The Contract (The Contract 1)

“No needle tracks, Richard,” she spat. “I don’t do drugs. I don’t smoke them, ingest them, or shoot them into my system. Satisfied? Or, do you want to check more? Should I pee in a jar for you?”

“No. I suppose I have to trust you. If I find out you’re lying, this whole deal is off.”

“I’m not lying.”

I eased back. “Fine. This isn’t up for discussion—you’re out of here tonight. I won’t risk Graham finding out you live in a place like this shithole.”

“And if you aren’t offered the job? What do I do then? I doubt you’ll let me stay on with you.”

I barked out a laugh. She was right. “With what I’m paying you, you’ll be able to afford something decent.” I looked around again. “You aren’t bringing this furniture.”

“It’s not mine.”

“Thank God.”

“You’re a snob, you know that? It’s old, but it’s still serviceable and clean.”

I had to admit, the small space was meticulous and clean—but it was still hideous. I ignored her jibe.

“Do these boxes go?”

“Is it really necessary to do this right now?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” She sighed. “The boxes go.”

“Fine. I’ll put those in the back seat. Your, ah, wardrobe can go in the trunk. What else do you have?”

“A few personal things.”

I pushed an empty plastic laundry hamper her way. “Put them in there. Throw out any food you have.”

A strange look crossed her face. “I don’t have any—except a few muffins.”

I snorted. “Is eating a problem, too? No wonder you’re so fucking thin.”

She tossed her head. “Are you going to even attempt to be polite? Or will you only save the effort for when we’re in public?”

I lifted the first set of boxes. “I guess you’ll find out. Now, get your stuff. You’re not coming back here.”I opened the guest room door, striding in and turning on the light after I set down the same boxes I had loaded up on the other side of town. Together, after we made a few trips, we brought all the contents into her room. I stepped back and assessed the situation. It wasn’t much. I was tempted to demand to know why she had so little, then decided it wasn’t worth the fight. I could tell from the tense set of her shoulders and the way her lips pressed together, I had pushed her enough for the night.

“Katharine, trust me. This is for the best. Now when they ask you, you can honestly say we live together.”

“And if your idea fails, my life is shattered.”

“If my idea fails, your life was done anyhow. David would never trust you to remain; he’d fire you and you’d have nothing. This way you’ll have some money in the bank, I’ll make sure you get a new job, and you can have a nicer place. One way or another, it has to be a fucking lot better than what you had.”

She stared at me.

“In the meantime, you have a place that’s safe and it’s far more comfortable. When we move forward, you can decorate the room to suit your taste. You have access to the whole condo. Besides my workout room, there’s a great pool and spa area downstairs, and I guarantee you, your bathroom is luxurious.”

“Is there a bathtub?” she wondered, a trace of wistfulness in her voice.

I felt strangely pleased to be able to tell her yes, and I opened the door with a flourish, showing her the massive tub. For the first time, I saw a real smile on her face. It softened her expression, lighting up her eyes. They really were an incredible shade of blue.

“It’s yours, Katharine. Use it whenever you like.”

“I will.”

I walked over to her door. “Get settled and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be long and difficult, and we need to get you ready for the weekend.” I hesitated, but I knew I needed to begin trying. “Goodnight, Katharine.”

“Goodnight, Richard.”

KATHARINE

I couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically, yet I couldn’t relax. The strange events of the past few days played on a constant loop in my mind. Richard’s unexpected offer, my even more unexpected response, and his reaction to where I’d been living. He’d been beyond disgusted and furious, with his usual demanding demeanor in full force. Before I could blink, my few possessions were in the trunk of his large, luxury car and I was back in his condo—on a permanent basis, or until he was done with his inane plan. The inane plan I was now entrenched in as deeply as my boss.

The condo was silent. There was literally no noise. I was used to the sounds that surrounded me at night: traffic, other tenants moving around, yelling, and the constant sound of sirens and violence outside my window. They were the noises that kept me awake, sometimes fearful, yet now they were absent, I couldn’t sleep. I knew I was safe. This place was a hundred, no a thousand times safer, than the terrible room I had lived in the past year. I should be able to relax and slumber peacefully.