Contracted To Love

“Can you get my daughter back?” she asked. “That’s all I need. That’s all I want.”

He looked at her and took a long sip of his wine.

“How did you lose the case?” he wondered out loud. “Don’t the courts usually favor the mother?”

She nodded.

“Yeah, usually… but my not reporting his abuse cost me… everything.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Abuse?” David was surprised. He’d heard the rumors but he’d never really taken anything seriously. At least not until he got the confirmation from the horse’s mouth and finally, the confirmation had come.

“Yeah, abuse. I kept quiet for a while but he was getting more and more violent and I knew that he would kill me when he threw me against the bannister…. I left. I went to a hotel for a while and then I went home before I filed for a divorce.”

David could fell himself getting furious.

“He beat you,” he said in a soft voice and she nodded.

“I know what you’re thinking. Why didn’t I report him?”

David wanted to nod. That was exactly what he was thinking.

“At the time, all I could think of was how the media would twist the story. How I would be viewed… my family’s past mistakes taken apart. Every aspect of my life investigated… I know how brutal the business I’m in can get. I’m part of it.”

“Did you have your daughter with you when you left?” he asked and she nodded.

“She was also a big part of why I chose to remain quiet. But that move was what he capitalised on…. His lawyers made me look and sound like some irate entitled society bi*ch who just wanted her way while he was a hardworking middle class citizen struggling to do what was right for his family. He was a saint in court and I… my heart was breaking with every lie he told. One day I blew up in the middle of his testimony and that was it. The judge had everything she wanted. I was the maniacal parent she needed to protect my daughter from so she made a grave mistake. She called my daughter to court and asked her who she wanted to live with.”

“She chose Jean?”

Michelle nodded.

“I hardly think that she understood what was going on… matter of fact, I’m sure that she didn’t realize what she’d done because she was crying for me when we left the courtroom, wondering why we weren’t going home together.”

Another tear rolled down her cheek.

“Can you get my baby back?” she asked in a whisper.

It was more of a plea than a question. The desperation in her eyes was clear.

“I’ll do anything and everything I can to make sure that you get your daughter.”

David didn’t really make promises. At least not as easily as he’d just done, but in his heart of hearts, deep in his gut, he knew that he meant every word. He was going to move mountains to make sure the injustice that had been done to Michelle was corrected.

I know that this is the worst time to bring this up but I was wondering if you would accompany somewhere over the weekend.

The words were on the tip of his tongue but he wasn’t as insensitive as to bring it up at that moment.

“I’m sorry about dinner tonight… I just don’t think I can handle being at the table.”

David shook his head. “Are you kidding me? We’re having dinner in a kid’s’s bedroom. What could be better than that?”

Michelle giggled. That was the first time she showed any sign of hope in her eyes. On her face.

“Maybe a pizza with extra toppings.”

He nodded.

“Consider it done.”

                                                            *****

Michelle and David spent the evening drinking the Chateau Blanc and stuffing their faces with pizza. It took a while before David finally brought up the Mayor’s Ball. Matter of fact, it wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning that he mentioned the ball at all.

“You don’t have to come…” he started, and she shook her head.

“I need to live my life at some point, and this provides the perfect opportunity.”

David nodded. It was all he could do after several glasses of the wine. He knew that she was going to be perfect on that evening, but he was too drunk to say it.

It wasn’t until he saw her coming down the stairs on the evening of the Mayor’s Ball that he really understood what Michelle truly was. A natural beauty. A perfect goddess. She was in a loose fitting dress with a V-neck design that showed off that generous cleavage. There was a long thigh-high slit showing off that supple chocolate skin. Her long, thick tresses had been straightened to perfection and swept to one side, revealing a golden earring dangling from her left ear.

“You… you look beautiful,” he said as she walked towards him.

“Thank you. You clean up pretty damn well yourself,” she said as she looked at his navy blue slim-fitting suit.

“Ready to face the world as Mrs. Favre?” he asked. “Wait,” he said when she frowned. “Smith-Favre.”

A smile played on her lips.

“Of course.”

She slowly walked up to where he was and he swallowed hard. It was all he could do not to pounce on her. The woman exuded s*x. She had to be the most sensual being he’d ever known. All those curves, that smile, those deep searching eyes…. Her beauty was the kind of beauty that one couldn’t simply look at. You had to stare at her to really take in her beauty.

“Oh my! Mr. and Mrs. Favre… you two look dashing.” Valeria’s voice pulled him away from staring at Michelle.

“Thank you Valeria,” Michelle said.

“We should be back by midnight,” David said and Valeria frowned.

“Come on, you two. It’s not a school night… and you have a chauffeur. Have some fun. Live a little, as my son always says. “

David and Michelle exchanged a knowing look before Michelle looked away a little embarrassed.

“Good night, Valeria,” David dismissed her, smiling.

“Good night,” Valeria said before she walked out.

David looked at Michelle again before he walked her out to the waiting car. It was an evening neither of them would forget. The first time they were in public as man and wife. The first time since their wedding. The press was all over them. Photographers asking for a shot of Michelle’s ring or the two of them posing together. They were a power couple alright, and everyone wanted to be them. Women wanted to be in Michelle’s shoes and live her glamorous life. Men wanted her in their bed. The same men wanted to be the billionaire who got tamed by the beautiful African American. Next to Harry and Meghan, David and Michelle were everyone’s dream couple.