The Royal Contract

As they passed the entrance, he escorted his date to the grand hall, where they would wait for the signal of the start of the performance. For the moment, servers in a black bow ties served refreshments and finger foods for the guests.

“Evan, fancy seeing you here. I never thought of you as someone who appreciates the arts.” A stunning woman in an elegant and expensive gown approached them. “I thought of you as someone who likes basketball and baseball more.”

When Evan came closer, the gorgeous lady placed her hands on his shoulders, pulling him into a kiss. Not a friendly kiss by the usual standard. It was indeed a passionate one, at least on her part.

“Anna, it is nice to see you too,” Evan quickly pulled away from the kiss and stepped back away from her. Then, he possessively placed his arm around his date, gluing himself to her side, making the other girl realize he had a date.

He was not expecting his former lover would act impulsively like that in front of Amelia. Was that karma biting him in the ass for all his wrong deeds just when he least expected it?

He remembered that Anna was one of the first women he got involved with when he was younger. But in his defense, he had been transparently clear to her that he was not into a relationship.

.....

However, she did not like it when he abruptly ended it, seeing the sign that she was becoming clingy. She had been chasing him since then, claiming they were in a deep relationship and he had impregnated her.

Unfortunately, she had a miscarriage because of traumatic stress since he would not take responsibility, meaning he would not admit that he was the father or agree to marry her.

But, of course, he did not believe a word of what she claimed. He knew she had made all that story up. Since then, he had stopped entering any form of relationship, limiting his affair to a short one, mostly a one-night stand.

Of course, he used protection religiously to avoid false claims again.

“And who is this?” Anna looked at Amelia from head to toe, sizing her up. It was like it was the first time she had seen her, ignoring her earlier even if she had arrived with him and had been at his side all this time.

“She is my date.” Evan quickly informed her, but before he could introduce her, Anna interrupted him.

“It is nice to meet a new friend. I’m Anna.” She extended her hand, seemingly looking friendly, but something was off with her smile.

Amelia could sense the hostility underneath her facade of a smile, but she seemed caught in the middle of something. She never liked drama, but at that moment, she had no choice but to play a role in the middle of it.

“I am Amelia.” She accepted her hand only to feel a tug on her arms as Anna pulled her into a hug. But once she was close enough, Anna whispered something in her ears.

“I guess you are the new flavor of the month. Enjoy it while it last.” Then, the other woman pulled away from Amelia with a lovely smile on her lips as she faced all the people that had joined their small group.

“Amelia, this is our friends.” She introduced them to her, one by one, playing as the good hostess.

“It was nice seeing everyone, but I believe the show is about to start.” Evan could not do anything else unless he wanted to make a splash and

ruin the rest of the evening. The last thing he wanted was a scandal to taint their night.

He pulled Amelia away from his former friends, hoping he could still salvage what remained of the evening. He did not expect something like this would happen, but it did.

Even the most carefully arranged plan could suddenly turn the other way around without a warning and reason. All it just needed was for fate to step into the picture then all hell would break loose.

He still hoped fate was still working in his favor despite what happened. “I am sorry about that.” He knew it did not look good. It confirmed that he had more to prove about himself if he would win her affection again.

“Why are you sorry?” Amelia looked at him with a smirk and amusement in her eyes. “Did you plan this to happen?” She was more amused than enraged about the incident.

“Of course not.” Evan quickly reacted, studying whether she was offended by the event. But he was more confused by her expression.

“Should I expect more of that same stunt for the rest of the night from her or some other girls you had a previous association with?” She asked as she stopped in her tracks to look directly into his eyes.

“I hope not.” He answered truthfully, knowing that he had no control over the girls he had dated in the past. Besides, he had brought this to himself for being a womanizer in the past. Now, it was coming to haunt him.

“Then, I don’t think we have no problem unless you have one.” Amelia countered, enjoying the obvious discomfort he was experiencing. “Now, can we just enjoy the show?” She walked again towards the theater, excited for the rest of the night.

She truly loved opera, ballet, and art shows. She always found it fascinating how an art form could transcend a story to another level. It was like telling a narrative but not through words, leaving it open to many interpretations.

“Yes, of course,” Evan enthusiastically answered, slightly relieved to see that she was not taking the earlier incident personally.

He hoped it was not just an act because they were in a public place, but she truly understood that it was his past and nothing more. That what he did was over and done with, now he was a changed man.

“Shall we?” Amelia offered her hand to him, sensing that he was overthinking things. “Don’t worry too much. You just made the rest of my night more intriguing.” She hooked her arm in his, ready to take a chance with him, just like she had promised earlier.

Honestly, she enjoyed the little encounter with his past. At least she knew now what to expect if she would proceed forward with him in this relationship. She could probably expect more of those kinds of women.

After all, he was not unattractive and undesirable. On the contrary, he was one of the hottest, most successful bachelors available in the city. Many would want to have a man like him. Was she one of them? Maybe?

Moreover, she believed it would not have been fair to him if she kept judging him from his past actions. She might have been a good girl by social standards, but still no saint. She had her fair share of mistakes in her past, so who was she to judge?