A deal with a stranger

“I can't do this, there's no way I'm doing it," Valeria Cruz murmured to herself.

She sat at her usual table in her favorite coffee shop, her coffee sat in front of her, untouched.

She kept sighing to herself, as she replayed her father's proposal over and over again.

No matter how hard she thought about it, there was no way she was getting married to Grey Wilson.

Just then, Mrs Romano walks in. An elderly woman in her mid sixties, and the judge of a federal high court. Valeria had met Mrs Romano here at the coffee shop months back, and since then, their friendship grew.

She looked up and forced a smile as she waved at Mrs Romano who approached her with knitted brows.

“You don't look okay," Mrs Romano observed, stopping at Valeria's table.

Valeria sighed again. “I'm okay." 

Mrs Romano scoffed and pulled out a chair.

“I might not know much about you," she said, lowering herself onto the chair. “But I know you smile and laugh alot." 

A thought crossed Valeria's mind. This is a judge, maybe she can help take her father to court or something.

“Well," she began. “My father wants to marry me off to a rich business partner of his." 

Mrs Romano paused. “Uhm, that's good news, right?" 

Valeria shook her head. “He's old enough to be my grandfather." 

Mrs Romano’s eyes widened in shock. 

“Oh, I see. That's terrible." 

Valeria sighed. “Tell me about it." 

There was a brief silence.

“So what do you intend to do?" Mrs Romano asked.

“I have no idea," Valeria replied honestly.

Mrs Romano paused again, assessing her with pity in her eyes.

“I might have a solution, only if you're up to it." 

Valeria's eyes snapped to Mrs Romano, her hands reached out to Mrs Romano's and grabbed it tightly.

“Anything," she said. “I'll do anything to escape my father's proposal." 

Mrs Romano studied her briefly again.

“Marry my grandson," she proposed.

Valeria's grip loosened on her hands.

“What?" 

“Marry my grandson," she repeated. “Then you can be free from your father." 

“But…marrying a stranger is no different from accepting her father's proposal," she said softly.

“It is," Mrs Romano cuts in immediately. “Treasure is a perfect gentleman." 

“Treasure?" 

Mrs Romano laughed. “Oh, that's just what I call him." 

Valeria nodded. “Oh!" 

“Listen, all you need is a legal document to get your father off your neck." 

Valeria thought about it for a brief second, weighing her options then realizing she had nothing to lose.

“Fine. I'll do it,” she surrendered. "But does he know you're getting married?”

“He trusts me," Mrs Romano smiled and reached for her bag, pulling out a thin file and a pen, she placed it in front of Valeria.

A marriage certificate.

She is a judge so it's no wonder to Valeria why she should have that in her bag.

“All I need is your signature," Mrs Romano pointed to a short column below. “I'll fill in the details on the plane." 

Valeria grabbed the pen, heaved a heavy sigh and let the pen bleed her signature onto the paper.

"Are you going on a trip?” Valeria suddenly noticed, as she scanned Mrs Romano's bag.

“Ah, yes. I'm going out of the country for a two year course." 

“Two years?," Valeria screamed.

Mrs Romano smiled and nodded.

“So…how do I meet your grandson?”

" That is not a problem,” Mrs Romano replied, ruffling through her bag for a few seconds.

" Her,” she said, placing a complimentary card on the table. " I ran out of his, but this is mine. And his number is written behind it.”

Valeria picked it up slowly.

"I'll forward him your number as soon as I'm up in the air,” she added.

There was a brief silence.

"He is out of the country for now. He is a workaholic and is hardly in the country.”

" Works for me,” Valeria shrugged.

"Okay, I'll be on my way now. Call me if you need to talk.” Mrs Romano said over her shoulder as she exited the cafe, not getting the coffee she had come for.

***

Valeria returned home to see her things thrown outside by her father. 

Without going in to beg, she packed up and headed to her friend’s place.

“I can't believe your father wants you to marry that smelly old man," Callista sympathized.

“Well, joke's on him because I'm now legally married," Valeria replied.

Callista’s expression shifted, concern etched on her features.

“Are you sure you made the right decision? I mean marrying someone you've never met." 

“Actually, I'm not sure," Valeria confessed. “I just needed something to help me escape my father's plan for me." 

Callista paused briefly.

“Just let me stay with you," Valeria begged. “I promise I'll get a job soon and pay you.”

Callista shrugged. "Of course you can stay. Besides, you're like a sister.”

Valeria smiled and pulled her into a hug.

Later that night, Valeria's phone buzzed and lit up with a message from an unknown number.

< Hello! Free to talk?

Valeria stared at the number, suspecting it to be Mrs Romano's grandson. She quickly checked to confirm, and truly, she was right.

Happily, she sat at the edge of the bed and typed back.   >Sure!

Valeria grinned and replied. >She said the same about you.

He sent a smiley face.

>Me too. Too bad you're not in the country.

>6p.m is fine.

Valeria thumps hovered over her keyboard as she thought of a way to keep the conversation going.

An idea suddenly popped up and she typed before she could stop herself >Want to see some pic?

He didn't reply immediately and this made her regret asking. 

She typed. >Never mind. But before she could send, he replied.

She heaved a sigh of relief because she didn't have any good pictures of herself.

The conversation came to an end but Valeria's imagination stayed active all night. She kept turning on her bed, letting herself fantasize about her mystery husband.

She was supposed to be scared and worried, but strangely, she was curious and eager.

“I know I'd like him, my heart tells me so,” she muttered to herself, before drifting into a sound sleep.