The Royal Contract

In her defense, she was only thinking of the fundraising as she thought of him. It would be a loss if she missed the opportunity to get his assistance.

“Should I call?” She muttered under her breath, still uncertain.

She stared at the card she took from her pocket as she sat in her car. She debated if she should call him and take his offer for a late drink or go home and forget about him.

It was not like he was a serial killer. He used to be Dani’s boss. A very reputable man and highly regarded by this community. Besides, this was for a good cause.

“A drink with him would not be that bad.” She concluded as her fingers started dialing his number.

He must have been expecting her call, or it was fortunate that he had his phone in his hand because the line connected immediately.

.....

She noticed him finished his meeting and left the restaurant earlier than her. He could be anywhere by now or at home resting. She wondered if he was still available for tonight. But he did say to call him.

“Hi, this is Haley Rosley.” She quickly introduced herself. She could not understand why she suddenly felt so nervous. Then, her mind reminded her that he could still be a dangerous man.

She barely knew anything about him for her to go out with him this late at night. He was still a stranger as far as she was concerned. She made a quick mental note to search for him on the internet for more information.

She could ask Dani, but that would seem like too much background check. Besides, she did not want her friend to think she was interested in him, remembering that Dani had been bugging her about getting a love life.

“Hello, Haley.” He quickly greeted her but did not say more as he waited for her to tell him why she called.

“I was wondering if you are still available for that drink. I know it is a bit late. But I would like to discuss the Charity Ball with you.” Haley explained to him the reason for her call.

There were only a few seconds of silence before he answered her. “Sure, I would love to meet with you and discuss this further.” She could hear a slight hint of excitement in his voice, which she attributed to his willingness to participate in this endeavor.

“That is great.” She answered with equal enthusiasm, hoping that this night would be fruitful.

“Where will you like to meet, or will you prefer I pick you up in your place?” He offered, giving her a choice.

She thought about it, but most of the bars she knew might be closing soon, so it would not be advisable to go there. But she was not at home, so meeting him would be better.

“I will leave it up to you. Just tell me the address, and I will be there.” She suggested since she could not come up with any other option.

“I know a club that closes late, not far from the hotel. But it would be loud in there. My apartment is also nearby. It is much quieter there, so we can talk better.” He proposed, but neither seemed appealing to her.

But as they said, choose the lesser evil. “Maybe we could meet at the club.” At least there would be many people there. It could not be that noisy in there.

As soon as she parked the car on the pavement, she wondered if she had made the right choice. First, her attire seemed out of place as she walked toward the club entrance.

Second, she was too old for this place. Not that she was old, but she had outgrown her time of clubbing and having too much fun. Those were her cherished memories of her young life, but that was her past.

Still, she could not help but wonder if the bouncer at the front would even let her in, seeing the long line of people waiting for their turn.

“I am here to meet Mr. Gerald Brown.” She announced to the big, burly man in a black shirt and coat. One look at her, surprisingly, the man opened the door for her.

She was not unfamiliar with this kind of place, but it had been years since she had been in one. Memories of her young life flashed before her eyes as the music blared in her ears, and flashes of light slightly blinded her as she moved further inside.

She proceeded to the bar, where she would wait for him. But she barely stepped a few more feet inside. A man stood behind her and greeted her.

“Hi, Haley. I hope you did not have a hard time looking for this place.” The masculine voice spoke to her near her ears as his breath slightly tickled her skin.

She was slightly startled by his sudden appearance, making her jump a little, but she was not afraid since somehow, she recognized his voice.

Still, his nearness sent a little jolt in her body, maybe because she was startled. Then, he appeared before her, wearing that dashing smile, and his eyes seemed to dance and sparkle from the flashing light.

She found herself slightly mesmerized.

“No, I am familiar with the area.” She shouted over the noise. She was not sure if he understood it, but he nodded his head. He held her elbows in his hand as he guided her to the far side of the bar, which was less crowded and a little less noisy.

“Joe, two drinks.” He said to the man in the bar, but he only nodded in understanding without asking what they liked.

“He seems to know you. Do you frequent this place?” She could not help asking, suddenly curious about him. He did not seem the typical type who liked to hang out in this place.

She had read his bio on the net. He was a well-respected lawyer in one of the best law firms in this city. He seemed a serious, no-nonsense guy who defended the weak masses against the oppressing elite.

“I drop by in this place occasionally.” He answered her, handing her a drink that did not look familiar to her. “It is one of his specialties.” Pointing to the man called Joe.

“Unless you don’t drink any alcoholic beverages.” He suddenly raised his eyebrows at her.

“Of course, I drink on occasion. I am just curious since I have not seen anything like it.” She was through experimenting with alcohol, learning her lessons on the side effect of getting drunk during her teens.

She preferred her drink to be neat and pure, but she might as well try this one. She doubted it would be worse than anything she had before.

“I assure you that is one of the best selling in this place.” He raised his glass to her, which she believed was a scotch, neat drink.

But as she sipped the drink and found it delicious, her mind still wondered what Gerald was doing in a place like this. This place seemed quite a contradiction to his public image.

Was he one of those people who was living a double life?