The Six Month Contract

Sleeping Arrangements

I lift my head away from my suitcase and sigh. My clothes are finally stacked in his walk in closet. I thought I had it big but his walk in closet is the size of two of my bedrooms back home combined.

The clock warns me it's midnight and I've been putting off sleep for the exact reason which is Rocky Hamilton. He's not in the bedroom but throughout the day he showed up a few times to see if I needed help. The whole idea of him is confusing.

To me, he has this image of a disrespectful playboy who rolls around in money and is selfish. Of course that's not what I saw today. He's a walking, talking contradiction.

I pull the drawer out and rummage through my pyjamas. They're all shorts and tank tops because of the summer heat and suddenly I feel self-conscious. I don't want Rocky seeing me like that.

Knowing very much I don't have a choice, I pick nude coloured shorts that have green flowers on them and a matching green tank top with it. I slip into them within seconds as if Rocky would show up any second.

The clock now shows that it is fifteen minutes past twelve. Sleep pulls me in but there is still no sign of Rocky. I watch the black silk sheets with golden embroidery throughout. Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the bed and slip my legs under the blanket.

Closing my eyes I sink into the bed, pulling the blanket up to my neck as if to protect me from whatever is about to happen.

The door clicks open but I don't open my eyes. I'm very much aware that it is Rocky. I wait for the door to shut to confirm he's walked in but other than that, Rocky makes no other noise.

It's like the time drags, and drags. Eventually I feel Rocky slip into the bed beside me. I have my back turned to him so I can't even tell what he's doing. Part of me doesn't even want to know.

His hand touches me and he laces his fingers with mine. This act is not what I expected it to be or perhaps even expected him to do.

He pulls his hand, the one laced with mine and rests it on his chest. "I know you're not asleep."

My eyes shoot open but I don't make a sound. "I think we'd look better without the sheets between us," he says.

That grabs a reaction out of me and I turn to face him. Disgust covers my face and any attempts at pulling my hand away from him fails, he has a strong grip on my hand.

"I've got rings for us." He says. "Tomorrow morning."

A small tear slips through my eyes when I watch Rocky. I hate that I've practically sold myself.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I say. "Have I done something bad that I am unaware of."

Rocky switches the night lamp on by his side and pushes himself up. He opens the draw to his bedside table and pulls out an article and rests it on the bedsheets in front of me.

I grab the article, it's dated for today. My heart sinks when I see Systematics Corp. It reads Systematics Corp caught out in illegal activity.

I blink.

The article mentions the shut down of the company due to illegal activity and Paul Philips arrest.

My throat dries up. "What did you do?"

He frowns. "I did what I had to do."