The Barmaid's Contract

26

I searched the house for Cally. I needed to get out and I was taking her with. Even for a few hours.

I went to her room and gently knocked on her door, opening it.

I saw her laying on her bed, cuddling a pillow when she looked at me.

"Hey, Call." I said softly as I went to her bed. "I'm sorry about that old windbag of a father of yours."

Cally wiped her cheek. "It's nothing new." She mumbled.

"Do you wanna go out for a while?" I offered her. Cally shook her head.

"No."

"Okay. I was going to go to a salon and get my hair done, but since you ain't up for it..." I lied and it worked.

Cally sat up and cleaned her face. "Really?"

I gave her a wide smile. "My treat."

"I guess so." She sniffled and got off the bed. "I'm sorry about daddy. He is such a, a, a-"

"Tyrant?"

"Yeah." We walked to the car and alerted the driver where we were going.

"Don't worry about him." I assured her.

"I have to leave tomorrow." Cally breathed out.

"I know." I said softly, placing my hand on her arm. "But we can still be friends and talk and catch up."

Cally threw me a watery smile.

The car stopped at the salon and we got out, entering the building.

We both sat on the chairs and people immediately started playing with our hair.

I told the lady behind me to straighten mine and Cally got highlights.

"He is making me do something I don't wanna do, Alex." Cally told me and my heart dropped. I knew what it was. "A contract marriage. All for business. I don't even know the person. He could be old and ugly or a serial killer or a molestor or even a woman basher."

I placed my hand towards her and took hers. "Have you tried telling your father no?" I asked her.

"I did and he yelled at me. I hate it when he yells at me. Does anyone know what it's like to be in a contract for marriage? It's...humiliating." I saw the tears starting to run down her face as she looked at me.

I gave her a sympathetic look and turned to look at myself in the mirror. I wanted to tell her I do. I know what it's like. So instead, I did the next best thing.

"My mum left Dominic over a business deal." I said softly to her. "Dominic proposed that I marry someone, older than me, when I turn eighteen. I don't know how much older, a year, five, twenty? But my mum took me away from that. She said that I was a child and not a bargaining chip. We planned on going to Ireland, but we never got that far. Mum got sick and yeah..."

I saw Cally look at me through the mirrors. "So you do know what it's like?"

I nodded my head. "I do. The feeling of no control. That your life is no longer yours. The growing hatred towards people involved. I was never officially contracted to that marriage. But I still know what it's like. Sometimes though, it works out. Sometimes feelings change and the person you are bound to, they become something different. Something that you'll like. Someone that can take what you give."

I stared straight in to my green eyes in the mirror. Avery always takes what I give when I'm yelling at him. I noticed Cally staring intensely at me and I let out a nervous giggle. "What?"