The Royal Contract

When they stopped in front of the structure, Jacky felt like a shiver went through her body. The place was very familiar to her. She was surprised that Sebastian brought her to Marcus' favorite restaurant.

It did bring back some of their memories together, but it still did not change the fact that he was someone she did not want to have any relations with ever again. She was moving on, and Marcus was already in her past.

"Shall we go in?" Sebastian asked as he assisted her out of his car and towards the restaurant. "I think I failed to mention earlier that you look beautiful tonight." He whispered just near her ears as the host ushered them into their reserved seats.

She could only nod and smile at the sweetness of his voice. If only she could feel a spark in his voice as it caressed her skin, but unfortunately, she only felt a fondness for him.

"Thanks for going out again with me." He said as he looked beyond the menu in his hand.

"I am happy to be here with you." She said with a cheerful smile. Well, she was indeed glad to be in his company. He knew many interesting topics they could talk about, besides having a great sense of humor.

After ordering, her eyes could not help but wonder if he was here tonight. She was hoping not to bump into him anytime soon, or if possible, never, but Marcus frequented this place.

"Are you alright? You seem to be a bit preoccupied." Sebastian remarked as her eyes continued to wander around the room.

"Yes, sorry about that." She admonished herself. She should be focusing on her date and not someone who was not even there. "I just remembered something."

"Anyway, do you remember Robbie? He wanted you to have this. It is just something he drew for you as a thank you for sitting with him." He handed her a folded paper.

"That is so sweet of him." She unfolded the paper and checked the drawing of a small kid. She could picture him doing it on the other side of his mom's bed as he waited for his mom to get better.

She suddenly remembered Andy. She was so busy with her life that she had failed to update him lately. She wondered what was going on with his little brother.

"He kept asking when you will come back to the hospital. I think he had a little crush on you. I can't say I blame him." He said, giving her a boyish grin, which she believed was one of his charms.

"Well, I hope that his mom gets better soon." She did love kids since she had taken care of some of them when she was young.

She also dreamed of having her own someday when she finally met the right man for her. Would it be Sebastian? She could only ponder on it, but she believed that Sebastian might be a good husband and father material based on her assessment.

But for her, she still was skeptical. But as she said earlier, she had to learn to open herself to the possibility. Because she believed Sebastian was a good catch. It would be a waste to dream of something she could not have when someone was already sitting next to her that was real.

"She is. In a few days, we could send them home." Sebastian told her. They talked more about things that interest them both.

Finally, she found herself enjoying her time with him that she did not notice someone walked in and had his eyes on her.

The only time she learned of his presence was when he stood in front of her and greeted her. "Jacky fancy seeing you here." 

"Marcus, I am not surprised to see you here." She acknowledged the man she had wished not to see tonight.

Then, Marcus turned from Jacky to her date and extended his hand to him. "Marcus, Jacky's friend." He introduced himself, assessing the new man in Jacky's life, not that he should care.

"Sebastian." He took his hand with a bit of caution. He could sense the slight animosity in Jacky's welcome to his presence. He suddenly realized that he must be the reason why she was searching for someone earlier.

But he was not about to snoop around their business unless they made it his business. He would wait for Jacky to tell him if she felt comfortable sharing that part of her life with him.

"Well, just came by to say hi. I don't want to keep my date waiting." Marcus gave them a curt nod and a smile before turning away and walking back to his table. A young, gorgeous lady was indeed waiting for him. Jacky noted when her eyes followed him involuntarily.

She would be lying if she denied that she still felt the invisible string that pulled her to Marcus before. Maybe it would take time before she would eventually sever all her ties with him. But she intended to do so.

She also realized that although she did not feel the same attraction for Sebastian compared to what she had with Marcus. It was still better to be in a relationship with someone who respected and would probably love her one day.

"So, about him. He was my ex, and we did not end on good terms." She suddenly felt that being upfront with him about her past was the best way to keep whatever relationship they were building.

She might as well tell him slowly bits and pieces of herself if she would like to keep dating him. At least, if he thought that he was not worth his time, she could find out right away and not when they were already in too deep.

"I did figure that much from the way he was looking at you. But you don't have to tell me anything yet if you are not comfortable." He was not going to force her if things between them were still raw.

He knew what a heartache could do to a person, and getting over it was usually hard. But he believed that Jacky deserved a chance to be happy. If luck and fate would have it, he wished he could help her make it better.

"Thanks for understanding." She looked at him, seeing him in a different light for the first time. He was a person she could easily talk to, and somehow her heart seemed to know that she could trust him.

Maybe it was time that she gave herself a chance to find love with him. If she could only focus her attention on him, then she might eventually feel the same way.

She could not keep pining on someone who was not a possibility, even if he seemed to be the best choice among the three. But concentrate on what was real, sitting just from across from her.

"I like you. And every time I am with you and discover new things about you only makes me like you even more." Sebastian told her what he thought of her.

He knew that she was still keeping a lot of her past hidden inside that heart of hers, but he was willing to wait until she was ready to open it to him. He believed that a girl like her was a treasure to be cherished.