I was fuming. I wanted to shred up this contract and end it here and now. I called someone about talking to Holden so I was waiting for him to show up. I knew if I kept this contract, I would be put out of my own money. I had to get out of this contract.
"You rang," Holden said as he stepped into my apartment. No need for knocking I guess.
"You didn't tell me Poppy worked here," I pointed to him. "You lied to me."
"I didn't lie."
"But you didn't tell me the truth either," I said. "You knew she knew me and you scouted me out anyway. Why?"
"Because the poor girl has been badgering me since she came here. Might as well end her suffering."
"I want to end my contract then," I crossed my arms. "I'll do that interview for you, but I want out of it."
"You can't do that," he said. "You have a year."
"Then I want a trial. I can call my lawyers up here and they can look over your contract and negotiate terms for a new one. I want out," I told him. I meant it, too. I didn't trust myself around Poppy. She was far too easy to fall in love with.
Holden let out a sigh and paced around the room. I could see the thoughts reeling in his head. Whatever they were, I'm sure they weren't good for me. He paused in place and his eyes scanned over the stack of papers I had strewn over the couch. He walked over to the sofa and picked up the stack of papers.
"My lawyers and I will draw up new terms," he said. "We can negotiate then. Sound fair?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"Why is it you want a new contract?" he pressed. He didn't seem like the person who cared, so I don't get why he was asking.
"You don't seem like you care."
"I don't, but I am curious as to why you would ask for a new contract after meeting with Poppy for the first time in three years."
"She's easy to love," I told him. "I don't trust myself around a woman like her. I've loved her once before and I'm sure it will happen again. I need out of that contract so I know I can love her freely."
"Do you still love her?"
"I'm not answering that," I told him. "I want my new terms in one hour."
Holden stared at me with his eyes cold and distant. He tucked the papers underneath his arm and began to fiddle with a small ring on his hand. I've noticed he does this every once in a while. I'm in no mood to play these mind games. What I want is out of this contract and to be able to be close to her again.
"Explain to me why I should do this for you," he told me. "I'm not letting you get these new terms easily."
I let out a sigh and stared at him with my best poker face. Growing up in a family of rich bastards did have it's perks at times. Like when you were in business mode.
"Why you should do this for me?"
"Yes, I want to know what moved you to make this decision?"
I glanced down at the floor. Fuck, this guy was a head trip. I can't believe I was about to spill every ounce of feelings to him about Poppy.
"Poppy. She's the only reason I would have to make this decision. She's my weakness and she always has been. She is fire and I lay in her wake to let her destroy me. If I lost her again, I would let myself drown in the ocean and that still wouldn't surmount the amount of pain I would feel from losing her. I've lost her once and it was the worst pain I've felt in my life. I was a strong statue when I had her. When she left Surrey, my strong statue began to crumble piece by piece leaving nothing other than the shell of a man I was with her. I began to build myself back up and if I lose her again, I will lose every piece of me again."
Every single word of that was the truth. I've never felt more vulnerable than when I didn't have Poppy. There was not a single day that she didn't cross my mind. She was the woman who had me at her mercy. I would bow before her a thousand and one times if it meant I could have her again. No other woman would ever compare to her. Poppy was a one of a kind woman. She was my kind and no one would ever get the pleasure of having her in their life except for me. Not if it was the last thing I do.
"I see," Holden said. "You don't want to lose her again?"
"I couldn't bear it if I lost her," I said. "She's my family and family doesn't let each other go."
"You have your sister," Holden pointed out.
"I didn't choose to have her as my family. There's a difference between choosing and being stuck with people."
There was a silence between the pair of us. Holden held a hard stare at me as he continuously twirled that ring around his finger. He gave me a nod as if he understood how I felt. I wasn't sure why I knew he sympathized with me, or why I felt bad for him in some way, but it moved me. This man had some romantic shit happen to him and showed him he wasn't complete stone.
"One hour," I told him. "Or I walk out of here with a voided contract."
"Duly noted. But it won't be void," he said. "And you'll owe the club a lot of money."
"Fine," I crossed my arms. "One hour starting now."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"It looks the same," I said once I finished reading over the contract. "Not a damn word has changed, Holden Drake."
"I've only ever offered this to one other person in the club and that was Finn Harlow. You've seen him around, I'm sure. This contract is a shortened one. In three months, we will sit down and determine if you would like to continue with the club. You will lost the money you signed on with, but will leave with twenty thousand dollars."
"Twenty grand?" I asked. It's not a lot of money—especially when I compared it to my advance checks— but I would take it. "Three months of my life and I walk out of here and I can be with Poppy?"
"That's the terms. Until we reconvene again, you will be an active member of the club and will be included in everything."
"And if I don't?"
"You lose more than twenty thousand dollars. The ball is in your court, Berkley."
I took hold of the contract and looked it over again. Right on the top of the page there were the words of a ninety-day period. Ninety days and I would be free. I could go back to normal and live my life the way I wanted.
"I want Poppy included in this, too. I want her out of this club," I told him.
"She has her own contract, Berkley."
"I want her to get a new one. Give her the choice of whether or not she wants to stay. I know how she is and if I know her at all, she is committed to this club. She will stay committed until her contract is up."
"I will talk about it with Poppy," he said. "But this is about you, Berkley."
"I will not sign this until you draw up the same exact contract for Poppy," I demanded. "I'm doing this for her and I will continue doing things for her until I breathe my last breath. If you have any ounce of decency in your body, you will do ask I ask."
Holden looked at me for a few seconds before he waved his hand and agreed to my new terms. I scribbled my signature across the line and handed it over to him. Holden gave me a smile as he handed the contract over to the man in the corner of the room.
"Ninety days."
What? A second update? YES! This is in honor of our Clublander of the month, lurves2read, so I hope she enjoyed this bonus update of BRITISH BOY. I also hope you all enjoyed this as well.
Can we also just discuss how completely NOT OVER Poppy Berkley is? I think it's adorable. Do you think they will do something stupid to ruin this ninety day contract?
Have a wonderful Sunday, Clublanders! See you all next weekend!
~Amanda