The Royal Contract

She would admit that talking had helped her. It relieved some of her stress and the burden that was weighing heavily on her shoulders. But she had to stop before she revealed too much. She did not need this man’s sympathy or pity.

“Do you still wish to see my surprise?” She could tell it was late, judging by the positioning of the moon up in the sky. “Or, would you rather go back to the hotel?” He questioned.

Although it might be beyond midnight, she did not feel like returning to the hotel, not just yet. She still deemed it unsafe, knowing her ex was not far away.

“We already waited this long. I might as well see what you have been keeping out there.” She pointed to the dark path, not even waiting for him to lead the way as she strolled on the coastline, allowing her feet to get wet again.

“Ok! If that is your wish.” He walked beside her, quietly gazing at the sandy path. The little light coming from the moon seemed to be enough to guide their way.

“Careful,” Zach suddenly warned her, although they were still a few feet away.

He was meticulous, avoiding damaging the freshly dug-up sand, believing other mother turtles might have laid eggs and buried them underneath those nests.

Then, she noticed a few white objects peaking above the sand, believing those were the eggs the mother failed to cover and hide. Immediately, she knelt with him and helped him protect the eggs from predators, fixing the sand to cover it thoroughly.

.....

“Sometimes, the wildlife team would also build a fence around the nesting area to prevent rodents from digging it up.” He explained to her.

“Oh! How many turtles do you think laid their eggs in this part of the beach?” She asked as she tried to strike up another conversation with him.

It was a legitimate question, but she was only avoiding talking about her personal life again. Nonetheless, she could not help but wonder about his life. They had talked much about her but nothing much about him.

Was his life anything as gruesome as hers, or did he grow up in a white picket fence? But she would bet that it was the latter. Nevertheless, no matter how curious she was about him, she could not snoop on his private affairs. She did not want him to misconstrue her curiosity as interest, even if it was the truth.

“I believe it is just the start of the season, so probably just a few.” He answered her as they continued their leisurely walk along the coastline.

“Are we still far?” She asked since all she saw were shadows ahead. She could not help but muse if the view might have been more spectacular if they had come here in the morning when there was more light as he first suggested earlier.

“It is just over there. Do you see it?” He pointed at something that seemed to be floating in the water.

As they neared, she realized it was a moderately-sized hut drifting on the tide. It moved as the waves came in and swayed as it returned to the sea. It was still slightly dim, so she could not fully appreciate its beauty.

“Are we planning to board it?” She asked since it was the only logical explanation for coming this far.

“Yes, are you afraid of the water?” His voice seemed to carry a challenge.

“Of course not, as long as you can guarantee that thing will not sink.” She responded with a warning.

“Come on. Don’t be such a wimp.” He teased her as he climbed aboard and waited for her to join him. “Watch your step.” He cautioned her as she followed him. He extended his hands to her and assisted her out of the water.

She looked around the slightly wide floating shed built from what she believed were trustworthy materials. She finally concluded that the place would not suddenly disintegrate into pieces with the slight wind blowing its way.

“I think it is sturdy enough to carry us for this trip.” Then, Zach suddenly moved to the side and disengaged a rope holding the hut in its place.

“What are you doing?” She said, watching as their craft sailed away from the coastline. “What trip?”

“Don’t worry. It is not far. I assure you, we are safe here.” He announced as he moved toward the center of the squarely built platform and turned on the lights.

Suddenly, she could not believe the effects of the various bright lights illuminating her surroundings. It, somewhat, created delightful patterns on the nearby water that made it look magical.

Her eyes finally saw the entirety of the small world around her, finding a picnic mat, some soft cushions, and food at the center of the place. It was indeed a charming surprise.

How did he manage to do all of this in a short time? She could only speculate, remembering the phone calls he had to make with the caretaker.

“What do you think?” He finally asked as he assisted her on one of the cushions and asked her to sit down.

“I am utterly speechless.” She had no words to describe it. Nobody had done something this extraordinary for her before, not even her ex, Ryan. “Why?” She did not understand. Why went to all this trouble to surprise her? It just did not make sense to her.

“Because I think you are an extraordinary woman. You are special.” He sat opposite her and grabbed a bottle she did not notice was sitting on an ice bucket on his side. “Do you mind if we make a toast to that?” He handed her a glass of the champagne he poured and raised it to her.

“I think you are making a mistake. I am just plain and ordinary.” She placed the glass on the mat, thinking she did not deserve such praise, as she looked away, avoiding looking at his face.

She refused to believe his words because those could easily mislead her to believe in something that was not there in the first place. She did not want to pretend that he genuinely liked her because she knew it was a lie.

Then, he leaned forward while his fingers held onto her chin, gently forcing her to look into his eyes. “You are an incredible woman. Never doubt that.”