The Royal Contract

It had been a while since she felt this excited about something she loved to do. She missed this, working at the break of dawn and ending at the last second before midnight.

But she still made sure that she was well-rested. She could not risk the health of her baby. Of course, eating the proper healthy food was a must. Fortunately, food was not a problem in this part of the world.

"Hey, Haley, are you not tired yet?" Her assistant, Trixie, asked as she placed a cold coconut juice that was now her new favorite drink.

She looked away from the new plan she was working on to gaze at her assistant. She could tell that Mike had put her up to this. He must have instructed Trixie to check on her every hour.

Trixie always had an excuse to see her, but she knew her assistant was only looking for a way to see if she was ok. But she did not mind.

Truthfully, she found it sweet that they would think about her. But, of course, she knew how to care for herself. They did not need to fuss about her needs.

"Not yet. Let me finish this last one, and then I will rest." She assured her, knowing that was what she wanted to hear.

But sometimes, she took longer since she still had tons to do to catch up with her work. The owner did not like the design that the previous architect did. Therefore, she had to present a new one that would fit the criteria and add something innovative. Her specialty was adding features that made her designs aesthetic and unique.

"Call me if you need anything else," Trixie said as she left her in her workroom. But she knew she would be back before she could even call her name.

She returned to her work, burying herself in the crazy ideas swirling in her mind. Usually, wild imaginations, including thinking outside the box, could produce the best creative concepts.

She just had to filter and rearrange them until they became one coherent plan. Then, she let herself get lost, allowing her fingers to take the lead, transforming her thoughts into lines.

She finally stretched her body after crouching for too long, looking satisfied at the initial sketch she had drawn. It was not her finest work yet, but she knew she could do it better.

"Hey," She answered her phone quickly once she heard it ringing. She never bothered looking at the screen, knowing already who was on the other line.

There were only a handful of people who knew her number, and there was only one person who called her at this usual time. And he seldom failed to talk to her.

"Hi, Hailey." Her friend asked, acting like he had no idea. "Busy?"

She noticed he sounded tired on the phone like he was catching his breath. She concluded that he must have just finished working out at the gym.

"Always, but I always have time for your call," Hailey responded with mild sarcasm, knowing too well that he was spying on her. "What is it this time? What did Trixie say to you?" She questioned him.

She knew that Trixie might have already mentioned she was still working. But it was just a few minutes past her regular operating hours.

Besides, what did he expect from her when she agreed to take on this job? She came here to work and not just bask under the sun. She could not just sit on her ass and let time slip her by.

"She was only concerned about you." He calmly explained. "You might be working too hard."

Of course, she understood her situation. She was pregnant and hiding to save their lives. But still, she did not need a nanny that constantly watched her every move.

"I know you mean well. But..." She knew she should be thankful to him for all he had done for her. But still, she knew what she was doing.

She might be a prisoner on this island, but she was still a free woman, capable of deciding what would be best for her body and baby.

"But?" He asked when she remained silent for a few seconds.

"I am just carrying a baby, not a bomb. So stop handling me like I am about to explode if you let go of my hand.

And I am not disabled, either. I can still fetch a glass of water without someone running to my every beck and call." She quickly added before he could reply.

She noticed how the staff was fussing over her. She sometimes felt like the Queen as they attended to her needs. But she was not here to act like she owned the place. She was here to work just like the rest of them.

"I am sorry. But I need an assurance that you are ok, especially when I..." Suddenly, his voice faded and then replaced by some static noise. "... you."

"Come again. I can't hear you." She said. "The line is noisy," As if she heard something else in the background. "Are you in speaker?" She asked because his voice was inconsistent.

"Yeah. I was working on something." He said as he probably moved closer to his phone again. "I am sorry about that. But I am just saying that it is hard when I am not there to protect you."

She could not help but smile at his thoughtfulness. At least, even if she did not have family and friends around her, she had him.

"I can't help but worry," Mike added, making her feel slightly guilty for her attitude.

Mike might be slightly rough on the edges, but she had learned that he was a big softie deep inside. The more she discovered his personality, the more she liked him.

Then, she heard something again in the background. She could not tell, but it sounded like someone was moving around and whispering something. But it was too faint to be sure.

"Are you with someone?" She asked, slightly concerned that someone else might be listening to their conversation.

However, she knew that Mike would never risk it. He would not let anyone else in their secret. Therefore, she might be hallucinating or making a mistake.

"No." He quickly answered. "Of course, I am alone. As I said, I am working on something." He reasoned.

But she could still hear the rustling in the background. She could not distinguish the type of noise, but she knew something was happening on the other side of the phone.

"It sounded like you were talking to someone." She explained her growing paranoia.

But, of course, she sometimes attributed her mindset to the pregnancy hormones and the threat in her life. Therefore, who could blame her?

"It is probably the news on the television that you heard. I will turn it down." He said, then the line was less chaotic. She guessed that answered her question, clearing her unwanted thoughts.

Honestly, there were a few times that she thought she could hear him. But it was just in her dream on her mind. He was not real but just her imagination.

"Yeah, I see. Anyway, how are you? Meet anyone special today?" She asked, hoping that her friend would find his soulmate.

She heard silence on the other line like he was gone. But that was unlikely since she could still listen to his breathing.

"Are you still there, Mike?" Hailey called to him, wondering if something had happened or if she had said something wrong.

"Yeah, still here." He said. "Sorry, but I was busy with something. I zoned out for a second." He said, trying to excuse himself.

It was not like him to act distracted. He was one of the most focused people she had known in her entire life. There this odd behavior was a little suspicious.

"What is going on with you?" She asked. Suddenly, she was the one worrying about him. "Did a girl run away with your heart?" She could not help but tease him.

It was the only thing she could think about. But, of course, she doubted it was the reason. Mike would not easily fall for a woman, remembering Gerald's words.

But still, nothing was impossible with fate, especially if Cupid was around, shooting his damn arrows. Just look at her. She thought she would never fall for Gerald. But here she was, still madly in love with him.

"I am just busy and tired," Mike claimed, denying her statement. "You know I will never fall for any woman's tricks. No one could claim this heart."

She guessed that was true. But then again, Gerald also said the same thing. However, she felt different when she was with him. She felt his love, even if he could not utter the words.

She believed that even the coldest and hardest heart could change. Her friend could learn to love and care if he met the right match.

Could her friend have met someone? Maybe, he found the other missing half of his heart that could make him whole again.