The Royal Contract

Chapter 153 – A Real Challenge

After a long meeting, Alex decided to surprise Dani in her office by dropping unannounced. They agreed to meet at his apartment at around eight in the evening. But he managed to finish his work ahead of his schedule today.

The rest of his meetings, canceled that morning, were rescheduled till the next day. The investor, his last scheduled appointment for the day, postponed the meeting for next week. So, he had nothing he could do about that.

"Is she available?" He stood in front of Jacky's table without her noticing, making her grabbed her chest out of fright.

"Oh! How long have you been standing there?" Jacky uttered in a pitchy tone.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you? I just wanted to surprise Dani. He slightly backed away from her table as he waited for her answer.

"She's inside alone, but she told me that she should not be disturb." She spoke to him with a bit of authority in her voice, establishing that she meant what she said.

"Oh! Is that so?" He raised his brow at Jacky, wondering if he should heed the warning in her tone.

Then, suddenly, Jacky pointed to him and then used her finger to beckoned him to come closer to her. "If I were you, I won't listen to me." She whispered in a conspiratorial voice when he leaned closer to her. "But don't ever tell her that I said that because I will simply deny it." 

She turned back to her work as if he was not standing in front of her. She knew that she would get in trouble for suggesting that to Alex. But she could not help play her little part in making her friend happy.

Alex could only shrug his shoulders when it was clear that Jacky had already dismissed him. Now, he was in the dilemma if he should heed her warning or take her next suggestion.

He was here. What else could he do? He thought as he marched into her door. But a few feet away, Jacky suddenly stopped her.

"What now?" He asked, wondering why she changed her mind.

"You're not going in without a flower or a gift in your hand," Jacky uttered in her breathy tone. "That is not how you surprise someone." She suddenly shoved something in his hand before walking back to her table.

He looked at his hand and found a gift. It had a silver wrapper with red lace on it, tied into a bow. He wondered what was inside it, but when he looked at Jacky, she was already busy with her work.

He wondered if he should give it to her or proceed with his initial plan of simply surprising her. But Jacky was her friend. Surely, Jacky knew what Dani like more than him.

He proceeded to the door and opened it, finding Dani's nose shoved on the papers in front of her. He slowly moved towards her, noticing that she was still not aware of his presence. He decided to move behind her and covered her eyes with his hands.

"Hey, I don't appreciate a prank like this," Dani shouted as she found her vision impaired by two manly hands. 

She could not think of any man who would attempt to do this to her except for him. Besides, she could already smell his favorite perfume that she had already associated with his presence.

"Guess who?" He tried to change his voice into something thinner than his usual thick manly voice.

"I thought we are going to meet at your place tonight." She pointed out, not playing his game.

"You are no fun." Alex let go of her eyes, but before he moved away, he made sure to steal a kiss on her lips. It was short, but he made sure that she would want more. "I came to pick you up."

"I still have a lot of work. Unlike you, I have a boss that would grill my ass if I don't finish all of this in time." She spread her hands across her table to show him the files that were still waiting for her. "And I still have one appointment that I need to meet before I can leave." 

"Don't worry. I can wait. I don't mind. If you need any help, I can even help you." He offered as he remained standing a foot away from her seat.

"Nope. I don't need a distraction. You need to leave, or I won't be finishing anything." She stood up and started shoving him towards the door. But it was a tedious task because he was not making it easy for her. "Come on, now." She voiced out exasperatedly.

"Fine, but before I leave, I have something for you." He handed her the gift that was in the back of his hand. He hoped that it would change her mind and abandoned her work for him. But of course, he was doubtful that it would ever happen.

"You should not have bothered. You don't have to give me anything every time we see each other." She pointed out but still accepting the gift. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought."

"Ok. Message heard loud and clear." He needed to remember that because he could not keep on irritating her because he was not ready to listen to what she wanted.

"Good. Now, go. Find something else to do while I finish. I will come looking for you when I am through." She instructed as they neared the door.

"Ok. I'll visit David in the meantime while I wait for you." He faced her and tilted her face to him.

She slightly tiptoed in front of him until she reached his face, placing her hands on his cheeks as she returned the kiss, he gave her earlier. She made sure that, at the end of it, it was he who would be craving for more.

She opened the door and walked him outside her office. When they were standing close at Jacky's table, she placed the gift down on the table. "Thanks, Jacky. For conspiring against me." She smiled at her friend, knowing that she had something to do with it. 

Besides, she already saw that gift before, hiding inside her drawers. Whatever was inside of it, she had no reason to find out.

Jacky looked at Alex, accusing him of ratting her out. "I kept my mouth shut." Alex semi-whispered in front of the two. "She figured it out all by herself." Putting his hands up.

"If I didn't find this adorable, I will be mad at the both of you." She looked at Alex and then Jacky, placing her hands on both sides of her waist. "Now go check on David before I change my mind."

"I'll see you later, Dani. Thanks, Jacky." Alex said before walking away from them into the office of David.

"I was just trying to help," Jacky uttered as she looked at her friend with her innocent eyes. 

"Excuse me." Someone interrupted them before she could comment on her friend.

"Ria. Come in." Recognizing her client from yesterday. She was the last client that she needed to see. "Where's your baby?" She asked, noticing that she was alone.

"A friend of mine offered to babysit him for a while." She answered as she followed her inside.

"Then, let us discuss your case inside." She had promised when she started to work with this company. She would do her best to win her cases. 

She knew Ria's case would be a real challenge.