The Royal Contract

Chapter 19 - Last Place

"Sorry, Ms. Hamilton. I could come back later if you're busy." The man said as he saw the distressed expression on her face, but he could not help the small grin from showing on his lips from what he just heard.

He knew that Ms. Hamilton would be a handful, but he had no idea, the extent of it. Add her friend, who seemed to have no filter at all. He had no problem with that. He was having a great time, having them as an addition to his team.

"I'm sorry. I came here to tell you that Mr. Blake was on his way." Jacky whispered. She made a peace sign, walking fast towards the door, but not before, she gave Mr. Blake her megawatt smile.

"Mr. Blake. Please come in." She stood up for a shake and gestured for the chairs. "You have to excuse my assistant's unruly behavior."

"Not at all. I like a little playfulness in the office once in a while. It lessens the tension in the workplace." He said with an easy smile. She felt more at ease seeing the friendliness in his gesture.

"So, what brings you to my office? Is there any problem?" She suddenly felt anxious, thinking of the possible reasons why he was here at her office. She straightened herself on her seat, hoping to calm herself.

He adjusted his huge frame in the seat in front of her desk. She mentally noted to have that seat change to a bigger and comfortable one. "How are you holding up in here? Do you like your new office?" Waving to the room.

"It is a great upgrade from my previous one." She admitted. "But I still need time to be up to speed with all the cases assigned to me. I'm not complaining. I'm sure I will finish it in time." Showing him a confident look.

"I know it's just a week, no need to worry yourself, but I hope you're adjusting well." Mr. Blake said, taking in his surroundings and the things she did with the room.

"I think I just made myself at home as you can see." She managed to personalize some of the decorations in her office. A picture of her parents on top of her desk, a painting in the corner, and some small figurines and display pieces at the sides.

"I like what you've done with the place. It speaks volumes of your personality." He praised with sincerity in his voice. "With regards to your work, if you have any questions, make sure to notify me."

"Thanks. As expected, it would take me a week or two more to be well versed with all the files. There are a few issues, but nothing that couldn't be handled." She informed him. "Once I completed all my assessment, I certainly would like to set up a meeting to discuss it with you, Mr. Blake."

"Good to hear, but I think we could drop the formality. Just call me Evan and I hope you don't mind if I call you Dani." He said with a friendly smile.

"It's fine with me. Evan." She said finally getting a real glimpse of the man who had assisted her from the first day she stepped into this office. He was her immediate supervisor, one of the senior partners of the company. One of the men, whose name was on the wall. Her boss.

Evan was probably in his late twenties. He was handsome in a masculine way. He has a well-built body and an aura of a man of action. From the week she had spent time with him, she found him quite intelligent, articulate, and with a good sense of humor.

Why had she not noticed it before? Maybe because she was too busy worrying about her new position and responsibilities that the rest did not matter.

"By the way, it is customary that we welcome our new partners with a welcome dinner. What about next Friday night?" He asked, startling her from her internal preoccupation.

She mentally scolded herself and checked her schedule. "Friday next week is good with me."

"I'll have my assistant contact yours for the details." He said as he stood up to leave.

"Sure. Looking forward to it." She said, extending her hand again for a farewell shake.

"We are more than glad to have you on board." He took hers with a firm grip. She walked him to the door and gazed at his back as he strode to the lift at the far corner of the floor.

"OMG. Did you just agreed to go out on a date with Mr. Adonis?" Trust Jacky with her adorable aliases and obviously, her eavesdropping skills.

"It's not a 'date' date…" She corrected her. "…like you are thinking. It's work-related."

"Yeah, right. Still, it will be just the two of you. I think it would be perfect if you could seduce him to sleep with you. I believe he would be a willing victim." She teased.

"Stopped it." She ordered. "Go back to work."

Sometimes she wondered if it was a good idea that she brought along Jacky. Then again, she would not have survived all this time without her. Despite her crass and easygoing personality, she was a great treasure when it comes to her work and being a true friend.

Jacky had long gone home to prepare for her date while she opted to stay to finish up on some more files. After finishing the last one on her desk, her eyes wandered to the darkness that enveloped the outside of her window.

She found herself wondering if she did agree to go on a double date with Jacky, who would Marcus brought with him. Would she see Alexander? Would he want to see her? Ever since their last meeting in her office in her previous job, she had not heard from him again.

Her mind kept wondering what he was doing or where he was. She kept on thinking if one day they would bump into each other in a café, in a resto or just on the street since they were now living in the same city. What were the chances that they would meet again?

She knew that he was the new CEO of the Welsh Group of Companies, which was just a few blocks from her building. Would there be a chance that they could work together on the same case or be on the opposing end again?

"Stopped. What are you doing?" She reprimanded herself. There was no point in thinking about him when there was no future in it.

There was a reason why she did not want a relationship, but this was not the time to think about it. She just wanted to go home but tired as she was, she knew she would not be sleeping again.

She grabbed her things and decided that home was the last place she wanted to be. She had something better in mind.