The Royal Contract

She had been sulking alone in her apartment, feeling the emptiness of the place. The impact of her friend getting married was just kicking in as loneliness enveloped her with sadness.

She already had finished unpacking, cleaning the house, and making herself dinner for one. Now, she sat in front of her food, unable to take the first bite.

"I miss you, Dani." She muttered to herself, grabbing her phone and staring at the screen.

She had wanted to call her multiple times since she arrived home. Her fingers were inching to press the call button on the screen, but she stopped herself.

She wanted to talk to her, not just because she was unhappy, but because she needed a friend. However, she did not want to interrupt her honeymoon. She probably was having the time of her life.

She called another friend, but some were already on a date or busy with something. She tried calling Andy, but he was also swamped with school work.

"Are you sure you don't want to get a quick bite and a movie?" She knew she should not be inviting him on a school day, but she needed company.

"I'm sorry, Jacky. But I really have to finish a lot of things." Andy instead promised to go out with her on the weekends.

She could not blame her brother. She did insist that his studies were more important than anything else. She just had to wait for the weekend before she could see him.

After a few bites of her already cold meal, she finally gave up. She could not stare at the four corners of her apartment, gaping at the walls and at the ceilings. She needed to get out of the place before she suffocated herself.

"Time to get back on your feet." She told herself as she faced the mirror, looking hot and sexy in her new dress. 

She bought it thinking that she could use it after the wedding. Lance promised to take her out, but she never got the chance. She was rushed back home.

After checking her face for the last time, she grabbed her bag, wore her shoes, and was out of her apartment in record time. She decided she was going to paint the town red.

"Can I get you anything?" A man sat on the empty stool beside her, offering to buy her a free drink. 

She was waiting for the bartender to attend to her. She had just arrived at a bar she and Dani used to frequent. At least before her friend became committed to her boss, turned boyfriend, now her husband. 

She was not expecting to find someone that fast, not that she was looking. Either she looked hot tonight, or the man was desperate for a companion. She was too, but she was not about to admit that.

"I was thinking of a cocktail drink. What do you recommend?" She flirted just a bit like she used to do before but was doubtful if she was doing it right. She thought she had become a bit rusty.

The man signaled for the man behind the counter and ordered their drinks. She finally had the nerve to look to her side and examine his physical features. 

But, she had to admit that he had a manly voice that could make any woman fall in love. She was not disappointed when she finally saw his face. He did look the part of a lady's man.

Not too handsome, in a celebrity way, but quite attractive indeed. His build was more of a lean muscle than the bulky ones. In her opinion, he probably had no problem in the women's department with his looks.

"Why are you drinking alone?" The man remarked as he handed her the drink he had bought. "Are we celebrating or mourning?" It was either of the two, he thought.

"I guess it can be both." She answered his latter question, taking her first sip of alcohol tonight.

She was still debating in her mind why she had to leave the house or why she felt the urge to drink and come out tonight. Or it could be a combination of different reasons.

But one thing was for sure, she was confused about her feelings for one man in particular. She wanted to tell Dani about what had happened earlier. But she could not burden her with her troubles and insecurities.

"Ok. First, I am Mark." The man introduced himself. "Second, what are we celebrating?" He raised his glass to her, offering to lighten the mood.

"Mark?" Hearing his name was a dumper on her spirit, but she was not going to let him ruin her night. It was not exactly similar, but she had used that as a nickname for him maybe several times in the past.

She started laughing, an uncontrollable laugh, putting her drinks down on the counter before she spilled them all over the place. She held on to her stomach as she tried to control her flurry of emotion. 

She did not go to the club to get drunk and hooked up with some random man. She was genuinely looking for someone to talk to, meet new people, make some new friends. But the irony.

"What is wrong with my name?" He asked, curious about her sudden outburst of laughter.

Either he said something wrong, which he could not figure out, his name reminded her of something, or she was just loose in the head. But the latter was not likely, he believed.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you." She stammered while chuckling still. 

She breathed deeply and straightened her body, hoping for her laughter to die down. She should not be laughing at another person's expense. That was just rude as she reprimanded herself.

"I am sorry. Something just suddenly came to my head." She quickly apologized for her unusual reaction to his name, seeing the perplexed expression on his face. "I am not crazy or anything." She also added.

She could not blame him if he suddenly took his drink and ran away as far away from her. Even she believed she acted a bit insane a while ago.

"Then, what is it? Can you enlighten my curiosity? You also have not answered any of my questions." He stated as he continued to drink his beer beside her, not planning to leave just yet.

"As much as I enjoyed the laugh, I can't stay." She told him, putting her hand in his as an apology. "Thanks anyway for the drink. It was nice meeting you, Mark."

She grabbed her bag from the counter, and before he could talk her out of her plan, she dashed out of the club and back to the open air and night sky.

With her two fingers inserted in her lips, she whistled as high pitched as she could, then a cab stopped just in front of her. A practical trait that a New Yorker should know. 

She gave the address and laid back on the cushion on her back while waiting to arrive at her new destination. As she stared at the busy street, her mind kept debating with herself.

It was getting late, and she questioned if she should not be doing this now. But she had to before she lost all the nerves to do it again. 

"It was now or never.." She told herself.