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“I think I’m more aware of what my problems are than you are, Ms. Langley, with all due respect.”
It stuns me a little, how she quickly switches into this person with conviction. It’s like she’s a completely different person, and it's catching me off-guard.
“I still don’t see why we aren’t allowed to apply for a marriage license. It honestly just seems like you're wasting our time,” Isa adds, and my jaw almost drops at her sudden boldness. For a person about to be deported, she sure isn’t holding her tongue back from an immigration officer.
“If you know who I am, Ms. Langley, then you know I am a very busy man,” I add, riding along the energy Isa set off in the room. It’s a smart tactic to fight fire with fire sometimes. Hopefully, this shows Dolores that we’re not people she can intimidate. “So, unless there’s a reason for us to be meeting with you here today, we should really be going.”
“Not so fast,” Dolores declares, sitting up in her chair. “Just because you’re one of the richest men in Hollywood, Mr. Camden, doesn’t mean that you can push your way around the law.”
I furrow my eyebrows, preparing for my most important acting role yet. “The law? Is it against the law for me to want to marry Isa?”
“No, but it is against the law to commit marriage fraud,” Dolores quickly counters. “It is within reason for an investigator to be sent out by the immigration office due to these rathersuddendevelopments. Isa’s visa application was rejected. Then, all of a sudden, she’s about to be married to someone. And not just anyone. But someone with a lot of clout and power around here. And someone who just so happens to be her boss. Someone to whom I'm sure she is indispensable to. I'm sure she's a smart cookie and maybe you're not wanting to let her go. It’s suspicious, whether you like it or not.”
I purse my lips, my heart beating faster as I realize that the investigator is unaware of my father’s condition to me in his will. Isa’s stiff in the chair next to me, probably thinking the same thing. We have to be careful here, otherwise we would be even more screwed.
“That’s absolutely ridiculous.” I scowl. “You seem to be already aware of who I am. Would there be a reason for me to disclose my personal life to the world? Is your data just from a tabloid that you picked up down the street?” I grill, and I can tell that I’m catching the fault in Dolores’s reasoning. “Am I not entitled to my privacy just because I’m a public figure?”
Dolores’s face tightens up. Then, she pulls out a folder from one of her drawers. “Well, Mr. Camden, if you are confident of your words, then I’m sure that conducting a separate interview for each of you wouldn’t be a problem?”
This isn’t good. Of course, I knew this was a possibility. But I really hoped it wouldn’t come to this little procedure.
“For what?” Isa asks, her voice sounding smaller than a few moments ago.
“Why, for the legitimacy of your relationship, of course. If you two are indeed in love, then you should know every single facet and detail about each other, yes?” Dolores elaborates. I try my best to not show the worry on my face. In this case, we can’t save each other if we get something wrong. “It’s just a standard process. I’m afraid I cannot simply walk out this door after I’ve already been deployed to investigate your case.”
A silence falls in the room, but I can’t let it linger for too long. Otherwise, we would become even more suspicious in her eyes. She might have calmed down with her aggression, but I know for a fact she still isn’t convinced about us. She just ran out of evidence, which is why she’s resorting to protocol.
“That sounds perfectly reasonable,” I confirm as I casually put my arm on the back of Isa's chair. I know there’s no way out for us but through the interview. Any other path would render us unconvincing.
“Splendid. Would two days from now be a viable interview date?” Dolores wastes no time in cornering us once more.
Look, I’m not a horrible boss, I’m just a person who only cares about the work. I’ve never felt the need to know about Isa’s personal life. She did her job remarkably, and that was enough for me. With that being said, I know barely anything about her life. And I’m not even sure if Isa knows anything about my personal life, either. We usually just work together on the same office floor, then go home to our respective houses. Hell, I don't even know where she lives. There’s no way I can learn all I need to know about her within two days. I need more time.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Langley, I cannot be made available on such short notice,” I dismiss her schedule, coming up with the best excuse I can.
“Then what about next week? I’m sure you can make some time from your busy schedule for something this important, right?” She’s absolutely relentless. I don’t even think she allowed me to breathe before coming up with another date. If I don’t come up with something better, we’re doomed.
Isa clears her throat, catching both of our attention.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Langley. But Leo and I already have a trip to the Philippines planned. We are going to tell my family about our engagement.”
Excuse me? I try not to look at Isa in shock.
But how could I not? I don’t know what possibility scares me more: Dolores Langley or Isa’s family.
Chapter 10
Isa
I’llbehonest…whenI said what I said in that suffocating office with Dolores, I was actually in a haze. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was purely on auto-pilot. The overwhelming intimidation I felt in front of Dolores Langley sent me into overdrive, but I couldn’t just sit there and take it. Goddamn, I was already fighting for my life and risking it all just so I could keep my job and provide for my family. I wasn't in any mood to take the high road. Of course, I still had to reel myself in a bit, even if I was in a haze because of the circumstances. She did represent the government and the law.
I was surprised when she booked us in for our interviews for when we returned from the Philippines. We acted like that made the most sense, but really, we were grateful for the time we would now have to learn more about each other. I'm pretty sure a trip to the Philippines was not on Leo's calendar, but since I'm the holder of his calendar, I had to make it work.
A few calls and it was all done.
And here we are. A private airport terminal. About to board the most luxurious plane I have ever seen in my life: Leo’s private jet.
“Sitting here is pretty crazy compared to how I usually go home. I'm practically cargo just to get the cheapest seat,” I tell Leo, who’s seated on the other side of the aisle. I'm sitting in sort of a booth of two love seats around a table. Across the aisle are two captain chairs facing each other. Leo is sitting in one of those, and we're both facing the same way. Having the aisle between us is clearly not a convincing arrangement for two people who are supposedly engaged. I guess we’re done acting for now.
