Page 17 of David's Proposal

“You didn’t think there would be winter over there…?”

A smile lines my voice, and a small laugh rings at the other end of the line, and the Chloe I know is finally back.

“Never thought about it in detail.”

We both chuckle, and I lean back, more relaxed.

“So when will I see you again?”

She ponders an answer.

“Will I see you again?” I joke.

“Yes. Of course you will. I’ll be back for Christmas. I think. But maybe you can come here.”

I push upright and slide my elbows onto the table.

“Come to Spain? Are you crazy? Why? How? What would I do over there?”

“Study? Write?”

“Sure. Because I’m doing that so well over here.”

“No, no… I’m serious.”

“I’m serious too. Can you envision me living in Madrid?”

“Yes. Why not?”

“I don’t speak Spanish.”

“Spanish is easy.”

“What about going to school?”

“You can find a program or take a gap semester.”

My ears perk up.

If the conversation hasn’t fully grabbed my attention before, it does now.

I never thought about doing that.

In all honesty, there are many things I don’t think about since I don’t have a lot of money.

If there is one benefit to not having money, it’s that I don’t have to think about where I’m going next or what I’m doing next––it’s about the only benefit I am aware of.

“What about money? I can’t just idle by, doing nothing in Spain. You’d go to school. And I’d be like... What? Your chauffeur? Lady in waiting? Buttler?”

She chuckles.

“There’s stuff you can do. First off, you should take a gap semester anyway to write your book.”

I freeze, the silence thickening in the room before my forehead crashes against my folded arms lining the table, and laughter pours from my lips.

“You’re crazy…” I say, still laughing. “I don’t have two dimes to rub together. I just rented a new place. I work. I have a job in town, and you want me to take a gap semester, come to Spain, and write my book? What have you been smoking?”

“Listen, listen…” she says, and it dawns on me she’s thought this through.

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