The Royal Contract

"We had been talking about me all day. What about you? How was your date with Lance?" Dani asked her friend as she helped in the preparation of dinner.

The day in the office had been hectic due to the several cases she was handling. She still brought three contracts home that she had to review tonight to catch up with her work.

On top of all the things happening with her life, she barely had time to bond with her best friend. So now, she was taking advantage of their time alone to have a meaningful conversation with her.

"Honestly, I don't know if I can even call that a date. I think we are in a friend zone. He only likes my company while he is here, but nothing more." Jacky explained to her friend. 

That was her impression on their dinner date. She had expected that it would be nothing more. She had to face reality and not the fantasy world.

"Hold on." Dani placed down the plate she was holding and walked towards her friend.

She pulled Jacky and stopped her from continuing with her cooking. She made her seat down on the stool right next to the counter and stared at her.

"What?" Jacky complained, not at all happy with Dani's plans. She could already guess that Dani was about to get the truth out of her. She was doubtful if she could share with her everything she was feeling.

"What is going on here? First, you end it with Sebastian because you don't feel the spark. What about Lance? Do you feel the spark with him?" Dani asked, not beating around the bush.

Once and for all, she wanted straight answers. She would figure out what was going through her friend's mind. It was the only way she could help her with whatever was happening to her.

"I do. I think Lance is perfect. He is everything I want in a guy." Jacky said dreamily for a moment, then her face abruptly changed, realizing that she was daydreaming again.

"Then, what is wrong with that?" Dani felt she was missing something from this picture but could not quite figure it out.

"I initially thought that Lance liked me too. But I was mistaken. It was only kindness, and I took it as something romantic." Jacky stated, remembering how she had replayed every event she had spent with Lance.

It was all wonderful. But in Jacky's muddle head, she took it as something flowery and full of hearts. But in truth, he was only showing hospitality to their guest.

"Are you sure about that? Maybe you are selling yourself too short. If I remember right, no man would drop everything and cancel an important trip only to see you one last time." Dani stated, not convinced with Jacky's assessment.

She tried to jog her memory if her facts were correct, but she believed it was. In her opinion, Jacky might be feeling insecure about going after a man like Lance.

But she never believed in a hierarchy. If you like someone, social status should not be a hinder to what you want. If Jacky wanted Lance, she would encourage that Jacky should go for him.

"You think so. But last night, it felt..." Jacky could not explain what she perceived. "I don't know." Jacky suddenly felt confused about the entire situation with Lance.

"I remember my best friend, who keeps reminding me that I should get what I want. Never give up unless there is no point in continuing. But it is always the last resort." Dani appeared to be reminiscing the past to her.

"I know what I said to you, but this is different." Jacky knew that she liked to spew nonsense to make Dani start dating again. 

It did not mean that she could follow her own advice. Besides, it was not the time for Dani to remember what she said in the past. Whatever it was, she believed it did not apply to her.

"No. It is not." Dani was not going to let Jacky off the hook. "I think if you like Lance a lot, which I think you do, then you should go after him." Dani felt that it was the right thing to do. 

Lance seemed to be a very eligible guy. Based on Alex, he was also very decent. So, if her first assessment was on point, Lance also liked Jacky. They just needed a push in the right direction.

If she had to be the cupid, in this case, she was willing to wear that cute outfit and carry a bow and arrow for them. She would do anything to see the bright smile back on Jacky's face again. 

Not the one that she used to fool everyone that she was all good. But the genuine one that could fill the room with gladness. Because Jacky always had a big heart that could accommodate everyone.

"But..." Jacky was about to object to her friend's advice, but Dani did not allow her.

"You are coming with me to the charity event. And you will ask Lance to be your date." Dani said with finality.

She wiggled her fingers to silence her when she was about to make another objection. She was not allowing Jacky to back out from her plan.

"I can't ask Lance out." Jacky found the whole idea of Dani incredulous. Utterly insane if she would think about it. "He probably has a date already for that."

Jacky felt that her friend, catching the love bug, had gone berserk. Not because she was in love did not mean that she was already in authority about matchmaking. 

Besides, she could not push herself to someone who did not feel the same way as she was. Could she? Although it did not stop her before, she was different now. She was not the same.

"We'll never know until you ask him right." Dani took her phone out and dialed Alex's number. 

He said that he would probably be late tonight because they were finishing something important. Lance would surely be with him at this moment.

"Hello, Alex. Is..." She was unable to continue as Jacky tried to stop her. She quickly dodged her attack and ran to the other side of the counter, blocking her approach with a stool.

"Don't do that," Jacky whispered, hoping that she would stop and Alex would not hear her as she still tried to stop Dani from her plan.

"Alex, is Lance with your right now? Would you mind if I have a word with him? Thanks." Dani kept saying, while Jacky could only wait in anticipation.

Jacky knew she should have run to her room and locked it, but she kept her position, planted on the same spot. She waited for what would happen next.

"Hi, Lance. Sorry to disturb you, but do you mind speaking with Jacky." Dani waited for the reply. "Thanks, here she is."

Dani quickly handed the phone to Jacky, who seemed to be hypnotized by the entire situation. She took the phone and placed the receiver on her ears and lips as she listened to the other line.

"Yes, Jacky? Are you there?" Lance asked when he did not hear any sound from the other line.

"Yap." That was the only word she managed to said. Then she started wetting her lips and swallowing hard, thinking if she could do what Dani was asking her to do.

She looked at her friend, who was looking excitedly at her. Even giggling like a fool as she waited for her to speak up.

"What is it?" She heard him asked. She could hear him breathing at the other line. 

Her senses heightened up by the thought of him on the other side of the call. She could feel her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Was she about to do what Dani said? Had she gone mental?

"I… I was going to ask if you want to go to the charity event with me." There, she finally said it, glad that she barely stuttered. She had asked him, and now the ball was in his corner.

She suddenly wished for a black hole to open up and swallow her whole if he suddenly said that he already had a date. If not, she would go for her next option. She would strangle her friend for making her go through with it.

But the waiting was too much, although it had barely been a few seconds.. Jacky wanted to retract what she said, but she was suddenly tongue-tied.