The Royal Contract

"Where you out with the boy toy next door?" Jacky just appeared from nowhere, which gave her a slight fright.

"Whoah, you almost gave me a heart attack." Finding Jacky standing at the door just when she was about to close the door of their apartment. "How long have you been standing out there?"

"Just a few seconds ago, I just came out of the elevator when I saw you talking to our hot neighbor," Jacky said as she closed the door behind her.

"We just happened to run with each other. And please, stop giving him a nickname. His name is Troy." She reminded her as she grabbed a fresh bottle of water in the chiller. 

"Fine, but I still think he is hot." Jacky insisted as she went to the fridge to look for something to prepare for breakfast.

"I'm going to hit the shower. I want you early at the office. I have tons of work that needs to be done today." She instructed her friend and her assistant too.

"Sure, boss." Jacky gave her a salute. "By the way, what happened with your date with Mr. Hotty?" Jacky asked excitedly, quite interested.

"Again, with the nicknames." She had to shake her head at her friend's antics. "Nothing. We just talk, learn a few basic things about each other." She did not want to elaborate more. Closing the door to her room to avoid further inquisition.

"You're so boring. You're no fun." Jacky shouted outside her door, but she ignored it. She went to her bathroom to shower and prepare for a long day at the office.

She needed to get ahead of her schedule since she would be away this weekend. Although she was not officially working on Saturday and Sunday, it did not mean that she had nothing to do on those days. 

She usually took some files to review so that the following week, she could be prepared to handle her work much easier. Nothing beats a person that was always prepared.

"Seriously, nothing happened interesting in your date." Jacky continued to pester her when she grabbed a toast and a cup of coffee after getting dress. 

"Nothing." She was not about to spill to Jacky what truly happened to her in his apartment because she would not hear the end of it. She was sure that if Jacky ever got the whiff that she was slightly attracted to him, she would be playing matchmaker in no time.

She could not let that happen. She was sure that after this charade of theirs and she got what she wanted. She would not want anything to do with this man. She believed that he was operating in shady business. That was the reason he got so rich that fast. 

Why would he need that goon to work for him? She was sure that he was working for someone or even masterminding something that was beyond the law but was too good to be caught.

"But admit it. Alex seemed to be nice. Marcus said that he was a good catch." Jacky was bating her friend. Trying to catch her if she was lying to her. She could smell something fishy with the way she was acting, but this time, she was not forcing the truth from her.

She just hoped that she knew what she was going into and prepared for every eventuality. But no matter what, she would be there to support and help her in any way she could.

"He seemed nice, but still he is still literally a stranger to me." She told her friend. But she was seriously starting to regret getting into business with him.

If indeed he was doing something illegal, then she was no better than her father. It would seem that she declined his father's help only to get tied up with another kind of person she detested.

"I have to leave. I'll see you at the office soon." She reminded Jacky who still was finishing her breakfast.

"Fine. I'm now hurrying up." Jacky stood from the kitchen stool and moved towards her room. She, on the other hand, walked towards the door, ready to leave for her office.

When she arrived at the office, she was shocked to find that her room was full of different kinds of flowers. She already knew where it came from even before seeing the card.

She opened the card attached to the single rose on top of her desk and quickly opened it.

DARLING,

I HAD A GREAT TIME LAST NIGHT.

LOVE

ALEX

She could not believe that he sent all these flowers and gave her a card with this message. What would her co-workers think? What if somebody else read this card? She quickly turned around and checked if anyone was around. Was he going insane? She thought.

She quickly grabbed her phone and pressed on his name. She needed to let him know that he could not keep sending her flowers and messages like this.

"Hi, darling. Did you enjoy the flowers?" He greeted her over the line as soon as he answered the call.

"Are you crazy?" She just lost her temper when she heard his voice and his endearment. "Stop calling me that. And what are you thinking doing this."

"Before you breathe fire over the phone, let me explain." He said calmly and then paused, giving her time to recompose herself.

She tried to stay silent, calming herself down from her outburst. She did not know why he could push her buttons like that. She was usually calm and collected but when it came to him, she was always on edge.

"Ok. As my future wife, people would be expecting these kinds of gestures. I am just playing the part of the doting boyfriend." He reasoned out.

It was a plausible explanation to his actions, she realized. "Fine. I guess you are right." She conceded. She suddenly felt embarrassed for overreacting again.

"Of course, I am right, but I am sorry if I did not inform you of my plan. But expect that I will be doing things like this that would suggest that we are a real couple." He gave her a heads up this time about his plan to shower her with an occasional romantic gesture.