The Contract
"What non-sexual favour would you need from me?"
"Live in my household for a year and do whatever I want without question." His eyes narrowed into treacherous slits as they read my reluctance. A sceptical expression etched upon my face, very suspicious of this handsome stranger.
"The answer is a hard 'no'." I didn't give him an opening to counter when I speed-walked out of the VIP room, not sparing him another glance. That guy must be off his meds to make such a ridiculous offer.
"Oi, sexy! Get your fine ass here."
"In a minute, sir." I evade one problematic person and fall prey to another. Reaching my limit, I heaved an exasperated sigh. I checked the bar for Jaxson, but he was nowhere in sight.
"Hey, woman!" The relentless creep persisted to harass me, vexed by my dismissive behaviour.
"One moment, sir!" I shouted in frustration, then called out to Jaxson in case he was in the storage room, yet there was no answer.
"How dare you tell me to wait!" The creep roared as he snatched my arm from behind in an attempt to yank my body toward him.
"Let go of me!" I screamed, trembling with fear and adrenaline.
"You don't tell me what to do, bitch." I tried fighting him off, but the drunk man had a lot of strength. "I won't let you get away that easy!" He added pressure on my wrist, invoking a yelp to rip through my lips.
In a split second, a large hand peeled the creep's grasp off me.
"Leave the lady alone, or else…" The handsome stranger threatened. His sharp glare could kill someone as it is.
"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?" The drunkard challenged, puffing his chest out similar to a gorilla. The stranger grabbed a full shot glass that was on the counter and poured its contents horizontally on the ground. The liquid reflected a crimson red which resembled blood.
"Cross this line and I'll show you," he declared, menacingly, rendering the room pin-drop silent.
The creep looked taken aback. Although the scene was bizarre, he couldn't deny the imminent danger radiating from this stranger nor the hostile atmosphere.
"Heh, whatever. You can have the slut all to yourself." The creep placed his hand up in a mocking surrender as he strode into the crowd. The noise slowly picked up and everyone resumed their carnal activities.
"Um... Thank you," I croaked, still shaken by the commotion. The stranger's eyelids drooped lazily, carefully reading my expression. His lips compressed into a thin line while a frown occupied his face.
Was he pissed off because I rejected his offer? If so, then why did he help me?
He suavely turned on his heel and sauntered into the VIP room. I wasn't surprised by his aloof behaviour. I, too, would have been irked if I had to save the person who rudely declined my proposal and assumed I was a lunatic. His feelings were warranted.
"Heya, cutie." Jaxson waved behind the counter, making me ponder when he had returned to the bar. "Could you get these drinks to table 20, please?"
"Sure, Jaxson." I had decided not to question anything and finish my shift fast, otherwise, I might have really gone insane.
"What the hell is this?" I hissed at the pathetic twenty-dollar bills in my hand.
"Your payment for tonight," Caine stated nonchalantly, surfing through the documents on his desk. I glowered at him, furious that he was ripping me off with my earnings.
"Yes, but why? It's half of what I was promised."
"Love, I had to make a few cuts to compensate for the disturbances you caused with the customers." He glanced up, vexation evident in his stare. "Consider it leniency."
"This is bullshit. I didn't even start any issues!" I snarled, rays of anger pulsing through my veins.
"That may be true. Nevertheless, you did a poor job of handling them." I snickered in disbelief. Caine was being a total asshole right now and he relished in it. "It reflects poorly on my reputation."
"What? Your reputation as a strip club owner?" I jeered spitefully, earning a scowl from him. "Screw this job!"
I stormed out of his office, enraged by the amount of injustice I had suffered today. Now that I had nothing, there was only one option left. I didn't care what happened to me from here onwards, as long as I can save Joel.
I barged into the VIP lounge, immediately locking eyes with the handsome stranger. Another waitress was pouring him a drink whilst slouching down until her bare cleavage was on display.
"Leave us," he ordered and the waitress didn't hesitate. She obeyed him parallel to a servant would its master.
Seriously, who is this guy?
"I'll accept your offer." I tried sounding confident on the inside, but I was practically shitting myself. Joel's life depended on this man and he could very much retract the offer.
"Is that so?" He mused, amusement lacing his voice. "What exactly changed your mind?"
"I truly need the money." Honesty was key and I had a hunch this stranger could detect lies. "Urgently..." Considering that I had to transfer a payment to the hospital for my brother's chemo next week. He bit into his bottom lip, attempting to conceal a grin. I don't think he understood how undeniably sexy he looked. I shook my head lightly, trying to discard any lewd thoughts.
"Alright, write down your phone number and I'll send you my address." He relented, placing a ball-pen and napkin on his table. "We can talk specifics and sign the contract then."
"Okay." I did as he requested and jotted down my number on the napkin.
Ignoring his piercing blue eyes as they sluggishly wandered my curved figure, I inhaled a strong fragrance of cinnamon and musk. A tingling sensation erupted inside my body, his intoxicating cologne sending me into overdrive. He must have sensed my mounting tension because he grabbed the napkin and speedily exited the VIP without another word.
'That was so embarrassing,' I thought to myself. 'I hope I've made the right decision...'
The next morning, I received a text from him and travelled to the specified location.
"Holy shit!" I gaped, staring at his giant mansion in awe.
He must be swimming with money... I just hope he wasn't a drug dealer or human trafficker, otherwise, I'd be screwed. I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves, then lightly knocked on his door. It swung open in an instant. I was not only baffled to see him attend to the door himself but how 'different' his entire appearance had changed. He wore slim navy pants, a maroon polo with a beige cotton V-neck cardigan, and brown leather loafers. Each item of clothing was from a designer brand, including his accessories.
"Hi... My name is Chloe Thomas… Um, the woman from last night," I stammered, confused about the whole setting. Everything seemed so weird and eerie.
"Good morning, Miss. Thomas. I've been expecting you," he greeted formally and with a posh accent. I became fleetingly fixated on his chocolate-brown hair which was now slicked back, accentuating his tremendously attractive features. "I suppose introductions are in order." His soft-spoken voice broke my train of thought.
"Y-Yes, sir."
"I am Isaac Hoffmann, the master of this household." He stepped aside and gestured for me to enter the mansion. "Would you please come in?" Despite being wary and hesitant at first, I followed behind him like an obedient little puppy.
The interior was spacious and beautiful, but incredibly isolated. I expected there to be maids and butlers scattered all over the place, yet we were the only two people here. We made our way to another room, which I presumed to be his Livingroom. It was tough matching his speedy pace with those vigorous long legs of his.
"Have a seat." He pointed to a luxurious sofa, while he sat down on a rather modest armchair.
I did as he requested without hesitation, perplexed by his very disparate demeanour. He flipped open an expensive silver laptop and typed in the password. I averted my gaze to the floor, respecting his privacy.
"I'll type up the contract, but first, are there any conditions of your own?" I pondered on the question for a while. However, that merely upsurged my puzzlement.
"Erg, this would be a lot easier if I knew what the job entailed."
"Do you not have any terms of your own?" His reluctance to provide any details was concerning. I wanted to interrogate him thoroughly and find out what the catch was, and the reason I was selected. Not to mention, his drastic switch in behaviour. I didn't even know this man, and nonetheless, I could discern he was completely different from last night. Time was of the essence, so I'd have to take a gamble and make some fundamental rules on the spot.
"Yes, the first rule is you cannot force me to do anything sexual without my consent."
A bitter smirk occupied his lips, while his leg bounced anxiously. "You will not have to worry about that." There was a hint of disdain in his raspy tone.