The Royal Contract

She did meet a handful of men that she respected and admired. Now, this man suddenly became more attractive to her than before.

“I am glad that we understand each other.” Eida raised her glass to him, liking how he reacted to her statement.

She admitted that she still needed a man, but only under her condition and not the other way around. She was a feminist, not a man-hater. There was a big difference.

She still desired things that only men could provide for her. However, she would not be subjected to their demands or expectations. It had to be mutual and on equal terms.

“I assure you, we are on the same page.” Lance clinked his glass with hers, agreeing with her, believing they thought of the same thing.

He enjoyed the companies of independent women. He had nothing against those who knew what they wanted and were not afraid to get it.

.....

Actually, he commended such characteristics, making them on the top of his list. He suddenly remembered Jacky as another example of someone strong enough to fight for what she believed in.

“Good.” She took a sip of her beer and looked around the place, scanning the entire room from the decorations to the guests.

It was her first time visiting the establishment, and she wondered why she never knew its existence. It was probably new from its appearance, she concluded.

She had been preoccupied with her stories that she had not gone out with anyone since Nick. She could not blame herself when it was an opportunity that she would be a fool to let slip her fingers.

“They serve one of the best beer in the city,” Lance commented, taking his glass and taking a sip of his drink.

He had been a frequent customer of this club since it had opened. He liked that it was not overcrowded, and people seemed to mind their own business.

“Yeah, it does taste different.” She liked that they were casually talking, easing the conversation through her goal.

Initially, she only wanted the interview he promised. But as she kept thinking about him, she knew her attraction to him was already affecting her ability to focus on her work.

Presently, she wished to change that. She believed she needed a break from her obsession with her story. At the same time, deal with her growing fixation with the prince.

She had a perfect way to resolve that if he would agree with her proposition. That was if he would see her proposal as nothing more than an agreement and nothing more.

“You certainly look gorgeous tonight.” The compliment slipped off his tongue before he could filter it.

He saluted his glass to her before taking a gulp of the beer in his hand, covering up his blunder. He already said it. There was no more reason to deny it, so might as well own up to it.

He wished to turn the other way, but his eyes were glued to her face. He seemed to be in a trance as he watched the tip of her tongue touch the top surface of her lips, slightly tasting the glistening alcohol on her red flesh.

If she was planning to seduce him, it was actually working. But he quickly scrubbed the idea out of his consciousness, treating this meeting as a professional interview and not remotely close to a date.

“Thanks,” Eida responded with an alluring smile. She shifted in her stool until she was totally facing him, with her long legs in full display before him. “I am glad that you like it. You look dashing yourself.”

She was clearly flirting with him this time, and she did not want any confusion. He was a man who had been around many women. She could tell that he could read the signs.

She could sense that he was attracted to her from their last encounter. She had mulled over this idea the entire night and decided to check her theory.

So far, her suspicion seemed to be on the mark. From his reaction to her dress and how his eyes flickered when it landed briefly a little below her neckline, she knew he was thinking of only one thing.

“I think most men in this room liked your outfit.” He stated it as a fact. He had seen how the men had followed her as she entered the room.

She did not see him, sitting on the other side of the room, waiting for her. In fairness, he was slightly hidden from view at the entrance. But he noticed her, just like the rest of the men in the place.

He was already on his way to greet her when another man offered to buy her a drink. Something in him did not feel right. His possessive nature came out, claiming her to be his.

“Well, I did not wear this for them.” She said, looking at him directly in the eye.

If he did not receive the signal before, she hoped that this would be clearer this time. She believed that men and women were equal. She was attracted to him, so why should she wait for him to make the first move.

She had done this one time before, and she was not disappointed with the result. She thought she should try it again, hoping for a better response.

“Anyway, I think we should start with our meeting.” Lance quickly changed the subject, snapping out of her enchanting spell.

He was not naive at the signals she was throwing at him. He could decipher them quite clearly. Although he was very attracted to her, he was not letting his libido control any of his actions.

He quickly turned away from her to get himself under control. He focused on the reflection of his face at the mirror on the other side of the counter, not wanting to give in to temptation.

He wondered if he had given her any signal, suggesting that he was interested in her. If he did, then he would like to correct that misunderstanding.

He was simply not interested in pursuing any relationship with her, not now or ever.