The Royal Contract

She moved further into the water, allowing the tide to play with her toes as it glided gently on her skin before returning to the sea. She could imagine the giggles of her son once she brought him along to a place like this.

She was sure that Edison would have a blast and a great time as he played with the sand. She could help him build a sand castle, write his name, or play on the coastline where the water was not too deep.

“Hey, I have been looking for you.” Her partner walked alongside her, but his feet avoided getting touched by the waves.

She wore slip-on sandals that she had removed as she carried them in her hand, while he wore loafers that could absorb water if soaked. She could not blame him if he did not want it to get wet. It did look expensive, like the rest of his clothes.

He could also remove it if he liked, but she believed he was not a man who would like to play with sand. Most city folks she knew preferred city life because of its convenience. They would not care for nature.

She had quickly excused herself from the meeting as soon as it was over. She had already answered their questions, and the clients seemed satisfied. All that was left was for them to sign and close the deal. Then, they could go back home.

.....

But she gathered that the other party still seemed to wait for something as they kept delaying the inevitable. As far as she could determine, nothing else was left to discuss. Their boss made a very lucrative and generous deal favorable to both parties.

“I am sorry. Do the clients need anything else?” She wondered if their clients had forgotten something else. But she doubted since they already covered all there was to discuss.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to him, staring into his eyes, then lowered to his lips when he started to speak. “No. They are all good.” He assured her.

At first, she had no idea what to expect in this meeting. They had dressed informally, but she knew she still had to act accordingly. The meeting took place in a cozy seafood restaurant by the beach.

Based on her interview, it appeared it was one of the chains they already owned. It was a nice restaurant with delicious cuisine to offer. Luckily, she had no allergies to seafood. She enjoyed the sumptuous feast they had prepared.

“Then, why are you looking for me?” She asked, slightly curious. Maybe their boss called him and needed something else. She would not know until he told her.

“I wondered where you went since I saw you turned left instead of right if you were heading back. I thought you might have gotten lost or something.” He looked hesitant at first with his words, but he continued to say them anyway.

He explained how worried he was that she might be lost when she went the wrong way. He looked genuinely concerned as he also looked into her eyes.

However, her lips suddenly twitched when he followed where her eyes were looking. She quickly glanced away, returning her eyes to the beauty of the endless ocean that seemed to touch the sky.

“I thought of returning to the hotel, but I could not turn my back on this.” She pointed at the vast blue ocean with a tinge of a few white backdrops created by the waves on the surface of the slightly turbulent sea and the thin lining of clouds above it. “It is simply captivating.”

Growing up in a city did not allow her to appreciate nature. Although the sky in their urban neighborhood had a big blue sheet that protected the earth from the elements beyond the atmosphere, it was still not as beautiful as this one.

Then, she had not been in the ocean since it would require several hours of car ride from where she lived. But maybe this time, she might have a little spare time to bring her son along on a short trip.

“Yeah, one of the main attractions of this place. But if you will allow me, I can show you some places more beautiful than this.” He offered as he turned his smirk into a genuine smile and returned his eyes to appear innocent.

As if he did not just catch her ogling his lips. What was wrong with her? She immediately reverted to their kiss every time her eyes glanced at those reddish supple flesh. It was like she wished it would happen again.

However, she was surprised by his sudden proposition. She was not expecting that he would want something to do with her other than work after their brief incident with her son.

Now, she could only look at him confusedly, wondering about his intention for asking her out. The last thing she needed was a man who only planned to play with her. But would she ever find such a man who would love her and her son?

“I don’t think you need to do that. Besides, I am not here to go sightseeing.” Ria declined his suggestion to accompany her to the other sights that made this place one of the most popular destinations in this state.

“Why not?” Zach quickly questioned, still baffled at how easily this woman could shut him down. Most women would jump at the chance to go out with him. “We have nothing else to do the entire day.”

That was true. The clients rescheduled the signing in the morning the next day again, giving them the rest of the morning until evening free. Now, she understood why it took at least three days to stay in this place.

But still, it did not mean they could leave and enjoy the rest of their working hours, squandering around this beautiful, magnificent paradise. Although, admittedly, the sound of seeing other places was tempting. Besides, spending more time with him. Her mind kept nagging.

“I plan to stay at the hotel. As a matter of fact, I am just heading back there.” She concluded as she turned her back from him and walked in the other direction to return to her suite.

She did not wait for him to stop her since it was not urgent. She could forego her wishes and work on what else the client would want from her. It was a more productive use of her time.

“But...” She heard him say, but she continued on her super fast pace, not wanting to listen to any more of his reasoning. Why? Because she was afraid that if she did, he might be able to convince her.

As she had described him, he was a charming man who could convince companies to buy what they offered. What more, a silly girl like her? She would be no match for him.

He could tell her lies, and she would believe him. It had happened to her before. What guarantee did she have that it would not happen again? Nothing, because she would always be this naive girl who used her heart rather than her mind.

“No more.” She said to herself as she moved faster. But she believed he did not attempt to follow her. Because if he did, he would have caught her easily.

She slightly glimpsed behind her, seeing if she would find him walking close by, but he seemed to stop as he spoke to a girl. She seemed familiar to him as he leaned down and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek.

That went her short-lived fantasy.

Did she expect that he would waste his time chasing after her?

Maybe if he did not find a more willing victim, but she played hardball, and she lost. But was it a tremendous loss? She doubted. In truth, she felt the attraction between them from the start, but it did not mean she had fallen for him.

It was the precise reason why she should attempt to avoid him. The last thing she would need was for her heart to fall for him. Luckily, her mind was still sane enough to remind her of the past.

“Stop acting like a love-sick puppy.” She told herself as she entered the elevator. Thankfully was void of anyone else.

She looked at her reflection on the metallic walls, reminding herself of what her son’s father had done to her. “You don’t need another one who will make you fall and eventually cry at the end.”

She was not saying that she would not wish for a man in her life. Of course, she did. She wanted to be happy with a partner who would be there to share her life through good and bad times.

She also wished for someone to stand as a father figure to her son. Someone who would accept him and love him as if he was his. But she knew that likelihood of that happening was almost nil.

Therefore, she would stay single for the rest of her life. It was a more logical and rational action than exposing her son to the heartache of involving a man in their lives.

As she remembered his face with the woman in his arms, she could see his genuine gladness to see her. Was she his friend, ex-girlfriend, or current? But it did not matter who she was.

At least she had seen his true colors before she had made a fool of herself, and while it was not yet too late for her.