Suddenly, you're my wife

Part 3

"Jack, Edwin." Jhoana said as she entered the board's room.

"Jhoana, congratulations on The President." Edwin, a dude with head full of white hair spoke.

"Thank you, thank you." She said. "This isn't about my third raise right? Just kidding."

They chuckled and sat properly.

"Jhoana." Edwin said. "Do you remembered when we agreed that you won't go to that 4 month conference, because you weren't allowed out of the country while your visa application was being processed?"

"Yes, I do." She said with confidence.

"And you went anyway?"

"Yes, I did. Or else we are loosing a huge investor to the firm." Again, with confidence.

"Well, it seems that the United States don't care about the huge investor."

"We, uh.. just spoke to your immigration attorney." Jack, a dude that is having a dad bod, spoke.

"Great, so we are all good, right?" Jhoana said.

"Jhoana, your visa application has been denied." Jack said.

"Wha.." Jhoana said in shock.

"And you are being deported."

"DEPORTED?!" She exclaimed.

"And apparently there was also some paperwork that you didn't fill out in time." Edwin said.

"Come on! Come on! I shouldn't be DE-ported. In fact, I should be A-ported! There's gotta be something we can do." She said in a nervous chuckle.

"We can reapply, but unfortunately you got to leave the country for at least a year." Jack added.

"A year?! Okay, okay. That's not ideal. Well okay, I can manage everything in Manila. With video conferencing, and the Internet. I..."

"No Jhoana, you don't understand. If you are deported, you can't work on an American company." Jack said.

"Until this is resolved I'm passing everything to Bobby." 

"Bobby?! The guy I just fired?!"

"We need an editor-in-chief, he is the only person in the building that has enough experience." Edwin explained.

"You cannot be serious. I beg of you.."

"Jhoana, we are desperate of you to stay. If there is any way that we could make this thing work, we'd be doing it."

"There is no way.."

I went up and went to the higher people's room. This time I made sure I knocked. "Hi."

"Excuse me we were on a meeting." Edwin asked me to leave but I continued speaking.

"Uh excuse me, Ms. Maraguinot, sorry to interrupt..."

"What!? What?!" She asked me in irritation.

"Mary, from Ms. Winfrey's office. She called, she's on the line not, she's on hold. She needs to speak with you right away but I told her you were otherwise engaged..."

She looked at me, in a very meaningful with a bright eyes, just like she had an idea. It's like there is something that I said that made her, alive and full of hope.

She mouthed 'come here' at me.

"Wha..?"

"Uhm.." She mouthed 'come here' again.

So I walked towards her and stood beside her.

"Uh, gentlemen, I understand, the predicament that we are in. And uhm.. And there's a.. well, I think there is something that you should know."

She looked at me and tapped my chest. "We are getting maried."

Excuse me?!!!

She keeps on tapping my chest and repeating the words that I never imagined that I will hear today.

"We are getting maried."

"Wai.. Who is getting... married?" I asked in confusion.

"You and I." She said.

"We... are...?"

"Getting married." She finished my sentence and tapped my chest again.

"Isn't she new?" Jack asked me.

"She's... yes." She answered. "But well, she is my secretary."

"Secretary?" Jack asked.

"Executive." Jhoana corrected herself. "You know... titles. But wouldn't be the first time that we fell for our assistants, right Jack? With Tifanny? Remember?"

Jack shifted on his seat uncomfortably and Edwin looked at him with a meaningful yet intriguing smile.

"So.." Jhoana started. "Yeah, the truth is. You know Bea and I. We are just two people, who weren't supposed to be inlove. But did." She tapped my chest again.

"All those late nights at the office. And weekend bookfairs. Something..." I looked at her in askance but she kept on speaking. "Something happened." She chuckled.

"Something." I said in nervous manner. I am lying to the least person that I expected to face today and for the least person that I like.

"We tried to fight it. But can't fight a love like ours." She awkwardly wrapped her arms to mine but removed immediately. "So uh... are we good? Are you happy? With this? Cause you know we are. Happy. So happy."

"Jhoana." Edwin said.

"Yes?" She answered.

"It's terrific. Just make it legal, hmm?" He showed his wedding ring to us.

"Oh!" Jhoana exclaimed. "Legal. Yeah well then, that means we.. we need to get to the immigration office so we can work this mess out." She tapped my chest again. Seriously what the hell is it in there?!!

"Thank you very much gentlemen." She said. "We will do that right away. Thank you very much gentlemen."

We walked out and thru the hallway back to her office. I heard our colleague's whispers.

"Bea and Jhoana are getting married."
"What the hell is she thinking?"
"Uh-uh, hell no!"
"Here they come."
"I didn't know they were even dating."

I saw Deanna sitting on her desk and whispered. "For real, her?" She pointed at Jhoana and laughed.

I followed her to her office and closed the door behind me. I stood in front of her and waited for her to speak first.

She was busy checking the files on her table before speaking. "What?!" She asked not looking at me.

"I don't understand what's happening." I said in a very much confusing way.

"Relax. It's for you too."

"Do explain." I asked her.

"They are going to make Bobby Editor-in-Chief."

"So naturally I would have to marry you?"

"What's the problem? Like you were saving yourself from someone special?"

"I'd like to think so."

She laughed.

"Jhoana, I mean, Ms. Maraguinot. I'm not gonna marry you." I said in a firm but still careful way.

"Sure you are. Because if you don't marry me your dream of touching the live of millions with your written words are gone."

I looked at her in askance.

"Bobby's gonna fire you the second I'm gone, guaranteed. That means you are out on the street alone, looking for job. That means all the late nights that you spent on your book, were all for nothing and all your dreams of becoming a well known writer are gone. But don't worry after the required amount of time, we'll get a quickie divorce and be done with. Until then your wagon. is hitched. to mine." She explained.

God. She's witty, but this is not the smartest move to be honest. But what can I do. I could get fired.

Dammit!