Page 15 of The Green Card Baby Deal

“Colombia.” He spun her around and smiled. “You should come with me someday. Meet my mother. She’ll be so happy I found a nice girl to marry.” He laughed.

Clara glared at him playfully. “I haven’t said yes yet.”

He gestured to the whole penthouse. “You’re really going to turn all this down? I will give you everything you’ve ever wanted, Clara. And believe me when I tell you I can.”

She pretended to hesitate, but they both knew what her answer was going to be long before she said it. “So when can I move in?”

Luis pulled her in and hugged her so tight, she thought he might actually believe this was going to be a real marriage rather than the business arrangement they’d agreed upon. Maybe he was just committed to the bit. “Stay tonight. Have a friend bring your things tomorrow.”

Clara wanted to say no, absolutely not. This was way too big of a life change to be jumping into as casually as she if she were picking an ice cream flavor on a warm summer day. But his bed looked unbelievably comfortable, and she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days. “Can my sister come over tomorrow?” she ventured.

“Of course she can.” Luis gave her a charming half smile. “It’s your home now. Invite whoever you want. I just have one little request.”

“And what’s that?”

“I have a TV interview at one p.m. tomorrow, and I want you to watch it.”

“Okay, sure. But why?”

He winked at her and started down the stairs. “You’ll see.”

“And just where are you going?” she called after him.

“To sleep on the couch,” he answered, turning back for a moment. “We’re all business, remember? I’ll get a ‘guest’ bed tomorrow, but for tonight, my bed is all yours. Spare toiletries are in the bathroom. Help yourself.”

Clara laughed and hugged herself. “A perfect gentleman, eh?”

He waved a hand as he continued downstairs. “Only as long as you want me to be.”

Her blush could have lit the darkened room all by itself.

By the time Clara woke up the next morning, Luis was already gone. It was strange, waking up in someone else’s house and having to remind yourself that you live here now. She immediately texted Dawn, who told her she’d be there in a half hour, and went to take a shower. The bathroom was the epitome of luxury with beautiful tile mosaics, a shower with multiple shower heads, and a large soaking tub.

Clara dressed in a robe that felt like wearing an actual cloud and planned to wait for her sister to show up with her clean clothes. Downstairs, the coffee machine waited for her with a cup and a note explaining which button she had to push, or if she preferred, she could call for an on-call housekeeper to help. The view in the daytime was spectacular. There was something special about looking out over the city to see the water beyond. No wonder rich people felt so above it all. They literally were.

At around noon, Dawn showed up with the housekeeper, both of them dragging bags of Clara’s things into the apartment. Clara ran over to hug her sister. “Thank God you’re here,” she said to Dawn. “I need someone to pinch me and tell me I’m not dreaming.”

Dawn took a long look around the place. “If you’re dreaming, then so am I, and may we never wake up again.” She dropped Clara’s bags beside the staircase. “Wow! How did this happen? Tell me so I can follow in your footsteps.”

“All you have to do is go to a dive bar, meet the owner of a popular brewery, and insult his beer. He’ll be stuck to you like glue after that.”

“I’ll say!”

Clara showed Dawn all around the apartment, and Dawn had to touch just about everything. She turned on every faucet, opened every door, bent down and dug her fingers into every luxurious rug. She was like a kid in a candy shop. “Does he have a brother?” she finally said.

"Hmm. Come to think of it, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know whether he has a brother, but you’re already moving in together?” Dawn arched an eyebrow and folded her arms.

Clara glanced away. “Love at first sight?”

“Uh-huh. Love at first penthouse.”

Clara slapped her sister on the upper arm. “I am not that shallow, and you know it.”

“You’re right. That’s more like something I would do.” Dawn laughed, but Clara knew she was only kidding. Her sister’s relationship was one of the sweetest and strongest marriages she’d ever seen. Clara could only hope to have a connection as deep as that one day.

At one p.m., they sat on the couch and Dawn provided a bag of popcorn she had brought for just this occasion. It almost felt like home, sitting with her sister, watching TV and periodically tossing popcorn at each other. Clara briefly thought that she’d likely have to clean up, especially since she didn’t really know Luis’s feelings on tidiness. Although, after what little time she’d spent with him, he seemed to be a relaxed sort of person. And, she reasoned, he had a maid. He wouldn’t even have to know. Either way, it was worth it to laugh with her sister after everything that had happened.

---