The Royal Contract

"By the way, are we truly staying at a palace?" Jacky turned her face to Marcus, whose eyes were closed. "Hey, wake up." She bugged him as he continued to ignore her question.

"Yes. We are." He finally answered her without opening his eyes.

He was not sleeping, but he just wanted some rest because the past week had been tedious. He was looking forward to this celebration since it would also be his long-needed vacation.

"Have you been in the palace?" She wondered excitedly. She had not seen a real palace before. Only the picture on fairy tale books, magazines, and google.

She could already imagine what the party would be like as she looked forward to seeing a grand celebration. She was already expecting to meet several famous personalities, celebrities, and even royals during the party. 

"Yes, a few times." He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. "It's just a big hotel with many rooms." He teased Jacky, who scowled her face at his statement.

"Stop joking around." She punched him in his arms. She did not find it funny that he was messing with her ignorance. 

She might not have some fancy degrees like them, but she was not a dumb bimbo. She might lack the formal education that they were privilege to have but what she learned on the street and through her experience taught her a lot about life.

"I'm sorry." He pulled her in his arms. "But I am telling the truth. It is indeed just a big place with many old things." 

When he first saw the palace when Alex invited him when they were still in college, he remembered that he was in awe of the enormity of the place. He had lived a comfortable life too. However, his place was nothing compared to where Alex grew up.

"Still, I am sure that it is still magnificent and massive." She did not want his words to ruin her excitement to see the place. "I still can't believe that Alex is a prince. I never met a prince before." 

She tapped her fingers on her lips, thinking of an instant that she even got a glimpse of one in person. But all she could remember were the ones she saw in photos or the news.

"Aren't I, your prince charming?" Marcus announced, taking her fingers into his lips as he started giving them feather kisses.

It was what Marcus liked about her. Jacky did not pretend to be anything else than herself. She said what was on her mind and cursed if she had to. He found her so different from the women he usually dated. She never had to change or act to please him.

"You certainly are." She teased him back, liking what he was doing to her. "But you have to excuse me for a second." She pried her fingers from his hands and stood up to go to the bathroom.

"Don't take long," Marcus told her as she moved to the back of the plane.

As she passed the couple at the back, she wondered what the two were talking about, but she was in no mood to eavesdrop on them. She quickly went inside the lavatory and did her business.

When she strode back to her seat, she noticed that Marcus was talking to the flight attendant. Well, more of flirting with her, she realized. 

"You should call me." She heard the girl say, handing Marcus a piece of paper, or was that a napkin, before walking away, back to her place in front of the plane. 

He immediately put the paper inside his pocket and smiled contentedly in his seat, not even noticing that she was already standing beside him. She knew she had no right to feel anything about what she witnessed, but something inside her was churning.

She had no right to be jealous, but she was pretty sure that was what she was feeling at that instant. She only once felt this way before. It was when she fell in love when she was still young. She hated the feeling since it messed up with her head.

"Oh, how long have you been standing there?" Marcus finally asked when she noticed her standing just behind him.

"Just got back." She tried to ignore what she saw because it was no use to dwell on it. 

They were not a couple. Well, not the traditional one. The affair was an arrangement that was purely for fun. Feelings were not part of the bargain. Jacky should well remember that before she became delusional that there was something more.

"What are the two doing back there?" Marcus asked as she sat back beside him.

"Just talking. I think Dani and Alex are still planning how they would make everyone believe that they are a couple." Jacky explained what she thought she saw when she passed them.

"Honestly, I have no idea how they could pull this through. I don't think Alex and Dani even like each other." Marcus said, remembering the way the two kept on bickering when they were in a conversation.

He still was uncertain why Alex picked Dani to play the part when he thought that Tyra would have been the better choice. But he was not Alex, so it was not his decision. All he could do now was make sure that everything ran smoothly for all of them until this entire situation was resolved.

"Did Dani tell you that we are extending our stay for a week?" Marcus asked Jacky, hoping that she would be staying with them for that long.

"Yes. I was glad that Evan approved our vacation leave. I could use a very long vacation." She giggled in excitement.

She had never been out of the city before. So, going on this trip was a dream come true. She planned to make the most of it, and an extra few days was a welcome bonus to get more time to explore. She just hoped that Marcus would have time to come along with her.

"Are you still in an official capacity as Alex's lawyer, or are you here as just his friend?" She asked him, wanting to know if he would have time for her.

"Both, but no worries. I will make sure that we will have plenty of time together." Marcus promised her as he picked up her hands again and placed them in his.

She was becoming an addiction to him, he realized, as he held her hands firmly against his. Talking to the beautiful flight attendant earlier usually gave him satisfaction, but now, all he could think of was. What was taking her so long to get back?

He knew he had to end this relationship soon before things got more complicated. He was already alarmed by the way he was acting around her. But for now, he planned to enjoy the week with her.

He was sure that she would understand his decision since they were both aware of what they agreed on when they started going out. It was better to end this soon instead of ruining a friendship with a relationship they both did not want. What they had was a short-lived affair, but at least it had been fun.