Page 18 of David's Proposal

Me going to Spain.

“You can work remotely.”

“Doing what?”

“Find a job that allows you to work from home. Like a virtual assistant. A freelancer. I don’t know. Or you can find a job here.”

“And I need to get a work visa, no?”

“You might. I could find a local employer to help you with the paperwork if that’s the route you choose.”

“Route I choose?? I wasn’t even thinking about it before you brought it up.”

“Think about it… It’s not a bad idea.”

She’s relentless as always.

“Where did this whole idea come from? You haven’t said a thing to me and now you suddenly want me there?”

“I didn’t say anything to you because I knew you’d say no.”

“You didn’t say anything to me because you weren’t sure you’d stay there the entire year.”

“That’s true,” she says in a more mellow voice after pondering for a moment.”It’s not what I thought it would be.”

“Come back.”

“I’m not a quitter.”

“This is not about quitting. You’re not happy over there. Clearly… Then come back.”

A few moments pass.

“Chloe?”

“I don’t know. There are a few good things about studying overseas.”

“Name one.”

“Experiencing a different culture.”

“Give me something that’s not in a brochure. What’s in it for you?”

“It’s something new. I can get lost on the streets of Madrid. Imagine us hanging out. Eating tapas and drinking wine.”

For a moment, I do that.

Not long ago, I thought I’d do that with Thea in Turkey. Only drinking Turkish coffee and eating Turkish bagels.

That didn’t happen, and if I remember correctly, I was so damn sad when Thea left.

And now that Chloe has left––and she wants me there–– could that even be possible? To think about going there?

I don’t know how far–fetched the idea is, but it gets me thinking.

It sounds complicated if you ask me, and I hate to complicate my life even more.

“I’ll think about it,” I say, trying to move away from the topic.

---