flaw she managed to dig about him when she searched him on the internet was a few cases he lost defending his pro bono cases. She could hardly fault him about that.

“You are lucky to be dating this fine young man.” The sweet lady told her, patting her on the hand. “If I am still young, I would point a gun at him and force him to marry me.” It caused an uproar with the other guests.

“You mean to say you don’t think I was not as hot as him when you finally agreed to marry me.” Her husband reacted and complained, looking like his heart was just broken, making stubbing gestures towards his heart.

“You know I marry you for the money, dear.” She teased her husband for forty years, creating more laughter among friends. Everybody knew that the two had an almost perfect marriage. At least that was what everybody could see.

“I will try to look at my options.” Haley jokingly said to the adorable couple, not wanting to appear affected by their bantering. But honestly, any woman would be lucky to marry a man like him.

.....

He seemed perfect in every sense.

But that was usually where the warning bells go off.

Nobody could be without any defect or imperfection. In her book, everyone had a skeleton hiding in their closet, waiting for its revelation at the most unfortunate time.

But that was the problem with finding a new partner. She had to open herself up to all kinds of risks. She had to trust someone before he would trust her to show her who he was.

“I think you have planted enough silly ideas in her head.” Gerald smiled at the other guests before excusing them from their company. “If you don’t mind, I want to dance with my date.”

He pulled her to the dance floor, then held her body against his, leading her to the rhythm of the slow music. “I hope you did not take them too seriously. They could be a handful sometimes.” He whispered near her ears.

She would be a hypocrite if she denied that his voice did not tickle her spine down to his toes and his hands had not electrified her, making her exhilarated not because of the celebration but his presence.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think your friends said anything I have not figured out myself.” She admitted to him that she knew more than enough about him. “But I do wonder what else you are hiding.”

She looked up to his face, staring into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts, but all she saw was his admiration directed at her. Instead of making her doubt his intention, she felt more hooked on his appeal.

Either he was genuinely interested in her, or he was good at acting. After all, he was a great litigator, winning most of his cases. He was good at his words and making bluffs. He was no different from a liar and a performer.

“So, you have been researching about me. Smart girl.” He nodded in approval. “But you should not trust everything you read on the net. Some of it might be real, but many might not be what it seems.” He continued to warn her.

She knew those words should send chills through her bones. Not the kind of excitement that had her toes curling but the one that had her lips trembling in fright.

But honestly, she was not afraid of him, not even one bit. But her mind still insisted that she did not know him. He could still end up a psychopath, a killer hiding in the guise of a saint.

“Of course, I have to. I had to be sure that you are who you said you are.” But still, what she knew about him could only be a quarter of his true identity. “But you are right. The articles could be wrong.”

She believed it would probably take months or even years before he would show his true colors. In the meantime, all she would see was only the good side of him.

It was the reason she would rather stay single. She had no time for building a relationship and the patience to wait to get to know one. Then, eventually, she would be disappointed to learn that he was not the man she wanted in the end.

But was she ready to take that risk with this man?

“Are you ready to tell me everything? Confess to all your crimes.” She playfully asked, smiling sweetly at him as he swayed her to the music.

She knew she was threading on delicate and uneven grounds. She barely knew the man. Technically, this was just their second date if she considered last night as a date.

However, she could not help but test the waters if he would say something that would make her feel differently about him. Why wait for the dirt to come off when she could peel it now?

“I think we are not in that stage just yet. But I assure you, I have many secrets under my belt.” Gerald looked at her with that boyish smile planted on his lips. “Just like you have things you still do not wish for me to find out.”

Then, he had her twirling around in time for the music before catching her again. She landed on his chest with his eyes fixed on hers. She felt trapped in them, unable to look away.

It sounded like he was scaring her away, telling her she should run for the hills. But her feet remained planted on the floor, and her hand entwined with his.

She knew she was not running away. Instead of fear, she took it as a challenge. Just like her, she believed that they were the same. Their secrets had them hiding in the guise of their careers.

Unable to risk trusting people again.

Afraid to be judged.

Haley believed he was scared of the past that haunted him all his life, just like her.