The Royal Contract

Back in the city, also early that day, another scene was unfolding. It had nothing to do with Alex and Dani but about two people who had a connection with them.

"Wait." A buzz on her door at an early hour in the morning was quite unusual for her.??

Lately, she rarely had visitors, much more on the weekend. The sun was barely up, and her eyes were still droopy. She dragged herself out of her bed and slowly made her way to the door.

She had difficulty sleeping last night as her mind pondered on her life. She was only able to shut her eyes for a couple of hours when exhaustion finally took over her body at the break of dawn.

She suddenly wondered if she imagined the buzzing in her head. Maybe she was still dreaming, thinking that someone was outside. She stopped on her track midway to the living room, staring at the front door.

"Oh! Wake up, Tyra. What are you doing?" She looked around her place, checking her surroundings. "Get yourself together." Believing that her mind was playing tricks on her.

But a knock this time on her door made her realize that she was not dreaming. Another soft pounding sound snapped her back to her senses as she moved closer to the door.

She tried to think of anyone that might be on the other side of the wooden barrier, but she could not think of one. She was on vacation, so her manager would not be around to bother her unless something urgent came up.

"What is he doing here?" She mumbled to herself, seeing on the peephole the other person behind the closed door.

She could choose to ignore him, but would that make him leave. Or, she could let him in and find out what he wanted. She debated between her two options as she stood in the confine of her apartment.

Another buzzed on the door, she finally decided on the latter. She unlocked the bolt and opened the door. "Why are you here, Troy? Aren't you aware that it is still very early?" She sleepily questioned him.

She would point out the time, but she did not have a clock in her living room. She suddenly covered her mouth, yawning without caring if her visitor was watching her closely. Maybe that would tell him that he should not be here at this ungodly hour.??

"I went for an early jog and passed by your building. Since I am already here, I thought of inviting you for an early breakfast." He explained to her his unexpected presence.

He had tried changing his routine lately. Instead of running in his usual route in the park, he decided to go on the street. He had no idea that he would end up in her block, which was fortunately not that far from his apartment.

"As you can see, I am not prepared to go out." She pointed her outfit. She suddenly realized that she was standing in front of him in her skimpy nightgown, forgetting to wear a robe. She quickly covered her chest with her arms as she stepped behind the door.??

"Aren't you at least going to invite me in while you change?" He was not giving up that easily.??

He was already here. He might as well make the most of the day. He had no plans scheduled anyway. Taking the time to spend with her seemed to be a better alternative, in comparison to sitting in his apartment doing nothing.

"Fine. Come in." She opened her door wider for him to fit in before excusing herself to change. "Make yourself comfortable." Leaving him in her living room to tend to himself.

She was not about to parade in front of him, almost naked. But she still wondered why she did not just send him home and decline his offer.

"Sure. Take your time." He hollered back, seeing her disappear behind her room. He was not in a hurry anyway as he took a seat on the couch.

He searched his brain for a reason why he was now waiting for her to get dressed. Was he starting to genuinely like this girl? He believed that it was not far from happening. The last time they were together, he did have a great time.

After the movie and him taking her home, she suddenly told him to give her time to think this through. He did try to give her the space she asked for, respecting her wishes. So, he wondered what he was doing now.

"Oh! What now?" She asked herself as she picked jeans and a shirt to wear. She was not expecting to see him.

After she requested time off, she felt that he might have changed his mind about her. She assumed that it would be the last time she would see him.

She felt that they were moving too fast. She knew that it was her who suggested this ridiculous idea, but now, she wondered if she could go through with it.

"Are you that weak?" She reprimanded herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She felt like she was developing some feelings for him. It was a weakness that she was working on about herself. She believed that she could easily fall for guys who showed her any signs of affection.

Her arrangement with him was for a platonic relationship. She was afraid she might be the first one to break the rule when she fell for him for being such a nice guy.

She walked out of her room, still trying to make sense of her plans. Should she get rid of Troy while things were not yet that complicated? Or, should she let fate decide their destiny?

"Where do you want to eat?" She finally decided. For some reason, she could not say no to him.

Staying in her apartment was not an option. She opted to talk to Troy in a public place where she could be distracted from her thoughts. She realized she could not trust herself around him when she was feeling vulnerable.

"I spotted a deli, walking distance from here if you don't mind walking." He checked her reaction, seeing if she was up for it.

He was not sure that seeing her was a good idea, but it did feel right. Looking at her, he could not help but admire her grace and beauty, a big difference from Cassie.

He did not want to compare the two of them, but sometimes, his mind could not help it. Cassie had qualities that he loved about her. On the other hand, Tyra also possessed a different persona that fascinated him.

"Yes, I don't mind walking. I like going there. That place offers some of my favorite pastries." She said excitedly. "But..."

As much as she wanted to indulge in sweets, she had to watch her weight. In her profession, her face and body were her capital. She had to take care of it very rigorously.

She also had some rare occasions that she made some exceptions. But if she kept doing it, it would become a regular, bad habit that she could not afford. It would be her body who would be suffering in the end.

"Hey, stop starving yourself. A few bites will not hurt." Troy could see her hesitation, but her eyes were telling him differently.

He had observed how she had always picked on her food, avoiding consuming too much. He had heard that models usually had to follow a particular diet, even starving themselves to achieve their required weight and body structure.??

He did not see any reasons for her to do that. She was almost perfect in his eyes. He would not change anything about her, as far as he was concerned.

"Ok," Tyra finally conceded. She was starting to learn that he did not like to give up easily. After her experience with Edward, she had sworn she would not allow a man to dictate her life again.

But she was discovered that he was also a persistent man who always wanted to get his way, but not to the point that he would force it, unlike Edward.

He listened and observed the situation and worked his charm to get his way. She slowly realized she had no powers against his charms.. She found him fascinating, such a very enigmatic man.